NCL.co.uk - How to lose customers by ripping them off

[sparks1093]

I have no feel for the % discount offered in Florida. Does it ever get as high as 20-25%? I agree there is a similarity in offering a regional discount.

 

I have read of such steep discounts, yes.

[DevonianCruiser]

Not really.

 

NCL just spent €1.2b to build (not outfit and stock, just to build) the two Breakaway Class ships. That is €600,000,000 each, or slightly more than $800,000,000 USD.

 

Your $900+ is mere 0.00011% of that cost. It doesn't matter how I see it, but from the viewpoint of the other party in your transaction, it certainly is NOT a "pile of cash". :rolleyes:

 

What relevance is the cost of two ships to what the OP is talking about? The OP is just saying that in the UK the cost is nearly always more. They are correct as I've found it to be the case on many occasions.

 

And $900 difference is quite a lot. If you don't care about what you pay then that's your lookout, but to patronise the OP seems pointless.

[SeaShark]

What relevance is the cost of two ships to what the OP is talking about? The OP is just saying that in the UK the cost is nearly always more. They are correct as I've found it to be the case on many occasions.

 

And $900 difference is quite a lot. If you don't care about what you pay then that's your lookout, but to patronise the OP seems pointless.

 

The OP created the relevance in the discussion about nickel and diming between the OP and NCL by trying to make it seem like their stake in the game was somehow extremely significant. I simply made a fair comparison to the stake that the other party has as well. There are TWO sides to the question after all.

 

What you should be asking is if, as you claim, "in the UK the cost is nearly always more", then why on earth wouldn't a person pay on the US site? It would just be stupid to do your booking where the cost "is nearly always more" and then have the audacity to complain about it.

 

 

PS....Even though I used it (TWICE), you apprently didn't get the meaning of ":rolleyes:"

[DevonianCruiser]

The OP created the relevance in the discussion about nickel and diming between the OP and NCL by trying to make it seem like their stake in the game was somehow extremely significant. I simply made a fair comparison to the stake that the other party has as well. There are TWO sides to the question after all.

 

What you should be asking is if, as you claim, "in the UK the cost is nearly always more", then why on earth wouldn't a person pay on the US site? It would just be stupid to do your booking where the cost "is nearly always more" and then have the audacity to complain about it.

 

 

PS....Even though I used it (TWICE), you apprently didn't get the meaning of ":rolleyes:"

 

Patronising obviously isn't enough, using the word stupid I guess makes you feel a little bit special - good for you.

 

I'm not 'claiming' it's more expensive generally from the UK - it is. As a previous share holder in an agency I would know. Judging from the amount of posts you've made on here you should know too, because I've read it on quite a few occasions. As for the 'stupid' comment if you bothered reading all the thread, you'd notice I'd asked if it was possible. The reason is with a lot of companies you can ONLY book from the country you're in - Center Parks being a prime example.

 

Anyway fella enjoy your day :p

[helpthejuggler]

Not really.

 

NCL just spent €1.2b to build (not outfit and stock, just to build) the two Breakaway Class ships. That is €600,000,000 each, or slightly more than $800,000,000 USD.

 

Your $900+ is mere 0.00011% of that cost. It doesn't matter how I see it, but from the viewpoint of the other party in your transaction, it certainly is NOT a "pile of cash". :rolleyes:

 

In which case they won't miss $900 by making me a happy passenger with the same deal they are offering already to others.

[luddite]

They are having a fire sale.

And you are comparing apples with pecans.

[helpthejuggler]

Patronising obviously isn't enough, using the word stupid I guess makes you feel a little bit special - good for you.

 

I'm not 'claiming' it's more expensive generally from the UK - it is. As a previous share holder in an agency I would know. Judging from the amount of posts you've made on here you should know too, because I've read it on quite a few occasions. As for the 'stupid' comment if you bothered reading all the thread, you'd notice I'd asked if it was possible. The reason is with a lot of companies you can ONLY book from the country you're in - Center Parks being a prime example.

 

Anyway fella enjoy your day :p

 

Hey...cmon play nicely chaps.

 

We are here to criticise NCL not each other.

 

I did compare the sites and thought the playing field was almost level.

 

If you are in the US you may not be aware of the barriers put up to now make it difficult to access their .com site. Of course I can bypass this but not all will find a way.

 

"See no NCL evil" cheerleaders....feel free to ignore this thread at your leisure

Edited November 9, 2013 by helpthejuggler

[helpthejuggler]

They are having a fire sale.

And you are comparing apples with pecans.

 

Quite the contrary. I would like NCL to sell the same apples here.

 

Just want the same sale here.

[Cloudyrain]

They probably charge you a higher price because you live in a town with a really fancy name like Royal Wootton Bassett.

