Discrepancy on prices for Royal

[PescadoAmarillo]

Karen, I understand the bad taste thing, but Princess is being smart...why should they offer us, with 20+ cruises booked, the same price they offer our friend, with none booked? Sure, we'd like to think we deserve some recognition, but Princess is a business, not a friend. No, it doesn't sit well when we find out about it, but I think Princess believes that it seldomly becomes public knowledge. People usually dismiss fare inequities as attributable to better TAs, but I've have several instances of first hand knowledge of this with all the variables except Captains Circle number being the same, and the price varying by 15%.

 

OTOH, Princess allows stackable OBCs, which total $1000s for us each winter. Celebrity, despite its good Elite benefits, does not. I always say it's not the Elite benefits that keep us coming back to Princess...it's the OBCs which second-time Princess cruisers can qualify for.

[caribill]

Karen, I understand the bad taste thing, but Princess is being smart...why should they offer us, with 20+ cruises booked, the same price they offer our friend, with none booked?

 

Since a husband and wife with the same Captain's Circle status on Princess and living at the same address can get different pricing sometimes, I doubt it has anything to do with Captain's Circle status or even the state they live in.

 

For reasons unknown to us mere mortals, the Princess computers seem to somehow select some past passengers for special price offers and not others.

 

Maybe the pricing fairy is a relative of the upgrade fairy.

[chamima]

Karen, I understand the bad taste thing, but Princess is being smart...why should they offer us, with 20+ cruises booked, the same price they offer our friend, with none booked? Sure, we'd like to think we deserve some recognition, but Princess is a business, not a friend. No, it doesn't sit well when we find out about it, but I think Princess believes that it seldomly becomes public knowledge. People usually dismiss fare inequities as attributable to better TAs, but I've have several instances of first hand knowledge of this with all the variables except Captains Circle number being the same, and the price varying by 15%.

 

OTOH, Princess allows stackable OBCs, which total $1000s for us each winter. Celebrity, despite its good Elite benefits, does not. I always say it's not the Elite benefits that keep us coming back to Princess...it's the OBCs which second-time Princess cruisers can qualify for.

 

 

 

Hi Jeannie

I understand all that but I just can't get over the negative feelings I'm having about this right now.

If you notice John99, who also lives about 5 miles from me and is also Elite has prices that are $300 per person less than I'm getting. (Comparing mid ship aft balcony - they are getting $1039 and I get $1359 and that's per person)

$600 on a one week cruise isn't peanuts and it's way more than we'll get with our stock, OBCs and Elite benefits put together.

[John99]

Karen, I understand the bad taste thing, but Princess is being smart...why should they offer us, with 20+ cruises booked, the same price they offer our friend, with none booked? Sure, we'd like to think we deserve some recognition, but Princess is a business, not a friend. No, it doesn't sit well when we find out about it, but I think Princess believes that it seldomly becomes public knowledge. People usually dismiss fare inequities as attributable to better TAs, but I've have several instances of first hand knowledge of this with all the variables except Captains Circle number being the same, and the price varying by 15%.

 

OTOH, Princess allows stackable OBCs, which total $1000s for us each winter. Celebrity, despite its good Elite benefits, does not. I always say it's not the Elite benefits that keep us coming back to Princess...it's the OBCs which second-time Princess cruisers can qualify for.

 

PescadoAmarillo I agree with your comments.

 

The anecdotal experiences presented in this thread about marketing and/or pricing by Princess really caught me off guard. I've always consider myself a knowledgeable traveler and enjoyed performing my own research. Thanks CC members for brings this to our attention.

 

 

 

Ok if I Assume --

• Caribbean cruise on 2/23/14
  
• Royal Princess
  
• Regular balcony.
  

My general understanding from reading the thread:

Pricing can vary between Elite and Platinum.

Pricing can vary between states and/or region of the country.

Pricing can vary between the Princess web-site vs. talking to a Princess customer rep.

Pricing can vary between TA's.

Pricing can vary between two persons checking at the same time from the same location using different computers.

