TN-Mountains

43 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

The VAT is added whether you have the package or not.  It has no implication on 'breaking even'.

I must not have been clear.  I debated getting the free @ sea unlimited open bar package because the 20% Open Bar gratuity ($240 pp) is comparable to what my daily drinks would cost if I pay a la carte.   I was worried I might have to pay VAT on the cost of the open bar package (>$240 pp) vs. VAT on the value of a single drink or two ($3-$10) .     

5 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Any tax charged would be on the value of drinks consumed. It is relatively common in certain places (US ports for example), but is not consistent and can change in some ports from time to time.

 

I've not been to Iceland or Norway for a few years, but when I have done (including an overnight in Reykjavik) I'm fairly sure that no tax was charged.

 

Free at sea covers the whole cruise, whether in port or at sea. You may see a current discussion about drinks not being served in a port (Gibraltar) but that is an exception.

Thanks for the info.  I assumed the package covered at both sea & port.  It wasn't until I was typing Free at Sea for this post, that I realized they could literally mean "at sea". 😉 I read a couple of the posts regarding taxes at the US ports and drinks not being served in port at Gibraltar.  I'm an occasional drinker so I'm not worried about alcohol not being served at an occasional port.  I actually debated declining the package, because I'll likely just break even on it.  If there is VAT added to a package price there is no way I'd break even.  I believe at least one person mentioned being taxed on the package price at a US port, which is what prompted my question.   

I booked a cruise to Norway & Iceland on NCL in June.  I opted for the Free at Sea promotion and noticed the following clause in the T&C:  "Guest's check may reflect applicable VAT and/or taxes for certain ports or itineraries."  A quick google search shows VAT in Norway and Iceland might be around 25%.  Does anyone have experience with taxes/VAT being added to your check because you were at port in Norway or Iceland?  If so, is it based on the value of the Free at Sea package or just individual meals/drinks ordered while at port?  I'm not as worried about a miscellaneous $10-20 tax, but if I'm going to get hit with $100s pp, I'd like to know up front.  A couple of the stops on this cruise stay overnight in port (20 hrs+/-), so the option to have a late dinner to avoid extra taxes isn't available.  This also brings up another question, is the Free at Sea promotion, literally only free while at sea or does it include the time you're at port?  It has been about 15 years years since I last went on a cruise and I've never been on NCL.  I recall on Princess a lot of the shops, casino, etc. either closed or charged taxes on purchases while at port.   I don't remember about dining options though.   

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I have some details for you.  I have mentioned Princess Fare Codes or Promo Codes.  Sometimes you can find these in the cabin pricing details. 

 

I was not sure what exact Cabin Category you were looking at, but deduced from the total invoice cost of $7,870 that you were looking at Catg BY. 

 

U9F/U9G - This is a Special Mail Offer.  The "U" Promo Codes are targeted marketing to various groups of past guests.  According to the info, it does apply both Canada-wide and US-wide.  These fares are about $150 less than the "regular" sales offers.  The U9F is the Standard code and the U9G is the Plus code.  (I have ignored Premier).  This promotion appears to be a version of the Love Boat offer at a lower price point as it includes the $100 ShoreEx OBC.  Without the words saying it - I suspect this is a Past Passenger rate for sure.

 

N9E/N9D - This is the Love Boat Promotion.  The one with the $100 ShoreEx OBC.  These codes are available to the North American market sector (same as above).  The N9E is the Standard code and the N9D is the Plus code.  You do not need to be a Past Passenger to buy the Love Boat Promo.

 

NL1/NPP - This is the Standard Public Fare which anyone can get and do not need to be a Past Passenger.  Generally, this can be consider the "list price" for the voyage in any cabin.  The NL1 is Standard and the NPP is Plus.  There are no perks with this fare code.

 

For a BY cabin (Obstr'd Balcony), the fares are:

 

U9F = $3,000 + $235 port taxes = $3,235/pp

N9E = $3,199 + $235 port taxes = $3,434/pp

NL1 = $3,200 + $235 port taxes = $3,435/pp

 

Add $700/pp to the above fares if booking the PLUS option.

 

Since you mentioned a total invoice of $7,870, I can tell you were looking at a BY cabin, with Promo Code U9G = $3,935/pp all-in.  That is the best possible fare for a BY cabin with PLUS option (unless you are working with a TA that gives a discount off the cruise fare).

