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Has anyone else noticed that the cruise fares with NCL have gotten much more expensive? Im starting to look at other cruise lines.

Seems like most of the cruise line's prices are going up, even Carnival. But they seem to be selling well, so I guess the economy can handle it.

I find the suite prices ridiculous on the newer ships. Won't be booking them any of those anytime soon. I'll stick to the older smaller ships which is just fine with us.

I find the suite prices ridiculous on the newer ships. Won't be booking them any of those anytime soon. I'll stick to the older smaller ships which is just fine with us.

We prefer older smaller ships so it's often win/win for us.

I agree that the suite pricing has gone up a bit (Dawn) over the past couple of years but I still feel that for us, a week in a suite on the Dawn is a great value. Especially when I factor in the included UBP, UDP and OBC we got for this next one.

Especially with the Bermuda itinerary, I feel like it is such an in-demand destination that prices can continue to rise and people will still continue to cruise in the suites.

Having said that, I find that the "Haven" suites on the newer and larger suites are out of my budget. I have also looked at suite and balcony accommodations on Oasis-class with RCCL... pricey to me, especially considering that I really have no desire to visit the Caribbean on a cruise so I'd be sailing *just* for the ship itself.

I believe they've raised their rates to cover the "free" UDP, UBP, OBC, internet and excursion offers, and other things they're advertising as "Free."

For a solo cruiser like me who just wants to get away for a few days at sea, and will probably have to pay double the regular fare, I just want to find a cheap cruise. I'll be happy with an inside stateroom, eating in the "free" dining locations, etc. I just love cruising. But with all of this "free" stuff piled on, that's just not happening. I've been watching rates and I don't think I could even get a short Bahamas cruise this summer for under $800.

We're getting what I feel is a great deal for spring break on the Breakaway. I priced RCL and it was double the price for the same itinerary and cabin type. I also priced DCL just for giggles and their 4 day was more than double.

With that said, I feel like the Haven on the bigger ships is outrageously priced. It's double what we're paying for an Aft suite on the Gem next year.

Those pricing are market specific to ports and given the high summer season - with supply & demand in play - NCL like other lines will try to charge as high as they feel - if you are within driving distance of home port(s) and can wait until the last minute - I've seen price drop within 48 to 72 hours of sailing, extending out to no more than 5 to 7 days - while the upsell emails (and calls) are going out sooner.

Let's see what the Fall, off-peak season is like as there will be fewer families & children sailing ... and, yeah, there's no way we will rush to book at those inflated prices. For one particular 10 nights sailing, prices for the same category has gone up by $300 per person to mask the "giveaways" since the beginning of 2015 - ain't going to fool even the stupid ones.

Yesterday afternoon was the weekend getaway for many in our area, with public schools being out & it was road traffic in every direction in the afternoon, even with gasoline prices hovering around $3 per gallon for regular, folks got other options - one of our BIL/SIL's family are driving across the border & spending early July in Canada.

Just got another mass mailing from Oceania, with my Latitude number printed above the name/address line ... 2nd. one this month; and, those all "inclusive" sales deal aren't that much more than NCL's Haven products, LOL.

Which, of course, meant that we will be looking at other lines or the competition - and, I see that they got some real last minute bargains further out from sailing dates. If the prices are good, we will book & sail and if not, we are going to drive and/or fly - like in early September, getting tired of those homeport milky runs ... who the heck wants to sail north to NE/Canada in June ??

No way would we be booking the same NCL cruise today.

Since we booked earlier this year the price for the same week, same cabin, has risen $1338 dollars and the promo we got, UDP, which covered everyone in the cabin now covers only the first two under the current promo.

The cheapest haven for the week is $5000 dollars more than the minisuite. Close to 10 grand in total price. For a week in the Caribbean?

And for the same week Carnival Magic is less than we paid last year for the Carnival Breeze. So I'm not seeing prices go up everywhere.

Would not be booking an NCL cruise at the current prices.

Has anyone else noticed that the cruise fares with NCL have gotten much more expensive? Im starting to look at other cruise lines.

Yes, and with the current prices I'm fairly positive we would be looking elsewhere. We booked 3 cruises early this year and will say we did get a very very good price (including prepaid gratuities). All are Large balcony cabins, not suites or Havens. The same cruises now, (none in the very high seasons) are now running 700.00 to 800.00 more (suspiciously close to what the "free UPD" would have been if we had bought the drink package).

