Unhappy With Princess Booking Policies

[shirlmac]

Toto...Thanks so much for the information. I will not get my hope up! It is

pretty tough to keep up with all the different rules, etc., each line is unique and separate even if they are owned by the same umbrella owner...If one airline puts a new rule or plan into effect then every single one of them has the same rule and or plan with in days of each other...But guess that is free enterprise and the spirit of competition...Just have to keep up with who is doing what.

[spiritkat090909]

I've sailed 5+ times, mainly on RCL & NCL... Decided to try PCL for the first time. NOW I'm worried! I have always booked well in advance, chosen off season dates, & normally get upgraded or discounted if the prices go down. Kinda makes me want to cancel just before final pmt date if the ship isn't selling.... no wonder PCL has problems filling their ships ahead of time! They are training their past pax to wait & see.

[spongerob]

That's not always true, Kat. Prior to final payments, we have benefitted from price reductions when we booked early. We have also benefitted from upgrades. For our cruise this summer, the ship is very nearly booked except for a few insides and obstructed OV's, and prices have gone up dramatically.

 

I view this as pretty much a toss of the coin. There have been times I could have done better waiting until the last minute, but in so doing I might have ended up paying more for airfare. It's not always possible to predict how well any cruise will sell in advance, so as Druke 1 and others have said, you have to make up your mind and live with the results. It's up to you to decide if the quoted price is acceptable when you make the booking. You can't play both sides of the market against the middle.

[mrg0433]

I know Royal Caribbean will give you a refund if prices drop--even after final payment. Most people use the refund to upgrade. I would think that Princess would let you upgrade in the last few weeks if cabins are not sold out.

[Toto2Kansas]

One thing I don't do anymore is to check pricing on our cruise AFTER final payment. I try for any of the price breaks before that date, but don't drive myself half crazy when I find the flash promotions after final payment have dropped the prices considerably.

Rob is definitely correct on that one. Right now on our cruise this summer, a balcony cabin pp is sometimes running as high as what we paid for two in a mini suite. So booking early was a definite benefit for us, at least on this cruise.

[hcs81m]

I'm confused, if the OP is willing to pay additional money to upgrade to a balcony doesn't that mean more revenue for the cruise line? Wouldn't princess rather have an empty lower cabin versus and empty balcony at the date of the sailing?

 

It almost seems that cruisers are penalized for booking early. My family went on a Carnival Cruise last year. Those who booked through the reunion package ended up with lower deck oceanview rooms. Several relatives booked at the last minute and had higher deck balcony's for a lower fare.

 

Would it not be detrimental to the cruise industry if everyone stats waiting, and not booking until the last possible moments?

[debinnh]

I noticed my June cruise price has dropped drastically from what I paid. I used an online agency. I called and asked them if I could get a balcony for the additional $100pp from what I paid for an INSIDE cat J. They were not able to do that but did get me an upgrade to an outside cat D. I figured it didn't hurt to ask, and low and behold I got something, even though I told them I would understand if I couldn't. So I guess it depends on what kind of cabin you are in? Inside to outside was ok, but they don't want to upgrade people to the balconies even if they are willing to pay for it. I will try again at the pier, by the way :).

[spongerob]

I'm confused, if the OP is willing to pay additional money to upgrade to a balcony doesn't that mean more revenue for the cruise line? Wouldn't princess rather have an empty lower cabin versus and empty balcony at the date of the sailing?

 

I don't know if this will make anyone feel better, but I think if changes were made a la RCI, you would see more people booking the lower categories early, in the hopes of getting a better rate on more expensive categories later. This might in fact serve to lower overall revenue per sailing. From a business standpoint, such a policy would weaken the overall pricing structure and would therefore affect the bottom line.

 

Would it not be detrimental to the cruise industry if everyone stats waiting, and not booking until the last possible moments?

 

No, Princess would simply lower their prices and some of the holdouts would begin to book cabins at prices they found attractive. Those who wait until the bitter end might find themselves shut out entirely, or faced with very high prices. It's entirely up to you to decide if the price offered is acceptable.

