NCL's false advertising (-40/50%)

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

Just because everyone does it, doesn't make it right.

[BunnyHutt]

2 hours ago, trivimp said:

Tell me you didn't bother to learn the details of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit without saying you didn't bother to learn the details of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit.   

Yup. I don’t think any there’s any intro to law or business law class that *doesn’t* cover this case. 
 

Regarding NCL’s advertising practices, it’s no different than JC Penney’s never ending “biggest sale of the year”, Kay Jeweler’s “MSRP may not have resulted in actual sales” or Kohl’s math saying I saved $300 on a $20 item. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by BunnyHutt

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, BunnyHutt said:

Kohl’s math saying I saved $300 on a $20 item. 

DW did bring me home some free socks that she used Kohl's cash for.  I like comfortable socks and I like free.  Beyond that?  I know nothing about that stuff (and I can prove it).😎

 

"Thanks" to my good friend @graphicguy, I now understand that I must augment my slippers and sweat pants with actual socks to enter the elegant LeBistro in order to be served expensive liver that gets me in trouble when I scrape it to the side.  Oh well....  Even that crap is fun on a cruise ship!! 😀

Edited November 25, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[rodndonna]

2 hours ago, BunnyHutt said:

 

Regarding NCL’s advertising practices, it’s no different than JC Penney’s never ending “biggest sale of the year”, Kay Jeweler’s “MSRP may not have resulted in actual sales” or Kohl’s math saying I saved $300 on a $20 item. 

 

Ahh Kohl's - it's been a while since I have been - but  I always loved the Olympic level math involved. I have yet to see another retailer do a better job of having so many discounts applied on other discounts. 😃

 

[IAcruising]

I bought a polo shirt at the store a couple weeks ago for $20. Now they are having a 2-for-1 sale. Two shirts for $40. Go figure.

 

[bonvoyagie]

actually NCL is using the same tactic as Viking, Reagent, and other lines are using - they are even going back to their own tactics of more than 20 years ago and that is using rack, brochure or market rates to set the full price that the discount is then applied to. I remember this from my first cruise in 2002 the term was brochure rates and they were substantially higher than the sale price. I realize that NCL has been using the same brochure rates and then playing with either 35% or 50% off those rates. Yes they simply change the name of the sale from second guest free or second guest 70% off. I have a cruise booked for 2025 and got it first under the 35% off, then rebooked it with the 50% off and saved over $900.00. 

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

DW did bring me home some free socks that she used Kohl's cash for.  I like comfortable socks and I like free.  Beyond that?  I know nothing about that stuff (and I can prove it).😎

 

"Thanks" to my good friend @graphicguy, I now understand that I must augment my slippers and sweat pants with actual socks to enter the elegant LeBistro in order to be served expensive liver that gets me in trouble when I scrape it to the side.  Oh well....  Even that crap is fun on a cruise ship!! 😀

Well….Yeah!!!! 😉

[G-DawgMN]

4 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

DW did bring me home some free socks that she used Kohl's cash for.  I like comfortable socks and I like free.  Beyond that?  I know nothing about that stuff (and I can prove it).😎

 

"Thanks" to my good friend @graphicguy, I now understand that I must augment my slippers and sweat pants with actual socks to enter the elegant LeBistro in order to be served expensive liver that gets me in trouble when I scrape it to the side.  Oh well....  Even that crap is fun on a cruise ship!! 😀

 I really hope that you dress up and wear bunny slippers. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

37 minutes ago, KSSS2013 said:

 I really hope that you dress up and wear bunny slippers. 

Unfortunately, they don't come in my size.

[kitkat343]

14 hours ago, farringtonb said:

I am not an expert but if you feel there is a legal infringement, report it as that is the only way things will change

I'm fairly certain there is no legal infringement with the endless sales in the US (plus all the other lines pull this nonsense too) but if the OP thinks its illegal in Europe they are welcome to file a complaint there.  I'd be happy if all the cruise Iines stopped doing this, but since I don't expect any help from the US courts (have no idea if Europe can help) I just ignore all the sales.

Edited November 26, 2023 by kitkat343

[IAcruising]

3 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

I just ignore all the sales.

 

This is correct. No one is going to be able to sue a company for a sales ad. Well, that's not true. Let's just say it will take more time and money than most of us have.

 

 

[fshagan]

19 hours ago, MiniJeffrey said:

I'm getting a bit frustrated at NCL's marketing policies, which are with no doubt infractions to several false advertising laws in EU. Their -40, -50% promotions that are always "ending soon" have actually never ever ended.

 

They are also just faking their "normal" prices by adding "discounts" to bring the new price to what were normal prices before they started doing this trick precovid. -40% off on a falsely inflated price briging the real discount to more or less -0% comparing to precovid prices (adjusted for inflation in the sector).

 

Shameful practices.

 

I had read that this is illegal in the UK - you have to have the rates at a certain level, being sold actively, for a certain time period before you can publish a sale that is a percentage off. I'm surprised to hear it isn't illegal in the EU. Because of the weak way our laws in the states are structured they can get away with lying like this.

 

The whole pricing scheme is deceptive, starting with quoting a fare for one person but requiring double occupancy. They should have to quote the price to actually use the product, including taxes, fees and gratuities. The only line I know that does that is Virgin (unless they have changed recently).

[IAcruising]

1 hour ago, fshagan said:

The whole pricing scheme is deceptive, starting with quoting a fare for one person but requiring double occupancy.

 

Yeah, it's only been going on since the day cruising began. So deceptive, unless you can read.

 

[cruiser2015]

16 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

"We won't be fooled again..."

Cool - then you must have learned something.

