Price drop on existing booking

[The cooks]

Our Princess cruise for December dropped $50 per person. The phone rep says the only way to get the lower price is to cancel and rebook with a $200 penalty.  Is there any other way to get the new lower price?

Edited May 6 by The cooks

[GK95]

As far as I know, the answer is no. We did it for a cruise this summer on the Sun Princess and also lost our non-refundable deposits, which was about $200. And our travel agent was on hold and then waiting for a callback from Princess for several hours. But the cost difference for our trip was significant, around $1,500, and got us a slightly upgraded room, so worth it. I wouldn’t waste the time doing it for $50.

Edited May 7 by GK95
Added info

[cr8tiv1]

Are you working with a TA?  I was able to get a re-fare without losing my OBC.  She is a skilled TA who knows which questions to ask and who to talk to.  She doesn't hang up until she sees that everything is in place.

 

December is a long way off.  You have not reached final payment time.  Did you put down a non-refundable deposit (mistake #1).  

 

Are you from the United States?  That can also play a factor in policy.

[Teechur]

Have you asked for onboard credit in that amount? That might be a reasonable compromise. You can use the money to pay gratuities.

[The cooks]

Thanks for your replies.  They are very helpful.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

depends on what you booked and your country.

I am in the US and our cruise price just dropped by $400 for the 3 of us. My CVP adjusted the price without rebooking anything. We have a fully refundable deposit.

[Wishing on a star]

Wow...   we must have chosen some popular cruises....  Ours have gone UP by hundreds of dollars pp since we booked!

 

It sounds like this cruise was booked with a non-refundable deposit???  

it only pays to re-book / re-fare if the savings are considerably more than the fees or loss of perks.

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Wow...   we must have chosen some popular cruises....  Ours have gone UP by hundreds of dollars pp since we booked!

 

It sounds like this cruise was booked with a non-refundable deposit???  

it only pays to re-book / re-fare if the savings are considerably more than the fees or loss of perks.

our little 5 day on the SUN P has gone up over $200 per person PER DAY since we booked - Ouch ... move over offer coming?

[Wishing on a star]

I don't know????   Could be???   We would be okay with that.   As the reality of this ship seems to have changed and is very different than our high expectation.   We have another deposit on a cruise that a move-over could become very enticing.

 

I am also thinking about gratuitous upgrades???  As maybe higher categories might have some availability???

We are not even coming up on final payment, and while the cruise is not showing anything 'sold out',  balconies and mini-suites seem to be GTY, if available at all.  Same with Ocean View.  A lot of Interior rooms available thouogh.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Wow...   we must have chosen some popular cruises....  Ours have gone UP by hundreds of dollars pp since we booked!

for us it was the 3rd and 4th passenger promotion that finally kicked in. That was what brought the fare down, not just a fare drop. 🙂 This is for 2025 cruise.

 

Our upcoming cruise has been sold out for a while - at least for 3-4 people cabins. 

Edited May 7 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Wishing on a star]

We do not travel with a third passenger...  Last time we traveled with our now adult son, we had an interior across the hall for him...

But, for those that do, these promos are really great!!!

Princess really wants to market to families now.

[Teechur]

At first glance, my cruises appear to have dropped in price but after completing mock bookings, it becomes clear that the prices for my chosen locations have actually increased.

The last-minute teaser fares offered are for the worst locations or for unassigned staterooms.

[Wishing on a star]

Yes,  we have noticed that.  The entry level 'teaser' beginning-at rates are only for a collection of entry level cabins in the basic categories.   And, may have to be GTY as well.   

Cheaper way to get on a ship.  But we are more picky about our cabin!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Princess really wants to market to families now.

it's about time. 🙂 We've sailed with Princess for years now. 

 

What I like about this deal is that it is not limited to kids. RCI limits the age to 12, and our kid has literally just turned 13 and no longer qualifies for their Kids Sail Free promo. Add to that their sky high prices and what do you get? Us looking into other lines.

 

Celebrity is running the same promotion as Princess (3rd and 4th free), so X has become more attractive and slightly more affordable than before.

We enjoy Princess very much, so when they offer deals like this, they would certainly get more of our business.