 

I'm not saying the current practices make me entirely happy or that I always come out on the winning side. The policies do make sense from a business point of view. The final authority still rests with the consumer. All you need to do is figure out how to outguess everyone else.

[GottoCruise]

In my experience - you wil not be able to upgrade or even change your cabin when you embark.

 

The new marketing strategy has the ships sailing full by discounting down until all the cabins are sold!

 

As I said previously - On our Sapphire Princess April 23 cruise - some booked at the last minute for $30 per day!!! (and got "upgraded" to balcony !! How's that for a "punch in the face"??)

 

If any cabin is "left over", it is offered to Princess "Friends and Family" at a very low rate. (Also "Interline" bookings)

 

(Wish I could get in on this "deal" but you have to work for, supply and/or etc. etc. know someone at Princess or be in the airline industry.....)

 

With cruise bookings WAY UP - I think we (unaffilated) will just have to get used to paying more for our cruises -----or bookng last minute and taking what ever cabin is left.

 

Although I am not happy with the situation - I will continue to book way in advance and try to monitor prices before Final Payment.

 

It's the best I can do and still handle Airfare with Fequent Flyer mileage! ...........

 

 

GotToCruise :D (aka Renee)

[Dreamer333]

I think it would be a wonderful way to keep current customers happy, if Princess would first give the opportunity to all eligible BOOKED passangers, to upgrade for "xxx" amount of dollars. Once they do that, then send out those flash promos for new bookings.

This way, current customers are happy, and there will be plenty of new customers happy who take advantage of these prices too.

[spongerob]

As I tried to state above, that does not make good business sense. All it does is serve to de-value the higher category cabins and reduce overall profitability. The only response would be to raise the initial offering price of the cheaper categories. The current system works. Businesses run and grow on profits, not dreams.

[geoherb]

We were finally able to take advantage of a last-minute cruise for Christmas and New Year's on Celebrity. We paid half of what some folks paid. We did not have much choice of cabins and also risked not being able to find a cruise at all. If you can take the risk, it pays to wait until the last minute.

 

If you have to go a particular week, want to go on a particular ship, or need a particular type of cabin, book early at a price you're happy with and don't worry about someone else's good luck at getting a better cabin at a cheaper price.

 

After final payment, I don't watch prices as carefully as I do right before it. Although a few people report getting an upgrade or onboard credit, there seem to be more reporting that they didn't get anything when they noticed a better price. It doesn't pay to worry about it.

[Richard Stein]

Just returned from the Star Transatlantic. I booked in December for $1624 for a BE guarantee and I have elite status. Got an upgrade to a BA. They were selling minisuites for $1300 at 70 days out after they had my money. Wrote them on this and got a $50 bump in my on board credit. Met a woman from California on board who booked an inside for $699 30 day out and got upgraded to a BA due to her elite status. Dear Princess letter to follow and will not sail Princess for years. 150 empty cabins on ship including some suites but they would not upgrade me onboard.

[PhillyCruiser]

Travellady,

 

You never know what is in store for you.

 

We had an OV booked on Emerald Deck for a Christmas/New Year's cruise on the Golden Princess two years ago. There are three of us, and we needed a triple. It was the only reasonably priced triple available. We took it, and decided to make the best of it. We checked the Personalizer for upgrades until we left for Florida, 3 days before the cruise.

 

Well, upon check-in, we learned, much to our surprise and utter delight, that we had been upgraded to a BA with a nice, big balcony. And this was the Christmas/New Year's cruise, sailing full.

 

You just never know. However, it seems that the cabins upgraded most frequently, IMHO (no hard data here), are the obstructed view cabins. So, sit tight if Princess keeps saying "no," and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

Joan

[Jules1]

I am trying to see if I can get shipboard credit or whatever on our Golden Princess 6/11/05 British Isles sailing. We have two cabins booked - a minisuite and an inside. The two cabins are now selling (after final payment) for $2,000.00 less than what we paid - that's a chunk of change!!!! So far, no luck in getting any type of compensation because these are "flash" promotions. I am definitely re-thinking booking cruises ahead of time. With these sorts of policies Princess may find that they don't have a clue how full a ship will sail, and will be selling many more cabins at a deeply discounted rate than they would like.

