Let's talk deals!

[crzgrl66]

We are new to Princess. We have sailed Disney, CCL, Celebrity, & RCCL. I always book direct except for Celebrity because back then I had a fabulous TA. Is it better to book Princess through TA? Does Princess have sales? Is the deposit 100% refundable until final payment is due? If the price goes down, will Princess adjust or do you have to cancel and rebook? Thanks in advance! Lisa

[shepp]

With all due respect: many of these topics are basic, broad, and have been covered time and again on this board. Try a search: it will no doubt get you many of the answers you need.

[paul929207]

Princess allows TAs to discount prices. If you shop around you can find prices below the Princess ones.

[crzgrl66]

Princess allows TAs to discount prices. If you shop around you can find prices below the Princess ones.

 

Thanks that helps.

[Toto2Kansas]

Check some online agents, many times during the year they have a booking special where you can put down only $100 deposit per person, and many times also receive shipboard credit on top of discount pricing. ;) Good Luck!

[mtaylor04]

Shop around and find a good TA, they will give you a better rate than booking with Princess directly - and you can usually get OBC and/or other perks.

 

Make sure the TA has no cancelation fees - that was one of the 1st questions I asked when changing TA's.

 

A good TA (as will Princess) will also pass along any price drops - but you need to be proactive and watch the cruise prices.

 

Hope this helps :)

[montgomeryfamily]

Princess does allow TAs to offer discounted pricing and sales, but as others have said, you need to watch any extra fees that a TA may levy. Also, Princess allows price adjustments BEFORE final payment, but your TA has to agree and some will not or will discount amenities that they have given in order for you to get the price adjustment. I have cruised extensively on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity too and can give you additional information about the Princess differences if you want to email me at kacruiser@sbcglobal.net

[Pam in CA]

Also, Princess allows price adjustments BEFORE final payment, but your TA has to agree and some will not or will discount amenities that they have given in order for you to get the price adjustment.

Let's say that the Princess price for a cruise is $1,000 and the price from my TA is $800. Princess reduces the rate by $100 so the cabin is $900 on Princess but still $800 from my TA. I would never ask for, or get, an additional $100 discount from my TA. Perhaps to some, that would appear to be unfair of the TA to not reduce their price further but to me, I'm already getting the cabin I want for a reasonable amount.

 

There are sometimes promotions for which I don't qualify, such as one for "new bookings only" or a price reduction for certain cabin categories. I trust my TA that if I qualify, she'll reduce my price.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that most Princess cruises sail full and the price will go up, not down. Price reductions aren't the norm.

[Bigskygirl88]

I booked our Grand med cruise through Costco Travel and saved a bundle, $1400, over Princess. I never checked with a TA, but I highly doubt that they could have beat Costco. Also, Costco has a group going on my cruise I think, so we get an on board credit. The agent at Costco said because we are Executive members there could be other perks, which we'll find out about once we're on board. If a Costco member, check with them for sure! I tell everyone I know about their great prices.

[GSD4ME]

I booked a cruise through Costco about 2 years ago. Yes, I was told that because I was an executive member that there would be additional perks. There was nothing. Not a lousy bottle of wine, no OBC, nothing. If you think you might be getting something additional because of your Costco membership status, make sure you get it in writing from the Costco travel agent. Just my 2 cents!!

[Pam in CA]

I booked our Grand med cruise through Costco Travel and saved a bundle, $1400, over Princess. I never checked with a TA, but I highly doubt that they could have beat Costco. Also, Costco has a group going on my cruise I think, so we get an on board credit. The agent at Costco said because we are Executive members there could be other perks, which we'll find out about once we're on board. If a Costco member, check with them for sure! I tell everyone I know about their great prices.

There are several TAs who book a heck of a lot more Princess cruises than Costco and get better pricing. And, they give perks such as OBC, wine, specialty restaurant, or something else. PLUS, because they are Princess experts, they know a heck of a lot more about Princess than a Costco rep. Nothing against Costco but a TA who specializes in Princess cruises will get you better pricing. A savings of $1,400 for a couple, depending on the price of the cruise, is not unusual. Obviously, you won't get that saving on a $1,500 cruise. :)