Best way to book Princess, Please

[let's go cruising]

Hi! I have never cruised on Princess, but they are my Mother (80) favorite. She would like to book a solo cruise for this coming winter. What is the best way to book a cruise for Princess? A private travel agent, Princess or does Princess have PVP like Carnival? She has always gone to AAA, but they were rude when she went to her new local AAA and her old agent isn't returning her phone call. 

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

Sometimes a travel agency can offer some perks.

But, it is also good to book directly with Princess.

I understand that some vacation planners are better than others.  But, any mention of specific PVP's or travel agents are strictly off limits here on this board.

With travel reaching new highs, and with staffing falling short.  Prompt service is probably an issue almost anywhere.

 

I found a nice travel agent who has their ongoing video channel on Youtube.  It is her and her husband.  She seems to specialize in Princess cruises.  I did contact her about a possible booking and got a very friendly and prompt response.

 

NOTE:  If your mother is a past and frequent Princess cruiser, there might be special rates offered to her which she would see if you go online and pull up the cruise while logged in.  If the fare is less for. her when logged in that it is when not logged in, then there is a promo which is linked to her Princess Captain's Circle account.  If this is the case, then the booking must be made directly thru Princess to get this rate.  A travel agent can not pull that up.   I assume that if anyone wanted, they could book, and then transfer the booking to their favorite TA, perhaps a few extra perks?

[PTMary]

Search for websites that will collect your desired destination, cruise line and cabin category and they will submit your needs to competing travel agencies. They are similar to an insurance broker who shops for the best rates. Unfortunately, Cruise Critic rules forbid us to mention who these brokers are. 

 

In a matter of a few days you will receive offers by several of these agencies. One of them that contacted me offered an itinerary and cabin category that Princess had listed on their website for $9,199, but for the total cost of only $7,350. Their agency only offered $80 OBC instead of Princess' $100, but it was worth it for the savings I gained. That agent/agency has high rating from customers, something I checked before going with them for my booking. Since then I have had to contact the agent assigned to my booking several times due to a ship swap and he was always quick to reply and took good care of our booking. He has forwarded to me several emails that Princess had sent to him about the swap. 

 

Eight other agencies contacted me with deals that were better than Princess, but not as good as the one I eventually went with.

Edited August 9, 2022 by PTMary

[billco]

52 minutes ago, let's go cruising said:

Hi! I have never cruised on Princess, but they are my Mother (80) favorite. She would like to book a solo cruise for this coming winter. What is the best way to book a cruise for Princess? A private travel agent, Princess or does Princess have PVP like Carnival? She has always gone to AAA, but they were rude when she went to her new local AAA and her old agent isn't returning her phone call. 

Over the years I have tried them all. My current favorite is a Princess Cruise Vacation Planner. 

[Lady Arwen]

We’ve not had much luck with TAs in the past and we we’re always disappointed in their service, or lack of.  We now have a wonderful CVP and she is a gem!  Always returns my calls or emails almost immediately.  Sometimes she even calls to tell me it’s all been taken care of and not to worry.  She’s been with Princess for quite some time and it shows.  I wish I could share her name, but unfortunately it’s against the rules.  Please ask Princess to assign a CVP to you.  You just never know, it could be a perfect match!

[suekel]

I used to have the world's best PVP but he got promoted.  I had no luck after that so I found a TA that specializes in cruises.  She gets me a discount and also gives me OBC.  I don't have to wait on the phone, that's her job.  

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

NOTE:  If your mother is a past and frequent Princess cruiser, there might be special rates offered to her which she would see if you go online and pull up the cruise while logged in.  If the fare is less for. her when logged in that it is when not logged in, then there is a promo which is linked to her Princess Captain's Circle account.  If this is the case, then the booking must be made directly thru Princess to get this rate.  A travel agent can not pull that up.   I assume that if anyone wanted, they could book, and then transfer the booking to their favorite TA, perhaps a few extra perks?

This is 100% incorrect.  Anything that is eligible for a guest is equally available for a TA to book as well as a Princess rep or a Princess CVP.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’ve not had much luck with TAs in the past and we we’re always disappointed in their service, or lack of.  We now have a wonderful CVP and she is a gem!  Always returns my calls or emails almost immediately.  Sometimes she even calls to tell me it’s all been taken care of and not to worry.  She’s been with Princess for quite some time and it shows.  I wish I could share her name, but unfortunately it’s against the rules.  Please ask Princess to assign a CVP to you.  You just never know, it could be a perfect match!

That's is likely because you have only interacted with Canadian-based TA's - at least that is my educated 99% guess.  I agree that a good CVP can be a boon to a guest.  However, they cannot discount from Princess pricing like a TA can.  There are TA's that are equally as good as a good CVP in terms of service and knowledge.

