Excursion Best Price Guarantee

Has anyone submitted a claim and received a refund? Or is this just a gimmick?

Thanks

RB

I don't think it's a gimmick but when you read the terms and conditions, it is difficult to meet every stipulation to qualify.

Having re-read my post, that sounds like the definition of a gimmick!:confused:

March 2017 we put in a claim and received a refund on a shore excursion. We had taken the excursion before and knew which company did it so we were able to find the same tour on the company's website.

I've done it twice and gotten 110% of the difference which isn't much but still better then nothing. If The difference in the two shore excursion price is $30 you will get a $33 OBC. It's not the extra 10% that's so valuable but the difference that's got some value.

I just did it - got $12.50 back for each of us. Almost covers a coffee card..... But, makes me much more confident that I didn't waste money by booking through Princess.

Not a gimmick but it is hard to find an exact match to submit

I did it on two excursion for the my cruise and got almost $100 back as OBC. The form is online and super easy to fill out and return. Doesn't hurt to try!

It's difficult to find exact excursions that match and follow the guidelines, but many have shared success on getting their guarantee. While Princess excursions are more expensive, I have found them to be of far superior quality than when I've done my excursions on my own, even using travel sites and user feedback from place like Trip Advisor. This only applies to the Caribbean and Mexico, in my experience.

Not a gimmick, I scheduled an excursion from Princess for upcoming cruise, was able to find exact same excursion on line for almost half what Princess charged. I submitted the form along with independent tour companies excursion showing details. Princess accepted and will be getting $170 OBC

Interesting because I've found some significantly cheaper prices for Alaska excursions. Haven't booked anything yet.

As someone said, it isn't the extra 10% of the difference that matters; it is that they will price match the competition.

Absolutely not a gimmick. What you can do is a search of similar excursions offered in that port. You will need to book online and pay, then fill in the form with the information and they will email you a response. They will refund you 110% which in my case was about 75$ total for 3 people. It was given as an OBC.

While Princess excursions are more expensive, I have found them to be of far superior quality than when I've done my excursions on my own, even using travel sites and user feedback from place like Trip Advisor. This only applies to the Caribbean and Mexico, in my experience.

I have had too many Princess excursions that were duds (for various different reasons**), so I cannot say that they always are of far superior quality then when I (along with others) have pre-arranged a private tour based on Cruise Critic posts with recommendations for tour guides/companies.

All of the pre-arranged private tours we have been on have been excellent. This has been true in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe (the Med, the Baltic, the British Isles), South America, Australia, Africa and Asia.

Some examples of Princess excursions experiences:

a) Guide in Argentina did not know bus parking lot had been moved from the previous year and only allowed us 30 minutes to visit a penguin colony which was now a 20 minute walk each way at normal walking speed from the new parking lot. Other guides were properly aware and allowed one hour for their groups to visit the colony.

b) Guide on a walking tour in Dublin walked so fast that most in the group could not keep up with her and missed all the explanations about the sights as she was finished talking by the time the entire group made it to where she was.

c) Guide on a tour of Mexican ruins rode a bike on a different path than the tour group had to walk and thus did not explain anything at all about what we were seeing. As we did the walk, we could see other guides explaining the ruins to their groups.

d) A tour in the Caribbean was supposed to include several stops at scenic overviews as a highlight of the tour. No such stops were made as the transportation company was too anxious to be able to get back to drive the next group.

Yes I just did the shore excursion price guarantee on two of our upcoming Alaska shorex's and it was very easy. It was processed by the next day and we now have $129 in OBC. That was the price difference for five of us, so the actual price difference was not that much. I appreciate that Princess will match prices.

We have an upcoming cruise around New Zealand next month. We booked a zipline excursion in Auckland last May when excursions opened up. Shortly after booking through Princess I noticed the company that is providing the excursion showed the exact same excursion on their website for less than the Princess excursion, so I tried to book it. The only date and time that it wasn't available was when the Diamond Princess was in Auckland. I contacted the company and this was their answer.

"Thank you for your email and interest in EcoZip for you March the 13th 😊 There is space on the 2.15pm and 3.15pm Tours however the Cruise Ship is holding the space directly. You will need to book through the Cruise Line."

So, I submitted the Best Price Guarantee Form anyway and got the predictable answer.

"We are in receipt of your Shore Excursions Best Price Guarantee request. However, competitor lower rate is not available to book on March 13th. Per Terms & Conditions: "Lower rate must be publicly advertised and available to the general public at the time your request is filed." Therefore, we must deny your request."

In other words the Best Price Guarantee isn't always applicable because Princess has it locked up.