Princess Cruise Pricing

[Cali_Chick]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have a question I am hoping someone can provide an answer too. We are booking a cruise to Alaska this July and have narrowed it down to either a 10 day Princess cruise or a 7 day NCL cruise.

 

The NCL cruise is a better price and it sails from Seattle. However, the Princess cruise sails from San Francisco, which is much closer and would be easier for us as we could drive to the port.

 

So my question is does Princess typically have some sort of sale on cruises a certain time before the scheduled departure date? Like 5 months before or something? The Princess current price is just outside of our budget but I don't want to give up on it if it's just a matter of waiting a few weeks to book it.

 

Or, should I call Princess directly? Do they make deals like that over the phone?

 

Just for a point of reference, NCL offered a balcony for about $1149 pp and Princess balcony is currently $2299 pp. That's because of a special promotion they have going on right now (balcony for oceanview pricing). We have to have at least a window as Mom doesn't like closed off spaces. Princess obstructed oceanview is $1399 pp and I'm not sure how obstructed that means? From the deck plan, it looked like the lifeboat completely covers the window.

 

If the choice is between a balcony or an obstructed view, we would pick the balcony. But again, don't want to give up on Princess if there is a chance we could get a decent room within our budget.

 

So, am not sure what to do and I don't want to wait for last minute deals.

 

Any suggestions?

[bhopal21]

Find a good/reputable discount travel agent. You will be pleasantly surprised.

 

Mike:)

[Toto2Kansas]

Suggestion for a better price? Find a good travel agent that discounts.

Sorry though, we are not allowed to offer any TA's info or names here on CC, as it is against the board rules. I would check with some of the advertisers here on the Cruise Critic Boards and see if they can beat Princess pricing.

 

Also, IF there are any real sales, most come after final payment when they are trying to fill the ships that didn't sell out before that date. Best of Luck!

[paul929207]

Finding a good TA is your best hope.

 

Princess and other cruise lines will discount cabins IF there are many unsold. If sails are good, they will raise the price on the remaining cabins.

[Guest Spo]

I have often said that I would never sail without a balcony. However, given the two scenarios you have outlined, I would take the obstructed view, ten day Princess cruise without even thinking twice about it. Obvious advantages: It's Princess; it's 10 days; it's out of San Francisco. This would be an easy decision for me personally.

 

But I agree that if you find a good TA, you may find that a Princess balcony is "doable". Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you do.

[thinfool]

Princess obstructed oceanview is $1399 pp and I'm not sure how obstructed that means? From the deck plan, it looked like the lifeboat completely covers the window.

 

This was our balcony experience and you will find it echoed by others on CC.

 

Even with a balcony you may well find yourselves 'up on deck' more than on your balcony. Weather protected public areas are often more inviting than being on your balcony sailing at 10-15 knots at 38 degrees in the Inside Passage. There is so much to see, that your one-sided balcony view will often seem inadequate to take it all in.

 

The obstructed part of the oceanviews that Princess sells are well less than 1/2 the viewing area. So you still have the major portion of the window for viewing.

 

I haven't seen any reports of a better deal by calling Princess directly. Indeed, Princess seems to work more thru travel agents than with direct bookings. Price drops with any cruise line are more likely a week or two after the final payment date for a particular cruise. (usually 90 days for an Alaska voyage)

 

Finally this.....either cruise that you mention will keep you 'at sea' until you get to Ketchikan. I would point out that the Holland America Volendam does 7 night round trip from/to Vancouver sailings that will keep you in the Inside Passage for most of the trip....a major scenic difference as well as calmer waters. :):D

[bjkTX]

As others have said, get a TA or go on one of the better online sites. Paying Princess web site prices is like buying a car at sticker price. We are going on a 14 day Alaska cruise in May. The Princess site was $1600 more (couple) when we booked, and while the prices have gone down the Princess web site is still $1000+ from what you can find online.

[Cali_Chick]

Thank you all so much!

 

Would it be better to find a TA that specializes in Princess? I checked the Princess website and there is one in my area.

 

The balcony isn't such a priority but there has to be a window with some sort of view for Mom. But if we could get a balcony for less than a room with a partial or no view, then it would make more sense and leave more money for onboard and port activities.

 

I'm sure we would enjoy either cruise but the 10 days would be better than 7. I think that's why I'm hoping we can get the Princess cruise within our budget.

 

Thank you all again so much! Having a board like this with so many people willing to help and provide information is amazing.

[beachnative]

I understand and accept that one is not allowed to talk about a particular TA on CC. However, is there a reliable site that discusses the reputation of TAs (as Tripadvisor does hotels)? If not, how does one sort though the ads to find a "good" TA?

 

We would like to book a 24 day B2B with Princess for July 2011. We have sailed several times with Princess but our last 10 cruises have been on RCCL by booking directly resulting in good deals. Evidently the two lines have different pricing policies.

[Toto2Kansas]

I understand and accept that one is not allowed to talk about a particular TA on CC. However, is there a reliable site that discusses the reputation of TAs (as Tripadvisor does hotels)? If not, how does one sort though the ads to find a "good" TA?