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, let's go cruising said:

Hi! I have never cruised on Princess, but they are my Mother (80) favorite. She would like to book a solo cruise for this coming winter. What is the best way to book a cruise for Princess? A private travel agent, Princess or does Princess have PVP like Carnival? She has always gone to AAA, but they were rude when she went to her new local <TA name blocked> and her old agent isn't returning her phone call. 

Since you are unfamiliar with Princess and your Mother has not had any favors done by her former agency, it might be best to try and get an internal CVP assigned and hope to get a good one.  If she is going to be sailing more, perhaps she will learn of good independent TA's while on the ship and can reach out to them.  The other way is to follow the advice given in post #3 by @PTMary.

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

Steelers,  I did give the TA our CC account number.  And, I did tell the TA about the rate I was getting online, and they did tell me that it could be an offer that was linked/offered directly.   Of course, why wouldn't they want to get the booking and book at that rate if they were seeing it at all.  

 

Others are seeing that different pricing is offered and one person is getting a different price/perks than the other.   So, I think that there might be some truth to this.  Seems to be no rhyme or reason.  But, now I am wondering about whether the State the cruiser is from might be a factor?   This can all be very confusing.  

[JimmyVWine]

It’s a tough question with no right or easy answer. There appear to be people here who have independent TAs who walk on water. They get great service and perks. But if you randomly contact a TA and use their services, the odds are that you will get one who sinks in the water, or at best has neutral buoyancy. It’s not easy to find the great ones especially given the rules if this board. 
 

On the flip side, there are people here who have Princess CVPs who are awesome, knowledgeable and responsive. They are long-tenured and know what you want before you do. But odds are that if you ask Princess to pair you up with a CVP,  you won’t get one of those. The turnover in the past two years has been staggering for obvious reasons. Hard to work on commission when no one is booking. 
 

Here’s where the controversy comes in and there will be many who disagree with the following and that’s OK. There is nothing empirically provable about the following statement, but here goes. If I am going to have to deal with a mediocre travel planner, I’d rather deal with one who works for Princess. But if I could get paired up with a TA who walks on water, that’s where I would go. 

[geoherb]

I placed a hold on a cabin over the weekend and then contacted my most recent TA yesterday. She's able to get me the same rate as on the Princess website plus her agency is currently offering onboard credit that equals 14.5% of the cruise fare (before port fees and taxes, insurance, flights, etc.) 

[SantaFeFan]

2 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

It’s a tough question with no right or easy answer. There appear to be people here who have independent TAs who walk on water. They get great service and perks. But if you randomly contact a TA and use their services, the odds are that you will get one who sinks in the water, or at best has neutral buoyancy. It’s not easy to find the great ones especially given the rules if this board. 
 

On the flip side, there are people here who have Princess CVPs who are awesome, knowledgeable and responsive. They are long-tenured and know what you want before you do. But odds are that if you ask Princess to pair you up with a CVP,  you won’t get one of those. The turnover in the past two years has been staggering for obvious reasons. Hard to work on commission when no one is booking. 
 

Here’s where the controversy comes in and there will be many who disagree with the following and that’s OK. There is nothing empirically provable about the following statement, but here goes. If I am going to have to deal with a mediocre travel planner, I’d rather deal with one who works for Princess. But if I could get paired up with a TA who walks on water, that’s where I would go. 

 

They don't need to "walk on water". They only need to be reactive to your needs and offer attractive fares. We've been through several booking sources, including the cruise lines, AAA, Costco, large online agencies, and small local agencies. Through trial and error we finally settled on a TA that offers good discounts and additional benefits such as OBC, specialty dining vouchers, etc. He himself has been in the business for over twenty years and works for a long established agency. Of all the sources we have used, he is by far the best, far better than all the others, including Princess, as far as responsiveness to our needs and saving us money in the long run.

 

Ask your cruising friends or search online for cruise planner reviews to find one you are happy with. 

[caribill]

1 hour ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

 Through trial and error we finally settled on a TA that offers good discounts and additional benefits such as OBC, specialty dining vouchers, etc. He himself has been in the business for over twenty years and works for a long established agency. Of all the sources we have used, he is by far the best, far better than all the others, including Princess, as far as responsiveness to our needs and saving us money in the long run.

 

 

And this is why people need to ask others while on a cruise which TAs or Princess PVPs they prefer and why.

 

Since Princess allows a transfer of a booking to a TA for several weeks after the booking is made (unless this is past final payment), I suggest making the booking on the phone with a Princess rep and then search for a good TA to turn the booking over to.

[Steelers36]

8 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

Steelers,  I did give the TA our CC account number.  And, I did tell the TA about the rate I was getting online, and they did tell me that it could be an offer that was linked/offered directly.   Of course, why wouldn't they want to get the booking and book at that rate if they were seeing it at all.  

