teecee60

The enrichment programs from the astronomy guy on board are also pretty cool...

A Cinderella Story!

THAT sounds like you could be a visionary... who is marketing those marketing visionaries! 😵

I would suggest, that since you booked through a PVP exclusively for many years, you really have absolutely no idea if "they took good care of you." There are many long time cruisers who mistakenly believe, that a travel agency is FORBIDDEN to sell cruises at prices below those offered by the cruise line. You should know that there are MANY travel agencies that offer lower prices AND added OBC/perks than what the cruise lines offer. In reality, booking directly with the cruise line (or your PVP) almost always guarantees that you will pay a HIGHER price and get FEWER perks. Your habit of booking AFTER the final payment date is one of the two very BEST ways to get the lowest prices AND the most OBC/perks. (as the cruise line is absolutely desperate to fill every cabin that they possibly can) This strategy does come at the cost of losing out on "more desirable" cabins. Booking through reputable online travel sites is the "other best" way of getting fantastic deals. A perfect example of this, is the 14 night Regal Princess transatlantic on 16 April. Just yesterday, that cruise was being offered for $518 for an inside cabin, and $701pp for a balcony cabin, with $300 OBC that was NOT offered by Princess. ($140pp in taxes and port charges are extra) Princess STILL DOES have some outstanding perks. If you use Princess Future Cruise Deposits that adds another $150 OBC... if you own Carnival stock, that adds ANOTHER $250 OBC, and if you are a military vet, that adds ANOTHER $250 OBC. A combined $950 OBC on a 14 night cruise that only cost $658pp for an inside, or $841pp for a balcony... makes cruising with Princess a REALLY good deal!

With the hassle of packing and flights, I just won't book a cruise unless it is 14 nights or longer. Princess gives me $250 OBC for military, $250 OBC for shareholder and $150 to $250 OBC for FCDs. So there is an absolute MINIMUM of $650 OBC... PLUS whatever I get from the travel agency, usually another $100 to $400. 😁 Princess offers the BEST "bang-for-your-buck" in the cruise industry. Right now you can get an inside cabin on the 14 night Regal transatlantic for $499pp with that $650 OBC. (or a balcony for $701pp with a total of $800 OBC) Pay with your Costco credit card for ANOTHER $100 cash back. 😵 Their newer ships are stunningly beautiful, their service is great, the food is pretty good in the MDR and QUITE good in the Crown Grille. AND their martinis are very, VERY good! 😊 Their rooms are efficiently laid out and the beds and bedding are both surprisingly comfortable. 🙂 They offer very reasonable airline travel through Princess EZ Air. Depending on the airline you book, pay for the air with that airline credit card for free bags and extra miles. 😉 To top it all off... Princess has the the BEST enrichment speaker programs on astronomy. 😎 After cruising on NCL, Carnival, Royal and Celebrity... I absolutely LOVE Princess.

Leaving next week on the 14 night Enchanted Princess transatlantic to Barcelona. Made a near minimum bid of $205pp to move from an inside to an obstructed balcony... got it no problem! 🙂 That was a lot, *L*O*T* LESS than the difference between the original prices.

The 14 night Sky Princess transatlantic is down to only $559pp inside and $659pp for a balcony. Are Brits able to buy/use future cruise deposits? Can you guys get the Shareholder credit?

If your main concern is price, and you're flexible on cabin choice, booking early is your WORST option. If getting the exact cabin you want regardless of price is paramount, booking early is your BEST option. A perfect example is the 28 night "Pacific Tour" on Crown Princess leaving in just two weeks. You can get an inside cabin for only $1280pp... (with $185pp in port charges) but with $1,150 OBC! ($250 from FCD, $250 from shareholder, $250 from military, $400 from the travel agency.) MANY people would never consider an inside cabin for 7 days, let alone 28. Use of airline credit cards with miles/points can negate the pain of late airfares.

