Jump to content

I’ve never booked a suite....


dockhl
 Share

Recommended Posts

Suites use to book up first so you had to grab them right away - 2 years out. But since they have eliminated suite perks, many people I know have gone to mini suites ( those should not be called suites - it screws up too many new cruisers thinking they get suite perks). Now you see suites still available a month out. We have been booking suites for over ten years and none of ours have ever gone down in price. When the suites are sold out, you can not get any type of a discount.

I have been thinking it is time to give them out but my husband loves sitting out on the aft balcony and he hates to travel so if booking a suite makes him agree to travel, I will stay with them.

Window suites are not for us, we need the balcony.

 

Maybe a cruise during the summer to the Caribbean may have some deals for suites. good luck finding one.

Besides the unlimited internet what suite perks has Princess eliminated? I know Club Dining was added. I am just curious.

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am booked in an aft mini suite. Luckily I had read hear about Princess doing automatic upgrades which we definitely didn't want because we love aft and didn't want to be "upgraded" mid ship. My question, we waitlisted for a Vista suite noting we were interested in only 2 specific staterooms that were already paid in full. We are hoping one of those 2 are upgraded to a Premium opening up the Vista that we are hoping for. Does Princess typically upgrade one level of suite to another or non-suite guests to a suite? Trying to gauge our chance of grabbing the Vista we really want.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am booked in an aft mini suite. Luckily I had read hear about Princess doing automatic upgrades which we definitely didn't want because we love aft and didn't want to be "upgraded" mid ship. My question, we waitlisted for a Vista suite noting we were interested in only 2 specific staterooms that were already paid in full. We are hoping one of those 2 are upgraded to a Premium opening up the Vista that we are hoping for. Does Princess typically upgrade one level of suite to another or non-suite guests to a suite? Trying to gauge our chance of grabbing the Vista we really want.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I can't say what Princess "normally" does, but I've never seen anyone post that they were offered an upsell from one type of suite to another. I've seen posts saying that someone was offered an upsell from a balcony or mini to a suite though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I booked a Window Suite on the Grand for next January then when the Landmark Sale started, I rebooked to a Vista for not a whole lot more. For the cruise after that I booked a Window Suite on the Caribbean with every expectation of staying there since the Vista's are significantly more. Between my casino pricing and the TA discount, I got the WS for less than what a balcony is going for right now. Then I rebooked when the sip and sail went live, paid a little more but since we would buy the drink package anyway, still saved $700. I'm in it for the perks and I'm afraid I'll have a hard time going back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suites use to book up first so you had to grab them right away - 2 years out. But since they have eliminated suite perks, many people I know have gone to mini suites ( those should not be called suites - it screws up too many new cruisers thinking they get suite perks). Now you see suites still available a month out. We have been booking suites for over ten years and none of ours have ever gone down in price. When the suites are sold out, you can not get any type of a discount.

I have been thinking it is time to give them out but my husband loves sitting out on the aft balcony and he hates to travel so if booking a suite makes him agree to travel, I will stay with them.

Window suites are not for us, we need the balcony.

 

Maybe a cruise during the summer to the Caribbean may have some deals for suites. good luck finding one.

Just curious, what suite perks have been eliminated? Thanks.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only time I have ever called and asked for an up sell the suite was only $500 more than the mini suite that we had booked. It’s a very port intensive sailing with only one sea day. Maybe that was why there was one available? Lucky us! British Isles on the Royal/with Liverpool 8/5/18.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We’ve received price reductions twice on suites we had already booked (yes, it does happen). Twice we paid the price of the suite at time of booking. Booking a suite for us is ship/itinerary dependent and when booking we are willing to pay the price as booked, but constantly monitor the cruise price up until final payment. When we don’t book a suite we book a mini-suite (Club Class since available). This past May we sailed in a Club Class mini on a 11 night Mediterranean itinerary we had booked 18 months in advance, then took advantage of a sale last October and got it for the same price as a regular mini-suite with a ton of OBC. It ended up saving us $3,400 for two on the cruise based upon the original booking price. Even if you use a TA, we’ve found that the best way to save money regardless of the cabin type booked is to constantly monitor it too, weighing the pros/cons of the new promotion offered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a window suite booked on the Grand Oct. 2019. We always book mini suites but got the window suite for the same price as a mini and get all the benefits of a suite. We like a balcony so we’ll see how much we miss not having one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not quoting posts but will try to remember a few:

 

Suite perks eliminated: unlimited internet and chocolate covered strawberries

 

Yes, I have been upgraded (not upsell) from a Window Suite to a Penthouse Suite. I did it once and decided never again. I love the location of the Window Suites and I do not miss a balcony.

