Is there a benefit to using Princess Cruise Vacation Planner?

[Host Kat]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

... Only itineraries longer than 7 days offer a chance for port variety out of Galveston.

 

Yep! Fully aware!

[restasured]

39 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

 

On a 7 day round-trip cruise there are a limited number of ports that cvan be reached from Galveston.

 

You both probably have been to every possible port on 7-day cruises from Galveston.

 

Only itineraries longer than 7 days offer a chance for port variety out of Galveston.

 

 

That is correct.  We have cruised (so convenient and so cheap, when you figure in air fare and maybe a hotel stay at other ports) out of Galveston and have done the Eastern Caribbean to the Bahamas and Key West, less than the Western Caribbean to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras or Jamaica.  But probably about 25 - 30 times over the past 30 years.  They, years ago, went to Cancun, but stopped probably 10 - 15, if not longer, years ago.  Used to like the Cancun stop.  Had a Fat Tuesdays at the tender dock with a topless beach in front of it.  Was a great place to stop for an hour or so before going on excursions.  I think as the ships going there got bigger they had to anchor further out and took too much time for tendering.  Or that is my guess.  Was a decent place to go.  At least back then.   But they have done a few longer 9 or 10 day cruises from Galveston to the Southern Caribbean.  I think St. Kitts or maybe St. Lucia were stops.  Could have been others in that area.  We didn't have the chance to take one there, so not sure which islands.  

[caribill]

4 hours ago, restasured said:

Yes, La Porte is another 20 - 25 minutes further. 

 

Living in League City, we really liked cruising on Princess out of the Houston Cruise Ship terminal which was just 8 miles from our home.

 

Nice modern terminal only a few steps from the parking lot which had reason parking rates.

[USCcruisecrazy]

We have always used a PVP on Princess starting with Cruise #1.  We've never had a negative experience.  In fact, one cruise our PVP moved us and 3 other rooms from balcony to mini at no cost, keeping us all in adjoining rooms.  The one TA I went through for a different crusie line booking couldn't get me any better a deal than if I went to the cruise line site, so I never tried a second time.  I'm sure that was probably just an anomoly of sorts...or was it!

[BarbinMich]

Interesting conversation!  I've always booked our cruises (except the first one or two] myself with no problem.  [When I was a kid, I used to play "travel agent" <g>]  We've been on 51 cruises and never had any problems.  Maybe we missed a few extra amenities, but c'est la vie.

[restasured]

11 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Living in League City, we really liked cruising on Princess out of the Houston Cruise Ship terminal which was just 8 miles from our home.

 

Nice modern terminal only a few steps from the parking lot which had reason parking rates.

Yes.  We sailed on the 4 day cruise out of La Porte in 2015, before they did the repositioning to the Med.  We were supposed to do that cruise, as a B2B but had to cancel the long one.  When they pulled out I kept in communication with the Port Authority and they thought they had a commitment from NCL to sail from there but that fell through.  The port and terminal were really great, but because the channel they had to go through was narrow for large ships and with the fall through spring fog we have around here they decided they would risk too many delayed/cancelled cruises.  Galveston has a similar problem with fog but don't have to try to navigate a narrow channel before getting to open water.  

[Thrak]

19 hours ago, billco said:

I prefer to book online, but it is nice that I can e-mail or call someone direct when I need to.

 

That's why, before they changed the rules, I always booked my own cruises online and followed the pricing, perks, etc. for changes. I was able to make any changes I wanted and then, at final payment time, move it to my TA for a discount on the pricing. It was great to have total control of my bookings. I really don't like the new rules regarding moving the booking to a TA.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, restasured said:

Yes.  We sailed on the 4 day cruise out of La Porte in 2015, before they did the repositioning to the Med.  We were supposed to do that cruise, as a B2B but had to cancel the long one. 

 

We were on the B2B to Europe.

 

Due to late arriving passengers (rain), then wind and then fog, the ship left 17 hours late. Catching a current, it did 28 knots in the Gulf on the way to Fort Lauderdale and made up most of that time.

[restasured]

4 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

We were on the B2B to Europe.

 

Due to late arriving passengers (rain), then wind and then fog, the ship left 17 hours late. Catching a current, it did 28 knots in the Gulf on the way to Fort Lauderdale and made up most of that time.

Yeah, I kinda remember that.

[nbsjcruiser]

On 1/22/2021 at 6:52 PM, curlybelle2 said:

I recently put a cruise on hold and then I received a email  from  a Princess Cruise Planner. What is the benefit of using the planner person? I have always done our reservations myself and handled all changes. Am I missing out on something by doing it on my own?

 

Thanks!

