Next 3 for free sale?

any guesses when the next sale might be-waiting to book because i’m not liking the current sale offerings?

any guesses when the next sale might be-waiting to book because i’m not liking the current sale offerings?

September?

You have to get through Sip and Sail first.

The past few years, Sip & Sail has been offered for most of the summer months and three for free followed in the fall. No guarantee that either will be offered this year. Just have to wait and see.

Wow. This is a pretty funky 3 for Free. My VPN was set for London so I could access something that's not available in the US and I forgot and hit the Princess site. This is on the main page:

Wow. This is a pretty funky 3 for Free. My VPN was set for London so I could access something that's not available in the US and I forgot and hit the Princess site. This is on the main page:

Ok - I do feel sorry for the UK residents. Their deals are not great.

Wow. This is a pretty funky 3 for Free. My VPN was set for London so I could access something that's not available in the US and I forgot and hit the Princess site. This is on the main page:

 

 

3 words. Lame Lame Lame.

any guesses when the next sale might be-waiting to book because i’m not liking the current sale offerings?

Last year it was from 9/5 until November & hopefully it’ll be another OBC, tips & a cabin category upgrade. That’s been the benefits in the past 2 years but before then it wasn’t great. It’s been usable on all types of cabins unlike the S&S which is limited to balcony & higher cabins.

3 words. Lame Lame Lame.

I totally concur. We change from sip n sail to 3 for Free last September for our cruise to Alaska on the Grand in 30 days. But we got $100 OBC, Free gratuities, and the price of our already chosen premium balcony stateroom was reduced to a standard stateroom.

Free wine? excursion? dinner? Yes, very Lame.

Can you call and get the new deals/promotions on already booked cruises?

Can you call and get the new deals/promotions on already booked cruises?

I’ve added the 3 for Free offer to several cruises when my cabin was eligible & the net price did not increase.

Can you call and get the new deals/promotions on already booked cruises?

Yes, but you will lose any deal/promotion that was a part of your original booking.

Can you call and get the new deals/promotions on already booked cruises?

Certainly but you will lose any previous perks and you will have to pay whatever the current pricing is at the time you switch.

For instance I booked TA next year and was able to add the Landmark Sale with no increase in price and gained $400 OBC ($200 each). Sweet!

At the same time, I also booked a Northern Lights cruise for next year (just before the TA) and later looked at the Landmark Sale for that cruise as well. Since we are booked in a balcony I could have switched to that promo and gotten $1,000 OBC ($500 each). The catch is that, unlike the TA, the cabin for that cruise was suddenly $1,000 more ($500 each) so I would have come out almost as a wash but actually would have lost money as my taxes would have increased. I have been checking each day to see if there was a price drop. Today I found that, rather than going down, my cabin had now increased by $200 ($100 each). Would I like to have $1,000 OBC? You bet! Would I be better off to keep my booking with absolutely zero perks but pay $1,200 less than what is currently being asked? Again, you bet!

Perks are great and sometimes they work out great and I love it. Sometimes the perks don't work out so well for everybody. You just have to look at what you have and what you will have after the change to the new promo and decide if it's a good deal for you at that time. If it is then jump on it. If it isn't then just sit back and be happy with what you have. When the Sip and Sail comes along I'll look at it but I don't suppose it will be a good deal for me. For others it may well be a fantastic deal. I know that last year I booked 2 cruises under the Sip and Sail and was extremely happy. One can't always have everything (even though it seems to be human nature to want it all). As it stands, I'll keep my cabin and my pricing and be happy with what I have - especially as my TA will give me a further cash discount off the top when I move the booking to him. :hearteyes:

I recently booked under an Anniversary Sale and had $300 OBC and a dinner.

I re-fared it several times under the Anniversary Sale so I kept my benefits. It later dropped $300 and I didn't re-fare it as I thought it would be awash. I later saw $700 off (so an additional $400). I then re-fared it and lost the $300 OBC and dinner but it was worth it. You have to calculate everything. I even saved quite a bit on insurance on this cruise.

Is there a limit as to how many times you can rebook for the new promotions. I don 't think my booking had any promotions included. I don't work with a TA but I do use a travel consultant with Princess. Will he be the best bet for me to call to see if a new promotion is beneficial or is he working to benefit Princess and not me? I'm kind of new to this game and would welcome any advise.

