A little scared to ask...

[mlkmnsgrl]

So, I just read the price drop battle and now I'm a little scared of cc. :confused: But y'all are the experts and I'm the tight budgeted first time cruiser.

 

We booked a last minute Alaska southbound on the Sun that leaves in 34 days. Got an amazing deal on inside guaranty, but as I keep reading about only booking the cat you're happy with, I also keep seeing that with a price drop 4 days ago, we'd only pay $60 total to upgrade to an obstructed view guaranty.

 

I'm inclined to go for it, but my ta talked to ncl and she said she recommends waiting in case it drops again. How long do I wait, though? Maybe until 2 weeks out and then upgrade if it's still available? Do you think that the ncl rep was trying to say that there are plenty of stateroom left to sell on this sailing, so prices are bound to drop more?

 

What do you think?

[wanderlust88]

do your own research on the pricing...and if you are doing Alaska...try to get a balcony...many do that only once...

[Medtech2]

On our Breakaway sailing last year our PCC told us to call 1 week before. I had actually tried calling earlier than that and he was not in. The person I spoke with offered us rooms I was not thrilled about, like near the kids club.

 

When I finally reached him he was able to upgrade us from a regular BD balcony to a Mini-suite in a great location at no charge. That was on the Tuesday before our Sunday sailing.

 

Others on our sailing went from an inside to a balcony at no charge.

 

It is a gamble. I think if you take that obstructed view they may not be inclined to offer you any more of an upgrade but if you wait and there is availability you may get a much better cabin.

 

It all depends on what you are comfortable with.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Medtech2

[mlkmnsgrl]

do your own research on the pricing...and if you are doing Alaska...try to get a balcony...many do that only once...

 

We would love a balcony, but are scraping funds just to get the inside. I'm confident, however, that we'll be back someday when our kids are old enough to come along and we're not starving students anymore.

[kjquilts]

We did the Sun northbound Vancouver to Whittier last June 3rd. Your route is a little different (not just the reverse of ours) but you are still going to be traveling through some beautiful scenic areas. If you keep your inside stateroom you'll still be fine on the Sun as there are areas for viewing open to all. Don't know what you paid through the travel agency but even NCL's current price of $399 per person plus fees/taxes for an inside guarantee or $449 per person plus fees/taxes for partially obstructed oceanview guarantee is great. With the guarantee you don't know what stateroom or even what category you'll receive. You just know it won't be a lower category than what you're paying for. You could wait to see what stateroom you are assigned or if prices come down after final payment date (May 15th).

 

As Medtech2 said, the Sun has a great forward observation lounge with an open deck in front of it. On Hubbard Glacier Day and Sawyer Glacier Day you can spend some time in the observation lounge or out on the open deck in front of it. There are other viewing places - garden cafe, the great outdoors behind it, the sports bar, the promenade/jogging track on deck 6. Some of the restaurants that are not open for meals during the day could also be great viewing area. There is some seating on deck 7 between the forward stairs and the casino ... great views from there as well.

 

Here is a link to free drag it decks site - it is useful to see what is above and below your stateroom but also an easy way to see the layout of a ship.

 

http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/Main/dragit2.php?ship=Norwegian%20Sun

 

Here is a link to my cruise report complete with photos posted on the Alaska CC board. We did not spend a lot on excursions and still had a wonderful time. I highly recommend you going to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. You can either book something through the ship or when you get off the ship there is an area with several booths offering various tours .... just be SURE to pick one that gets you back with time to spare.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1861758

 

You really can't call NCL and ask them questions since you are booked through a travel agency. Read the CC boards (NCL and especially Alaska) but please don't be afraid to come here and ask us questions if you don't want to call the travel agency. Most of us don't bite and are really happy to help new cruisers, especially those who ask questions in advance of their cruise instead of showing up after the fact with huge complaints :)

 

 

[insidecabin]

get onto NCL web(or a TA site that shows cabins) and do a trial booking and see how full the ships is. you also get an idea of what cabins are available so can ask for a particular one if offered that grade.

 

 

Takes a bit of time to go through each grade but you get an idea and can decide when the ship is filling up, check prices daily and cabin availability perhaps a little less often.

(NCL show up to 15 cabins for a grade so there can be more if you see 15)

 

Get onto your TA when the price moves enough.

 

if you give the date someone can have a look

edit: found it

Edited May 14, 2014 by insidecabin

[insidecabin]

A quick run through for the 16 June

 

Suites gone

very few minis

enough balconies to consider monitoring closely

OV monitor

loads of insides so chance of a bargain if thinking of booking.

 

I Would expect the OV and balcony to fluctuate as people upgrade, there is also the B2B factor if the prices drop people might add a cruise.

 

The price drop monitoring site shows there have been 5 drops this month on balcony GTY already so watch every day(more than once) to see if there are any more.

 

Looking at the previous date(2June) the BX price dropped to $649 OX $449 so those are the targets for this one.

