Amanda333

Also Amex announced today $0 "Plan It" fees, for all plans created now through 1/24/2020 (iirc). So you can pay off the entire cruise today, and then pay monthly installments (to Amex) with no interest or fees. I never carry a credit card balance, but I plan to use this.

Thanks to OP and Bollycats! I paid $500 at Expedia on my Princess cruise 11/22, and got the $100 amex credit 11/24!

More details in case helps others. Offer didn't appear in my amex account as an offer. I have Delta gold Skymiles Amex. So I went to the backdoor link. Said nothing useful, but I logged in. Then opened new window and went to backdoor link. Quickly clicked on the offer when I saw it, then went to the other tab (to where I was logged into Amex), and it appeared in my offers. Went to Expedia, made $500 payment (which I've noticed before shows up on my Amex account as being directly from Princess), and got an email shortly thereafter from Amex saying I had redeemed the cruise offer for $100.

FWIW I also paid the entire cruise cost instead of $1 deposit (I missed where you click to change it - i.e., the default is to pay in full.) It took about a minute to correct once I got someone on the phone at Princess.  (It did take 3 days for it to credit back - i.e., she put through a credit to my credit card of the entire charge less $2. But she said they had to wait 3 days for the initial charge to fully clear, to send me back the $5,000.) HTH.

I agree its annoying to have people at a restaurant near you talking on the phone, but perhaps it would help you to think of them on the phone with their child and his babysitter at the hospital? 

I.e., I think we can agree we not going to be able to have a phone-free meal. So, maybe it would help to not bother you if you consider s/he might be on the phone for a dire reason - doctor follow up on cruiser's cancer treatment, cruiser's special needs child at home MUST say goodnight at x time every day, grandparent had to take child (not on cruise) to hospital, etc....  Just a thought.

FYI Many Massachusetts public schools go back the 1st Wednesday of September (whether before or after Labor Day), so that's Sep. 7 this year.

Thus, Bermuda and Canada cruises that leave from Boston will have lots of kids end of August (cheaper to go that last week of August than earlier in the summer). HTH!

OP: Please come back after xmas and let us know how it went (surprising the kids)?

Want to live vicariously through you! :) Sounds so fun - I have two DS, and want to surprise them with our 2nd cruise (not yet planned, but hopefully this year). Thanks in advance if you can! Understand if you are too busy/tired though!

I apologize if in anyway I came off as entitled. It's just this is all new to me since I've only been in 1 cruise (roundtrip from Puerto Rico where I live). Reading here about price drops and upgrades made me curious but I don't think I'm entitled to them just because it's out honeymoon.

Hi! I clearly wrote my message poorly - I had no intention of calling you entitled AT ALL. I was only remarking on how very nice a different poster was to pay/send champagne to a couple they heard being disappointed (while said honeymooners were ON their cruise already).

I think it's smart to watch and inquire about price drops, upgrades, etc.

Sorry for my inept writing!

There will probably be quite a few people on their honey moon on your cruise so I would not anticipate an upgrade.

 

We ran into a few couples last week on their honey moon. One couple in particular got me . She was so disappointed the cruise line did not do anything for them . I went to guest services and gave them the cabin number . I ordered a bottle of Champagne and sent it to their cabin.

 

Saw her later in the cruise she was so happy, they put up balloons sent a tray of strawberry's and my Champagne arrived chilled with glasses, very festive she said.

 

I wish you all the best on your up coming wedding

 

Reader

That was just so thoughtful of you. I was thinking how my take away from the conversation would have been 'she's so entitled.' But I'm so glad to have read your response, and am so glad not everyone is like me - you completely changed the couple's trip (as well as my day today!).