Norwegian price increases

[maggie cruises]

Pay what you are happy with. Yes prices have gone up. If you are no longer happy with what they are asking; stay at home!!

 

 

 

Well that is our plan. 1 cruise booked. 1 FCC still to use...maybe

 

Then we seriously look at X because of the non smoking casino

Then we start doing our cape cod beach house more often

Then we start doing 4 day road trips

 

You get the idea....

 

We are sort of finished with Europe. The Carib. Foreign countries. We've seen what we want to so no biggie

 

The only exception we will make is if ncl has great deals out of NYC to good Carib ports ...not the Bahamas milkrun ...or if they decide to price Bermuda reasonably...

 

Until then....I'll enjoy America...my immediate area...my beaches...etc

 

Luckily I live near water and sand so I'm good

 

 

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[bmwman]

Pay what you are happy with. Yes prices have gone up. If you are no longer happy with what they are asking; stay at home!!

And that is what the British are doing.

 

This is not anecdotal but fact based on agent information. NCL is losing in UK and their prices are astronomical compared others. Whilst we are very committed to NCL we are now looking at MSC or RCCL

 

MSC are even matching our latitudes level:

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

I'm watching prices for the Bliss out of NY next N November and I feel like $1299 is high for a balcony. There are a lot of rooms still available. I'll keep watching the price. We got a balcony on Escape last November for $799. So im hoping prices will drop.

 

$1299 is 4 nights in an average NYC hotel with no food or anything else included.

[gambit57]

Don't count on prices dropping. I booked in January 2017 for a Bliss November 2018 sailing and prices have gone nothing but up.

 

The new Royal Caribbean mega ships are still very pricey. Their older ships are where the discounts are at. Those mega ships have been out for a little while too. I wanted to try them for years now, but just not worth it to me. I decided to try Norwegian because they have the Bliss and while it is expensive, at least it's going to a place I like. The new RC ships are all in the Caribbean area which I'm bored with.

 

I don't imagine Bliss will have good deals for a few years at least. Nothing like the rest of the US based line anyways.

 

For my upcoming Bliss cruise, I paid about what I paid for a balcony on my last Disney cruise. And I'm only OV on the Bliss. Disney prices. That's crazy. What's crazier is that my category has gone up over $1,000 last I checked. A little earlier than that (post new year), it was over $2,000 for the cabin.

[jcCruiserNYC]

No one runs a business constantly giving away free stuff. [emoji52]

 

This is *universally* true for sure!!! It's a sustainability concern. I know as I am in business myself. ;p;p

[jakeT]

The haven prices have just gone through the roof. Hard to get a room at $5,000 At one Time the prices were fair not now

[fandssullivan]

I definitely agree with the prices being higher and going up, but as many have said Supply and Demand.

 

That being said I priced Carnival at the same time as I priced my cruise. Although their base price was A LOT cheaper, once I factored in the UBP and the UDP they came out within $50 of each other. Therefore I couldn't be disappointed in the price of NCL (although... and don't shoot me... I do prefer the food on Carnival!)

[Yinster]

Hi Guys, wanted to ask a question, is it me or has anyone else noticed that Norwegian prices have increased dramatically since last year, I was on the Epic last May in the Haven, and it cost £1800, this year it’s £3400, and we were on the star in September, we had a mini suite for £1200, this September a balcony is £1800, I can’t see why this type of increase is justified?

 

Since NCL in the UK decided last year to add UBP, service charges and the free bottle of water every day to the cost I too have noticed the steep increase in price.

 

First cruise in 2016 we managed to get a Haven Spa suite on the Epic for £2000 per person including flights but now just even getting a balcony is almost the same price.

 

However saying that I decided to have a look at cruises next year in 2019 and there is one cruise in the NCL UK page on the Epic again and it is roughly £2000 per person. It is the only one I can find as all other sailings it is over £3000. Hence why we have already booked our 2019 cruise even though we haven't even sail this year yet.

 

Using NCL UK we can't bid for upgrades like our friends in the USA. It is frustrating and makes no sense to me why we don't have this option to do so.

[Georgie562]

The new Royal Caribbean mega ships are still very pricey. Their older ships are where the discounts are at. Those mega ships have been out for a little while too. I wanted to try them for years now, but just not worth it to me. I decided to try Norwegian because they have the Bliss and while it is expensive, at least it's going to a place I like. The new RC ships are all in the Caribbean area which I'm bored with.

 

This.

Got an email today from Royal Caribbean For Oasis of the Seas starting at $589- 7 Day cruise no perks or anything

Im booked for NCL Epic for 10 Day cruise for $649 with distinctive voyage perks and UBP.

 

As much as I would love to try a RCL big ship, its all about value for me.

[tallnthensome]

I booked my 15 day Panama Canal cruise for my wife and two young daughters in May 2017 for March of 2019. We are staying in a family inside cabin to keep this as affordable as possible and to make it doable at all. My cabin is now $814 more today than it was when booked. We like our cocktails and getting 15 days of the UBP for only the service charge of a few hundred will save me well over a thousand dollars .... The key was to book early as possible. The price on the new Bliss for 15 days on the Panama Canal plus the drink package was actually cheaper than a 14 day to Hawaii on an old Carnival ship with no drink package at all. That would have been an $1800 add on. Way way way better deal on NCL ..... glad I booked it almost two years out though.

[Froggitt]

And that is what the British are doing.

 

This is not anecdotal but fact based on agent information. NCL is losing in UK and their prices are astronomical compared others. Whilst we are very committed to NCL we are now looking at MSC or RCCL

 

MSC are even matching our latitudes level:

Same here.