 

So, you are not at all being miss-priced or over-charged by Princess and they are telling you the best fare possible.  If you contact them again for the same thing, ask them what the Promo Code is and has to be U9G.

 

When anyone is logged into Princess.com, it only shows you one set of fares (one Promo Code).  When I am logged in and look at your cruise, Princess.com is showing me the Love Boat Deal fares (N9E, N9D).  Generally, Princess.com is supposed to show a guest their best deal by default.  However, you can clearly see that the U9F & U9G fare codes are the best deal.  Unless one of the following is true, you are never going to know that:

 

(1) a Princess rep tells you and actually quotes that better rate.

(2) a Princess CVP tells you and quotes the rate.

(3) your TA finds the best rate in POLAR booking system and quotes it to you.

(4) you know all your applicable rates before talking to anyone of (1), (2), (3), by using a 3rd party booking site that displays ALL eligible fares and lets you choose the one you want.

 

IDK what you see when you are logged in and shop for a BY Balcony, and Princess.com may show different fares to different guests for all I know.  I am just telling you what I see on Princess versus the other possibilities.

 

Comparing that to a Premium Oceanview, there are two cabin categories - O6 & O5.  Here are the prices for the O6:

 

U9F = $2,187 + $235 port taxes = $2,412/pp

N9E = $2,326 + $235 port taxes = $2,561/pp

NL1 = $2,327 + $235 port taxes = $2,562/pp

 

Again, add $700/pp to the above fares if booking the PLUS option.

 

U9G = $3,112/pp

N9D = $3,261/pp

NPP = $3,262/pp

 

IDK if you were booked or looking at O6 or O5 cabin.  The O5 cabins are only $22 more per person than the O6, so add another $22/pp to the above for the O5.

 

 

You mentioned a fare of $6,386.  This is $3,193/pp, less $235 port taxes = $2,958/pp.  I am not sure what this fare is - your OV, a Balcony, with or without Plus option. 

 

$2,958 is not a base fare for any Balcony on that voyage.  It does seem to closely approximate a BZ Balcony, which is a lower level of Obstructed than the BY.  But without the PLUS option.

 

$2,958 does not align with the Premium OV pricing.

 

 

Since you are already booked in an OV, you may have booked when pricing was somewhat different than today.

 

Another curious thing to me is you mention a $1,500 price jump.  You also mentioned expecting to pay $100 more for the Obstr'd Balcony.  So, that leaves $1,400.  $1,400 is exactly the PLUS option for 14-night cruise times 2 people.  Are you sure your OV booking is with the PLUS option?

 

Anyway, hopefully I have given you some additional insight into Princess pricing so you can be more informed of what's out there.  For me, I never rely on Princess to be showing me the best price on Princess.com, but it should be (and often is). 

 

A good internal CVP should be finding all the fares and quoting you the best one.  You were quoted a better deal than the regular Love Boat promo.  A good external TA should do the same.  A better external TA will also give you extras, like cash discounts off the fare and group OBC.

 

Thank you!  This is very helpful.  I need to read it again to digest everything, but I wanted to take a brief second to upload a screen shot of the $1500 discrepancy and and clarify a few things.  Your inferences were correct as to cabin categories.   I'm currently booked in a premium ocean view (O5).  I've read in a few places that I should keep tabs on pricing in case they drop, so I'm trying to make it a habit of checking daily.  While checking yesterday, I noticed the obscured balcony (BY) was pricing out at approximately $100 more than what I paid for the O5 Oceanview, so I was going to book it. I selected the cabin and got to the page that summarized the selections/prices including taxes fees.  It looked great!  I'm attaching a screen shot of the message I got once I logged into the site to proceed with the booking.  I've only been searching the Princess Plus rates.  

2 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Just did a test booking, Balcony $6276 - same whether logged in or not.

Thank you for checking.  Is that the standard fare or Princess Plus fare?  I should also have noted that the fares I was searching were princes plus.

Just now, jagoffee said:

Do you have a current booking on this cruise?

yes.  I'm currently booked in an Oceanview cabin.  When I saw the obstructed balcony for only $100 more, I was going to book it instead.

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

These are the stories that make me cringe.  Disappointed and upset customer who is not going to be saying good things about Princess and it hurts the brand and the stock in the long run if this happens frequently. 

