Princess Sale Question

[ACoupleAtSea]

What is the best sale that Princess offers in terms of perks and price?

[hpeabody]

3 For Free for me .........

 

Some will say Sip And Sail, though

[ACoupleAtSea]

What does the 3 for free include?

[Tedferg]

Yes - depends on how much you drink 🙂 but more importantly, when you book and what the cabin price is. I am a sip & sail fan but not so much for DW and I have found 3 for Free to be more attractive when cruise fare is considered.

[geoherb]

I find the last-minute sales to be better than any of the advance ones if you're flexible. We've even been lucky to get free gratuities with some of them. 

[caribill]

3 hours ago, ACoupleAtSea said:

What does the 3 for free include?

 

This year (and the sale ended at the end of October) it included an upgrade within the same type of cabin (example: effectively pay the price for the lowest regular balcony cabin but get a higher category regular balcony cabin), free daily gratuities, and OBC based on the type of cabin booked.

[ProfMHC]

I would have said that for us it’s always been “3 for free” (we drink but not enough to make “sip and sail” worthwhile) until this year. I re-fared under the Landmark Sale and nothing has beat it since. Also under “3 for free” if you book a MA or BA or deluxe anything you don’t get the benefit of being fared at the cheapest stateroom rate — so one of the “3” is moot.

[skynight]

8 hours ago, ACoupleAtSea said:

What does the 3 for free include?

OBC, cabin upgrade for certain cabins, free gratuities. Just this past month it also included free specialty dining. You have to watch carefully. Sometimes the deposit is not refundable. The 3 for free has been offered in the fall over the last few years and generally covers sailings 6 months plus in the future. Other promos with similar benefits may be offered throughout the year.

[1965]

3 for free is usually best for us. The free gratuities is my favorite perk of the 3. On our 28 day cruise 2 yrs ago we saved $756 total for DH & myself. That was when grats were $13.50 pp per day for an inside. 

[dog]

50 minutes ago, skynight said:

OBC, cabin upgrade for certain cabins, free gratuities. Just this past month it also included free specialty dining. You have to watch carefully. Sometimes the deposit is not refundable. The 3 for free has been offered in the fall over the last few years and generally covers sailings 6 months plus in the future. Other promos with similar benefits may be offered throughout the year.

 

Yes, read the terms carefully. Several promotions came with conditions like a non refundable deposit before final payment.

[mtnesterz]

It seems like Princess fares go up with the sale offered and drop after the sale ends. I question the value of these offerings. We sail next month for a great fare, as mentioned above, where the deposit was not refundable.  I'll go with that to answer your question for those who work and must schedule vacation time. Repositioning sailings are a good place to find markdowns. If you are retired and can travel on short notice, you will find the best sales.

[Jnsplace1]

Agreed with above poster.  The Princess TA I spoke to seemed to suggest, it depends on what you find valuable.  The Ann. sale (currently going on) the base fare went up from the 3forF.  She suggested I pick whichever I found the most useful for me.  In this case, I stuck with the 3 for Free.

[crystalspin]

I make up a spreadsheet where I total and compare the total cost AND the total value. The Beverage Package would cost yay-much, but it's actual value to us is somewhat lower... But my husband really likes having it, so that is a value that doesn't enter in spreadsheet very well! I kept us fared under the Sip-n-Sail while I refared my sis&BIL twice under an unnamed sale AND under Landmark... 

 

However when 3FF started, our base fare was almost $900pp lower than under SnS! and $600 less than with Landmark, so I refared us all. Then, totally unexpectedly, halfway through October I read about the "3FF+dinner" on this board and dummy booked again to find the base fares had dropped another $250pp! I gave up a private sale's internet worth $300 but rebooked the four of us for a gain of $1000 (net $700, not counting the dinner, which we probably wouldn't have bought).

 

So you see, the fare does not always go up with the sale, that depends on how individual itineraries are selling. 

[datone]

19 hours ago, 1965 said:

3 for free is usually best for us. The free gratuities is my favorite perk of the 3. On our 28 day cruise 2 yrs ago we saved $756 total for DH & myself. That was when grats were $13.50 pp per day for an inside. 

Wish we had the same 3 for free in Australia.   We get the OBC, cabin upgrade and wait for it .... free specialty dining.   Doesn't even come close to free gratuities.     Gratuities are built into our fare price here in Australia - probably because we are not a tipping country.  When we cruise overseas and there is a 3 for free promotion we are not eligible for it being Australians.   Maybe that is why many Australians don't pay them - that way they are on the same playing field as other passengers. 

[ED49404]

For us the 3 for Free works out the best.  We just booked a 14 day Caribbean cruise in Feb 2021.  The reason I booked that far out was all we had to do is put $100 down and it's refundable.  We used our Future Cruise Credit for a Western Caribbean for this Jan.   

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:48 PM, ACoupleAtSea said:

What is the best sale that Princess offers in terms of perks and price?