[CroozBlooz]

Richard:

 

You certainly should feel free to avoid doing business with Princess (or any other supplier) for any reason you choose. Others have said it better earlier, but the hospitality business dictates that unsold inventory be sold at whatever the market will bear as time gets short. By booking early, you ensure that you will get the ship you want and the cabin you want. Those that bet on lower prices shortly before the cruise may end up disappointed with no cruise at all.

 

And it's not just the hospitality business. Go to a bakery first thing in the morning, and you will pay full retail. Go right before closing, and you will get a reduced price. Life is that way. Fairness is in the eye of the beholder.

[spongerob]

That's a great analogy, Croozblooz. I might borrow that next time someone complains about the prices I charge.

[Dreamer333]

And it's not just the hospitality business. Go to a bakery first thing in the morning, and you will pay full retail.

 

I can definitely understand where you are coming from, however I don't think that the analogy quite fits in this circumstance...

 

First of all, the item you receive in a bakery is going to be BETTER (fresher, etc) than the one you will recieve at the end of the day.

However, a BC catagory is STILL a BC Catagory regardless of when you book (of course you may not get first choice in cabin numbers, but you are still getting a BC catagory).

 

In a bakery, if you purchase an item at full price, you take it home with you at the time of purchase... In this case, the OP has not yet received the "goods"...

 

If I pre-ordered a wedding cake from a bakery... and then found out a few months before the wedding, that there is a sale, and I can get a better cake for just a few dollars more, I would expect that sale to be honored.

 

There are many major retailers that will honor sales... I can think of one who, if you bring back your receipt within 30 days of purchase, will give you the difference back, if there happens to be a sale after your purchase.

 

The OP isn't asking for any money back.... They are willing to pay MORE.

I can definitely understand and sympathize with the frustration the OP must feel.

[spongerob]

Your choice, then, is to do business with the company that you believe treats you most fairly. The problem with the approach you suggest is that Princess and any other lines that adopt this strategy will make it very difficult to raise price in the future. As shocking as it might be to some, people go into business to make money and the people in charge are tasked with maximizing return on investment. Doing what you suggest will turn a value-priced product into a commodity. It's just not good business in the long run. You end up getting what you pay for. Like Wal-Mart.

 

You can sympathize all you want, but it doesn't change the fact the OP entered into a deal in good faith and is now suffering buyer's remorse because a better deal became available. She played the game according to the same rules everyone else did. No one needs apologize to her, in fact, doing so only reinforces feelings that are unjustified. There is no harm, and no foul.

[Smiles3usa]

while Princess does discount a sailing that is not selling well before final payment, it seems that the BIG discounts only happen AFTER final payment. Folks are genuinely happy to see their cruise go down $200-$400. They upgrade cabins--or gladly accept the decrease in payment. Unfortunately, once final payment kicks in, the sailings Princess has already discounted gets discounted big time, right after final payment. It's not unusual to see $2000 off at the 30 day mark. Certain sailings are notorious for it--and spring transatlantics seem to be one that has done so for the past 3 years. It does help to look at the same sailing the year before (or 2-3 years if possible) when deciding when to book your cruise.

[mikesteg]

With these sorts of policies Princess may find that they don't have a clue how full a ship will sail, and will be selling many more cabins at a deeply discounted rate than they would like.

 

Well, here's the thing: you have intuition, but Princess has a supercomputer. :D I'd bet they have a very good model of how ships sell out, and can predict months out what the eventually tally will be. Of course, the occasional group of 200 will throw that off, but either way they aren't about to lower prices and sell the ship out before they really need to. The sad fact is that the majority of cruisers probably don't know enough to check prices before final payment, and think of it more like airfare... where you never get a price drop without paying for the very expensive 'insurance' of a refundable ticket.