 

You should ask what Fare Code they are quoting you always. 

 

I am curious a bit.  If you post the cruise you were pricing, I can look it up and see what I see for pricing options.  I will give you the Fare Codes and the base fare. 

 

PS - You could be booked at the non-past passenger Fare Code.  It's a public fare available to anyone, but I don't understand why a past pax code would cost more.

 

 

14-Day Icelandic & Norwegian Fjords

Copenhagen, Denmark to Southampton (London), England

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - Island Princess

I'm not sure why being a past guest would increase the rates either, but it was clearly showing $6386 after taxes, fees, etc.  Once I logged in to proceed with the booking, a window popped up alerting me that the fares had changed.  It showed an updated pricing summary in a table w/ pricing for guest 1, guest 2, cruise total, taxes & fees and finally the total price.  The first price was $6386 and the new pricing was $7870.  I closed the browser, opened a new one and went through the process again with the same results. 

3 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

You do need to find a good cruise TA.  Unfortunately, we cannot recommend on this website. 

 

One thing is to see if you can find a third-party travel site that allows self-booking of cruises.  The good ones will show you ALL of the eligible cruise fares which not only is to your benefit, but you can speak in specifics with a travel agent or Princess agent about which fare code you want. 

 

The third party websites let you shop other cruise lines as well, but they will have you input your Princess past passenger number (your Captain Circle Id) and this is used to show you all the fare types you are eligible for.  You should be able to read about fare conditions and perks as well.  TBH, any good TA worth their salt ought to be able to do this as well. 

 

Not sure you are up to a lot of self-service, but once you have a cruise voyage you are interested in, you can try and find travel agencies that will compete for your business.  Otherwise, on your next cruise, get talking to fellow cruisers and see how they are booking and getting good rates. 

 

For now, perhaps you might want to call Princess and ask to be connected with one of their internal TA's - called Cruise Vacation Planners.  Now, be aware, some are good and some are duds, and you don't know who you will get. 

I searched pricing on a lot of the websites for before I booked.  That included big box store and some member only benefits I have through my insurance.  Princess' website was showing the cheapest rate.  I called one of their vacation planners because she had been emailing me that she could get me the best rate.  The rates she gave was HIGHER than the website.  She didn't seemed interested in finding out why.  She just said sometimes our rates are higher??  Ugh.  

I called Princess today and was on hold forever before I got cut off.  The next time I called, I selected the "hold my place in line and call me" option.  I still haven't received a call back yet.  I emailed the vacation planner that helped with the 1st booking.  I included the photo showing the price and then the price change once I logged in.  She said she can't see that rate...sorry, but keep checking the rates!  I asked her to escalate to a supervisor to see if they can match it.  She said she talked to her guest services team and they see the same pricing she sees and they are unable to price match.  Not sure guest services team is a supervisor, but what am I going to do?  I guess I'll keep checking.  I'll probably check some other cruise lines while I'm at it.  My allegiance to Princess only runs so deep.  A $1500 price increase because I'm a previous passenger is well past that threshold!  

36 minutes ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

I would just rebook the same thing with the TA from the online agency that actually answers inquiries and gives a halfway straight answer!

 

You found a TA that actually knows things about cruises???  I tried using one a few months ago.  I asked lots of questions about everything the fare included and what extras I should expect.  She told me the fare included everything so she put a temp hold on the cabin.  I did a little more research and quickly learned there were hundreds per guest in gratuities that weren't included.   It is all so confusing.  Now I know why my local TA quit selling cruises!  It is a shame, because she was wonderful helping with a couple of our previous non-cruise vacations.  

3 minutes ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

It sounds like a lot of strange stuff going on with Princess!  We booked a cruise with a promo rate that was offered to us by showing the lower rate when I was logged in.  We booked with the Plus package, which would now get us the one hundred dollars onboard excursion credit.  But, since we have the cruise booked, it won't show me that Promo rate we had.  Looking at a large online travel agency, they are still showing that discounted rate that I no longer can pull up.   

 

The fare on the cruise has not changed.  Should be able to refare.   It seems that Princess and our Princess agent are ignoring our inquiries.   We hate to totally cancel, and have to wait for Princess to refund us, for that two hundred dollars.  But, I swear, on principle I am ready to do that.