 

We would like to book a 24 day B2B with Princess for July 2011. We have sailed several times with Princess but our last 10 cruises have been on RCCL by booking directly resulting in good deals. Evidently the two lines have different pricing policies.

 

Any other site that discusses cruises, travel agents or the like, is also not allowed to be posted here on cruise critic. Sorry! It is tough to find a good travel agent. As I have said in the past, many of us have had to kiss a lot of toads before we found our princess (TA of coarse). Good luck, and I hope you run into a good travel agent. And yes, the rules are much different between Princess and RCI. Princess still allows discounting by their travel agents, but I have found that RCI does not.

[Coral]

 

We would like to book a 24 day B2B with Princess for July 2011. We have sailed several times with Princess but our last 10 cruises have been on RCCL by booking directly resulting in good deals. Evidently the two lines have different pricing policies.

 

Yes they do - Princess still allows agents to discount. Booking direct with Princess really doesn't provide any financial benefits.

 

Unfortunately we can not recommend agents and I am not aware of any websites that do. I would recommend trying to find one that deals in cruises only.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I understand and accept that one is not allowed to talk about a particular TA on CC. However, is there a reliable site that discusses the reputation of TAs (as Tripadvisor does hotels)? If not, how does one sort though the ads to find a "good" TA?

 

We would like to book a 24 day B2B with Princess for July 2011. We have sailed several times with Princess but our last 10 cruises have been on RCCL by booking directly resulting in good deals. Evidently the two lines have different pricing policies.

 

If I was going to select a TA, I would suggest finding one that is a cruise specialist. Then go in and sit down with an agent. Check out the posters on their walls (are they of cruises?). Ask them about their favorite cruise, their first cruise, etc. If that TA can't answer that with great enthusiasm, maybe they aren't the one for you. And if they are pushing you toward one cruiseline despite whatever you tell them about your desires and needs, maybe they aren't the one for you.

[beachnative]

Thank you for your replies. (I hope the following makes sense.)

 

I have read all the posts on this thread but would like to know more (I do understand if this is unanswerable).

 

It appears from the Princess website that returning cruisers can qualify for a discount. I also saw a mention of early booking discounts. We know where and when we want to sail and are returning customers (only 3 7-day cruises though) and would book within a few days of that sailing being announced. Are these discounts combinable when booking Princess?

 

I'm on an uphill learning curve with this and do appreciate your input. We really want this particular itinerary and don't mind missing the "best" price by a few hundred dollars...however saving more than $500 would motivate me to search for a travel agency.

 

 

P.S. The last time we sailed with Princess we found the posters on this site to be very helpful and extremely nice. Thank you again for your input.

[Coral]

 

It appears from the Princess website that returning cruisers can qualify for a discount. I also saw a mention of early booking discounts. We know where and when we want to sail and are returning customers (only 3 7-day cruises though) and would book within a few days of that sailing being announced. Are these discounts combinable when booking Princess?

 

I'm on an uphill learning curve with this and do appreciate your input. We really want this particular itinerary and don't mind missing the "best" price by a few hundred dollars...however saving more than $500 would motivate me to search for a travel agency.

 

I will try to answer. Sometimes Princess gives better pricing to past passengers, sometime they do not. Sometimes they give better pricing to some past passengers and other passengers they do not. Ironically - it doesn't appear to be based on how much you have cruised so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

If you are very particular about a certain sailing and possibly a certain cabin I would try to establish a relationship with an agent before the bookings open. In the past, agents had access to bookings before Princess online was updated (though you could have called Princess direct and booked). Not sure if this will be true in the future.

 

By contacting an agent beforehand, they will know what you want and when the pricing opens, they can book it right away. Be advised that pricing can often seem pretty high when prices are first released. If the ship doesn't sell as well as Princess expects, then the price goes down and prices can often be adjusted. Just wanted you to be aware of possible sticker stock.

 

Also, savings will depend on pricing. Obviously an agent can't easily give you as much savings on a $399 pp Caribbean cruise compared to a $3000 European cruise.

 

Hope this helps some!

[Toto2Kansas]

Thank you for your replies. (I hope the following makes sense.)

 

I have read all the posts on this thread but would like to know more (I do understand if this is unanswerable).

 

It appears from the Princess website that returning cruisers can qualify for a discount. I also saw a mention of early booking discounts. We know where and when we want to sail and are returning customers (only 3 7-day cruises though) and would book within a few days of that sailing being announced. Are these discounts combinable when booking Princess?

 

I'm on an uphill learning curve with this and do appreciate your input. We really want this particular itinerary and don't mind missing the "best" price by a few hundred dollars...however saving more than $500 would motivate me to search for a travel agency.

 

 

P.S. The last time we sailed with Princess we found the posters on this site to be very helpful and extremely nice. Thank you again for your input.

 

The early booking discounts and past passenger discounts seem to be hit and miss. That is a very difficult question to answer as even booking far in advance, sometimes they have not shown any discounts much more than $100 on the cruises I have checked.

