New to Princess - Questions

[*Miss G*]

Hello. I am new to Princess so I am struggling to find answers.  I registered on the Princess site and was expecting to be given a Mariner # and a cruise consultant for booking.  (Sorry for the Holland America terms; I don’t know the equivalent for Princess.)  I clicked on “Find a Travel Advisor” but it took me to a listing of 3rd party travel agents.  Questions:

 

• Does Princess not wish you to book direct?  
• If I book with a 3rd party, is there a mariner # I could reference for each guest?

 

Thank you for any help you can provide!

[suekel]

You can call Princess, book online or use a travel agent.  There is not an individual booking number for each guest, it is done by cabin but each passenger can get their own Captains Circle number (keeps track of loyalty points).  However you book you can register online to get your Captains Circle number.  

[pathi]

On Princess it is a Captains Circle number. You can book on the site, Or just call the main Princess Number. 1-800-774-6237. 3rd party Travel agents can give you extra's( On Board credit, Dinner in a specialty restaurant and other things.)

 

I frequently book with Princess. Then transfer to my travel agent later. Note there is a time limit on this now. 30 days I think. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

And Welcome to Princess. 🙂

Edited October 28, 2021 by pathi

[*Miss G*]

Thank you both!  That was very helpful.  I was able to find my Captain’s Circle number in my account.  

 

I did notice the extras from one of the travel agents and was wondering if Princess was able to match them but it sounds like that’s a no.  I know if I use a Personal Cruise Consultant at HAL that I receive offers for paid upgrades as we get closer to the sail date.  Does Princess offer the same service if I book direct?  I’ve booked with 3rd party TA’s in the past and never received an offer until I booked direct.

 

Thank you!

[Shelly97060]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

Thank you both!  That was very helpful.  I was able to find my Captain’s Circle number in my account.  

 

I did notice the extras from one of the travel agents and was wondering if Princess was able to match them but it sounds like that’s a no.  I know if I use a Personal Cruise Consultant at HAL that I receive offers for paid upgrades as we get closer to the sail date.  Does Princess offer the same service if I book direct?  I’ve booked with 3rd party TA’s in the past and never received an offer until I booked direct.

 

Thank you!

You can use a travel agent to book or you may book directly with Princess either via Princess.com or by calling Princess. If you book directly with Princess then you will receive any upgrade notices or upsell offers directly from Princess (typically by email).  If you use a TA or a Princess Vacation Planner the communication will go through your agent to you. If you would like a Princess Vacation Planner you can request one from Princess.  If you need a TA word of mouth is a great way to find a good one but you can also use the link on Princess that points you to agents in your area,

 

Watch your fares for price drops or better promotions offered by Princess. Princess is good about letting you ( or your agent) refare your booking (after final payment sales frequently are for new bookings so I find it harder after that). Always double check to see if deposits are refundable when booking so that you know what you potentially would lose if you changed promos,
 

Welcome to Princess!

Edited October 28, 2021 by Shelly97060
Typo

[*Miss G*]

Thank you so much, @Shelly97060!  Very helpful advice.

[memoak]

They are called PVP's on Princess (Princess Vacation Planners) we love ours.  I am sure you could call Princess and get one assigned to you

[mjmalino]

When you book your first cruise with Princess, whether it be through a TA, by calling Princess, or via the website, when you receive your confirmation your Captain's Circle Number will be listed where it says "Member Number"

[caribill]

9 hours ago, memoak said:

They are called PVP's on Princess (Princess Vacation Planners) we love ours.  I am sure you could call Princess and get one assigned to you

 

When you call Princess and select the book a new cruise option, you get a regular sales person.

 

If you want to use a PVP (who can give you more personal attention over a period of time), ask the regular sales person to transfer you to a PVP. Once you have a PVP, you can call or E-mail them them directly.

 

Please note that, just like travel agents, some PVPs are better than others. There are many posts on cruise criitic by people who have been more than happy with their PVP. There are also some posts saying their PVP was not very good.

[*Miss G*]

Thank you, everyone, for your very helpful insights. It is very much appreciated.