My son's though has gone up a whopping 1500.00. Three in his cabin and booked during a KSF promotion. Large Balcony cabin.

Thank goodness we booked when we did!

We got lucky with the promotions, no doubt about that. We booked our Oct 2015 cruise in Dec 2014, right after they launched the Freestyle Choice. I was very surprised to see that they didn't jack up the fare to cover those. (We had been watching since we returned from our Oct 2014 cruise).

When it's all said and done, I am confident that we'll actually end up paying less overall this year, than we did last year w paying for UBP and specialty dining, etc.

I find the suite prices ridiculous on the newer ships. Won't be booking them any of those anytime soon. I'll stick to the older smaller ships which is just fine with us.

Yes, agreed.

We got lucky with the promotions, no doubt about that. We booked our Oct 2015 cruise in Dec 2014, right after they launched the Freestyle Choice. I was very surprised to see that they didn't jack up the fare to cover those. (We had been watching since we returned from our Oct 2014 cruise).

 

When it's all said and done, I am confident that we'll actually end up paying less overall this year, than we did last year w paying for UBP and specialty dining, etc.

Booked two around the same time and got the cabins we wanted, at a good price, with the UBP and tips included!! 😎😏😃

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Aft suites on the Akasja cruise we booked several months ago are niw $3K more than what we paid.

I obviously need more coffee and/or spell check.

Price of a dozen eggs went up $1, so naturally cruise prices will be rising.

We canceled ours and are looking into booking other cruise lines. I'm curious to see the fall fares when the ships don't fill out how they will drop.

I help fill ships last minute .

Most years we sail 3 or 4 last minute deals when my NCL guy call's.

This year no calls . :(

I just got my National Parks Pass and tuned up the Motorcycle .

Looks like we could be landlubbers this season . :eek:

We must have booked in a sweet spot. We got an M2 & B2 connecting on Getaway for next May for $5500 for 8 of us. It was less than half of DCL & RCI.

Has anyone else noticed that the cruise fares with NCL have gotten much more expensive? Im starting to look at other cruise lines.

Yes, I have noticed. I started a post a week or so ago mentioning that NCL cruises now are at or above brochure prices. The brochure price used to be like the MSRP on a car--you always got a steep discount unless holiday, spring break, etc. It appears that those days are over.

Agree completely. Just got off NCL Getaway last week. It was very nice and we enjoyed it but just booked Carnival Vista for HALF. I'd rather "slum it down" a bit and cruise more often. Sorry NCL you've gotten a little to greedy...

So funny you posted this. We just booked our first NCL cruise because no other cruise line could beat the price. We got a balcony room with the drink package for about $200 more than an inside room on Carnival. And..with the $200 on board credit we received it equals just about the same. I'm a teacher and the site director of a summer program so I literally have a two week span where we can cruise during the most expensive time of year. NCL was worth it to us this year!

Funny, we always book at least a year out. We currently have two cruises booked and each year the prices have dropped. We do only suites and this year and next years cruise is way down from the price we paid three years ago. I think it's all in the timing. Our suites are sold out now so there's no way to compare, but before they sold out our suite tripled in price and still sold out.

Ships are sailing full so it can't be too bad?

So funny you posted this. We just booked our first NCL cruise because no other cruise line could beat the price. We got a balcony room with the drink package for about $200 more than an inside room on Carnival. And..with the $200 on board credit we received it equals just about the same. I'm a teacher and the site director of a summer program so I literally have a two week span where we can cruise during the most expensive time of year. NCL was worth it to us this year!

That's what I've been hearing about NCL from people on other cruise boards. I got a super deal for the Epic 10-Day Canary Islands & Morocco from Barcelona (2017) but...11 of us are going on the Getaway in August (5 kids can't take out of school) and we surely didn't get any good deal. However, I expect that it will be a great cruise.

Agree completely. Just got off NCL Getaway last week. It was very nice and we enjoyed it but just booked Carnival Vista for HALF. I'd rather "slum it down" a bit and cruise more often. Sorry NCL you've gotten a little to greedy...

I would bet that what you've done is exactly what they hoped would happen.

They're trying to turn this perception of being the low-cost-leader, and move into a mainstream-premium segment.

That means moving from a cruising population who are simply shopping for the lowest fares, and into a segment where free Drinks, Specialities, Gratuities, etc. lead to greater loyalty at a sustained price.

It means they need your cabin back, to sell to someone who doesn't care so much about the price.

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