 

Ugh.  I hear you!  My first reaction was to cancel, but then I thought of all the additional research I'll have to do to plan a different vacation!  LOL!  Since the deposit is refundable I'll try to resist the urge momentarily.  

1 hour ago, dog said:

Yes!  I can’t get the $100 deposit either. A call to TA or Princess should do it. Screenshot lower fare you see.

Let me know if you get this resolved.  They sold out of the type rooms I booked so I'm glad I went ahead and paid the deposit, but I think I'll call and ask that they refund the $300.

24 minutes ago, jpom18 said:

I have seen something similar.  In my case I had a cruise booked and when looking at it when not logged in I was seeing the promo price for new bookings only. 

 

When I logged in the system was smart enough to know that I already had that cruise booked and so the price I saw was the regular price, which was higher then I had booked at originally and the New Booking promo price.  At least that's what the Princess person told me.

 

Personally I've found that Princess seems to be limiting promo pricing to new booking much more often now then they did before.  Whereas I used to be able to pretty much always just re-fare, now it seems like you often have to cancel and re-book to get the new pricing.  Sure it can be done if you have refundable deposit, etc. but it's a much bigger hassle then just re-faring.  Of course it could just be me as well.

This is what I thought was going on!  I sent a screen shot to princess to see if they'll give me the lower rate.  The only email I have is the vacation advisor that had me pay the higher deposit, so I'm not holding out much hope.  Either way, I think I'll call princess and see if they'll give me the lower deposit on what I have booked.  

I booked a cruise over the weekend on Princess.  I booked directly through their website.  For some reason, it wouldn't give me the low deposit rate of $100pp which is their current Love Boat promo.  I spoke with a Princess Vacation Planner who said it was because I was getting a lower fare than the Love Boat fare. The same lady quoted me higher fares the day before, so I reluctantly paid the higher deposit since it is refundable. Today I decided to check prices and it looks like I can upgrade from an premium OV to an obstructed balcony for $100.  I got all the way to the page that adds in the port fees, taxes, etc, so I was looking at the final price.  When I logged into my account a window popped up telling me the fares have changed.  They actually went up by $1500 and the deposit jumped from $200-$500!  Is this normal??  Is anyone else having this issue?  I've sailed with Princess 4 times in the past, but it has been 15 years since my last cruise. I have my captain's circle number in my profile and it shows the correct level as ruby.  

Thank you all for your replies!  Your thoughts are much appreciated.  After considering all your input, I broadened my scope and looked at some different itineraries that focused on the fjords (14- day Icelandic & Norwegian Fjords) rather than the northern lights/midnight sun.  My husband was more excited about this itinerary.  He used to live in Alaska and has seen the Northern Lights on many occasions.  I booked a premium oceanview cabin since it was substantially cheaper than a balcony.  It looks like this category of cabin has a small sofa/loveseat and a chair near a picture window.  What do y'all think of this itinerary?  

14-Day Icelandic & Norwegian Fjords

Wed, Jul 12         Copenhagen, Denmark

Thu, Jul 13          Skagen, Denmark

Fri, Jul 14             Haugesund, Norway

Sat, Jul 15            Alesund, Norway

Sun, Jul 16           Shetland Islands (Lerwick), Scotland

Mon, Jul 17         At Sea                 

Tue, Jul 18           Seydisfjordur, Iceland

Wed, Jul 19         Akureyri, Iceland

Thu, Jul 20          Grundarfjordur, Iceland

Fri, Jul 21             Reykjavik, Iceland

Sat, Jul 22            At Sea                 

Sun, Jul 23           At Sea                 

Mon, Jul 24         Liverpool, England

Tue, Jul 25           At Sea                 

Wed, Jul 26         Southampton (London), England

29 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

Two comments

 

First, Mrs Bear _always_ wants a balcony, so we _need_ a balcony wherever possible.

 

Second, remember that travel agents [even $BIG_BOX_STORE agents] are not discussed by name on these forums.

 

Our upcoming Norway and Northern Lights sailing is booked for a QM2 'sheltered' balcony - and these do give you an area of calm on the balcony, even when the winds outside of the aperture are a brisk force 11

 

Oh no!  I did read the rule about the travel agents.  Since it was a big box I didn't think of them as a travel agent, but you're right!  Is there a way for me to edit my post?  I didn't see one or would.

Is there a trick to knowing which balconies are sheltered when reading the deck plans?  