 

If that's your attitude then maybe they should reduce prices for residents like HelpTheJuggler: the village was given the Royal title in recognition of thanks to the town for accepting the bodies of deceased service men and women when they were returned to the UK. You Tube the videos that show the whole village coming onto the streets to pay their respects. It's very moving and shows respect for those who have given their life for freedom of the innocent. Very poignant during Rememberance Weekend x

[DevonianCruiser]

If that's your attitude then maybe they should reduce prices for residents like HelpTheJuggler: the village was given the Royal title in recognition of thanks to the town for accepting the bodies of deceased service men and women when they were returned to the UK. You Tube the videos that show the whole village coming onto the streets to pay their respects. It's very moving and shows respect for those who have given their life for freedom of the innocent. Very poignant during Rememberance Weekend x

 

Yes you're very right. It's been very emotional when I've seen coverage of it on telly. Total respect to out armed forces.

[luddite]

Quite the contrary. I would like NCL to sell the same apples here.

 

Just want the same sale here.

 

That is the point. They cannot. UK has different rules.

And .... NCL knows certain things about certain locales.

And you missed the point.

Edited November 9, 2013 by luddite

[helpthejuggler]

That is the point. They cannot. UK has different rules.

And .... NCL knows certain things about certain locales.

And you missed the point.

 

Clearly. They offered parity last week but not this. The prices were similar.

 

The different rules are minor so do not justify $900.

 

Wonder what they know about my locale.

Edited November 9, 2013 by helpthejuggler

[ColinIllinois]

If that's your attitude then maybe they should reduce prices for residents like HelpTheJuggler: the village was given the Royal title in recognition of thanks to the town for accepting the bodies of deceased service men and women when they were returned to the UK. You Tube the videos that show the whole village coming onto the streets to pay their respects. It's very moving and shows respect for those who have given their life for freedom of the innocent. Very poignant during Rememberance Weekend x

 

 

I thought it was pretty obvious that I was joking around with the O.P. :confused:

[Demonyte]

Quite the contrary. I would like NCL to sell the same apples here.

 

Just want the same sale here.

 

Well, most different companies (when travel related be it an airline, a cruise line, a car rental company, etc) do have different prices based on different areas - as Europeans we can get all-inclusive car rental in US for peanuts compared to locals, then exactly same return flights over atlantic are usually a lot more expensive if the departure is from US, etc, etc, etc.

 

This is not ripping off anybody, it's just segmenting and how they decide to price different things for different markets. I'd too like to get a lot of things offered by multinational companies that are available only in US but if I do want to get those, I need to purchase them from there (or use service prociders like MyUS to get a US address, paid network proxy to see US Netflix content, etc)

 

And as you said yourself, it's a sale (to get the ship filled, not to lower prices for customers already agreed and paid the original price) - one can't expect all stores in chain to have a sale, especially if it's not marketed as chainwide one because some locations don't have the need to discount their products (or inventory or allocation or whatever).

[Zubat]

I empathize with the OP to the extent of their frustration.

 

I would add that the idea that the "extra protection" afforded to UK domiciled purchases can in itself justify the quantum of price swings and differentials that I often see is delusional. It's about one thing and one thing only - filling the cabins with punters. Supply and demand. If that happens to hurt those already booked - too bad.

 

When I deal with NCL, it's like dealing with multiple car franchises when buying a new car or multiple realtors/estate agents when buying a property. It's them against me as far as the price is concerned and the price I achieve might not be the same price tomorrow and they don't help me get the best deal. But I sure as hell wouldn't let it spoil my journey, investment, holiday etc.

 

Caveat emptor, my dear friends, caveat emptor.

[helpthejuggler]

I thought it was pretty obvious that I was joking around with the O.P. :confused:

 

I saw it as a joke and responded in kind.

 

Thanks to all those who think kindly of RWB and those we remember this weekend.

[rvsullivan]

There is another very similar thread running right now about this very topic. It also includes a detailed reference as to why the pricing is different. This discussion has gone on for several years now and has always been the same. UK booking cost more and it's not fair. There have been many posts over the years with UK posters "bragging" if you will, about the extra travel protections they receive due to government regulations to protect travelers. We have little to no visibility on this side of the pond as to those policies and accept at face value what we hear. It would seem there are a couple of choices. Book through the UK website and accept what it is, book through a US agent and accept the system we use. Many in the UK have found the way to work around the "system" to get on the U.S. TA's websites. Asking NCL to change their system to accommodate anyone is probably not going to happen for many reasons.

