Discrepancy on prices for Royal

[chamima]

Can anyone explain this discrepancy?

 

On another thread (about airfares) I started writing with another cruiser who is also from Michigan. She was saying that the airfare to Florida is almost the same as the price of the cruise so we started to talk about the cruise prices.

My post is in purple and hers is in pink.

We are Elite and she is Platinum.

I copied the list of balcony prices from the Princess website as it shows on my computer.

Has Princess decided I would be willing to pay more than other people for the same cabin?

:confused: .... :( ...... :confused:

 

 

 

Originally Posted by chamima View Post

These are the prices I get (after I signed in and we're Elite) for Feb.23.

The least expensive balcony stateroom comes to close to $3000 with taxes and fees for 2. (And it's only $200 more (for 2) for the deluxe aft with the larger balconies)

No matter what the price of the cruise - that still doesn't excuse the outrageous airfares.

 

 

Aft

Balcony

from

$1,329.00

per person

 

Mid-Aft

Balcony

from

$1,389.00

per person

 

Midship

Balcony

from

$1,419.00

per person

 

Mid-Forward

Balcony

from

$1,389.00

per person

 

 

Wow! I am looking at the same date (Feb 23) when I sign into Princess and I can get a BD balcony for $1039 pp or $2268 total. This will be our first cruise at the Platinum level. I wonder why the discrepancy when we're both from the same state?

__________________

 

This is not leaving a very good feeling about Princess for us! :mad:

[caribill]

There are sometimes special promotions aimed at some (but not all) past passengers. Sometimes a husband and wife at the same address will see different pricing for that reason.

 

To be sure, contact Princess and tell what pricing your fellow cruiser is seeing. Ask if you could get that pricing also.

[lovevacadays]

Do you know if the other cruiser booked directly with Princess or with his/her own travel agent? That could make several hundred dollars difference.

[pcsunlover]

I'm the other poster. :). I booked directly with Princess via their website. I checked using my husband's login info and the pricing was consistent with mine.

 

I don't know why there would be a difference unless maybe it's a little perk this time because it will be our first cruise at the Platinum level?

[ar1950]

We live in Arizona. We have friends who live in Colorado. We have always been quoted better prices than our friends in Colorado for the same cruise and cabin category. We did a cruise on Royal Caribbean with them and a couple cruises on Princess with them. It happened all three times. On the ones we booked with Princess I asked the Princess rep and she said, yes, living in Arizona we got better prices. The Royal Caribbean cruise we booked with a travel agent and I asked her about it. She said the same thing. She also informed me that depending on where the cruise originates determines what fare is charged to passengers in each area of the country. I would guess that the location within a state could be the same way.

[Loonbeam]

It's called micro-targeted pricing and its a component of yield management. Anything can affect pricing, passenger age, location, date booked, promotions being offered, specific number of cabins available in category, number of total passengers booked, expected cancellation rates which can be based on all of the above and more. It can get as detailed as "Couples sailing in October who come from Burlington County in NJ are 8% less likely to cancel prior to 75 days out, so lets reduce price to attract those customers).

 

They are governed by highly proprietary formulas that all lines use (each line uses their own). It's the same reason why two people sitting next to each other on a plane can pay wildly different airfares.

 

I have no idea what criteria Princess uses.

[loliola]

It's called micro-targeted pricing and its a component of yield management. Anything can affect pricing, passenger age, location, date booked, promotions being offered, specific number of cabins available in category, number of total passengers booked, expected cancellation rates which can be based on all of the above and more. It can get as detailed as "Couples sailing in October who come from Burlington County in NJ are 8% less likely to cancel prior to 75 days out, so lets reduce price to attract those customers).

 

They are governed by highly proprietary formulas that all lines use (each line uses their own). It's the same reason why two people sitting next to each other on a plane can pay wildly different airfares.

 

I have no idea what criteria Princess uses.

 

Thank you. That was incredibly informative!

[weberman]

I just checked the Princess website for the Royal. The prices for a first time cruiser are the same as Platinum which I am also.