 

Now the cabin availability

Insides,

 

I1 15+

IA 15+

IB 4

IC 5

ID 15+

IE 4

IF 3

 

Ocean view

 

OD GTY

OE GTY

OF 15+

OG 15+

OK 8

 

Balcony

 

BD GTY

BC GTY

BB 15+

BA 15+

B3 5

B2 14

 

mIni

 

MB 6

 

suite

 

NONE

[don't-use-real-name]

By all means take what is offered to get a balcony cabin anywhere on the ship !

It is a 7 day sailing and if the upgrade is $70 that is $10 a day and well worth it !

Once you do a cruise like the Inside Passage you will regret it if you pass this

opportunity by.

Scrimp and save and you will thank us at Cruise Critic for this !

Odds are that you will get a balcony cabin on the starboard (right) side of the ship

looking mostly at water - but don't fret it ! The inside passage from Icy Point

Straight to Juneau to Skagway (Haines) to Ketchikan to Vancouver there will

be plenty of land and scenic photo opportunities from your balcony.

Another nice feature of the balcony cabin if the weather is not cooperating you

can view the scenery without going up on deck and getting a face full of it !

Still yet don't miss the viewing from the Observation Lounge (deck 12 fwd)

and the Great Outdoors Café (deck 11 aft).

And remember the views do not require a fee; surcharge or any kind of payment

- it is all included in the cruise fare - make yours the best deal even if you plan

to come back again on another cruise - you will be much the wiser !

[garycarla]

... we'd only pay $60 total to upgrade to an obstructed view guaranty....

 

Others have said to grab the balcony... but from the original post, I am not sure if this is a balcony or oceanview?

[mjkacmom]

On our Breakaway sailing last year our PCC told us to call 1 week before. I had actually tried calling earlier than that and he was not in. The person I spoke with offered us rooms I was not thrilled about, like near the kids club.

.

 

Just a FYI about cabins close to the kids club - don't let that frighten you. Our cabin was as close to the kids club as possible, and we didn't see or hear a thing. The door to the club is down a long hallway across from the elevators.

[mlkmnsgrl]

Thanks so much everyone! This was a huge help. I will continue to monitor.

 

We did the 399 inside gty, so the only way to go is up. :D. There's no way to scrimp the $500 to move to a balcony even if it goes down to 649, so unless ncl decides to be unrealistically nice, we're not gonna have that luxury. And that's ok. The observation lounge/deck sounds great. Thanks for all the great advice on where else to view.

 

We are so very excited! This will be such a great break, both from the kids and from my husband's dissertation. The following week we're in Seattle for a professional conference and we'll be right back into academics, so this time off is much needed.

[kylenyc]

I would take the ocean view guarantee now and then keep checking prices in hopes of an upgrade to a balcony.

 

I don't believe there are any really noisy ocean view locations on the Sun. Obstructed or not, the extra daylight is nice to keep me from oversleeping. I always choose an oceanview of any type over an inside if the price difference is small.

 

Guarantee balconies and mini-suites are a different story and I wouldn't take them at any price unless I only plan on sleeping in the cabin and nothing else due to the possibility of being assigned a noisy location.

[insidecabin]

Thanks so much everyone! This was a huge help. I will continue to monitor.

 

We did the 399 inside gty, so the only way to go is up. :D. There's no way to scrimp the $500 to move to a balcony even if it goes down to 649, so unless ncl decides to be unrealistically nice, we're not gonna have that luxury. And that's ok. The observation lounge/deck sounds great. Thanks for all the great advice on where else to view.

 

We are so very excited! This will be such a great break, both from the kids and from my husband's dissertation. The following week we're in Seattle for a professional conference and we'll be right back into academics, so this time off is much needed.

 

If the balcony is unlikely what I would do is get a cabin as close to a viewing area as possible so you can nip out on deck or to the lounge quickly(deck 10 forward for the lounge or aft for the great outdoors.

Definitely close to an elevator if on any deck.

[JohnCoMo]

A quick run through for the 16 June

 

Suites gone

very few minis

enough balconies to consider monitoring closely

OV monitor

loads of insides so chance of a bargain if thinking of booking.

 

I Would expect the OV and balcony to fluctuate as people upgrade, there is also the B2B factor if the prices drop people might add a cruise.

 

The price drop monitoring site shows there have been 5 drops this month on balcony GTY already so watch every day(more than once) to see if there are any more.

 

Looking at the previous date(2June) the BX price dropped to $649 OX $449 so those are the targets for this one.

 

Now the cabin availability

Insides,

 

I1 15+

IA 15+

IB 4

IC 5

ID 15+

IE 4

IF 3

 

Ocean view

 

OD GTY

OE GTY

OF 15+

OG 15+

OK 8

 

Balcony

 

BD GTY

BC GTY

BB 15+

BA 15+

B3 5

B2 14

 

mIni

 

MB 6

 

suite

 

NONE

 

How do you determine how many cabins are available in each category? Do you just attempt to make a new reservation on NCL's website and count the cabins that are available for assignment?

[insidecabin]

How do you determine how many cabins are available in each category? Do you just attempt to make a new reservation on NCL's website and count the cabins that are available for assignment?