We do all our own research and just call in to Princess when we're ready to book. PVP can help with some things but if you've cruised a fair amount, you probably know as much as they do. I'm not aware of any situation where a PVP was able to offer something that you couldn't get from a direct call to Princess. But, ototh, there's no harm in using one certainly but make sure its someone who can quickly respond to things like price drops. In the past I've been burned by regular TA's who took a few days to respond to my call about a price drop only to miss it. 

[ProfMHC]

Our PVP does a great job any time. But especially now with bonuses and FCC and so many cancelled cruises, she is invaluable in sorting it all out, untangling what is what and what goes where etc etc.  I used to be able to do it all on my own.  But hearing her smiling voice on the phone and her willingness to take on these kinds of challenges is a ray of sunshine in these crazy travel times. 

[BarbinMich]

19 hours ago, restasured said:

Yeah, I kinda remember that.

Me too!  A miserable start to an otherwise wonderful cruise.  Plus the ship was only partially filled for a day or two as the rest of the pax were boarding at FLL.  Unlucky them--not sure if I ever talked to someone who did board at FLL.  What a mess for them!

[teecee60]

On 1/23/2021 at 5:52 AM, curlybelle2 said:

I recently put a cruise on hold and then I received a email  from  a Princess Cruise Planner. What is the benefit of using the planner person? 

 

On 1/23/2021 at 9:07 PM, AF-1 said:

like caribill mentioned; some provide great service; and some not much service.    

 

On 1/24/2021 at 10:15 PM, Kenosha Cruiser said:

I recently started using a Princess Vacation Planner, she was ok in the beginning, but every time I called her I had to leave a message on her answering machine. It would take her several hours or the next day to get back to me. My last couple of phone calls, she never even responded at all. I decided to go back to my old ways and do it myself. I'm done using any PVP, it's not worth the aggravation. 

Everyone has their own opinions and preferences.... but I will GUARANTEE... that you will PAY MORE and GET LESS by booking directly or though a "PVP." 

 

Large on-line travel agencies almost always offer LOWER PRICES and MORE AMENITIES than the cruise lines and their agents/PVPs.

 

Don't believe me? I just booked a 2022 14 night Regal transatlantic for $767pp with $310 OBC. I don't think you will get that price from Princess. Their website claims "'our lowest fare" at $969pp.

[AF-1]

teecee60;  that is awesome..  Good for you.  Happy trails

[memoak]

6 minutes ago, teecee60 said:

 

 

Everyone has their own opinions and preferences.... but I will GUARANTEE... that you will PAY MORE and GET LESS by booking directly or though a "PVP." 

 

Large on-line travel agencies almost always offer LOWER PRICES and MORE AMENITIES than the cruise lines and their agents/PVPs.

 

Don't believe me? I just booked a 2022 14 night Regal transatlantic for $767pp with $310 OBC. I don't think you will get that price from Princess. Their website claims "'our lowest fare" at $969pp.

Maybe but try to get an on line TA to get casino departments to get my wife’s offer for a free balcony and my offer of $500 in free play on the same cruise. Which is what my long time PVP just helped me get

 

[jennybenny]

31 minutes ago, memoak said:

Maybe but try to get an on line TA to get casino departments to get my wife’s offer for a free balcony and my offer of $500 in free play on the same cruise. Which is what my long time PVP just helped me get

 

I also feel that my PVP can help me out in ways that a TA cannot. The PVP works for Princess, and I feel like mine is willing to go the extra mile. I used to book directly, then when we booked a family cruise to celebrate a 6-0th birthday my husband's cousin INSISTED we use her TA. I liked her enough and used her on a few cruises. Then when the $Hiiiiiite hit the fan with a booking issue, she did have to fight tooth and nail with Princess to make it right. I didn't like the stress or the issue. Since then we've been booking with a PVP. For some reason I've had multiple PVPs reach out at the same time, and the one I work with is the one that stuck. She has helped with FCD extensions, and has been prompt and courteous with my calls and bookings. I suspect those out there that have these amazing TAs will get better pricing, but I always felt like I was "bothering" the TA when I requested to refare a booking, or had a dumb question, or bounced back and forth from a cabin assignment. My PVP doesn't make me feel that way. For now, it feels the same as booking direct with some perks and I like it. I could change at some point, but for now, I enjoy working with my PVP. 

[jangor]

I used to do all my bookings myself.  Then my husband got an offer for a casino discount that include PVP's name and ext. number.  We have now used her for our last five bookings and she is awesome.  On our last cruise (December 2019), she got us a free specialty dinner. She rushed through our refund on a cruise we had planned to Norway in May 2020 and has helped us plan our next (hopefully) cruises.  I wish I could give you her name

[caribill]

14 hours ago, BarbinMich said:

Me too!  A miserable start to an otherwise wonderful cruise.  Plus the ship was only partially filled for a day or two as the rest of the pax were boarding at FLL.  Unlucky them--not sure if I ever talked to someone who did board at FLL.  What a mess for them!

