Price drop after final payment - WITH A BX TWIST

[MusterDrill55]

I know this topic is only slightly less overdone than "Can I bring water on the ship" and "How much to tip the butler" but bear with me. 

 

I booked a BX balcony on an upcoming Escape cruise. I got very lucky in snagging one of the FOUR cabins on the ship that are actually assigned BX category balconies. As you probably know, 99% of people who book BX balconies do it under GTY status, so they all get upgraded to other categories. 

 

I've done that in the past, and when there was a price drop, NCL refused to budge with any OBC or any other compensation using the argument that, "You were already given an upgrade wit your current room assignment." BX is considered the lowest category, so if you book it as a GTY and then get assigned a room, NCL considers that an upgrade.

 

Herein lies the rub. THEY CAN'T USE THAT LINE ON ME. 

 

This cruise looks very undersold, so I bet there will be another price drop for BX balconies. However I'm one of the very few people who can say I booked as a BX, I'm still confirmed as a BX, but now the identical booking is _________ dollars less than when I made mine. 

 

I know NCL isn't contractually obligated to offer me a damn thing, but I'm wondering if they'd be at all willing to at least cough up some OBC or something when it's a price drop for the same category that you booked, and you're NOT looking for any kind of room upgrade (I want to stay where I am). 

 

Any helpful experiences or insights? 

Edited November 27, 2018 by MusterDrill55

[JamieLogical]

If you take the BX out of the equation, the typical compensation from NCL seems to be some percentage of the price difference (usually 25%) as OBC. Can't hurt to call your PCC and ask!

[zqvol]

It is the rare occasion that NCL will offer anything, nor should they. If the price of the BX has dropped and you are before the finall payment date they will adjust your pricing. If you are after the date for final payment, you are probably out of luck. NCL just doesn't do what you are asking.

[MusterDrill55]

2 minutes ago, zqvol said:

It is the rare occasion that NCL will offer anything, nor should they. If the price of the BX has dropped and you are before the finall payment date they will adjust your pricing. If you are after the date for final payment, you are probably out of luck. NCL just doesn't do what you are asking.

It is after final payment, and you're incorrect. There are occasions when NCL offers some OBC to compensate for a price drop, though not usually the full amount. 

[JamieLogical]

1 minute ago, zqvol said:

It is the rare occasion that NCL will offer anything, nor should they. If the price of the BX has dropped and you are before the finall payment date they will adjust your pricing. If you are after the date for final payment, you are probably out of luck. NCL just doesn't do what you are asking.

 

That is definitely untrue. I have seen instances on these boards of NCL PCCs being able to offer 25% of the price difference as OBC if you call after final payment. Like I said, it can't hurt to call and ask.

[littlelulu01]

You might want to check your vacation summary.  I booked an mx on the Bliss and was assigned an actual mx stateroom (10290). Same story... price drop right after booking to lower than what I’d paid. The mx with perks also dropped to below what I paid and I was hoping to at least get a perk choice added but I couldn’t.  The mx on my vacation summary was re-categorized as an mc so supposedly in ncl’s eyes I was upgraded from the mx.  I certainly would try and see if you can get Something.  My pcc said if it involves a lower price than what you’ve paid then they will say no but if it entails giving them even $1 extra the answer is yes. I’ve received obc in the past for price drops after final payment but it’s been a few years. 

[MusterDrill55]

Recategorizing the cabin is a nasty trick. 

[MusterDrill55]

You'd think NCL wouldn't be so bitchy about this. Wouldn't they prefer people booking far in advance versus waiting until the last minute for a price drop? At least if you know that if there's a drop, they'll throw you a bone and at least cough up a little OBC, you could book in advance with more confidence. 

[NLH Arizona]

6 minutes ago, MusterDrill55 said:

You'd think NCL wouldn't be so bitchy about this. Wouldn't they prefer people booking far in advance versus waiting until the last minute for a price drop? At least if you know that if there's a drop, they'll throw you a bone and at least cough up a little OBC, you could book in advance with more confidence. 

If the price went up, should they ask you to throw them a bone and cough up a little?  Just saying.  I book way up front, because I want to be able to pick my cabin and the prices have gone down after final payment, as well as they have gone up and I never look at the prices after final payment.

