Price hike!

[drsel]

4 people, in a balcony, for $2397? You sure there wasn't some type of promo, like friends and family sail free or whatever MSC calls it? I can't find any balcony room on MSC on any cruise for $600pp

It's because children under 12 are FREE on all MSC cruises

[Silverhairedbee]

What do you mean? I have already agreed with you that NCLs prices are really high now, you don't have to show me that.

 

We started to compare the prices on NCL compared to MSC when we should book our cruise for last summer. One week on the Epic costed more than $3000 more than than a week on the brand new MSC Meraviglia and that made it easy to move from NCL to MSC.

 

I am sorry sverigecruiser, I meant to reply to the post you were also replying to, not you.

:)

[Silverhairedbee]

I know that you know a lots about NCL and most of the time I agree with what you say. I don't agree with your friends and your TA.

 

Our first seven cruises was on NCL but our most recent was on MSC and our next will be on MSC too.

 

The service is not better on NCL than on MSC.

 

The food is not better on NCL than on MSC.

 

Entertainment, I don't really know what to say. The "shows" may be better on NCL but we really appreciated that MSC had live music in the Top Sail Lounge every night.

 

I think that when it comes to value for money NCL has no chance to match MSC.

 

At these higher prices, I agree.

[dexddd]

We're sailing on the Seaside in the Fall. Paying for a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite as much as it costs for a mini-suite on NCL.

 

NCL does a decent job and has a decent product but sometimes I look at the pricing and just shake my head. MSC matched out NCL status and my Marriott Platinum status so that was a nice add-on.

 

You can sail 3 weeks on the Seaside in a YC Deluxe Suite for the price of a Haven suite for 1 week on NCL. Why do people pay that price on NCL? Well, I think that besides extremely high season they don't come close to even filling up the Haven...that's why they let you upgrade for a few hundred bucks. Meanwhile MSC Yacht Club on the Seaside is usually sold out except for a few inside YC rooms.

 

MSC has 2 brand new ships sailing and have 2 more coming next year I believe...NCL better watch out.

 

And beyond that, IIRC, it is a total of 11 new ships in 9 years (including Seaview).

[dexddd]

Are you taking into consideration the type and age of the ship? Just curious. I am always amazed when anyone tries to compare line with line or ship with ship. To me, the only fair comparison is when the age and size of the ship is similar, not just the cabin category. We are sailing out of San Juan in Feb on the Dawn for 10 days. The total cost is $3200 for two of us. Outside cabin without gratuities. It does include the drink package, internet and the 3 night dinner package. I would not try to compare it with a newer, higher class ship with RCI or any other company. Now, if you are talking the same age ship and size, plus date and itinerary, that would be different.

 

The Seaside is brand new as of December 2017. You haven't sailed MSC and your reference points to the experience from what I recall are your friends or daughter sailing them a few years back. Maybe relevant then but not now.

[4774Papa]

We still look at NCL, RCI and Celebrity before we book.

 

Both NCL and Celebrity have jacked up their prices due to price bundling with drink packages, etc. that we don't want. RCI doesn't do that and we were pleasantly surprised by our RCI cruise from Sydney to Seattle.

 

We were Diamond on RCI due to being Elite on Celebrity and we didn't have to buy an alcoholic drink on the entire 23 day cruise. Cruise was cheaper than similar Celebrity one.

 

NCL is still competitive, but it charges a ridiculous gratuity on the drink package, so we never take than choice. Celebrity doesn't force you to pay gratuities on drink packages that we get with the bundled price. They do when you purchase the package separately.

[sha32]

The OP is in the UK and this year NCL have gone 'all inclusive' in the UK

 

 

 

 

 

we now have included in the base price a lot more than we used to ( there is also an option to not have any of these perks for a much cheaper price) for comparison for £200 more per person than I paid last year when all I got was UBP and 3 meal at specialty restaurants ( good perks admittedly and booked during a promotion) as standard perks this is what I have got for the extra £200

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry it is so big

 

Included Items (10)

 

 

 

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All Inclusive – 1 litre per day - water

 

All Inclusive – 1 litre per day - water

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

60 min internet all inclusive

 

60 min internet all inclusive

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

250 min internet package

 

250 min internet package

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

All Inclusive – Beverage Package & Coffee

 

All Inclusive – Beverage Package & Coffee

 

 

 

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Free $75 USD On-Board Credit Certificate Non -Refundable

 

Free $75 USD On-Board Credit Certificate Non -Refundable

 

 

 

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  • QTY:2
     
    

 

[*]

 

 

Shore Excursions Promotional Credit

 

$50 USD Shore Excursion Promotional Credit per port, per stateroom.

