Just had a Moveover offer by email

[Coral]

23 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Looking at the Princess website, there are a few cabins available on the TA.  So your offer may have expired, but maybe another will come along.  You got a very good rate so either way, you win!

They maybe going after certain categories. I had a move-over offer once with a balcony but my friend in an inside did not get it. When my TA inquired, they said they needed balconies.

[Griller]

46 minutes ago, voljeep said:

was/is that a special rate for friends / family or something ?

yes interline and it wasn't available for long

[Coral]

47 minutes ago, voljeep said:

was/is that a special rate for friends / family or something ?

I have a 22 night European Med cruise for around the same price. After final payment price.

[azbirdmom]

13 hours ago, Griller said:

When you got the  replacement cruises what happened about any price difference or taxes difference?

And this is 25 days, its an odd number to replace, presumably if you say picked a 10 day and a 12 day the other 3 days would be down the plughole and vanish?

Or do you think you could pick 2 x 14 days and pay something extra?

 

They "protect" those amounts so if the taxes, Princess insurance, and / EZAir for the replacement cruise is more, they do not charge you anything more.  If less, you get the amount refunded.  We lucked into a great EZAir fare for roundtrip to Singapore and got a hefty refund to our credit card.  According to what we got in writing the  protection applied to the first cruise only although the port fees were comped on our second cruise too.  The insurance didn't roll over to cruise #2 and we purchased our own air for that cruise too.

 

For our's, we were given 18 days for moving from a 14 day cruise.  Our replacement cruises were 11 and 7 days so we used the exact amount.  Our offer came two weeks before sailing and they ended up sweetening the offer because they didn't get enough on the first round.

 

They continued sending out moveover offers until a couple of days before the cruise and one couple allegedly told them that if they were offered 28 days, they would accept.  The couple was initially told thanks but no thanks but later did get a call back offering 28 days.  All you can do is ask.  And I have heard that some have been able to pay a flat rate per day for extra days but have not personally experienced that.

[Griller]

9 minutes ago, Coral said:

I have a 22 night European Med cruise for around the same price. After final payment price.

I usually go for after final payment prices but just sometimes they have a low cost way further out from sailing, guess they don't see the cruise selling well in one or more categories and put it in the restricted fare market for family and friends etc.

We have often found low costs per diem on longer cruises which start early in December and finish just before Christmas. we had several nice 29 day Venice to Fll on Pacific for less than $2k several years running.

[Coral]

1 minute ago, Griller said:

I usually go for after final payment prices but just sometimes they have a low cost way further out from sailing, guess they don't see the cruise selling well in one or more categories and put it in the restricted fare market for family and friends etc.

We have often found low costs per diem on longer cruises which start early in December and finish just before Christmas. we had several nice 29 day Venice to Fll on Pacific for less than $2k several years running.

I don't have access to interline rates.. That 29 day sounds heavenly 🙂

[Griller]

Interestingly we just received an email with another sort of offer, as follows - and we won't be taking this one:

They said on the phone voice message when I called the number that they would get back to us within 48 hours, by which time we will be in Dublin not here at home 5000 miles or so away. Way too late.

 

          "    We have an offer for you on your  booking for September 13, 2019 25days Transatlantic, if you were flexible to move into an inside stateroom Cabin A204 we would give you $200 per person of onboard credit plus Free Gratuities for both guest. Please be advised this is a completely voluntary offer so if you wish to stay in your current cabin, you are more than welcome to do so. This offer is based on cabin availability and while space allows. All offers are first come first serve. This offer is only available by calling 1-800-243-7342  x30841."

 

Relocate to Cabin A204 and receive:    

w  $200 per person of fully refundable onboard credit

w  Free Gratuities for all guest in the Stateroom

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, Griller said:

Interestingly we just received an email with another sort of offer, as follows - and we won't be taking this one:

They said on the phone voice message when I called the number that they would get back to us within 48 hours, by which time we will be in Dublin not here at home 5000 miles or so away. Way too late.

 

          "    We have an offer for you on your  booking for September 13, 2019 25days Transatlantic, if you were flexible to move into an inside stateroom Cabin A204 we would give you $200 per person of onboard credit plus Free Gratuities for both guest. Please be advised this is a completely voluntary offer so if you wish to stay in your current cabin, you are more than welcome to do so. This offer is based on cabin availability and while space allows. All offers are first come first serve. This offer is only available by calling 1-800-243-7342  x30841."

