New to Princess - Why book early?

[LazyDaisy5]

Hi all,

 

We've been on several cruises but they've all be on Disney Cruise Line. Now that the kids are older my husband and I would like to sail alone and Princess has the itineraries we are interested in. I'm just confused about early booking and how the sales work.

 

On DCL the earlier you book the better deal you get. As the ship starts to fill up the prices get higher. Since I've been looking at the Princess cruises we are interested in the prices keep dropping. What is the incentive to book early? Is it a big hassle to rebook to get the sale prices once Princess starts slashing them?

 

I appreciate any advice. I'm feeling overwhelmed.

[Shelly97060]

Booking early gives you the cabin you want and often the prices are lower... In most cases, up until final payment, you can have the cruise re-fared and get the lower fare so there is little risk in booking early. ( If you book with a TA you may want to make sure they won't charge you for having your cruise re-fared if the price goes down).

[4cats4me]

In the last couple Years We've experienced better deals by booking very early, 8-23 months out. A few years ago the reverse was true. We've been able to take advantage of some really good onboard credit incentives by booking extra early. The promos haven't been Very impressive for the last year except for the three for free and the Sip n Sail. In our case, we were able to lock in a Cabin at a very good price and get the promos. For some sailings we've looked at the prices are way too high to justify a sip and sail.

It really is all about timing.

 

 

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[easyboy]

We book early when we find good deals on cruise itineraries on our list even when it is still far out from sailing. This enables us to get our preferred cabin too, while monitoring price movements thereafter for more savings.

[lovevacadays]

I book early to insure I get the cabin I want. Then I watch for price drops. Sometimes I get a price drop and sometimes I don't. I always make sure I would be happy paying my original price so that I'm not disappointed if the price doesn't go down.

[Pam in CA]

I usually book 12-24 months before sailing and just about always get the best pricing. If there's a sale after booking and I'm eligible, I can get that, too.

 

Often, prices increase and when they go on sale, don't usually go down to the original pricing.

 

Unlike other lines, Princess allows TAs to discount fares and their commissions. Some take advantage of this, many don't. With a TA who books a lot of Princess cruises, you can save at least 10%.

 

Also unlike most other lines, Princess allows you to combine OBC. It's not unusual for passengers to start their cruise with over $500 in OBC, combining promotional, TA, stockholder, military, etc.

[crochetcruise]

If you need a Handicapped Accessible Cabin or Suite (of which there are very few Suites available, only the Window Suites on the Caribbean, Golden and Grand, and some ships have a Handicapped Accessible Penthouse Suite on a much higher deck and roughly double the price of a Window Suite, you simply must book early!

 

I've sailed on the Golden Princess, and am hoping she is posted to Australia for the 2012-2022 Cruising season. We do have the new Majestic Princess sailing here, but the price is at least double, and she sails from Sydney round-trip so access is a bit of an issue for me. I do like the 6 nights aboard, but would prefer Melbourne or Adelaide for an embarkation point.

 

I was advised to choose a Handicapped Balcony Stateroom, then the uncle of a friend found out about the Window Suites and sent a message to me to, "Check the pricing against a Balcony, and if it's too much to upgrade, tell J. (my friend) and she'll send the extra money over to you for a Belated 50th Birthday Present!" Another friend warned me about the heavy balcony door, especially when the ship is in motion-she sailed in a Suite on the Sea Princess, not Mobility Impaired, but she and her friend found accessing their balcony a challenge at times.

 

HTH.

[flamomo]

Book early once you have decided on the itinerary you want, select the cabin that you prefer or meets your needs, and then monitor the fares frequently. If the is a decrease in the fare, just call Princess (or your TA if that's how you booked) and ask if you can get your booking re-fared at the lower price.

I've been doing it that way for years, and the only time I was not able to get the lower price was if it was offered for "new bookings only", so be sure to read the fine print before making the call. On some cruises I have been able to get the fare reduced more than once.

[MCC retired]

Book Early then monitor CC for Sales up until Final that include your sailing date.

Works for me . Have always adjusted for Sales along the way and always did better than original booking.

Having a TA that discounts and has lots of Speculative Groups to choose from, helps.

[PoohUnderstands]

I am platinum on Princess. Their web site (when it isn't down-just occasionally!) is easy to use. Therefore I do not use a TA for my Princess cruises. I book as far out as I can(depends on when I decide to do a cruise), usually around 1 1/2 years out if there is a really specific stateroom I want. I do the initial reservation online.

 

Now comes the OCD part that I don't mind doing at all. It keeps the cruise front and center in my mind and the excitement level high. Anyway, after booking, I go through the system as if I were booking my stateroom or one just like it, almost every day. Especially on the first day any sales come up. If there is a lower price or opportunity to get some or more OBC, all I do is call Princess directly. I have been on hold up to 4-5 minutes at the most, before getting a representative. They will then rebook you with the same stateroom at the newer pricing, etc. Your confirmation number stays the same. They will email you your new statement. You can do this until you have made your final payment. My last cruise went down two times. On my Med. cruise it went down 4 times!

 

You just have to keep on top of the prices. I caught one sale that literally lasted 1/2 of one day!!!!

 

Pooh

[geoherb]

I'm one who waits to book after the final payment date. I track prices--sometimes going as far as setting up an Excel spreadsheet with up to a dozen cruises that fit our timeframe. It will be easier now that DH has retired from his teaching job and we're no longer dependent on his community college's break schedule.

