I found my cruise cheaper somewhere else!!!

[cwayne]

The last thing Princess (or any supplier) would want to do is compete with the sources that provide the majority of its business ... that's economic suicide. This is why the cruise line will not price-match. On the other hand, providing such information as given to this poster endears Princess to both the TA and consumer. It's win-win ... aditional business for a TA and a loyal customer for the cruise line.

 

You are absolutely correct!! We have already booked our next cruise on Princess!

[teacherman]

I cruise on many different lines and twice have received a price drop from RCCL after final payment was made. Both of these were on European cruises. Members of our Roll Call informed others and all who asked for it were compensated. I am not advocating here for RCCL as my cruise in March is on Princess. I guess it all gets down to customer service, loyalty, PR, etc.

[jewopaho]

You are absolutely correct!! We have already booked our next cruise on Princess!

Ya gotta love it when a plan comes together. Have a great cruise!

[jewopaho]

I cruise on many different lines and twice have received a price drop from RCCL after final payment was made. Both of these were on European cruises. Members of our Roll Call informed others and all who asked for it were compensated. I am not advocating here for RCCL as my cruise in March is on Princess. I guess it all gets down to customer service, loyalty, PR, etc.

Not to digress ... but as of 5/17/10, Royal Caribbean no longer honors post-final-payment price drops, whether it was booked with the cruise line or a TA. There are plenty of threads about this in the RCI forum.

[karatemom2]

Well I am most unhappy with my TA right now. This TA has been good in the past but has recently become very unresponsive. I am ready to yank my booking and transfer it to another TA. Has anyone ever done this with Princess and if so how difficult was it? I don't want to cancel and rebook as I have an FCC attached to the current booking. I just want to transfer it to a different TA. Advice appreciated!

[Pam in CA]

Well I am most unhappy with my TA right now. This TA has been good in the past but has recently become very unresponsive. I am ready to yank my booking and transfer it to another TA. Has anyone ever done this with Princess and if so how difficult was it? I don't want to cancel and rebook as I have an FCC attached to the current booking. I just want to transfer it to a different TA. Advice appreciated!

If you don't have a TA you want to move it to right now, you might want to transfer it to a direct Princess booking and when you find someone you like and want to use, give them the booking #. I'm assuming this can be easily done by calling Princess, letting them know what you want to do, and faxing a letter, with your signature, that you want to change the booking. You might have to let your current TA know that you are transferring the booking to Princess.

 

Before you do anything, check and make sure your TA doesn't charge a change fee. Some will charge as much as $100 for any kind of a change.

[kelkel2]

Thank you guys so much for the advice! Next time I will for sure use a TA! I know we got a great deal anyways so I will definitely not let it bother me :)

[thinfool]

Why would I pay someone to do something I'm more than capable of doing?

 

If you book yourself you are actually paying the booking site, even if it is Princess.com, at least a 10% commission. (sometimes 15%) It is built into the price of the cruise.

 

Booking yourself is cool, but using the right TA is just as effective, still allows you control even if you don't do the actual 'mouse clicks' and results in overall better service if there are unforeseen problems.

 

It is a fact that a competent TA can deal more effectively with a cruise line than can an individual.

[MCC retired]

Save yourself and others agravation and shop before you book , not afterwards.;)

[karatemom2]

If you don't have a TA you want to move it to right now, you might want to transfer it to a direct Princess booking and when you find someone you like and want to use, give them the booking #. I'm assuming this can be easily done by calling Princess, letting them know what you want to do, and faxing a letter, with your signature, that you want to change the booking. You might have to let your current TA know that you are transferring the booking to Princess.

 

Before you do anything, check and make sure your TA doesn't charge a change fee. Some will charge as much as $100 for any kind of a change.

 

Thanks Pam. I am going to call Princess today. Fortunately this TA doesn't charge a cancellation fee. Apparently he also no longer returns emails or phone calls. I am a very patient person, but after four weeks of trying to get a response my patience has run out. Ironically, when I first chose him over some of the online TAs I have used, it was because I thought he would be more personal and responsive. I guess he is now too busy cruising all the time himself that he no longer has time for his customers. So it's back to the online TAs for me. I don't need a lot of hand holding. I just want a great price and the ability to get through to someone if I have a question or concern.

[zacc]

No I'm not in any way kidding. I don't use a travel agent. Why would I pay someone to do something I'm more than capable of doing? Anyways I just like booking stuff myself. It's fun :) But, I feel like I am getting burned for booking without a TA. I mean it's not like I used a different website, I booked though Princess.

Oh well, I mean it's not about the money, we got a good deal regardless, I was just surprised to see the price go down everywhere but princess' website :(

 

Just for the record you don't "pay a TA". Their price starts at the same price the cruise line(in this case Princess) charges. The difference in price occurs because the agency and the agent are giving up part of their commission. When you book directly with the cruise line the cruise line makes their money plus the "commission" that would have gone to the travel agency. Bottom line is whether you book directly with the cruise line or through a travel agent the cruise line makes their base amount. If you book thru an agent thats all they get. If you book directly they also get the "commission".

