Princess "Come Back New Sale" begins March 7th

[sunny2runner]

It's gotten a lot more expensive than the last three years on the Regal. Our current booking was several hundred cheaper AND we get $300 OBC. We booked last year during the Leap Day sale and got s great deal. Since then, the prices have just gone up.

two years ago we booked last minute one month out and got a great deal. Last year we got an excellent deal. All three cruises on the Regal during March and April. but since last March, I have noticed higher prices and not much OBC. Guess bookings must be stronger now so that they don't have to reduce prices .

 

 

I completely agree and share the same thoughts/experience on pricing. We are sailing in April on a 10 night Southern Caribbean that we booked early last fall. We are looking at the same cruise for 2018 at the current pricing/sales and it is $1,500 - $2,000 more than our 2017 sailing. Why so much more??

 

We keep thinking that maybe Fall prices/sales will be better than what they are advertising in the past couple of months.

[Zooguy]

The PDF prices are higher than what we paid for October Panama Canal. We already have free grats and OBC.

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

Checking prices for this offer & the Summer offer, my Fall transatlantic prices have increased.

 

We're also considering adding either a Med cruise before our TA or a Caribbean cruise post-TA...neither have a better bottom-line price. Cruise fares have increased & I'd be paying for the the free gratuities which is typical for most Princess offers.

 

As routinely happens, these offers are not a sale for our cruises but hopefully they will be a better overall price for other passengers.

[Sea and Me]

I just checked the Oct. cruise we are interested in!! Prices are the same! However, deposit is refundable $100 and free gratuities. Deal or no deal?? I think we'll take it and keep looking for the prices to come down.

 

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

I just checked the Oct. cruise we are interested in!! Prices are the same! However, deposit is refundable $100 and free gratuities. Deal or no deal?? I think we'll take it and keep looking for the prices to come down.

I don't recall any recent sales that offered many perks since I booked a cruise last September over a year in advance. That was a 3 for Free promotion (free gratuities, OBC, cabin category upgrade) but nothing that good since it expired.

 

With the lack of any true sales for cruises I've checked the current promotion may be as good as you can get. I would book it since the deposit is refundable & even if you cannot refare the price it's still possible to cancel & rebook with a better promotion. Although that risks losing a cabin & dining assignment by cancelling & rebooking.

 

That's what my crystal ball indicates to me but it isn't always accurate. :p

[sfaaa]

I just checked the Oct. cruise we are interested in!! Prices are the same! However, deposit is refundable $100 and free gratuities. Deal or no deal?? I think we'll take it and keep looking for the prices to come down.

 

 

 

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Deal since you have the option to cancel up to final payment date at no risk to you. And if you pay by Amex, you get $100 cash rebate under the current Amex promo.

[dianef]

I checked the cruise I am booked on in Oct on the RUby and the prices went up $100 a person.The last deal was $75obc so still better keeping that and not paying $100 more for free gratutties and losing $75obc. The prices on cruises seems to be going up a lot.Was comparing a cruise I took in Jan to the same itinerary for next year and it is $500 more a person.

[jackieo]

The launch price for our Oct TA cruise is still $300 cheaper than this 'sale'!

 

 

 

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[CATGUY7]

Price on the cruise we have booked for February 2018 stayed the same, but we currently have gratuities paid and on board credit of $150.00 each. Air fare credit would be nice, but having to use EZ Air might be more costly than what we could book on our own. I think it's not the best sale for us.

[Astro Flyer]

A fall cruise I was tracking prices has increased by $220 and even with free gratuities ($135) the net price increase by $85.

 

Unfortunately that's become routine with their "sales" which too often cost us more as a result of creative Princess marketing.

[jennybenny]

This sale is meh, nothing better than I already have booked. I still look out for sales because even though most are duds, every once in a while you find a good one. Plus, if I didn't have a cruise booked, I'd be happy to get free gratuities. [emoji4]

Of course i price watch all my bookings so if something better comes up, great!! And if nothing better comes up, well, at least I'm booked on a cruise I want to go on, in a category I'm comfortable paying for [emoji4]

 

 

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[jennybenny]

I don't recall any recent sales that offered many perks since I booked a cruise last September over a year in advance. That was a 3 for Free promotion (free gratuities, OBC, cabin category upgrade) but nothing that good since it expired.

 

With the lack of any true sales for cruises I've checked the current promotion may be as good as you can get. I would book it since the deposit is refundable & even if you cannot refare the price it's still possible to cancel & rebook with a better promotion. Although that risks losing a cabin & dining assignment by cancelling & rebooking.

 

That's what my crystal ball indicates to me but it isn't always accurate. :p

 

 

 

I don't think you lose the cabin rebooking if you call Princess, or your TA. We've rebooked a few times and always kept our cabin.

Now if you did it on the website, sure you risk losing your room.

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

I don't think you lose the cabin rebooking if you call Princess, or your TA. We've rebooked a few times and always kept our cabin.