 

I do not have unlimited funds but do enjoy my travels in a suite. Especially with lots of sea days. Most of the time, a Window Suite can be reserved for about the same price as a CC mini (or even at a bargain). I have booked Window Suites 18 months out to get the one I "really" like (unmentioned to avoid competition).

 

Enjoy your suite experience without the guilt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! Tons of great information...thank you so much.

Now I have another question:

we choose our own cabins and always say "no upgrade" so we don't end up getting moved to a location we don't like. We have no idea how one gets an "upsell" offer. (I guess I am not even really sure what that is. I assume Princess contacts you and says, "You can go into a higher category for XXX$$$" but doesn't actually CHANGE your booking?) So...is there any way to still get an upsell when we say "no upgrade"? :confused::confused::confused::confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have gotten upsell offers the last 2 years from a mini to a full suite. We generally are on long cruises (14-21 days) so it is a real treat. They will take a class of cabin and send out e-mails offering you a suite at a price lower than the suite usually costs. You have to call back, leave a voice mail and then the call in the order you voice mail was left. Last year we went from a mini suite to an owners suite on the PP for a trans Atlantic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suites use to book up first so you had to grab them right away - 2 years out. But since they have eliminated suite perks, many people I know have gone to mini suites ( those should not be called suites - it screws up too many new cruisers thinking they get suite perks). Now you see suites still available a month out. We have been booking suites for over ten years and none of ours have ever gone down in price. When the suites are sold out, you can not get any type of a discount.

I have been thinking it is time to give them out but my husband loves sitting out on the aft balcony and he hates to travel so if booking a suite makes him agree to travel, I will stay with them.

Window suites are not for us, we need the balcony.

 

Maybe a cruise during the summer to the Caribbean may have some deals for suites. good luck finding one.

 

Perhaps it's time to look iinto aft-facing balcony cabins - especially those on Caribe deck where the balconies are bigger. We've only sailed in one of those once but absolutely loved it. (Suites are not even vaguely an option for us.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have gotten upsell offers the last 2 years from a mini to a full suite. We generally are on long cruises (14-21 days) so it is a real treat. They will take a class of cabin and send out e-mails offering you a suite at a price lower than the suite usually costs. You have to call back, leave a voice mail and then the call in the order you voice mail was left. Last year we went from a mini suite to an owners suite on the PP for a trans Atlantic.

 

Do you normally have your reservation designated "no upgrade"? Or do I have to leave that as a possibility?

We normally do approx. two week cruises and that would be HEAVENLY!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An upsell is different than an upgrade. You can mark your reservation "no upgrades" and still get an upsell offer. The big difference is that you'll know about an upsell before it happens and you will be able to negotiate the specific cabin. For instance, if you receive an upsell from an inside to an obstructed oceanview, you'll want to go on line to see which are available and which have the least obstruction. Then when the Princess agent offers you the one with a lifeboat fully in front of it, you calmly ask for the number of the one with minimal obstruction....and you win big time.

 

On the other hand, an upgrade may happen at any time and you won't necessarily know unless you look at your booking regularly. And what YOU consider an upgrade may be very different than what Princess considers an upgrade. By the time you see it, your original cabin may be no longer available...and you are not a winner!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we choose our own cabins and always say "no upgrade" so we don't end up getting moved to a location we don't like. We have no idea how one gets an "upsell" offer. (I guess I am not even really sure what that is. I assume Princess contacts you and says, "You can go into a higher category for XXX$$$" but doesn't actually CHANGE your booking?) So...is there any way to still get an upsell when we say "no upgrade"? :confused::confused::confused::confused:

 

Yes, that is what an upsell is. Princess used to just give free upgrades, but then discovered passengers would almost beg to be offered to pay for what used to be free.

