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blbailey

By blbailey,
in Princess Cruises

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blbailey

blbailey

Posted
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I have seen that many people get free perks such as flowers, mini bar set up, OB credit...this is our first cruise how do we go about getting any of these perks. We are booked on the Golden going to Alaska in August. Any help would be great!

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cubfan63

cubfan63

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Unless you are elite, you aren't going to get some of these unless you book a Full Suite.

 

With a Full Suite, you get (among other things) the mini bar set up, laundry service, flowers, nightly canapés, and dinner in one of the specialty restaurants on the first evening.

 

To get OBC (other than the loyalty) can be accomplished in many ways (for example, member of military now or previously, shareholder, from travel agent) but you won't be eligible for the loyalty one.

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jameshills

jameshills

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No idea but I got bumped from obstructed OV to balcony last week ... said they like to fill the balconies.

 

Looks like insides are mostly empty this cruise.

 

Btw Golden Princess is a great ship ... this is our first on Princess and we are loving it so far!

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

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Gunner22aa

Gunner22aa

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First we always stay in a suite so those perks come automatic although at a premium. They are well described on the Princess web site. For us the biggest is the free laundry and dry cleaning. Our next cruise is 31 days but I can pack as if it were 10.

 

On Board Credits (OBC)

 

own 100 shares of Carnival Corp - good buy at the moment as the stock has fallen off 15% in the last 2 weeks. The stock is also dividend paying. Only one per cabin even if both passengers own the stock. You must apply for this and show proof of ownership

 

military or ex military - both the DW and I get this. All cabin members can get this and again you must apply

 

Future cruise credit buy one in each name every time we cruise. Also it becomes the only deposit required for the next trip not 10% of the total cost of the trip or more. OBC depends on the lengh of the cruise booked. All cabin members who have a FCC get the OBC. Automatically credited to your stateroom account

 

Use a TA that appreciates your business and they will give you a chunk of their commission as a OBC for loyality. We get this every time from our gal plus she always has a bottle of red and a bottle of white waiting for us in the suite. While some online travel companies offer OBCs as an incentive to book I haven't seen any throw in a bottle or two of our favourites. They credit your account.

 

Cruise line promotions. Often you will see a book this cruise and get a OBC promotion. The amount you get is often tied to the level of cabin you book. Automatically credited.

 

In total our next cruise has netted us $1250 in OBCs. Unfortunatly that will come nowhere near the final bill but it helps.

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redtogo

redtogo

Posted
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I have seen that many people get free perks such as flowers, mini bar set up, OB credit...this is our first cruise how do we go about getting any of these perks. We are booked on the Golden going to Alaska in August. Any help would be great!

 

As previously stated, some perks are earned. Some are given for military service or for stock holders. Then, there are those that are given by your travel agent, if the agent gives gifts to their customers.

 

Regardless, the best gift is the one you have awarded yourself - the cruise itself. Have a wonderful trip!

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blbailey

blbailey

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We are staying in a mini-suite and did get an upgrade to a better part of the ship. What extra expenses should we look for on a cruise? I have prepaid the gratuity and the soda package. But what other expenses do I need to look for that aren't listed.

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catugirl

catugirl

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You'll have to pay for any alcohol, shore excursions, anything you purchase in gift shops, any premium coffee drinks, spa services, specialty restaurants, time in The Sanctuary.

 

To those of you who are seasoned cruisers, is it better to use an online TA or a local one? We booked through cruise lines twice and definitely didn't get a deal! We tried to use a local one for our Jan. cruise this year, but when we compared her quote with an online TA, the online TA quoted us a better deal. We used an online TA to book our upcoming Jan., 2014 cruise but didn't feel we got a great deal. It would be much less hassle to use a local TA, but how I go about choosing a good one?

 

Beth

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Working 2 Cruise

Working 2 Cruise

Posted
Posted
I have seen that many people get free perks such as flowers, mini bar set up, OB credit...this is our first cruise how do we go about getting any of these perks. We are booked on the Golden going to Alaska in August. Any help would be great!

 

The only way you could get OBC, as previous mentioned, is if you are military or a veteran... You could also purchase 100 shares of CCL stock... Approximate $3400... You obviously do not qualify for platinum and/or elite benefits... Be sure to purchase future cruise credits so next time you can get some OBC.. Also look for special sales... Through online TAs ... They are often offered around holidays...

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trbarton "Live from...." Rare

trbarton

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Here's a thought...Book your cruise through Princess and before the final payment is do shop around and see what other T/A's will offer you and then you can see who is willing to give you what and then you can make a decision. What do other people think?

 

Tom:)

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MsSoCalCruiser

MsSoCalCruiser

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No idea but I got bumped from obstructed OV to balcony last week ... said they like to fill the balconies.

 

Looks like insides are mostly empty this cruise.

 

Btw Golden Princess is a great ship ... this is our first on Princess and we are loving it so far!

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

Congratulations!! Was your move to a balcony on one of the Golden 3 or 4 day cruises?

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CruisinChris

CruisinChris

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Here's my best hints on finding a good agent with great pricing. Shop around. Not sure who to call? Look in the specials section of this website and make note of he travel sellers advertising here. Go down to Barnes and noble and grab a copy of Cruise Travel magazine and look at the agencies advertising there. Call a few. Ask for quotes. Ask if they charge you any fees (to cancel or change reservations). Find somebody you feel you have good rapport with. Ask the agent if they book a lot of princess. Ask the agent if they have completed the princess academy training (you can also look this up on the princess website). And the. Ask them if they have group space on any of the sailings you're interested in. This how you get the best deals and the most perks without status or paying for them. Hometown agents can be ok and it can be convenient but unless they are affiliated with a big travel company, they won't have access to the best rates. Not to diss some big agencies, but frankly speaking, you're probably going to be best served by a cruise only travel agency - one that specializes is cruise travel.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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jameshills

jameshills

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Congratulations!! Was your move to a balcony on one of the Golden 3 or 4 day cruises?

 

Yup ... 4 day from San Pedro / LA to San Diego and Ensenada.

 

Just got back actually ... sitting in our room waiting for our meeting time to disembark.

 

Good cruise and a totally different experience than previous ones on carnival and royal.

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

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MsSoCalCruiser

MsSoCalCruiser

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Yup ... 4 day from San Pedro / LA to San Diego and Ensenada.

 

Just got back actually ... sitting in our room waiting for our meeting time to disembark.

 

Good cruise and a totally different experience than previous ones on carnival and royal.

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

 

Nice! I have to ask, when did you find out about your wonderful upgrade? Did you find it in My Princess or when you got to the port to check-in?

 

In 12 cruises (different lines), I've yet to receive an upgrade. Someday my friends, someday. :)

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jameshills

jameshills

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Nice! I have to ask, when did you find out about your wonderful upgrade? Did you find it in My Princess or when you got to the port to check-in?

 

In 12 cruises (different lines), I've yet to receive an upgrade. Someday my friends, someday. :)

 

We got a note a fee days before sailing .... They emailed us and I didn't believe it was real so I called and verified :)

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

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