Adding Plus package on "ZHF" discounted cruises - onboard booking

[metter]

Whilst onboard a recent cruise I took advantage of booking a cruise from the discounted list - a 25% real discount. 

 

I was told the booking must go back to my original travel agent and I could contact them to add the plus package pre-cruise.

My agent was told they are unable to add the package (plus or premier) pre-cruise and I need to add once onboard. This is because it was a "ZHF" promotional fare. 

 

I have tried to check this out with onboard chat and was told this is not correct and I can't add the Plus package either pre-cruise or onboard.

 

Any avenue to get this confirmed properly? The discount is pretty worthless if I can't add much less attractive he Plus package.

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, metter said:

Whilst onboard a recent cruise I took advantage of booking a cruise from the discounted list - a 25% real discount. 

 

I was told the booking must go back to my original travel agent and I could contact them to add the plus package pre-cruise.

My agent was told they are unable to add the package (plus or premier) pre-cruise and I need to add once onboard. This is because it was a "ZHF" promotional fare. 

 

I have tried to check this out with onboard chat and was told this is not correct and I can't add the Plus package either pre-cruise or onboard.

 

Any avenue to get this confirmed properly? The discount is pretty worthless if I can't add much less attractive he Plus package.

It is my understanding that when you book those onboard discounted cruises, the package can only be added onboard once you are on that cruise.  

[Cruise Raider]

Just curious ..are you able to go into your personalizer to add this package yourself?  This cruise was booked through a travel agent and I can add one of the packages through this link.  It may be disabled with that promo code but worth a shot. 
 

[Donwoods123]

34 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

It is my understanding that when you book those onboard discounted cruises, the package can only be added onboard once you are on that cruise.  

We were told the same thing by the Future Cruise Consultant aboard the Royal in February.  Didn’t book through them

[wallyj]

3 hours ago, metter said:

Whilst onboard a recent cruise I took advantage of booking a cruise from the discounted list - a 25% real discount. 

 

Any avenue to get this confirmed properly? The discount is pretty worthless if I can't add much less attractive he Plus package.

What is your concern? Most of the on board promo sailings are within the next 90-100 days, so less likely the Plus or Premier PKG prices will increase. I have booked the Z fares on board and a few of my bookings had the option to add Plus or Premier greyed out with message to Call Princess or my TA to add in the cruise Personalizer.

 

Are you thinking you would or should get Plus also at a discount? The answer is No.

 

Previously these ‘discounted’ on board bookings also discounted the ‘plus’ package , but they were not supposed to. You will be able to purchase Plus @$60/day and Premier @$80/day when you board. If they have blocked your TA from adding to your booking, then just add when you get on board.

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

It is my understanding that when you book those onboard discounted cruises, the package can only be added onboard once you are on that cruise.  

Not true.

 

We've booked two onboard sales under the ZHF promo code.

 

We were able to add Plus for HALF PRICE to one booking and Premier at HALF PRICE to another booking. These were a 26 night sailing and a 32 night sailing.

 

They could NOT be transferred to a TA though and needed to be paid in full at time of booking. 

Edited June 24 by startedwithamouse

[memoak]

Please do not book with future cruise department. They will tell you anything to sell you a cruise. We will not even walk into their office anymore

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Not true.

 

We've booked two onboard sales under the ZHF promo code.

 

We were able to add Plus for HALF PRICE to one booking and Premier at HALF PRICE to another booking. These were a 26 night sailing and a 32 night sailing.

 

They could NOT be transferred to a TA though and needed to be paid in full at time of booking. 

Wow, that’s great to know.  Have these been recent bookings?  

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Wow, that’s great to know.  Have these been recent bookings?  

Last quarter of 2023, first quarter of 2024.

[Cruise Raider]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

Last quarter of 2023, first quarter of 2024.

Aha .. you may be surprised with the new booking while onboard promo in that case.  ???

[startedwithamouse]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

Aha .. you may be surprised with the new booking while onboard promo in that case.  ???

The what?

 

 

[SCX22]

3 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Last quarter of 2023, first quarter of 2024.

 

Just now, Cruise Raider said:

Aha .. you may be surprised with the new booking while onboard promo in that case.  ???

 

Yes, Future Cruise is forbidden to sell the Plus/Premium fare if availing of the onboard promotion rate.  They weren't supposed to in 2023 either, but in Princess' IT struck again, the prices for Plus/Premium populated, and the consultants booked under those fares.  The work around last year was that you'd book standard on board, and afterwards go into your Cruise Personalizer, add Plus/Premium, and the 50% discount would apply.  (If you waited until you got on board, you were charged regular price.)  This practice was shutdown and the Cruise Personalizer now tells you to contact Princess or your TA to add the packages.  At $30 per day under this promotion, the Plus package was an amazing deal and a no brainer.

[startedwithamouse]

6 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

 

Yes, Future Cruise is forbidden to sell the Plus/Premium fare if availing of the onboard promotion rate.  They weren't supposed to in 2023 either, but in Princess' IT struck again, the prices for Plus/Premium populated, and the consultants booked under those fares.  The work around last year was that you'd book standard on board, and afterwards go into your Cruise Personalizer, add Plus/Premium, and the 50% discount would apply.  (If you waited until you got on board, you were charged regular price.)  This practice was shutdown and the Cruise Personalizer now tells you to contact Princess or your TA to add the packages.  At $30 per day under this promotion, the Plus package was an amazing deal and a no brainer.

Apparently they weren't forbidden, as it happened twice on two different ships. 2023 and 2024.