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

Speciality Dining Package

 

Dining Package - Promo

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

Service Charge on Beverage, Water & Coffee all inclusive

 

Service Charge on Beverage, Water & Coffee all inclusive

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

120 Min Ship to Shore Phone Calls.

 

120 Min Ship to Shore Phone Calls.

 

 

 

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[*]

 

 

CE UK Free Pre-Paid Service Chargers Per Day in Mini-Suites and Below

 

CE UK Free Pre-Paid Service Chargers Per Day in Mini-Suites and Below

 

 

 

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[*]personally I call that a really good deal for an extra £200 ( about $260 dollars)

 

 

 

 

How did you get all those perks as standard, as our PAI, only Includes, UBP, DSC, 1 bottle of water a day, specialty coffee with meals and 60 mins internet? Really not worth the extra £900 for 2 of us.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SeaShark]

It's because children under 12 are FREE on all MSC cruises

 

Well, that is a little misleading, no?

 

First, it is only 11 and under that MIGHT be free.

A) This only counts for guest 3 or 4

B) This only counts for select sailings, not all sailings.

 

 

Even so, the PTC DAWG provided the price on the NCL cruise for only two people. That price was still $1,200 MORE than what MSC is charging for a comparable cruise. So, even if NCL allowed guest 3 and 4 to join at NO COST...not even port fees and taxes...MSC would still offer a way better value (which was the point in the first place).

[KeithJenner]

How did you get all those perks as standard, as our PAI, only Includes, UBP, DSC, 1 bottle of water a day, specialty coffee with meals and 60 mins internet? Really not worth the extra £900 for 2 of us.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Some of what the other poster received will have been due to specific additional promos. They are not included in the standard all inclusive bookings.

[buddylover]

we book and sail regularly, but we avoid peak times (june, july, august, holiday weeks, school vacation weeks) and that keeps costs in check for us.

We do the same......however, prices have gone UP UP UP at ALL times of the year, not just "peak times". You have to compare 'apples to apples'....by that I mean you have to compare the SAME time of year pricing....i.e., January to January, or 'shoulder season' like first 2 weeks in December to the first 2 weeks in December. If you do always cruise 'off season' then you have to compare 'off season' to 'off season'....and if you do that you will see MAJOR pricing increases from year to year. Prices are high across the board, all the cruise lines seem to 'follow' whoever is the 'leader'....and pricing is almost doubled in the past few years! uggghhh :eek:

[newmexicoNita]

We still look at NCL, RCI and Celebrity before we book.

 

Both NCL and Celebrity have jacked up their prices due to price bundling with drink packages, etc. that we don't want. RCI doesn't do that and we were pleasantly surprised by our RCI cruise from Sydney to Seattle.

 

We were Diamond on RCI due to being Elite on Celebrity and we didn't have to buy an alcoholic drink on the entire 23 day cruise. Cruise was cheaper than similar Celebrity one.

 

NCL is still competitive, but it charges a ridiculous gratuity on the drink package, so we never take than choice. Celebrity doesn't force you to pay gratuities on drink packages that we get with the bundled price. They do when you purchase the package separately.

though I love the bundle idea and enjoy the drink package, I agree 20% on drinks is a bit steep. It isn't like a wait person bringing you a meal, taking your order, returning to ask if you need anything more etc.

[newmexicoNita]

Of course.

 

MSC Seaside: Entered service December 2017. 153,516GT. 4,475 guests at double occupancy.

 

NCL Bliss: Entered service April 2018. 168,028GT. 3,994 guests at double occupancy.

 

 

 

Needless to say, they won't be exact, but I do think that is a pretty fair comparison. 4.5 months difference in age, 15,000GT difference, and 500 difference in the passenger count.

thanks for clarifying that. it is as close to an honest comparison there can be. I do think though, many people do not us true comparisons. sometimes because they don't look at it that way and sometimes they just don't want to compare.

[Silverhairedbee]

The OP is in the UK and this year NCL have gone 'all inclusive' in the UK

 

 

we now have included in the base price a lot more than we used to ( there is also an option to not have any of these perks for a much cheaper price) for comparison for £200 more per person than I paid last year when all I got was UBP and 3 meal at specialty restaurants ( good perks admittedly and booked during a promotion) as standard perks this is what I have got for the extra £200

 

 

Sorry it is so big

Included Items (10)

 

• 
  

All Inclusive – 1 litre per day - water

All Inclusive – 1 litre per day - water

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

60 min internet all inclusive

60 min internet all inclusive

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

250 min internet package

250 min internet package

 

• 
  
  • QTY:1
    

  [*]

All Inclusive – Beverage Package & Coffee

All Inclusive – Beverage Package & Coffee

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

Free $75 USD On-Board Credit Certificate Non -Refundable

Free $75 USD On-Board Credit Certificate Non -Refundable

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

Shore Excursions Promotional Credit

$50 USD Shore Excursion Promotional Credit per port, per stateroom.

