Australia and Transpacifics are online

[Cruise Junky]

Nice to see they’re breaking up the Transpacifics too with a Honolulu and Auckland as options.  

[Geoffa30]

Just booked the Australia circumnavigation out of Brisbane on 17 March 2025. Strangely the same cruise starting and ending in Sydney was significantly more expensive. Think we saved £2,000 overall on a mini suite by sailing from Brisbane instead of Sydney. Choice of rooms was more restrictive though. Very strange indeed. It’s a cruise we’ve always wanted to do but it seems to sell out far in advance hence why we’ve booked now. Disappointed to see there were no offers though - at least in the U.K.

[kenexx]

2025 World cruise is up too.  We’ve booked the full trip from Brisbane.  So looking forward to this one.  

[cr8tiv1]

I've been trying for a couple of hours to get through.  At first, I could not pick a cabin.  Then another message said something about pricing not available.  What's the use of being Elite if you can't book a cruise ahead of anyone else?

[Mary Ann 2]

1 hour ago, kenexx said:

2025 World cruise is up too.  We’ve booked the full trip from Brisbane.  So looking forward to this one.  

Hard to find any rooms available for even one segment!

[kenexx]

3 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I've been trying for a couple of hours to get through.  At first, I could not pick a cabin.  Then another message said something about pricing not available.  What's the use of being Elite if you can't book a cruise ahead of anyone else?

We were able to book from 0900 yesterday being 4 April here with Elite status.  

[Astro Flyer]

5 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I've been trying for a couple of hours to get through.  At first, I could not pick a cabin.  Then another message said something about pricing not available.  What's the use of being Elite if you can't book a cruise ahead of anyone else?

I didn’t read the email announcing the Australian cruises until this afternoon (4/4). After some frustration was able to put a hold on a cabin we liked & to have our TA book it. Like Geoffa30 we noticed that the same 28 day Around Oz cruise sailing from Brisbane was a third cheaper for us than sailing from Sydney but as he stated there were fewer available cabins. From Brisbane our category of cabin had only a couple available however from Sydney there were several more available cabins…at the much higher price. We had this itinerary booked in 2020 & are looking forward this bucket list cruise. 😊

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

13 hours ago, Geoffa30 said:

Disappointed to see there were no offers though - at least in the U.K.

We booked the same cruise & there were no offers here in the US either. Our TA attempted to get group space but none was available on this very popular itinerary. I only checked interior & obstructed view cabins and very few were available even before opening bookings to non Elite level passengers on 4/5.

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[cr8tiv1]

Update:  Left a couple of text messages for my TA.  She was able to get me "a" Window Suite for a transpacific voyage from Sidney to San Francisco...on the Grand Princess.  I did not receive an email from Princess.  Only read it here on CC (thanks @Cruise Junky ).  Last one available (dreaded F301).  But I'll take it and see what develops.  Hugely expensive cruise for very few ports and lots of sea days.  Still waiting for the "official invoice".  I do see it on my personalizer.  But my cruise mate is having trouble seeing it (tech issue???).

 

The Grand will go to Alaska for the summer season.  Then there is absolutely NOTHING for her in the fall 2024.  That worries me.  I do hope they homeport her back in California.  

 

Envious of those down under or far east that have an extra 24 hour to get in on the action.  Still think the system is broken that it is so difficult to get any information online.  I understand "overload" but Princess needs to update their systems to handle these "tech" issues.  I just completed a post cruise survey.  Huge contrast between being on a ship (crew makes up for Princess' failures) and land based operations.  They got an earful and more.

[Geoffa30]

56 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

We booked the same cruise & there were no offers here in the US either. Our TA attempted to get group space but none was available on this very popular itinerary. I only checked interior & obstructed view cabins and very few were available even before opening bookings to non Elite level passengers on 4/5.

 

Glad we managed to bag a bargain yesterday by booking Brisbane to Brisbane. Having looked again this morning, we appear to have saved almost £3,000 overall. It’s a bucket list cruise for us too.
 

Hoping the Crown Princess is given a slight makeover before she goes Down Under ready for the season and for the subsequent world cruise.

 

 

[Astro Flyer]

8 hours ago, Geoffa30 said:

Glad we managed to bag a bargain yesterday by booking Brisbane to Brisbane. Having looked again this morning, we appear to have saved almost £3,000 overall. It’s a bucket list cruise for us too.
 

Hoping the Crown Princess is given a slight makeover before she goes Down Under ready for the season and for the subsequent world cruise.

 

 

Great savings for you also! 😃

 

I’ve read that Crown’s last work was done in April 2018 at Freeport, Bahamas for 10 days so the ship should have another servicing before March 2025…even with the pause that’s a long time.

 

[phoenixxx]

On 4/5/2023 at 3:04 AM, Cruise Junky said:

Nice to see they’re breaking up the Transpacifics too with a Honolulu and Auckland as options.  

It's that to disembark in Auckland? Do you miss a few cruise days?

[Yehootu]

On 4/5/2023 at 9:54 AM, Astro Flyer said:

Great savings for you also! 😃

 

I’ve read that Crown’s last work was done in April 2018 at Freeport, Bahamas for 10 days so the ship should have another servicing before March 2025…even with the pause that’s a long time.

 

Crown was in drydock in Oct 2022. My back knows the mattress's weren't replaced at that time. 28days sleeping on a broke down one. Rest of the ship looked good.