 

Princess is not offering any reduction in price to prior cruisers.

[pcsunlover]

I just checked the Princess website for the Royal. The prices for a first time cruiser are the same as Platinum which I am also.

 

Princess is not offering any reduction in price to prior cruisers.

 

I am seeing some type of reduction when I am looking on the

Princess site for cruises in Feb and Mar 2014. For example, the starting balcony price shows $1299. On my screen that price is crossed out and $999 is under it in red. I just booked a cruise at those reduced price points, so it is valid.

[IECalCruiser]

We live two hours from San Pedro. We were pricing a mini-suite for a 7 Day Mex Riv cruise RT from there in 2011. Our price on the website was $1,199 while our friends on Prescott, AZ were quoted $799. Princess has done this targeted pricing for a long time. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

[chamima]

There are sometimes special promotions aimed at some (but not all) past passengers. Sometimes a husband and wife at the same address will see different pricing for that reason.

 

To be sure, contact Princess and tell what pricing your fellow cruiser is seeing. Ask if you could get that pricing also.

 

I'm the other poster. :). I booked directly with Princess via their website. I checked using my husband's login info and the pricing was consistent with mine.

 

I don't know why there would be a difference unless maybe it's a little perk this time because it will be our first cruise at the Platinum level?

 

 

 

I'm the OP. The other poster and I both live in Michigan.

We also booked directly with Princess, but we booked via telephone .

I will call Princess later this morning.

If they won't match the price I may cancel the cruise. This isn't a threat but there's something about feeling like we've been taken advantage of that won't make this cruise very enjoyable anymore. :(

[pcsunlover]

I'm the OP. The other poster and I both live in Michigan.

We also booked directly with Princess, but we booked via telephone .

I will call Princess later this morning.

If they won't match the price I may cancel the cruise. This isn't a threat but there's something about feeling like we've been taken advantage of that won't make this cruise very enjoyable anymore. :(

 

Let us know what they say because I am very curious. I checked again, and the highest price I see for a regular midship balcony on the 2/23 sailing is $1099.

 

Good luck, and I hope you don't cancel. I was getting frustrated when I heard some of the great airline prices others were snagging that aren't available to me (so far), but I'm not going to let that stop me from going and having fun.

[hubofhockey]

I'm the OP. The other poster and I both live in Michigan.

We also booked directly with Princess, but we booked via telephone .

I will call Princess later this morning.

If they won't match the price I may cancel the cruise. This isn't a threat but there's something about feeling like we've been taken advantage of that won't make this cruise very enjoyable anymore. :(

 

Why don't you find a travel agent that discounts? Mine is saving me 14% (on the Royal Princess) from the Princess prices. I really don't know why anybody should be paying their retail prices.

 

As for the comment on airfare, the airlines used to lose money and go out of business regularly. It's hard to know what a fair price is, but when prices get too high, new discount airlines usually come in and fill that void. JetBlue and Southwest used to be those airlines, but now that they are more popular than the legacy airlines, their prices aren't much different.

[blazerjan]

OP... I'm from Michigan also... I'm not Platinum or Elite... I logged into Princess web site and went to the 2/23 sailing of the Royal and got exactly the same pricing as you. Just thought you'd like to know.

[dreamcruiser53]

My husband and I just discovered this the other day. I logged on to just check some cruise fares and then my husband did the same, he was getting $100.00 cheaper fares consistently on any cruise any category. We were sitting beside each other, have been on the same cruises and are almost the same age.

[Who Knew]

I've sailed 10 times so far and have 3 more booked...all of those were with the same friend. We live in the same state but different cities. She is Elite and I am Platinum. We always have her look for the cruises, one because she likes to and secondly because she almost always seems to have slightly better pricing than I do.

 

However, with airfare, it's always a little cheaper for me than it is for her. We can't quite figure that one out, but the targeted pricing seems to work for an explanation for that as well.

