Will Princess Adjust the Fare if Prices go Down?

[sloney]

Hello Cruisers,

 

I booked directly with Princess, far in advance, for the Christmas 2009 cruise on the Island Princess. If the fares go down before the final payment will Princess adjust the price I paid or will I have to cancel and rebook?

 

Susan

[CL-JW]

Hello Cruisers,

 

I booked directly with Princess, far in advance, for the Christmas 2009 cruise on the Island Princess. If the fares go down before the final payment will Princess adjust the price I paid or will I have to cancel and rebook?

 

Susan

 

Typically they will. We've had this happen several times and they readjusted. Just contact who you booked with (either TA or Princess) and ask for the price adjustment.:)

[ByeBye1]

I justed booked a cruise for DEC 2009 and asked that question and was told they will adjust the price. I booked directly with Princess.

[Ken076]

YES - they will willingly adjust your price downward, as long as it's before the final Payment Deadline. We have cruises booked via Princess and via TA, and there was no problem with either. When we called Princess for our price adjustment, the reduced fare fell into a lower Trip Insurance Premium "level" and the reservationist voluntarily pointed this out and voluntarily lowered our Princess Trip Insurance premium. I wasn't expecting this!!! ken

[califgary]

Just to concur a big YES - a few weeks back Princess was running a special on a certail room category (AA) which actuall was cheaper than what I had reserved in AB Category.

 

I got to upgrade to AA (just more in mid-ships same room type) and got about $600 off the price I originally reserved. The Princess folks did everything very cheerfully!

[skf]

Yes, they will give a price adjustment, but you must call & ask. After the deal is done you will get an email w/ your new prices.

Princess will not volunteer this refund...you have to call 1-800-princes.

Steve

[Toto2Kansas]

Delete

[califgary]

Definitly what SKF says - I check prices on a regular basis on all pending cruises - as soon as I can get the same room category for less, Im on the phone! If any cruiseline would call me and say "hey we dropped prices just wanted you to know!" I would have to be put 6 feet under.

[getoutthere15]

That's great to know. I just dumped RCI and were going to give Princess a try.

[mpocd]

We booked with Princess about two weeks ago. Yes, regarding comments on fare discounts.

 

But here is something interesting: we received a email from Princess last week saying we had been upgraded. At the bottom of the email was the notice that if we did NOT want to upgrade, we had to contact Princess within 48 hours of the email.

 

I wondered why they would do that - then someone said that allows Princess to keep from giving you a refund at that time IF you accept the upgrade. Not sure if this is correct - but I would probably accept the upgrade over the bucks (if any).

[skf]

Princess did not upgrade us, but cut the prices significantly for our 22-day Asia cruise. Instead of asking for a refund we upgraded ourselves from Inside to a Balcony on B-deck for the same price. You have all kinds of options.

Steve

[shellbeachjim]

I'm not shy and I can handle the answer either way, but every time I talk to Princess about my reservations I ask if there has been a price drop. Usually the answer is no :(, sometimes the price has gone up :eek:, but occasionally the price does goes down :). The customer service rep has always gladly adjusted the fare when it goes down. Of course, if it's after the final payment, then all bets are off.

[Ixy]

My husband and I do NOT like making phone calls, especially to deal with money issues, but we've both called Princess to get our price lowered and found the whole deal very straightforward and easy.

 

One of the reps actually searched their ship schedules for me to help find a cheaper sailing with the same itinerary as the one we originally booked. Everyone we talked to was very polite and helpful.

[Mattmax]

Sounds like I am the only one with a different experience. I decided to book through a local travel agent, in the interest of bolstering the local economy and all that....I had my cruise picked and all the details and the travel agent got the same price as what I had found. Soon after, I noticed a several hundred dollar drop in price. I went back to the TA and they called and got the price refund for me. A week later I noticed a huge drop, actually could have upgraded our regular balcony to a suite for less, and I called Princess. The guy was a little short with me and said since I had used a TA only they could make any changes involving money. I missed work (third time :mad: ) to go back to TA and she called Princess and was told they could not give me the upgrade because it was a "flash" promotion, and the other discount was a "flash" promotion. Only way to get new fare would be to cancel the old reservation, and start over. The penalty would be 50% of the fare.

 

So, personally, I will not be using a travel agent next time.

[dawcruiser]

Sounds like I am the only one with a different experience. I decided to book through a local travel agent, in the interest of bolstering the local economy and all that....I had my cruise picked and all the details and the travel agent got the same price as what I had found. Soon after, I noticed a several hundred dollar drop in price. I went back to the TA and they called and got the price refund for me. A week later I noticed a huge drop, actually could have upgraded our regular balcony to a suite for less, and I called Princess. The guy was a little short with me and said since I had used a TA only they could make any changes involving money. I missed work (third time :mad: ) to go back to TA and she called Princess and was told they could not give me the upgrade because it was a "flash" promotion, and the other discount was a "flash" promotion. Only way to get new fare would be to cancel the old reservation, and start over. The penalty would be 50% of the fare.

