5 Free Offers Back

[kismet618]

I’m guessing the pick 2 and Balcony for Oceanview wasn’t as big a hit, So Choose 5 Free Offers is back. I haven’t done any mock bookings yet to see what price changes are accompanying the new(old) promo. 
https://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/promotions

[Serengeti228]

I did check and this promotion turns out to be a better deal than what I booked 3 weeks ago when NCL offered 20% off with the usual basic free at sea deal (i.e. 2 for inside cabin, or more for window, balcony......). This promotion offers all 5 FAS for all cabin types and additionally double Latitudes rewards points as part of the past guest offer.

 

Cruisefare wise, the current promotion pricing is US$100 cheaper than what I previously booked. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Serengeti228

[jeremyosborne81]

There's also a 15% discount for previous cruisers. So, get your rebate!

[etravel]

Yes, I just did a booking on the Breakaway for May of 21 (fingers crossed)...and did get the 15% discount for past guests! Pretty good deal, way lower than it was yesterday! Yay! 

[lighthousewoman]

I did a mock booking on Breakaway for May 2021 as well.  The 5 free, with a cabin 4 doors away, was $60 more than our booked trip, but includes the Wifi and Excursion perks.  We had our first cruise on Norwegian cancelled in May, so we aren't considered past guests, I assume, since we never sailed.  Should I cancel and then rebook to get the 5 free, or will they do something for me if I call?  The conditions say this promo is today and tomorrow only.   Looking for Norwegian guidance, since this will be our first cruise here, even though we are experienced on Royal and Carnival.  Thanks!

[lighthousewoman]

27 minutes ago, lighthousewoman said:

I did a mock booking on Breakaway for May 2021 as well.  The 5 free, with a cabin 4 doors away, was $60 more than our booked trip, but includes the Wifi and Excursion perks.  We had our first cruise on Norwegian cancelled in May, so we aren't considered past guests, I assume, since we never sailed.  Should I cancel and then rebook to get the 5 free, or will they do something for me if I call?  The conditions say this promo is today and tomorrow only.   Looking for Norwegian guidance, since this will be our first cruise here, even though we are experienced on Royal and Carnival.  Thanks!

Update:  Just chatted and they were happy to change our booking to All4 package, from the 2 free, for $60 more.  Score!

[MeHeartCruising]

I also just had NCL reprice my two October 2021 Mediterranean cruises under the new promo.  Both my cruises qualified for the additional 15% Latitudes discount (which I don't see promoted on the main NCL.com page). I'm not sure if all cruises do or not.  But mine did.  My bookings also now include 1 Bonus Latitudes Point per night according to the website.  Neither of the Latitudes offers show up until you're inside the process of booking your cabin.  

 

I am traveling solo.  With these promos, one of my cruises went down in price by $108 and one went up by $80 for an overall decrease of $28 for the 2 cruises prices.  Plus I now get 4 Free at Sea perks instead of 2.  The price differences above include the gratuity fees for the beverage and dining packages.  So it was a no-brainer to reprice

 

I was already in the lowest category inside cabin.  To get these prices, one of my cruises made me select the Guarantee Inside category.  But when the agent repriced the cruise, their system did not move me out of my chosen cabin into the Guarantee pool.  There really would be no reason for it to do that, since I'm already in the lowest category cabin.  So I still have the same cabin for both of my cruises.  

 

As these promos come and go, in addition to checking if I can get a better deal for my existing bookings,  I also always check to see how much it would cost to upgrade to a balcony.  With the current promo, that upgrade number is now about $550 than from when I originally booked my cruise.  If it gets much lower, I may just have to open the wallet and pop for a balcony.

[oteixeira]

My Panama Canal cruise in an H9 just dropped another $1600, and picked up the extra point a night (was not a Latitudes cruise when I booked it or rebooked it last).  Cruise has now gone down over $3300 since original booking, and all I have lost is a $600 OBC, so I am happy.

[Ryanryanryan]

5 "free offers" definitely isn't free when they're charging over $4000 for a studio!  I love NCL but won't be cruising on them again if their prices remain outrageous.

[ColeThornton]

2 minutes ago, Ryanryanryan said:

5 "free offers" definitely isn't free when they're charging over $4000 for a studio!  I love NCL but won't be cruising on them again if their prices remain outrageous.

 

What sailings are charging 4 grand for a Studio?

[MeHeartCruising]

5 minutes ago, Ryanryanryan said:

5 "free offers" definitely isn't free when they're charging over $4000 for a studio!  I love NCL but won't be cruising on them again if their prices remain outrageous.

 

It's all a matter of supply and demand of the particular cruise.  I'm currently paying $1388 (solo rate, all-in price) for a regular inside cabin on a 7-day Mediterranean cruise and $1738 for a 9-day.  Hardly outrageous in price.

[Budget Queen]

6 minutes ago, Ryanryanryan said:

5 "free offers" definitely isn't free when they're charging over $4000 for a studio!  I love NCL but won't be cruising on them again if their prices remain outrageous.

Something for everyone.   I too want the bottom rate sail away rates.  The perks are worthless to me.  🤩🤩.     Remains to be seen what the marketing is going to be??  Especially in the past when I greatly enjoyed picking up those late booked dump rates.  🤩.   

[Budget Queen]

8 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

What sailings are charging 4 grand for a Studio?

However-  I don’t find a Studio much of a bargain anyway.   Always have been more than the last minute insides I booked      May certainly be different in the future???

