Does Princess discount Alaska balconies?

[DebInTN]

We will be cruising Alaska in May 2013. I read/hear about people waiting to book in order to get discounted fare. We want a balcony and understand that if we want to make sure that we get it we should book early and pay whatever the price is. I see ads and it looks like the discounted cabins are never balconies. I would assume that the balcony cabins for Alaska are pretty easy for them to sell and there is no need to discount them. Is this your experience?

[katisdale]

I think there are two secrets to getting a good price on the cabin you want. First, work with a TA who discounts their fares. After checking the price on the Princess site call or e-mail a few agents and get quotes from them. Throw out the ones that are the same as Princess or that charge cancellation or change fees. Second, once you have made your reservation check the Princess site once a month or so. If the price for your cabin category has gone below what you are paying you can ask to be refared. I have asked and never been refused a refare. However I never look at prices after final payment. My system gives me the room I want (by booking early) at a fair price. Remember that sometimes the prices go up and not down on popular cruises.

[CenTexGal]

We booked 10 months out for this years Alaska cruise and checked at final payment for any reductions and there were none for our balcony cabin. This is my only experience with a balcony on an Alaskan cruise however.

[Coral]

Some years yes, other years no. This year there was less ships in Alaska and prices were higher compared to previous years. Not sure what 2 years from now will look like. If you are going in May - you have a better chance of getting a better price.

[mishdoob]

We booked an Ocean view obstructed for the end of this summer several months ago and I've been checking prices often to see if we could upgrade... What I've found is that the inside cabins have stayed the same, but the Oceanview Obstructed have gone up about $400, as have the balconies. In fact, prices have gone up steadly since final payment time (we had hoped they would have gone down!)

 

I'd recommend you book the cabin you want and then just keep checking in case it goes down. A TA explained to me that since the season is so short and balconies are in demand, those prices don't typically go down.

[DebInTN]

Thanks. I don't want to pay too much, but don't want to be without the balcony. I didn't realize you could re-fare. Now, I'm just counting the days until I can book.

[Infi]

The best deal I have ever gotten on a Princess cruise was in Alaska. They ran a promotion for Captain's Circle members that was similar to buy one, get one half off. (I don't remember the exact wording, but it worked out to about $700pp for a balcony cabin.) We got the promotion in January 2009 and used it on a June 2009 cruise.

 

Of course, this was back when Alaska had too many ships and not enough people to fill them, so prices were cut. No one knows yet how many ships will go to Alaska in 2013, but that factor will dictate prices. I agree with the other posters that you have a better chance of finding deals in May versus the rest of the season.

[itzmered]

depends on the sailing, we went June 18th of this year. Our cruise had a lot of cabins unsold up to 3 weeks prior. They were offering some awesome last minute deals.

[Putterdude]

It will depend upon the time during the season but yes there often some pretty deep discounts early and particularly latter in the season ie late August and early September. The late season discount promotion usually starts to show up in June. But we like to book our cabin early and then have our TA get any reductions for us.

[327055kk]

Earlier this year Princess had a sale Balcony rooms for price of Oceanview. It was for this summer Alaskan cruises.

[Coral]

Earlier this year Princess had a sale Balcony rooms for price of Oceanview. It was for this summer Alaskan cruises.

 

They did - but the prices were not as good as years past. In years past, there were some awesome bargains.

[Kirsten T]

Our travel agent constantly checks for price reductions after we book and grabs lower fares when they pop up. We did Alaska this year and did not get a lower fare, but we've had good luck with this in the Caribbean. It's all supply and demand, but having a TA that cares about you and that you trust is the best insurance against being gouged. That's reason #1 I don't book directly with Princess.

[Shelly97060]

Like Kirsten T, I use a TA that is regularly checking for price drops for me. I book early to get the cabin I want and know that if the prices go down I am covered. There are no guarantees, but I have had good luck.;)

[gdisney]

Earlier this year Princess had a sale Balcony rooms for price of Oceanview. It was for this summer Alaskan cruises.

 

Yeah, I looked at that earlier too, but the cruise I went on was a 10-day out of San Fran and during peak time, July 19; the balcony rooms were still $700 more per person than a basic inside room. Outside of the sale, they ran $1000 more per person than the inside, and they never went lower.

[MichTraveler]

Im May/2009 we booked the first Diamond sailing of the year. It was just finishing the sailing from Asia. Their were many empty cabins and we were upgraded inside to balcony. In Sept/2010 we waited until flash sales and got an inside for an excellent price. But the balconies were sold out at that time.

If you want a balcony, you should book it and watch the prices. If they come down before final payment you can rebook IF you use a travel agent that does not change cancellation fees. May and Sept are usually lower in cost than Jun-Aug in Alaska

[DrivesLikeMario]

OP, you have a better chance than most since you're cruising at the beginning of the AK season. I have seen some terrific prices at that time of year, but they tend to come up after the final payment date. Sometimes you can qualify for the pricing and sometimes you can't. Balconies are typically high for AK, as you've probably noticed. Keep checking and notify your TA as soon as you see a change. Good luck!