 

The items that really caught me by surprise was Elite vs. Platinum and pricing between states!!

 

Please comment if I missed something.

 

I wonder if Princess would allow this conversation of their Facebook page??

 

John

[Loonbeam]

Exactly - see my micro targeting post above.

 

Princess may allow it, but they are not going to explain beyond some corpspeak about Pricing reflect demand and regional initiatives or something.

 

The pricing and yield managements are THE most highly guarded secrets in travel, the NDA for one client ran three pages on that and the penalty for disclosure was twice the price of the entire contract.

 

PescadoAmarillo I agree with your comments.

 

The anecdotal experiences presented in this thread about marketing and/or pricing by Princess really caught me off guard. I've always consider myself a knowledgeable traveler and enjoyed performing my own research. Thanks CC members for brings this to our attention.

 

 

 

Ok if I Assume --

• Caribbean cruise on 2/23/14
  
• Royal Princess
  
• Regular balcony.
  

My general understanding from reading the thread:

Pricing can vary between Elite and Platinum.

Pricing can vary between states and/or region of the country.

Pricing can vary between the Princess web-site vs. talking to a Princess customer rep.

Pricing can vary between TA's.

Pricing can vary between two persons checking at the same time from the same location using different computers.

 

The items that really caught me by surprise was Elite vs. Platinum and pricing between states!!

 

Please comment if I missed something.

 

I wonder if Princess would allow this conversation of their Facebook page??

 

John

[chamima]

Duplicate

[chamima]

John

Please see the comments in red below

 

 

 

PescadoAmarillo I agree with your comments.

 

The anecdotal experiences presented in this thread about marketing and/or pricing by Princess really caught me off guard. I've always consider myself a knowledgeable traveler and enjoyed performing my own research. Thanks CC members for brings this to our attention.

 

 

 

Ok if I Assume --

• Caribbean cruise on 2/23/14
  
• Royal Princess
  
• Regular balcony.
  

My general understanding from reading the thread:

Pricing can vary between Elite and Platinum. Except you and I (us) are both Elite

Pricing can vary between states and/or region of the country. We're both from Michigan (suburban Detroit)

Pricing can vary between the Princess web-site vs. talking to a Princess customer rep. I did both and got the same results

Pricing can vary between TA's.

Pricing can vary between two persons checking at the same time from the same location using different computers. YES, but in this case my husband's computer gave the same results

 

The items that really caught me by surprise was Elite vs. Platinum and pricing between states!!

 

Please comment if I missed something.

 

I wonder if Princess would allow this conversation of their Facebook page??

 

John

 

 

 

My results

 

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

 

 

Your results:

 

Aft Balcony

Upper Deck $1019

Mid Decks $1039

Lower Deck $1019

 

Mid Ships Balcony

Upper Deck $1079

Mid Decks $1099

Lower Deck $959

 

Forward Balcony

Upper Deck $999

Mid Decks $1019

Lower Deck $999

[RealDeal]

NJ chiming in...we're platinum...I'm not seeing any kind of discount whatsoever...tried w/my number & my BF's. Cheapest mid/aft balcony is 1329.

[Me3]

NJ chiming in...we're platinum...I'm not seeing any kind of discount whatsoever...tried w/my number & my BF's. Cheapest mid/aft balcony is 1329.

 

Price for Texas, just Gold. Same prices listed as Karen's and yours No discount showing on 2/23 sailing

 

This thread is so interesting! I already have an active Royal booking. Do you think that makes any difference? No discount incentive since I am already hooked (booked) ?

[SterHgts]

This is upsetting. We are platinum so no big benefits as elite, and still show the same pricing as the OP, no discounts. Also logged in again to the warehouse website (the one on Hall near Hayes) and no discount there either. The sad thing is that I never knew this happened and thought as a past passenger we would get the best price.

 

Can't believe many of us live so close and are getting such a wide price range. The difference of $600 is not chump change. Maybe we should get a group together and work with a TA who can get us a good group rate.