[SterHgts]

Another Michigander. When I logged in the Princess website, I did not see any reduction in price. When I continued to the next page I received a message that the web page was down. As a reference, I checked a big chain warehouse to compare prices. Their price for a BD was $2909 for your cruise. For the past year, this warehouse is always the exact price as Princess but may offer some other perks like OBC and reduced insurance cost. I agree that you should find a travel agent that discounts Princess. We saved money and received OBC by using an out of state travel agent for our Feb 14 cruise on the Emerald.

[SOLIVITA LADY]

Make sure you are comparing Apples to Apples not Apples to Oranges. All balconies are not created the same. One pricing could be for a balcony on Deck 8 Aft and one could be for a Deluxe Balcony on Deck 8 Aft, or obstructed Balcony or obstructed Deluxe Balcony. So many categories that the pricing on the Royal is very confusing

 

We just booked this cruise (actually moved over from the Dec. 9th cruise) and have a Deluxe Balcony (not obstructed) aft on Deck 8. Hopefully it is far enough away from the stage in the lounge below which seems that the stage is centered in the rear of the lounge not on the side. Time will tell if the deck plans are correct or not. It shouldn't be a big problem anyway since we tend to stay up late.

 

Jackie

[san diego sue]

And the cheapest balcony for that same 2/23 cruise on Royal shows 1299.00 here in California (and we are Elite). That is why I booked the Emerald instead earlier in the month for 10 days and not much more

for not the lowest category balcony.

[Northender]

Make sure you are comparing Apples to Apples not Apples to Oranges. All balconies are not created the same. One pricing could be for a balcony on Deck 8 Aft and one could be for a Deluxe Balcony on Deck 8 Aft, or obstructed Balcony or obstructed Deluxe Balcony. So many categories that the pricing on the Royal is very confusing

 

We just booked this cruise (actually moved over from the Dec. 9th cruise) and have a Deluxe Balcony (not obstructed) aft on Deck 8. Hopefully it is far enough away from the stage in the lounge below which seems that the stage is centered in the rear of the lounge not on the side. Time will tell if the deck plans are correct or not. It shouldn't be a big problem anyway since we tend to stay up late.

 

Jackie

 

Jackie, which cabin did you choose? I just brought that one up (2/23) and getting prices of $1599. :eek: E730,31,32 &33.

[mamaboss]

Also Michigan, lower price cabin I see is 1099.00, obstructed, deck 8

[pcsunlover]

Another Michigander. When I logged in the Princess website, I did not see any reduction in price. When I continued to the next page I received a message that the web page was down. As a reference, I checked a big chain warehouse to compare prices. Their price for a BD was $2909 for your cruise. For the past year, this warehouse is always the exact price as Princess but may offer some other perks like OBC and reduced insurance cost. I agree that you should find a travel agent that discounts Princess. We saved money and received OBC by using an out of state travel agent for our Feb 14 cruise on the Emerald.

 

i live in Sterling Heights also. This is so strange that I am seeing these prices and you aren't. Just booked the 3/30/14 Royal Princess cruise with a mid-aft regular balcony on Baja deck for $1079 per person (total was $2348 for 2 of us). I could have booked the same cabin on the 2/23/14 cruise for the same price.

 

I will probably transfer the booking to my usual online agent later to get the OBC they offer.

[pcsunlover]

And, I am seeing the lower pricing with my online travel agency too AFTER I enter my Princess circle number.

 

I paid more for my Ruby Princess cruise this past March in a lower cabin category.

[SterHgts]

Finally got in the Princess website pricing, and it is the same ($2908) as the warehouse price for a BD balcony on the Baja deck of the Royal for 2/23/14. Our 2/17/14 BD balcony on the Emerald is now over $500 more than when we booked. Princess does not show us any discounts for any cruise when logging into Princess, and neither does the warehouse when using my captain's circle number. We are Platinum too as other posters from Michigan, and I don't understand why the big differences in price when some of us are in the same city.

[PescadoAmarillo]

This is one of the most irritating thing about being Elite on Princess: my neighbor (same street, zip code and age group) who is Gold can almost always get better pricing for the same cruise than we can from the same TA.