Two different bookings for the same time

[Cruise Raider]

I know this is frowned upon and wouldn't let it go on for a long time period,  but I see some great prices on a couple of different cruises for which I am interested.  Is it possible to carry two different bookings on Princess that have refundable deposits for the same time period?  I would like to get the cabins I prefer and look for feedback from those that will be travelling with us as to which one sounds better.  Both are over a year from now but it might take others a month to make their decisions.  I wouldn't be booking for everyone, just one cabin on each... 

What do you think?  

[ggprincess2004]

Yes, not an issue on their reservation system. There is slso the coutesy hold option, so that you have a couple of days to hold a booking without any deposit. 

[Jeter02]

I've done it before. Definitely not z problem at all. Always best to safe then sorry.

[Potstech]

Do what works best for you to get the information you want. Princess has no problems with it and all others do not matter.  Have a great cruise.

[CATGUY7]

I’ve done it too, by accident.  Booking issues on $1 deposit day.  Held onto both for a little while, trying to make a decision, then called and cancelled the one I decided against. 

[Geoffa30]

Go for it. Don’t worry that it potentially leads to higher prices and on board cutbacks. 

[knbcruisers]

This is a ridiculous statement.  Many people must plan big vacations (land or cruise) way ahead for any number of reasons...work schedules, coordinating with travel partners etc.  There is nothing wrong with having some options while you work out the variables. Since you don’t have to pay the balance until 75 days out Princess is fine with it.  I can’t see how this leads to onboard cutbacks or higher prices.  Abuse of this might lead to more non-refundable deposits, but I think most people are reasonable and will cancel trips once they know it won’t work.

[bemis12]

It's always wrong to keep other people from being able to reserve a room because you can't make up your mind.

Edited August 2, 2019 by bemis12

[ontheweb]

What we are reading in this thread is exactly why more and more non-refundable deposits are becoming the norm.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Give the OP a break! The cruise is over a year away and the OP only expects to hold both bookings for about a month. I very much doubt that would cause any problems. Sure, if it was within six months of the departure date it would be a bit iffy, but not this far in advance.

 

I see no difference in someone booking two cruises for the same time period as long as it's well in advance. It's no different to people booking two cruises for different time frames well in advance, then cancelling one of them. Actually I had two cruises that I'd booked months ago, one in March 2020 and one in November 2020 and have actually cancelled both of them in the last month or so as our plans for that year have changed. 

 

It is often hard to predict what will happen over a year in advance, and even more so when trying to organise a group. 

 

[Potstech]

1 hour ago, bemis12 said:

It's always wrong to keep other people from being able to reserve a room because you can't make up your mind.

Why is it wrong? And who gets to set the standard? Sorry but no way is it wrong.

[rhblake]

I am in agreement with onetheweb. This type of behavior will eventually lead to nonrefundable deposits, which are already happening on other cruise lines.

Edited August 2, 2019 by rhblake

[knbcruisers]

Booking early or during a promo frequently gets the best pricing which for many people is a key factor. Securing the price while you decide if the trip is viable is important info to have up front, especially if traveling with family or friends.. A lot more at stake here than a pool chair.  I suspect that the majority of people work things out and cancel what they won’t use as soon as they know.  

[Potstech]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

It is a problem for someone who can't book the cruise they want because somebody is hogging cabins they don't plan to use.  I'm not sure what you mean by "Depends on who it is frowned upon by."  Can you expand on that statement?

If you are not sure then there is no reason to try. So now holding more than one cabin for a few days is "hogging cabins". Sorry do not buy it.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Potstech

[Tak8]

I don't  have a clear answer to this situation, but the OP mentions wanting to get the cabin they prefer.  Not all, but some cruisers really like particular type of cabins or even a particular cabin.  If the double booking blocks someone else from getting a type of cabin, like say a Window Suite on the Sky which has only 2, is that an ethical issue.  May not be an issue for all, but I'd have a problem doing it.

[Cruise Raider]

Thanks to most everyone for the answers to my actual question ... I could do without the snarky comments and I can assure you, there are a full compliment of cabins available on both sailings at this time so, don't really think I would  be 'hogging' cabins. 

 

 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Hi cruise raider, I asked my Princess vacation planner about this. I booked my traditional end of semester Dec 2020 sailing on the sip and sail and a week or so later I saw the South American sailing with the total eclipse of the sun that overlaps it but leaves a week bf semester ends. I was really shocked when DH got on board with the SA sailing (it’s more $$$ for a smaller room but also S&S) on the Coral. When you consider the distance & expense we decided to leave after Thanksgiving to visit Chile beforehand and stay in Argentina afterwards for a bit making it a very long 3 or 4 week vacation. I can’t talk to my Dean about adjusting my fall 2020 schedule until this fall semester has started so my PVP told me to keep both bookings. He emphasized that it was no big deal at all. I raised all the points that others have about holding a cabin and he kept telling me it is just fine.  He continued to say don’t worry about. So I’m not. You shouldn’t either. Clearly Princess doesn’t frown on this and it simply doesn’t matter if others on this board do. 

I hope all your plans come together and you get the group on board with you. I love sailing with friends/family. Hope to see you on board again someday! 

