Exotics - Asia and South America booking info

[billco]

Keeping an eye on the 28 day Coral Princess from LA to Shanghai. Right now the price is too high and only a few balcony cabins released. But who knows down the road.

[Astro Flyer]

Here's a Princess news release from today about these itineraries:

 

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2276780

[Thrak]

Wow. Checked and the lowest category of balconies is almost completely sold out for this cruise. D'Oh! So much for waiting on a Sip and Sail later. Booked the second lowest category. Emerald Deck Aft - E708. Over the Vista Lounge so we will see how that works out. There were a couple left all the way forward on Lido deck which wouldn't bother us at all except for the notation about the obstructed viewglass balcony. Looked up pics and wasn't pleased. There were also a few all the way forward on Dolphin but they are directly over the theater. I tried to get input from my wife regarding location but... I'll try further to get her thoughts on the location and may call and change it (if there are any cabins left!)

 

The cruise didn't show any kind of sales promo but obviously must be under one as they added $1,000 OBC onto it ($500 each). I'd lose that if we rebook later under a S&S promo but with a 49 day cruise the S&S would be worth far more to us than the OBC.

 

Looks like we would need a visa for Brazil as well. Never done that before. Hopefully we will be taking this cruise but waiting to book was looking like a bad idea given the number of cabins already sold.

[MsDolly]

Wow. Checked and the lowest category of balconies is almost completely sold out for this cruise. D'Oh! So much for waiting on a Sip and Sail later. Booked the second lowest category. Emerald Deck Aft - E708. Over the Vista Lounge so we will see how that works out. There were a couple left all the way forward on Lido deck which wouldn't bother us at all except for the notation about the obstructed viewglass balcony. Looked up pics and wasn't pleased. There were also a few all the way forward on Dolphin but they are directly over the theater. I tried to get input from my wife regarding location but... I'll try further to get her thoughts on the location and may call and change it (if there are any cabins left!)

 

The cruise didn't show any kind of sales promo but obviously must be under one as they added $1,000 OBC onto it ($500 each). I'd lose that if we rebook later under a S&S promo but with a 49 day cruise the S&S would be worth far more to us than the OBC.

 

Looks like we would need a visa for Brazil as well. Never done that before. Hopefully we will be taking this cruise but waiting to book was looking like a bad idea given the number of cabins already sold.

 

Wow good OBC and yes the Sip and Save could be a better deal assuming the price of the cruise doesn't jump up!

 

Our TA sent us notice today on this as well and I saw that many balconies were gone no doubt being held by large travel agencies.

 

Even with that large OBC I struggle to spend my travel dollars on this sailing. My husband says go for it but of course he's game to live on a ship too...lol

 

Enjoy your lovely long sailing!

[Thrak]

I have no idea why they kicked in $500 per person OBC. There is nothing showing on the cruise listing where is usually shows promotions. I was totally surprised by it. An unexpected $1,000 OBC is... unexpected! :rolleyes:

[cherylandtk]

Dolly and Thrak, This cruise is sold in shorter segments plus the entire 49 FLL to LA adventure. In order to be able to offer cabins on each of the six booking options, Princess Yield Management blocks out specific cabins for specific booking segments. In other words, if you have your heart set on a specific cabin, you may find that you have to book it as two (or more) cruises, for example FLL-Santiago and Santiago-LA. Oftentimes, a good TA can get your desired cabin switched out with another one as long as they are the same category and the 'other' cabin is open on the appropriate legs.

 

So the cruise may not be as sold out as it appears, it is just that cabins are allotted to specific segments. Although if the sellout of the Grand when it did this a few years back is any indication, I would expect this cruise to sellout pretty quickly, Yield Management not withstanding.

 

And FWIW, TA booking allotments are not assigned specific rooms until a person puts a deposit down and chooses that room. Until then it's just a certain number of rooms from a certain category, sorta like a guarantee booking.

Edited May 26, 2017 by cherylandtk

[wishfulone]

Wow. Checked and the lowest category of balconies is almost completely sold out for this cruise. D'Oh! So much for waiting on a Sip and Sail later. Booked the second lowest category. Emerald Deck Aft - E708. Over the Vista Lounge so we will see how that works out. There were a couple left all the way forward on Lido deck which wouldn't bother us at all except for the notation about the obstructed viewglass balcony. Looked up pics and wasn't pleased. There were also a few all the way forward on Dolphin but they are directly over the theater. I tried to get input from my wife regarding location but... I'll try further to get her thoughts on the location and may call and change it (if there are any cabins left!)

