Still lots of cabins avail - Price drop?

[Wecruise8]

Just checked for price drop in our catagory. There are a number of cabins available in catagories BA through BD (at least 5 or 6 per cat.). Final payment was due earlier in the week. What are the chances of a price drop? I check at least once a day and am hoping for the price drop fairy to give me a nice Xmas present;)

[paul929207]

Do you know how many guarentees there are that have not been assigned cabins yet? That could eat up many of the empties.

[echotumi]

wasnt sure thanks

[Rob & Beckys mom]

We have had a credit on our credit card after final payment. Can't hurt to ask!

 

Jan

[cruiseron36]

Vert unlikely they will give you a refund after final payment if the price drops. They will fill the ship with "flash fares" for new bookings only.

[Toto2Kansas]

At times after final payment, most price drops will be in the form of a flash promotion, and those don't show up on the Princess website. So, I would keep checking, but I doubt you will see one listed. Even if the price comes down (although it is always good to check), it would be very rare for you to receive a price decrease after final payment date.

[camofwilliamsburg]

I am beyond final payment. I called my TA to tell him that the price dropped $32 pp. Not much but better in my pocket! Found out that the cruise lines do not refund or credit anymore. I know that RCI always did, but was told they no longer do it either, since no others were. SO I asked the TA to try and see what would happen. I got a 150$ OBC for the price drop. We only have 2 in the cabin. The math does not work out but I surely was happy!

[karabear15]

A week after our final payment, we had a price drop of 52 dollars per person. Our TA xcalled and we could either get the refund, or put it towards a higher upgrade, so of course we upgraded our cabin from inside to a balcony.

[btrojanoski]

A week after our final payment, we had a price drop of 52 dollars per person. Our TA xcalled and we could either get the refund, or put it towards a higher upgrade, so of course we upgraded our cabin from inside to a balcony.

 

You up-graded from an Inside to a Balcony for $52 per person??????

 

Barry

[karabear15]

You up-graded from an Inside to a Balcony for $52 per person??????

 

Barry

oh no...sorry, I guess this could be misleading. We received a credit of $104 since our inside cabin price dropped...so we told our TA rather than just reimbursing us the money, put it towards a balcony. Which after the credit only cost an additional $260 all together!

[navychop3]

So- do so many openings increase the chance of upgrades? IOW, the flash fares fill up the lower end rooms, pushing customers that have already paid up in to the vacant higher tier rooms? Is that how it works?

 

Princess wants another $500 or so for us to move from II to a balcony. I wish I could just call them and offer $300. But I gather it just doesn't work that way. Too bad.

[Luvmyrotti]

So- do so many openings increase the chance of upgrades? IOW, the flash fares fill up the lower end rooms, pushing customers that have already paid up in to the vacant higher tier rooms? Is that how it works?

 

Princess wants another $500 or so for us to move from II to a balcony. I wish I could just call them and offer $300. But I gather it just doesn't work that way. Too bad.

 

Give it a shot It can't hurt to ask. Good luck!

[Pam in CA]

Calling isn't going to improve your chances since upgrades are based on a 'probability' algorithm by the computer. Also, they don't have to fill every cabin so just because some cabins are available doesn't mean someone in a lower category will be upgraded.

[Luvmyrotti]

Calling isn't going to improve your chances since upgrades are based on a 'probability' algorithm by the computer. Also, they don't have to fill every cabin so just because some cabins are available doesn't mean someone in a lower category will be upgraded.

 

Hi Pam - You are a wonderful source of information here on the Princess board, but boy can you be a Debbie Downer. What does it hurt to try? I've heard of Princess doing some different things, such as offering/selling an upgrade at a heavily reduced rate. Just because it doesn't happen often doesn't mean it doesn't happen. At any rate, best of luck to you on your next trip. Maybe something wonderful and unexpected will happen for you. :)

[Pam in CA]

Hi Pam - You are a wonderful source of information here on the Princess board, but boy can you be a Debbie Downer. What does it hurt to try? I've heard of Princess doing some different things, such as offering/selling an upgrade at a heavily reduced rate. Just because it doesn't happen often doesn't mean it doesn't happen. At any rate, best of luck to you on your next trip. Maybe something wonderful and unexpected will happen for you. :)

Getting an upgrade by purchasing it is very different from being offered a free upgrade. Anyone can purchase an upgrade as long as there are cabins available and one is willing to pay the price. Free/complimentary upgrades are processed by the computer using a probability algorithm, so calling isn't going to change or influence that. I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer but rather it's a false hope to tell someone they can call and possibly get a free upgrade. It just doesn't work that way. I'd rather give a reality check and if that's not what people want to hear, I can't change the facts.

