Price Reduction - UK Residents

[The Wilkies]

Hi

 

Have noticed that the cruise we booked for next April has been heavily discounted. I recall seeing threads where our American cruiser friends can contact Princess and get the same reduction as long as done before final payment (hope this is correct).

 

My question is, have any UK residents also benefited from this? My gut reaction is no, we do seem to be behind the Americans for things such as this although we do get other benefits, especially when booking the whole package - flights, transfers, etc.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Gillian

:)

[ceaseless]

I booked a cruise for this summer to Alaska 12 months in advance. Some months later flight reductions were offered, something like £500 reduction, and when I checked there were huge price drops too. I had booked direct with Princess so phoned, and both reductions were honoured which meant the whole trip was about half the original price.

 

I would say it is definitely worth phoning to ask. I only gave it a go as I had read about price drops working for Americans. I am not sure how it would work if you have booked through a TA as I think you would have to contact them instead.

 

Good luck!

[gojocruise]

Hi,

I managed to get a price reduction earlier this year when I noticed that my class of cabin had been reduced by £40. I had never asked before and thought there's no harm asking. I contacted my cruise booker, asked the question - she contacted Princess got the drop and sent me a refund :)

So yes you should be able to depending on the new price advertised, if it's stipulated that it's for new booking only that might be a different story. Good luck xx

[Bogof1]

We've saved loads on our up coming cruises. The first one we lost £200 on board credit but the amount we saved more than made up for this. This cruise dropped twice. The second cruise stated for new customers but we were given the price drop and extra Obc. We booked with a TA phoned her or urgent e mailed at the wknd and it was all done for u. Both were before final payment which obviously yours is. Go for it and good luck

[The Wilkies]

Thanks for the responses.

 

Just returned from our TA. It worked, with the extra onboard credit promotion and the lower fare, we have saved just under £1,000. Unbelievable. Not usually so lucky, it never seems to apply to us!!!

 

Thank you Princess for sending the email which got the ball rolling.

 

Gillian

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Princess UK has a price promise, they just do not advertise the fact,

 

 

nice you got such a big reduction

 

yours Shogun

[umbertsmum]

Hi

Always had price drops honoured when I have asked as long as it is before final payment

[MBandJSinUK]

We did the same - saved £1450 on next years cruise and got more OBC & £200 on one in November plus $150 OBC

[SALAD MUNCHER]

Hi All

 

Princess UK has a price promise, they just do not advertise the fact,

 

 

nice you got such a big reduction

 

yours Shogun

 

 

Does anyone know if this is still relevant in the UK? I noticed our trip had dropped in price and approached Princess direct via email. They sent me off with a flea in my ear, telling me that my TA should deal with this issue. I have now asked my TA to check this out for me and 2 days later I still have no response! Have I missed the boat (pardon the pun)

[Pink-belle]

Yes they do still honour the price drops, I do not know when you are sailing to know if it is too late.

 

It has always been the case that if you booked via a TA you must go through the TA, and not be dealt directly by Princess. I would be on the phone to my TA asking why that haven't dealt with it. In my experience price drops are sometimes limited time offers, always best to deal with by phone rather than relying on email.

[SALAD MUNCHER]

Yes they do still honour the price drops, I do not know when you are sailing to know if it is too late.

 

It has always been the case that if you booked via a TA you must go through the TA, and not be dealt directly by Princess. I would be on the phone to my TA asking why that haven't dealt with it. In my experience price drops are sometimes limited time offers, always best to deal with by phone rather than relying on email.

 

 

Thanks for your response. We are travelling early July 2014. Surprisingly I have just received a call from my TA. I have been told they will change the booking if I require with a total reduction of only £160 BUT they would take away my OBC of $285 and reduce it to $100 but would also include a framed photo ! I think they are actually telling me that I should cancel and re-book under different T&Cs rather than just passing the reduction on to my current booking. So much for their Price Promise....this price reduction was offered on the Princess Website for the cabin almost next door to ours!

