Do Suite Prices Ever Drop? Upgrade to Suite at the Pier?

[bhopal21]

Glad to hear it does happen, but never for us either. Would rather book and pay knowing getting a suite than to wait and be disappointed.

Great thread!

Seadeck2

 

I don't care for surprises while on vacation.

 

Mike:)

[RetiredNTraveling]

We just had our first experiences with both an upgrade and an upsell.

 

When Princess offered a wonderful fare with great OBCs for the follow on cruise to our Ruby repositioning from Quebec to FLL we booked a guarantee ME (lowest mini - and actually the ones we like best on Emerald deck). This was the first time we have ever done a guarantee. All the ME minis were listed as sold but they let the guarantee process. Less than 3 days later we were 'upgraded' to a mid ship MA.

 

Less than a week later we received an email from Princess: PRINCESS CRUISES ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL OFFER FOR CAPTAIN CIRCLE MEMBERS BOOKED IN A MINI-SUITE STATEROOM ON THE NOVEMBER 3,2014 RUBY PRINCESS SAILING. Looking at this trip as R&R from the port intensive repositioning we took them up on it. While not making monetary sense we have loved Sabatini's breakfast :o on the four or five cruises we've done in full suites. Plus I figure the money we were going to spend in the Sanctuary will now go to the fare increase and instead we will sit on our large balcony with the comfy steamer loungers. Finally we will get 2 cruise credits plus the other suite perks.

 

I think we were 'lucky' on the upgrade (although we're in E731 on the repositioning and that is our favorite mini-suite) and maybe being elite and/or having been willing to pay full fare for a suite before had something to do with the upsell offer. Who knows what variables are considered in their upgrade and upsell algorithms although just maybe the "A SPECIAL OFFER FOR CAPTAIN CIRCLE MEMBERS BOOKED IN A MINI-SUITE" is a hint on how to obtain an upsell offer to a full suite.

 

On our last 3 cruises, we have booked mini-suites. On each of these cruises, we received up-sell to full suites, anywhere from 1 week to 6 weeks before sailing.

 

Each time we took advantage of the inexpensive offer and really enjoyed the "suite life". ;) So much so that knowing that on our next cruise, a 28 day Hawaii & Tahiti, there would be no suites available for an up-sell that we went ahead and booked a suite. Thanks to our TA we received a very nice price! :cool:

 

This cruise we will be in our first Aft Suite. We have been told that we will never go back. OK, if that is the way it goes, so be it! :eek::D

Edited October 17, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[critterchick]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. What I meant was only 2 suites have sold. I've clicked around the different decks forward, mid, and aft except for two window suites which are marked as "Sold"

 

And one of those is an accessible, cabin, so unless you check the box that you need it, it will show as sold.

 

I don't know if this is true for Princess or not, but if I were the business owner, I would rarely if ever discount my most coveted product. If I got caught in a situation where there was unsold inventory of suites, I would upgrade a few Elite or Platinum guests who booked lower category cabins, and then re-sell the cabins that they vacated. But if they discount suites too frequently, people will quickly learn to play the waiting game and refuse to book at full fare. Not a good business model. Again, without knowing if this is how things work in the "black box" of pricing, I wouldn't be surprised to see those empty suites given to folks as an upgrade as opposed to sold to others at a discount.

 

I don't think the suites are all that coveted if they go unsold. I'm not sure what Princess' rationale is for pricing them so much higher than a minisuite if they end up just using them for upsells or upgrades. If they are only selling 3-4 suites at full price, then I would imagine that discounting them (or starting out at a lower price) would make more sense than using them for upgrades or upsells for $199-499.

 

We have never seen our rarely-booked suites go down in price, other than that $1 price reduction that another poster talked about. We received an offer for an upsell that we took for a 4-nighter on Sapphire earlier this year. The additional $398 (total) was worth it to us, but it may not be worth it to everybody.

[wallyboag]

We have never seen our rarely-booked suites go down in price, other than that $1 price reduction that another poster talked about. We received an offer for an upsell that we took for a 4-nighter on Sapphire earlier this year. The additional $398 (total) was worth it to us, but it may not be worth it to everybody.

 

Precisely! I would jump at a $400 upsell. But $1400 more for the ameneties does not make financial sense to me (or anyone else seeing how the suites are all unsold).

[princessfan12]

I've been really lucky on princess and have been upgraded to full suites 3 times. Everytime I was booked in a mini. Just last week I took advantage of my first up sell to the owners suite on my Nov cruise on the ruby($400/person). Very excited. I usually watch the suite prices on my sailings and they are usually sold out before the cruise leave(or given out as upgrades/upsells). I too don't think you would have a chance at the pier:(

[cjpj]

Finally we will get 2 cruise credits plus the other suite perks.

 

You will get all of the suite perks except the double cruise credit.

[bhopal21]

You will get all of the suite perks except the double cruise credit.

 

Since it is an "upsell" rather than an "upgrade" they will receive double cruise credit.

 

Mike:)

[cjpj]

Nope. I've taken several suite up sells and never received double credits. In fact they specifically told me that at the time of the up sell. Perhaps this has been changed in the last year. I have an up sell suite for my Nov 29 cruise - I would be happy if I was wrong!

[bhopal21]

Well quite a few on Cruise Critic have reported getting double credit after taking an upsell.

 

If I remember correctly they did have to call Princess but once they realized it was an upsell the credit was given.

 

Mike:)

[capriccio]

You will get all of the suite perks except the double cruise credit.

