Princess Standby Program

[SPI_Rick]

I'm just curious if anyone has booked a cruise through the Princess Standby Program? I signed up for the Standby Program a few months ago, but I haven't seen a single notification from Princess about cabins available through the program. Does the program really exist? If so, how often have you gotten a notice of availability from Princess (weekly? monthly? quarterly? ever??)

[lindy2]

I got an email about an April 9 sailing on Caribbean Princess for $399. Had it booked within an hour!

[Dreamer333]

I've been signed up on the stand-by program for years, but have never received any notices.

[Coral]

Lindy - I got an email for April 3rd on Golden and Star for $399. I got this on Friday.

[lindy2]

Coral, I got that email on Friday also. The CB email was on Thursday. The booking agent at Princess told me it was a standby fare. I signed up about 2 months ago and this was the first offer that I got.

[Coral]

Congrats on being able to take advantage of it!

[Aprils22]

Ive got the same offers--just waiting for one out of SF--- was able to take advantage of a similar offer a few years ago--- even my husband cruise with me on that one--

I tend to get more offers from Princess that are about 6-8 weeks out--

Cheers

April

[mymadel]

How do I sign up for the STAND BY program...We are PAST Princess cruise passengers and would LOVE to get on this list>....

 

We are doing the Caribbean Princess in April but would love to do more Princess cruises!

 

 

Andy

[SPI_Rick]

OK, one more question? For those of you who have gotten notification of the Standby availability from Princess.....what time frame did you specify for notification? (less than 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 3-5 weeks?)

[SPI_Rick]

mymadel, you can sign up from the Captain's Circle section of the Princess website.

[unboringuy]

I've been signed up for the program since they started it several years ago, and I've never heard a peep from them.

[nho9504]

I think you have to specify the shorter time frame - as far as I observe, the real bargains are those within the least time frame. There are no bargains for sailing from 4 weeks or up. For example, about a month ago I enquire the Golden april sailings, the prices quoted then were 200 higher than the standby offering NOW. Since there are no bargains for those further out time frames, if you signed up for that, you get no email.

 

However, if your time frame is short, you received emails every week. I was very surprised by the bargains starting late March. Almost seems like a deluge to me.

 

I too, received the $399 CB and Star sailings as well as Golden. But we already booked a last minute Panama crossing sail on Celebrity Summit leaving April 22, so are unable to take advantage of it. Incidentally the Celebrity Summit was also a last minute "Happy Hour" sale from them, 900 inside for 14-days FLL to SAN. When I received the invoice from TA, the cruise portion is only $600, Port Charges are $300 and the Government taxes are $136. The total costs are $1036 pp for inside cabin - about $75 a day. Outside is $300 higher. No balcony available. However, the TA found our inside cabin on Sky Deck and just a few steps from the front elevator, vs the outside cabins are all at the lowest deck ... we decided to take the inside (and save some bucks to boot).

 

If you can pick up and go within 1 to 4 weeks notice, there are tremendous bargins to be had, except Alaska. I imagine due to the air has to be arranged far ahead of time, those who cruise Alaska booked their cruises quite early and hardly cancel. Though there are a few bargains for departures from San Francisco.

 

For those who booked the CB and Star, what are the port charges and tax to add to ?

 

I am on a TA's email list, he added about $50 for the tax as total final cost of around 450+ for those sailings.

 

Incidently, the transatlantic sailings are also very cheap. from 699 to 799 ... sailing late April and beginning of May. Had we not booked on Summit, we would have booked one of the transatlantic.

[crisp1]

I'm about to take my first Princess cruise, so I can't sign up for this program until after. I'm wondering if there is any logic to who gets the e-mails. Could it do with local? Whether your close to a port, or access to discounted or more direct flights. How many cruises you've taken? Or is it just random?

[nho9504]

I'm about to take my first Princess cruise, so I can't sign up for this program until after. I'm wondering if there is any logic to who gets the e-mails. Could it do with local? Whether your close to a port, or access to discounted or more direct flights. How many cruises you've taken? Or is it just random?

 

None of the above. I believe it is solely based on the time frame you said you can sail and the itineraries you are interested in.

 

I checked Alaska, Caribbean, Transatlantic, Europe - and I receive them all, including departure ports that are far away from where I live.

[SPI_Rick]

None of the above. I believe it is solely based on the time frame you said you can sail and the itineraries you are interested in.

 

I checked Alaska, Caribbean, Transatlantic, Europe - and I receive them all, including departure ports that are far away from where I live.

 

nho9504, I'm curious about your comment that you "checked Alaska,....etc". When I signed up for the Standby Program I was only allowed to select embarkation ports and a notification time frame....were you able to specify the itinerary as well?

[nho9504]

when I signed up, I selected itineraries. You can pick any and as many as you want on the itineraries.

 

In past 2 weeks I have received emails for CB, Star, Golden, as well as ALL the transatlantics. I think I only received Alaska Cruisetour few weeks ago. Transatlantics depart from MIA, FLL and NYC. Golden of course departs from San Juan.

 

I did change my timeframe from 4 weeks out to just 1 to 2 weeks and since then I received emails almost twice a week.

 

BTW, last year standby sailings were plentyful right up to and included Thanksgiving, thru just before X'mas. We could not take advantage of it as we booked Diamond in July to sail on Dec 3, though it was a bargain price at the time ($585 obstructed view, all included). We usually dont book this early but the price was very attractive and Diamond was brandnew ... No regret - it was an excellent cruise and Diamond is phenominal. We will be on the lookout this year for any bargains that may come up this Nov/Dec.

[whiterose]

I signed up a couple of years ago and checked every port except Southampton and San Juan. I have NEVER received a last minute offer from Princess. We are Elite, retired, and ready to sail at short notice but for some reason we never get these emails that other people receive every week.

Why do some people get them and others not?

[Northender]

If you are signed up and know that others are getting them, could you call Princess and ask for that sailing and price?

[geoherb]

I'd suggest anyone who isn't getting the emails needs to go back to the Princess website and change their notification after logging in. I get a couple a week. I just wished we could take advantage of them. I was amazed at the bargains for April. I knew that the trans-Atlantic cruises later this spring would be bargain priced.

 

I also receive email notifications from some Internet TAs. They sometimes have even better prices. We booked a last-minute deal on our Celebrity holiday cruise through an Internet TA. I was happy we found something affordable.

[nho9504]

I signed up a couple of years ago and checked every port except Southampton and San Juan. I have NEVER received a last minute offer from Princess. We are Elite, retired, and ready to sail at short notice but for some reason we never get these emails that other people receive every week.

Why do some people get them and others not?

 

I suggest you go back to the site, remove your preference, log off.

 

Log back on, and check your preference again.

 

Also make sure the email address in your profile is a correct, updated one.

 

FWIW, received May Alaska sailings on SUN today. 499 inside.

[geoherb]

Just in: Alaskan oceanview cabins for $499 on the Sun Princess.

[SPI_Rick]

Well, I'm like WhiteRose. I've never gotten a thing from Princess. I have tried changing my preferences......length of notification and embarkation ports....but still nothing. I'll try the idea of removing all perferences, logging off and then logging back on to reinstate my preferences. If that doesn't work then I'll try calling Princess.

 

SPI_Rick...just feeling sad and neglected:confused: