Best way to keep an eye on prices after booking?

[mrsgthatsme]

We recently booked our first Princess cruise. However, it is not until next March, and I would like to keep monitoring the price of the cruise so we can ask for a price adjustment if it drops. Is the best way to do this just to go on the Princess site and look up your sailing on the Search for a Cruise tab each day? Thanks!

[Nezmo]

I've just saved the cruise so it's easy to find once you sign in. Then I periodically check the price. I don't know if there's a slicker way.

[RetiredNTraveling]

I've just saved the cruise so it's easy to find once you sign in. Then I periodically check the price. I don't know if there's a slicker way.

 

Completely agree! It always works for us! :eek: :D

[geoherb]

I always check without signing in on the Princess website and after signing in. I pay attention to the Princess price showing up the day I book a cruise--not just the price I'm getting through my TA.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I always check without signing in on the Princess website and after signing in. I pay attention to the Princess price showing up the day I book a cruise--not just the price I'm getting through my TA.

 

I do the same. There have been occasional reports of Princess fares actually being lower without signing in than after doing so. In other words, trying to lure newbies with lower fares than prior passengers. I have never seen this myself, but I check anyway.

 

If you sail solo, be sure to check fares with one passenger entered. There are times when the per person rate (based on double occupancy) doesn't change, but the supplement % does.

[anjo]

I have saved my cruise also but I think they have recently changed the site and it no longer has the details and availability button which used to update the price. I may be wrong. Anjo.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just log in to Princess and keep checking.

[jasbo49]

However you decide to do it, I find it worthwhile to check at least every other day, if not every single day. We have three cruises booked, and I checked them all a week ago and found one of them had changed significantly.

 

By calling Princess, I was able to step up from Caribe balcony to Emerald mini-suite on our 7-day coastal in October for $20 each. Alternately, with the drop in price, plus new onboard credit, I could have simply rebooked the cabin we had and saved $200 each.

 

We love the minis and would have booked one to begin with except there was a huge price difference at booking time. Then, for a few days, it became affordable. I checked two days later and the price had gone back up.

 

Jim

Edited May 12, 2015 by jasbo49

[Nezmo]

I have saved my cruise also but I think they have recently changed the site and it no longer has the details and availability button which used to update the price. I may be wrong. Anjo.

Right. You just have to click a bit deeper to review pricing.

[WEGL81]

Cruise Critic has a price drop checker that will email you at regular intervals. I have 4 future cruises booked and CC price drop checker is keeping tabs on each of them. I get an email weekly telling me if any price drops occurred. I can't attest to the accuracy yet because none of my cruises have dropped in price (yet)

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

For those who use a travel agent, do you check yourself and notify your agent or do most agents get notifications of drops?

[noddy54]

I always check the Princess web site for price changes. We recently booked a cruise for September 2016, upon checking Princess it showed the 3 for free deal that is being done at the moment.

1. On board credit

2. Free bottle wine

3. Specialty dinner for two.

When I signed in it showed $250.00 on board credit for the first two passengers, not the 3 for free.

I contacted my TA and got $500.00 on board credit put onto my booking.

It pays to log into your account

Noddy:)

[caribill]

For those who use a travel agent, do you check yourself and notify your agent or do most agents get notifications of drops?

 

Most TAs have too many clients to check everyone's booking frequently for price reductions.

 

You need to do it yourself.

[caribill]

Cruise Critic has a price drop checker that will email you at regular intervals. I have 4 future cruises booked and CC price drop checker is keeping tabs on each of them. I get an email weekly telling me if any price drops occurred. I can't attest to the accuracy yet because none of my cruises have dropped in price (yet)

 

I have not found that to be an effective tool.

 

o It does not catch all the price drops. I recently found out via roll calls about price reductions on two of my cruises, but the CC checker never told me about them.

 

o It only checks on Fridays. If a sale starts Monday and ends Thursday, the CC Checker will never see it.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Most TAs have too many clients to check everyone's booking frequently for price reductions.

 

You need to do it yourself.

 

Thanks. I haven't used one with my Disney cruises because it's pretty straightforward and I know DCL inside and out.

 

I'm using one for the Princess cruise I am planning for 2016, so I will note to keep an eye on the rates.

 

Thank you.

[insidecabin]

The CC price drop checker is defective, none are close to perfect they are just a tool in your price checking armoury.

