Somewhat annoying

[icat2000]

One thing that annoys me about Princess is that for example they have a Sip and Sail promotion available to US market and do we get that down in Australia. Noooo.

 

 

Will probably get the lame regional market promotions blah blah blah excuse if I phone. Rant over. :D

[mum and son]

One thing that annoys me about Princess is that for example they have a Sip and Sail promotion available to US market and do we get that down in Australia. Noooo.

 

 

Will probably get the lame regional market promotions blah blah blah excuse if I phone. Rant over. :D

 

Yes, I have been a bit vocal about this exact thing on these boards :D.

[cheznandy]

Very annoying:(

We were on a repositioning cruise once and there was a Balcony upgrade offer that worked out the same as our inside.......after enquiring it was only available in US. Lot's we talked to got the upgrade, we didn't because we booked in Australia.

Bet we never get a Sip n Sail here!

[icat2000]

Yes, I have been a bit vocal about this exact thing on these boards :D.

 

I posted this on FB Princess site. Probably get the sharks out there too. Hahaha.

 

One thing that annoys me about Princess Cruises and I do like your product, I just don't care for how you are selective in which regions get certain promotions: for example they have a Sip and Sail promotion available to US market and do we get that down in Australia. Noooo. So what are you saying Princess, that we are all lushes down under? If not I would like to have the same opportunity to add the Sip and Sail promotion to my booking that my US friends do at the moment. So what the deal Princess. And please no regional market excuse. Seems rather out of date in a global market economy.

[icat2000]

Very annoying:(

We were on a repositioning cruise once and there was a Balcony upgrade offer that worked out the same as our inside.......after enquiring it was only available in US. Lot's we talked to got the upgrade, we didn't because we booked in Australia.

Bet we never get a Sip n Sail here!

 

Its very annoying and somewhat a form of discrimination, certainly not equal opportunity

[mum and son]

And I've noticed on the Princess board that they all appeased me by saying that the prices will go up for US travellers to compensate for the free drinks... but, from all reports, prices have gone down, stayed the same, or increased by insignificant amounts.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Unfortunately the Australian cruise market is still growing and Princess usually sails with full ships.

 

I suspect we won't start seeing those sort sof deals here until the market softens and Princess can't fill each cruise.

 

Although Celebrity offer their promotions worldwide ...

[icat2000]

Unfortunately the Australian cruise market is still growing and Princess usually sails with full ships.

 

I suspect we won't start seeing those sort sof deals here until the market softens and Princess can't fill each cruise.

 

Although Celebrity offer their promotions worldwide ...

 

Yeap, one thing I like about Celebrity they do that. So Princess could do it if they wanted too. Fact is that US market don't drink as much so they figure (as its only for balcony cabins or higher) that they won't lose too much while filling up higher cabins by giving it to US market.

[mum and son]

Unfortunately the Australian cruise market is still growing and Princess usually sails with full ships.

 

I suspect we won't start seeing those sort sof deals here until the market softens and Princess can't fill each cruise.

 

Although Celebrity offer their promotions worldwide ...

 

But what I don't understand is why they offer the promo to Americans sailing on Australian cruises. If our cruise market is strong then don't offer the deal on sailings to/from Australia.

 

Also, why not offer the deal to Australians travelling on European or US cruises?

 

I can understand the requirement to offer the deal on a cruise by cruise or cruise region basis, but not by nationality.

[OzKiwiJJ]

But what I don't understand is why they offer the promo to Americans sailing on Australian cruises. If our cruise market is strong then don't offer the deal on sailings to/from Australia.

 

Also, why not offer the deal to Australians travelling on European or US cruises?

 

I can understand the requirement to offer the deal on a cruise by cruise or cruise region basis, but not by nationality.

 

Look at it in a different way. They are offering incentives for Americans to sail on their ships. Most Americans will choose cruises out of the US or possibly Europe. A small percentage of Americans will choose to sail in our region but they are not their target audience.

