Valentines Day $1 special - Booked it!

[melodyina]

Happy Valentines Day fellow cruisers!  I got up early to book the $1 deposit  Valentines Day only offer on 7 day bookings!

I chose the RT Inside Passage on the Ruby out of Seattle, September 2020.  

What did you grab?  😀

[Diver2014]

We put a deposit down day before yesterday of 10% instead of waiting until today since we realized the $1 is just a gimmick.

You end up paying the balance before final payment anyway.  It doesn't really make any difference unless you are not really serious about actually going on a cruise and don't want to commit beyond a dollar.

[melodyina]

4 minutes ago, Diver2014 said:

We put a deposit down day before yesterday of 10% instead of waiting until today since we realized the $1 is just a gimmick.

You end up paying the balance before final payment anyway.  It doesn't really make any difference unless you are not really serious about actually going on a cruise and don't want to commit beyond a dollar.

For me, this special made a great difference.  We grabbed our cruise and most importantly secured the stateroom we wanted. Its like a 'place holder' for $1.  

 

 

[MCC retired]

So tempting ! Especially booking something far out . So much time to adjust rate to a better Sale and the $1 is even Refundable ?

[melodyina]

Yes, the $1 is refundable.  All was as advertised, we chose the vacation protection too, and at the very end - total due $2.00.  Hubbys military OBC was posted, nothing was in error.  We booked on-line and i'm doing the 'happy room dance'.    I will note as the reason I booked right away in the morning, reading the fine print that this sale was limited quantities on specific sailings regardless of space available.  So if they are limiting the deals offered per ship/date - I wasn't going to snooze past this one. 🙂  

 

 

Edited February 14, 2019 by melodyina
added the don't wait too long sentence..

[Ombud]

I narrowed down to 1 (SF to PNW) and my PCP emailed me at 6am that it was ready for $1 deposit! Still got OBC + Sabatini & balance will auto charge 12/20/19!! Alot of rooms blocked out

 

Grabbed: SF to PNW 3/29/20 on Grand THANK YOU, MARY, MY PCP🤑

Edited February 14, 2019 by Ombud

[melodyina]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

I narrowed down to 1 (SF to PNW) and my PCP emailed me at 6am that it was ready for $1 deposit! Still got OBC + Sabatini & balance will auto charge 12/20/19!! Alot of rooms blocked out

 

Grabbed: SF to PNW 3/29/20 on Grand THANK YOU, MARY, MY PCP🤑

So glad you grabbed your room, I too was surprised on my Sept 2020 cruise that many in the area were already 'sold'.  

 

[phabric]

6 hours ago, melodyina said:

Happy Valentines Day fellow cruisers!  I got up early to book the $1 deposit  Valentines Day only offer on 7 day bookings!

I chose the RT Inside Passage on the Ruby out of Seattle, September 2020.  

What did you grab?  😀

 

i grabbed Rt Inside Passage out of Seattle July 2020 with the $1 deposit.

[Grburkart]

I grabbed a mini suite on the Diamond for a 28 day round trip from/to Tokyo. December 16, 2020

 

Glenn

Edited February 14, 2019 by Grburkart

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, Grburkart said:

I grabbed a mini suite on the Diamond for a 28 day round trip from/to Tokyo. December 16, 2020

 

Glenn

 

I simply don't see the advantage. A $1 deposit for a 28 day cruise in a mini suite. I always book using FCD which would, admittedly, be a $100 deposit but would have the advantage of $150 in OBC. Since I don't book cruises I don't plan to take I can't understand why one would book without using FCD - unless, of course, one doesn't have FCD to use.

[Ombud]

I want / need to space out payment for my upcoming cruises and ran out of FCC

[Diver2014]

7 hours ago, Diver2014 said:

We put a deposit down day before yesterday of 10% instead of waiting until today since we realized the $1 is just a gimmick.

You end up paying the balance before final payment anyway.  It doesn't really make any difference unless you are not really serious about actually going on a cruise and don't want to commit beyond a dollar.

 

Ha!  I have to eat my own words.  After, 'just out of curiosity' I looked at what was available (virtually all cruises until Jan of 2021), I said, what the heck and put $2 down on a cruise for Sept 2020.  I kept thinking I should wait until a good promotion comes along but my finger hit the pay button before I could gather my wits.  I have to admit, a dollar deposit is very tempting and I fell to temptation. Hey, it's refundable! Ha, ha.

[melodyina]

That's great! Glad you grabbed your cruise.  You can still watch for that great promotion, and when you see it call and ask for a repricing on your booking number. 

 

[Bubbs33]

A gimmick that can work. My DH has never had an interest in cruising. Actually hated the idea. Last summer agreed to a try a cruise if we would go to alaska, so we booked for July 2019.  Since then I have been following the boards and when the $1 sale came, suggested we book Caribbean for 2020 on proviso that if he hates the Alaskan cruise we can cancel. Well its booked and I see some excitement. I got til final payment to work on it. 

