Never cruised, booked in advance and missed all deals

Hope you can all help - we have never taken a cruise before, and as a family treat decided to give it ago. Have booked 7 days Western Med tour on Norwegian Epic in a Family Mini Suite for August 2015 (me, husband and two boys aged 9&10). We booked in advance, naively thinking this would be best....but was horrified to see a few months later that for the same price they were offering free drinks, free meal upgrades and free spending money.

The value of the 'freebies' on offer was >$1k...it made me feel awful and feels like we've been ripped off before we even get on board.

I did contact NCL but they refused to do anything. Any tips from anyone?, can I get a deal before I go on board?...the drinks package now looks very expensive to purchase, and I wouldn't drink that much to warrant paying it.

It is such a shame, am aggrieved before I've even stepped foot on a cruise ship! Any tips from anyone?

thanks...

Hope you can all help - we have never taken a cruise before, and as a family treat decided to give it ago. Have booked 7 days Western Med tour on Norwegian Epic in a Family Mini Suite for August 2015 (me, husband and two boys aged 9&10). We booked in advance, naively thinking this would be best....but was horrified to see a few months later that for the same price they were offering free drinks, free meal upgrades and free spending money.

 

The value of the 'freebies' on offer was >$1k...it made me feel awful and feels like we've been ripped off before we even get on board.

 

I did contact NCL but they refused to do anything. Any tips from anyone?, can I get a deal before I go on board?...the drinks package now looks very expensive to purchase, and I wouldn't drink that much to warrant paying it.

 

It is such a shame, am aggrieved before I've even stepped foot on a cruise ship! Any tips from anyone?

thanks...

I am sure if you looked at what you paid for your cruise compared to what it is going for now the "free" items have been added into the fare and you likely aren't getting the great deal you think. In any event it's best to just let it go and enjoy your cruise, most cruise lines will offer deals as the sailing gets closer in order to fill the ship.

First of all - welcome aboard.

First question - did you book your cruise through a travel agent? If you did all requests would have to be made by your TA.

Your signature lists Manchester - I'm assuming that's the Manchester in Great Britain. Rules for booking are sometimes different for you folks "across the pond" than for the U.S. because of the different laws regarding travel stuff.

And sometimes deals like the one you mentioned can be for "new bookings" only so if you already have a reservation you're out of luck. I've run into that scenario myself.

Anyway, don't let that spoil your fun. Enjoy your cruise. I'll bet it won't be your last.

Hope you can all help - we have never taken a cruise before, and as a family treat decided to give it ago. Have booked 7 days Western Med tour on Norwegian Epic in a Family Mini Suite for August 2015 (me, husband and two boys aged 9&10). We booked in advance, naively thinking this would be best....but was horrified to see a few months later that for the same price they were offering free drinks, free meal upgrades and free spending money.

 

The value of the 'freebies' on offer was >$1k...it made me feel awful and feels like we've been ripped off before we even get on board.

 

I did contact NCL but they refused to do anything. Any tips from anyone?, can I get a deal before I go on board?...the drinks package now looks very expensive to purchase, and I wouldn't drink that much to warrant paying it.

 

It is such a shame, am aggrieved before I've even stepped foot on a cruise ship! Any tips from anyone?

thanks...

Welcome to Cruise Critic Familyoffournewtothis,

It's always better to book with a travel agent, ask your friends if they can suggest a good one.

You can cancel your booking with NCL and re-book with an agent and get the current discount if it is still being offered.

If you keep your current booking, keep checking the prices online to see if they drop at all. You can usually get credited for room discounts if you contact the cruise line or travel agent.

There are several online agents that are quite good.

Cruising is a wonderful way to see the world. You will very likely be hooked and booking many more cruises in the near future.

If you're not much of a drinker don't bother getting the package. Usually cocktails on board run between $8 and $12 a drink. There is often a drink of the day which carries a friendly price.

Good Luck.

Jonathan

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

It is true that people from the UK are treated differently when booking cruises compared to those in the US. Your TA's aren't able to bargain to get lower prices and deals like ours can in the US.

Hope you can all help - we have never taken a cruise before, and as a family treat decided to give it ago. Have booked 7 days Western Med tour on Norwegian Epic in a Family Mini Suite for August 2015 (me, husband and two boys aged 9&10). We booked in advance, naively thinking this would be best....but was horrified to see a few months later that for the same price they were offering free drinks, free meal upgrades and free spending money.

 

The value of the 'freebies' on offer was >$1k...it made me feel awful and feels like we've been ripped off before we even get on board.

