wallyj

Depending on the length of cruise and cabin type booked and if one or both are military and shareholders, which we have been warned will no longer be combinable with military, so $600 OBC is quite obtainable and if your TA has group or other promo OBC.

Thank @Ken the cruiser for find my post on the other thread. Many years ago, Princess would ‘backdate’ the FCD so you could use it and get the OBC, but they have stuck to their official rules which is understandable with the amount of debt incurred.

Currently on the Emerald and it was announced you can purchase ‘plus’ or ‘premier’ on day1 or day2 at current price. Buying before cruise will add to Princess insurance cost, as packages are consider part of cruise fare, waiting runs risk of package price increase, so how far out your cruise could matter as we do not know when Princess will increase prices for the packages again.

Your FCD acquire date has to be before your booking date. I have made bookings with an online TA where their engine does not have capability to use/apply a FCD. Since the agents do not work on Sunday and I want to book and not wait to talk to an agent, or their office is closed for the day, I will lock in my booking online paying initial deposit by credit card and then when office is open, have them apply a FCD to receive the OBC. This will work even if you are after final payment as I have done this before AND after final payment. When you do after final payment, in results in overpayment and $100 is refunded back to credit card used for final payment. Remember you need to have your FCD acquire date before your booking date. With current FCD’s having only 1 year expiration, future planning is a must. In your case, buying a FCD after you book will not reap you any OBC for that booking, and you probably would not be able to apply to the booking because the FCD is after your booking date. If you think you might cruise again within a year, buy one or two to have in the ‘bank’ since they are fully refundable.

So getting a little off topic since you brought it up, but a few years ago, RCI used to reduce your shareholder benefit with your other OBC’s, in essence, the maximum you would get most likely is shareholders. Now they allow ‘stacking’, so your other OBC’s and promos will not reduce your shareholder benefit. Occasionally, RCI will have an extra discount for military but only for specific sailings, unlike Princess which is available for most sailings. Have you applied for RCI shareholders since July 2021?

Yes, cut is disappointing, but there are only a few cruiselines that give OBC for Vets. With the restart, I lost the loyalty command OBC of $100 for having over 51 cruise credits. This was also a benefit few other cruise lines offered.

So the only exception I have heard, is if you will be on a LONG sailing, and you are only a couple days from your next tier. I was on the 27 day TransPacific on the Majestic, and a passenger was only a couple days from being elite and was asking about would they get elevated to ‘elite’ during this sailing and enjoy being ‘elite’. The loyalty manager said, Princess will sometimes do this. What constitutes LONG was not specified and I assume you would need to be only a ‘couple’ of days max from your next tier, 5 days seems like too many. Heard later, the Loyalty manager did upgrade passenger to ‘elite’ for the sailing on day3. Like most cruise lines, you ‘days/points’ do not post to your account till you have completed your sailing and usually not immediately. If doing B2B, loyalty host can usually manually post/upgrade tier, if you qualify to move up from last sailing.

I believe the show is titled ‘Fantastic Journey’, did your show include ‘drones’? When I was on Majestic earlier, they had a problem with the drones and they were nixed.

Hi @HaveDogWillTravel, yes, I have a friend who sails solo a lot and has always been able to get military and shareholders as it seems your DH was able when he was solo. My assumption is Princess is going to make it per cabin, so if someone in cabin has military, then cabin cannot get shareholders, but please report back when you hear from your CVP.

I think clarification needed regarding combinability, as in if stateroom has one, then the other benefit not allowed? Previous post seems to say if both passengers in cabin have military, they would both get, now cabin cannot get shareholders after September, if only one is ‘vet’ can other passenger get shareholders?

Please review past threads regarding non refundable deposits. Princess has recently implemented non refundable deposits for most GTY lead-in categories, which are usually the lowest meta with the second letter being ‘F’ where applicable. You can only book these categories as GTY and with non refundable deposit, usually if you go one category up with the second letter being ‘E’ you should be able to book as refundable unless ‘E’ is the lowest category.

YMMV, besides location, deck 6 mid and aft dining rooms share a kitchen, whereas deck 5 has its own, so you would think deck 5 would have faster service. Staffing and experience of crew will affect experience and how full the dining room is.

I see you are from the UK and I believe your booking terms and conditions are a bit different than for Canada and US passengers. if you have used a travel agent you should consult with them, else call Princess and see what your options are being a UK passenger. You were not clear if you already have a booking for your son and friend that cannot join now.

Passenger staying on for the next sailing who was on previous sailing.

Yes, still true for the Crown, free steam and sauna in changing room for fitness center. I was just on Crown May 12-23, 2023. The Emerald, sister ship DID have the free steam and saunas removed and I believe were renovated for accessible spa treatment rooms. No confirmation if plans are to remove from existing ‘grand’ class ships, being Ruby, Crown, Caribbean, Sapphire.

