Are they really sailing these 3 day cruises full ?

[missbsmom]

We purchased about a week ago a 3 night LA-Ensenada cruise on the Golden for Nov 30. Wanted the promo price Princess has going that includes a $100 per person SBC. We usually book Mini Suites but for this 3 night cruise decided on a balcony since they were only asking $199 pp . Our logic was, given a person gets back $100 SBC, before port taxes and any insurance that makes the cruise $99 pp. I can't stay home and eat this good for that !! :-) According to 2 different agents I spoke to at Princess the $100 SBC promotion was only good for the forward cabin which were only available at the time as guarantees. So we booked it hoping with all the cabins available that we would get assigned a cabin in a better location. Want to print out our boarding passes and luggage tags so I keep checking my cruise personalizer on the Princess site and as of today, 17 days before sailing, our cabin has still not been assigned. Has anyone recently taken a guarantee on a last minute cruise ( under 30 days) ? How close to the actual sailing date was your cabin assigned ?

 

When I check the ships availability I would estimate that the ship is really only about 50-60 % sold. I checked some other dates (before this one) and notice the same thing. Today being 11/13, I was surprised to see that Princess still had the Nov 17 sailing still open for sale. I was told on a recent cruise that cruise lines are required to turn in their manifest list to Homeland Security approx. 1 week prior to sailing. Has anyone cruised on these short ones recently ? Are they sailing full or is Princess just cutting back on crew, food etc. and sailing them half empty ?

[hawkeyetlse]

I was told on a recent cruise that cruise lines are required to turn in their manifest list to Homeland Security approx. 1 week prior to sailing.

Not 1 week, more like 1 hour.

[PotatoBug]

Has anyone recently taken a guarantee on a last minute cruise ( under 30 days) ? How close to the actual sailing date was your cabin assigned ?

/QUOTE]

 

We did a day on the Grand in Sept. We booked an interior guarantee 8 days before sailing and were assigned a balcony on Caribe the next day.

 

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[ar1950]

We were on the Golden 3 day a couple of weeks ago. There was a similar situation in that there seemed to be a lot of available cabins, especially balcony cabins, available two weeks or so before the sailing. The best prices were only available via a guarantee and you were not able to pick your own. I always check periodically for what is available on the off chance of getting a better price. A little less than a week before sailing I did my daily check on availability and, surprise, a whole lot of previously available cabins were now shown as sold and some categories were now sold out. The ship ended up showing almost fully booked just prior to the "booking on line" ability being taken off line.

 

I guess that they market the less expensive guarantee so that they will fill up whatever they can't sell via the more expensive "pick your own location" option.:cool:

Edited November 13, 2014 by ar1950

[victory2020]

Tomorrow's Golden 3 day has been sold out for almost three weeks. (inside cabins for almost 2 months)A few days ago a few balcony cabins appeared for about a day, then were gone. Figuring they were trying to sell them before upselling or upgrading inside/outside cabins.

[geoherb]

We are sailing on a 3-day next month on the Caribbean Princess. They were offering it for $219 per person before taxes and port fees--and giving $100 on-board credit. The price of an inside worked out to be more since they were giving only $50 on-board credit for those cabins. As of now, there are still plenty of cabins showing up as available. We're booked on the 4-day cruise that follows as well. There are not as many cabins showing up as available on it. We realize that by booking guarantees that we could end up in two different cabins--but we'll manage.

 

The price has gone up slightly on our second cruise, so I guess that one is selling better. Balcony cabins start at $25 more per person than when we booked five days ago.

[RickEk]

My 3-day sailing last month was full. We had booked a guarantee and got assigned (with a nice upgrade) about a week before the sailing.

[SapphireHoneymoon]

Booked a forward, lower deck balcony guarantee Nov. 5th for the Nov. 20th Golden 3 day.

 

Nov. 11th, received our cabin which was an upgrade to a Aloha deck, mid aft cabin.

 

Nov. 12th, received an upsell offer that I still don't know all the details for. It's 80 bucks extra per person for 80 extra square footage. I just called on it, hopefully I'll know all the details tomorrow.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Tomorrow's Golden 3 day has been sold out for almost three weeks. (inside cabins for almost 2 months)A few days ago a few balcony cabins appeared for about a day, then were gone. Figuring they were trying to sell them before upselling or upgrading inside/outside cabins.

 

But the 3day after that on the 17th is practically empty.

Princess' weekend 3 days sell out. Not so with the work week ones.

[Greyhound3]

We just booked a 3 day on the Crown (1/6/15). Balcony cabin was $80 pp.

 

With a price like that, it would be amazing if it didn't sell out!

 

 

Grey

[JF - retired RRT]

We just booked a 3 day on the Crown (1/6/15). Balcony cabin was $80 pp.

 

With a price like that, it would be amazing if it didn't sell out!

 

 

Grey

Was that a casino special? There was a thread the other day about GREAT prices like that and it turned out it was only showing in the Princess search for people who spend big bucks in the casino.

[sawtooth]

We booked the 11/30 Golden 3 day in a balcony for 249pp with 100 OBC. Was offered an upgrade to mid ship on another deck but opted to keep our Caribe balcony. I saw a sale a week ago and called to buy into a mini at 299pp. This was after final payment. First was told it was for new bookings only. The agent then checked and said they would just give me the mini and not charge me extra but that I would not be offered another upgrade.