[MHMarkL]

Just for the record you don't "pay a TA". Their price starts at the same price the cruise line(in this case Princess) charges. The difference in price occurs because the agency and the agent are giving up part of their commission. When you book directly with the cruise line the cruise line makes their money plus the "commission" that would have gone to the travel agency. Bottom line is whether you book directly with the cruise line or through a travel agent the cruise line makes their base amount. If you book thru an agent thats all they get. If you book directly they also get the "commission".

 

If everyone booked directly with Princess rather than using a TA then doesn't it stand to reason that Princess would be able to lower the price of all our cruise fares? Princess' overhead would be less without having to pay commissions to TA's. Anytime a middleman is used it ultimately increases the price, simple economics.

[zacc]

If everyone booked directly with Princess rather than using a TA then doesn't it stand to reason that Princess would be able to lower the price of all our cruise fares? Princess' overhead would be less without having to pay commissions to TA's. Anytime a middleman is used it ultimately increases the price, simple economics.

 

In the case of Princess the middleman(TA's) does not increase the fares. The commission is actually a very cheap form of promoting their product. Allowing TA's to discount-at their own expense not Princess'-provides a great incentive for TA's to push Princess over other lines that price on a level field. When a TA's price is lower than booking directly with the cruise line it provides a monetary reason to book with the TA. The TA is better off selling two cruises and making say $75.00 each rather than one cruise and making $100.00 on it. That is one of the reasons Princess always sails full and a full ship means lower fares for everyone.

[Pam in CA]

If everyone booked directly with Princess rather than using a TA then doesn't it stand to reason that Princess would be able to lower the price of all our cruise fares? Princess' overhead would be less without having to pay commissions to TA's. Anytime a middleman is used it ultimately increases the price, simple economics.

Huh? By that logic, all products would be priced a lot lower and sold directly by their manufacturer rather than the Walmarts, Targets, etc.

 

The bottom line is that Princess needs the TAs to promote cruises and represent them to customers. They earn their commission by marketing Princess cruises to their customers and answering questions.

 

An addition to the comment of how TAs can discount is that many reserve blocks of cabins when a cruise is first released, when it's often least expensive, and then they offer those cabins to their customers at group rates. So, their customers save two ways: discounts and group rates.

[cat-tav]

I am currently booked on my third cruise with Princess, all three booked directly through Princess. The first trip I booked an unobstructed oceanview guarantee and was upgraded to a BB balcony. The second trip I booked a specific BC cabin and got what I booked. This time I booked a specific BC, decided to change to a BA, and after much negotiating with Princess regarding a problem with the cabin (long story, doesn't matter here), I ended up in an AA mini-suite. When the price of my original booking dropped, Princess gave me a bigger price drop and $100 per person OBC. I don't think a TA could beat that. Also, I have checked several online TAs and their prices are considerably higher than what I got directly from Princess.

[MHMarkL]

In the case of Princess the middleman(TA's) Princess always sails full and a full ship means lower fares for everyone.

 

Good Point and well taken. They must be doing something right to always sail full.

[MHMarkL]

Huh? By that logic, all products would be priced a lot lower and sold directly by their manufacturer rather than the Walmarts, Targets, etc.

 

 

Yes, that is true, although Walmart and Target deal in mostly low end, low priced products and I consider a Princess cruise a high end product. With internet commerce, many high end products can be purchased directly at considerable discounts.

 

On the other hand, the marketing through TA's may just increase the volume enough to keep the price down for all of us too.

 

I feel strongly both ways :)

[caribill]

Also, I have checked several online TAs and their prices are considerably higher than what I got directly from Princess.

 

That should never be happening.

 

Do you give the online TAs your Princess past passenger number so they can get you past passenger pricing?

 

I have seen online TAs with both the same pricing as Princess and with lower pricing than Princess, but never with higher pricing.

[thinfool]

On the other hand, the marketing through TA's may just increase the volume enough to keep the price down for all of us too.

 

 

The cruise lines, including Princess, do not want to keep prices down. They want to raise rates. Prices are lower now due to the economy and cutthroat competition...if/when things improve, prices will rise.

 

Case in point, many Alaskan itineraries are substantially higher for the upcoming 2011 season than they were for the last couple of years.

 

As for using TA's...News Flash....not everyone has or uses a computer. Indeed, many, many, many travelers pick up their phone, call their TA and ask for a trip to Alaska. This begins a period of 'hand-holding' by the TA to insure a safe and successful trip for the clients.

 

AAA has a tremendous marketing program with Holland America (about this time of year) to sell Alaskan cruises. It is very successful.

[Pam in CA]

Case in point, many Alaskan itineraries are substantially higher for the upcoming 2011 season than they were for the last couple of years .

The cruiselines are not non-profit and you're right about their desire for profits. However, the reason why pricing in Alaska this past and coming summer is higher than it's been for years is due more to the fact that several cruiselines pulled ships from Alaska and redeployed them elsewhere. Alaska was over-saturated with too many berths available and thus had cheap pricing. You won't find pricing like that in Alaska for a while.