Not complaining, but how in the heck did I get a free cruise?

[lovevacadays]

My friend received the casino offer. $0 for an inside and only have to pay port fees and taxes. For $30 we booked a Caribe deck balcony so with all fees $89.50. Fabulous!

 

 

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[Iamcruzin]

Not only can you make it to elite status sooner with the short cruises now you don't even have to pay for them to achieve the goal.

[pms4104]

I should be clearer on the offer I got. It was for 3-4 day cruises from LA or 4-5 day cruises from FTL. The offer was described as a "casino offer" but came from Princess Cruises. It could very well be that only those folks who frequent the casino, I play every day but not at real high stake tables, are getting this offer

I also got the same offer as you ... but for us, by the time i figured in flites andpre-cruise hotel, i had to take a passon the FREE offer.

 

We were on the Star in November, played penny slots maybe 6 or 7 evenings out of 10 for less than an hour each time ... no real $ involved, something like $15 total out of my pocket. I concur with others here that this is a marketing tool to unload cabins unsold after the final pay deadline. Kudos to Princess for finding some creative ways to get heads in beds ... rather than advertising abig sale. Also, i tend to think we will be seeing less of these short cruises in the future.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...Also, i tend to think we will be seeing less of these short cruises in the future.

 

Unless they add some sailings later on, there are already fewer 3/4 nighters scheduled out of LA in 2015 and 2016 than in 2014. Not sure about the Caribbean.

 

I'd hate to see them go completely, as it they fit much better into my schedule. It is difficult due to work and family commitments for me to do longer cruises right now.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Can I ask what cruise you are booked on? Are all of these offers going to people sailing out of FLL or are any going to the west coast?

 

I got a casino offer for a couple Jan. 3-nighters on the Crown out of LA. Mine wasn't free, though. It was $99pp inside plus port & tax, with $50pp OBC. Still a good deal.

Edited December 13, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[pms4104]

Unless they add some sailings later on, there are already fewer 3/4 nighters scheduled out of LA in 2015 and 2016 than in 2014. Not sure about the Caribbean.

 

I'd hate to see them go completely, as it they fit much better into my schedule. It is difficult due to work and family commitments for me to do longer cruises right now.

Yes, they fill a need for some people, but I think Princess was too agressive when they started these getaways ... they may have midjudged the appeal and started with way too many short sailings, then giving them away a year or so ago and again now. Early 2014, I understood from my Princess rep that indeed they were planning to cut back on these shorties, and it seems they are doing so little by little. Since realizing their oops, they're tryng to make lemonade out of lemons.

[COMBOY]

I've been on 20+ cruises, but only 2 were with Princess; both short "Getaway" cruises out of Los Angeles. On the first cruise we were in a mini suite, on the second they offered to upgrade our mini suite to a full suite for a small amount of money; of course we agreed! We've only been home a week, and amongst the usual battery of offers from cruise lines on our e mail was an offer for a complimentary inside cabin on any West Coast Getaway during the month of January from the Casino department. Having been fooled before, I laughed and ignored it for a few days; one of those obviously too good to be true kind of things. I'm not laughing anymore; I'm booked! We paid the taxes and fees ($75 each), and we paid $10/day to upgrade from an inside to a balcony, category BB. It cost us $230 total to book a $1,100 cruise.

I'm certainly not complaining, but I don't get it. I spent about 15 minutes in the casino on the last trip, and not much more on the 1st trip. The West Coast Getaways have been VERY reasonably priced, so I assume they're not selling well, but wow!! Can anyone tell me how this might have happened? We're platinum with Norwegian and they've never offered us anything!

 

I think you answered your own question. These cruise aren't selling very well so they looked at passengers who sailed on previous short cruises and sent you an email offer. Even though they are practically giving away the cabin they are hoping you will spend the money you saved on the cabin for things onboard like in the casino or at the bar. You still need to tip the staff. Princess' thought is probably you will have such a great time you might book a longer more expensive cruise in the future so it really a promo. They are not offering this deal to everyone. Remember too January is winter in California and you might have cold and/or rainy weather. It's still a nice short get away. I just checked on line and found some 3-night cruises for $129/pp/inside + tax in Jan. That's only $43 per night/pp. Wow.

[Iamcruzin]

Yes, they fill a need for some people, but I think Princess was too agressive when they started these getaways ... they may have midjudged the appeal and started with way too many short sailings, then giving them away a year or so ago and again now. Early 2014, I understood from my Princess rep that indeed they were planning to cut back on these shorties, and it seems they are doing so little by little. Since realizing their oops, they're trying to make lemonade out of lemons.