 

I never look at UK pricing so have no visibility as to what it costs, I'm not sure why anyone would look at U.S. pricing if they don't live here? I have no idea how much it cost to cruise from the UK, Germany, France or any other country. I'm only concerned with how much I have to pay! If it's too much, I don't book, and if you get on the same ship at half price or double the price, it matters little to me. I hope you enjoy your cruise.:D

[Tiggertastic]

Sorry the OP is unhappy and it is frustrating however the prices differ quite often and sometimes it is the UK that gets the best deal

 

we did the breakaway this year and our haven cabin was over $1000 less in the UK than it was to book it on .com

 

Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose

[insidecabin]

There is another very similar thread running right now about this very topic. It also includes a detailed reference as to why the pricing is different. This discussion has gone on for several years now and has always been the same. UK booking cost more and it's not fair. There have been many posts over the years with UK posters "bragging" if you will, about the extra travel protections they receive due to government regulations to protect travelers. We have little to no visibility on this side of the pond as to those policies and accept at face value what we hear. It would seem there are a couple of choices. Book through the UK website and accept what it is, book through a US agent and accept the system we use. Many in the UK have found the way to work around the "system" to get on the U.S. TA's websites. Asking NCL to change their system to accommodate anyone is probably not going to happen for many reasons.

 

I never look at UK pricing so have no visibility as to what it costs, I'm not sure why anyone would look at U.S. pricing if they don't live here? I have no idea how much it cost to cruise from the UK, Germany, France or any other country. I'm only concerned with how much I have to pay! If it's too much, I don't book, and if you get on the same ship at half price or double the price, it matters little to me. I hope you enjoy your cruise.:D

 

There is no problem/workarounds getting onto US TA web sites.

 

Why not in this global age search for the best price for all the things you buy?

 

They changed the legislation worldwide for purchasing flights , you can buy any flight anywhere and often the prices are much better in one location even with the same company eg I can get a one way flight from the east cost on virgin and BA through the US often 1/3 the price in the UK.

 

NCL US is happy to take UK bookings, we have a NCL PPC in the UK and US or just use the website there is no problem searching for cruises if you start with the search page http://www.ncl.com/vacations/?

[Uniall]

The problem the Original Poster has is not the inability to book either thru NCL-UK or NCL-US.

His problem is the prohibition of booking on one and then rebooking on the other if the price drops only on the other.

Up till final payment, you can always rebook after a price drop with the location of the original booking.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Uniall

[helpthejuggler]

The problem the Original Poster has is not the inability to book either thru NCL-UK or NCL-US.

His problem is the prohibition of booking on one and then rebooking on the other if the price drops only on the other.

Up till final payment, you can always rebook after a price drop with the location of the original booking.

 

Possibly another way of looking at it.

 

Pricing consistency would remove the advantage to switch between UK - US.

You may recall the layers of extra protection that we "enjoy" that are cited to hike up UK costs.

If we cancel before final payment here, we always lose our deposits. This allows cruise line costs to be much lower as they can refuse price adjustments or accept them with a loss of deposit. This lower churn rate saves them money in resale costs.

 

This prevents UK pax securing a room they prefer of 2 cruises with the aim of going on one, cancelling the other, or even cancelling both if prices do not drop.

 

If we book, we really must intend to sail or lose money.

 

So there are 2 competing forces on the UK price, higher and lower vs the US price

[insidecabin]

The loss of deposit is the big problem with a UK booking and the need to change.

 

What you can do is try to move the deposit to a new cruise further out sometimes this is possible, work with a NCL PCC.

 

Also use the future Cruise certs limits the loss to $150pp.

 

Then you can rebook the cruise that dropped in price. if you get the timing right you get to keep your cabin.

 

We just book late after final or in the US so fully refundable if a good deal comes up early or it's a cruise we want to do and it might fill.

 

Our last trip on the Spirit very late booking(19 days) good price and the best inside cabin on the ship was available, no idea why, but nailed the deal.

[Uniall]

The loss of deposit is the big problem with a UK booking and the need to change.

 

What you can do is try to move the deposit to a new cruise further out sometimes this is possible, work with a NCL PCC.

 

Also use the future Cruise certs limits the loss to $150pp.

 

Then you can rebook the cruise that dropped in price. if you get the timing right you get to keep your cabin.

 

We just book late after final or in the US so fully refundable if a good deal comes up early or it's a cruise we want to do and it might fill.

 

Our last trip on the Spirit very late booking(19 days) good price and the best inside cabin on the ship was available, no idea why, but nailed the deal.

 

The probable reason for finding "the best inside cabin" available 19 days prior to sailing was they offered an free upgrade to ocean view or balcony to the person who had the inside cabin.

[Tiggertastic]

very likely, good news for those that do get to grab them

[Pootlepops]

Just wanted to add my experience to this. We booked a package 3 weeks ago through Virgin Cruise Holidays for flights, NYC stay and 7 nights on the Breakaway departing 15th Dec. We booked through Virgin as we couldn't get near the price booking independently. Last weekend I noticed the prices for the Balcony cabins has dropped on the NCL site. I phoned NCL to see if we could upgrade, at a cost if need be. They advised me to contact Virgin and I did. Virgin contacted NCL on my behalf and offered us an upgrade to Aft for £35 or an upgrade to a spa balcony for £85. We have taken the spa offer this morning and MyNCL was updated before I had even given my card details to the Virgin rep!