Princess pricing weirdness

[islandwoman]

Can anyone explain this?

I've been watching pricing on three Princess 2014 nine day Japan cruises: July 8, July 17, and July 26. We booked when they first became available. They were all the same price at that time. There have been a few price changes since then that we've taken advantage of. But what confuses me is that now with the third cruise almost sold out and lots of availability on the first and second cruise, the pricing is the same again. Why would Princess be charging the same for cabins on a half empty ship as for an almost sold-out-cruise of the same length in the same location? I had expected a price drop on the two half-empty cruises.

[paul929207]

Have they sold many guarantees on the first two? That could distort the available cabin picture

[cherylandtk]

On the Princess site, the first two cruises are priced lower than the last one in most categories, which would reflect the difference in popularity you noted. Perhaps you are using a different site to check pricing? If you are using a TA site, they may have different rates because of group bookings. Or perhaps you have booked a category that does not show a price difference when others do.

Edited November 30, 2013 by cherylandtk

[islandwoman]

Have they sold many guarantees on the first two? That could distort the available cabin picture

How do I know?

[islandwoman]

On the Princess site, the first two cruises are priced lower than the last one in most categories, which would reflect the difference in popularity you noted. Perhaps you are using a different site to check pricing? If you are using a TA site, they may have different rates because of group bookings. Or perhaps you have booked a category that does not show a price difference when others do.

Sorry, I should have been more specific about what I was looking at. I'm using princess.com and logging in as an Elite. I'm specifically interested in mid-aft extended balcony, deck 10 because that's where we're booked. For the July 8 cruise for that category I'm seeing 10 cabins sold with 26 left at $2619. For the July 17 cruise I'm seeing 6 cabins sold in that category with 30 left also at $2619. The price I'm seeing for the same category on the July 26 cruise is the also $2619, but I can't tell how many cabins are available, because the site is only offering "guarantee". I scanned several other categories as well and only found "sold out" or "guarantee", so I don't know how many cabins are available throughout the ship, but I'm guessing not many. Also, I looked at the lowest prices (on the first page) for all other categories and found them to be the same for all the cruises with only one exception.

[caribill]

How do I know?

 

You can't.

[RNGALNG]

So, when checking in as an Elite, you are given different prices than say those who are Platinum or Gold? I thought we all got the same prices?

[islandwoman]

On the Princess site, the first two cruises are priced lower than the last one in most categories, which would reflect the difference in popularity you noted. Perhaps you are using a different site to check pricing? If you are using a TA site, they may have different rates because of group bookings. Or perhaps you have booked a category that does not show a price difference when others do.

When looking at the prices without logging in, I see that they are lower for the first two cruises than for the third. Is it common then for Princess to drop prices on a slow-selling cruise for new passengers, but not for Captain's Circle members (who are already getting a discount) ?

[thyme2go]

I have no idea, but the more I've seen on pricing, the more skeptical I get. Much like airline fares, one day they are expensive the next they are on sale and then expensive again.......whether or not they actually sold anything during the "sale". For those of us who chew rather than swallowing whole, it makes for a lot of masticating! :eek: Welcome to the 21st century of pricing..........:confused:

[islandwoman]

So, when checking in as an Elite, you are given different prices than say those who are Platinum or Gold? I thought we all got the same prices?

I have been told by a Princess rep that sometimes your status within the Captain's Circle will earn you different discounts, but I don't know if that's really the case.

[Pia1913]

I have been told by a Princess rep that sometimes your status within the Captain's Circle will earn you different discounts, but I don't know if that's really the case.

 

Princess reps are known to give misinformation. Ask someone who would know; like me. No. Status does not give you additional discounts.

[caribill]

So, when checking in as an Elite, you are given different prices than say those who are Platinum or Gold? I thought we all got the same prices?

 

Although Captain's Circle status does not give different prices, people will sometimes see different prices due to offers being directed to

o Residents of certain states or countries

o Specific Captain's Circle members for unknown reasons (a husband and wife at the same residence with the same CC status will sometimes see different pricing because one of them had a special offer and the other was not targeted with that offer).

[dorisis]

Being Elite or Platnum isn't the case. They always ask if you are a past passenger and occasionally past passengers do get a small discount.

[long cruiser]

We are elite and find that booking on princess is like playing the stock market.We booked a mini mid ship on the royal for a apr 2014 cruise back in may.The price was $2599.00.A month later it was reduced to 1899.00 and we rebooked.The next month it went to $2399.00.Yesterday it was on sale for $2699.00.

LONG CRUISER

[Boyshockeymommy]

Being Elite or Platnum isn't the case. They always ask if you are a past passenger and occasionally past passengers do get a small discount.

 

I recently booked a cruise as a past passenger with 3 newbie passengers travelling with me. I received a $100 dollar discount from the advertised price. The advertised price was $999. Interestingly, my cabin mate, who is a first time cruiser got the same rate as me, and our other two friends staying in a different cabin, paid the advertised price of $999. So, I am not sure how that works. My friend in my cabin certainly got a break that the other two didn't get, so I am not sure past passenger status has ANYTHING to do with it. LOL

 

Kimm

[RLK33853]

Sometimes there is no rationale for the pricing.

 

On our upcoming cruise my travel agent completed our booking for a mini-suite the day before final payment was due - based on a direct booking and the pricing I received the day prior from Princess (a weekend) and I had informed Princess my TA would be taking over the booking. As always, my TA asked before she made the payment if there had been any price reduction and was told no, so she paid the final payment.

 

She called me and I went onto my Personalizer to ensure everything was correct with our booking. Out of habit I refreshed my pricing and found it to be $80.00 cheaper. I called my TA who spent a frustrating hour on the phone with Princess who kept telling her that the new pricing wasn't showing on their computer - she even signed in as me, took a screenshot with the same cabin category and sent it to them. It took the TA contacting their own Princess Representative the next day to get the price reduced - and even the Rep couldn't replicate my pricing unless she booked in as me. Obviously something was wrong with my Personalizer pricing but it was honored.

[caribill]

I recently booked a cruise as a past passenger with 3 newbie passengers travelling with me. I received a $100 dollar discount from the advertised price. The advertised price was $999. Interestingly, my cabin mate, who is a first time cruiser got the same rate as me, and our other two friends staying in a different cabin, paid the advertised price of $999. So, I am not sure how that works. My friend in my cabin certainly got a break that the other two didn't get, so I am not sure past passenger status has ANYTHING to do with it. LOL

 

Kimm

 

Your cabin mate received the same price as you did because she was your cabin mate and thus could share in your pricing. If you had not been booked in that cabin, she would have paid the $999 price.