 

Someone once said that if you used an Apple product to make airline or hotel reservations, your price would be higher. I used my IPad instead of our old PC and wonder if this makes a difference.

[pcsunlover]

This is upsetting. We are platinum so no big benefits as elite, and still show the same pricing as the OP, no discounts. Also logged in again to the warehouse website (the one on Hall near Hayes) and no discount there either. The sad thing is that I never knew this happened and thought as a past passenger we would get the best price.

 

Can't believe many of us live so close and are getting such a wide price range. The difference of $600 is not chump change. Maybe we should get a group together and work with a TA who can get us a good group rate.

 

Someone once said that if you used an Apple product to make airline or hotel reservations, your price would be higher. I used my IPad instead of our old PC and wonder if this makes a difference.

 

I'm showing the better rate and used my Ipad to make my booking for next March. I have no idea why using an Apple product would make a difference in the price.:confused:

 

Still can't get the airfare and flight schedule I want though. Delta is still outrageous.

[John99]

pcsunlover and SterHgts -- I see your from Sterling Hgts. We are retirees located in the Vineyard Sub.

 

Karen, your price check on the Royal makes me wonder what's going on with Princess. Were you logged into Princess web? The differences are big!!

 

If your loyalty level is Platinum and your checking prices on Princess web how can you tell what Elite (or even Gold) is being offered or vise versa? I guess only if CC members indicate what their pricing shows which provides us with a comparison.

 

Just check a warehouse discounter -- Cruise dot com-- for lowest priced regular balcony -- $1159 ($999 on Princess web). Go figure!! If I check in three days I wonder what the cruise fare will be.

 

Bottom line -- do your homework, call TA's for prices, check the web, etc..

 

Me3 -- we are also looking at 2/23 on the Royal. To date, no discounts for us.

 

John

[PescadoAmarillo]

this thread is so interesting! I already have an active royal booking. Do you think that makes any difference? No discount incentive since i am already hooked (booked) ?

 

yes!

[caribill]

I have no idea why using an Apple product would make a difference in the price.:confused:

 

 

Not necessarily with Princess, but it was found several months ago that some web sites were charging more to those using Apple devices under the theory that those willing to spend the higher $$$ that Apple devices command would also be willing to pay more for whatever the web site involved was selling.

[caribill]

My general understanding from reading the thread:

 

Pricing can vary between Elite and Platinum.

 

I think posters were speculating this could be the case, but nobody offered any proof of that.

 

There are many cases of people at the same status level living in the same geographical area (even in the same house) see different pricing the same cruise.

 

Somehow the pricing fairy selects some past passengers to offer better pricing on some cruises.

[John99]

I think posters were speculating this could be the case, but nobody offered any proof of that.

 

There are many cases of people at the same status level living in the same geographical area (even in the same house) see different pricing the same cruise.

 

Somehow the pricing fairy selects some past passengers to offer better pricing on some cruises.

 

Caribill -- Good comments. Always looking for better prices. Please send the price fairy our way.

 

Me3 -- Just check this morning on the Royal for a regular balcony. Princess is giving me a $100 on board credit. Maybe I missed it when checking prices yesterday.

 

Someone once said -- When travelling there are only two emotions on a plane: boredom and terror.

[pcsunlover]

Not necessarily with Princess, but it was found several months ago that some web sites were charging more to those using Apple devices under the theory that those willing to spend the higher $$$ that Apple devices command would also be willing to pay more for whatever the web site involved was selling.

 

Interesting, and good to know! I'll have to check that theory out when I go to some of my favorite websites.

[pcsunlover]

Price for Texas, just Gold. Same prices listed as Karen's and yours No discount showing on 2/23 sailing

 

This thread is so interesting! I already have an active Royal booking. Do you think that makes any difference? No discount incentive since I am already hooked (booked) ?

 

I don't think it makes a difference. I booked the Royal for 3/30 and when I do mock bookings for the Royal anytime in Feb. and March, including my booked week, I still see discounts and could easily book another cabin or cruise at the lower rates.