Need advise on booking Princess!

[Drafty]

 I would like to book two cabins on a Princess cruise, can I do this online or do I have to call them?

Once booked can I link the reservations together so I can make reservations, make payments and pay expenses 

on one booking page and one App. for both cabins.

  My wife, myself and my wife's brother are all in our late sixties and because of medications need to eat at 5:30pm

(early dining) but having no Princess status, I am concerned all the early times will be gone before we can book.

7:30pm (late dining) is too late and I would prefer to avoid the lines and scramble for anytime dining.

  Any advise?

  

[julia]

7 minutes ago, Drafty said:

 I would like to book two cabins on a Princess cruise, can I do this online or do I have to call them?

Once booked can I link the reservations together so I can make reservations, make payments and pay expenses 

on one booking page and one App. for both cabins.

  My wife, myself and my wife's brother are all in our late sixties and because of medications need to eat at 5:30pm

(early dining) but having no Princess status, I am concerned all the early times will be gone before we can book.

7:30pm (late dining) is too late and I would prefer to avoid the lines and scramble for anytime dining.

  Any advise?

  

Firstly, created an account on Princess dot com.

 

You can absolutely make two separate cruise bookings online.  If charging your BIL's cabin to him, have his credit card info ready to input (along with his personal data... DOB, etc).  And yes, you can link both reservations online.  Do not fret about early dining reservations, that will not be an issue on Princess.  You can reserve traditional dining ahead of the cruise and specify your preferred time. 

[skynight]

To book you can call them. My preference is to use a Travel Agent. TAs provide the booking service and usually provide some additional benefits such as some additional OBC. You can also book with a Personal Princess agent by requesting one when you call. I have never done this, but there are good reports. I would not just call and book with anyone. Be careful if you call Princess. They may try to sell you packages for future hotels and such.

You can link both bookings together on the same credit card and pay for everything. If you have a T.A. it's easy. I don't know about the app.

Starting tomorrow for cruises after September you will have 3 choices for dining. Fixed early or late dining, same table, same waiter. Anytime Dining, walk up. This may be tough for a small group. Dine each evening at whatever time you are able to reserve on the app. If you are sailing on the Sun Princess this process already exist. If you are booking full suites or a reserve class mini suites they have a special dining area. You just show up and you are promptly seated. 

 

[Wishing on a star]

You can just set up an account and book online, or request a Princess Vacation Planner to contact you.  Some vacation planners are better than others.  Luck of the draw.

We recently found a travel agent with one of the huge online travel agency networks that seems to be doing a good job for us.

 

If you go online, and act like you are booking,  even if you are just looking, you can click to show adjoining cabins.   Or, simply look for two cabins next to each other.  Assuming that you want to be traveling together, with rooms close together.

 

Yes, they can link your reservations, for the dining, and you can request, for example, a table for four, to seat all of you.

 

You asked about having this all linked, like one account.  Like, if you are paying and want to be able to handle the whole thing.  You could simply use your credit card to make the payments, etc.   You would just have to have the password for the account for each booking.  Passports will probably have to be uploaded, and that kind of thing.

 

You CAN put both of these under your and your wife's name.  You book a cabin for you and one of your fellow cruise guests. And set up an account for your wife and book the second cabin for her and the other cruise guests.

Of course, you and your wife will still be in one cabin, with them in the other.

Just ask the guest services desk to have your Medallions set to open the doors as you want.

 

The catch might be if one couple wants to book with PLUS or Premier Package, and the other does not.  These packages are to be booked for the first two guest in the cabin.  Not individually.

 

(edited to add: As the post below mentions, if it is just one person in the other cabin, they do charge for two guests, minimum, for each cabin booked.

 

If you are booking well in advance, then you should not have any problem choosing the Early Traditional Dining.   But, I do think that the early set dining time can usually fill up faster than the late.  Princess has just announced that they are going to a new dining where they offer Traditional (early or late),  reservations can be made for anytime you wish,  or just walk up.   (again, dining at the earliest hour should be no problem.  

 

As mentioned, this new system is going into effect tomorrow...  so this might give you a good opportunity to reserve exactly what you want.   However, everyone except those traveling on the new ships SUN, and I assume STAR, have been waiting for this new system to go into effect.  So the sooner you book the better.   (Assuming that you are hoping to book now)

 

If you have any other questions, cabin types or locations, dining options onboard, etc.  Just ask.  There are experts here who can help!

Edited Sunday at 08:50 PM by Wishing on a star

[candy4040]

I would also advise you do this through a Princess Vacation Planner or, a local TA, or you may want to try local big box store.  I've had good luck with the big box store and also a Princess vacation planner.  Are you and your wife in one cabin and your brother in another?  You may want to book a balcony cabin and an interior cabin.  You would be charged a solo supplement if only one in cabin.  Also there are balcony and mini suites where three of you could book and third passenger fee would be a lot less than booking for one solo.  Just a thought.  Also, if only 2 of you want the Princess Plus for drinks, etc. you could book the two who wanted the Plus package as the first two passengers and the one not a drinker as the third passenger.  Having an actual local travel adviser may be your best bet.  Our auto club also does reservations and gives great advice.

[JimmyVWine]

38 minutes ago, skynight said:

Be careful if you call Princess. They may try to sell you packages for future hotels and such.

I don’t think this is right. If a person calls the 800-PRINCESS number they are going to be connected with “real” Princess. The entity selling the promotional packages is a separate company. 

[Wishing on a star]

I also believe that this third party that is selling these future cruise and hotel packages contacts Princess accounts after the fact.  Calling Princess, or working with a Princess Vacation Planner, to book this first cruise, should be fine.

 

That is a good thing to mention though!  

[upwarduk]

1 hour ago, skynight said:

Starting tomorrow for cruises after September you will have 3 choices for dining

After September 15th. 
I know as we just miss the new dining experience, as we get off Sky Princess that day, so we are under the old system.