Advice needed re princess pricing

[kaybeeeeeee]

I'll try to keep this explanation as brief, but clear as possible.

 

Last September I booked 3 inside cabins all the same category for 3 couples. The price for us was $230 (per couple) less for us than the other two because we were returning Princess cruisers plus I had referrals for the 4 of them. As per my Circle Savings Account Summary I had 4 referral credits ($100) and Voyage Goodwill ($25) and all have been applied.

 

Fast forward a few months to where I discovered that a price decrease. Called the TA and got the price reduced for the other 2 couples at total of $226 per couple but the TA said Princess wouldn't reduce mine any further so we're paying virtually the same amount, even though I had the credits.

 

I know I should have asked for advice at the time. Now we're past final payment and the we'll be cruising in ten days. Although this issue is gnawing at me it won't reduce our fun on the cruise but I'm still wondering if I have any recourse. What, if anything, do you suggest?

[shepp]

I'm still a bit unclear. Was the returning passenger price likewise reduced, or just the fare available to the general public? Sometimes when tracking fares, I've seen on;y the G.P. fare decreased and the differential disappear. If not, why wouldn't Princess reduce your fare too? Were you given a reason?

[kaybeeeeeee]

I'm still a bit unclear. Was the returning passenger price likewise reduced, or just the fare available to the general public? Sometimes when tracking fares, I've seen on;y the G.P. fare decreased and the differential disappear. If not, why wouldn't Princess reduce your fare too? Were you given a reason?

 

3 couples, 2 new Princess couples' fares were reduced and mine (returning Princess passenger) not reduced. I'm pretty sure you're correct that the reason given was that the GP fare was reduced and the differential disappeared. What bothers me is that I could have booked as a GP, gotten the same price and kept the credits for a future cruise. At the time I saw the decrease I probably should have started a brand new booking at the lower price and done exactly that.

[ssbeagle]

There are some fares that are not eligible for the fare decrease because they are already at the lowest they will go. I have seen people talk about fare drops on the same cruise we were on and we couldn't get a decrease because our fare was already the lowest or it was a special promotional fare when we booked. That could be why yours wasn't decreased. I gather you were paying about the same as your friends but remember, they weren't getting the credits you received.

[cat-tav]

A similar thing happened to me on my current booking. The fare dropped so Princess gave me the reduction + $100 per passenger OBC. I was happy. A couple of months later I decided to upgrade to a mini-suite. Later when I checked my account I saw that the OBC was gone. I called to ask about it and was told that the OBC was given to me as a returning Princess passenger, but when I re-fared at a lower rate (not sure how it was a lower rate!), the OBC no longer applied. I'm still a returning Princess passenger so this makes no sense to me but, as the OP said, it will not spoil my cruise. At the cost of shore excursions, that OBC sure would have been nice though!

[Pam in CA]

A similar thing happened to me on my current booking. The fare dropped so Princess gave me the reduction + $100 per passenger OBC. I was happy. A couple of months later I decided to upgrade to a mini-suite. Later when I checked my account I saw that the OBC was gone. I called to ask about it and was told that the OBC was given to me as a returning Princess passenger, but when I re-fared at a lower rate (not sure how it was a lower rate!), the OBC no longer applied. I'm still a returning Princess passenger so this makes no sense to me but, as the OP said, it will not spoil my cruise. At the cost of shore excursions, that OBC sure would have been nice though!

I believe it's because you re-booked during a "flash" sale.

 

To the OP, I'm still not clear what you're asking about. You received a discount because you were a past passenger and your friends didn't, but then Princess lowered the price of the cruise and your friends are now paying about the same thing as you are. Are you looking for or were you expecting the same discount your friends got so you would still be paying less? If so, it doesn't work that way. As was said, you already received a discount.

 

To get the lowest price, find a good TA; they will discount the fare (sometimes substantially) and give you group pricing, plus perks. While you won't receive further discounts under most circumstances, you'll pay less even if Princess reduces fares.

 

For our cruise last September, my sister booked an oceanview cabin, I booked a BD balcony. At final payment, my fare was reduced by about $1,500 so I was paying about the same thing for the balcony as my sister was for her oceanview. A few days before leaving home for London, my TA let me know I'd been upgraded to an AA minisuite. My sister was kicking herself that she hadn't booked the balcony in the first place but sometimes, fare reductions are only for specific categories.

 

Pricing and fares are a lot more complicated than one would think. Sometimes, where you live makes a difference. Sometimes, the category makes a difference. You'd have to be an experienced TA to figure it all out.

[Coral]

I can't explain it - sorry.

 

Heck - I would have asked to return the referral credits back to the referral bank and use it next time. Not sure if they would have done that but something just doesn't seem fair here.

[kaybeeeeeee]

Thanks all for your input. What bothered me is that my net cost was the same as my friends' AFTER they deducted my referral credits. What was the point of me making the referrals if they just brought me down to the same fare I would've gotten anyways?

[Loonbeam]

Unfortunately you hit a bad draw on this one. If they hadn't had the sale you would have done quite well.

 

Thanks all for your input. What bothered me is that my net cost was the same as my friends' AFTER they deducted my referral credits. What was the point of me making the referrals if they just brought me down to the same fare I would've gotten anyways?

[lovingretirement]

Thanks all for your input. What bothered me is that my net cost was the same as my friends' AFTER they deducted my referral credits. What was the point of me making the referrals if they just brought me down to the same fare I would've gotten anyways?

 

I understand exactly how you feel! The exact same thing happened to us. We are Platinum on Princess and got the referral credit for two couples who are traveling with us on Princess for the first time. They also got the same credit. They were notified by our cruise consultant that their fare had dropped by $80. I suppose this was because they were first time cruisers on Princess. Ours has not dropped. It doesn't show me that Princess appreciates us very much, and we have brought them at least thirty new cruisers over the last few years. I don't get it???

[Loonbeam]

Same cabin class? I don't recall seeing many discounts for new cruisers except flash promos, which you usually have to give up your booking for if you even can get them once booked...

 

I understand exactly how you feel! The exact same thing happened to us. We are Platinum on Princess and got the referral credit for two couples who are traveling with us on Princess for the first time. They also got the same credit. They were notified by our cruise consultant that their fare had dropped by $80. I suppose this was because they were first time cruisers on Princess. Ours has not dropped. It doesn't show me that Princess appreciates us very much, and we have brought them at least thirty new cruisers over the last few years. I don't get it???

[lovingretirement]

Same cabin class? I don't recall seeing many discounts for new cruisers except flash promos, which you usually have to give up your booking for if you even can get them once booked...

 

Yes, we all have mini suites that are next to each other. The reduced price didn't show up on the Princess web site. Our cruise consultant called them and told them their price had dropped $80. The other two couples who are cruising with us, who are past cruisers with Princess, did not get the price drop either. I have also noticed that when I check prices for specific cruises, the price goes up when I log in. This would indicate to me that I am paying more than a first time cruiser. I haven't complained to Princess because I don't want the two couples who got the discount to lose it. The price for our cruise has gone up since we booked about $50.

[Pam in CA]

Yes, we all have mini suites that are next to each other. The reduced price didn't show up on the Princess web site. Our cruise consultant called them and told them their price had dropped $80. The other two couples who are cruising with us, who are past cruisers with Princess, did not get the price drop either. I have also noticed that when I check prices for specific cruises, the price goes up when I log in. This would indicate to me that I am paying more than a first time cruiser. I haven't complained to Princess because I don't want the two couples who got the discount to lose it. The price for our cruise has gone up since we booked about $50.

Find a good TA and you'll pay less than anything a Princess cruise consultant can get you, often a lot less.