 

The Australian Princess ships are filled with a majority of Australians and New Zealanders. There is no need for them to offer incentives for us to cruise with them, we're queueing up to do so. Unfair? Yes! But it probably won't change in the near future. :mad:

[mum and son]

Look at it in a different way. They are offering incentives for Americans to sail on their ships. Most Americans will choose cruises out of the US or possibly Europe. A small percentage of Americans will choose to sail in our region but they are not their target audience.

 

The Australian Princess ships are filled with a majority of Australians and New Zealanders. There is no need for them to offer incentives for us to cruise with them, we're queueing up to do so. Unfair? Yes! But it probably won't change in the near future. :mad:

 

I agree with your point, and I do understand their reasoning, but would just prefer that it is not offered to anyone on an Aus/NZ cruise, as opposed to offering it to some. We've been belted for so long with dud cruise options and booking conditions and it would just be nice to be treated like everyone else, especially when travelling on a US cruise or similar.

 

If we were offered the sip and sail I would've booked my next couple of o/seas cruises now (with Princess!) instead of waiting until next year and looking at the offerings by all cruise lines, but Princess don't seem to care about my booking because I am Australian :mad:!

Edited June 22, 2016 by mum and son

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yeap, one thing I like about Celebrity they do that. So Princess could do it if they wanted too. Fact is that US market don't drink as much so they figure (as its only for balcony cabins or higher) that they won't lose too much while filling up higher cabins by giving it to US market.

 

Princess has probably been scared off by alcohol consumption on some of the other Aussie-based cruise lines. :D

 

Have you noticed the AIBP price on P&O is $20pp per day dearer than Princess? Even more if you buy it onboard instead of online. $89 onboard, $79 online (I think) against $59 for Princess.

 

Also Celebrity attracts a higher percentage of Americans cruising in our region than Princess does, I think. I certainly noticed a lot more North American accents on the Celebrity cruise we did last Christmas. Plus they don't really operate in Australia as a separate entity like Princess does.

 

PS - that was a nice little stoush on FB yesterday, wasn't it? Very amusing! I was the other major participant. ;)

[mum and son]

Have you noticed the AIBP price on P&O is $20pp per day dearer than Princess? Even more if you buy it onboard instead of online. $89 onboard, $79 online (I think) against $59 for Princess.

 

Does anybody buy it? My last 7 night P&O cruise cost me less than the beverage package per day :eek:.

[Aussieflyer]

While we're on the topic of regional discrepancies, do you think it's fair that Princess block Aust/NZ passengers booking through o's travel agents? (Unless you were grandfathered by having booked O'S before). The global economy is not part of Princess' thinking - more like, "let's see what the Australian market will bear". I know, I know we have no gratuities here but this is only on the itineraries in/out/around Australian waters. IMO we there is certainly no level playing field. And the supposed difference in pricing because of our better consumer protection? Please! I do have half a brain!

Oh and we'll just pop our old ships down there, they won't notice :)

Celebrity does a good job just a pity they do not support us all year.

 

Now I'll duck and run :D

Edited June 22, 2016 by Aussieflyer

[OzKiwiJJ]

Does anybody buy it? My last 7 night P&O cruise cost me less than the beverage package per day :eek:.

 

Don't know, I haven't cruised P&O. I always do the maths and wouldn't buy a package unless I was sure I'd get value from it, averaged across the whole cruise. I guess a few people would get value from it - the ones that start with mimosas for breakfast and stagger out of the bar at midnight. ;) :rolleyes: :D I've never seen that on Princess BTW but I did notice some obvious over-indulgence on the RCI cruise we did last year.

[mum and son]

While we're on the topic of regional discrepancies, do you think it's fair that Princess block Aust/NZ passengers booking through o's travel agents? (Unless you were grandfathered by having booked O'S before). The global economy is not part of Princess' thinking - more like, "let's see what the Australian market will bear". I know, I know we have no gratuities here but this is only on the itineraries in/out/around Australian waters. IMO we there is certainly no level playing field. And the supposed difference in pricing because of our better consumer protection? Please! I do have half a brain!