1 hour ago, hallasm said:

Cruising Norway during winter you’ll not use a balcony - and you’ll probably not be able to see the lights from a balcony - to really answer your questions you need to post the itinerary and date . Might depend on cruising the deep fjords but not common on northern lights cruises - and it will likely also be dark- depending on time you might have polar winter and no sun over the horizon at all.

Personally I would not use the balcony during winter and dark.

Thanks for your insight. You hit on my points of concern for a winter cruise.  I'm also considering a different cruise of Norway in June. I'm thinking a balcony would be used during the long summer days, but would love your thoughts on that too!  Both itineraries are shown below!  

This is the itinerary for the Oct 4-18 sailing:  

1.      Southampton (London), England

2.      At Sea                 

3.      Stavanger, Norway

4.      At Sea                 

5.      At Sea                 

6.      Tromso, Norway

7.      Alta, Norway (Water Shuttle Required)

8.      Alta, Norway (Water Shuttle Required)

9.      At Sea                 

10.   Lofoten Islands (Gravdal), Norway (Water Shuttle Required)

11.   At Sea                 

12.   Alesund, Norway

13.   At Sea                 

14.   At Sea                 

15.   Southampton (London), England

And, the itinerary for the June 17-July1 sailing:

1.      Southampton (London), England

2.      At Sea                 

3.      Bergen, Norway

4.      Molde, Norway

5.      Trondheim, Norway

6.      At Sea                 

7.      Honningsvag (for North Cape), Norway

8.      Tromso, Norway

9.      Lofoten Islands (Gravdal), Norway (Water Shuttle Required)

10.   At Sea                 

11.   Alesund, Norway

12.   Olden, Norway

13.   At Sea                 

14.   At Sea                 

15.   Southampton (London), England

7 hours ago, CCJack said:

Certainly a balcony would be nice as there is a lot more to see from your cabin than on a Caribbean cruise.   Although it will be chilly in October,  it will also be cold (or colder) on the deck as opposed to your balcony.  The sail in to fjords can be a couple hours so it is nice to view from your room.  An ocean view would be an otion if you are looking to save money.  One option is to book ocean view then keep an active watch on price fluxuations and switch to balcony if the opportunity is there.   

 

Are you pricing through the cuiseline?   We like to book through one of the big box wharehouse clubs,  saving a few hundred $ on a cruise line this.   

Thanks for your reply.  I didn't think about the decks being colder than the balcony.  I guess the dividers do provide a wind break, so that is a good point.  One of my concerns with an ocean view is that the windows are above the bed in the photos.  If that is the case, I can't imagine that would be comfortable for extended viewing.  

I've searched several sites for pricing, but mostly Princess's website, since it seems more straight forward and easier to search.  At first glance it looked like some other sites were cheaper, but they just tack on the fees at the end instead of up front.  I checked Costco, but they were $500-600 more for this sailing.  (You get most of it back on a Costco card.)  It is possible that their cabins are a higher category than the ones I'm looking at on Princess.   They were over budget so I didn't bother digging into the details.  Once I find something within budget I'll search Costco again and drill down deeper into the details.  

I really want to do a Northern Lights cruise next October, but the prices are coming in higher than I like.  Before I give up on the idea for 2023, I thought I'd revisit my options to see if there is anyway to trim costs.  I've been pricing the cruise with an unobstructed balcony stateroom and the Princess Plus fairs (drinks, wifi, crew appreciation).  I thought about ditching the Princess Plus, but last time I cruised (2008) I recall how quickly those things add up purchasing a la carte.  Crew appreciate and wifi are a must (kids will be left at home with Nana).  I can do without a lot of alcohol, but I like specialty coffees and juice.  With the already over inflated prices + gratuity, I'm guessing 1-2 beverages/day is the break even point, no?   That leaves the stateroom.  Are balconies a must for this type of trip?  I've had both windows and balconies on past cruises.  If I cruise the Caribbean again, I've always said I could skip the balcony if it saves a lot of money.  My Alaska cruise I didn't consider rooms without a balcony, but that was in May/June.  Will it be too cold in October to really use the balcony?  Should I just look at Ocean View rooms instead?  I'd love some opinions on this!  

BTW--This is my first time posting.  I hope this question hasn't been asked a 1000 times!  I didn't see anything when I did a search.