for princess solo cruisers?

[SMSACE6]

Just a question for princess cruisers who have sailed solo; I have previously sailed on Ncl once, Celebrity once, both of these while travelling with someone else, and both cruises were good experiences. My only cruise experiences while travelling solo have been with Carnival Cruise lines, and I have no complaint with them, all positive cruise experiences, but I would like to try a different cruise line just to compare. My question is to any folks who have travelled solo with Princess; Do yo think that you got a fair price? So far no other cruise line has offered me a better price for solo travel than Carnival. Am I forever going to be limited to Carnival? Not that it is a big deal. I will just get to be a platinum member with them that much sooner.:)

[Coral]

Give me an idea of what you think is a fair price for a specific destination such as a 7 night Caribbean in October or 7 night Christmas cruise in the Caribbean?

 

Also, what type of cabin are you interested in..... All of this makes a difference.

[cruz chic]

I travel solo generally and I look at the total price of the cruise. I usually go for the cheapest inside and I pay between 150 - 200% on Princess. I also go with Holland America quite often. They generally charge about 150%. There have been times when the 150% has been a higher fare then the 200%. You have to look at the total price and decide if you are happy with it.

[Colo Cruiser]

The price with Princess for a single would be 175 to 200% of the cruise fare.

[Pam in CA]

I usually cruise as a solo in a cabin although most of the time, friends or family are also on the cruise. If you book as a single in a cabin, expect to pay 150% - 200%, depending on the type of cabin you choose. Expect 150 - 175% for Insides and Oceanviews, 200% for balcony cabins, mini-suites and full suites. There are no single cabins since the Regal Princess left the fleet and there are rarely "deals" for singles. Every now and then, you might see a 2:1 promotion and if you are a single in the cabin, you would pay just for yourself.

[seastar2]

When I go solo...ususally with Princess I bite the bullet and pay the 175%or so...as mentioned Princess rarely has specials for singles. Alone I always book an inside and hope for the upgrade fairy...alsa she hasn't found me...:(

 

Even when I have the single cabin I am usually traveling with friends.

[midwestsolo]

Just a question for princess cruisers who have sailed solo; I have previously sailed on Ncl once, Celebrity once, both of these while travelling with someone else, and both cruises were good experiences. My only cruise experiences while travelling solo have been with Carnival Cruise lines, and I have no complaint with them, all positive cruise experiences, but I would like to try a different cruise line just to compare. My question is to any folks who have travelled solo with Princess; Do yo think that you got a fair price? So far no other cruise line has offered me a better price for solo travel than Carnival. Am I forever going to be limited to Carnival? Not that it is a big deal. I will just get to be a platinum member with them that much sooner.:)

 

I went to Alaska last September as a single on the Sapphire..Paid 175% for an inside cabin..Keep in mind that Princess does give one break to solos.. I got credit for 2 cruises, moving me closer to the next level in their frequent passenger program..Haven't seen that on any other line..Also went solo 3 years ago on HAL..Like Princess much more..

[jollyjones]

I have cruised NCL, HAL, Costa, Seabourn, Oceania, Celebrity and Princess as a solo (so can't comment on Carnival) and have found Princess to have the best product for me; the dining has the best flexibilty and there seems to be more entertainment on Princess. As others have said, go for what overall price suits you; if you dwell too much on the single supplement you'll just put your blood pressure up, it's not worth thinking about if you love to cruise. My next cruise (tomorrow!!!!) is back on Oceania and I have another one in April on NCL because I got deals - look for sales and if the doubles price is discounted, the solo price is often a good deal too.

 

PS the extra cruise credit as a solo on Princess is a nice touch, makes me feel a bit better about paying the extra, but still wouldn't override a good fare deal.

[jpg1747]

I cruise solo on both Carnival and Princess. On Carnival I can book a 1A cabin (sometimes with a window/porthole, sometimes not) and pay about $100/day on average. On Princess I can book an outside an pay around $175/day or an inside for around $150/day. Sometimes if I find a good deal, I pay substantially less. Is Princess worth the extra cost? Yes. I believe I definitely get my money's worth. But I have a good time on either line. And as a solo, I've been treated very well on both lines.

[Colo Cruiser]

I cruise solo on both Carnival and Princess. On Carnival I can book a 1A cabin (sometimes with a window/porthole, sometimes not) and pay about $100/day on average. On Princess I can book an outside an pay around $175/day or an inside for around $150/day. Sometimes if I find a good deal, I pay substantially less. Is Princess worth the extra cost? Yes. I believe I definitely get my money's worth. But I have a good time on either line. And as a solo, I've been treated very well on both lines.

 

Its just too bad that the price is not a little lower on Princess though. :(

[west coast cruiser]

I went to Alaska last September as a single on the Sapphire..Paid 175% for an inside cabin..Keep in mind that Princess does give one break to solos.. I got credit for 2 cruises, moving me closer to the next level in their frequent passenger program..Haven't seen that on any other line..Also went solo 3 years ago on HAL..Like Princess much more..

 

I called Princess yesterday about the credit for 2 cruises when traveling solo and they said there wasn't such a thing. Is it written somewhere? I would love to take a couple of short cruises to move up as I am getting pretty close to Elite.

