3 for free vs "regular" pricing

[lindafromns]

I'm looking at booking an Alaska cruise in May 2019 and until Nov. 19 I can get the 3 for free deal.  What I'm wondering is do they just put the price up higher when they do a deal like this?  If I wait until after this deal is over, is it likely the price will drop by several hundred dollars?  I figure that 3 for free will save me around $300 in costs.

 

[neverbeenhere]

Maybe prices will fall or maybe not. Supply and demand will control the pricing structure.

[neverbeenhere]

You should be able to check/book the cruise without 34free.  If that price is more than $300 lower, maybe you want to book that way instead. 

[famski740]

Book the cruise now to get the cabin you want, they may be gone later.

 

I believe that the deposit is refundable, so if the cruise goes down later and you find that you can save more money with the new fare then just rebook then.

[rocklinmom]

I believe 3FF ends on 11/16.  Then there is a gap until the next promo (Cyber Event) starts on 11/20.

You can always refare your cruise later for any lower fare that might show up.  You would just have to change to whatever the current promo is at the time.  The Cyber promo coming on the 20th is basically the same as 3FF but I would check to see if the cruise you are looking at (May 2019) is considered Spring or Summer because that would dictate if your deposit would be refundable or not (according to that promo's terms).  I think (?) May is Summer so that would be refundable deposit.  And if you book on Cyber Monday itself (11/26) that is $1 deposit day.  

[WisCruiser2]

We initially booked the Alaska cruisetour we took this past May a year ahead under the Sip & Sail promo (took OBC as we don't need the bev pkg) and were able to re-book in the fall under 3 for free with a lower fare. And with the grats included, we came out ahead on OBC.

[rocklinmom]

I just checked the Princess website and they have changed the deadline for 3FF to 11/19, so you are correct 🙂

Also, Alaska cruises only came up under Summer so that would be a refundable deposit.  Basically you can book this month and get the same benefits.  If you want the regular ten percent deposit than you can book any day beside the 26th (unless you prefer the $1 deposit that day). 

[skynight]

If you want the cruise book it. We have found the 3 for free promo to be one of the best and it has a refundable deposit. If something better comes along you can always change without penalty. Alaska voyages tend to book out, prices may actually increase with the next promo and the closer you get to the voyage.

[lindafromns]

Thank you all so much for your input.  It's very helpful and appreciated!

[skennedy25]

from what I have seen, Princess is pretty good of not raising their prices during these promos.  The ones who are notorius for raising prices, or basically making you pay for their "free" items promo are celebrity and RCL

[gottagocit]

You just never know. We have 1 cruise down under booked in early 2019 that we locked in during a 3 for free well over a year ago. It was and remains at a price that several hundred USD less than we’ve seen outside that particular sale. On the other hand we have one booked in early 2020 to Antarctica reserved months before the current 3 for free sale and it remains far less that we could book now under the sale even with its “freebies”.  

 

I simply ply can not understand the rates system they use. You can always book under the sale and rebook after it ends if the price drops.

[JF - retired RRT]

Here's an example:

We had booked a B2B on the Pacific for Dec/Jan 2019 and 2 days later the 3 for free sale started. We were booked in OV midship for $2799 & $2559 pp. With the sale, we were able to move to an aft obstructed balcony at $2719 (same price for both legs), PLUS $200 pp OBC for each leg.

YMMV. As noted earlier, some prices go up and some go down...we got lucky.

[caribill]

5 hours ago, lindafromns said:

I'm looking at booking an Alaska cruise in May 2019 and until Nov. 19 I can get the 3 for free deal.  What I'm wondering is do they just put the price up higher when they do a deal like this?  If I wait until after this deal is over, is it likely the price will drop by several hundred dollars?  I figure that 3 for free will save me around $300 in costs.

 

 

One of the 3forfree benefits is the pricing within a type cabin (such as regular balcony) is for most categories the same as the lowest price category in that type. When 3forfree ends, you can be sure the price for all but the lowest price category will increase.

 

In other words, with 3forfree you can get a BB balcony for the price of a BF balcony. After the sale, the BB price will be higher.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, skennedy25 said:

from what I have seen, Princess is pretty good of not raising their prices during these promos.  The ones who are notorius for raising prices, or basically making you pay for their "free" items promo are celebrity and RCL

well, I booked under this promotion about a month ago, and since then the price for my cruise went up twice.

From $709 pp to $879 pp to $1,094 pp... So much for not raising the prices during a promotion.

[Colo Cruiser]

Supply and demand or you snooze you lose. 

[mcrcruiser]

We are now looking at a 3 for free promotion for a 2020 Hawaii cruise .Pricing seems reasonable for this type of cruise in a balcony cabin

[skennedy25]

44 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

well, I booked under this promotion about a month ago, and since then the price for my cruise went up twice.

From $709 pp to $879 pp to $1,094 pp... So much for not raising the prices during a promotion.

Let me rephrase what i said, rcl and Celebrity raise the price before the promo starts to basically not offer it for free vs what you said is totally opposite.  At that point, princess is raising prices do to supply and demand

Edited November 10, 2018 by skennedy25

[pompeii]

3 hours ago, gottagocit said:

 On the other hand we have one booked in early 2020 to Antarctica reserved months before the current 3 for free sale and it remains far less that we could book now under the sale even with its “freebies”.  

 

We're also booked on a Jan 2020 Antarctica and have seen the prices rise substantially during 3 for free.  We booked last spring, and our balcony is 35% less than the current rate after the most recent increase of a few days ago.  Since there was no price increase for the first few days of 3 for free, we rebooked and got the promo along with the lower rates before the prices shot up.  

 

On our Canada/Greenland, the prices have been inching downward during 3 for free so we've gotten a few price breaks on that one.

[jasbo49]

I'd book under 3 for free, then watch for other opportunities.

 

Overall, I think it's the most valuable promotion unless both people in a couple are "accomplished" drinkers.

 

I've booked Sip & Sail, then dropped it in favor of 3 for free several times. Only once have I bailed on 3 for free in favor of something else, and that was a fare so low that promos were unnecessary. 

 

Jim

[pris993]

I had a 7 day california coastal booked, saw fare dropped so got it refared... was given the 3 4 free as well..  Can't beat that.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, jasbo49 said:

I'd book under 3 for free, then watch for other opportunities.

 

Overall, I think it's the most valuable promotion unless both people in a couple are "accomplished" drinkers.

 

for us the most valuable promotion has usually been $1-99 per 3/4th passenger.