Cruise discounts

[Gemlea]

This might not be a politically incorrect question, so apologies if this is the case.

 

A lot of cruise lines allow TA's to offer discounts on cruises - either 5%, 10%, or OBC etc. Is there a generally understood minimum discount amount that you all expect to be offered when you book your Princess cruise?

[nyc12345]

It depends on the cruise and room type, but I usually get 10% off from my TA. Sometimes more and sometimes also get OBC.:D

[paul929207]

I usually get 10 to 15% off the Princess price.

[AE_Collector]

My question when you say that you usually get 10 to 15 % off the Princess price would be, is that the Princess price you see on their web site or the price you see when you are logged into their web site.

 

I can't recall if it is all Captains Circle members or maybe only once you reach Platinum that you will frequently see lower prices when you log in. I have noticed this for quite a long time now but we have 13 cruises with Princess to date so have been Platinum for awhile.

 

I haven't been using a TA for quite awhile now as I was never getting anything extra from them and I prefer to be able to call Princess directly about my cruise. But I keep hearing that I should be getting extra credits from a TA. I would think that a TA would be more likely to give you more especially if you did all the work with Princess directly and then turn it over to a TA at the last moment just for extra OBC.

 

As a shareholder in Carnival (more than the minimum 100 shares) my thoughts were that if everything is equal (nothing else in it for me) stay with the Princess Rep to keep more profit in the company that I have invested in.

 

Terry

Edited March 8, 2014 by AE_Collector

[beg3yrs]

My question when you say that you usually get 10 to 15 % off the Princess price would be, is that the Princess price you see on their web site or the price you see when you are logged into their web site.

 

I can't recall if it is all Captains Circle members or maybe only once you reach Platinum that you will frequently see lower prices when you log in. I have noticed this for quite a long time now but we have 13 cruises with Princess to date so have been Platinum for awhile.

 

I haven't been using a TA for quite awhile now as I was never getting anything extra from them and I prefer to be able to call Princess directly about my cruise. But I keep hearing that I should be getting extra credits from a TA. I would think that a TA would be more likely to give you more especially if you did all the work with Princess directly and then turn it over to a TA at the last moment just for extra OBC.

 

As a shareholder in Carnival (more than the minimum 100 shares) my thoughts were that if everything is equal (nothing else in it for me) stay with the Princess Rep to keep more profit in the company that I have invested in.

 

Terry

 

All Captain's Circle members (i.e. past passengers) get the same discounts when available, regardless of level.

 

Only on last minute deals direct from Princess have I not been able to get a TA to beat the price. Usually get something to the tune of 10 to 15%. Sometimes extra OBC, sometimes not.

 

Everything is not equal as there is something in it for you. Yep, you stay with Princess as your TA and you lose the opportunity for a significant discount. If you'd had that discount for your last 13 cruises, hmm ... that's enough savings for another cruise!

Edited March 8, 2014 by beg3yrs

[caribill]

TAs are allowed to discount Princess cruise prices. Some do. Many do not.

 

TAs who do lots of business with Princess will often have "group space" reserved which gives them a lower price or amenities they can share with their customers.

 

So the task is to find a good discount TA. Specific TAs cannot be discussed on Cruise Critic, so on your next cruise ask others how they booked and were they happy with the discounts/amenities received.

 

A good discount TA will:

o be available when you need help

o will not have service charges when you need to make changes

o will not have a charge if you need to cancel (although the cruise line may have a charge)

o will give a discount or amenities that make it better to book with them than with Princess

 

Some people like to book directly with Princess and then hand the booking to a TA before final payment time. Just be aware that the longer you wait to do this the more chance there is that the TA's group space is all taken and the discount/amenities may not be as good as if the TA had the booking earlier.

[paul929207]

My question when you say that you usually get 10 to 15 % off the Princess price would be, is that the Princess price you see on their web site or the price you see when you are logged into their web site.

 

I can't recall if it is all Captains Circle members or maybe only once you reach Platinum that you will frequently see lower prices when you log in. I have noticed this for quite a long time now but we have 13 cruises with Princess to date so have been Platinum for awhile.

 

I haven't been using a TA for quite awhile now as I was never getting anything extra from them and I prefer to be able to call Princess directly about my cruise. But I keep hearing that I should be getting extra credits from a TA. I would think that a TA would be more likely to give you more especially if you did all the work with Princess directly and then turn it over to a TA at the last moment just for extra OBC.

 

As a shareholder in Carnival (more than the minimum 100 shares) my thoughts were that if everything is equal (nothing else in it for me) stay with the Princess Rep to keep more profit in the company that I have invested in.

 

Terry

I was referring to the price on Princess.com after I have logged in. I don't think it matters, but I am Elite with about 525 days. I book early and usually get a higher category balcony.

[hockeymum]

I have given up using a TA I can never trust them. I have booked my last 4 cruises with Princess directly. I can call and ask questions anytime. When I call the price has always been lower than what was advertised online. The week before final payment I always call and almost always get a price drop.:)

[caribill]

For the three B2B's I have booked, Princess.com was always less than that other online place.

 

 

Once any online site has your Captain's Circle number, the TA price should never be more than the direct Princess price.

[hansi]

This might not be a politically incorrect question, so apologies if this is the case.

 

A lot of cruise lines allow TA's to offer discounts on cruises - either 5%, 10%, or OBC etc. Is there a generally understood minimum discount amount that you all expect to be offered when you book your Princess cruise?