 

I'm happy to hear this. Maybe now they can plan real 9 day interesting Caribbean itineraries instead of a 4 and 5 day b2b with a turn around day in Fort Lauderdale. If I wanted to visit Florida I would book a hotel not a cruise. My next cruise is on Celebrity again to Bermuda. I'm also looking at them for a Southern Caribbean itinerary. I wish Princess would bring the 7 day Reposition cruise back to New York along with the 9 day Caribbean itinerary during the Summer. The ship was always full and there was never a last minute price drop after final payment or resident discount like there is in Florida. I kept looking for them but they never happened.

[josumello]

We too got a similar casino offer. It included about 5 different options including the Bahamas. Our cost would be $199. Funny thing about this is that we have only been on two Princess cruises. First one was Alaska about 13 years ago and the second was a Carribean about 5 years ago. Also we spent next to nothing in the casino. Princess must be hurting. We already have a 10 day cruise booked out of FLL on another line so didn't consider this offer.

 

 

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[Iamcruzin]

I wish I could get the offer for my sons. Irritates the heck out of me that my DH can get the offer, but our sons can't. For my DH & I, it was $508 with a $200 OBC for a balcony cabin, but for our sons, almost $1,000 with no OBC IF I were stupid enough to book that fare. I guess that's where things equal out - some pay an inflated price to cover those that are getting the "free" deals.

 

Bait and Switch for families.

[lovevacadays]

The Crown, Jan. sail dates for 3 and 4 day cruises out of LA. The offer gives OBC (mine says casino only not refundable) but the fares are the same as what's on the website. It seems to work only for parties of 2. Both DH and I got one. He is in the casino a lot, me not so much.

 

 

 

OH, there are a couple of 7 day mexicos in Feb.

 

 

Interesting. It seems like several different offers have been made. Ours didn't have any OBC. 30.00 plus port fees for a Caribe balcony. For me, I'd rather have the balcony. We could have gotten an inside for just the port fees and tax. The offer was made to my friend by a Princess Sales Consultant.

 

 

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[chris2597]

We were offered the Casino rate for a western caribbean 7 day, $ 199 and a 7 day out of calif. we booked the western. I don't care for the ports but it will be nice to have a get away mid winter.

 

 

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[cruzsnooze]

I've been on 20+ cruises, but only 2 were with Princess; both short "Getaway" cruises out of Los Angeles. On the first cruise we were in a mini suite, on the second they offered to upgrade our mini suite to a full suite for a small amount of money; of course we agreed! We've only been home a week, and amongst the usual battery of offers from cruise lines on our e mail was an offer for a complimentary inside cabin on any West Coast Getaway during the month of January from the Casino department. Having been fooled before, I laughed and ignored it for a few days; one of those obviously too good to be true kind of things. I'm not laughing anymore; I'm booked! We paid the taxes and fees ($75 each), and we paid $10/day to upgrade from an inside to a balcony, category BB. It cost us $230 total to book a $1,100 cruise.

I'm certainly not complaining, but I don't get it. I spent about 15 minutes in the casino on the last trip, and not much more on the 1st trip. The West Coast Getaways have been VERY reasonably priced, so I assume they're not selling well, but wow!! Can anyone tell me how this might have happened? We're platinum with Norwegian and they've never offered us anything!

Which outside cabin did you book worth $1100.00 for a 3 day cruise?

[DrivesLikeMario]

Bait and Switch for families.

 

Yes! It is SO frustrating! As of today, one of our sons can get the cruise for $788 for two adults in a balcony and the other has to pay $868 for the same cruise people are getting for free. REALLY irritates me. It's not as if we haven't been loyal Princess cruisers AND played in the casino. I just don't get it. The other cruise lines have more of a logic to their pricing but this just seems so incredibly random.:mad:

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Yes! It is SO frustrating! As of today, one of our sons can get the cruise for $788 for two adults in a balcony and the other has to pay $868 for the same cruise people are getting for free. REALLY irritates me. It's not as if we haven't been loyal Princess cruisers AND played in the casino. I just don't get it. The other cruise lines have more of a logic to their pricing but this just seems so incredibly random.:mad:

 

I understand your frustration, but there are casino giveaway cabins on other lines, too. You just have to decide for yourself if the best fare you are offered is worth it to you, like with the airlines or at a hotel. There will usually be others paying more, and less, than you. That is just the way yield management works.

[pablo222]

Yes! It is SO frustrating! As of today, one of our sons can get the cruise for $788 for two adults in a balcony and the other has to pay $868 for the same cruise people are getting for free. REALLY irritates me. It's not as if we haven't been loyal Princess cruisers AND played in the casino. I just don't get it. The other cruise lines have more of a logic to their pricing but this just seems so incredibly random.:mad:

 

Once you book, can you 'share the savings' from the personalizer?

 

I just did that for a 'targeted email promotion' that I got, but my

friends did not.