Is there a limit as to how many times you can rebook for the new promotions. I don 't think my booking had any promotions included. I don't work with a TA but I do use a travel consultant with Princess. Will he be the best bet for me to call to see if a new promotion is beneficial or is he working to benefit Princess and not me? I'm kind of new to this game and would welcome any advise.

You can re-fare multiple times until final payment (for those in the US). Just be careful as some promos include non-refundable deposits and you will lose that when you re-fare. Your Princess consultant is working for Princess. You are your best advocate for checking fares and promos and contact them to re-fare. By the way - you can save money if you book with travel agents who discount and they do work for you and should work in your best interest. Can't say that for everyone TA though.

You can re-fare multiple times until final payment (for those in the US). Just be careful as some promos include non-refundable deposits and you will lose that when you re-fare. Your Princess consultant is working for Princess. You are your best advocate for checking fares and promos and contact them to re-fare. By the way - you can save money if you book with travel agents who discount and they do work for you and should work in your best interest. Can't say that for everyone TA though.

I've never used a travel agent. How do you know if they discount and what is the best way to find a reliable one.

I've never used a travel agent. How do you know if they discount and what is the best way to find a reliable one.

You have to keep track of current fares and promotions. I love the game of booking then seeing how much I can get the price reduced or the perks increased. When we book Alaska for next month we got the sip and sail promo. Ok but not great if you drink but not a lot. By switching to the 3 for free we lost the sip and sail but got OBC, Free gratuities, and standard fare on a premium room. All immediate savings and not based on how much you may or may not drink. a perfect deal for my crew.

Wow. This is a pretty funky 3 for Free. My VPN was set for London so I could access something that's not available in the US and I forgot and hit the Princess site. This is on the main page:

 

 

It’s an awful offer :( and certainly won’t be inspiring me to book !!!!

I've never used a travel agent. How do you know if they discount and what is the best way to find a reliable one.

Some discount. Not all of them do. I use one on the other side of the country, so not local.

You know if they discount if the price they quote is cheaper than what Princess charges. Definitely stay away from those who charge change or cancellation fees (outside of what Princess does).

Ask on your next cruise at the Meet and Greet. Ask those who cruise a lot.

 

For instance I booked TA next year and was able to add the Landmark Sale with no increase in price and gained $400 OBC ($200 each). Sweet!

-------------especially as my TA will give me a further cash discount off the top when I move the booking to him. :hearteyes:

So, you booked your TA using a TA ?:D

I've never used a travel agent. How do you know if they discount and what is the best way to find a reliable one.

Like many others we found our TA through a referral. The way to find out if the TA will discount the cruise is to ask the TA. Shortly before final payment I send my TA a note with a copy of my booking confirmation. It clearly shows what Princess is charging. I ask him what he "can do for me" on the pricing. He sends a reply (or calls) and gives me a better price.

So, you booked your TA using a TA ?

Pretty funny. :) Does sound a bit kinky doesn't it? I actually booked the Trans Atlantic on my own but will eventually transfer it to my Travel Agent.

Searching for the previous 3 for Free benefits for North Americans the last 2 years were the best offers...OBC, tips & cabin category upgrade.

I found 3 for Free back to 2013 & they’ve always included a cabin category upgrade each year. In 2013 & 2014 it added OBC & shore excursion credit; in 2015 it added tips & a specialty restaurant dinner.

While the UK version (excursion, specialty dinner, wine) isn’t as good, the NA benefits have varied in the past 5 years. Hopefully it’ll be the same benefits as in 2016 & 2017 but we won’t even know if it’ll be offered until later this summer.

I know I have to be circumspect about this, but if you hunt around you can find a website where various TAs will respond to your request for a quote. That's how I found my current TA, whom I've now used for something like a dozen cruises.

You can re-fare multiple times until final payment (for those in the US). Just be careful as some promos include non-refundable deposits and you will lose that when you re-fare. Your Princess consultant is working for Princess. You are your best advocate for checking fares and promos and contact them to re-fare. By the way - you can save money if you book with travel agents who discount and they do work for you and should work in your best interest. Can't say that for everyone TA though.

You should not lose a non-refundable deposit on a future refare as you are still keeping the booking.

You should not lose a non-refundable deposit on a future refare as you are still keeping the booking.

That probably is correct - just be careful of what you lose or don't lose (promos) when you re-fare. I ran into problems once when I switched categories once with $1 non-refundable deposit and don't remember the details (but I had to pay more).