KathiSF

I don't think so, either. I actually have a theory that Princess will give a nice upgrade to someone that hasn't sailed with them before. They know we're hooked .... why not try to impress someone that isn't necessarily hooked. Well, I am sure this is not really what happens but in my experience ... sure seems that way.

I wish I didn't agree with you, but my experience says "You're right". I've been elite for a number of years now because I really love cruising on Princess. I usually pick my own cabin but often allow Princess to upgrade it (I can always say "no"). They haven't offered a free upgrade to me in years. Once, when I'd only cruised 4-5 times previously, Princess upgraded us from interior to a balcony cabin on embarkation day. That was the best free upgrade I personally ever got.

Last year Princess gave me an offer to upgrade from inside to balcony - but only if I gave them more money. I actually took it because I really couldn't afford a full priced balcony but the upgrade brought it into my budgeted range. Of course Princess is going to see if people will pay for an upgrade before giving it away for free.

Either way, the Platinum Insurance from Princess will give you a full refund. I would wait if there is any chance you will be able to go.

If there is a pre-existing condition, Princess Platinum insurance gives you a credit for the non refunded amount. This credit can only be applied to a future cruise on Princess within a limited time frame. You will never get any money from this portion of the insurance policy, let alone a full refund. I found this out the hard way.

We had to cancel a cruise in 2012 because my husband became deathly ill. The Princess Insurance company did give us credits for the difference between what the regular insurance would have paid and the full amount paid (less the price of the insurance - basically the cancellation penalty.) But there was a stipulation we were not aware of. Those credits had an expiration date and were not transferrable. Unfortunately my husband never did get better and much of that time I spent taking care of him (Believe me, I didn't feel much like cruising.)

Princess makes their platinum insurance sound better than it really is. Just be careful so you know what you are actually buying. Princess and their insurance company were completely inflexible with us. They kept his refund and would not credit any money spent on his ticket to me - even after he died and it was impossible for him to cruise again. I had to use my credit by their date or lose it too.

By the way, the only time I would even consider canceling before I had all the facts would be if we were close to a date where the cancellation penalty was due to increase. Then my decision would be based on the individual circumstances. Remember, Princess is a business and they want to make a profit.