Then 2 days ago received an upsell offer to a full suite for 199pp. We discussed it and decided to do it. This may be our only chance to sail in a full suite.

Total price was 449pp with each of us receiving a 100 OBC.

I am also hoping to receive 2 cruise credits (and will call and ask after the cruise) because that would make us Platinum for our Roayal cruise in January.

I can only hope.

[JF - retired RRT]

Then 2 days ago received an upsell offer to a full suite for 199pp. We discussed it and decided to do it. This may be our only chance to sail in a full suite.

Total price was 449pp with each of us receiving a 100 OBC.

I am also hoping to receive 2 cruise credits (and will call and ask after the cruise) because that would make us Platinum for our Royal cruise in January.

I can only hope.

 

You don't need to wait...talk to the Captain's Circle person (but I think you are right - you will get 2 credits).

[Greyhound3]

Was that a casino special? There was a thread the other day about GREAT prices like that and it turned out it was only showing in the Princess search for people who spend big bucks in the casino.

 

I'm really not sure. I do get mailers with casino specials - in fact, there's one on my desk right now which includes the 1/6/15 cruise (inside cabin at $100/pp with $100 OBC/pp). Insides don't work for us as I really need to be able to see the horizon, but it did say that a "limited number of upgrades may be available for a small fee". But a balcony at $80 pp with $50 OBC/pp was OK with me.

 

 

Grey

[CruisingJs]

We booked the 11/30 Golden 3 day in a balcony for 249pp with 100 OBC. Was offered an upgrade to mid ship on another deck but opted to keep our Caribe balcony. I saw a sale a week ago and called to buy into a mini at 299pp. This was after final payment. First was told it was for new bookings only. The agent then checked and said they would just give me the mini and not charge me extra but that I would not be offered another upgrade.

Then 2 days ago received an upsell offer to a full suite for 199pp. We discussed it and decided to do it. This may be our only chance to sail in a full suite.

Total price was 449pp with each of us receiving a 100 OBC.

I am also hoping to receive 2 cruise credits (and will call and ask after the cruise) because that would make us Platinum for our Roayal cruise in January.

I can only hope.

We did an upsell to a suite once and I was able to get two credits by calling afterward. The rep I talked to had to get the Captain's Circle on the phone to make it happen. I would go talk to the Captain's Circle rep while on the ship. It might be easier.

[Blondilu]

We just came back from the Golden 11-3 through the 7th.

 

When I originally reserved I booked an inside for pretty cheap. I received a mailing that balconies were only $50 more with $25 OBC. So, I upgraded to a balcony and then a couple of weeks before sailing they upgraded me to a higher category.

 

Just for fun I checked the Princess site a couple of days before leaving and there were no categories left, so they must have been sold out. Our muster was in the Princess Theater and every seat was taken. I'm pretty sure the ship was booked solid.

[shepp]

Given last year's gotta-give-'em-away fiasco on short coastals and this year's heavy price drops, I'm wondering how much longer the Princess mucky-mucks decide that the plethora of shorties is a good idea. Yeah, I know that the idea is that pax on 2- or 3-day cruises will drink and gamble like mad, but....

[Namelocg]

I booked the Caribbean Princess on Oct 25 the for the Nov 15th (tomorrows) sailing. Booked a forward inside guarantee for $199 plus taxes and fees with $100 OBC pp. At 8 days out was assigned a starboard aft OV which says obstructed but according to the deck plan is between 2 lifeboats. I guess I should go pack now!!!

[love2relax]

So it seems to pay off to wait to book. I booked the Crown on 1/6/15 ages ago. Then the price dropped to $199 pp for an interior just before final payment. I had to give up my $100 OBC to rebook under that pricing, but it was actually cheaper than the original pricing in the long run. I was happy with the pricing until you guys started telling me about the last minute deals.

I have a few other cruises that I booked well in advance. I don't think I will book anything until a few weeks before sailing next year to see if I can snag some last minute deals. For those kind of prices, I wouldn't care what cabin I was in: as long as I was on the ship. :)

[capriccio]

You don't need to wait...talk to the Captain's Circle person (but I think you are right - you will get 2 credits).

 

You will get 2 credits. We just did the same thing - took an upsell to a full suite - on a cruise last week. Check your Princess Personalizer when you get home and if you didn't receive 2 cruise credits call Princess. It can be fixed in less than 3 minutes.

[sawtooth]

Well let's hope we get the 2 credits. I asked when I did the upsell and the agent said no we would only get one unless we wanted to pay full board. After reading this blog I will ask at the cruise circle desk and also call when we get back. Just ask as if I thought they made a mistake by not giving 2.

[dclark]

We just came back from the Golden 11-3 through the 7th.

 

 

Can you post a summary of what they had in the mdr each night? I am booked on the 1/3/15 sailing of the ship and want to pin down the best night to go to the steak house.

[shredie]

Can you post a summary of what they had in the mdr each night? I am booked on the 1/3/15 sailing of the ship and want to pin down the best night to go to the steak house.

 

The menus rotate. The four day will be somewhat different from the three day. I know there are menus posted here on the site somewhere. I think you might try a search for them.