Booking question

[lysolqn]

It's been several years since we've cruised with Princess so please excuse my ignorance. Does Princess still permit travel agents to discount fares or has it gone the route of other lines that no longer allow discounting off published prices? In other words, is there an advantage to booking through an agent over booking directly with Princess? Also, how do I go about finding an agency that does high volume business with Princess, thereby giving them the ability to offer OBC and other perks that lower volume agencies may not be able to offer? Thanks.

[Toto2Kansas]

Yes, Princess still allows TA's to discount pricing. All I can suggest to you (since discussing TA's on CC is not allowed), is to get a price from Princess for the sailing, and cabin category, you are interested in, and then shop around using that base price as a reference. Also, check to make sure that you are comparing the exact same sailing and category when you check with TA's. And ask if they charge any type of fees, change fees, cancellation fees, etc before you choose the TA you would like to book with. If those TA's give you the same price as Princess charges, keep looking, you haven't found a good discount TA yet. Good Luck, and welcome back to Princess! :)

[paul929207]

Yes, Princess still allows TA's to discount and some offer significant discounts. We can not name TA's on here, so just keep searching.

[DrivesLikeMario]

RCI, Celebrity and Disney are a few that do not allow discounting.

 

What you should ask your TA is:

 

1. Do they have a group sailing on the date you want to sail? (If so, this is usually when you'd get an onboard credit or other perks in lieu of the OBC).

 

2. Does their agency charge cancellation fees?

 

3. Is the agency having a cruise sale soon? (If you don't have any FCCs to use for booking, a cruise sale would allow you to put a minimum amount of money down, possibly get an OBC and a coupon book.)

[Sandytoees]

It's been several years since we've cruised with Princess so please excuse my ignorance. Does Princess still permit travel agents to discount fares or has it gone the route of other lines that no longer allow discounting off published prices? In other words, is there an advantage to booking through an agent over booking directly with Princess? Also, how do I go about finding an agency that does high volume business with Princess, thereby giving them the ability to offer OBC and other perks that lower volume agencies may not be able to offer? Thanks.

Agents that buy cabins in bulk, have the lowest fares.

Call or email an independent cruise agent to see if they can offer you a lower price than the one showing on Princess's website.

[Pam in CA]

Agents that buy cabins in bulk, have the lowest fares. Call or email an independent cruise agent to see if they can offer you a lower price than the one showing on Princess's website.

This is true; a good TA who books a lot of Princess cruises will have cabins at a much better price than booking directly with Princess.

[anharley]

This is true; a good TA who books a lot of Princess cruises will have cabins at a much better price than booking directly with Princess.

 

The recent cruise I went on is a prime example of this. Granted I did book VERY last minute. Paid $249 a person PLUS got a $50 on board credit, booking through an online agent. Lowest price I found directly with Princess for same everything was $499 per person and obviously without the obc.

 

I did price some other online agents too, and most were still much lower than Princess directly. Ranges were from $349-$399 per person and some with and some without obc's too.

[caribill]

Yes, Princess still allows TA's to discount pricing. All I can suggest to you (since discussing TA's on CC is not allowed), is to get a price from Princess for the sailing, and cabin category, you are interested in, and then shop around using that base price as a reference. Also, check to make sure that you are comparing the exact same sailing and category when you check with TA's. And ask if they charge any type of fees, change fees, cancellation fees, etc before you choose the TA you would like to book with. If those TA's give you the same price as Princess charges, keep looking, you haven't found a good discount TA yet. Good Luck, and welcome back to Princess! :)

 

And with both Princess and the TAs, be sure to give them your Captain's Circle number so the pricing will be for the past passenger that you are.

[Iamcruzin]

Also, how do I go about finding an agency that does high volume business with Princess, thereby giving them the ability to offer OBC and other perks that lower volume agencies may not be able to offer? Thanks.

 

When I purchase Future Cruise Credits onboard, the Princess Rep always suggests that I book through a TA who has a large inventory of Princess rooms and not direct through Princess. You may want to start by using the Travel Agent locator on the Princess Website. You can book through Princess get the room and itinerary you want and then transfer the booking to a TA if they can offer a better deal.

 

http://www.princess.com/book/agent/index.jsp

[lysolqn]

Thanks for your helpful suggestions. I'll check the travel agent locater on the Princess website and then check with our usual agent to see if she is a preferred Princess agency. We do a lot of cruising and have sailed on most of the lines but most our cruises have been on Celebrity which put the lid on discounting awhile back - good for the smaller agencies that can't afford to discount as deeply as the bigger ones but not particularly good for the consumer. Not looking for specifics but on average, what percentage discount off brochure rates should I expect to find - 5%, 10%, 20%, more/less? Also, we have a single who will be sailing with us; does Princess charge the full double rate for singles as does Celebrity? There a few Princess cruises we're considering and I appreciate the information and tips you've all provided. Many thanks.

[lysolqn]

I promise not to hold anyone's feet to the fire and would appreciate some direction re what kind of discount I should expect from a high volume agency as opposed to booking directly with Princess. Also, information re booking a single would be very helpful. Thanks.

[MCC retired]

As a former TA I would discount % depending on the commissionable price of the cruise.

 

A big ticket suite on a European cruise would certainly allow a better % discount than a inside cabin on a 7 night Caribbean , at a close in FLASH rate.;)

[Toto2Kansas]

I promise not to hold anyone's feet to the fire and would appreciate some direction re what kind of discount I should expect from a high volume agency as opposed to booking directly with Princess. Also, information re booking a single would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

A solo traveler usually pays anywhere from 150%-200% of the single passenger rate, depending on the category stateroom you are looking to book. No getting around this on Princess I am afraid.

 

As for discounts. It would not be unusual at all to find a discount travel agent to discount the Princess price around 10%. Good Luck, I hope you find a good TA. ;)