Edited December 13, 2014 by pablo222

[Kruzin Karen]

Thanks for the input. Let me answer a few questions. We find flying to be very affordable as we have two amazing credit cards with the same company (not sure I'm allowed to say which one). We put all our monthly expenses on these cards, then pay them off in full. With all those miles and 2 companion tickets (BOGO) we usually fly for 1/2 price, or free. We also live in WA state, where it's easier, quicker, and cheaper to get to the west coast ports than the east coast ones. We're also retired, so we have a lot of flexibility.

Our offer was for a complimentary inside cabin on any west coast getaway during the month of January. We chose the 4 day, including San Diego, and paid $10/pp per day to upgrade to a balcony (not a 3 day in an outside). The price listed for a category BB balcony on my 4 day cruise is $1008, not the $1100 I originally stated. When traveling, I always round up when calculating! Sorry. We each paid $75 taxes and fees, and $40 each for the balcony upgrade. $230 dollars total, no onboard credit.

We have also sailed 2 of these getaways already in the last year, once in a minisuite, and once in a suite. Maybe that got their attention, but the only reason we got the suite was a very nice visit from the upgrade fairy! Also, I find Carnival and Princess short cruises to be competitive (About $129 for an inside cabin for the 3 day Ensenada cruise). Don't understand why anyone would go Carnival if they could go Princess...

[DrivesLikeMario]

Once you book, can you 'share the savings' from the personalizer?

 

I just did that for a 'targeted email promotion' that I got, but my

friends did not.

 

Good idea! Will give that a try. Thanks.

 

Update: Shoot. Just tried and the casino promo is non-sharable. Argh.

Edited December 13, 2014 by DrivesLikeMario

[Iamcruzin]

My wife just received the casino offer today in the mail. She doesn't book the cruises, she doesn't use her credit card on board and she is not registered for emails. Most of the time I use my sea pass to pay for drinks or shopping. Neither one of us go to the casino.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

My wife just received the casino offer today in the mail. She doesn't book the cruises, she doesn't use her credit card on board and she is not registered for emails. Most of the time I use my sea pass to pay for drinks or shopping. Neither one of us go to the casino.

 

Interesting. Perhaps Princess would rather market deeply discounted cruises to all as casino deals to maintain the perceived value of regular fares.

[Iamcruzin]

Interesting. Perhaps Princess would rather market deeply discounted cruises to all as casino deals to maintain the perceived value of regular fares.

 

That's a good assumption. I guess they figure once you start gambling you may not stop and since they are not providing an actual service like a spa treatment or merchandise from a shop it only costs them something if you win.

[Kingofcool1947]

I've been on 20+ cruises, but only 2 were with Princess; both short "Getaway" cruises out of Los Angeles. On the first cruise we were in a mini suite, on the second they offered to upgrade our mini suite to a full suite for a small amount of money; of course we agreed! We've only been home a week, and amongst the usual battery of offers from cruise lines on our e mail was an offer for a complimentary inside cabin on any West Coast Getaway during the month of January from the Casino department. Having been fooled before, I laughed and ignored it for a few days; one of those obviously too good to be true kind of things. I'm not laughing anymore; I'm booked! We paid the taxes and fees ($75 each), and we paid $10/day to upgrade from an inside to a balcony, category BB. It cost us $230 total to book a $1,100 cruise.

I'm certainly not complaining, but I don't get it. I spent about 15 minutes in the casino on the last trip, and not much more on the 1st trip. The West Coast Getaways have been VERY reasonably priced, so I assume they're not selling well, but wow!! Can anyone tell me how this might have happened? We're platinum with Norwegian and they've never offered us anything!

 

 

We received an offer from Princess for a free 5 day Getaway cruise. We've cruised with Princess only once. Obstructed view cabin. So, I don't know how we qualified for the offer. I did fill out a form in the casino on our last cruise. But, we do not gamble. We're not complaining. It's for a Suite. :)

Edited December 14, 2014 by Kingofcool1947

[SoCal Cruiser78]

We received an offer from Princess for a free 5 day Getaway cruise. We've cruised with Princess only once. Obstructed view cabin. So, I don't know how we qualified for the offer. I did fill out a form in the casino on our last cruise. But, we do not gamble. We're not complaining. It's for a Suite. :)

 

:eek: You hit the jackpot. I've made many donations to Princess casinos, and the best offer I've received is for free insides on 3-4 nighters. There seems to be much randomness with casino deals.

[lovevacadays]

We received an offer from Princess for a free 5 day Getaway cruise. We've cruised with Princess only once. Obstructed view cabin. So, I don't know how we qualified for the offer. I did fill out a form in the casino on our last cruise. But, we do not gamble. We're not complaining. It's for a Suite. :)

 

 

What was the offer?

 

 

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[caribill]

We received an offer from Princess for a free 5 day Getaway cruise. We've cruised with Princess only once. Obstructed view cabin. So, I don't know how we qualified for the offer. I did fill out a form in the casino on our last cruise. But, we do not gamble. We're not complaining. It's for a Suite. :)

 

What form did you fill out?