Do I book now or wait - for Spring 2005 cruise

[joanne1]

We are planning on taking our next cruise on the Star during the end of March 2005. We are not able to be flexible on the ship. Should I be booking now and hoping for sales and upgrades or should we wait for a while? I am going on a short cruise next week, would it be beneficial to book while on board? Can I transfer it to a travel agent?

Any experiences that you have with this would be appreciated.

Joanne

05/12/04 Island Princess
03/25/04 Island Princess
08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)
03/26/03 Sun Princess
12/15/02 Grand Princess

[can786]

Personally, if I were unable to be flexible I would book sooner rather than later. At least that way you get the sailing you want as well as the cabin. You can always take advantage of any price drops before final payment. You mentioned that you were going on a short cruise next week, so I would wait to book it on board and take advantage of the lower deposit and the onboard credit. When doing an onboard booking they can either assign it to your current TA or keep it with Princess and you can transfer it later. I have already booked my European cruise for June, 2005 a couple of weeks ago using an open booking from an onboard booking that I did while on Star last August.

Cathy
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=9400d3&cdt=2004;5;15;17;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100
until European River Cruise on Viking Spirit

[bostongal]

Book it now. Spring Break cruises sell out faster and if you have no flexibility on ship/port then why take the chance on being disappointed?

Meg

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do then by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

[bostongal]

Book it now. If you have no flexibility on ship/port, why take a chance on being disappointed? Spring break cruises are very popular and tend to go quickly.

Meg

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do then by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

[srphnx]

Always book on board, not doing so would be throwing money away. Book earlier rather than later but don't pay in full till you have to.

One open Princess booking
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[cruisingfreak]

Definitely book the cruise now, while onboard.
That way, you will also get a shipboard credit.
When you get home, transfer to a TA, who can get you a lower price & maybe even more shipboard credits. It's a win-win situation.


Minette


Caribbean Princess.......7/24/2004

Island Princess.......12/20/2004

[BJS]

Book while on the short cruise. We used 2 future bookings, from our April cruise, to book for July and August 2005.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>When you get home, transfer to a TA, who can get you a lower price<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You can watch for price drops or call Princess to see if the category has been lowered, if you keep the booking with them, have the price lowered, change room categories, etc. Just because you book on board and are quoted high rates, possible that far out, doesn't mean you are locked into those rates.
This year at the end of March we booked, at what we thought was a good rate, our back to back Sept. 2004 Med. cruises. Called Princess 2 weeks later and upgraded a category at a savings of over $1,000 from the onboard booking. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Doubt the rate will lower any more but will check rates with Princess before final payment is made.

Guess what I'm saying is don't let price determine if you should book as far out as possible or not.

Future cruises:
May 04 Amsterdam
Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess
July 05 Star Princess
Aug. 05 Star Pincess

Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess x 2
03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian,
Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess
01 Ryndam x 2
00 Sky Princess
79 Sitmar's Fairwind

[Toto2Kansas]

Book now while onboard, and then transfer the booking to a travel agent that monitors prices up until final payment. You can't go wrong. Plus your deposit will be less and you will also receive shipboard credits for booking it while onboard.

Tahitian Princess 10/14/04
RCI-Legend of the Seas 3/27/05 Panama Canal.
One Phantom Booking still open with Princess.

[cdnguy]

Defintely a good deal. Got credits for the two cruises listed here and another credit just waiting to be applied to some unnamed cruise.

Maybe I'm going overboard but I know a good deal when I see it. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Island Princess - Hawaii, Nov.5/04
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff0000&cdt=2004;11;5;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0800
Sun Princess - Feb.7/05
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff0000&cdt=2005;02;7;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500

[jhannah]

Joanne1, looks like it's unanimous!

'Vegas Jim

[todd-r]

Hi Joanne,

Definately book while you're on board. Drop by the Future Cruise Consultant's office (on the Island it's on Plaza Deck 5 across from the Tour Desk and beside La Patisserie) and make all the arrangements. If you know exactly what you want, you don't have to make an apointment, just fill out the form (outside the office) and drop it off. The Future Cruise Consultant will make the booking and you'll receive a confirmation in the mailbox, outside your cabin door.

I'm sure Jeff and I will be there at some point, maybe we'll run into you there? Especially since La Patisserie has the best coffee on board!

Up next - Pacific NorthWest Coastal!

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;05;12;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0800

Navigator of the Seas - 01/05
Dawn Princess - 10/04
Grand Princess - 11/04 (Cancelled)
Grand Princess - 10/04 (Cancelled)
Island Princess - 05/04
Grand Princess - 10/03
Norway - 10/03 (Cancelled)
Wind Surf - Transatlantic 4/02

[joanne1]

Thanks to everyone for your advice!!

Just a couple more questions. It will be myself on the cruise with other family members but when we go next spring it will be me and my husband. Will the room credit be for both of us, for the room, or just for myself? Sometimes my TA offers a room credit for booking with her - Will I be able to take advantage of both of them?

Todd - hope to run into you and Jeff on the ship and have a great time in Vegas before you board!!

Joanne

05/12/04 Island Princess
03/25/04 Island Princess
08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)
03/26/03 Sun Princess
12/15/02 Grand Princess

[GottoCruise]

Yes to all! Just do it!

PACIFIC PRINCESS
7/25/04 Islands of the Pacific Theater
<IMG SRC="http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;7;25;12;0;00&timezone=GMT
GOLDEN PRINCESS
8/10/05 British Isles
8/20/05 TransAtlantic
<IMG SRC="http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trfb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ooooff&cdt=2005;8;25;12;0;00&timezone=GMT

GOLDEN PRINCESS
8/10/05 British Isles 8/20/05 TransAtlantic
<IMG SRC="http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;8;10;12;0;00&timezone=GMT

[Smiles]

Booking on board is the ONLY plus to booking early for Princess. And if you do so, except if you want a particular cabin, book a guarantee for the lowest cabin category that you do want. I don't know why, but Princess seems to give the best discounts to those who book late. Early booking doesnt make too much of a difference between the categories, but late bookings--at least on Princess--seems to give the best prices to those who book latest. BTW, everyone seems to be upgraded at that point, but the latter bookings seem MUCH cheaper.

[BJS]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>the best prices to those who book latest. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Not always true. Have gotten some of best prices early on and seen prices go up and up closer to final payment and sailing time.

Future cruises:
May 04 Amsterdam
Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess
July 05 Star Princess
Aug. 05 Star Pincess

Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess x 2
03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian,
Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess
01 Ryndam x 2
00 Sky Princess
79 Sitmar's Fairwind