 

I did contact NCL but they refused to do anything. Any tips from anyone?, can I get a deal before I go on board?...the drinks package now looks very expensive to purchase, and I wouldn't drink that much to warrant paying it.

 

It is such a shame, am aggrieved before I've even stepped foot on a cruise ship! Any tips from anyone?

thanks...

You could have waited for a good deal...or the ship could have sold out.

Waiting versus booking early is a gamble because nobody can predict how well a voyage will sell. But booking late means that only the crappy cabin locations are left. And in your case maybe none at all since you need accommodations for four people. It's a lot easier for two people to wait for a late deal but families will usually find limited or no cabin availability at a late date.

In order to wait for a late last minute deal five things must all be true:

- lowest price is your primary goal over and above any other consideration

- you are not tied to one sailing date

- you can accept a category guarantee

- you can accept that the fare might go up or the ship can sell out before you make up your mind

- airfare is not an issue.

Its always a gamble and there is now ay to ensure you will always be able to take advantage of any promos. Before you try the cancel and re-book with a TA approach, make sure you are able to do so where you live. I know in some places there are non-refundable deposits in place. Also, even if you can cancel, depending how long it takes your TA to re-book you could lose the room you had.

...Also, even if you can cancel, depending how long it takes your TA to re-book you could lose the room you had.

Good point. The moment anybody cancels to re-book that cabin immediately goes back into inventory where anybody can jump on it. With children ages 9 and 10 the OP probably booked a 4-person cabin and ships don't have to many of them.

Welcome to Cruise Critic Familyoffournewtothis,

 

 

 

You can cancel your booking with NCL and re-book with an agent and get the current discount if it is still being offered.

 

Just to be clear.

If OP is in Manchester, UK, and they booked with either NCL UK or a UK TA, they can't cancel without losing their deposit.

As the cruise date is in the next couple of months the balance may have been paid and in that case there will also be penalties for cancelling.

Of course, OP may do the sums and decide that it's worth losing deposit/balances paid so far if they can rebook a much better deal.

If OP is in Manchester, New Hampshire, ignore my post ;)

Don't feel like you are alone. I would bet 75% of passengers book and never think to look at fares again. I believe that you are past final payment, so even were you in a country where you could cancel and rebook, you would still lose at least your deposit. EM

While it is disappointing to learn that you might have done better by making a purchase at a later date, it should be recognized that there is always the chance that prices can go up - this applies not just to cruises, but to virtually every expenditure. The value of having possession of a thing that you wanted, and that seemed fairly priced at the time you bought it, should not be discounted.

Letting the discovery that you might have gotten the thing for a lower price diminish your enjoyment is a needless and destructive exercise.

Hi everyone, thank you very much for your feedback, I realize I just need to accept it and move on!

It is just quite difficult when you get Emails from NCL almost daily telling what new better promotions are on!...but I did check when the first one came out, the same room was available at exactly the same price - just with all the deals too....but never mind, lets just get on and enjoy it. :rolleyes:

And yes I'm in Manchester, UK, not the US. Am quite surprised at how many of the travelers are from the US! Look forward to meeting some of you on the trip

thanks again for your feedback

If you used a TA then contact them & ask them to try to get you the deal

you may or may not get something but worth a try

enjoy the cruise

The value of having possession of a thing that you wanted, and that seemed fairly priced at the time you bought it, should not be discounted.

 

 

 

Exactly. That's what I always tell my DW.

Am quite surprised at how many of the travelers are from the US! Look forward to meeting some of you on the trip

Actually, although you are accessing CC from a UK based URL, the majority of CC members are from North America. So, you might clarify where you are when posting, as many/most will assume you are in the US/Canada and give irrelevant answers. EM

To the original poster. I too am from the UK and had a similar experience!

Back in March 2015, for the school holidays in Feb 2016, we booked a balcony cabin with $200 obc and premium drinks package. We thought it was a good deal until a week later. NCL were offering exactly the same grade of cabin with all the trimmings but now included "kids sailing for free". I called NCL but they offered no succour and said I still got a good deal!

Luckily we had not paid the final balance so just cancelled. We lost our deposit. For me, I would not have enjoyed the cruise as much. To make up for it, we did a last minute deal, in May, on the Jade. We are also sailing on the epic in Sept. (We won't be taking our little one with us).

For the future, when we are taking our child, we book a level we are comfortable with. Usually interior. Later, nearing the sailing date, balconies usually come down in price and we then just upgrade. A bit of a gamble, but I would rather do that than book and then see dramatic price slashes!

