Princess lower fare guarantee ???

[3728jwl44444]

Recently I have noted several adds online as well as in the Princess Quarterly mailer indicating that if Princess offers a better deal on a cruise you have already signed for, you can get the new price...it also sounds like this is not automatic, i.e. you have to spot it, and request the lower fare...at this point, doesn't appear to be much more info on this offer, and I know most of us really have no way to find out when a lower price comes along short of calling our TA ...any inputs/ideas/ better info ??
Wouldn't it be great if Princess had an online method of checking the current rate?

I don't trust the "MY Princess" method, as I have seen too many cases of outdated info on the Princess website.

 

[Mbandy]

Typically, if a price drops before final payment a cruise line will make the adjustment because if they didn't you could just cancel and re book. Sometimes there are sales that apply to "new bookings only" so cancel and re book is not an option on those.

After final payment when you are under penalty they may or may not make refund the difference...usually not. If they do not refund the difference, they will usually upgrade you to a category that is pricing at the rate you booked if it available.

Not sure on Princess' exact policy. I didn't see it on their web site.

To be honest, a price dropping is more the exception than the rule.

 

[3728jwl44444]

Upgrading, et al

Speaking of upgrading, I have been offered upgrades several times on past Princess cruises, and always chickened out, fearing the upgraded cabin might be less desireable than the one I picked on purpose; this was born out by some cruise friends a few years ago, when on booking a cruise tour in Alaska, they were offered a mini suite upgrade (Coral Princess) from a Balcony cabin. They figured any Mini Suite was better than any Balcony, only to end up in a Mini Suite with some kind of obstruction to their view, so.....I am curious what others have experienced ?

 

[Cruise cutie]

it's one of those the glass is half empty/half full.. versus one person's idea of an upgrade is another's stateroom Hell....my limited experience I have only cruised 15 times..is this..

knowing what YOU like, and if you hand-pick a cabin WAY ahead as we do..and have our Travel Agent on purpose code us *NO UPGRADE*..99% of the time ships sail FULL..and the plummy staterooms go first.
we hand pick "OUR" choice on every single cruise....and we book out a MINIMUM of 20 months out..many folks opt for "guarantees" or inside bookings, or any old room will do..so that's cool..but if you prefer
1)only AFT /PORT /STARBOARD/FORWARD
2) have to be ?Near elevators etc etc..that's when an upgrade becomes questionable...it is very rare they give the Upgrade Fairy from Heaven gift..

(happened to me 1X in FIFTEEN YEARS!!, and it was our first cruise, and I had a 5 year cruise hiatus while our 5 kids were in college..)
so if you consider an inside to an obstruct window an upgrade goody.that is fine and dandy...to us it's like so what??.
to be blunt NO ONE and I mean NO one goes from an inside to a suite..
the best upgrades I have heard of would be an inside/obstruct to a small balcony. and that is nice..but with ships sailing at full capacity.

and just as a BTW...it's rare indeed for a chance to upgrade at the dock..NO MORE.( and if you do have an upgrade chance it's about 100% you'll *PAY* to get it; and at the cost you'd have had to book it in the first place!!)
there are no free rides anymore..or joining a ship at the port day of sailing..that's pre 9/11.. and the manifests have to locked up in place 72 hours ahead..Fed rules!!..that's the years of old..Happy research.....Joanne

 

[Conniemc]

Crickets

Joanne, long time no hear! SIX MORE WEEKS!!! I already cancelled my April Bermuda cruise on Summit and this will be IT for me...this time I really mean it.

Seems no one ever posts here anymore.

I agree obviously. Would you believe there are hundreds of people on the other site who swear they can "sweet talk" their way into a suite from an inside at the pier or only pay a couple hundred more?

EYEROLL - LOL - where's the old code for icons??? arrrghghghg

With SO MANY inexperienced cruisers on the other board, and on the ships, it's truly laughable how much misinformation is out there. You try to explain to them and get attacked. Ah well, let 'em learn the hard way.

ps - if anyone knows how to reach the webmaster, over half of the camera links are broken - lots of link issues on the site now.

 

[nmnita]

Typically, if a price drops before final payment a cruise line will make the adjustment because if they didn't you could just cancel and re book. Sometimes there are sales that apply to "new bookings only" so cancel and re book is not an option on those.

After final payment when you are under penalty they may or may not make refund the difference...usually not. If they do not refund the difference, they will usually upgrade you to a category that is pricing at the rate you booked if it available.

Not sure on Princess' exact policy. I didn't see it on their web site.

To be honest, a price dropping is more the exception than the rule.

Let me clarify what you are saying, yes, I think all lines will give you the benefit of the lower rate before final payment, the catch, they do not do this automatically, you or your agent have to request the lower rate. You are right about after final payment, normally an upgrade will be given but rarely a rate savings.

Nita

 

[Jeanie]

Sometimes you do luck out, in 2002 and 2004 we were up graded to a mini suite from a obstructed balcony cabin. Yes, sometimes it does happen. We were lucky. In reality, I could never afford a mini suite on my own. Rather save the $ for fun and future cruises. So it was a great experience even if it was an obstructive view. You are not in your room that much anyway.

( We did not get upgraded to an obstructed view mini suite, a very acceptable location)

On the hold I do not care what cabin we have as long as I am cruising and it is what we can afford at the time. Sometimes you have to give up a window so you have more funds for the extra enjoyment of cruising. It is a personal preference. We even had an inside once or twice ,when cruising. Many fellow cruisers do not care what room you are in. So enjoy your cruise