[Gettingwarmer]

Thanks for your response. We are travelling early July 2014. Surprisingly I have just received a call from my TA. I have been told they will change the booking if I require with a total reduction of only £160 BUT they would take away my OBC of $285 and reduce it to $100 but would also include a framed photo ! I think they are actually telling me that I should cancel and re-book under different T&Cs rather than just passing the reduction on to my current booking. So much for their Price Promise....this price reduction was offered on the Princess Website for the cabin almost next door to ours!

 

When you booked you had a certain price with an OBC of $285. Now the price has reduced but under the new offer the OBC is only $100. You can't pick the best out of the two deals. The new offer is the 3 for free offer which includes the photo.

 

If there is a genuine reduction in price with no change in OBC they will honour the reduction before final payment.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Gettingwarmer

[terrierjohn]

Thanks for your response. We are travelling early July 2014. Surprisingly I have just received a call from my TA. I have been told they will change the booking if I require with a total reduction of only £160 BUT they would take away my OBC of $285 and reduce it to $100 but would also include a framed photo ! I think they are actually telling me that I should cancel and re-book under different T&Cs rather than just passing the reduction on to my current booking. So much for their Price Promise....this price reduction was offered on the Princess Website for the cabin almost next door to ours!

If the current offer from Princess for your cabin grade would equate to a reduction of more than the £160 your TA quotes, then you are being given the wrong info.

We have a cruise booked in May last year for May this year and Princess has met 2 price drops via our TA, reducing our total cost by over 40% (our booking includes 3 children where the current offer is only £99 each which is why the reduction is so high). However you might lose out on OBC if the current offer is not as generous as the original.

Check the current offer again and get back to your TA if you think you are being short changed.

[Gettingwarmer]

If the current offer from Princess for your cabin grade would equate to a reduction of more than the £160 your TA quotes, then you are being given the wrong info.

We have a cruise booked in May last year for May this year and Princess has met 2 price drops via our TA, reducing our total cost by over 40% (our booking includes 3 children where the current offer is only £99 each which is why the reduction is so high). However you might lose out on OBC if the current offer is not as generous as the original.

Check the current offer again and get back to your TA if you think you are being short changed.

 

This is correct. I might have misread your post. If the reduction you see on the website for the same class of cabin is a lot more than the £160 you are being told, query it. You would most likely lose the difference in OBC but it may be worth it. Is the TA making a charge for the alteration?

Edited January 24, 2014 by Gettingwarmer

[h3rjp]

We had great difficulty in getting a price drop honoured. We booked via a travel agent using our Princess Future cruise credit. Price had dropped by more than £1,500 in total. The travel agent offered a reduction of £50 each. Or the option to cancel and rebook (which would lose the OBC and deposit of the FCC). Neither were tempting.

 

We ended up moving the booking to a transatlantic later in the year.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[terrierjohn]

We had great difficulty in getting a price drop honoured. We booked via a travel agent using our Princess Future cruise credit. Price had dropped by more than £1,500 in total. The travel agent offered a reduction of £50 each. Or the option to cancel and rebook (which would lose the OBC and deposit of the FCC). Neither were tempting.

 

We ended up moving the booking to a transatlantic later in the year.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

You also were given the wrong info., our booking is also against a FCC and we have retained the OBC and the lower deposit and still have the same booking ref. Clearly you need to think about changing your TA, try the major one near Chesterfield in future.

[Gettingwarmer]

You also were given the wrong info., our booking is also against a FCC and we have retained the OBC and the lower deposit and still have the same booking ref. Clearly you need to think about changing your TA, try the major one near Chesterfield in future.

 

Again this is true. We have had price drops on cruises with FCC and retained OBC as it was still applicable at the time. You would only lose deposits if it were within 180 days and FCC are only small anyway. Salad Muncher might also be within the 180 days and liable for a lost deposit

Edited January 24, 2014 by Gettingwarmer

[terrierjohn]

Again this is true. We have had price drops on cruises with FCC and retained OBC as it was still applicable at the time. You would only lose deposits if it were within 180 days and FCC are only small anyway. Salad Muncher might also be within the 180 days and liable for a lost deposit

Our second price drop was well within the 180 days but our TA was still able to keep the original booking ref., all the FCC perks and we lost no deposits but we did lose the free parking we had opted for as part of the 1st price drop offer.

It is very true that some TA's are much better than others.