 

The cruise didn't show any kind of sales promo but obviously must be under one as they added $1,000 OBC onto it ($500 each). I'd lose that if we rebook later under a S&S promo but with a 49 day cruise the S&S would be worth far more to us than the OBC.

 

Looks like we would need a visa for Brazil as well. Never done that before. Hopefully we will be taking this cruise but waiting to book was looking like a bad idea given the number of cabins already sold.

And we got a shock at 8.45 this morning Sydney time to see how much of the cruise was already sold. Not just the cheapest balconies but all over. It's a very popular cruise and quite reasonably priced I believe especially with the big OBC.

We've booked a better positioned balcony than you for only a couple of hundred dollars more than your deck 8 above the Vista. Over 49 nights that's not a big upgrade to make.

[caribill]

And we got a shock at 8.45 this morning Sydney time to see how much of the cruise was already sold. Not just the cheapest balconies but all over.

 

Read post #31

[Thrak]

Dolly and Thrak, This cruise is sold in shorter segments plus the entire 49 FLL to LA adventure. In order to be able to offer cabins on each of the six booking options, Princess Yield Management blocks out specific cabins for specific booking segments. In other words, if you have your heart set on a specific cabin, you may find that you have to book it as two (or more) cruises, for example FLL-Santiago and Santiago-LA. Oftentimes, a good TA can get your desired cabin switched out with another one as long as they are the same category and the 'other' cabin is open on the appropriate legs.

 

So the cruise may not be as sold out as it appears, it is just that cabins are allotted to specific segments. Although if the sellout of the Grand when it did this a few years back is any indication, I would expect this cruise to sellout pretty quickly, Yield Management not withstanding.

 

And FWIW, TA booking allotments are not assigned specific rooms until a person puts a deposit down and chooses that room. Until then it's just a certain number of rooms from a certain category, sorta like a guarantee booking.

 

Excellent explanation and I really should have realized that as I have experienced it first hand on a past cruise. We sailed 17 days SF to FLL through the Panama Canal but it was also sold as 22 days out of Vancouver and 15 days out of LA. Thanks for reminding me of what I "should" have already known.

 

Sadly we will only get one cruise credit for the entire 49 days despite it being 4 segments but the cruise itself will put us over the top for Elite. It will be 10 cruises and 158 days. (We had two shorty 4 day cruises that fit in with work before we retired and another was only 7 days although it was actually the return voyage portion of a 13 day cruise tour.) It's sooo far in advance though. I hope "life" doesn't kick us in the head and force us to cancel the cruise before it rolls around. We "should" be fine but I've known too many people who had issues at the end.

Edited May 27, 2017 by Thrak

[Thrak]

GAH! The dreaded "double post". Sorry....

[wishfulone]

Excellent explanation and I really should have realized that as I have experienced it first hand on a past cruise. We sailed 17 days SF to FLL through the Panama Canal but it was also sold as 22 days out of Vancouver and 15 days out of LA. Thanks for reminding me of what I "should" have already known.

 

Sadly we will only get one cruise credit for the entire 49 days despite it being 4 segments but the cruise itself will put us over the top for Elite. It will be 10 cruises and 158 days. (We had two shorty 4 day cruises that fit in with work before we retired and another was only 7 days although it was actually the return voyage portion of a 13 day cruise tour.) It's sooo far in advance though. I hope "life" doesn't kick us in the head and force us to cancel the cruise before it rolls around. We "should" be fine but I've known too many people who had issues at the end.

Check your Personaliser. It should be showing 3 credits but as you say it won't matter anyway. And positive thinking Thrak! The time will go so quickly there won't be a chance for anything to come along and stand in the way :D

[Thrak]

Check your Personaliser. It should be showing 3 credits but as you say it won't matter anyway. And positive thinking Thrak! The time will go so quickly there won't be a chance for anything to come along and stand in the way :D

 

By golly you are correct! It does indeed show 3 credits. I thought it would only show the one as, when we did a 17 day SF to FLL through the canal it was also sold as a 15 day LA to FLL and we only got one cruise credit for that one.