 

Others are seeing that different pricing is offered and one person is getting a different price/perks than the other.   So, I think that there might be some truth to this.  Seems to be no rhyme or reason.  But, now I am wondering about whether the State the cruiser is from might be a factor?   This can all be very confusing.  

Yes, there can be targeted fare promotions by various regions, etc.  But the eligible 3-character Fare Codes are associated with the guest account and are accessible - maybe an agent needs to look around more (IDK), but I see them all myself as well if using an outside booking engine that is full-featured (Princess only ever shows one fare code).

[Lady Arwen]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

That's is likely because you have only interacted with Canadian-based TA's - at least that is my educated 99% guess.  I agree that a good CVP can be a boon to a guest.  However, they cannot discount from Princess pricing like a TA can.  There are TA's that are equally as good as a good CVP in terms of service and knowledge.

You are correct.  I wouldn’t even know where to start with US travel agencies.  Years ago I used a large online US cruise only agency to book our family reunion of 18 on a Caribbean cruise.  We decided to change our booking to a different ship with more amenities eight months prior to sailing.  Each and everyone of us was charged $100 US to make the change.  We did it and had a great time, but I never used an online agency again.  I tried three different TA in Canada and it was disastrous.  So, now I book with our CVP for Princess cruises and we also have personal cruise consultants with Celebrity and HAL.

I’m so envious of people who work with competent and dedicated TAs who do it all.  Honestly, I speak to so many friends who have the same problems and refuse to use a TA for any type of travel.  You, sir, are a very lucky person!

[Nebr.cruiser]

16 hours ago, PTMary said:

Search for websites that will collect your desired destination, cruise line and cabin category and they will submit your needs to competing travel agencies. They are similar to an insurance broker who shops for the best rates. Unfortunately, Cruise Critic rules forbid us to mention who these brokers are. 

 

In a matter of a few days you will receive offers by several of these agencies. One of them that contacted me offered an itinerary and cabin category that Princess had listed on their website for $9,199, but for the total cost of only $7,350. Their agency only offered $80 OBC instead of Princess' $100, but it was worth it for the savings I gained. That agent/agency has high rating from customers, something I checked before going with them for my booking. Since then I have had to contact the agent assigned to my booking several times due to a ship swap and he was always quick to reply and took good care of our booking. He has forwarded to me several emails that Princess had sent to him about the swap. 

 

Eight other agencies contacted me with deals that were better than Princess, but not as good as the one I eventually went with.

I use the site mentioned above often--it's so nice to be able to compare quotes from different agents.  It does help to be knowledgeable about cruise pricing and perks.  So far I have not been able to find pricing using a PVP that is anywhere near to what large online agencies offer.

[let's go cruising]

I'm often frustrated that we can't share good and bad TAs, PVP, CVP whatever. It does not benefit us or the good agents.

[JimmyVWine]

8 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

Through trial and error we finally settled on a TA

You just made my point.

[caribill]

20 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Years ago I used a large online US cruise only agency to book our family reunion of 18 on a Caribbean cruise.  We decided to change our booking to a different ship with more amenities eight months prior to sailing.  Each and everyone of us was charged $100 US to make the change.

 

When selecting a TA to use, one criterion I use is that the TA has no cancellation or change fees of their own. (cruise line cancellation/change fees cannot be avoided).

[caribill]

18 hours ago, let&#x27;s go cruising said:

I'm often frustrated that we can't share good and bad TAs, PVP, CVP whatever. It does not benefit us or the good agents.

 

But it benefits Cruise Critic which in part is sponsored by TAs that advertise with them or their parent company.

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

I just had a second TA, who should be experienced with working with Princess, quote me a fare that is MORE than what we are getting (thru some targeted fare-code) on the Princess web-site.

I had requested a quote because of their 1-day sale that was mentioned in another recent post.

We will be staying with Princess web-site and the Princes Vacation Planner if we go ahead on this one.

 

I will ask our PVP about this rate or fare-code.

It would be interesting to finally get at least some kind of answer!

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

Ooooops,  why the heck can't I type anything right????

It is the infamous 3-Day Sale.

[Mara4166]

Does none know if princess has CVPs in the UK?  We always book direct, but am wondering if there is another way apart from a TA?

[Coral]

On 8/11/2022 at 7:21 PM, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

I just had a second TA, who should be experienced with working with Princess, quote me a fare that is MORE than what we are getting (thru some targeted fare-code) on the Princess web-site.

I had requested a quote because of their 1-day sale that was mentioned in another recent post.

We will be staying with Princess web-site and the Princes Vacation Planner if we go ahead on this one.

 

I will ask our PVP about this rate or fare-code.

It would be interesting to finally get at least some kind of answer!

Did you give that TA your phone number or Captain Circle number (they are tied together)? They need that to give you the best quote.

 

I am going on a cruise and it is half as much with my Captain Circle than with out it.