Question for experienced Princess cruisers about pricing.

We're looking to book a balcony cabin for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii from LA in December. We've been on a couple of cruises before ( a few years ago) but never with Princess. At the moment with the 'Sun-drenched 40% off sale' the prices look quite reasonable for us (2 adults and 2 kids). There still seems to be a lot of balcony cabins available so my question is - do you think it's worth waiting for the 'Great Escapes sale' which starts on Sep 25th? That sale seems to indicate that the price for the 3/4th guests in the cabin would be lower, plus they're giving credit for excursions. To be honest, we'd just like to get it booked but if we're going to miss out on a substantial saving then that would be a big deal for us.

The worst fear is waiting for Sep 25th and seeing the price increase!

I understand that there's no way of knowing for sure, but if any expereinced Princess cruisers who are familiar with their pricing patterns could give us some advice, it would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Just be aware that on the new promotion that there is a 10 percent non refundable deposit.

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Just be aware that on the new promotion that there is a 10 percent non refundable deposit.

 

 

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Thanks, I thought the current sale was a 10% non-refundable deposit too. I will check again.

We use a travel agent - she is with a large company that does cruise ships. In the past, she has been able to get Princess to give us the price adjustments without losing our selected cabin. Now, past experience is no guarantee of future behavior, but its something to talk to your TA about.

Book NOW!!

The prices will almost certainly go up as time passes and choice of cabins will go down.

Find what you want and book it.

Watch for another sale and change if it looks like a better deal.

We usually try to book as soon as the "launch" fares are posted. The fares are generally at their lowest point at that time. We almost never find a cheaper price.

Things to consider, December final payments are fast approaching. Once you've passed final payment there is not much you can do if a new booking price is cheaper.

If the deposit for current sale is non refundable, then you lose that and whatever "discount" you may have gotten on the next sale, and it would not be worth it to re-fare. The benefit to booking now is getting a cabin you want. The price could very well go up, which would be disappointing.

If it is a refundable deposit, then you lose nothing in booking now and re-fare when the next sale comes out, assuming you have not gone past final payment.

We also are in the boat of booking when sailings come out, and have rarely re-fared (once maybe?) as that pricing is always the best.

well, what jellybelly posted above "may" be true under some circumstances...

just call Princess - who knows what the rep that answers the phone might be able to do for you...it happens, believe me, I know...;p

Thanks, I thought the current sale was a 10% non-refundable deposit too. I will check again.

The Sun Drenched Deal promo also does have a non-refundable deposit.

So, with a non-refundable deposit, if before final payment, you can still switch to a different promotion without penalty.

I booked under this promo and recently switched over to the 3 for Free promo for a bit more money but way better perks. They had no problem with it since I wasn't in the penalty phase even though I had a non-refundable deposit. I still have a non-refundable deposit but I came out a few hundred ahead by doing so.

Also need to mention that sometimes cabins go on sale right after final payment for 'new bookings' only if there is a LOT of availability. Early December brings a lot of deals ... late December, not so much, though.

Just of note, that crossing can be rough for the first couple of days out and the last couple of days back. I only mention that because you mentioned you've only been on a couple of cruises before and you may be happy to know what to expect. We were on that sailing with a couple of sisters in which it was their first cruise, one of which was terribly sea sick the first day out. I asked why they chose a 14 night sailing for their first cruise, not to mention one with a particularly rough start and end and with 2 5 day stretches at sea. They looked at me quizzically and asked me how I knew it was going to be rough. I said, because it is almost always rough for those first couple of days. I learned that from CruiseCritic many moons ago. We were lucky to have booked a midship room on deck 8 and barely noticed the movement while in our cabin. Anyway, the point being, if you get sea sick at all, I would recommend a cabin that is on a lower deck and midship.

Dont wait! Princess cruises sell out consistently. Hawaii is very popular

You may find one day when you log in that the cruise may show sold out.