[littlelulu01]

27 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

the recategorization was only on my edocs.  Stateroom 10290 on the Bliss was and is an MX on their deck plans. It was just an MC reclassify and not upgradeable for me specifically which is why you might want to check your edocs.  I think it’s more a REALLY good revenue maximizing method vs a nasty trick.  Side note on the Bliss - MX 10290 is identical to the balcony stateroom 10286 BF.  Bliss deck plans show the mini suite as a little larger than the balcony but there is zero difference.  It was a gt sail away last minute room so I can’t complain.  Had I waited a couple extra days to book I could have saved a few hundred and received perks but it’s part of the last minute gamble.  Still paid a fraction of the initial list price for Bliss Alaska inaugural season. We ended up loving the location and the ship. Since we wouldn’t have taken the ubp perk it wasn’t much of a loss not getting free at sea. 

 

[MusterDrill55]

1 hour ago, NLH Arizona said:

If the price went up, should they ask you to throw them a bone and cough up a little?  Just saying.  I book way up front, because I want to be able to pick my cabin and the prices have gone down after final payment, as well as they have gone up and I never look at the prices after final payment.

They're trying to attract and keep my business - not vice versa. 

[esm54687]

46 minutes ago, MusterDrill55 said:

They're trying to attract and keep my business - not vice versa. 

 

So, I bought a CR-V over the summer and got a great deal...... this past weekend the Black Friday price was $500 lower and included a car starter..... I guess damn Honda doesn't want my business because I stopped by the dealership and asked for a $125 Service Dept Gift Card plus the car starter because that's what's offered now. 

 

Come on....... you were happy with the price when you bought it..... move on.    Jeepers 

[casofilia]

It never hurts to ask, politely and without pressure.  I paid $A and the price is now $A-x what can you do for me, please?

[ziggyuk]

If you look at it logically the escape has 1168 balcony Staterooms, if they had 100 unsold across all categories and slashed the price by 50% to shift them, they would potentially have over a thousand families looking to be thrown a bone.

 

Never hurts to ask but logically once final payment has passed a "no" should be expected.

[Budget Queen]

Sorry you can’t have it both ways.   You accepted ALL the conditions when you booked.   Why didn’t you just wait for a last minute fire sale??????     I do.    

 

The contact works both ways.  Would you be accepting of an additional increase because NCL wants to renegotiate?    

[jlkb]

I had a BX room on the Breakaway for the Nov. 25 sailing that was assigned immediately when booked in January.  The price dropped $300 before final payment.  This was refunded with no problem.  After final payment, the price kept dropping.  I did politely ask if there was anything that they could do since the price was almost half of what we had originally paid.  We were offered an upgrade to a mini-suit (MX), but we didn't want to take a chance on losing our huge balcony, so they gave us $75 OBC.  So yes, they do sometimes work with you.

[GUEST71919]

On 11/27/2018 at 2:59 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

That is definitely untrue. I have seen instances on these boards of NCL PCCs being able to offer 25% of the price difference as OBC if you call after final payment. Like I said, it can't hurt to call and ask.

True! We had a drop on our Haven cabin recently and got 100 obc 2 mo out (long after final payment). Hey, it was something (I see it this way, being tight means I sail more often in better cabins 👍🏼). Doesn’t hurt to ask, it happens...

Edited December 12, 2018 by 2Beeze

[keishashadow]

On 12/9/2018 at 10:14 PM, jlkb said:

I had a BX room on the Breakaway for the Nov. 25 sailing that was assigned immediately when booked in January.  The price dropped $300 before final payment.  This was refunded with no problem.  After final payment, the price kept dropping.  I did politely ask if there was anything that they could do since the price was almost half of what we had originally paid.  We were offered an upgrade to a mini-suit (MX), but we didn't want to take a chance on losing our huge balcony, so they gave us $75 OBC.  So yes, they do sometimes work with you.

 

I booked directly with NCL vs TA for upcoming trip.  Getting ready to make final payment.  Hawaii sailing, have small OBC & gratuities.

 

If our cabin price drops after final payment, & there are upgrades available, would we lose the existing OBC/gratuities?

 

Even if our booked category doesn’t drop in price, if i see one of the pricier cabins drop to fit our budget, is it worth calling to ask to upgrade for the price difference?

[JamieLogical]

13 minutes ago, keishashadow said:

 

I booked directly with NCL vs TA for upcoming trip.  Getting ready to make final payment.  Hawaii sailing, have small OBC & gratuities.

 

If our cabin price drops after final payment, & there are upgrades available, would we lose the existing OBC/gratuities?

 

Even if our booked category doesn’t drop in price, if i see one of the pricier cabins drop to fit our budget, is it worth calling to ask to upgrade for the price difference?

 

You should definitely be able to upgrade for the price difference, even after the final payment. You may not get to keep all of your perks, but it never hurts to ask!

[keishashadow]

Thanks