☺️

[cruiser2015]

1 hour ago, fshagan said:

 

I had read that this is illegal in the UK - you have to have the rates at a certain level, being sold actively, for a certain time period before you can publish a sale that is a percentage off. I'm surprised to hear it isn't illegal in the EU. Because of the weak way our laws in the states are structured they can get away with lying like this.

 

The whole pricing scheme is deceptive, starting with quoting a fare for one person but requiring double occupancy. They should have to quote the price to actually use the product, including taxes, fees and gratuities. The only line I know that does that is Virgin (unless they have changed recently).

Publishing, or advertising, quotes without including mandatory taxes and fees is deceptive. At a minimum, there should be a prominent note advising of the exclusion.

In other businesses, things are changing. Such as hotels now being priced at the all-in cost.

[Yesimapirate]

I would have thought you were out of gas like everyone else until I got notice of a settlement in a class action suit against Ashley furniture.  The charges were exactly the same.  

 

Ashley agreed to stop having a permanent sale price and refund consumers $30.  I'm sure the lawyers made millions. 

 

Having said that,  what would any individual gain if they forced NCL to stop doing this?   Only the lawyers would win and the cost to cruise may actually go up to recoup the losses. 

[roxette]

At least in Sweden there is a law that when something is on sale on something they have to show the lowest price it was sold for within the last 30 days. 

[RocketMan275]

the amusing thing about this thread is this:  everyone, while complaining about the sales that aren't sales or the % discounts, is overlooking the most deceptive and misleading practive of them all.  "Free at Sea" isn't 'Free'.  It is 'included' but never 'Free'.  You are still paying for all that 'Free' stuff.  The reason marketers use the term 'Free' is because the easiest and quickest way to make a sale is to convince the buyer that the buyer is getting something for 'Free'.

[d9704011]

See post #3.

[graphicguy]

5 hours ago, roxette said:

At least in Sweden there is a law that when something is on sale on something they have to show the lowest price it was sold for within the last 30 days. 

If you shop the fares, they show what they call “rack rates” or “brochure rates”. Those are the “regular” fares.  If someone pays those fares, they aren’t very bright.  They are the highest fares that one can book the cruise and cabin type for.  Their “sales” are based on the “regular” fares.

 

NCL (and all the other cruise lines) usually don’t change fares within 30 day periods.  Once they drop, they don’t go back up.  

 

So, their sales are off “brochure rates”.  And, if they drop, it’s permanent.  They don’t go back up on that particular cruise.  Or, they stay reduced until that particular category is sold out.

 

What you’re asking for is some gov’t entity to do your fare shopping for you by dictating the terms to the cruise lines.  NO THANKS!

 

I can’t even imagine the bureaucracy that would create (apparently it does in the EU) and, as a result, how much that would add to a cruise fare.

Edited November 26, 2023 by graphicguy

[pete_coach]

We bought our cruise last June for January.

 

Every other day we got email about a sale. Even Black Friday sales.

None of the "sales" were cheaper for the cruise than what we paid in June.

 

Yes it is marketing but the real question is, when is a sale not a sale and I think NCL never has a sale LOL

[roger001]

"All items up to 40% off" .   All that means is we will never discount more than that and may not discount any at all. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

10 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

Cool - then you must have learned something.

☺️

Actually, I doubt our friend @schmoopie17was fooled a first time.  I'm sure there are a handful of extremely naive/stupid cruisers who are deceived by this marketing, but I highly doubt that there are any among the fine experienced cruisers on this fine forum.

 

Anybody is welcome to raise their hand if I'm mistaken.🤣

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, pete_coach said:

We bought our cruise last June for January.

 

Every other day we got email about a sale. Even Black Friday sales.

None of the "sales" were cheaper for the cruise than what we paid in June.

 

Yes it is marketing but the real question is, when is a sale not a sale and I think NCL never has a sale LOL

They do drop prices, but you'll need to rely on CruisePlum (or similar) to find those, not NCL's website splash screen.

[insidecabin]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

If you shop the fares, they show what they call “rack rates” or “brochure rates”. Those are the “regular” fares.  If someone pays those fares, they aren’t very bright.  They are the highest fares that one can book the cruise and cabin type for.  Their “sales” are based on the “regular” fares.

 

NCL (and all the other cruise lines) usually don’t change fares within 30 day periods.  Once they drop, they don’t go back up.  

 

So, their sales are off “brochure rates”.  And, if they drop, it’s permanent.  They don’t go back up on that particular cruise.  Or, they stay reduced until that particular category is sold out.

 

What you’re asking for is some gov’t entity to do your fare shopping for you by dictating the terms to the cruise lines.  NO THANKS!

 

I can’t even imagine the bureaucracy that would create (apparently it does in the EU) and, as a result, how much that would add to a cruise fare.

 

There are no real brochure/regular rates the headline "prices" fluctuate just as as do the discounted prices even when the sale bits don't change.

 

The sales are based on variable rates.

 

They regularly fiddle with the rates within 30days by changing availability NCL has multiple GTY options they can add remove at will.

 

Under that things like Air credit can apply differently at different times eg. they apply to inside then that gets dropped or apply to sailaway sometimes then not.

 

Even the free at sea charges vary independent of all other sale offers as that gets offered at 50% fairly regularly.

 

UK many of the prices went up no change in sales terms  then they did 50% off FAS.

 

All prices are fluid.

 

The EU/UK fare rules don't add much bureaucracy the main one is fare must include mandatory charges, which means all taxes and fees.

 

There are some specific selling holidays rules that stop unfare T&C like we can take you anywhere and ignore what we sold you.

 

In practice things like the Gaza war and resulting itinerary changes mean the option of full refund must be offered.