 

We paid for an upsell so we will get the double cruise credit - I checked with a supervisor at customer service. I already plan to go to the Captain's Circle host while on board to make sure it is credited correctly (thank you everyone who has discussed this in the past on cc!).

Edited October 18, 2014 by capriccio

[RetiredNTraveling]

We paid for an upsell so we will get the double cruise credit - I checked with a supervisor at customer service. I already plan to go to the Captain's Circle host while on board to make sure it is credited correctly (thank you everyone who has discussed this in the past on cc!).

 

Like I have stated, we received suite up-sells 3 times and paid the up-sell price even though it was very small for the benefits. Yes, we received double credits for the booking & paying for a suite! That is how we made Platinum so quick. But now we book suites so it doesn't matter that we are Platinum :eek::D !

Edited October 18, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[capriccio]

Like I have stated, we received suite up-sells 3 times and paid the up-sell price even though it was very small for the benefits. Yes, we received double credits for the booking & paying for a suite! That is how we made Platinum so quick. But now we book suites so it doesn't matter that we are Platinum :eek::D !

 

But now you'll make elite more quickly :D.

[RetiredNTraveling]

But now you'll make elite more quickly :D.

 

 

That sounds OK to us!

Edited October 18, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[AZJerry]

We also got double credits on our suite upsell although it didn't show up online until after we called.

[wallyboag]

As an update to this thread, yesterday the Vista Suites went down $250 pp to $799. All other suites stayed the same price.

 

As of this morning no additional suites have been sold including the discounted vistas.

 

It's still a $500 per person jump from Mini Suite to Vista Suite, and I still don't think it's worth that much for a three day cruise.

[buchananglasgow]

so if you have paid your cruise in full, are you saying you cant claim a refund when the price drops before you sail ? we paid in full at time of booking but dont sail till november 2015.:(

[caribill]

so if you have paid your cruise in full, are you saying you cant claim a refund when the price drops before you sail ? we paid in full at time of booking but dont sail till november 2015.:(

 

If the price drops before the final payment date that Princess has (most cruises 75 days before embarkation), then yes you can get it. You have to ask for it as it will not come automatically.

 

However, if there are different incentives or restrictions with the new price, you could lose your original incentives by getting the new pricing.

[WendyG]

Nope. I've taken several suite up sells and never received double credits. In fact they specifically told me that at the time of the up sell. Perhaps this has been changed in the last year. I have an up sell suite for my Nov 29 cruise - I would be happy if I was wrong!

 

We took advantage of an upsell from a mini to a full suite last Sept and we went to the captain's circle host to request the two cruise credits. She said she would have to call their home office.

 

About a week after we returned home, I saw we were credited. They let you go back three years as I had a friend who sailed with me in 2011 who took advantage of an upsell so I told him to call. He requested his extra credits and they were granted. :)

[cflutist]

so if you have paid your cruise in full, are you saying you cant claim a refund when the price drops before you sail ? we paid in full at time of booking but dont sail till november 2015.:(

 

Why would you do that and give Princess your money so soon? They would invest it instead of you.

[susiesan]

I have a Vista suite booked for Jan. 18 on Emerald. There will be 3 adult women in it. The only suites sold out on this sailing are the Vistas, the rest of the suites are unsold. I'm assuming it's because the Vista suites are priced the lowest of the suites.

 

Final payment is tomorrow. How likely is it that Princess will upgrade us to a higher suite category, thereby freeing up the lower prices Vista suite to sell? With 3 adults in the cabin we can sure use the extra space. Would any priority be given for a Plat, which I am?

 

I am also somewhat concerned with our suite being located above Club Fusion-I am a very light sleeper and the least bit of noise will keep me up all night. I have asked my TA to inquire of Princess about moving to a different suite as long as it doesn't cost more.

[godawgs2012]

THAT HAS ALSO BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE ON PRINCESS. The window suites are considered full suites BUT they have no balcony. It would be unlikely that a booked balcony cabin would be "upgraded" to a window suite. Especially since upgrades do not come with the doubled credits.

 

 

Just as an FYI, we are booked in a mini-suite on an upcoming cruise this Feb. It is one of the coveted extended aft mini's so I had it marked "No Upgrade unless to a full suite." I asked if we could mark it "no upgrade unless to a full suite, excluding window suites." He told me no, that a move from a mini to a window suite WOULD be considered an upgrade, but that I would have 48 hours to decline the upgrade and they would put us back in the original cabin. So, in theory, you could get "upgraded" to a room without a balcony, although even with the perks, I would not want that upgrade and would politely decline it.

[susiesan]

I have a Vista suite booked for Jan. 18 on Emerald. There will be 3 adult women in it. The only suites sold out on this sailing are the Vistas, the rest of the suites are unsold. I'm assuming it's because the Vista suites are priced the lowest of the suites.

 

Final payment is tomorrow. How likely is it that Princess will upgrade us to a higher suite category, thereby freeing up the lower prices Vista suite to sell? With 3 adults in the cabin we can sure use the extra space. Would any priority be given for a Plat, which I am?

 

I am also somewhat concerned with our suite being located above Club Fusion-I am a very light sleeper and the least bit of noise will keep me up all night. I have asked my TA to inquire of Princess about moving to a different suite as long as it doesn't cost more.

 

The day after final payment, one Vista suite opened up with a price drop. I had my TA call Princess and we got a $440 refund that will come back to the credit card in a week. Sweet.

I'm still hoping for a complimentary suite upgrade as many of the higher prices suites are still unsold.

[critterchick]

I just got a notification today that the price of a Vista Suite on the 11/14 Golden sailing has fallen to $799pp from $1249.