I have never been so HAPPY... to be so shamefully and embarrassingly WRONG. 😵 Recently returned from 16 nights to Hawaii on Diamond Princess. Was bummed about not doing a shore excursion so losing the $200. 😞 Just checked my end of cruise charges... and saw that BOTH of us got the $100 OBC... and it IS INDEED good for martinis! 😉 Added to shareholder OBC... military OBC...travel agency OBC... makes for a fantastic deal! Have it again on the Enchanted Princess transatlantic in just a few weeks. 😎

There are many sources of OBC that CAN be used for ANYTHING. (except for FCDs) THIS "speshul sale" $100pp OBC is different, it can be used ONLY for shore excursions.

Booking directly with the cruise line almost always GUARANTEES you pay the HIGHEST price. There are MANY online agencies that offer lower prices AND more perks/OBC.

I have done 11 cruises with Princess and used EZ Air for 10 of them. (drove to San Diego for one) Most were international flights to/from London, Barcelona and Sydney. I have never, EVER seen fares that were cheaper, or even CLOSE to being as low as EZ Air. Domestic flights were no big difference. I have Delta, United and American credit cards and still earn miles and get the perks through EZ Air.

I have done a dozen transatlantic cruises from Southampton. Princess hotels are ridiculously overpriced... so just go to hotels dot com/London Heathrow, and get any hotel that fits your budget and/or tastes. There are DOZENS less than a 5 minute, very cheap cab ride from the airport... anywhere from $100/night to $500/night. Next morning, take a cab back to LHR. You can take the dirt cheap National Express bus that requires transferring to another short cab ride in Southampton, OR... take the slightly more expensive but still reasonable Princess Shuttle. It takes you straight to the ship, and you give them your luggage at LHR, and you don't have to mess with it again until it shows up in your cabin. You are going to LOVE Virgin Atlantic and most likely your cruise as well Enjoy.

There are at least three different berths at Port Everglades that are/can be used by Princess. The two ("Princess Cruise Port" and "Terminal 4") that are closest to Eisenhower Blvd. are accessible to each other, the third is deeper into the port area and requires a very short cab ride.

Don't stop, it's a great deal for the casino crowd, people who are not...just need to know.

Every single link shows... "You are viewing search results with a casino discount." 😞

I'd normally never pay this high a price for a cruise, but my better half LOVES Hawaii. Paid $1289pp for an IF inside cabin on the 16 night Diamond Princess from San Diego. Bid $95pp (just above minimum) to upgrade to an OF ocean view cabin, or $1384pp. We have a total of $785 OBC and $200 shore excursion credit, so I'm fairly satisfied. A reasonable ($90) car rental each way from Tucson, so no (much higher) airline costs.

ALL of the Meet and Greets I have attended (about 30) have been thoroughly enjoyable and provided a perfect opportunity to make long time cruise friends that I still talk/cruise with 10 years later. 🙂 They DO seem to attract a mostly older crowd... instead of young pups (65) like me. 😁 Next up is the 16 night Diamond to Hawaii cruise and we have 100 people signed up. 😉 I have been on Celebrity transatlantic cruises with 600 and 800 people in attendance. 😵 Nobody is FORCED to attend... but I rather enjoy meeting new people.

You were misinformed. 😮 It all goes to Princess IT folks for doing such a great job. 🤣

Months ago I booked the 14 night Enchanted T/A in March for $697pp with $130 OBC pp. Same cruise/cabin is now ONLY $829pp with NO OBC. The GREATEST SALE EVER! 😵

Are you aware that Diamond Princess departs on January 6th, 2023, NOT the 7th. 😵

Two directions actually... nickel and dime. 🤨

There are two dozen Princess cruises before the end of the year from Fort Lauderdale. Some of them at prices that offer exceptional value. Why not enjoy a short fused vacation? My suggestions would be 10 nighter Caribbean or Panama Canal cruises on the Caribbean, Island or Enchanted.

YES... "they" are all wrong. The poster you are responding to IS right... but he is far from being the "only one" who is right. Several people here have posted (and documented) that a passport was/is required for THAT cruise. Other posters here have also said the "advising T/A" is wrong. Which is right.