I have done many GTY bookings with Princess and have never gotten a notification from Princess they have finally assigned me my cabin. I have on occasion received an email from my TA notifying me Princess has upgraded me and my cabin assignment waiting for my GTY to be assigned. The latest I have received a GTY assignment was 3 days before sail date. I am on same sailing as @Laughingbear and I received my interior GTY cabin last Friday, 8 days before sail date. Please post when you get your cabin assignment.

I have Premier for my upcoming CA Coastals on the Emerald in June and July. When I went to make specialty reservations in the APP, it already showed my credit card on file, but when I made the reservation it showed the cover charge of $39 for Crown Grill but also it showed a zero balance because of the dining credit. Are you saying when you are trying to make the reservation, it does not zero out your balance due and still shows it will charge your credit card? It is possible maybe closer to sailing date the APP finally knows about your dining credit? How far out is your sailing? If you have time try chat?

Hi @zackarykeef, I had this same issue for a sailing I booked on board the Crown last month. I decided I wanted to add the ‘plus’ package. Same like you, the credit card fields were grayed out, so you could not add credit card info. Since I was still on board, I had the future cruise person call and get it added. I believe it is a glitch. Princess has extended the on board booking promo for sailings up to the end of August at 50% off, but many sailings are selling out!

It depends on what was the cost of your ‘solo’ supplement ? Looking at your signature, are you enquiring about your Crown Alaska sailing? Many of these Crown sailings the solo supplement was only about 10%. Under regular 100% solo supplement, adding Passenger2 would only be the Govt taxes and fees, but check your invoice from Princess or your travel agent to try and see if you paid a reduced solo supplement. The cost to add passenger2 is normally 100% of the double occupancy fare, plus the Govt taxes and fees. If you paid 200% to go solo, then the only additional cost to add passenger2 are the taxes. Princess will be able to tell you the cost to add passenger2.

Hi @ldtr, sorry, I clicked on the wrong post to get quote and tried to edit. I have, in the past, from using an online travel agencies booking engine, paid the deposit using a credit card and then had the agency apply a FCD and got the OBC for using it. I know of a friends recent booking, where their booking was paid in full and a FCD was not used, but later they had one applied, resulting in overpayment, AND they received the OBC for using a FCD. This is another example of inconsistency with Princess.

The acquire date of the FCD must be after your booking date. Many, many years ago, Princess would ‘back date’ the FCD, I do not believe they will do this now. With FCD’s having only 1 year to use now, I do not see many passengers buying a lot of ‘extra’ FCD’s to have on hand, unless they know they will be booking many cruises within a year. Some online agencies do not have the ability to apply a FCD during the booking process and you can usually have the agency add the FCD after you have made the booking, as long as you have a FCD dated before you made your booking. Even if you have paid in full, Princess should be able to apply a FCD which would result in an overpayment and a credit back to your form of payment, so you will still get the OBC associated with using a FCD.

When you have more than 2 in a stateroom and you want the 3rd or 4th to have ‘plus’, you need to have your TA or Princess manually ‘add’ the package. It is required only for the first 2 passengers when you booked, so you were probably only charged for 2 passengers. Estimate how much your 19 yr old will drink and see if the non alcohol or soda only package is cost effective, else pay as you go. You can share the one device WiFi plan that passenger1 and passenger2 will have, unless you think your 19 yr old will need their own plan.

Update, friends currently on Emerald just let me know last night’s 2nd formal with Land and Sea on MRD menu had $10 upcharge for additional lobster, so it appears it is going fleet wide. On the Crown it was Beef Tenderloin instead of a petite filet Mignon in the past, friends did not comment what the land item was.

I have read many of the Alaska sailings will have a cocktail party instead of a lunch. I was disappointed with the food offered. They had waiters that passed around only 3 items, a rice ball, tempura veggies and fried shrimp. By the time the tempura got to me, little was left and it was cold. There did setup a mini buffet table with various desserts and additional offerings on a sushi roll but nothing looked appealing to me, it seemed many did not go up and partake. The buffet Princess has set up on Royal class ships for the MTG ‘cocktail’ party pre Covid were quite nice with various sushi offerings and a chef preparing hot items along with other various entrees. Officers did sit with passengers and I had a nice conversation with the Guest Services Manager.

Just got email from friends currently on Emerald on CA Coastal itinerary and they said there was no upcharge for additional lobster last cruise which was 16 day Hawaii, as they are doing B2B so may not have had 2nd formal night on current sailing. Wonder if upcharge is not fleetwide yet?