Question Re Move Over Offers

[princess09]

Do these offers come before or after final payment?

[azbirdmom]

All the ones I've ever heard of come long after. Our's came 15 days before the cruise but some have posted getting them a couple days before. It seems they do this when it is clear that they are not getting enough cancellations to cover the guarantees sold.

[fishywood]

Move Over Offers are made when the ship is oversold and the number of late cancellations predicted by the booking matrix is lower than expected. Thus the decision to make said offers is made a lot closer to the cruise than 75 days. If for some highly unlikely reason they wanted to offer you incentive to give back your booking and choose a different future sailing before any cancellation penalties kick in, all they would do is offer a token OBC or other perk--how could they offer 100% of cruise fare paid when it hasn't been paid yet?

[Rassa]

Mine was 10 days before departure. Once I received the email for the offer, I knew I had to move fast.

 

My next Princess cruise early in 2020 appears to be selling well this far out - I live in hope and am ready for any email from Princess which I would not expect to receive until a few weeks out from departure.

[moki'smommy]

I would tell you that mine was "ballpark" 2 weeks before cruising. If someone said it was 10 or 12 days, I couldn't dispute that. It wasn't more than 2 weeks. And yes, if you get an offer, return the call immediately. You'll get a phone message system and they will call you back in the order the calls were received. Translation--they probably called 10 people if they needed 5 cabins (hypothetical numbers). The first 5 to take it will get it. You snooze, you lose.

 

I've read on the boards of people getting an offer more like 3 weeks out on a very oversold cruise....and then the offer being sweetened about a week later when they didn't get enough takers. That was a rather unique situation. However, don't hesitate to ask if there is something in particular that you want. For instance, if you booked to cruise with someone else who is in a different cabin, ask whether the offer can be extended to them as well. If they offer you "any cruise up to 10 days" and you want to take a 12 night cruise, ask. They might give it to you as a freebie or they might do it as a "per-diem," charging you for the extra days out of the OBC that you'll get.

 

Both of my upcoming cruises are showing as sold out and we aren't near the 2 week window yet. I'm not holding my breath, but.....might get lucky!

Edited July 23, 2018 by moki'smommy

[hpeabody]

Mine came on a Friday evening between 5 & 6 and I was to depart on Sunday. I live local to the port and was very happy to take it. :D

[memoak]

Any move over offers will happen after they have gone through all the upsell offers and still have more cabins than guarantee cabins to fill, usually right before sailing (my few offers have come like 5-10 days before sailing).

[Sue Do-Over]

We got a Move-Over offer 14 days before a 10-day Japan cruise. We traded for a Baltic 11-day during the same month. Since it was past final payment on the Baltic, he could see availability and upgraded us from OV to standard balcony. AND gave us $500 each for changing our airfare (booked on American).

 

It did take a couple of weeks to get the airfare refund, but once they paid it they covered the actual difference ($1300) instead of the promised $500x2=$1000.

 

We were so excited about our free cruise that we wasted the entire cruise-fare OBC in the casino, but don't regret the move at all.

[moki'smommy]

We got a Move-Over offer 14 days before a 10-day Japan cruise. We traded for a Baltic 11-day during the same month. Since it was past final payment on the Baltic, he could see availability and upgraded us from OV to standard balcony. AND gave us $500 each for changing our airfare (booked on American).

 

It did take a couple of weeks to get the airfare refund, but once they paid it they covered the actual difference ($1300) instead of the promised $500x2=$1000.

 

We were so excited about our free cruise that we wasted the entire cruise-fare OBC in the casino, but don't regret the move at all.

Usually the offer includes a cabin type upgrade! But great that you got more than bargained for on the airfare. Typically if you booked thru EZ Air, they will "protect" your airfare. If the new airfare is less than you paid, you'll get a refund. If it is more than you paid, they will make up the difference.

[eagletwo]

In December 2016, my TA called with this offer 48 hours before departure: Princess wants your two cabins, E731 and R731. They want you to take the family suite plus $2,000 of OBC. Yep, we took the deal.

[eagletwo]

We got a Move-Over offer 14 days before a 10-day Japan cruise. We traded for a Baltic 11-day during the same month. Since it was past final payment on the Baltic, he could see availability and upgraded us from OV to standard balcony. AND gave us $500 each for changing our airfare (booked on American).

 

It did take a couple of weeks to get the airfare refund, but once they paid it they covered the actual difference ($1300) instead of the promised $500x2=$1000.

 

We were so excited about our free cruise that we wasted the entire cruise-fare OBC in the casino, but don't regret the move at all.

 

Yeah, my girls spent half of our OBC in the SPA. They did regret that the following day.

[geoherb]

The only one I've received was sent two days before the cruise. We had left home already, and I did not get the email until we got home. That was way back in the day when we did not have internet access on the ship. We heard about others receiving the same offer when we had our Cruise Critic meet and greet.

[ChrisB123]

I received one of those calls too. I didn't want to just spring it on my husband so I told the lady I'd call back. When I did, the offer had already been filled. This was 1 week before our cruise and the offer was AMAZING. This will NOT happen again as I spoke with my husband about it and if we get an offer, I will just say YES!

[moki'smommy]

I received one of those calls too. I didn't want to just spring it on my husband so I told the lady I'd call back. When I did, the offer had already been filled. This was 1 week before our cruise and the offer was AMAZING. This will NOT happen again as I spoke with my husband about it and if we get an offer, I will just say YES!

I'm with you. I contacted my travel buddies 2 months before our cruise and told them that the cruise is showing as "sold out" on line.....it is unlikely that we will get an offer, but if we do, what is your response? It was a definite "yes." That will prove that we won't get an offer, but....at least I'm ready.