 

• 
  
  • QTY:1
    

  [*]

Speciality Dining Package

Dining Package - Promo

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

Service Charge on Beverage, Water & Coffee all inclusive

Service Charge on Beverage, Water & Coffee all inclusive

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]

120 Min Ship to Shore Phone Calls.

120 Min Ship to Shore Phone Calls.

 

• 
  
  • QTY:1
    

  [*]

CE UK Free Pre-Paid Service Chargers Per Day in Mini-Suites and Below

CE UK Free Pre-Paid Service Chargers Per Day in Mini-Suites and Below

 

• 
  
  • QTY:2
    

  [*]personally I call that a really good deal for an extra £200 ( about $260 dollars)

 

I am comparing like with like:

 

Norwegian Spirit or Jade in Jan/Feb from 2013 to 2017 approximately £650 (and cheaper) for an inside cabin including beverage package every year.

 

The same cruise in 2019 £1000 plus, including beverage package.

 

A similar situation for cruises from Southampton in September. 8 days, £550 All Inclusive 2017.

At least double that in 2019, pro rata the cruises from Southampton in 2019 are longer.

 

It will be interesting to see how much market share NCL lose.

[TifffanyD]

We book early and find NCL’s fares to be very competitive.

 

Same here. And we use all the discount opportunities we can (booking onboard, future cruise certs, points upgrades). Plus the loyalty perks weigh in there as well.

[Huntingdon1701]

Keith Jenner - That's my experience. From the UK, MSC is looking very competitive.The itineraries are not always the same high profile ports, but if you've cruised for a while, that can be attractive in its own right. I cruised a back to back with NCL in 2016, but now even one of those cruises is twice the cost of what I paid for both. I don't make use of everything they've added into the Premisum all inclusive, so a no frills option on another line with a different itinerary is looking better and better.

 

(I've looked at the NCL Just Cruise options, but given that you lose control of where the cabin is located, that's just not an attractive option for someone who researches and plans ahead.)

[davesgirl51]

Unless NCL do reduce prices they will go bust I think. The Jade cruise I was on last month was not full despite the lies of the crew to the contrary it was about 3/4 full I was on the gem at christmas and that was full. The average price is nearly 200 to 250 pounds per day now for a 7 night cruise and it not worth that. They are in trouble in Europe for one thing. They can't fill the jade out of Southampton and are replacing it with the spirit. The Epic in Barcelona will not be able to compete with the Oasis of the seas next year. The drink package value of RCL is better value on NCL it is nearly 100 english pounds per person per day.

 

I have always said I think a cruise line will go bust and I think it will be NCL unfortunately.

 

NCLH is listed as a

“Buy”

[Jetsterkitty]

Maybe this is a problem over seas, but in the States NCL's pricing still remain competitive - at least for the itineraries and departure ports I'm looking for. I booked NCL Escape - NYC to Bermuda for May 2019 a month back and here is a rough price comparison for similar ports and itineraries on other ships that sail out of NYC:

 

NCL - R/T NYC to Bermuda - 7 nights - Large Balcony Room - 2 people - UBP and 3-meal UDP: $3,380

RC - R/T NYC to Bermuda - 5 nights - Large Balcony Room - 2 people - RC drink package: $3,373

Carnival - R/T NYC to Bermuda - 4 nights - Balcony Room (they didn't have a large balcony option) - 2 people - CC drink package: $2,696

 

If you do the math and divide it out by number of days NCL is very competitive (and actually the cheapest for this particular itinerary). That doesn't mean that some itineraries they won't be the most expensive, but if you price shop you should be all set.

 

All of this being said the Bliss is through the roof right now for price. But my feeling it let the 'newness' wear off and book in 3 years out and see how they compare price wise. If they aren't competitive, I'll sail another line. :) Simple as that!

[happy cruzin]

This has been Del Rio’s strategy since he replaced Sheehan. Not only are fares going up, but fees are going up. Since NCL became publicly traded, the emphasis is on beating quarterly projections. Great for shareholders, but not always great for passengers. MSC matched our status, and we are now Black card on MSC. The value is currently better at MSC, but there prices are also escalating.

 

The entire cruise industry is on a price increase binge. At some point, folks will migrate to other vacation options if this continues. By that time Del Rio and his ilk will be gone having personally benefitted from near term revenue and income gains.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Exactly!

[Dubbs]

No doubt about it. MSC has the best deals at sea right now. Their marketing is to lure loyalists away from their preferred cruise line. Not only are the prices much cheaper, they will also honor your rewards program on your favorite line. So if you are platinum on NCL, they will honor it on their ships.

I was all prepared to book Seaside until I saw reviews. There are some things I am not crazy about with MSC ships. But you cant beat the price if you are cruising only for price.

I hope NCL drops the 5 *free* deals offer and goes back to bottom line pricing. But we know that will not happen soon. The bookings must be very strong otherwise they would have stopped it by now.

 

Don't trust the negative reviews about the Seaside. We did that ship May 26th and it was great. We stayed in the Yacht Club. I love NCL and my favorite cruise that I have done was in an aft penthouse on the Escape. However, with Haven being close to 2X the price of the Yacht Club I booked my next cruise on MSC. I'm sure they will raise prices too but for now its a great value.