Reasons for $1 Deposit

[cruzsnooze]

I made a booking with the $1 deposit this morning. My reason is to protect from loosing several hundred dollars should Princess "fail" to sail IE declare bankruptcy. I also heard the $1 deposit was to show their bookings are at pre pandemic levels. What's everyone elses thoughts about the $1 deposits?

[sonomaphil]

Princess has done $1 deposit specials for years, it's not new. 

[Musky Ike]

To get those on the fence to fall their direction.

[dog]

Booked 2 back up cruises incase Princess cancels ones I have FCC on

[jwattle]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

I made a booking with the $1 deposit this morning. My reason is to protect from loosing several hundred dollars should Princess "fail" to sail IE declare bankruptcy. I also heard the $1 deposit was to show their bookings are at pre pandemic levels. What's everyone elses thoughts about the $1 deposits?

Same as it's always been; this time of year, Princess has a few days of $1 deposits.

No sinister implication, no bankruptcy pending, no sky falling...

[AtlantaCruiser72]

IF Princess had their 2023/24 Fall/Winter Caribbean cruises available to book I would have booked a 10 day Southern Caribbean sailing.  They need forward bookings and are really missing out by continuing to delay opening deployments. 
 

Edited July 13, 2022 by AtlantaCruiser72

[deliver42]

I wish they would finally extend their booking dates.

[Buckeye10640]

Personally I do not like $1 booking offers because it encourages people to tie up cabins they have no intention of using for months which makes it harder for those of us who are actually trying to book a cabin and plan to sail.  I have read people say they booked a dozen cruises with $1 deposits then they will decide next year which 1 or 2 they actually want to take....

[Ombud]

I booked one rather than using up my last FCD but I was reassured that if I put a FCD on it later than I'll still get the OBC attached to it 

[JimmyVWine]

17 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Personally I do not like $1 booking offers because it encourages people to tie up cabins they have no intention of using for months which makes it harder for those of us who are actually trying to book a cabin and plan to sail.  I have read people say they booked a dozen cruises with $1 deposits then they will decide next year which 1 or 2 they actually want to take....

But this is exactly why they do it. When others research a cruise and see that it is 90% booked, they will bite at a non-sale fare, fearful that they will lose out if they don’t put down a deposit. Fear is the most effective motivator. When the people who reserved $1 cabins throw those cabins back, they will resell them. 

[pedirn]

14 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I booked one rather than using up my last FCD but I was reassured that if I put a FCD on it later than I'll still get the OBC attached to it 

We were told the same thing.

 

[johnnylikely]

It was a no brainer for me - from the UK we get penalised with loss of deposits etc

I was looking at Mexico in Jan for my big 4-0 so I used this £1 deposit, locked in $100 OBC from Princess and another $100 Shareholder credit. 

I've got until Oct to cancel and was looking at booking it anyways.

AMAZING! ;o)

[mvaldes140]

I just got off the Grand today and I asked the person in the loyalty office and she told me that next year’s sailings would be out by the end of September, which is later than some other people reported which sucks

[MissP22]

9 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Personally I do not like $1 booking offers because it encourages people to tie up cabins they have no intention of using for months which makes it harder for those of us who are actually trying to book a cabin and plan to sail.  I have read people say they booked a dozen cruises with $1 deposits then they will decide next year which 1 or 2 they actually want to take....

It now forces people like myself who actually want one of those cabin to have to continually check to see if they've been released once again. 😠 

We're doing a B2B and prefer not moving if at all possible. 

[Buckeye10640]

10 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

But this is exactly why they do it. When others research a cruise and see that it is 90% booked, they will bite at a non-sale fare, fearful that they will lose out if they don’t put down a deposit. Fear is the most effective motivator. When the people who reserved $1 cabins throw those cabins back, they will resell them. 

Understand the business reason, still dont like it.

[PescadoAmarillo]

It’s the only way people disillusioned with a post-pandemic Princess will even bother to book anything and by doing so, keep a (pinky finger tip) still in the pot. We’ve booked 43 days to and around Japan next winter for $4 total. We’ve never taken advantage of $1 deposit sales in the past as we’ve always had dozens of FCDS each but those days are no longer. 
 

