Now a charge for Cabin Selection?

[SCX22]

Two sides to the same coin...

You could also look at it as Princess discounting guaranteed fares with non-refundable deposits. 

 

As someone who always books a guaranteed cabin using Drop & Go rates, I'm happy to see this change. The non-refundable deposit part doesn't bother me because I'm past the point of no return anyway.  Not sure when my lucky streak will end, but have had full category upgrades on the two cruises I have booked using this new pricing scheme.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, SCX22 said:

Two sides to the same coin...

You could also look at it as Princess discounting guaranteed fares with non-refundable deposits. 

That would be true except the entry level for each category cannot be booked any other way. If, for example Cabin L237 on the CB (entry level BF for balconies) was one price for selecting it with a refundable deposit and a lower price if assigned to you by Princess with a non-refundable deposit.

 

But that is not the case. It is simply taking a whole set of cabins that were previously available at a lower price than the next level and (supposedly) charging the same lower price as before.

 

 

3 hours ago, SCX22 said:

As someone who always books a guaranteed cabin using Drop & Go rates, I'm happy to see this change. The non-refundable deposit part doesn't bother me because I'm past the point of no return anyway.

 

And that is great for anyone waiting until close to the cruise to book using the Drop & Go rates. But if you want to book a cruise more than 2 months before embarkation, you are paying a higher price than D&G rates and have lost the flexibility you used to have with a booking.

[pcur]

I researched with "ghost" bookings and found the availability on my cruise to be dismal locations for booked category.  So, I paid the $220 extra to pick my cabin, and consider it money well spent.

 

I also added Princess Plus to my existing booking several weeks ago.  The price was a LOT more expensive on Princess' web site than the upcharge through my travel agent. 

[roboref]

Non-refundable cruise deposits are a no go for me. This feature will just make me wait until inside final payment date to to book. I may even get to pick a cabin at a lower price than the GTY and no-refundable cabin further away from sail date. 

 

Celebrity as well has gone to the lowest price being non-refundable, or a charge of $500 to get a refundable deposit. If customers don't accept these changes or book under these conditions, then the cruise lines will make adjustments. If the cruise lines keep it this way then customers might go and try other types of journeys. We all have choices.

[mellon1]

We too were looking today for cruises and if doing B2Bs staying in a suite or mini it adds on quite a bit of money, especially if you are doing 5 B2Bs.  I wish they wouldn't do it for each of the trips and have just one charge for picking the room for those doing B2Bs and not wanting to switch rooms 5 times.

[Tripmode33]

Under the new system, if you pay with a pre purchased "Future Cruise Deposit", do you lose this if choosing 'Princess Chooses' option and want to later change or cancel?

[caribill]

4 hours ago, Tripmode33 said:

Under the new system, if you pay with a pre purchased "Future Cruise Deposit", do you lose this if choosing 'Princess Chooses' option and want to later change or cancel?

Yes, because that is your deposit.

[MissP22]

.

[Dunk]

Have you ever considered that choosing your own cabin is the “regular” price and that guaranteed cabin is at a discount? 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Dunk
Typo

[2 cruises a year]

1 hour ago, Dunk said:

Have you ever considered that choosing your own cabin is the “regular” price and that guaranteed cabin is at a discount? 

Then why don't they just say that? They don't, so I look at it as it is written. 

Semantics are important.  See my post #1 on how I feel about this. 

[2 cruises a year]

26 minutes ago, 2 cruises a year said:

Then why don't they just say that? They don't, so I look at it as it is written. 

Semantics are important.  See my post #1 on how I feel about this. 

Oops, sausage fingers, post 7

[Steelers36]

On 4/22/2023 at 9:59 PM, Tripmode33 said:

Under the new system, if you pay with a pre purchased "Future Cruise Deposit", do you lose this if choosing 'Princess Chooses' option and want to later change or cancel?

If you have elected that option at the lead in and the information for that cruise states that the deposit is Non-Refundable, then yes. However, you can also book in other categories that have a Refundable deposit and let Princess choose your cabin and you wouldn't lode the FCD. 

 

Note that cancelling a booking can result in you getting a refund of the FCD if its expiry date has passed by the time you cancel the booking.  If you plan to book a different cruise, you need to ask Princess to extend the expiry date before canceling the first booking and then it will be preserved in your CC Profile to be used for the new booking.

[OzKiwiJJ]

11 hours ago, Dunk said:

Have you ever considered that choosing your own cabin is the “regular” price and that guaranteed cabin is at a discount? 

They are all at the "regular" price, it's just that the lowest category is blocked from being selected so the lead-in fare for selection is the second lowest category. If you note the price breaks between each selectable category you will see that they mostly match the difference between "select your cabin" and "Princess chooses".

[kywildcatfanone]

Judging by what I am reading on the Sun Princess, they are making more things "pay if you want", particularly room types.

 

They are moving to the airline model of "you want that seat in main cabin, you still have to pay more than the advertised price".  