[Ryanryanryan]

12 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

What sailings are charging 4 grand for a Studio?

 

NYE on the Escape.

[farmersfight]

6 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

 

It's all a matter of supply and demand of the particular cruise.  I'm currently paying $1388 (solo rate, all-in price) for a regular inside cabin on a 7-day Mediterranean cruise and $1738 for a 9-day.  Hardly outrageous in price.

 

Are those fares with the full (100%) solo supplements or are they with reduced solo supplements? Thanks in advance.

[MeHeartCruising]

8 minutes ago, farmersfight said:

 

Are those fares with the full (100%) solo supplements or are they with reduced solo supplements? Thanks in advance.

 

Both cruises are paying the full 100% solo supplement.  Here are the cruises:

 

Norwegian Spirit 

October 22, 2021 - Venice to Istanbul (9 days)

October 31, 2021 - Istanbul to Athens (7 days)

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by MeHeartCruising

[farmersfight]

10 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

 

Both cruises are paying the full 100% solo supplement.  Here are the cruises:

 

Norwegian Spirit 

October 22, 2021 - Venice to Istanbul (9 days)

October 31, 2021 - Istanbul to Athens (7 days)

 

 

 

Thanks. Good to know that there are good deals out there for us solos, even having to pay the full (100%) solo supplement. Btw, your B2B on the Spirit looks great. 16 days cruising is "right in my wheelhouse" (I want to do 12 day cruises at a minimum).

[Budget Queen]

36 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

 

It's all a matter of supply and demand of the particular cruise.  I'm currently paying $1388 (solo rate, all-in price) for a regular inside cabin on a 7-day Mediterranean cruise and $1738 for a 9-day.  Hardly outrageous in price.

For me-   I do consider this high.   Only important thing in this case is -  you don’t.  🤩.     Have a great time.   (I did 5 Med itineraries last year).  

[Budget Queen]

29 minutes ago, Ryanryanryan said:

 

NYE on the Escape.

Yikes.     

[farmersfight]

16 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

(I did 5 Med itineraries last year).

 

5 Med itineraries in one year? All I can say is "wow". Good for you btw - you must be retired?

[Budget Queen]

9 minutes ago, farmersfight said:

 

5 Med itineraries in one year? All I can say is "wow". Good for you btw - you must be retired?

I did 3 months (3 separate) of Europe travel last year.    I paid $299- $699 Cruise only,   2 7 day,  1 each-  10, 11 and 12 days.     All solo rates.     

It’s unknown what’s ahead for prices.   I’ve already booked on other lines.   

 

[notmyrealnameoremail]

We just booked our first NCL cruise in 25 years.  We have been cruising on Royal and have done price drops many times with them.  I would greatly appreciate it if someone can help out with how the NCL works and how it differs from Royal.

 

For background, we booked a couple of weeks ago and paid the deposit.  I quickly found out about cruise next certificates here on cruisecritic and acquired two.  Our Travel Agent got them applied and voila, cruise got $250  cheaper. I just saw this thread and would love to save some more.

 

Thanks in advance.

[adam_s_allen]

1 hour ago, MeHeartCruising said:

Both my cruises qualified for the additional 15% Latitudes discount (which I don't see promoted on the main NCL.com page). I'm not sure if all cruises do or not.

You can click on cruise deals at the top of the main ncl page and then click on past guest offer. It will show all the sailings with the discount. Looks like it's most of them but not all.

[sfaaa]

A real sale for a change. Just saved $107. Thank you NCL.

[MeHeartCruising]

1 hour ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

We just booked our first NCL cruise in 25 years.  We have been cruising on Royal and have done price drops many times with them.  I would greatly appreciate it if someone can help out with how the NCL works and how it differs from Royal.

 

For background, we booked a couple of weeks ago and paid the deposit.  I quickly found out about cruise next certificates here on cruisecritic and acquired two.  Our Travel Agent got them applied and voila, cruise got $250  cheaper. I just saw this thread and would love to save some more.

 

Thanks in advance.

In the US, NCL will happily reprice your cruise to the currently available pricing at any time up to when the final payment is due.  This is because, up to that date you can also just cancel the cruise and rebook it again to get current pricing.

However, when they reprice, they also change you to any promos that now apply (and you no longer get the promos in effect on your original booking).  
 

For cruises that are a good way off, the prices may go up and down thru time and the promos (the Free at Sea offerings and sometimes on board credits and a few other things) also come and go.  So it is to your advantage to follow the ever-changing promos and then do the math as to whether it makes sense for YOU to reprice.  
 

I have repriced my October 2021 cruises three times already and have saved hundreds of dollars off the original booking.  On one of the reprices, I lost perks, but they weren’t that important to me, so I took the price decrease anyway.  Today’s promos actually lowered my price again AND added those perks back into the deal. 
 

Do fake bookings for your cruise each time the promos change up to the last step on their website and see how things compare to your current booking.  Call NCL if you want to change.  Just tell them to reprice to the current promo.  
 

It doesn’t always yield a price reduction. 
 

After final payments are due, none of this will work.  At that time they often drastically reduce price to fill the ship.  SOMETIMES, people still call to see if they can get a price reduction and SOMETIMES NCL will offer you a little OBC, But they don’t have to.  
 

I don’t think it’s all that different from Royal Caribbean.   But NCL doesn’t have a concept of refundable and non refundable deposits.  They are all refundable up to the cutoff date.  
 

The CruiseNext certificate doesn’t change anything.  They will carry it forward when you reprice. 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by MeHeartCruising