As for actually sailing, if things are as they were in the past we would definitely be on that ship.  If we don’t sail, it will only be because we have read of no improvement in Princess’s treatment of passengers infected with COVID due primarily to lax protocols on board. No, we’re not tying up cabins on several ships just until we make a decision. We are tying up one cabin on a B2B cruise in the hopes that things change enough for us to feel comfortable on the Diamond Princess, the original COVID ship. 
 

And our first final payment is due October 15. It’s really not looking good right now. 

[dog]

If it is offered take advantage of it.

$100 pp FCD also tie up cabins.

 

princess cancelled, unexpectedly some of the cruises I had payment on over the last two years. I had flights & hotels etc arranged independently. I was responsible if there were cancellation penalties on those.
 

this time I have 2 cruises as back up—- I do intend on going on them because I have to use FCC by September 30/23.

 

if you really want a certain cabin then book it early.

[dreaminofcruisin]

There's a lot of people (like me) who normally have FCDs that have now all expired/been used since I haven't been on a Princess cruise since Covid. It did push me to book something next winter that I might have waited until after my August cruise to book, when I intend to again purchase some FCDs. 

[LACruiser88]

3 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

 If we don’t sail, it will only be because we have read of no improvement in Princess’s treatment of passengers infected with COVID due primarily to lax protocols on board

@PescadoAmarillo  I'm curious, what are you hoping that Princess changes as to their current COVID protocols?  As time goes by, it seems that the protocols are getting more lax???

[rabin1]

Personally I think they did the $1 deposits to show more potential revenue coming in. Yes I know they do it every year. I think it is stupid. Ties up cabins for those that aren't just booking to maybe cruise for those that really want to cruise. 

I am not sure but I think Princess has a big note coming due soon? Someone in the know please answer. OR they may need to borrow more money. More bookings more potential income and more to show on the books of money going to come in.

[PescadoAmarillo]

53 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

@PescadoAmarillo  I'm curious, what are you hoping that Princess changes as to their current COVID protocols?  As time goes by, it seems that the protocols are getting more lax???

It does seem that way, which makes me doubt we’ll be going on this cruise. I would like to see mask protocols reinstated on board, and then, for once, to see Princess enforce those protocols. I don’t know (and we won’t know before final payment) if the fact that the Diamond Princess is returning to Japan for the first time might make a difference in how strict they are on board, but, no, frankly, I don’t think things will improve. In fact, with the latest variant, I think they will deteriorate still further. It seems like most people cruising today are resigned to returning home with COVID which might be fine with the previous variant but this new one sounds a bit more harsh. 

[LACruiser88]

30 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

It does seem that way, which makes me doubt we’ll be going on this cruise. I would like to see mask protocols reinstated on board, and then, for once, to see Princess enforce those protocols. I don’t know (and we won’t know before final payment) if the fact that the Diamond Princess is returning to Japan for the first time might make a difference in how strict they are on board, but, no, frankly, I don’t think things will improve. In fact, with the latest variant, I think they will deteriorate still further. It seems like most people cruising today are resigned to returning home with COVID which might be fine with the previous variant but this new one sounds a bit more harsh. 

Thank you for your response.  I totally understand your concerns and agree that protocols are probably going to get weaker, if not be totally absent as time moves forward.  🙂

[maggie777]

53 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

It does seem that way, which makes me doubt we’ll be going on this cruise. I would like to see mask protocols reinstated on board, and then, for once, to see Princess enforce those protocols. I don’t know (and we won’t know before final payment) if the fact that the Diamond Princess is returning to Japan for the first time might make a difference in how strict they are on board, but, no, frankly, I don’t think things will improve. In fact, with the latest variant, I think they will deteriorate still further. It seems like most people cruising today are resigned to returning home with COVID which might be fine with the previous variant but this new one sounds a bit more harsh. 

Watching closely. Also on the Diamond to Japan.

[4x4bob]

IMHO most of those posting here are experienced with cruising.  The $1.00 deposit is like a fisherman putting a worm on a hook.  It will catch new people and bring them into the cruising family. 

Bob

[Mr_Steve_&_Me]

On 7/13/2022 at 9:39 PM, JimmyVWine said:

But this is exactly why they do it. When others research a cruise and see that it is 90% booked, they will bite at a non-sale fare, fearful that they will lose out if they don’t put down a deposit. Fear is the most effective motivator. When the people who reserved $1 cabins throw those cabins back, they will resell them. 

I’ll be watching for the Drop and Go sale when the $1 people drop out. I have been looking at Caribbean cruises this morning, and they are pretty full all winter!