Upsell enigma...Mini-suite

[Bruin Steve]

So, I am booked on a 3-night cruise...Vancouver to LA, no intermediate stops...So, we board on a Monday (April 15) and disembark on Thursday...Two at sea days in between.

For a number of reasons, the ship is about half unsold and only 7 weeks away (Princess changed the drydock schedule and shortened this from a 7 night cruise to this truncated 3-nighter...and most who had booked canceled).

We are doing this cruise 1)  Because it's so cheap ($233 pp for a Caribe deck balcony) and, 2)  We have the time off and were visiting daughters in Portland, so, rather than fly home, it doesn't cost us much more to hop up to Vancouver and cruise home.

 

Anyway, last week, Princess offered us an upsell to a Suite for $289 pp.  We decided to pass.  We've cruised in suites before, and, though we enjoy them, we didn't think it was worth doubling our cost for a mere three night cruise where we may not be in the cabin that much, other than to sleep, anyway.

 

Today, they came back with an upsell offer--$99 per person for a mini-suite.  I am a little torn--One thing I don't like about Princess--as opposed to , say, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean--is that the standard cabins are small--lacking a sofa and sitting area...which is, of course, remedied with a mini-suite.  OTOH, again, we likely won't be in the cabin all that much and we DO have the Caribe Deck balcony with the extra balcony space...and, this ends up costing an extra $66 per night...or, if you think in terms that there are really only two full at sea days--$99 per day--for, basically, a sofa and coffee table.

 

Also wondering--since I, obviously, haven't called back yet...If we could negotiate this offer to a "Club Class" Mini-Suite, would THAT somehow be worth the extra $198?  As I understand it, a bottle of wine and a special seating area at dinner?  Anything else?

 

Thanks for your opinions...

[capriccio]

A $99 upsell from a Caribe balcony to a mini-suite on a 3 night cruise seems awfully expensive to me.  For comparison, we received an upsell from a Caribe balcony to a mini-suite on a 10 Caribbean cruise over Christmas for $129 per person.  We didn't need to think twice about that one!

[LAS!!1414]

We also received the original offer and turned it down -- we are back to back from LA to FLL -- received an upsell for this cruise also -- turned it down.

C U on the Emerald 

[Colo Cruiser]

Buy some extra drinks.

[Justprettynpink]

The suite upsell was for ANY suite...perhaps the mini upsell would be for ANY mini...

Edited February 22, 2019 by Justprettynpink

[JF - retired RRT]

We took an upsell from inside to a balcony on a previous cruise. I looked at the Princess site first to see what was available.

When I got the call back from the rep, she offered a mid-ship balcony. I asked if the Premium balcony in the aft section was still available and could I have that instead. The answer was "yes" and "yes". Score!! That balcony was selling for almost 10Kpp at that point. Don't remember anymore what we originally paid or what the upsell cost, but it was a great bargain. Loved the cabin.

Check the web site, if a Club Class is available...ask for it. If you don't, you won't get.

[4cats4me]

As a comparison, a couple years ago we had a DW guarantee on the Regal (obstructed Deluxe balcony, essentially a regular cabin with a love seat) and Princess sent us an upsell offer for a mini suite for $129 pp for a 7-day, which we felt was a pretty good price, especially since we were on a guarantee and close to sailing and were getting antsy about where our cabin might be, so we took the upsell and were able to choose a nicely located cabin.   

$99 pp for a three-day, only you can decide if it is worth it. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by 4cats4me

[bemis12]

 Club class dining is a sensually no benefit on a ship that is half full. There won’t be a wait in anytime dining anyway 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, bemis12 said:

 Club class dining is a sensually no benefit on a ship that is half full. There won’t be a wait in anytime dining anyway 

Is that the same as the glass is half full?

[Thrak]

Keep your Caribe deck balcony. It's a 3 day cruise and I'm sure you will be able to "rough it" without the mini suite.  You can find something else to do with the extra money. I certainly wouldn't take the offer.

[MJSailors]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

Keep your Caribe deck balcony. It's a 3 day cruise and I'm sure you will be able to "rough it" without the mini suite.  You can find something else to do with the extra money. I certainly wouldn't take the offer.

 

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

Keep your Caribe deck balcony. It's a 3 day cruise and I'm sure you will be able to "rough it" without the mini suite.  You can find something else to do with the extra money. I certainly wouldn't take the offer.

