Norwegian Cruise Line passengers are cashing in as demand drops
Norwegian Cruise Line recently revealed that it's facing a concerning trend in traveler behavior that's led to a slowdown in cruise bookings in one typically high-demand region.
The cruise line's leadership team attributes the trend to economic uncertainty, which seems to be leading Americans to forego long-haul trips this year.
Related: Cruise industry bracing for fight with beloved destination
Although Norwegian reports that bookings have been mostly steady for cruises departing from common U.S. ports, the cruise line has experienced what it refers to as "choppiness" when it comes to bookings for cruises in one sought-after travel region that's not so close to home.
Norwegian is sailing multiple ships to bucket-list destinations in the region this summer, and to help drive bookings for those upcoming cruises, the cruise line has started making some significant price cuts.
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If you've been dreaming of a summer cruise in the Mediterranean, now may be an ideal time to book with Norwegian Cruise Line. A slowdown in bookings for this summer's season of Europe cruises has led the cruise line to launch some limited-time discounts on cruise fares for select itineraries.
Some passengers who already booked their summer Mediterranean cruises at higher prices have even been able to reprice their cruises, upgrade their cabins, and/or get onboard or future cruise credits simply by contacting the cruise line about the price drop.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line faces troubling trend
"We sail in August on Breakaway and had booked an inside cabin. Checked on Monday and price had gone down ~£200 for the both of us. Checked today and another reduction. Emailed our [cruise consultant] and we're now in a balcony and paying £90 less than our original deal - and have 3 extra specialty dining credits each too," RassilonGallifrey recently shared in the NCL community on Reddit.
Other cruisers chimed in on the thread to report that they've also been able to contact the cruise line and reprice their cruises.
"I called my [personal cruise consultant] and the price of my cruise went down by $820. I was pleasantly surprised," Ok-Negotiation-7281 wrote.
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One cruiser noted that keeping an eye on their cruise price has paid off multiple times.
"I literally check every day when I have a cruise booked. My upcoming August cruise went down about 4 times since I booked it. Saved me a good amount of money. If you see a price drop jump on it immediately, it could change again the next day," Rope-Fuzzy pointed out.
And watching the price of your booked cruise doesn't just pay off for Europe cruises, as another cruiser's recent experience reveals. Upcoming Alaska cruises are currently showing some discounts, too.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line quietly stops sailing in one popular region
"Oh, the call to price check can be so worth it. We have a large 2-bedroom family suite for our Alaska cruise next week and thanks to giving NCL a call few weeks ago, we are getting a C$4,327.94 [future] cruise credit. Not too shabby," SpeedyBurnabite shared.
If you have a Europe or Alaska cruise booked with Norwegian this summer, you may want to contact your travel agent or your NCL personal cruise consultant to ask about any options that may be available to you. Even if you've already made your final payment, you may be able to get a future cruise credit like SpeedyBurnabite did.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
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