 

Yes, even though you have marked your booking as "will not accept upgrade," they might make an upsell offer to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's true that the Suites do not always go on sale like the other room categories. But we have gotten several very good deals. On the 3 for free you can't get an upgrade so the Suites are sometimes marked down. On that sale you can get a Club class mini suite for the price of a regular. since there's nothing to go up to, the Suites are on sale. We've also gotten it on a buy one get one half off sale. I can't remember what they do that one but I think that sale should be coming up. When we have gotten them at a discounted price they have never gone lower. I constantly check because we have been able to get other rooms at lower prices, rebooked. But never once have I been successful finding a suite lower than one of those two sales. The time we did the buy one get one half off, we only paid a little over $1,200 for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, even though you have marked your booking as "will not accept upgrade," they might make an upsell offer to you.

 

Good to know! So how do I position us to be offered an upsell? We have done 15 cruises, mostly 12-16 days, and have never gotten one...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's true that the Suites do not always go on sale like the other room categories. But we have gotten several very good deals. On the 3 for free you can't get an upgrade so the Suites are sometimes marked down. On that sale you can get a Club class mini suite for the price of a regular. since there's nothing to go up to, the Suites are on sale. We've also gotten it on a buy one get one half off sale. I can't remember what they do that one but I think that sale should be coming up. When we have gotten them at a discounted price they have never gone lower. I constantly check because we have been able to get other rooms at lower prices, rebooked. But never once have I been successful finding a suite lower than one of those two sales. The time we did the buy one get one half off, we only paid a little over $1,200 for me.

 

Great to know. Now I need to keep these, in particular, in mind. Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, that is what an upsell is. Princess used to just give free upgrades, but then discovered passengers would almost beg to be offered to pay for what used to be free.

 

Our first cruise was Alaska 2007. TA told us to book lowest category balcony, she said we would definitely get an upgrade and sure enough we did. Then a few days before sailing we were upgraded to a mini-suite. I guess those days are gone :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to know! So how do I position us to be offered an upsell? We have done 15 cruises, mostly 12-16 days, and have never gotten one...?

The lower you book, the more likely you are to get an upsell offer. Upgrades still exist, but upsells are more common.

 

Essentially, as the sailing date nears, Princess is well aware that they are more likely to sell a cabin at a low cost...but they also want to get as much profit out of the cruise as possible and to fill all cabins. If you booked an inside cabin, there are more cabins that you can be upsold to--essentially any cabin on the ship is a good thing for you. So you might get a call about an obstructed oceanview or a low end balcony. You are probably not going to get a call about a mini suite or a full suite as Princess wants to get more money for those. Currently, there are three window suites open on our upcoming cruise. If they don't sell (and probably won't at this point...), someone is going to get an upsell offer. This would likely go to someone in a regular mini, and if no takers, a balcony, and might even work down to people in oceanviews. This is a harder upsell because they need to find someone who is willing to pay for the suite perks but also willing to give up a balcony. Currently this sells for $1000 more than a balcony on the same cruise...so the upsell offer may be $299 or $399. Then Princess will try to upsell someone into the cabin that they vacate. It is just a game--max the dollars they get for each sailing.

 

Princess also has an idea of what people will pay for an upsell and what is "too rich."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The upsell offer that we received (and took) was $229pp to go from an obstructed ocean view to the window suite (on both weeks of a B2B). My guess is that they figured someone in an ocean view would be more willing to move to a different room with no balcony since they didn't have the balcony anyway. Loved the window suite and would do it again in a heartbeat if the price was good.

 

I'm watching an upcoming cruise we have and there are still several window suites left. Crossing fingers that the upsell fairy calls again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Currently' date=' there are three window suites open on our upcoming cruise. If they don't sell (and probably won't at this point...), someone is going to get an upsell offer. This would likely go to someone in a regular mini, and if no takers, a balcony, and might even work down to people in oceanviews. This is a harder upsell because they need to find someone who is willing to pay for the suite perks but also willing to give up a balcony. [/quote']

 

I have never seen a post about someone with a balcony being offered an upsell to a window suite. Thus they probably only make these offers to someone with an oceanview cabin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So for $229 you got free laundry' date=' CC dining, a much larger room, nicer toiletries, first night specialty dining, etc. Not bad! I LOVE the location of the window suites.[/quote']

 

Besides the location, we also liked the two mini bars (traded one for coffee cards and the other for bottled water) -- and let's not forget the Sabatinis breakfast yum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...