A good discount travel agent can save you about 10% off the Princess price (a lot depends of course on the cruise itself), so you will have to decide if it is worth the trouble to locate one you feel you can deal with that discounts. Again, best of luck, that is about the only help I can give you legally or I would be breaking the cruise critic rules.

[beachnative]

Your answers have been very helpful. You have given me a lot to think about.

 

The two sailings we want appear to be offered only once or twice a year: sailing out of Southampton, England around the British Isles combined with sailing out of Southampton to the fjords of Norway. We are not set on a particular cabin as long it is on the Caribe deck (we love those balconies).

 

We've become accustom to the sticker shock of sailing in Europe. We'll take your advice and contact a couple of agents, discuss our needs, and ask them to contact us with a price when these specific cruises open for July 2011. Then we can call Princess directly and ask their price and then decide how to book.

 

Thank you. Although we love RCCL, it is nice to be sailing with Princess again.:)

[Toto2Kansas]

Your answers have been very helpful. You have given me a lot to think about.

 

The two sailings we want appear to be offered only once or twice a year: sailing out of Southampton, England around the British Isles combined with sailing out of Southampton to the fjords of Norway. We are not set on a particular cabin as long it is on the Caribe deck (we love those balconies).

 

We've become accustom to the sticker shock of sailing in Europe. We'll take your advice and contact a couple of agents, discuss our needs, and ask them to contact us with a price when these specific cruises open for July 2011. Then we can call Princess directly and ask their price and then decide how to book.

 

Thank you. Although we love RCCL, it is nice to be sailing with Princess again.:)

 

If you have your heart set on a Caribe Balcony cabin, don't forget to have Princess or the agent you book with mark your booking as 'no upgrade', and whatever you do, don't book a guarantee cabin. If not, you could be upgraded to a balcony cabin or higher with a smaller balcony. Any category higher than what you have booked, which could mean you would loose that large balcony you are looking so forward to. Again, good luck!

[caribill]

It appears from the Princess website that returning cruisers can qualify for a discount. I also saw a mention of early booking discounts. We know where and when we want to sail and are returning customers (only 3 7-day cruises though) and would book within a few days of that sailing being announced. Are these discounts combinable when booking Princess?

 

 

Any discounts you would be eligible when booking directly with Princess would also be available to you when booking with any Travel Agent who has been given your past passenger (Captain's Cirlce) number. Then many TA's will give you an additional discount or other benefit such as OBC.

 

And yes, the discounts you ask about are combinable.

[Coral]

Any discounts you would be eligible when booking directly with Princess would also be available to you when booking with any Travel Agent who has been given your past passenger (Captain's Cirlce) number. Then many TA's will give you an additional discount or other benefit such as OBC.

 

And yes, the discounts you ask about are combinable.

 

I also should add that if you are planning on booking the first day or so of the cruise opening, sometimes agents don't have all of their group amenities setup yet (as the bookings just opened).

[m steve]

Much better than NCL and they treat you as adults. Our first cruise was Alaska on NCL and didn't realize how much better the other cruise lines were. Now we know.

[candydane]

Be sure to factor in your airfare cost savings if you're able to drive to San Francisco for the Princess cruise as opposed to having to fly to Seattle for the NCL cruise. Although you'll have to pay parking, it should be less than airline tickets. Especially since airline & bag fees seem to continue to rise!

 

Once you get better pricing, you should also consider your cost-per-day. My guess is it'll be a better value on the 10 day than the 7 day cruise.

[MCC retired]

A TA that appears as a referal on the Princess website has completed extensive online training to earn Princess "Commodore" status.

That doesn't mean that all they sell in Princess , or that they have ever cruised Alaska themselves. It means that the have Princess product knowledge , which many TA's don't have.

 

Always interview your potential TA before ever, ever booking with them.

Princess still allows TA's to discount over and above the best rate that you qualify for , when booking direct with Princess.

[Cali_Chick]

Be sure to factor in your airfare cost savings if you're able to drive to San Francisco for the Princess cruise as opposed to having to fly to Seattle for the NCL cruise. Although you'll have to pay parking, it should be less than airline tickets. Especially since airline & bag fees seem to continue to rise!

 

Once you get better pricing, you should also consider your cost-per-day. My guess is it'll be a better value on the 10 day than the 7 day cruise.

 

Oh trust me - I have a spreadsheet going with all the various costs that I can find! I'm weird like that :D

 

I would love to pick the Princess cruise but not at $2299 PP for an unobstructed view or balcony. That is just too far outside the budget.

 

I am going to speak to 2 different travel agents this week. Hopefully, it all works out and we sail on the Sea Princess in July!

 

Thank you both MCC & Steve for the information!

[Montreid]

We just booked online since they are running a quick special this weekend it seems.

 

Oceanview cost at the cost of obstructed. We took it since quads are hard to be had on this ship effectively--July 1st sailing.

 

Now the question is where to park and cruise?