 

The issue with using princess site to price check is you have to dig into the cruise to the deck plan level to get pricing as the search only shows a sample of prices, eg. for Balconies the obstructed view are left out which are often cheaper.

 

Even the best of the price checkers can miss some drops on all cruise lines.

 

They also don't factor in perks so with the transition to value add(OBC,drinks,grats...) the headline price is just your starting point.

 

I have also noticed that sometime it looks like the cruise lines might be manipulating prices to trigger checkers to highlight certain cruises.

 

On the princess prices I did see prices go up when logged in once, remember they could use your booked cruises to manipulate the prices you see, do they? not just logged in if you have cookies, so check in a private session or a different browser where you don't click the remember me.

 

The other way is to share on things like roll calls but some seem very reluctant to share pricing and deal info.

 

Some forums have deals sections where people can post any deals they find.

 

Happy hunting.

[Paula_MacFan]

For those who use a travel agent, do you check yourself and notify your agent or do most agents get notifications of drops?

 

I check my 2 planned cruises everyday on the Princess website. So far I've found 3 price drops and each time have notified my TA, who promptly updated my booking with the lower fares.

 

Once my TA emailed me with a new promotion, resulting in a lower fare and more OBC.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Paula_MacFan

[anjo]

Right. You just have to click a bit deeper to review pricing.

 

Maybe I'm thick but not sure where I click now. You used to just click on details and availability and the price automatically changed if there was a difference

[A_Sea_Bugg]

I will say that whatever you use you still need to check. I got a price reduction and got 75.00 per person OBC. Now the price reduction is still the same but the OBC is just 50.00 per room.

[Kayakbride]

Most TAs have too many clients to check everyone's booking frequently for price reductions.

 

You need to do it yourself.

 

Travel agents do not get notifications of lower prices on cabins already booked, unless Princess is offering a move over or an upgrade for certain cabins only. Typically, those notices are within a month of sailing well after the penalty phase has kicked in for cancellation. By then, it makes no sense to cancel and rebook for a lower fare, particularly because Princess actually INcreases the price in the last days if the cruise has sold out or is expected to sell out. They price based on supply and demand, much like airlines. The fewer seats available, the higher the price. It is best to book early to secure your preferred stateroom, then watch for promotions up until the cancellation penalty phase (or final payment, if you pay ahead of that date). If you see a promotion that is more advantageous than the one you booked, call your travel agent and let him or her know.

 

On my most recent Princess cruise, I booked early and got the best promotional rate of all that came after. Then, as the ship was close to selling out, I was offered an upgrade from balcony to mini-suite for a nominal fee.

 

My daughter was offered a last minute (7-days prior to sailing) move over in which her entire fare was refunded, and she got a free 10-day cruise instead of only 7 days. She had to sail Quebec to NY instead of NY round trip, but it was entirely worth it, considering they moved from interior to balcony as well. That's real magic, and no way to predict, no matter how closely you watch the fares.

[Mackenzie1]

I always check the Princess web site for price changes. We recently booked a cruise for September 2016, upon checking Princess it showed the 3 for free deal that is being done at the moment.

1. On board credit

2. Free bottle wine

3. Specialty dinner for two.

When I signed in it showed $250.00 on board credit for the first two passengers, not the 3 for free.

I contacted my TA and got $500.00 on board credit put onto my booking.

It pays to log into your account

Noddy:)

 

When checking for lower prices, though, also check to see if it changes the status of your deposit. I recently asked for a $300 drop on an October 2015 cruise, which I got, but my payment schedule was accelerated, which made my deposit nonrefundable. Others may be O.K. with that, but I like the flexibility.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Mackenzie1

[SoCal Cruiser78]

When checking for lower prices, though, also check to see if it changes the status of your deposit. I recently asked for a $300 drop on an October 2015 cruise, which I got, but my payment schedule was accelerated, which made my deposit nonrefundable. Others may be O.K. with that, but I like the flexibility.

 

Good point! The same thing happened to me recently. I got a large drop in fare on a September 2015 cruise, plus some OBC, in exchange for moving up the penalty dates and making my deposit non-refundable. I am okay with it this time, as I don't expect the fare to go any lower and I have cancel-for-any-reason insurance :).

[mrsgthatsme]

Thanks for all of the helpful responses! Hoping there will be some type of price drop between now and next March!!:)