 

Got my Black Card status match from MSC.

 

Looking now at RCCL.

 

Plus NCL aren't sailing from the UK this summer.

[tonygcharles]

I found the same with the price increase

I gave just booked to go to Cuba from miami on NCL Sky . UK price £1400 priced it up with vacations to go £860 .this is for 2 people . And easy to do

Can't see why there's such a price difference ?

 

 

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[newmexicoNita]

Don't count on prices dropping. I booked in January 2017 for a Bliss November 2018 sailing and prices have gone nothing but up.

This is typical for a brand new ship, especially a new class as well. I remember when we cruised the Jewel for her first voyage sailing. we paid as much to sail on her in an outside cabin as we would have paid for a family suite a couple years later.

[jrsegrl]

Same here.

 

Got my Black Card status match from MSC.

 

Looking now at RCCL.

 

Plus NCL aren't sailing from the UK this summer.

 

 

Is the MSC status match a UK only thing?

[roger001]

It is nothing more than supply and demand. And apparently the demand is there even with the higher prices. I just read that 2 million more persons will cruise this year over last year. It's a popular thing to do right now. In marketing, you raise prices higher and higher until you finally see sales peak or begin to drop, then you know what the maximum you can charge and get away with. As a business, why would you charge less? As long as the demand for available cabins is there, and the ships are filling, the prices will be as high as the market will permit. That doesn't mean I like it. And for myself, the prices are already frequently becoming higher than I can justify for our cruise enjoyment.

[SouthLyonCruiser]

I think the "free at sea" has something to do with it. Basically building in the alcohol, specialty, shore excursions, etc. No one runs a business constantly giving away free stuff. [emoji52]

 

 

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I'm with you. There is no such thing as something for nothing. They increase the price of the cruises and "give" you some "freebies".

Before I book, I go on NCL web site and go through the process of "booking" a cruise. After I have made my cabin selection and go to the page that list the price and the prices with the "freebies"; I check the bottom line.

I select the cruise without any "freebies" and check the bottom line price.

Then I select a couple of "freebies" that show the same price until you go over to the bottom line. If you have selected the UBP you will notice that the price is a couple of hundred dollars more. And, unless you consume the amount of alcohol that would add up to that extra fee you should pass on the UBP.

[Froggitt]

Is the MSC status match a UK only thing?

I dont know, but my MSC status email came from a co.uk email. I thought it was open to all.

[CoralHunter]

I considered booking a studio on the Getaway or Escape. They aren't higher in price than when I last booked, but they are selling out much faster and there aren't the good price drops. First week of April cruises are still over $1000 for the Studio. Several sailings sold out in January. The first one I booked on the Getaway I actually planned for and paid that. The rooms went down twice and ended up to be about 450-ish closer to sailing (don't remember exact amount).

[ray98]

If you think they are too expensive then don't worry, the market will solve it and you will be able to book much cheaper when they try to fill all those empty cabins before the ship sales. If the price never drops it is your valuation that is out of whack.

[4774Papa]

I think the "free at sea" has something to do with it. Basically building in the alcohol, specialty, shore excursions, etc. No one runs a business constantly giving away free stuff. [emoji52]

 

 

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I hate this bundled pricing. I don't like the drink packages that add the gratuity and have very limited wine selections. I don't use the internet while on ship. The NCL excursions are way overpriced.

[samfiremedic]

If you think they are too expensive then don't worry, the market will solve it and you will be able to book much cheaper when they try to fill all those empty cabins before the ship sales. If the price never drops it is your valuation that is out of whack.

 

 

 

"Bundled" is a good way of saying it. I never use Wi-Fi on the ship either. I agree on the excursions. Bundling is a good way of getting people to use their excursions. I'm not saying it's wrong on their part, but I like the option of not bundling too.

 

 

Sam [emoji924][emoji3][emoji631]

[Moby0215]

Hi Guys, wanted to ask a question, is it me or has anyone else noticed that Norwegian prices have increased dramatically since last year, I was on the Epic last May in the Haven, and it cost £1800, this year it’s £3400, and we were on the star in September, we had a mini suite for £1200, this September a balcony is £1800, I can’t see why this type of increase is justified?

 

 

 

Simple economics. Surely you understand how pricing for any commodity works? You give a couple examples of what you think are price increases but there are many variables that determine what the cost is.

 

 

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[rtkenmore]

Got a cruise booked out of San Juan in January 2019... It's the same price now as it was a year ago when we booked it.

[CarrieAP]

Is the MSC status match a UK only thing?

 

 

 

No, all are eligible. Recommend waiting until ready to book though because it does have a time limit (in range of 2 years I believe) if you don’t cruise with them. Waiting can also benefit if your status on another line increases before cruising on MSC.

 

 

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[Captain-John]

On the subject of UK vs US contracts:

 

I am sailing Breakaway in the Baltics in July. For a bog standard balcony, most UK agents and NCL themselves want no less than £1750 a head 'all inclusive.'

 

Booking through a US agent, and even factoring in the poor exchange rate (compared to years gone by) we work out at just over £1400 a head - this includes the gratuities on UBP and 3DP. Times 4 and it's quite a saving - the difference covers the cost of the flights to Copenhagen plus two hotel rooms, with change left over. Paid using a card which gives as close to the true exchange rate as possible and no foreign transaction fee.

 

Ditch the UK contracts - for as long as they will let you - no doubt they'll close this 'loophole' like MSC in time. Which would be a shame, as I wouldn't consider NCL again at these prices.