Thanks,

WCC

[Colo Cruiser]

I called Princess yesterday about the credit for 2 cruises when traveling solo and they said there wasn't such a thing. Is it written somewhere? I would love to take a couple of short cruises to move up as I am getting pretty close to Elite.

Thanks,

WCC

 

If you call 2 more times you will get a different answer each time.

I don't know where it might be written but its a shame that the CSR's are so badly trained and unknowledgeable. :cool:

 

Think if you talk with someone in the Captains Circle dept they will confirm this.

[Iamcruzin]

I called Princess yesterday about the credit for 2 cruises when traveling solo and they said there wasn't such a thing. Is it written somewhere? I would love to take a couple of short cruises to move up as I am getting pretty close to Elite.

Thanks,

WCC

 

Here is a link to the news article posted on the Princess Website on 12/12/08. It explains the changes to the Captain's Circle Program

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na991

[Colo Cruiser]

12/12/2008

 

 

Princess Captain's Circle Introduces New Opportunity for Suite Passengers and Solo Travelers to Earn Benefits Faster

Industry's Leading Loyalty Program to Begin Counting Cruise Credits, with Double Credit Offered for Suites and Single Supplements

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (December 12, 2008) -- The Princess Captain's Circle has introduced a new way to determine membership levels that will allow some passengers to more quickly reach the program's higher Platinum and Elite membership levels. The loyalty program will now count "cruise credits" instead of number of sailings, and passengers who travel in full suites and those who pay a single supplement will receive double cruise credits for their sailings -- making them eligible for greater benefits with fewer cruises.

The new cruise credits program is effective for all sailings on or after December 7, 2008. All passengers who complete a cruise will receive one cruise credit, and in the following cases, passengers will receive double credit or more: Passengers who pay for and occupy a full suite (mini-suites excluded), will receive two cruise credits.

Passengers who pay the single occupancy fare and travel alone in their cabin will receive two cruise credits.

Passengers who pay the single supplement to occupy a full suite on their own will receive three cruise credits.

 

"Many of our Circle members have suggested that it would be nice to find a way to recognize passengers who travel in suites and those who pay a single supplement," said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. "We regularly look to our members for new ideas, and we think this new cruise credits program is a great way to give some extra benefits to those who do invest more in their cruises."

Widely recognized as the leading loyalty program in the cruise industry, the Princess Captain's Circle is unique in that it recognizes both cruise credits for number of sailings as well as total cruise days -- whichever is most beneficial to the passenger. Only cruise credits are multiplied for suite and solo passengers, not cruise days.

The Princess' Captain's Circle is a unique three-tiered program with an ever-increasing roster of benefits especially for Princess' returning passengers. All members enjoy various ongoing rewards, plus special onboard benefits based on their level. Passengers automatically become Gold members after their first Princess cruise, and subsequently rise to Platinum level after just five cruise credits or 50 cruise days. Platinum members enjoy a host of additional benefits, including complimentary onboard Internet packages, a special lounge at disembarkation, and an upgrade to Princess Platinum Vacation Protection when purchasing Princess' standard travel protection plan. The highest level, Elite, for cruisers who have completed 15 cruise credits or 150 cruise days, features even more benefits, including a 10 percent discount in the onboard boutiques, complimentary dry cleaning and laundry, and special privileges such as priority tender embarkation. For more information about the Princess Captain's Circle, visit the Circle Center, and click on "Member Benefits."

[west coast cruiser]

Here is a link to the news article posted on the Princess Website on 12/12/08. It explains the changes to the Captain's Circle Program

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na991

 

Thank you,

Now I will have something to refer to. The person I spoke to yesterday even put me on hold to ask someone else about this. The other person knew nothing about it either.

WCC

[jollyjones]

My TA called Princess twice about double cruise credit for solos and got 'no' the first time and, after I'd sent him the article mentioned above (which I found thanks to CC!), he got 'yes' the second so next time I'm cruising, I'll be going to the Captain's Circle desk myself to make very sure I'm getting what I'm entitled to! I did email Princess about it and their reply was just to call the Captain's Circle but since 1-800 numbers are not free from here, I didn't think it was worth an international call.

[cityguy300]

Regardless of what any particular rep tells you, don't worry that you have to contact anyone or do anything special to receive your double credits. My last two cruises, an inside on CB and balcony on CP, had the correct credits added automatically when I checked my account online after each cruise -- and I booked through an online TA, not Princess directly.

 

Surprised to hear the reps don't all know this policy by now; it's been over a year and even gets mentioned in the brochures!

[cityguy300]

Regardless of what any particular rep tells you, don't worry that you have to contact anyone or do anything special to receive your double credits. My last two cruises, an inside on CB and balcony on CP, had the correct credits added automatically when I checked my account online after each cruise -- and I booked through an online TA, not Princess directly.

 

Surprised to hear the reps don't all know this policy by now; it's been over a year and even gets mentioned in the brochures!

[shopperwhite]

i used to cruise on holland america because they only charged me 150% but now they are charging double as do the rest of the cruise lines. sometimes princess charges more than double. i try to find a price i can live with.... been on h.a. rcl, ccl, princess and celebrity.

[shopperwhite]

i used to cruise on holland america because they only charged me 150% but now they are charging double as do the rest of the cruise lines. sometimes princess charges more than double. i try to find a price i can live with.... been on h.a. rcl, ccl, princess and celebrity.