Exactly ! 👍😉

[Colorado Coasty]

3 hours ago, bemis12 said:

 Club class dining is a sensually no benefit on a ship that is half full. There won’t be a wait in anytime dining anyway 

A sensual experience in club class may be worth it.

[bemis12]

4 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Is that the same as the glass is half full?

 

Yikes. Voice recognition

Edited February 23, 2019 by bemis12

[geoherb]

I wouldn't do it, but that's because I love the larger Caribe Deck balcony cabins and don't really need the extra space of a mini suite. 

[cruisequeen4ever]

I wouldn’t do that upsell. When we were offered a mini upsell, I called and said we’d do it if it can be a Club Class, and it was a firm no. 

 

[Daniel A]

I  don't think the Club Class benefits are available on upsells to any suites.  I may be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that once. I say, 'what the heck'  you obviously wanted to go home in style by taking a cruise - take the full suite and see if you can get it for the mini price.  I still think you won't get the Club Class benes, but it will be an impressive room at any rate...

[Colo Cruiser]

1 minute ago, Daniel A said:

I  don't think the Club Class benefits are available on upsells to any suites.  I may be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that once. I say, 'what the heck'  you obviously wanted to go home in style by taking a cruise - take the full suite and see if you can get it for the mini price.  I still think you won't get the Club Class benes, but it will be an impressive room at any rate...

Club Class comes with all suites regardless.

How would they get a suite for a mini price?  🤔

[Daniel A]

5 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Club Class comes with all suites regardless.

How would they get a suite for a mini price?  🤔

By negotiating before someone else takes it.

 

I have been under the impression that upsells into Club Class staterooms does not get you the benefits as if you booked the suite or mini at the initial price.  I can be wrong, I've never taken an upsell (mostly because I've never been offered one on Princess.)

[Colo Cruiser]

10 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

By negotiating before someone else takes it.

 

I have been under the impression that upsells into Club Class staterooms does not get you the benefits as if you booked the suite or mini at the initial price.  I can be wrong, I've never taken an upsell (mostly because I've never been offered one on Princess.)

I have never seen or heard of bargaining for a suite.  🤪 Who do you negotiate with? Is there a negotiating hotline?

Have you done this? Why would Princess give away a suite for 1/4 of the price when they sell out the majority of their cruises?

 

Like I said Every suite has Club Class benefits. You don't lose them for an upgrade/upsell etc.

They don't take it away.

[Daniel A]

20 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

I have never seen or heard of bargaining for a suite.  🤪

Have you done this? Why would Princess give away a suite for 1/4 of the price when they sell out the majority of their cruises?

 

Like I said Every suite has Club Class benefits. You don't lose them for an upgrade/upsell etc.

They don't take it away.

Fine... you get Club Class benefits. 

 

When Princess calls offering suites just before a repositioning cruise, they have a problem.  When they have a problem and offer upsells for $289 for a suite and call back a day later offering $99 for a minisuite, of course you can negotiate for a better price on the suite if it hasn't already been sold.

 

I have done this.  Not on Princess, but I ended up negotiating an upsell to a penthouse suite in the Haven on Norwegian Epic.  It ended up being the same cost as my minisuite.  I had to do it within hours of sailing, but it can be done.

 

Yes, the negotiating hotline starts when Princess calls you to offer an upsell.  You would negotiate with the person from Princess on the other end of the phone.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Daniel A
additional input.

[donswife]

55 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

By negotiating before someone else takes it.

 

I have been under the impression that upsells into Club Class staterooms does not get you the benefits as if you booked the suite or mini at the initial price.  I can be wrong, I've never taken an upsell (mostly because I've never been offered one on Princess.)

I think that is true on some other cruise lines (NCL maybe?) but not Princess.

[Daniel A]

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 7:29 PM, Colorado Coasty said:

A sensual experience in club class may be worth it.

Keep your mind out of the bilge!

[4cats4me]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

By negotiating before someone else takes it.

 

I have been under the impression that upsells into Club Class staterooms does not get you the benefits as if you booked the suite or mini at the initial price.  I can be wrong, I've never taken an upsell (mostly because I've never been offered one on Princess.)

 

We were upgraded to a full suite for free on Princess several years back, and all benefits remained intact. 

 

We have also also taken upsells recently, all  benefits remained as well.

 

Princess doesn’t negotiate like some other cruise lines. It is a take it or leave it approach.  In one  case, we took it. 

In others, it was laughable, so we left it. 

The only time I’ve heard of them negotiating is with move-over offers.  

Edited February 24, 2019 by 4cats4me