[never2late]

How does someone find out about a flash promotion if it does not show on the Princess website?

[Toto2Kansas]

How does someone find out about a flash promotion if it does not show on the Princess website?

The best way is to find a good TA that will alert you to them. ;)

[caribill]

Princess wants another $500 or so for us to move from II to a balcony. I wish I could just call them and offer $300. But I gather it just doesn't work that way. Too bad.

 

Give it a shot It can't hurt to ask. Good luck!

 

Calling isn't going to improve your chances since upgrades are based on a 'probability' algorithm by the computer.

 

Poster is willing to pay for an upgrade, just not as much as Princess is asking.

 

But I agree with Pam on that also. Princess does not negotiate prices.

[Toto2Kansas]

Poster is willing to pay for an upgrade, just not as much as Princess is asking. But I agree with Pam on that also. Princess does not negotiate prices.

 

Count me in on this one also, I have never seen Princess negotiate prices. You don't 'offer' them less than the upgrade price for a stateroom.

 

I guess I must be Debbie Downer #3 (Bill, you get the honors of Debbie Downer #2) lol

 

It is just information we are passing along, and although we might be bursting someones dream bubble, sorry!

[moosa]

I always purchase through costco travel and if they can't refund when the price drops I call my amex card and they always do it for me. in Dec. 09 we travelled to Mexico via RC and pair $1k for both of us for a balcony after all the price drops. it was nice. :)

[Pam in CA]

I always purchase through costco travel and if they can't refund when the price drops I call my amex card and they always do it for me. in Dec. 09 we travelled to Mexico via RC and pair $1k for both of us for a balcony after all the price drops. it was nice. :)

RCCL has a very different pricing system. Princess allows TAs to discount prices to start with so you'll almost always get a much better price by booking with a TA. No matter what, if the cruiseline drops the price, if you're not eligible for the price drop, you won't get a refund. If you're eligible for a flash promotion, it's for new bookings only so if you're already booked, you won't get a price reduction. Calling your credit card company to dispute the charge, which is what I assume you did, isn't the way to get a price reduction. I'm speechless that someone would do that.

[karabear15]

That is not necessarily true. I booked through my TA, saw a price drop in our inside cabin category. Called my TA, which she was informed that I could either receive the amount back, or I could put it towards an upgrade. So I'm not sure how you have all of this information, but before you make it out to be that what you know is the only way take into consideration what others have offered, or just let those who wish to call Princess do it and have them find out for themselves.

[Pam in CA]

That is not necessarily true. I booked through my TA, saw a price drop in our inside cabin category. Called my TA, which she was informed that I could either receive the amount back, or I could put it towards an upgrade. So I'm not sure how you have all of this information, but before you make it out to be that what you know is the only way take into consideration what others have offered, or just let those who wish to call Princess do it and have them find out for themselves.

Again, you're talking apples and oranges. Yes, it's possible to have a price drop after final payment and be offered an upgrade or a refund/OBC. But that doesn't happen very often. Most so-called price drops after final payment are flash promotions for new bookings only. Price drops before final payment do happen. When I was making the final payment for my September cruise, it was reduced by $1,500. Could I have asked to be upgraded instead? Sure. As it turned out, I was upgraded to an AA mini-suite a week before sailing. So if I'd asked to be upgraded to a mini-suite instead of paying less for my cruise, I would have lost that $1,500. Who knows? But all of this is different from calling Princess and asking for a free upgrade.

[Luvmyrotti]

Poster is willing to pay for an upgrade, just not as much as Princess is asking.

 

But I agree with Pam on that also. Princess does not negotiate prices.

 

Hi - Not looking to be argumentative, but I have seen examples here on CC where Princess did negotiate a lower price. I agree that it doesn't happen often, however I just don't think it can hurt for the OP to call and offer them the $300, especially since it doesn't seem that far off from the $500 they are asking.