Princess Air Fare Notice

[Princess Chatterer]

That doesn't match the wording of the Princess emergency notification. Please pay close attention to the word "all."

 

Due to the volatility of air prices please be advised that all air prices are subject to change and are not guaranteed until final payment has been received by Princess Cruises. [End Quote]

[ottawa_001]

Well, if you can't believe your TA who can you believe? Thanks, I'll call myself and double-check.

[louiesowner]

I am a TA and I have a booking that I booked in April '08 for October 2009... I have access to my own booking and it now says that my air booking can change before final payment... this was never there before. I do have an email out to our DSM (District Sales Manager), but she hasn't gotten back to me.

 

Stefani

[ottawa_001]

I just called Princess myself and the lady there confirmed that the air price is subject to change until final payment is made, no matter when the booking was made. I've also sent a note to my TA with my findings. Thanks all.

[Toto2Kansas]

Got our TA to check today with Princess and she was told that our price was protected as we had booked prior to June, even though our cruise is April 09. Whew!

 

I don't think I would get too excited about what you were told. Since the air is not part of the Princess Cruise, my guess is that prices will not be locked in at all.

With these fuel prices rising daily, and the statement on the Princess website, my guess is your TA has given you some misinformation, big time.

[SeattleCruiselover]

When/where did you get the notice? I looked at my cruise personalizer last night, and there's no notice there.

 

I got it in an e-mail from them a week ago. Luckily I am already paid in full and I am leaving from my home city, but it does apply to others who are going with me.

[dsawyer]

I was forewarned and have already paid in full for an April 2009 cruise with Princess air to Bangkok. That Princess air was priced a year ago. :D

 

I will get my black card in November on The Ruby Princess and will be elite for our Asia cruise, too. :)

 

I think I'm going to be using that free laundry priviledge a lot on that long cruise.

[terrierjohn]

I wonder how this might affect UK passengers where the air fare is an inclusive part of the cruise price and not shown seperately anywhere, except for the surcharge from regional airports?

[Toto2Kansas]

I wonder how this might affect UK passengers where the air fare is an inclusive part of the cruise price and not shown seperately anywhere, except for the surcharge from regional airports?

 

But aren't the flights from the UK usually on charter flights? Where Princess can make these arrangements long in advance? That might also come into play here as the flights are not on commercial schedules?

[hb1491]

Not only airfare is subject to increase before final payment our extended stay in Bangkok has increased $ 30.00 per person.

[terrierjohn]

But aren't the flights from the UK usually on charter flights? Where Princess can make these arrangements long in advance? That might also come into play here as the flights are not on commercial schedules?

Charter flights are used on some cruises but very much the minority. All Alaskan and Exotic cruises plus a great many others are with schedule air lines.

[wdrl]

We received our travel agents weekly news email today and it had this "pleasant" surprise notice regarding using Princess air. We sometimes use Princess air when we can't get a good price on our own.

 

 

 

CRUISE LINE AIR PRICES ARE NOW SUBJECT TO CHANGE

 

 

A little over a week ago, Princess Cruise Lines added a notation to all of their current cruise reservations that signifies a dramatic change in their policy where cruise line air is concerned. The formalization of this new policy, which according to Princess was already part of their official terms and conditions but which had never been previously applied, immediately affects every person who is currently booked on a Princess cruise and whose reservation includes airfare that has been booked through the cruise line. The policy will, of course, also affect everyone who books a Princess cruise in the future that includes airfare purchased through the cruise line.

 

 

 

Specifically, all of Princess’s reservations now include wording to the effect that all airfare prices

 

are subject to change at any time and that the price of your flights will not be guaranteed

 

until you have made your full and final payment for your cruise.

 

 

 

 

This means that if you have booked a Princess cruise that includes airfare from the cruise line, the only way that you can lock in the current price of your flights is to pay for your entire cruise in full, regardless of how long it is until your scheduled final payment date or your actual sailing date.

 

If you are willing to pay for your entire cruise, the cost of which will include port charges, taxes and a fuel supplement and which may also include cruise line airfare, insurance, transfers, and pre or post-cruise hotel or cruise tour land packages, etc., then and only then will Princess guarantee that the current price of your airfare will not change.

 

We spoke to our TA after receiving his email. He was most surprised to find out that none of the other lines owned by Carnival Corp is making this policy change. We always thought we locked the price in when we booked the cruise and air and that's how it's worked on past cruises. This little change made us cancel our Princess air on our next cruise. Luckily we finally found some cheaper air. We couldn't find cheaper air last year when we booked the cruise.

 

--Denise

[land lover]

Sounds to me lke they want to get out of the air scheduling business and why not its such a headache.

 

All land vacations and most river cruises I have gone on for years make you pay a nonrefundable deposit and subject you to additional surcharges until full payment...I always am amazeed when I book a cruise and can make changes up to final payment without any fees......to bad times are changing.

[1 cruise]

Sounds to me lke they want to get out of the air scheduling business and why not its such a headache.

 

I always am amazeed when I book a cruise and can make changes up to final payment without any fees......to bad times are changing.

 

I agree, even though I have FCC for my personal use, (less of a deposit needed) for new cruisers to Princess, they need to fork out about 1/5 of the total price of the cruise.... I guess Princess, (I am sure that all other cruise lines will follow) that Princess now wants to be sure that you are serious about booking that certain cruise...

 

I fear that the way we know it now will not be for long....

 

Times are a changing.....

[cruise freak]

Holland America is now putting the same verbage on their invoices as I read it this week.