Happened to us too so you are not alone.

Will never set foot in that high street travel agent again.

We didn't know. Thanks to this site, I now am up to speed! Unfortunately, I only found here just before we sailed so couldn't change anything.

However, we booked whilst on board for another cruise and got the jackpot. We have just been and I tried my best to drink two booze packages:D

Don't let it annoy you. Enjoy your trip.

 

And yes I'm in Manchester, UK, not the US.

Forgive any of our incorrect assumptions - five of the six New England states, as well as at least ten others, have Manchesters. (Our predecessors found it easier to appropriate old names than to come up with new ones.)

thanks everyone for the messages glad I'm not on my own...don't feel so daft now!

It is difficult knowing what is a good deal, or what is likey to happen when you've never cruised before! We did book through an agent, RCI, who used some of our points as a credit against the cruise, so if I'd cancelled I would have lost our deposit and our points. So, need to accept it and make sure we enjoy it! Just planning all the trips now, have learnt my lesson though and will not be using the ship's excursions!

The OP is not alone. One of the reasons I usually wait to book our cruises at the last minute is to save money. Sometimes, though, the deals never happen and we don't go. Purchasing a cruise is like buying a lot of other things. Sometimes the prices will go down and sometimes they'll go up. Buy them if the price at the time seems right to you and don't worry too much about missing out on a better deal. The OP admitted that the drinks package wouldn't be worth it. When I've looked at how much the drinks packages are, they've never made sense for me either. It's cheaper for me to buy drinks individually.

Sometimes I think we were better off before the internet where we booked a cruise for a price we were comfortable with and we were happy. As we got more internet savvy, many more people were trying to get the lower prices and the cruise lines put restrictions on changing your pricing. So try to feel good about the fact that you got the cabin that you wanted for a family of 4. They often go first, but I guess not this time. It I almost like airlines, where you book your flight and that is the price.

What I would do now if I was you is try to find out as much as you can about life on board a cruise ship by going to the NCL threads and also go to the roll call for your cruise, and try to hook up with other people for independent excursions. You will find out that ship excursions are expensive and you will be multiplying that by 4. And/or go to the port of calls pages and do research on your ports and decide what you want to do there and then work with people on your roll call or on the ports of call boards to do at least a few of the ports independently. This will save you a significant amount of money. Please note that in Europe, it is very common to take independent tours. Just make sure your guide is aware that you want to get back to the ship at least an hour before all aboard time (which is usually 1/2 hour before sail away).

Tons more information can be found on threads such as these http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=785229. If you go as an informed cruiser, you will probably save some money and maybe feel a little better.

Have a great cruise.

I think you have to weigh the good and bad. For me I'd rather book and get what I want, when I want rather than wait and risk not getting the amenities I desire for the sake of a sale.

I would just focus on the fact that you have an amazing adventure ahead and look for some creative ways to save on the other end.

When I think back to my 1st cruise I can't believe how much I paid. At the time, however, I thought it was a bargain. Still had a great time. I will never forget the 1st time I saw the ship.

I just book at a price I'm happy with and never look again. The stress of worrying if I've got the best deal isn't worth it. Same with airfare.

Hope you can all help - we have never taken a cruise before, and as a family treat decided to give it ago. Have booked 7 days Western Med tour on Norwegian Epic in a Family Mini Suite for August 2015 (me, husband and two boys aged 9&10). We booked in advance, naively thinking this would be best....but was horrified to see a few months later that for the same price they were offering free drinks, free meal upgrades and free spending money.

 

The value of the 'freebies' on offer was >$1k...it made me feel awful and feels like we've been ripped off before we even get on board.

 

I did contact NCL but they refused to do anything. Any tips from anyone?, can I get a deal before I go on board?...the drinks package now looks very expensive to purchase, and I wouldn't drink that much to warrant paying it.

 

It is such a shame, am aggrieved before I've even stepped foot on a cruise ship! Any tips from anyone?

thanks...

We've all been in your position. I know I have. Booked a cruise at a fantastic price, but one week before final balance was due the price dropped £100pp. We phoned the agent but got no joy. Two weeks later the price dropped a further £200pp!! Couldn't believe it. What we should have done and would do now would be to ring the agent again and ask for obc.

Yes, we were cross for a little while but then remembered we had got a great price anyway and went on to have a brilliant holiday.

Don't let it spoil your cruise you'll have a great time.

Re looking at prices after you have booked. It's impossible to ignore with emails and newspapers advertising all the time.