 

Relocate to Cabin A204 and receive:    

w  $200 per person of fully refundable onboard credit

w  Free Gratuities for all guest in the Stateroom

Never too late if you are still going on the cruise.  Almost.  Anyway, I figure that deal to be worth $1125, and IDK your current cabin, but seems not too bad.  I guess I might counter for more OBC.  Of course, we usually book Insides anyway.  A204 is forward, so I would probably ask them to double the OBC.  

Edited September 10, 2019 by steelers36

[Griller]

1 minute ago, steelers36 said:

Never too late if you are still on the cruise.  Almost.  Anyway, I figure that deal to be worth $1125, and IDK your current cabin, but seems not too bad.  I guess I might counter for more OBC.  Of course, we usually book Insides anyway.  A204 is forward, so I would probably ask them to double the OBC.  

I never really count gratuities as part of a deal as they are discretionary anyway...……………………. now a beverage package would have been worth going for ………………………………. and we don't know our cabin either as its not allocated yet but its  an outside gty  which is a compromise between what I want ( inside cheapest) and what Mrs Griller wants

( balcony whatever it costs) .

I particularly don't like forward insides though as they are around the theater which can mean noise ( though this was A deck on offer, worst we ever had was C deck above the stage) and far from the buffet which means expending calories walking to eat. 

We like aft as we go the theater twice in a cruise but to the buffet 5 times a day or more and we both have had busted ankles etc.

[Steelers36]

1 minute ago, Griller said:

I never really count gratuities as part of a deal as they are discretionary anyway...……………………. now a beverage package would have been worth going for ………………………………. and we don't know our cabin either as its not allocated yet but its  an outside gty  which is a compromise between what I want ( inside cheapest) and what Mrs Griller wants

( balcony whatever it costs) .

I particularly don't like forward insides though as they are around the theater which can mean noise ( though this was A deck on offer, worst we ever had was C deck above the stage) and far from the buffet which means expending calories walking to eat. 

We like aft as we go the theater twice in a cruise but to the buffet 5 times a day or more and we both have had busted ankles etc.

Gotcha.  Cabin location is not ideal for me either.  Thing is if we are happy with the price we paid to go on the voyage, then a good time is had.  Anything else is like a lottery win.  They must be getting desperate as down to the final hours and people will be flying soon.  Interesting as you must have a GTY because I would have wanted to ask the Princess rep what is my GTY assignment before I consider this offer.

 

[Griller]

10 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Gotcha.  Cabin location is not ideal for me either.  Thing is if we are happy with the price we paid to go on the voyage, then a good time is had.  Anything else is like a lottery win.  They must be getting desperate as down to the final hours and people will be flying soon.  Interesting as you must have a GTY because I would have wanted to ask the Princess rep what is my GTY assignment before I consider this offer.

 

I think that wherever it is the outside GTY is going to be better than inside A204

 

I may eat my words yet of course, but we have always been happy with just about any GTY we ever had except the inside over the theater stage, think it was C205 on Royal or close.   Drumming!  It was all about the Bass.

And they moved us without a problem, really should only let profoundly deaf people try to sleep in that one, not just somewhat deaf like me.

[mina]

I don't actually think the move down offer was that good.  So -- they were only offering a 200 dollar OBC and free gratuities?  I thought these types of offers included a refund of your cruise fare?   

[Lady Arwen]

13 minutes ago, mina said:

I don't actually think the move down offer was that good.  So -- they were only offering a 200 dollar OBC and free gratuities?  I thought these types of offers included a refund of your cruise fare?   

Refund is only for cruises that you give up and re-book at another sailing.  These people were offered to change cabins on the same sailing, therefore, no refunds.

[azbirdmom]

Hope you hear back soon.  Agree that the movedown offer wasn't great but I find it interesting that they specified a specific cabin number in their offer.  They definitely are targeting you for this offer!

 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Refund is only for cruises that you give up and re-book at another sailing.  These people were offered to change cabins on the same sailing, therefore, no refunds.

I’m sorry but this is incorrect.  We were asked to “Move Down” from a Caribe balcony to an inside stateroom and were offered 100% of our cruise fare back to do so in the form of refundable OBC (minus the taxes and Port Fees).... We accepted!  We LOVED our almost free cruise!