Oh and we'll just pop our old ships down there, they won't notice :)

Celebrity does a good job just a pity they do not support us all year.

 

Now I'll duck and run :D

 

Do Americans have to pay grats on Aus cruises? :confused:

[icat2000]

 

PS - that was a nice little stoush on FB yesterday, wasn't it? Very amusing! I was the other major participant. ;)

 

It was interesting. I thought it was a bit cheeky from them claiming they organised the MGs. And no respect for their users! This forum was here and going long before they crawled on the scene.

[cheznandy]

While we're on the topic of regional discrepancies, do you think it's fair that Princess block Aust/NZ passengers booking through o's travel agents? (Unless you were grandfathered by having booked O'S before)

 

Agree, not fair. I have many cruising friends who had booked through US TA's before they bought that rule in.....We were not one of them:(

Even when we have booked RCCL and Celebrity through an online US TA, when details are put in re location I have been redirected and the offers available disappear.

[OzKiwiJJ]

While we're on the topic of regional discrepancies, do you think it's fair that Princess block Aust/NZ passengers booking through o's travel agents? (Unless you were grandfathered by having booked O'S before). The global economy is not part of Princess' thinking - more like, "let's see what the Australian market will bear". I know, I know we have no gratuities here but this is only on the itineraries in/out/around Australian waters. IMO we there is certainly no level playing field. And the supposed difference in pricing because of our better consumer protection? Please! I do have half a brain!

Oh and we'll just pop our old ships down there, they won't notice :)

Celebrity does a good job just a pity they do not support us all year.

 

Now I'll duck and run :D

 

Yes, that one is annoying! Again I think it comes down to Princess having a distinct Australian operation which they seem to want to keep separate from their US operation. :rolleyes:

 

I'm in a real quandary about doing a Med cruise next year. I've booked with Royal Princess using an FCC, partly because of the itinerary, but I'm concerned I might find that ship way too big. I've also looked at Celebrity Reflection, Eastern and Western Med cruises B2B, and could save several thousand dollars by switching to that option, just because Celebrity have the included perks. I'm still undecided.

[cheznandy]

Do Americans have to pay grats on Aus cruises? :confused:

 

On Princess, yes.

And I believe they are unable to book via a OZ TA, as we are unable to book via a US TA unless you had previously used a US TA before Princess bought in that rule....clear as mud:confused::p

[GUT2407]

Unfortunately the Australian cruise market is still growing and Princess usually sails with full ships.

 

I suspect we won't start seeing those sort sof deals here until the market softens and Princess can't fill each cruise.

 

Although Celebrity offer their promotions worldwide ...

 

But it seems Celebrity has, in the past at least, got a better shake on re fares.

[GUT2407]

There was an American on one of my Roll Calls, complaining that while we were getting some great price drops he wasn't, so it seems to sometimes favour us.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It was interesting. I thought it was a bit cheeky from them claiming they organised the MGs. And no respect for their users! This forum was here and going long before they crawled on the scene.

 

Very cheeky indeed! Their party brag really got up my nose!

 

Interestingly one of their writers who was at that event also writes for the SMH and had an article in the Sun Herald on Sunday advising people to remove tips on cruises with daily charges. She quoted someone who claimed to have been told by cruise ship staff that they never see those tips. She obviously didn't read the myriad of tipping threads here. It's not the first time that journalist has written an article that has been poorly researched either, she blamed the Golden Princess noro outbreak on food contamination. :rolleyes: Knowing that, how much can we trust the CC articles?

[mum and son]

It was interesting. I thought it was a bit cheeky from them claiming they organised the MGs. And no respect for their users! This forum was here and going long before they crawled on the scene.

 

That was funny. I was over there on fb too. Their only involvement in the meet & greet is to provide a website where people can go to organise their own meet & greet!

[OzKiwiJJ]

I noticed they went very quiet all of a sudden, after I posted a clip from their own online M&G webpage. :D :D :D

 

Unfortunately Gut wasn't around. He missed all the fun.

Edited June 22, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