[pcur]

I got an email this morning about this, and jumped-to-it!

 

I found the 10 night Mexico and Sea of Cortez cruise we went on before and LOVED!  Round trip Los Angeles, so a quick SW flight.  With our Big Box TA we ended up with $665 obc that pays for tips and most drinks (yeah, we're lightweights alcholoicly speaking), free bottle of wine, free specialty dinner for 2, and a bunch of coupons.  It's our first Platinum cruise, so we get the 500 minutes of internet.  

 

That's a bunch of savings for a $2 deposit!

 

I priced another cruise line and their price was the same for a 7 night cruise instead of 10.  

[victory2020]

Only for new bookings. I put a cruise on hold yesterday that has a non refundable deposit, so I thought I'd wait till today. Now the cruise is $100pp higher & I was told I would have to re book at higher rate to get $1 deposit.

[Grburkart]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

I simply don't see the advantage. A $1 deposit for a 28 day cruise in a mini suite. I always book using FCD which would, admittedly, be a $100 deposit but would have the advantage of $150 in OBC. Since I don't book cruises I don't plan to take I can't understand why one would book without using FCD - unless, of course, one doesn't have FCD to use.

I suppose you’re right in looking for an advantage. I fully intend on going on this cruise so there are advantages, so to each their own. 

Outside of the promotion, the deposit for this particular cruise is just a hair south of 6k. I choose not to pay that right now because I have an upcoming Mediterranean cruise in October. Plus, I’ll keep the $6000.00 in my bank for my own financial gain. 

As well as the amount of the deposit, there’s availability. I like to book early to ensure a stateroom of my choice. I really, really want this cruise and it might be harder to get a mini suite later. According to what’s on the website, the mini suites are already booked up. 

There are other personal reasons for not wanting to fork over that amount of money such as health considerations but you don’t need to hear about those. 

To sum this up politely, people are proud and look forward to their adventures. They manage their affairs accordingly and sometimes negative connotations are counterproductive to what their trying to do, so what works for one doesn’t work for others. If the $1.00 promotion is against your judgement then don’t partake. Don’t try to make others feel bad. 

 

Glenn

[swifter19]

Booked my first Princess cruise with the $1 deposit for Alaska in May 2020. I wanted the reduced deposit so my cabin mate can start paying her share, as for me, I didn't want to tie up money for when I go to Greece in Sept.  After my trip in Sept, I can start paying for Alaska.  However, I get a good selection on rooms and no worries if the price goes up, but can take advantage if a better deal comes along later.  Soooo Excited!!!!

[Kingofcool1947]

14 hours ago, melodyina said:

Happy Valentines Day fellow cruisers!  I got up early to book the $1 deposit  Valentines Day only offer on 7 day bookings!

I chose the RT Inside Passage on the Ruby out of Seattle, September 2020.  

What did you grab?  😀

I booked a total of 8 cruises.   Such a deal.  

[esper10]

I didn’t book any thing as I want to use future cruise deposit but I was wondering why would Princess do this? People will book many different cruises will hold the cabins and than don’t go. No, not every one but a lot

[Grburkart]

7 minutes ago, esper10 said:

I didn’t book any thing as I want to use future cruise deposit but I was wondering why would Princess do this? People will book many different cruises will hold the cabins and than don’t go. No, not every one but a lot

If you read the fine print, Princess doesn’t lose. It’s a lot like buying furniture and not paying for 6 months or 2 years or what have you. 

If you don’t pay by a certain day, you’re on the hook for 20% of your cruise. Cancelled or not. 

Thats what the gal at Princess, that I booked through, told me.

 

Glenn

[Meanmum]

We booked two cruises, Panama Canal for January 2020 and 14 day Mediterranean for September 2020.  Did it to secure our cabin, and there is no way we will cancel, we were told that if the price drops we can call and get the reduced price, but probably would have to pay whatever the deposit is at that time.... no worries to us we got what we wanted.

[bemis12]

6 hours ago, Grburkart said:

If you read the fine print, Princess doesn’t lose. It’s a lot like buying furniture and not paying for 6 months or 2 years or what have you. 

If you don’t pay by a certain day, you’re on the hook for 20% of your cruise. Cancelled or not. 

Thats what the gal at Princess, that I booked through, told me.

 

Glenn

 

Maybe.  But good luck trying to collect 20% of a cruise from someone who is not going on it.

[Grburkart]

2 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

 

Maybe.  But good luck trying to collect 20% of a cruise from someone who is not going on it.

That’s the fine print I’m talking about. I’m sure princess have their collection methods. 

 

Glenn

 

 

[bemis12]

 I doubt it. Using legal methods to collect from somebody who got nothing onlyensures that they will never be your customer again. 

 

 That would be a losing game for Princess.