I have learned over the years that you should book asap especially if there is a current sale. I have found the sold out cruise when I have waited more times than I care to count.

The cruise is capacity controlled so if you need a quad cabin they are few and far between and sellout quickly too. So even if they show quads available when you actually try and book one you may be out of luck.

The Sun Drenched Deal promo also does have a non-refundable deposit.

So, with a non-refundable deposit, if before final payment, you can still switch to a different promotion without penalty.

I booked under this promo and recently switched over to the 3 for Free promo for a bit more money but way better perks. They had no problem with it since I wasn't in the penalty phase even though I had a non-refundable deposit. I still have a non-refundable deposit but I came out a few hundred ahead by doing so.

Also need to mention that sometimes cabins go on sale right after final payment for 'new bookings' only if there is a LOT of availability. Early December brings a lot of deals ... late December, not so much, though.

 

Just of note, that crossing can be rough for the first couple of days out and the last couple of days back. I only mention that because you mentioned you've only been on a couple of cruises before and you may be happy to know what to expect. We were on that sailing with a couple of sisters in which it was their first cruise, one of which was terribly sea sick the first day out. I asked why they chose a 14 night sailing for their first cruise, not to mention one with a particularly rough start and end and with 2 5 day stretches at sea. They looked at me quizzically and asked me how I knew it was going to be rough. I said, because it is almost always rough for those first couple of days. I learned that from CruiseCritic many moons ago. We were lucky to have booked a midship room on deck 8 and barely noticed the movement while in our cabin. Anyway, the point being, if you get sea sick at all, I would recommend a cabin that is on a lower deck and midship.

Thanks for the info ;) it is early December we're looking at and there seems to still be a lot of rooms available - so still undecided as whether to book now or wait for a better deal! And as for the rough seas, I think we'll be ok. We were on a transatlantic crossing out of New York the day before Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012 and that was quite an adventure! Kids had seabands and they were ok and we were fine too. There were lots of people who backed out of that crossing at the last minute, plus lots of other on board getting really sick.

Dont wait! Princess cruises sell out consistently. Hawaii is very popular

You may find one day when you log in that the cruise may show sold out.

I have learned over the years that you should book asap especially if there is a current sale. I have found the sold out cruise when I have waited more times than I care to count.

The cruise is capacity controlled so if you need a quad cabin they are few and far between and sellout quickly too. So even if they show quads available when you actually try and book one you may be out of luck.

Ok, thank you

If you can go in late November, there are some great deals on Princess website in the "last minute deals", out of San Francisco and LA.

if the cruise shows as SOLD OUT...

call Princess and get on a waiting list

keep checking the website daily, if not multiple times a day if it is importent to you

Yes, the biggest thing is to make sure you are booking with a refundable deposit... Unless you are 100%. sure you want THAT sailing and THAT cabin, at that rate.

I believe that you can book with either a refundable, or the non-refundable rate. But, this doesn't show on the web-site.

So, you might want to make a phone call and make sure of all the details and options, in person.

If you know a good travel agent who is familiar with booking with Princess, this is when it can be a benefit.

They can deal with working thru the different options, and can offer a discounted fare.

Happy Planning!

Non refundable won't matter here in a few days when final is due.

Refundable deposit or not , you can re fare without losing your deposit up until Final.

Book now , if next Sale , before Final , gets you a better deal , re fare. No problem [emoji6] Done it several times.

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It's truly impossible to know whether the fare will go up or down from one day to the next. On my Japan cruise, the fare plummeted for just a few days, then shot back up again as the ship sold out. If I'd waited a couple of days to reface, I would have lost a four-figure refund. On the other hand, fares on my next Japan fares have gone up since I booked in May under another sale, and when OBCs are all figured in, they're considerably more expensive now under 3-for-Free.

OP, if the fare is non-refundable, the statement that you see on the web-site is pretty specific.

Perhaps some have been able to 'refare'.. But I wouldn't want to count on that unless you have verification from Princess.