[Rhode Island Red72]

On 4/18/2023 at 3:54 PM, kitty2264 said:

Since when has Princess been charging for making a room selection?  I was just looking at the 2024-25 Caribbean cruises and found for me to reserve a mini suite costs $350 per person for a 20 day cruise.  I also looked at 7 day cruises and the charge was $182 per person.  To reserve a balcony cabin cost $88 per person for 7 day.  There is no charge if I let Princess select the cabin.  We like to decide where we want to be on the ship but now we have to pay for that luxury if one could call it that.

 

This all caught us by surprise.

 

They seem to keep finding ways to add to the total cost.  

1. Select your room type $$$

2. Do you want "Reserve collection" in that category $$$

3. Add Plus or Premium Package $$$

4. Pick your cabin location $$$

 

[Rhode Island Red72]

I was shocked when I started looking for a 2024 cruise and saw the difference in prices . We have sailed Princess exclusively for the past 20 years. Our loyalty was based on the fact that they were not like everyone else , so much for that! The amount of the fee difference is unbelievable… and for what?? We expected price increases and other changes post Covid and we saw them. The most recent changes to the “Plus” with adding a couple of drsserts and gym classes to justfy raising the fee were laughable. These fees are seemingly just a money grab. We had been cruising twice a year before 2020 and have done five since restarting sailing but these costs may have just pushed us over the top. It reeks of disregard for the passenger and abandonment of their mission of quality affordable  cruise travel 

 

[Kay S]

The "new" Princess is very adept at wringing every last cent out of you.  

[Rhode Island Red72]

So true! You can see the Carnival fingerprints everywhere. Customer Service has taken a huge hit. We experienced it on a New Years cruise. Just so disappointed. 

[startedwithamouse]

We always book drop and go rates, and end up being upgraded where they place us, so it's a win-win. 

 

We choose to spend our money on Plus, not where we're going to sleep, shower and have s**.  

[Kay S]

Just now, startedwithamouse said:

.

 

We choose to spend our money on Plus, not where we're going to sleep, shower and have s**.  

TMI 😶

[roboref]

On 4/23/2023 at 6:03 PM, Dunk said:

Have you ever considered that choosing your own cabin is the “regular” price and that guaranteed cabin is at a discount? 

I consider a GTY cabin to be discounted yes. But it is the non-refundable discount I have trouble with.

[roboref]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

We always book drop and go rates, and end up being upgraded where they place us, so it's a win-win. 

 

We choose to spend our money on Plus, not where we're going to sleep, shower and have s**.  

Where can you find "drop and go" rates on Princess.com? Are drop and go rates always inside the final payment date?

[SCX22]

Princess is brining themselves inline with other cruise lines with regards to the non-refundable deposit on the lowest fares.  At least with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they will credit the non-refundable deposit as a future cruise credit and it can be applied a different cruise (may or may not come with a penalty for going this route).  

 

If you're not absolutely sure you want to go on a particular cruise, don't book a fare with a non-refundable deposit.

 

Don't understand why people are obsessed with picking their cabins.  You have feet, walk (or take your scooter) to where you need to go on the ship; the distances aren't that long; you'll walk more in port.  If the cabin assigned to you is surrounded by a public space, bring ear plugs.  If you don't want to feel the rocking of the ocean, don't take a cruise.  Just be happy that you're privileged enough to be a passenger of the ship and not the crew of the ship.

 

The Drop and Go Fares show up a couple of weeks after the final payment date for a cruise.  They sometimes offer quite a substantial discount, especially for trans-Atlantics.  Alaska Drop and Go fares for June 2023 are quite low.

[2 cruises a year]

8 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Princess is brining themselves inline with other cruise lines with regards to the non-refundable deposit on the lowest fares.  At least with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they will credit the non-refundable deposit as a future cruise credit and it can be applied a different cruise (may or may not come with a penalty for going this route).  

 

If you're not absolutely sure you want to go on a particular cruise, don't book a fare with a non-refundable deposit.

 

Don't understand why people are obsessed with picking their cabins.  You have feet, walk (or take your scooter) to where you need to go on the ship; the distances aren't that long; you'll walk more in port.  If the cabin assigned to you is surrounded by a public space, bring ear plugs.  If you don't want to feel the rocking of the ocean, don't take a cruise.  Just be happy that you're privileged enough to be a passenger of the ship and not the crew of the ship.

 

The Drop and Go Fares show up a couple of weeks after the final payment date for a cruise.  They sometimes offer quite a substantial discount, especially for trans-Atlantics.  Alaska Drop and Go fares for June 2023 are quite low.

I don't understand why you don't understand why people are obsessed with picking their cabins.  One very simple, very significant choice, of many good reasons to choose:  POSH, port out and starboard home.  If you don't understand this, you need to get out more.

[SCX22]

4 minutes ago, 2 cruises a year said:

I don't understand why you don't understand why people are obsessed with picking their cabins.  One very simple, very significant choice, of many good reasons to choose:  POSH, port out and starboard home.  If you don't understand this, you need to get out more.

 

At the end of the day, you will be going to the same ports at the same time as the other people onboard with you.  If a passenger really wanted to be POSH, by definition and not by acronym, they'd charter a yacht.