10 night cruise sept. Opinions needed. Thanks!

[mrsalexb]

Looking at booking the Sept 29th Emerald Princess southern caribbean cruise. Currently the inside is $999. I remember that cruises during this time frame tend to drop...do you think I should wait to book?

 

ALSO...I have only used a TA once (for my last cruise) I was very happy with her and thought that her price matched exactly what I could find on travel search engines. I would rather give my business to a TA then just booking through a company like travelocity. However this time she quoted me almost $300 over what I could find on princess, travelocity ect. I don't know if she quoted me this because I said that I wanted to use my discover card (which is currently offering 5% back on travel). This irrated me immensly. So my question is should I tell her how much I found the same cruise and have her match or or should I start from scratch and find a new TA?

 

Also do you know if they often have balcony and oceanview sales? If so, if I booked now could I get a refund or an upgrade?

 

Thanks so much in advance!!! :)

[riverboatgambler]

Book now to protect yourself against price increases. If the price goes down before FINAL PAYMENT contact your TA (if the TA is not watching), for the price reduction or upgrade to a higher category.

[mrsalexb]

Thanks riverboat. I was thinking that is what I should do...but I wanted to make sure I could get a refund/upgrade if the price should drop.

 

BTW - I just read that the rooms allow smoking? Is this true? Are the rooms very smokey???

[jtcoolk]

I would book with Princess and put down the deposit then you have up until final payment to transfer the booking to a travel agency. I just keep looking for the best deal and OBC and it's easy to transfer the booking.

[riverboatgambler]

Thanks riverboat. I was thinking that is what I should do...but I wanted to make sure I could get a refund/upgrade if the price should drop.

 

BTW - I just read that the rooms allow smoking? Is this true? Are the rooms very smokey???

 

Yes they allow smoking, however, on 5 cruises I have never had an issue as they clean the rooms well. However, there is one thread lately from an experienced cruiser who had real problems with an inside cabin on a recent voyage.

 

I always get a balcony..Mrs River insists...so my comments about never having a problem are in relation to balcony cabins.

[geoherb]

I like to book early if there's a specific cruise I want to go on. If there are several I'm considering, it can pay to wait until after the final payment date.

[Katie333]

I typically book far in advance in order to get the sailing and cabin I'd prefer. Having sailed in September quite often, the prices do generally go down and comparatively it's a reasonably priced time to sail. Know that you are traveling in hurricane season with its associated risks.

 

Shop around various internet sites and see if your TA would match/beat the prices you find. If not, book elsewhere or with Princess and transfer your booking later.

 

If you are concerned about the smoking issue, make sure you are comfortable with that reality before you set sail.

[BudapestLady]

We have tipically booked with TAs (was one in the 80s) because the work for you not for the cruise line. They will strive to make your experience a happy and memorable one. When you are inexperience and book thru the cruise line, they are looking at their profit. Which do you prefer?

This upcoming cruise, we booked through Costco travel. So far our we cannot be more pleased with their service. We got to pick our cabins and other perks.

Good luck.