 

That's the way,

 

on the UK/EU booking engine they make it very easy to check all the grades quickly.

 

If you look at the post times that took me 30min including the research on the price changes on another web site typing it all in and thinking about the post,

 

To just look up the data takes about 3-4mins the next time and if I have a cruise on watch I update a column which takes another 1-2minutes depending on the number of difference once you get the hang of it, 5 mins max.

[JohnCoMo]

That's the way,

 

on the UK/EU booking engine they make it very easy to check all the grades quickly.

 

If you look at the post times that took me 30min including the research on the price changes on another web site typing it all in and thinking about the post,

 

To just look up the data takes about 3-4mins the next time and if I have a cruise on watch I update a column which takes another 1-2minutes depending on the number of difference once you get the hang of it, 5 mins max.

 

So if I was looking at a mini-suite GTY on my cruise, and I only see a few cabins in the non-GTY category, is it safe to assume that they will put me in one of those cabins?

[www3traveler]

Unless you are offered a FREE upgrade, I would save your money for Seattle. Seattle is a very expensive city and there is a lot to do and see if you have the time. The Sun has a number of wonderful indoor and outdoor spaces to view Alaska. You will have a great time.

[Jldevlin]

A quick run through for the 16 June

 

Suites gone

very few minis

enough balconies to consider monitoring closely

OV monitor

loads of insides so chance of a bargain if thinking of booking.

 

I Would expect the OV and balcony to fluctuate as people upgrade, there is also the B2B factor if the prices drop people might add a cruise.

 

The price drop monitoring site shows there have been 5 drops this month on balcony GTY already so watch every day(more than once) to see if there are any more.

 

Looking at the previous date(2June) the BX price dropped to $649 OX $449 so those are the targets for this one.

 

Now the cabin availability

Insides,

 

I1 15+

IA 15+

IB 4

IC 5

ID 15+

IE 4

IF 3

 

Ocean view

 

OD GTY

OE GTY

OF 15+

OG 15+

OK 8

 

Balcony

 

BD GTY

BC GTY

BB 15+

BA 15+

B3 5

B2 14

 

mIni

 

MB 6

 

suite

 

NONE

wow ..... thank you for restoring my faith in cruise critic!!!!! I get so used to people being bashed for not knowing how to use the search engines ( I cant lol ) ...or just being snarky all the time ,,, and then you go and take your time to find this sort of thing for her .... good on ya!!!!!!

[mlkmnsgrl]

wow ..... thank you for restoring my faith in cruise critic!!!!! I get so used to people being bashed for not knowing how to use the search engines ( I cant lol ) ...or just being snarky all the time ,,, and then you go and take your time to find this sort of thing for her .... good on ya!!!!!!

 

I agree! Thank you InsideCabin and all of you. That was a significant amount of time to give.

[Bars7816]

I've always booked with a TA, but have been rethinking it. I guess next time I have to ask the TA what will you do for us if the price drops substantially, and will you call NCL to get any last minute upgrades available. Sometimes the TA is hard to reach after final payment, don't 'ya know.:( But then, will NCL be any more responsive? Luck of the draw.

[goldie888]

I am monitoring 3 cruises, booked 2 and needing to book one. Would you mind sending me info as to how you get this search tool! My email is genit at shaw dot ca.

 

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

[Zhane's mum]

What an informative thread! I will use the information from this thread time and time again I'm sure. Thanks

[insidecabin]

I've always booked with a TA, but have been rethinking it. I guess next time I have to ask the TA what will you do for us if the price drops substantially, and will you call NCL to get any last minute upgrades available. Sometimes the TA is hard to reach after final payment, don't 'ya know.:( But then, will NCL be any more responsive? Luck of the draw.

 

We are UK based and used an on-line discount US TA and they are great prices till you need to change they then need to cover the costs,

 

An Direct NCL PPC will cost a bit more but will work to get the adjustment we have a UK and US PCC we can work with but then we have to guess where the best reductions will be agains the cheapest booking price.

[don't-use-real-name]

Unless you are offered a FREE upgrade, I would save your money for Seattle. Seattle is a very expensive city and there is a lot to do and see if you have the time. The Sun has a number of wonderful indoor and outdoor spaces to view Alaska. You will have a great time.

 

Seattle ?

The South bound NCL SUN trip originates at Anchorage (Port of Whittier) and ends at Vancouver.

Seattle would not come into play unless using it as a connection point to

travel to home somewhere in the USA.

In any event a stopover at Seattle or Vancouver is worth saving a few dollars

or loonies to see the sights and visit - and don't forget Victoria on Vancouver

Island.

Mind your budget and do what you can - there is always tomorrow !

[mlkmnsgrl]

We're in Seattle until the next Friday for a conference, but that portion will be reimbursed, so it doesn't play into the budget much. We're spending a morning in Vancouver and then taking the greyhound to Seattle where we'll rent a car for those days.

 

My DH lived in Vancouver and Victoria a decade ago, so it's familiar territory, but he never made it north of Prince George, which is basically inland from Ketchikan, so AM is new ground for us both.