[cjmayes51]

As someone who usually books within a week of a my cruise being released , I wonder how many times I wasn’t able to get my preferred aft cabin or other special larger balcony or great location because it was locked up by a multi booker. Maybe never but I agree that non refundable deposits will become more common, possibly because of this scenario.  Charlie

[Cruise Raider]

8 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Hi cruise raider, I asked my Princess vacation planner about this. I booked my traditional end of semester Dec 2020 sailing on the sip and sail and a week or so later I saw the South American sailing with the total eclipse of the sun that overlaps it but leaves a week bf semester ends. I was really shocked when DH got on board with the SA sailing (it’s more $$$ for a smaller room but also S&S) on the Coral. When you consider the distance & expense we decided to leave after Thanksgiving to visit Chile beforehand and stay in Argentina afterwards for a bit making it a very long 3 or 4 week vacation. I can’t talk to my Dean about adjusting my fall 2020 schedule until this fall semester has started so my PVP told me to keep both bookings. He emphasized that it was no big deal at all. I raised all the points that others have about holding a cabin and he kept telling me it is just fine.  He continued to say don’t worry about. So I’m not. You shouldn’t either. Clearly Princess doesn’t frown on this and it simply doesn’t matter if others on this board do. 

I hope all your plans come together and you get the group on board with you. I love sailing with friends/family. Hope to see you on board again someday! 

 

Thanks J!   Glad to hear this from you PVP!   Right ... I won't worry about it now.  

I hope you enjoy your sailing as well and yes, would love to see you on a cruise again!  

 

[Brisbane41]

I do not think it is wrong at all and am considering doing it myself even if it was with a non-refundable deposit I would still be tempted to do it.

 

Some of us still work for a living and are not yet retired. It suits some people to book a year in advance. I am currently holding a booking for April next year. The price is at a premium and my cabin grade has already dropped $2,000 give or take in price since I made the original booking.

 

To my this is entirely unacceptable as it was part of the early booking system for being an elite. It stinks of insult and greed to treat your loyal customers like this by constantly dropping the price of a cruise to such a point that the difference in price could easily pay for another cruise.

It is unethical what Princess is doing in this regard and it is only encouraging passengers to be unethical in return. If it is good for one side to do something then the other side will respond.

 

From information Princess and cruise lines do allow people to hold multiple cabins on a ship. I have known people to sail on a ship with two cabins to their name for various reasons. If people are paying money then of course the cruise line will take it.

 

As far as I am concerned I am very tempted to start doing this myself now because a cruise I had booked months ago has dropped $2,000 in its fare. I knew it would happen and I deliberately booked knowing I could re-fare. But now I am considering booking multiple grades of cabins just to circumvent their policy of not re-faring for certain deals.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Brisbane41

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, cjmayes51 said:

As someone who usually books within a week of a my cruise being released , I wonder how many times I wasn’t able to get my preferred aft cabin or other special larger balcony or great location because it was locked up by a multi booker. Maybe never but I agree that non refundable deposits will become more common, possibly because of this scenario.  Charlie

Keep wonder because it can drive you bonkers as there is no answer to that question.

[neverbeenhere]

Hmmm..

Cruiselines offer $1 and $25 deposits. The 49er hater relative can book as many cruise staterooms as she likes. If she booked the stateroom you wanted, next time you will book earlier. 

 

[mum and son]

Keep in mind that sometimes blocks of cabins are allocated to travel agents until close to sailing, so effectively they are "hogging" what some people on this thread think should be available to them. That is far more unfair than individuals booking an extra cabin here or there. I have a couple of cruises in September and today 7 aft facing cabins became available. Yes, 7. There were none there before. I have been booked on this cruise for more than 6 months and am now paying less money for my preferred aft-facing premium deluxe balcony than I originally paid for my standard balcony cabin that I had specifically selected for it's extended balcony. As an avid researcher and watcher of cabin availability, I have benefitted today from someone else's possible "hogging", and that is fine by me! 

 

Most people just book a cruise, are happy with the price and the cabin their travel agent threw at them, and they happily count down the days until their big adventure. On the other hand, there are the people on cruise critic (and elsewhere), who count cruising as a hobby, are careful about prices and cabin selection, and watch their booking like a hawk. I am the latter, but I have friends who are the former, and sometimes we even cruise together 😮! Just cruise, and be happy. Who cares what someone else is doing that you don't even know about??

Edited August 3, 2019 by mum and son

[Daniel A]

5 hours ago, mum and son said:

sometimes blocks of cabins are allocated to travel agents until close to sailing, so effectively they are "hogging" what some people on this thread think should be available to them. That is far more unfair than individuals booking an extra cabin here or there.

Maybe the solution to this whole issue that would make people happy would be if Princess created 'wait lists' for cabins which are already booked.  This way if the cabin is not available because it is reserved for travel agents or it has been booked by a PAX making multiple bookings and the cabin becomes available, the first person on the list would be offered the cabin.  This seems fair to me.

 

With computer systems being as sophisticated as they are, it shouldn't be a huge expense to implement.

 

[mum and son]

29 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Maybe the solution to this whole issue that would make people happy would be if Princess created 'wait lists' for cabins which are already booked.  This way if the cabin is not available because it is reserved for travel agents or it has been booked by a PAX making multiple bookings and the cabin becomes available, the first person on the list would be offered the cabin.  This seems fair to me.

 

With computer systems being as sophisticated as they are, it shouldn't be a huge expense to implement.

 

Yes, this sounds like a great idea to me, but I don't think I would trust Princess with anything involving IT 🤣. It just seems to be one thing they can't right!