Attention Princess

[dave_k63]

We in Canada can only see the Princess prices in Canadian Dollars and have no access to the USA one.I always book in USA dollars and I never have known for certain whether I have been given the true USA prices.

On e-mails and brochures in the mail those prices are in USA usually they are the on sale offers ,but it would be nice to see the USA price on those that are not on sale.

Can you email a friend in the US for the real prices? I would be glad to look it up for you.

[kate59]

Under Australian law all prices have to be inclusive, ie all taxes etc. Because gratuities are not part of Australian culture they can't be expected on top of the price, therefore if the cruiselines want us to pay them they have to be built into the price. This is why it only affects the ships based in Australia.

 

Australians do tip but not because they have to - we tip for service beyond expectations.

 

Those ships just passing thru are not included in the inclusive price because they are not based in Australia.

[antsp]

American travel agents will not earn commission from Princess if the traveler doesn't have a US passport and US address. They could set up the reservation for you but won't because they wouldn't make any money for their effort.

 

This is incorrect

[antsp]

Many times local laws dictate what the price will be.

Example Australian prices include the gratuities in the price.

There might also be local taxes & insurance included in the price as well.

 

In the UK most cruise prices include gratuities , all taxes , transfers , airfare and any hotels if required . This was told to me by a gentleman from Liverpool . We where talking about fares and what Canadians pay for their cruises.

Our prices don't include airfare , transfers ,hotels or gratuities.

 

The princess website now lists cruise prices as cruise only, if you are australian, from the uk or anywhere else, book with a us ta with a us address and there will be no problem, or pay over the odds, its your choice

[Beopthtuh]

this thread comes up time and time again .

the only way to change the pricing culture is to stop booking when the brouchure first comes out and wait for the deals .

princess have realised they have to cut prices to fill ships .

 

so the choice is ours pay £2500 ea for a balcony cabin for 12 days in med or wait and pay £899 ea

[antsp]

this thread comes up time and time again .

the only way to change the pricing culture is to stop booking when the brouchure first comes out and wait for the deals .

princess have realised they have to cut prices to fill ships .

 

so the choice is ours pay £2500 ea for a balcony cabin for 12 days in med or wait and pay £899 ea

 

This is great for x southampton or med options, however a last minute flight to a longhaul port will out way the savings

[Beopthtuh]

This is great for x southampton or med options, however a last minute flight to a longhaul port will out way the savings

 

hi antsp.

true ,there just isn,t a quick fix unless princess treat the rest of the world with the american passengers booking terms if the price drops we can get that price .

 

most international passengers dont have a usa address so cant book that way

[iain48]

hi antsp.

true ,there just isn,t a quick fix unless princess treat the rest of the world with the american passengers booking terms if the price drops we can get that price .

 

most international passengers dont have a usa address so cant book that way

 

I am booked for an Australia / NewZealand cruise early next year, recently I looked at the price on Princess website and our BA balcony had dropped about £400 per person. Simply phoned Princess UK and asked about getting the reduction and it was carried out immediately. Before I phoned I had heard that UK customers do not get price reductions. I thought it was worth a try and it certainly was.

Iain

[caribill]

I am booked for an Australia / NewZealand cruise early next year, recently I looked at the price on Princess website and our BA balcony had dropped about £400 per person. Simply phoned Princess UK and asked about getting the reduction and it was carried out immediately. Before I phoned I had heard that UK customers do not get price reductions. I thought it was worth a try and it certainly was.

Iain

 

I thought I had read that UK passengers could get any published lower prices up until about six months before sailing.

[HomelessBear]

Many times local laws dictate what the price will be.

Example Australian prices include the gratuities in the price.

There might also be local taxes & insurance included in the price as well.

 

In the UK most cruise prices include gratuities , all taxes , transfers , airfare and any hotels if required . This was told to me by a gentleman from Liverpool . We where talking about fares and what Canadians pay for their cruises.

Our prices don't include airfare , transfers ,hotels or gratuities.

 

This is not entirely correct. The cruise prices we have paid have never included gratuities (the daily tip is added onto our onboard account and we pay it at the end of the cruise when we settle the bill).

Princess used to include prices in their brochure which included flights, transfers and overnight hotel stay (where needed for example for a cruise that starts in the USA). However, now our brochures show prices for "cruise only", and we can add on these "extras" we need as a package, at an additional cost. Its only for the Australian cruisers I believe, where gratuities are included in the cruise price.

[icat2000]

Many times local laws dictate what the price will be.

Example Australian prices include the gratuities in the price.

There might also be local taxes & insurance included in the price as well.

 

In the UK most cruise prices include gratuities , all taxes , transfers , airfare and any hotels if required . This was told to me by a gentleman from Liverpool . We where talking about fares and what Canadians pay for their cruises.

Our prices don't include airfare , transfers ,hotels or gratuities.

This is not correct for cruises outside of Australia on Princess. On my recent TA on the Ruby in October the gratuities were added to my onboard account each day.

[UpcountryTravelers]

People often forget the purpose of a corporation is just one thing. To make as much money as possible without doing something illegal (or you could amend that to 'and getting caught'). Like it or not, that's how they are designed to operate.

 

Of course. That's the way business always has been, corporation or not. But there are many ways of doing that.

 

I prefer to frequent those who take business (and $) away from their competitors. By offering a superior product at a competitive (or even a lower) price. Which benefits us, the consumers.

[dread_pirate]

hi antsp.

true ,there just isn,t a quick fix unless princess treat the rest of the world with the american passengers booking terms if the price drops we can get that price .

 

most international passengers dont have a usa address so cant book that way

This is not unique to cruise lines. For example, residents of the UK are offered many different options for vacation packages that are not available to US residents. They can get 14 day tickets; US residents can get only 10 day tickets. They often get free dining offers that are not available to US residents, and vice versa.

 

This is simply the way the business models in travel work.

[Johny1]

A couple of points from a New Zealand cruiser : we cruise in Europe and pay the gratuities in US dollars at end of cruise, not

included in ticket price. We booked an " early bird" priCe for med cruise next year, then saw the cruise on sale at much less. Simply had our TA tell Princess we were looking elsewhere unless they came to the party. Surprise, surprise after some pressure from us we receive the $800 each discount. Just stick to your guns, it's a buyers market at the moment.

[Aus Traveller]

Many times local laws dictate what the price will be.

Example Australian prices include the gratuities in the price.

There might also be local taxes & insurance included in the price as well.

 

Australian prices on Princess cruises (for example) leaving from American ports do not include gratuities in the price. We pay them the same as you do.

 

There are NO local (Australian) taxes or insurance included in the price. The only taxes are the same ones that everyone pays - port fees.

 

With due respect to the poster who I have quoted, there is not much point in speculating ("might also be") if you don't know the situation. It just causes confusion.:)