Princess honouring price drops after final payment if you call them???

[Piperpals]

I was recently advised by a Princess employee who works on shore that if you call Princess and tell them that you are booking at the current advertised price, but want them to honor any price drops following this (even after final payment and up until the day before departure), they will say yes, and will honor any price drops.

 

Just wondering if anyone has had this experience as I haven't heard of this (they obviously don't advertise it)??

 

Cheers

[gerelmx]

Do they have a best price guarantee?

[casofilia]

That would be a factor for many people; I think too many people would take advantage so I can't see Princess doing it.

[SFPORT]

I was told I would have to cancel my rooms and hope to get them back. I have three rooms booked with one having 4 ppl and those bookings go quickly. I decided to keep the rooms as we booked with early bird booking prices and I don't think those can be beaten.

[Cruise Raider]

Most of the times, the pricing is listed for 'new bookings only' ... usually designated by a little footnote and something like a number '1' next to the pricing. I have been successful in upgrading my room type in the past but not without a lot of talking and getting through to the right agent.

I called once right after final payment and asked how much it would cost me to cancel and rebook. That might be an option if you would save enough to cover the cancellation fee as well as any insurance payment you've made. Since I stood to save several hundred dollars once and it was going to cost me a lot less to cancel and rebook, they allowed me to upgrade to a nicer cabin type instead of making me go through cancelling and rebooking. I have not been successful, however, in getting any money back. I don't think they will do that ... but maybe someone else has had a different experience and will let you know.

[pms4104]

An urban myth, perhaps?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Forums mobile app

[Thrak]

Quite often the lower prices are listed as for new bookings only. After final payment this is almost guaranteed. Before final payment I have simply called Princess and requested the lower price. We had a short cruise booked but it was at a high price. I called before final payment and asked for a lower price that was showing and saved something like $600 which wasn't bad on a short cruise.

[geoherb]

Unfortunately, you can't always believe what Princess reps say. I would make them put it in writing.

[finucane]

Doesn't happen, you can cancel and re-book hoping to get the same cabin by request. Any specialty cabins such as some suites or accessible cabins most often have a wait-list, so your cabin goes to wait-list the second you cancel if others are waiting for that cabin or category.

If "that" cabin does not come up and you just want the same category then you can take the discounted price but will lose any perks or packages you had through Princess or possibly a TA if your using one. Its all a numbers game!

As mentioned, after final payment all discounted pricing or "Specials" ALWAYS state "New Bookings Only"...

Should have gotten it in writing from employee you spoke with, that would never happen either.

Sorry, but as mentioned, this is an Urban Legend...

 

PS: Non-USA (UK, Canada, etc.) bookings may have different rules but I doubt that., have never heard of that happening...

[paradiselivin1]

There was a huge drop after final payment on my last cruise. I pushed my TA to ask for OBC and we scored a significant OBC. Never hurts to ask.

[chrysalis]

There was a huge drop after final payment on my last cruise. I pushed my TA to ask for OBC and we scored a significant OBC. Never hurts to ask.

 

We have had that happen, too.....we were given a $900OBC.

[voljeep]

" it" happens - believe me... I refared a cruise 5 days before sailing in November - got a $ 210 price reduction, but had to pay $135 in grats that was previously included.. 5 days before sailing

 

" it happens"

[Waynetor]

We did 7 cruises between De 1 and Ja 28. After final payment we had free gratuities added to 6 of them. In addition each one had new prices that were lower but since we had already paid in full they offered OBC worth on average about half the price difference.

 

We had our agent do this for us.

[pathi]

" it" happens - believe me... I refared a cruise 5 days before sailing in November - got a $ 210 price reduction, but had to pay $135 in grats that was previously included.. 5 days before sailing

 

" it happens"

 

But but, they only discounted that cruise because of the NoroButter epidemic that Griller warned us about...;)

 

Are you sailing on 3/16? Didn't get to meetup with you in Nov.

[finucane]

Apples to Oranges...

[caribill]

Doesn't happen, you can cancel and re-book hoping to get the same cabin by request. Any specialty cabins such as some suites or accessible cabins most often have a wait-list, so your cabin goes to wait-list the second you cancel if others are waiting for that cabin or category.

 

That is the way a wait list/GTY is supposed to work, but do not confuse that with reality.

 

When a cabin booking is cancelled, most of the time you can quickly see it as being available on the Princess web site. For whatever reason, the wait list/GTY may not be looked at (by computer? by human?) until some time later.

 

There have been numerous posts on Cruise Critic by people saying they were had an unassigned GTY, but spotted a cabin becoming available. Then they called Princess and had that cabin assigned to them, no matter how many people were ahead of them on any list.

 

I was once on a truly sold out cruise with dozens of people with unassigned GTYs. Every few days someone would post on the roll call that they spotted available cabins. Then some with GTYs would call Princess, get one of the cabins assigned, and then post their success on the roll call.

[hm9912]

I was recently advised by a Princess employee who works on shore that if you call Princess and tell them that you are booking at the current advertised price, but want them to honor any price drops following this (even after final payment and up until the day before departure), they will say yes, and will honor any price drops.

 

Just wondering if anyone has had this experience as I haven't heard of this (they obviously don't advertise it)??

Cheers

 

We had two mini suites on the Regal with the three grandchildren. The prices dropped after final payment.

We called Princess and received a third inside cabin at no additional cost. Worked out very well for our family party of eight.

 

Howard

[sparkle]

For upcoming Cruise 2/17/18, I kept checking the prices and especially the add on deals. We actually had what I considered a good price (not fantastic, but certainly good).The week before final payment I saw a price drop, that, after losing our OBC deal from original booking, would save us $100. DH did not think it was worth it if we had to change cabins. So we made the final payment. 3 days later our TA emailed me and said she could rebook us in the same cabin, and save us $800. We lost a specialty dining which was no big deal to us. I am sure all the Princess staff is very good but I personally feel that a good TA that specializes in cruising is the best way to go. Everything she does for us she follows up with an email so we always have something in writing.

[ckcruise123]

This just happened to me, I noticed that a balcony cabin is going for the same price as the inside cabin I have booked for my Panama Canal cruise over NYE. 

 

I called and was very polite. The first agent could not help me but I polietely told her that I know it is possible to provide an upgrade iwthout getting hit the cancellation fee and she contacted reservation assistance and we were upgraded to an unobstructed balcony room at no charge. 

 

No harm is asking, always be polite 🙂 And remember, when they say the system will not let them do something, it is not true. Anything is possible in the system. Just have to find the right person. 

[JF - retired RRT]

We've had a lower price than we paid once after final payment (usually book right when the bookings open and the price almost never goes down after that).

I called Princess (no TA on that one) and got $200 OBC instead of the $200 price drop. We were OK with that.

 

The info from the Princess employee was almost certainly "urban myth". If you call for a price drop and are told NO, call back and speak to a different agent.

Edited December 7, 2018 by JF - retired RRT

[victory2020]

I know Carnival has a program that guarantees the lowest price up until sailing - maybe agent worked/used to work for Carnival?

[tangled_knots]

On 2/11/2018 at 8:06 AM, sparkle said:

So we made the final payment. 3 days later our TA emailed me and said she could rebook us in the same cabin, and save us $800.

I'm brand new to the site and have never been on a cruise.  I've been looking at the Coral Princess northbound Alaska cruise but I'm frustrated by all the choices.  My husband and I were just saying how we wish we could just turn it all over to a TA.  Then I read your post.  Would you be willing to share contact information for your TA?  I tried to message you but the system won't let me send any messages yet.

[deliver42]

On Carnival, if you book Early Saver, then you can get price protection after final payment. The deposit, however, is non refundable. If you cancel before final payment, or change dates or ships, it will cost $50.00 pp, and if cancelled, the remainder of the original deposit can be used for a future booking. It makes no difference if you book direct or through a TA.

[TheSweetLife220]

I booked my February 2019 cruise back in January 2018 over a year in advance. I paid it off in November even tho final payment wasn't due until 12/11/18.  The cyber sale offered a better price of $1400 off my original price. I did call and they did refare me.  However when the new Anniversary Sale came out the following week, my sailing date even tho it was in the advertised time frame of 2/19 - 5/20 it was not available to me. So did I get a lower fare after paying in full, yes. But it might have been since it was before final payment REQUIRED date.

[deliver42]

Your final payment has no effect on your booking. Only after the stated final payment date does things lock up.Most of the time they'll let you upgrade and pay the difference, but that's all.