 

Our upcoming cruise on the Caribbean Princess next month (booked a little more than a week ago) was less than half the price of next year's cruise for the comparable itinerary and timeframe. We don't care so much about cabin location. Just getting on the ship is good enough for us. Even when we had the smallest imaginable cabin on our last Princess cruise (CB P201), we still had a great time.

 

Nevertheless, I still look at the sales that come out before final payment date to see if there's a great offer that will fit our schedule. Right now, I'm looking at a few cruises in December, waiting to see if there's a great offer even before the final payment date approaches. The current Red White + Blue sale isn't that great for pricing the ones we're interested in. The Sip and Sail sounds good in theory, but the prices usually take into account the all-inclusive beverage package. For instance, the price of the 15-day Panama Canal cruise I'm interested in for December 2017 is $700 less per person for a balcony than the price for December 2018 with the Sip and Sail.

[LizSydney]

Hi all,

 

We've been on several cruises but they've all be on Disney Cruise Line. Now that the kids are older my husband and I would like to sail alone and Princess has the itineraries we are interested in. I'm just confused about early booking and how the sales work.

 

On DCL the earlier you book the better deal you get. As the ship starts to fill up the prices get higher. Since I've been looking at the Princess cruises we are interested in the prices keep dropping. What is the incentive to book early? Is it a big hassle to rebook to get the sale prices once Princess starts slashing them?

 

I appreciate any advice. I'm feeling overwhelmed.

 

Well, I booked for January 2018 ages ago and it's just gone on sale. I would be saving about $500 if I cancel and rebook but tbh I can't be bothered because I have a good stateroom location and I wouldn't want to risk getting one in a poor location. I also can't be bothered dealing with their contact centre staff so I'm not rebooking. It depends on if you want to run the risk of missing out or wait for good deals. I'd rather not risk missing out.

[westcoaster]

I usually book 12-24 months before sailing and just about always get the best pricing.

 

How do you know you get the best pricing? I've found with Princess that once you book a cruise, you tend not to be offered the best deals for that cruise, especially those that come after final payment, such as standby deals.

 

Over the past five years, I have waited until after final payment to book all my cruises and it has been a very successful strategy, with cruise fares in the $40-$75 per day range. I often pick the cruise I want many months in advance, but then I just wait until the prices drop after final payment. Perhaps I have been lucky, but nearly all of the cruises I have targeted ultimately dropped significantly in price after final payment - even those that were shown as sold out months earlier, with very high prices.

 

Of course to use this strategy, you do have to have some flexibility, and you can't be too concerned about what cabin you're going to get (I usually get an inside guarantee, since cabin location is unimportant to me). That may not work for everyone, but it works for me, and allows me to cruise much more than I could otherwise afford.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi all,

 

We've been on several cruises but they've all be on Disney Cruise Line. Now that the kids are older my husband and I would like to sail alone and Princess has the itineraries we are interested in. I'm just confused about early booking and how the sales work.

 

On DCL the earlier you book the better deal you get. As the ship starts to fill up the prices get higher. Since I've been looking at the Princess cruises we are interested in the prices keep dropping. What is the incentive to book early? Is it a big hassle to rebook to get the sale prices once Princess starts slashing them?

 

I appreciate any advice. I'm feeling overwhelmed.

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Princess cruises routinely sell out so in order to get the cruise/cabin you want IMO it's best to book as early as you can.

[geoherb]

Well, I booked for January 2018 ages ago and it's just gone on sale. I would be saving about $500 if I cancel and rebook but tbh I can't be bothered because I have a good stateroom location and I wouldn't want to risk getting one in a poor location. I also can't be bothered dealing with their contact centre staff so I'm not rebooking. It depends on if you want to run the risk of missing out or wait for good deals. I'd rather not risk missing out.

I'm not certain how it works for Australians, but for Americans, we can have a booking refared without risking losing our cabin assignment before the final payment date. It could be worthwhile for you to check--$500 will cover a lot of onboard expenses.

[comiso13]

I booked as soon as I decided to take the cruise, about 4 months in advance. I am risk adverse and wanted to lock in the best cabin I could afford. When i saw a month later the price of an interior room had gone down, I checked with my TA. They talked to Princess and the deal was I could get the lower amount by selecting the cabins that were available under that sale. I chose to keep my preferred cabin selection over saving a few bucks. maybe a higher savings might have changed my mind, but I am thrilled with my cabin choice.

[LizSydney]

I book early so I have longer to pay off the cruise and because then I know I'm definitely going on it and can get the cabin I want. As others have said you can get your fare recalculated until you've paid it off.

 

 

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[LizSydney]

I'm not certain how it works for Australians, but for Americans, we can have a booking refared without risking losing our cabin assignment before the final payment date. It could be worthwhile for you to check--$500 will cover a lot of onboard expenses.

 

 

 

Yes, this is what I ended up doing. I got it recalculated and saved $700. I also have more OBC but I can easily spend $1000 on board after inclusions. I use a lot of WIFI and buy a couple of drinks.

 

 

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[octoberdana]

My cruise in October is after final payment, and our price for a balcony was cheaper booking in advance then it is now. It seems that the pricing is all over the place. I am looking at an early December 2018 cruise and a balcony room is $1300/pp. that is really high so I'm going to wait.

 

 

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