OP, what you might want to do is to put the cruise on a courtesy hold, just before the new promo kicks in.

I am thinking that you could do this, and then you would have both options, as the hold would lock in the current fare... which you could simply make the deposit and book.. or you could cancel the hold, or let it expire, and book the new rate/promo.

OP, if the fare is non-refundable, the statement that you see on the web-site is pretty specific.

Perhaps some have been able to 'refare'.. But I wouldn't want to count on that unless you have verification from Princess.

 

OP, what you might want to do is to put the cruise on a courtesy hold, just before the new promo kicks in.

I am thinking that you could do this, and then you would have both options, as the hold would lock in the current fare... which you could simply make the deposit and book.. or you could cancel the hold, or let it expire, and book the new rate/promo.

Seems the final will be due before the next sale starts. So it does not matter.

Can't courtesy hold that long anyway.

We're looking to book a balcony cabin for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii from LA in December. We've been on a couple of cruises before ( a few years ago) but never with Princess. At the moment with the 'Sun-drenched 40% off sale' the prices look quite reasonable for us (2 adults and 2 kids). There still seems to be a lot of balcony cabins available so my question is - do you think it's worth waiting for the 'Great Escapes sale' which starts on Sep 25th?

Have you been able to verify that your cruise will even be included in the Great Escapes sale?

I am going thru the same question. I want to book Feb 2019 Regal and its the sun drenched 40% off (yeah, right). The price seems high. But it is important I go on that day. I am wondering if I should wait for the new sale to come out next week. Will prices drop or go up? No one knows. Another poster (thank you) said to put a courtesy hold on it the day before the sale ends/starts. I think I will do that. Good idea.

We are uber fortunate to live only ten minutes from Port Everglades during the winter months and have become expert at grabbing last minute deals. DH and I celebrate both our birthdays and our anniversary within a span of 5 days at the end of February. As a celebratory gift to ourselves we go on a cruise. Some of the deals we have gotten have been unbelievable, scoring great cabins at vastly reduced fares after final payment has passed. I know when to start looking and have become pretty good at knowing when the fares are at the lowest.

The downside? As others have pointed out, often the exact sailings that are during our birthdays/anniversary week sell out (well, maybe not sell out but a balcony cabin is a non-negotiable for us) or the fares actually go up rather than down. So we have to be flexible. Sometimes we sail in early February, sometimes in March. We aren't particular about the ship or the ports of call. We don't suffer from motion sickness and have no mobility issues so the location of the cabin is not an issue.

We had a particularly difficult year and because of those difficulties we were not able to cruise this year. Because of this we decided to splurge and to purchase a cabin of our choice (aft on the Dolphin) in 2019. We leave on our anniversary and will celebrate our birthdays onboard. We paid quite a bit more than we normally do (sun drenched deal) but were able to get a discount with our TA along with some additional OBC and a comped specialty dinner. For a short time, Princess was also offering an additional $50 OBC which we were also able to get.

I'll keep an eye on the fares until final payment and then I won't check them again. I don't know if we will be able to re-fare if the Great Escape has better deals but we'll sure give it the old college try.

In short, if you are set on your dates and cabins my advice is don't wait too long. If you can be flexible the rewards are definitely worth the risk.

Everything depends on your country and what if any sale is on and if deposits are refundable. I am in The Azores so I don’t know which site I would get. Haven’t looked

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Thanks for the info ;) it is early December we're looking at and there seems to still be a lot of rooms available - so still undecided as whether to book now or wait for a better deal! And as for the rough seas, I think we'll be ok. We were on a transatlantic crossing out of New York the day before Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012 and that was quite an adventure! Kids had seabands and they were ok and we were fine too. There were lots of people who backed out of that crossing at the last minute, plus lots of other on board getting really sick.

You will be good in that case!! Enjoy!!

OP - If you are looking at the Dec 4th sailing of the Emerald to Hawaii the final payment for that cruise is today Sept. 20th.