Edited September 10, 2019 by MsSoCalCruiser

[MsSoCalCruiser]

1 hour ago, Griller said:

I think that wherever it is the outside GTY is going to be better than inside A204

 

I may eat my words yet of course, but we have always been happy with just about any GTY we ever had except the inside over the theater stage, think it was C205 on Royal or close.   Drumming!  It was all about the Bass.

And they moved us without a problem, really should only let profoundly deaf people try to sleep in that one, not just somewhat deaf like me.

Ask if you can choose which inside cabin.... If you’re even interested.  Just wondering, how much are your  gratuities? 

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Ask if you can choose which inside cabin.... If you’re even interested.  Just wondering, how much are your  gratuities? 

Perhaps it is the only one available (without getting someone else to move).  Grats are easy to figure out - just multiply the length of OP's cruise times $29.

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I’m sorry but this is incorrect.  We were asked to “Move Down” from a Caribe balcony to an inside stateroom and were offered 100% of our cruise fare back to do so in the form of refundable OBC (minus the taxes and Port Fees).... We accepted!  We LOVED our almost free cruise!

Sorry, I thought the "move down" offer was different from the "move over" offer.  I didn't realize that the change of cabins would warrant a refund of the cruise fare (as OBC).  Good deal for those not concerned about the cabin category or location.

[geoherb]

6 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sorry, I thought the "move down" offer was different from the "move over" offer.  I didn't realize that the change of cabins would warrant a refund of the cruise fare (as OBC).  Good deal for those not concerned about the cabin category or location.

 

It depends on how desperate Princess is. If enough people take the $200 OBC and free gratuities, they'll be fine. If not enough people take it, they will keep sweetening the offer until some does. We booked an inside guarantee for the transatlantic leg and received a cabin assignment a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't have minded A204. I haven't checked lately, but shortly after we received our cabin assignment, all of the insides were showing up as being booked. There were just a handful of balcony cabins available.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

9 hours ago, steelers36 said:

Perhaps it is the only one available (without getting someone else to move).  Grats are easy to figure out - just multiply the length of OP's cruise times $29.

 It never dawned on me to do the math, LOL.  I know I’m bad but I have no idea how much daily gratuities are and I almost always pre-pay.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

8 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sorry, I thought the "move down" offer was different from the "move over" offer.  I didn't realize that the change of cabins would warrant a refund of the cruise fare (as OBC).  Good deal for those not concerned about the cabin category or location.

 We had no idea either until it happened to us. I had purchased an upsell for the Caribe balcony and then the day before our cruise I received a call saying that they had oversold the balconies and if I moved down to an interior we would receive a refund.  Score!

[caribill]

12 hours ago, steelers36 said:

Gotcha.  Cabin location is not ideal for me either.  Thing is if we are happy with the price we paid to go on the voyage, then a good time is had.  Anything else is like a lottery win.  They must be getting desperate as down to the final hours and people will be flying soon.  Interesting as you must have a GTY because I would have wanted to ask the Princess rep what is my GTY assignment before I consider this offer.

 

 

I suspect the offer is being made because they do not have a cabin available to fill the GTY.

[caribill]

12 hours ago, Griller said:

I never really count gratuities as part of a deal as they are discretionary anyway.

 

Assuming you would normally pay the suggested gratuities, then free gratuities for 25 days is a great offer.

[Griller]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Assuming you would normally pay the suggested gratuities, then free gratuities for 25 days is a great offer.

 I try not to assume anything as I was once told it makes an ass of u and me, makes me wonder if they really pay the crew the grats when they credit them to the passenger, if so then why not just make the offer all OBC as it wouldn't cost Princess any different?

 

However to end the tale Princess did call me and asked if we wanted to move down to an Inside cabin and we said no, not for that remuneration.

I asked about the previous moveover offer where would not go on that cruise at all and they said it was finished and no longer available, they had never called us back on that one unfortunately.

 

Interesting, but may never happen again.

 

Start the packing now, leave tomorrow for the airport.

 

thanks to everyone who contributed in a positive way with helpful suggestions.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Griller

[john_galt]

Enjoy your cruise, Griller! 

 

I asked the butler on my last Celebrity cruise if he knew I'd prepaid gratuities. He said he could see that I had. He was wonderful and I left him and the room steward an additional tip at the end of the sailing. It just seems creepy not to leave an envelope at the end of the cruise. Old habits die hard.