Price Question

[jbobst]

We are booked (deposit only) for the October 5th Sapphire Princess cruise (California Coastal). Princess has the price listed for $649 per person (if you are logged in and have cruised previously on Princess...$749 is their non-logged in first time cruiser rate). There is an online travel agency that I often look at due to their search features. I can quickly see various cruises on different lines with their search engine. They have this cruise listed at $599 per person, yet when I do a mock booking that price is not available...the lowest price they show is the $749 once you are actually trying to book. I called them and spoke to one of their phone agents yesterday and she also saw the inital $599 price but could not get that price once she started a booking. She seemed pretty clueless and said something to the effect of they had that price available at some point, but it may take up to 24 hours to clear once it goes away. It's been longer than 24 hours since I first saw this advertised price, so I don't buy that answer. I checked a few other online travel sites and they all list the cruise for $749. The $599 price that isn't really available seems very deceptive to me, and it's frustrating to see an advertised price and not be able to book it at that price or even get an answer as to why the computer still shows that price. I check this cruise daily for price drops, and I've never seen it for $599 yet. Is this just a classic bait and switch kind of thing? I've always thought this particular agency was fairly reputable as their prices have always matched the cruise line prices. This just seems shady to me.

[Dayenu]

May be $599 before tax, but when you log in to reserve, it adds tax to become $749. I've seen this happening on other websites. As long as this is legal for them, they will keep doing this. Just be careful when booking.

[Pam in CA]

Princess allows TAs to discount fares, sometimes as much as 10-20%, but they cannot show or promote any discount. They have to show the Princess fare online, in emails, ads, etc. If you call for a quote, they can (and some will) quote you a lower rate plus give you OBC and other perks. Sometimes, fares change rapidly so if you wait 24 hours, it can make a difference.

 

I'd call back and if necessary, as to speak to a supervisor. Or, call a different TA.

[nyc12345]

It can be a regional discount. I looked at that sailing too and if you live in NY, the rate is $599+tax. From AZ, the rate is not. Maybe the website assumed you were in the state that their company is in and so you qualify for the regional discount, but once you tell them that you are in AZ, that rate doesn't apply to you...

[SeattleCruiselover]

We are booked (deposit only) for the October 5th Sapphire Princess cruise (California Coastal). Princess has the price listed for $649 per person (if you are logged in and have cruised previously on Princess...$749 is their non-logged in first time cruiser rate). There is an online travel agency that I often look at due to their search features. I can quickly see various cruises on different lines with their search engine. They have this cruise listed at $599 per person, yet when I do a mock booking that price is not available...the lowest price they show is the $749 once you are actually trying to book. I called them and spoke to one of their phone agents yesterday and she also saw the inital $599 price but could not get that price once she started a booking. She seemed pretty clueless and said something to the effect of they had that price available at some point, but it may take up to 24 hours to clear once it goes away. It's been longer than 24 hours since I first saw this advertised price, so I don't buy that answer. I checked a few other online travel sites and they all list the cruise for $749. The $599 price that isn't really available seems very deceptive to me, and it's frustrating to see an advertised price and not be able to book it at that price or even get an answer as to why the computer still shows that price. I check this cruise daily for price drops, and I've never seen it for $599 yet. Is this just a classic bait and switch kind of thing? I've always thought this particular agency was fairly reputable as their prices have always matched the cruise line prices. This just seems shady to me.

 

I can tell you that I called in this morning to make my final payment and, instead of my giving them $340.00,they gave me $477.00, because the price on my stateroom had dropped $350..00 per person. Couldn't ask for a better present on a Wednesday. If you see a price change, call and ask for your booking to be repriced.

[cherylandtk]

jbobst,

 

The agent you spoke with was wrong. The agency had simply pre-loaded (in error?) the sale pricing ahead of the Red, White and Blue Sale that started TODAY. If you go to the Princess sale page, you will see the lead-in price for your cruise listed at $599.

[jpthomas27]

If the agency has otherwise stood up as reputable, then it could be a legitimate mistake on their part. The "bait and switch" claim is made all too often by consumers believing that companies do it on purpose when it's rarely the case.

 

Again, we're talking about legitimate businesses here. It's way too costly for them to deceive customers. No knowing the place your talking about I couldn't really voice my opinion but again, I truly believe that legitimate businesses aren't doing this because the risk is just too high.