 

The situation with UK travel agents is that the Carnival group have cut their commissions, so that they are normally unable to offer discounts. Hence, this is why we book direct, the cost is the same, even for Elite cruisers such as ourselves.

[avcruz]

I use a TA in the US and she can book in Canadian.

 

 

I use a TA in Canada and she can book in either USD or CAD, we compare and see which will be more advantageous.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Pam in CA]

I guess there aren't as many big TA's in Canada as in the USA. We can deal with a US TA but then we will be paying in US$ rather than in CDN$ which will cost us more.

It's a misconception that you have to use a "big" or online TA to get the best pricing. That's not true in my experience. Any good TA is "online" and accessible via email or the Internet regardless of agency size. I prefer to use small agencies with low overhead and personal service, and feel I get the best pricing than with a large online agency. By booking early, I often get discounts of 10-20% and get OBC. The closer to sail date, usually the less of a discount. Even if Princess reduces fares, I almost always pay less than the reduced fare.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, about 10-15%.

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

I visited a local TA while planning my next cruise. They offered no benefits, the same pricing as I could get online and seemed like I was inconveniencing them by coming in the office. I drove home and booked online that afternoon.

 

I really need to find a friendly and service oriented TA. I starting to wish my mom didn't retire.

[hllwdcruiser]

I can't seem to find any TA that offers a discount. Do you normally get one on launch fares and/or heavily discounted fares?

 

I just booked Alaska for 2015 with my TA. I did all the research and told her what I wanted. I asked her to get the best price possible and see if she could score some OBCs. She called Princess yesterday and reserved everything but I got no additional discounts and the only OBC was the one from my FCC. I could have called Princess and done that myself!

 

She does always provide a small gift on board, but don't all TAs do that?

 

My first TA worked for a small independent shop and I never received anything above and beyond what Princess offered so I switched to this online TA.

Do the TAs get a bigger commission if they don't discount? Do you have to blatantly ask for it?

[Times Prince]

I can't seem to find any TA that offers a discount. Do you normally get one on launch fares and/or heavily discounted fares?

 

I just booked Alaska for 2015 with my TA. I did all the research and told her what I wanted. I asked her to get the best price possible and see if she could score some OBCs. She called Princess yesterday and reserved everything but I got no additional discounts and the only OBC was the one from my FCC. I could have called Princess and done that myself!

 

She does always provide a small gift on board, but don't all TAs do that?

 

My first TA worked for a small independent shop and I never received anything above and beyond what Princess offered so I switched to this online TA.

Do the TAs get a bigger commission if they don't discount? Do you have to blatantly ask for it?

Booking that far in advance should have resulted in a discount on the price, if booking with a good TA. The TA we use always offers a discounted fare by approximately the value of the taxes and fees, even when we book last minute rock bottom fares, and offers deeper discounts if we book early. She also offers some OBC, except for that last minute fare where her profit from the transaction is too low.

 

Most TAs provide a small gift on board, but we have asked ours not to waste her money on coupon books or wine (we rarely drink).

 

We found our TA by referral. Take a look at Caribill's post below for how to do this onboard ship.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Times Prince

[avcruz]

I can't seem to find any TA that offers a discount. Do you normally get one on launch fares and/or heavily discounted fares?

 

I find it helps to be flexible. The TA I use blocks off space on various sailings and if I can go on one of their dates, I usually score big time; reduced rate, OBC, wine, specialty dining & more.

So if I'm looking at for example the July 1st sailing Alaska northbound, but they have a block of space on the July 8th sailing southbound, I will do my best to switch. :)

Of course, this doesn't work if your dates are fixed or it's a unique itinerary.

[danielsumner]

I have only booked directly with a cruise line once. It was a really good Police Discount on HAL. I always use the agency that gives me the best deal. One I use gives me Free Travel Insurance, this is what I did for the upcoming Royal Cruise. Some times the OBC is more than the insurance, so I buy it separately. I'm a fungal cruise shopper, I always try to get the best price, it like a game to me, I enjoy it. This upcoming cruise I got over 200 bucks per person off of the best Princess offered.

[Pam in CA]

I have only booked directly with a cruise line once. It was a really good Police Discount on HAL. I always use the agency that gives me the best deal. One I use gives me Free Travel Insurance, this is what I did for the upcoming Royal Cruise. Some times the OBC is more than the insurance, so I buy it separately. I'm a fungal cruise shopper, I always try to get the best price, it like a game to me, I enjoy it. This upcoming cruise I got over 200 bucks per person off of the best Princess offered.

If you're military or ex-military, you can get a very nice OBC on any Princess cruise.

 

I would MUCH rather save 10-20% on my cruise... and get OBC... than get a $200 OBC or my insurance paid for. Just booked a cruise yesterday and I'm saving 18.8% over the published Princess fare plus I'm getting an $85 OBC. Just my savings represents a heck of a lot more than $200. To each his/her own.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

There aren't too many travel agents in my area. The one I did visit stated that they could get me the same price as Princess publishes. I thanked them for their time and booked it myself. Next time, I will have to check out some online TAs to see if I can do better.

[cdnphotogirl]

I got nothing from my travel agent as of right now, in fact I brought her everything with regards to my booking. She is basically just taking my payments. We will see what happens when I board the ship but I am not holding my breath.

[danielsumner]

Here is an example of different pricing. This is one hour ago. My online Cruise Agency $649 plus free insurance. Princess $899. Same cabin both sites, actually it's next door to mine. I never have any questions/problems, best price is what I want.