Newbie question: Book Princess really early or wait?

[gtjunk]

I'm looking for the experience from past Princess cruisers.

 

Is it better to book a Princess cruise to their new exotic destinations early (aka, now?) or should I wait until Dec (when their Launch saving deals supposedly expire?) Or should I wait until it's closer to the actual sail date? I'm looking into Fall 2010 so it seems a little early but I see they just released their itineraries.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

[chrysalis]

Book the cabin you want now, and enjoy any price decreases between now and final payment time (70 days prior to cruise)

[Pam in CA]

Is it better to book a Princess cruise to their new exotic destinations early (aka, now?) or should I wait until Dec (when their Launch saving deals supposedly expire?) Or should I wait until it's closer to the actual sail date? I'm looking into Fall 2010 so it seems a little early but I see they just released their itineraries.

The "exotics" normally fill VERY quickly because they are usually one-of-a-kind cruises; I've been on cruises that were fully booked 18 months in advance. With the economy, I don't know what will happen but if you're looking for past experience, that's been my experience, i.e., to book at least a year, sometimes two, in advance. If pricing has gone down, I've been re-fared. If you want to take a chance on only a few cabins left available, you can wait but I would advise booking as soon as possible. The pricing usually goes UP, not down.

[Kathy130]

Ditto, I would book now and get the cabin you want. Then check often for reductions.

[Rob & Beckys mom]

It all depends on whether you have a certain cabin in mind...if so book early. We like the Caribe deck/aft/balcony in the BB catagory & these go fast... so we book early. Last cruise we booked last minute and booked a guarntee balcony catagory BE and ended up with a catagory BC & we were very happy:D. Check the prices with Princess.com as they are very competitive right now, in fact we have booked a cruise for March,2010 & their prices are better than any online agency. Good luck.

 

Jan in Michigan

[Pam in CA]

It all depends on whether you have a certain cabin in mind...if so book early. We like the Caribe deck/aft/balcony in the BB catagory & these go fast... so we book early. Last cruise we booked last minute and booked a guarntee balcony catagory BE and ended up with a catagory BC & we were very happy:D. Check the prices with Princess.com as they are very competitive right now, in fact we have booked a cruise for March,2010 & their prices are better than any online agency. Good luck.

Are you booked on the Star Princess in South America or the Diamond Princess in Southeast Asia? These are the only two ships sailing "exotic" itineraries in March 2010 with the larger Caribe deck balconies. Either way, those are both great cruises.

[gtjunk]

Thank you very much for your quick replies! Sounds like should start booking soon. I guess I'll have to figure out rooms and floors. So another question if you all can bear it - if I choose a balcony, is it better to choose a specific room or to choose a "guarantee" balcony category as Rob & Becky's mom suggests?

 

Pam in CA - I'm actually looking at the Royal Princess for the South Pacific (to celebrate our wedding anniversary).

 

THANK YOU all once again!

[Pam in CA]

Thank you very much for your quick replies! Sounds like should start booking soon. I guess I'll have to figure out rooms and floors. So another question if you all can bear it - if I choose a balcony, is it better to choose a specific room or to choose a "guarantee" balcony category as Rob & Becky's mom suggests?

 

Pam in CA - I'm actually looking at the Royal Princess for the South Pacific (to celebrate our wedding anniversary).

The balconies on the Royal Princess are pretty small and other than location (which isn't as critical on the Royal since you're 5 minutes from anywhere on the ship). There's almost no benefit to booking a GTY on a cruise that will probably fill quickly; you're not going to get a "better" cabin other than perhaps in a different location. If it were me, I'd pick my cabin.

 

The cabins on the Royal are quite different from the larger Princess ships. They are very elegant, there are wardrobes for your clothes rather than the open closet, and there's a small couch in the cabin. Here are pictures of my cabin, which was one of the lowest outside categories:

[willysgrandma]

If you don't care at all about where your cabin might be located, then look at a guarantee. If you want to make sure you are in a cabin that is quiet (i.e. - you can see what is above and below the cabin you will be in - and make sure it isn't a public area which could be loud at night) then choose your cabin.

 

The one time I booked a guarantee, I ended up over the disco and it was NOT a pleasant cruise.

[Rockymountainsparky]

Book now, or you might just miss out.:)

[billco]

We recently completed a Transatlantic on the Emerald that we booked over a year in advance (Balcony Cat BD). We enjoyed two major price reductions prior to final payment. On the cruise, we met several people who had booked guarantee inside cabin just prior to the cruise at several hundred dollars below the published rate for an inside cabin. They seemed happy with their choice and we were happy with our choice.

 

Bottom line: If you are happy to just be on the ship, don't care too much about location, are flexible, and want the lowest possible price then waiting until the last minute may be the best way to go. If location and type of cabin matter, need to arrange airfare in advance, not so flexible on dates, then booking far in advance may work best.

[paul929207]

The Royal Princess is a beautiful ship. She has lots of balconies, since she has no minis.

[jhannah]

Add me to the "book now" chorus, for all the reasons noted above.

[gtjunk]

Thank you to ALL you experienced Princess cruisers. I hear you..book now.

 

So, we're taking our first princess cruise in june - would we get a better rate if we book while onboard or right after we finish it since then we'd be princess cruise members (Captain Circle?)

[willysgrandma]

Thank you to ALL you experienced Princess cruisers. I hear you..book now.

 

So, we're taking our first princess cruise in june - would we get a better rate if we book while onboard or right after we finish it since then we'd be princess cruise members (Captain Circle?)

 

You won't get any better rate booking onboard or for first time Captains Circle members. You will be able to apply a future cruise credit if you booked onboard and an OBC usually.

 

But if you search for the right travel agent, they may give you an OBC as well.

[katisdale]

First, the Royal is a small ship - only about 700 or so cruisers - so booking early is important to avoid being locked out. I would find a discount TA to book with (one who rebates part of his/her commission to lower the cruise fare) and then watch the Princess site for fare reductions. Last week we booked the 2011 world cruise the day after the cruise opened and got the LAST cabin in the category we wanted. Now all I need to do is sell our beach condo so we can afford the trip. Thank goodness final payment is a long way away.

[Pia1913]

Thank you to ALL you experienced Princess cruisers. I hear you..book now.

 

So, we're taking our first princess cruise in june - would we get a better rate if we book while onboard or right after we finish it since then we'd be princess cruise members (Captain Circle?)

 

Absolutely wait to book until you are on the ship in June. See the future cruise consultant, buy FCC's (on board credit for your Royal cruise) and then book it. You will only pay $100 deposit per person. This way you get a promotion price (if there is one) and you can watch the pricing on the Princess site for the next year. You can also price it out with several travel agents or wait until you feel the prices won't be coming down any more. There is no rush to give it to a TA; your initial price will not go up, but it sure can go down.