 

Probably just angered some TAs with all the great deals onboard. 

Edited June 24 by startedwithamouse

[SCX22]

Just now, startedwithamouse said:

Apparently they weren't forbidden, as it happened twice on two different ships. 2023 and 2024.

 

I was told that that this was a mistake by Princess' IT and Princess finally caught on.  I was able to book Plus fare from the get go for the cruises I booked early on under this promotion.  The correction happened sometime in June/July.  Knowing Princess' IT, I wouldn't be surprised if some cruises slipped through the cracks.

[Cruise Raider]

14 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

 

Yes, Future Cruise is forbidden to sell the Plus/Premium fare if availing of the onboard promotion rate.  They weren't supposed to in 2023 either, but in Princess' IT struck again, the prices for Plus/Premium populated, and the consultants booked under those fares.  The work around last year was that you'd book standard on board, and afterwards go into your Cruise Personalizer, add Plus/Premium, and the 50% discount would apply.  (If you waited until you got on board, you were charged regular price.)  This practice was shutdown and the Cruise Personalizer now tells you to contact Princess or your TA to add the packages.  At $30 per day under this promotion, the Plus package was an amazing deal and a no brainer.

And $40 per day pp for the premier .. just icing on the cake.  I think we booked 7 cruises during that half off promotion.  It was a heck of a deal!  
Oh well, back to the real world and time to say goodbye to those ‘oh so awesome’ deals.  I finished my last one a month ago.  
 

[Cruise Raider]

12 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Apparently they weren't forbidden, as it happened twice on two different ships. 2023 and 2024.

 

Probably just angered some TAs with all the great deals onboard. 

Your most recent TA, the one you used for the cruise you were on when you booked, still got the credit for the half off cruises you booked.  Mine confirmed this.  

[Cruise Raider]

28 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

The what?

 

 

The onboard booking promo is not what we experienced in the past. 

[metter]

9 hours ago, wallyj said:

What is your concern? Most of the on board promo sailings are within the next 90-100 days, so less likely the Plus or Premier PKG prices will increase. I have booked the Z fares on board and a few of my bookings had the option to add Plus or Premier greyed out with message to Call Princess or my TA to add in the cruise Personalizer.

 

Are you thinking you would or should get Plus also at a discount? The answer is No.

 

Previously these ‘discounted’ on board bookings also discounted the ‘plus’ package , but they were not supposed to. You will be able to purchase Plus @$60/day and Premier @$80/day when you board. If they have blocked your TA from adding to your booking, then just add when you get on board.

My concern if you re-read my op.is that the live chat agent informed me "I have tried to check this out with onboard chat and was told this is not correct and I can't add the Plus package either pre-cruise or onboard."

 

This is my concern, not being able to buy the package at all.

 

 

Edited June 24 by metter

[memoak]

Never trust the on board future cruise department   They will tell you anything to make a sale

Edited June 24 by memoak

[startedwithamouse]

15 minutes ago, metter said:

My concern if you re-read my op.is that the live chat agent informed me "I have tried to check this out with onboard chat and was told this is not correct and I can't add the Plus package either pre-cruise or onboard."

 

This is my concern, not being able to buy the package at all.

 

 

The F&B manager will gladly take your money.  Purchase it in the app when connected to the ship's intranet. 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

The onboard booking promo is not what we experienced in the past. 

Agree they operate differently.  

 

Ours was a hero on our last cruise as he saved a life.

[SCX22]

1 hour ago, metter said:

My concern if you re-read my op.is that the live chat agent informed me "I have tried to check this out with onboard chat and was told this is not correct and I can't add the Plus package either pre-cruise or onboard."

 

 

Sorry the discussion got caught up in something else.  You shouldn't have a problem adding a package once on board.  I tested this on of the bookings I made an onboard booking under the fare you mentioned.  My Cruise Personalizer told me to contact Princess or TA to add packages to my booking.  (Was hoping that I could get a discount on the package as was discussed above, but no dice.)  Once I got on board, the packages were showing for purchase on the App and the crew hounded us to buy them.

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I think we booked 7 cruises during that half off promotion.  It was a heck of a deal!  

 

I've never been more loyal to Princess than last year.  All of my cruises last year were on Princess because of this promotion.  This year, I'm back to being an equal opportunist with cruise lines.  Wishful thinking, but I rather have discounts on the packages over loyalty acceleration; it's of much more benefit to me!

[Cruise Raider]

14 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

I've never been more loyal to Princess than last year.  All of my cruises last year were on Princess because of this promotion.  This year, I'm back to being an equal opportunist with cruise lines.  Wishful thinking, but I rather have discounts on the packages over loyalty acceleration; it's of much more benefit to me!

Me, too!  
 

[wallyj]

@metter, I am currently aboard Enchanted Princess and I asked about being able to add the Plus or Premier to any of the ‘Z’ fares on board or once at home.

 

She confirmed that yes, the system currently prevents future cruises from adding Plus or Premier and she also confirmed shoreside said you are unable to purchase TILL you are on board. 
 

With the new double credit promo which requires you to purchase at least 2 days before sailing, passengers may be out of luck in getting in on this. She has a call into shoreside to see if they are going to make exceptions or say the offers are NOT combinable, but this has not been confirmed this is the final Princess position on this issue.

 

Her information is you SHOULD be able to purchase Plus or Premier once on board, so you chat information is not correct according to what I was just told.

 

@startedwithamouse, Princess closed the ability to add Plus or Premier with the ‘Z’ fares, so your bookings were before it was shut down, but you definitely cannot add now as the OP has posted.