 

Actually, it was quite nice on board on the way to FLL as there were no crowds anywhere.  The only downside was that the dinner menus on the way to FLL were repeated so that those who boarded in FLL could enjoy them while we got to enjoy them a second time.

 

When we got off the ship in FLL to go to Walgreen's, we passed a bunch of passengers sitting in the terminal waiting to board. They had been there for hours and were not looking very happy about it.

 

[Steelers36]

18 hours ago, teecee60 said:

 

 

Everyone has their own opinions and preferences.... but I will GUARANTEE... that you will PAY MORE and GET LESS by booking directly or though a "PVP." 

 

Large on-line travel agencies almost always offer LOWER PRICES and MORE AMENITIES than the cruise lines and their agents/PVPs.

 

Don't believe me? I just booked a 2022 14 night Regal transatlantic for $767pp with $310 OBC. I don't think you will get that price from Princess. Their website claims "'our lowest fare" at $969pp.

I think this thread indicates that a good agent is a good thing and a poor agent is a bad thing.

 

A good PVP will be better than a bad TA.  

 

I too look to save on cruise fare from a discount TA - no PVP can do that.

 

But I think your post is a little misleading.  I seriously doubt you booked the lowest fare ($969) with your TA and got a net price of $767.  That is too large of a discount - no TA is giving that much off Princess pricing or they would be subsidizing the cruise.  Also, is the $310 all from the TA?

 

[Coral]

3 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I think this thread indicates that a good agent is a good thing and a poor agent is a bad thing.

 

A good PVP will be better than a bad TA.  

 

I too look to save on cruise fare from a discount TA - no PVP can do that.

 

But I think your post is a little misleading.  I seriously doubt you booked the lowest fare ($969) with your TA and got a net price of $767.  That is too large of a discount - no TA is giving that much off Princess pricing or they would be subsidizing the cruise.  Also, is the $310 all from the TA?

 

Technically they can. If the TA locked in a group rate early on and then the rate went up - it can easily happen. Not sure where the OBC came from.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Coral

[Steelers36]

21 minutes ago, Coral said:

Technically they can. If the TA locked in a group rate early on and then the rate went up - it can easily happen. Not sure where the OBC came from.

True, but then the post is still misleading.

[Ombud]

23 hours ago, teecee60 said:

Large on-line travel agencies almost always offer LOWER PRICES and MORE AMENITIES than the cruise lines and their agents/PVPs.

Maybe but try to get Goodwill OBC (not FCC) reinstated or a rapid response on a price drop or (worse even yet) your flight is rescheduled / you've got x minutes to find a replacement flight and having a meltdown and you're dealing with a computer (been there .... done that .... she calmed me down). Also my PVP regularly includes some OBC now ..... additionally when you log into the Princess website the price does go down (for me). But she still books what I put on hold (want her OBC)

 

Summing up: I want a person on the other end. I choose a PVP others choose a TA. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Ombud

[teecee60]

5 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

But I think your post is a little misleading.  I seriously doubt you booked the lowest fare ($969) with your TA and got a net price of $767.  That is too large of a discount - no TA is giving that much off Princess pricing or they would be subsidizing the cruise.  Also, is the $310 all from the TA?

 

 

I think your post is MORE than a little uninformed and utterly baseless. I seriously doubt you know what price leverage large online agencies have or what constitutes "too large of a discount."    

 

The base fare is $767.00pp... Taxes are $140.00pp.

 

In addition to the previously stated $310 OBC, I will also be getting $250 OBC from the Carnival Stock Shareholder Benefit, AND ANOTHER $250 OBC from the Princess Military Benefit.

 

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

True, but then the post is still misleading.

 

But then your post is still uninformed and utterly baseless. Perhaps you should do some more research before insinuating that I am a liar.

Edited January 27, 2021 by teecee60

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, teecee60 said:

 

I think your post is MORE than a little uninformed and utterly baseless. I seriously doubt you know what price leverage large online agencies have or what constitutes "too large of a discount."    

 

The base fare is $767.00pp... Taxes are $140.00pp.

 

In addition to the previously stated $310 OBC, I will also be getting $250 OBC from the Carnival Stock Shareholder Benefit, AND ANOTHER $250 OBC from the Princess Military Benefit.

 

 

But then your post is still uninformed and utterly baseless. Perhaps you should do some more research before insinuating that I am a liar.

Casino booking then?  I mean how does anyone get $200/pp off $969 cruise fare?  It just seems way out of line and never heard of such a thing - unless a casino deal.

But fine, won't argue it.

 

I am very familiar with large online agencies and the range of discounts offered and what the typical is and what the maximum is - under normal circumstances. 

 

[cactusrose]

Does anyone know if the Vacation Planners work on commission?