28 Night Hawaii/Tahiti from LA - price question

I booked this cruise for March 2018 - a balcony with drink package for $5799 pp. I have been watching the prices and the Oct 2017 (with in 60 days) is now at $3799pp - no drinks. Personally we do not need the drink package, I would rather save $2000pp and pay as we go for our drinks, but we can not go this October - other obligations.

So, price watchers - any one know if Oct tends to be the cheaper time to go, should I plan to cancel March of next year and go Oct of next year. ?

I realize that no one knows whether prices will go up or down, just asking if the trend is lower in the fall ?

not sure where you see this balcony price for this October?? lowest price on site for balcony shows $4704 and you could waive s/s for OBC for booked cruise

I booked this cruise for March 2018 - a balcony with drink package for $5799 pp. I have been watching the prices and the Oct 2017 (with in 60 days) is now at $3799pp - no drinks. Personally we do not need the drink package, I would rather save $2000pp and pay as we go for our drinks, but we can not go this October - other obligations.

So, price watchers - any one know if Oct tends to be the cheaper time to go, should I plan to cancel March of next year and go Oct of next year. ?

I realize that no one knows whether prices will go up or down, just asking if the trend is lower in the fall ?

Compare the price you have booked the March 2018 cruise for with the price for the October 2018 cruise. Keep in mind the value of the beverage package ($1608.60 p/p). You can't count on prices going down or that the beverage package will be offered for the Oct 2018 cruise. Also factor in that March is spring break time though I doubt many spring breakers will be taking a 28 day cruise but there might be some parents or grandparents that would take younger children. Also keep in mind that there will be 18 days at sea which might lead to more drink purchases and make the drink package more valuable to you.

I don't have the answers but the difference between spring and fall in the south Pacific might mean one has a better chance of seeing whales or having better weather than the other. I took this cruise in October of 2012 and the weather was great.

The trend is that Princess cruises sell out. ;)

The current offer for the beverage package expires the end of this month.

We're booked on the October 8 cruise this year. After final payment there were a number of nice cabins that suddenly opened up for anywhere from $900 - $1,100 less than they had been previously. If you can stand to "wait and see" you might be able to score a nice Caribe balcony at a good price. We moved from our Baja balcony to a Caribe balcony after final payment. Princess had no issue with it since the Caribe balcony was now selling for less than we had paid. We kept our AIBP perk - we booked way last year under the previous Sip and Sail.

We're booked on the October 8 cruise this year. After final payment there were a number of nice cabins that suddenly opened up for anywhere from $900 - $1,100 less than they had been previously. If you can stand to "wait and see" you might be able to score a nice Caribe balcony at a good price. We moved from our Baja balcony to a Caribe balcony after final payment. Princess had no issue with it since the Caribe balcony was now selling for less than we had paid. We kept our AIBP perk - we booked way last year under the previous Sip and Sail.

Just curious , did you go thru your TA or call Princess yourself regarding this change? As I had a similar situation on another sailing...and was told I would loose my AIBP.

I would check out the weather for both times of the year, to see if it could be a rainy season at either time.

March/ April is the better choice for weather.... October/ November is their rainy season. I have done that cruise 3 times.... loved it... but prefer the spring time instead of the fall.

Just curious , did you go thru your TA or call Princess yourself regarding this change? As I had a similar situation on another sailing...and was told I would loose my AIBP.

Actually I just contacted my TA. Princess really doesn't want to deal with you personally if you are booked through a TA. We did not re-book. We just changed cabins. We didn't get a price drop (and I didn't ask for one) but we moved from our Baja balcony (which we were totally happy with) to a Caribe balcony (C705) which we are ecstatic about. There was no extra OBC. We may have been able to get some but didn't ask. We are just totally stoked to still have the AIBP and to move to a Caribe balcony in a freaking great location. We can step out of our door, step into the elevator, and go either up or down to great venues. If we go UP we are at Cafe Caribe and HC on one deck, we are directly at Adagio (<3) on another deck, or we are directly at Skywalker's on yet another deck. If we go DOWN we are at Club Fusion on one deck or at Botticelli Dining Room on the next deck down. Pretty freaking cool. All of those are available either directly up or directly down from the elevator just outside our door. I'll take it!

I booked this cruise for March 2018 - a balcony with drink package for $5799 pp. I have been watching the prices and the Oct 2017 (with in 60 days) is now at $3799pp - no drinks. Personally we do not need the drink package, I would rather save $2000pp and pay as we go for our drinks, but we can not go this October - other obligations.

So, price watchers - any one know if Oct tends to be the cheaper time to go, should I plan to cancel March of next year and go Oct of next year. ?

I realize that no one knows whether prices will go up or down, just asking if the trend is lower in the fall ?

I guess October could be cheaper. There are more demand in March.

never mind.

We are on the March 2018 sailing. When we booked in May of 2016 the balcony prices for the 3 available dates (10/16, 10/17 and 3/18) were identical $5799 PP, but Minis and Suites were $800-900 less for 3/18. Then 6/16 we added AIBP for no difference in price.