[mikesteg]

There are many major retailers that will honor sales... I can think of one who, if you bring back your receipt within 30 days of purchase, will give you the difference back, if there happens to be a sale after your purchase.

 

There are many that do this, but it falls under a different set of rules. I believe these retailers are required to take returns, unless explicitly stated otherwise. People would return goods and repurchase them for a large enough discount, then the stores would be stuck with a bunch of used merchandise which they'd have to return or discount to resell.

 

This is the same logic behind the fare drops before final booking: customers would just rebook. Most times you'd even be able to get the exact same cabin since your TA would know exactly when it would become available.

 

 

The OP isn't asking for any money back.... They are willing to pay MORE.

 

Well, they aren't asking for actual cash back but they are asking Princess to take a lower price for that inside cabin. If they upgrade at the current price, then Princess now has a cabin to sell which is currently worth $200 less than what they had already booked it at. They have to presume they will sell the cabin, though in fact they probably know the exact probability of selling the cabin and therefore can put an exact (theoretical) dollar value on the transaction. Any way you do the math, this is a pretty expensive way for Princess to increase customer satisfaction one cabin at a time...

 

 

I can definitely understand and sympathize with the frustration the OP must feel.

 

Now, here is something we can agree on! :D

[CroozBlooz]

Actually, I don't believe retailers are obligated to accept returns at all. The Federal Trade Commission prohibits the use of unfair business practices, so it is incumbent upon retailers to advise customers of their returns policies. But retailers are free to set their returns policies as they choose.

[spiritkat090909]

That's not always true, Kat. Prior to final payments, we have benefitted from price reductions when we booked early. We have also benefitted from upgrades. For our cruise this summer, the ship is very nearly booked except for a few insides and obstructed OV's, and prices have gone up dramatically.

 

I view this as pretty much a toss of the coin. There have been times I could have done better waiting until the last minute, but in so doing I might have ended up paying more for airfare. It's not always possible to predict how well any cruise will sell in advance, so as Druke 1 and others have said, you have to make up your mind and live with the results. It's up to you to decide if the quoted price is acceptable when you make the booking. You can't play both sides of the market against the middle.

 

Spongerob...

I'm not sure what's not always true? Our sail date is December 10 and we are driving. I currently have until 9/25 to cancel without penalty and SHOULD be able to see how well the ship is selling for that week... right now it's wide open. I am pretty sure the rate I have gotten (group fare with an online agency that is already a couple of hundred below other online agencies) is not going to be equaled, even if PCL begins discounting to fill the ship... BUT, my past experiences with other cruise lines, and how PCL compares will affect my future choice in which line to travel with. For example IF this is indeed how they do business, then I will book RCL in advance, check PCL prices for last minute cruises and then either keep the RCL or cx & go with PCL's last minute deals. Is that playing both sides against the middle? Or simply an educated gamble?

 

I also don't purchase insurance through the cruiseline, but separately at final with an independent company. I have no pre-existing conditions and only insure for medical or luggage.

 

On the other hand, if all of this is borrowing trouble that doesn't exist... already PCL compares favorably because of their reduced deposit onboard open bookings.

 

Just a shopper these days...

jimkat02 at iwon dot com

[spongerob]

Sorry - what I disagreed with was the statement that Princess is training passengers to wait and see what prices do. That is sometimes a good plan, I admit, and maybe moreso for those who are within driving distance of a Princess home port. The reverse can also be true, as it is with Golden Princess this summer. Had we waited to book, all we would have a choice of is inside cabins or obstructed OV's, at a much higher price than what we are paying for a minisuite.

 

It really depends upon how much you want a particular cruise, and even a particular cabin as to what is the best way to go. The one thing that I don't understand about some of the pricing complaints is that no one put a gun to anyone's head to get them to book. If the price is not fair and agreeable at the time a booking is made, then the booking shouldn't be made, regardless of what happens in the subsequent months before final payment. Some of the ideas expressed in this thread, while well intentioned, just do not make good business sense.