You must consider what is best for YOU. The sip and sail or 3 free are all added to the cruise price. If you drink a lot the sip and sail is great. However if not. If I choose to get nothing I will receive a far lower cruise price. You do pay for anything FREE, however. What you are charged extra is much lower than if you purchased them separate. Again. It is what is best for YOU! Many time the FREE stuff includes OBC. Remember on Princess you get some great OBC if you are a vet.

[ACoupleAtSea]

I assume that if you put a deposit down that is refundable, you will be able to cancel and rebook if something better pops up outside the final payment?

[JimmyVWine]

For us, the Red, White and Blue sale around Memorial Day has netted us the best price and perks. Nothing involving a drinks package does anything for us as we drink mostly wine and bring our own. I find that when Princess adds a beverage package to the sale, it tends to overshadow everything else.  I look for lower fares and prepaid gratuities (or generous OBC which accomplished the same thing.) When beverage packages are offered, the fares are often “rack rate” and your sale benefit is merely the free drinks. But if the free drinks are of no use to you, all you are left with is rack rate fares. 

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, ACoupleAtSea said:

I assume that if you put a deposit down that is refundable, you will be able to cancel and rebook if something better pops up outside the final payment?

Yes, for the cruise I mentioned above, I re-fared one or both cabins SIX times! At least one stateroom in your category must still be available to provide the comparative fare rate.

 

Do read the fine print and make sure -- if you are converting from a refundable to a non-refundable deposit/rate, -- that the total or savings is worth it to you. This hasn't happened to me on my first and only Princess cruise, but I did just "convert" to a locked-in rate on a HAL So.Pacific cruise. It's a very popular cruise. My PCC said she thought my category rooms were selling out and that there would be no further promotionals which would apply (HAL promotionals are often for far-out cruises and we're down to four months).

[billco]

 

Following is a chronology of a cruise I booked in May 2018 which may show the value of various sales. I continue to keep the 3 for Free Sale booked in Sept 2018.

 

Coral Princess

19 Days Panama Canal Pacific Adventure Roundtrip from Los Angeles, California, United States

Departure Date April 21, 2020

Balcony Cat BE

 

Booked with Princess May 18, 2018

Total Price $7578.00

 

Transferred Booking to TA May 20, 2018

Total Price $6996

 

Rebooked with TA 3 for Free Sale Sept 19, 2018

Total Price $5796.00

Includes Gratuities ($551), $200 P/P OBC

 

Princess Sale May 4, 2019

Total Price $7348

Includes Gratuities ($551), $125 P/P OBC

 

 Non Sale June 5, 2019

Total Price $6748

 

 Non Sale June 6, 2019

Total Price $6528

 

Sun Drenched Sale June 11, 2019

Total Price $6528

 

Sip & Sale June 13, 2019

Total Price $8088

 

Great Escapes Sale October 10, 2019

Total Price $6624.82

 

End of Year Sale November 2019 

Up to 40% off

Total Price $6712.00

[rjgdjg]

Your chronology was very interesting--and helpful. The prices are really all over the map. It's a reminder of the value of repricing regularly. Thanks for sharing! - Musing About Cruising

[ACoupleAtSea]

Thank you for the timeline.   Very helpful.   I will definitely keep my eye out for the 3 for free sale.  

[jangor]

On 11/12/2019 at 6:45 AM, ProfMHC said:

I would have said that for us it’s always been “3 for free” (we drink but not enough to make “sip and sail” worthwhile) until this year. I re-fared under the Landmark Sale and nothing has beat it since. Also under “3 for free” if you book a MA or BA or deluxe anything you don’t get the benefit of being fared at the cheapest stateroom rate — so one of the “3” is moot.

We also like the Landmark Sale, since we are not big drinkers and upgrades from mini-suites rarely come.

 

[CruiseVA]

As many have said, it depends on what you value. I've found the the SipNSail cabin prices cost more than other promos. 3 for Free, can be a deal, better cabin prices & more OBC or whatever... I like to drink, wife not so much, once I started comparing the drink package prices they are not worth it for us, even if my wife drank as much as me. Once you book book a cruise, someone should track the promo's and prices. 

[PoohUnderstands]

Since we book a cabin category that is never under the 3 for free category, this is really a 2 for category for us.  I have only booked two cruises (for late 2021 and 2022) to get the wonderful Window Suite location on the new ships with no sale as none available yet.  I probably won't get to rebook with a sale as, of course, my category stateroom is sold out already!

When I book CC minis, I always book 3 for free.  Sometimes, rebook with Landmark, if OBC better.  My best booking yet was a 3 for free with free wine, OBC, free gratuities, and free specialty dining.  Then when that sale finished, along came a decent fare decrease too!  If you book early to get the cabin you want, you just have to make sure your booking deposit is refundable and then compare all sales to see which one is right for your needs.

 

Pooh