Now if you did it on the website, sure you risk losing your room.

 

Thanks for sharing your positive experiences.

[Eggfrmr]

I don't think you lose the cabin rebooking if you call Princess, or your TA. We've rebooked a few times and always kept our cabin.

Now if you did it on the website, sure you risk losing your room.

 

 

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I was already booked for a Sept, 2017 cruise when the last sip and sail sale came out. I called and got it added to my reservation with no problem.

 

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[shipfriend_max]

For the summer 2016 season there has also been a sale with large price drops beginning in March 2016, including Europe. Hopefully same will be offered for 2017 soon.

 

 

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[joe d]

I wish Princess would have a real sale. The 2 cruises that I am watching now have free gratuities but their price went up $100 from last week. I have not seen a real sale in a long time. Does Princess think that we all fools?

[ABoatNerd]

I never believe a sale is really a sale with the cruise lines. Prices are strategically escalated before hand.

 

As a Canadian with our poor $ currency exchange, our household has ended all foreign travel. Our best friends as well. It simply costs too much to travel when you factor in all the costs involved - every trip is 32% more for Canadians than Americans and similar for Aussies and Brits. Add in all the increasing complexity of travel and declining air flight experience and the nickle and diming and well, the cost now outweighs the benefits for us.

 

Also, cruises are less appealing than before for us as we are not interested in the OBC trend. We buy nothing aboard, not interested in the suite trend and we generally use private excursions. I am interested only in a lower fare with no OBC.

 

As a previous poster noted, it is a perfect storm for us.

 

Hoping other cruisers have a better context to cruise going forward.

 

Happy and safe sailing.

[sawtooth]

I never believe a sale is really a sale with the cruise lines. Prices are strategically escalated before hand.

 

As a Canadian with our poor $ currency exchange, our household has ended all foreign travel. Our best friends as well. It simply costs too much to travel when you factor in all the costs involved - every trip is 32% more for Canadians than Americans and similar for Aussies and Brits. Add in all the increasing complexity of travel and declining air flight experience and the nickle and diming and well, the cost now outweighs the benefits for us.

 

Also, cruises are less appealing than before for us as we are not interested in the OBC trend. We buy nothing aboard, not interested in the suite trend and we generally use private excursions. I am interested only in a lower fare with no OBC.

 

As a previous poster noted, it is a perfect storm for us.

 

Hoping other cruisers have a better context to cruise going forward.

 

Happy and safe sailing.

I hear what you are saying but the tables were turned just a few years ago.

The US dollar was weak against Euro, Canadian and Australian so it was tough for us to travel to those parts of the world.

You just have to pick your spots

[Astro Flyer]

I hear what you are saying but the tables were turned just a few years ago.

The US dollar was weak against Euro, Canadian and Australian so it was tough for us to travel to those parts of the world.

You just have to pick your spots

 

Monetary exchange rates run in cycles...for our Australian cruise in 2009 $1USD got $0.93AUD and today it would get $1.33AUD. The CAD exchange rate was similar & the € cost $1.50 vs $1.05 today.

 

Exchange rates are certainly a factor I consider but it's a major factor for our Canadian friends because it affects the cruise fare & not merely spending in port.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[klfhngr]

are the gratuities really 'free'?! the day the sale took effect, the cruise we're looking at went up $100 p.p.! i call bull do-do to the sale!

[Josie2]

Posted in error

 

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[GweninTX]

Our cruises went up $300 each. Not much of a sale!

 

 

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[DrivesLikeMario]

One cruise went up $400.

One cruise stayed the same but I'd lose good OBC that I had (better over the free grats).

One cruise went down by $200 but I'd lose $400 OBC.

Just another wonderful "sale". :rolleyes:

[Astro Flyer]

are the gratuities really 'free'?! the day the sale took effect, the cruise we're looking at went up $100 p.p.! i call bull do-do to the sale!

A cruise we're considering had an $85/pp net price increase for free gratuities...they give a little bit & take back even more in return. :rolleyes:

 

Non-sale promotions are becoming the norm for Princess but a friend who has a career in travel marketing (not Princess) said Princess will keep creating such useless deals as long as they generate an increase in sales. She said not everyone is as knowledgeable as some experienced travelers & those less informed passengers don't realize that too often such offers are not a better net price. :(

 

As long as Princess marketing can increase income with such useless offers then this trend will continue. Some passengers may benefit from Princess offers (I no longer refer to them as sales ;)) however that doesn't happen often for cruises we're seeking & based on posts there appears to be many in the same situation as us.

 

Princess keeps dangling lower quality bait while trolling for passengers & apparently they feel it's cost-effective. So apparently there's no incentive for them to offer additional benefits to increase sales by giving passengers a true sale price.

[Zooguy]

Our booking fare went up $470 p.p.. The OBC went away but the free grats stayed. I'm keeping my original booking.

 

 

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