 

So, personally, I will not be using a travel agent next time.

 

Why?

 

I am presently book on the Sea Princess in an inside cat. I am in a cat "i" cabin I booked it through a TA for $999.00 Princess wanted $1,999 fo the same cat. It went down on the Princess website to $1,899 I can't get any refund but I still saved $900 per person booking through my TA.

 

 

TA can and normally do get lower fares than Princess can/will offer.

Don

[Toto2Kansas]

Sounds like I am the only one with a different experience. I decided to book through a local travel agent, in the interest of bolstering the local economy and all that....I had my cruise picked and all the details and the travel agent got the same price as what I had found. Soon after, I noticed a several hundred dollar drop in price. I went back to the TA and they called and got the price refund for me. A week later I noticed a huge drop, actually could have upgraded our regular balcony to a suite for less, and I called Princess. The guy was a little short with me and said since I had used a TA only they could make any changes involving money. I missed work (third time :mad: ) to go back to TA and she called Princess and was told they could not give me the upgrade because it was a "flash" promotion, and the other discount was a "flash" promotion. Only way to get new fare would be to cancel the old reservation, and start over. The penalty would be 50% of the fare.

 

So, personally, I will not be using a travel agent next time.

 

If you use a travel agent and they give you the same price you find on Princess for that cruise, you are using the wrong travel agent. IMHO Princess still allows discounting by travel agents and many discount the fare right from the start. We often can save up to $1000 by using a discount TA on Princess cruises.

 

But it is true, when booking through a TA you are hiring them to deal with Princess for you. Princess will not discuss your booking with you if you booked through a travel agent/agency. But for the savings we receive through a discount TA, fine with me, I don't need to deal with price drops usually as we were given a much lower price from the start from the TA. ;) But, if the price drops, a discount TA will also lower the price, as long as it isn't before final payment date. Princess rarely will run specials after final payment date that are available to everyone, they are (as you said) flash promotions for new bookings only and they sell them this way to sell available staterooms and fill the ship at the last minute.

[dusty1117]

I found the same cruise cheaper on another website. I sent proof to my TA and was upgraded immediately. So I saved $500. This was 2 weeks before I paid for the trip.

[caribill]

Only way to get new fare would be to cancel the old reservation, and start over. The penalty would be 50% of the fare.

 

 

If there was a 50% penalty (and you are in the USA), then this must have been after final payment date has passed. Would not matter if you booked with a travel agent or directly with Princess.

 

As another poster pointed out, the fare reductions you can get will be before final payment date, and there is no penalty for cancelling and rebooking before that date. (Although there would be no need to cancel and rebook before the final payment date.)

[NSWP]

You lucky people getting your cruise price lowered. For us Australians booking Princess, we generally pay brochure price and price trends are not passed onto us. For our upcoming Crown cruises, the price we bought at in October is what I had to pay on final payment last week. NOT RIGHT ! I think I have paid my auto tips to Princess already by paying brochure price!

[cruisecrasy]

Sorry dreaded double post..!

[cruisecrasy]

If you use a travel agent and they give you the same price you find on Princess for that cruise, you are using the wrong travel agent. IMHO Princess still allows discounting by travel agents and many discount the fare right from the start. We often can save up to $1000 by using a discount TA on Princess cruises.

 

But it is true, when booking through a TA you are hiring them to deal with Princess for you. Princess will not discuss your booking with you if you booked through a travel agent/agency. But for the savings we receive through a discount TA, fine with me, I don't need to deal with price drops usually as we were given a much lower price from the start from the TA. ;) But, if the price drops, a discount TA will also lower the price, as long as it isn't before final payment date. Princess rarely will run specials after final payment date that are available to everyone, they are (as you said) flash promotions for new bookings only and they sell them this way to sell available staterooms and fill the ship at the last minute.

 

I, as a Princess customer, wld be thoroughly annoyed if I paid X$ - then after final payment was told 'sorry' - because its after your final payment u have to pay more than someone who comes in at the last moment and pays less & don't even have to have to pay a deposit :(

 

Seems to me on RC they will honor price drops even after final payment.

 

IMO anyway Princess shld be held to the same standard - and wld be if more pax complained.

We only get what we settle for!!

[caribill]

I, as a Princess customer, wld be thoroughly annoyed if I paid X$ - then after final payment was told 'sorry' - because its after your final payment u have to pay more than someone who comes in at the last moment and pays less & don't even have to have to pay a deposit

 

 

And the stranger in the seat next to you on an airplane most likely paid a different amount than you did.

[cruisecrasy]

And the stranger in the seat next to you on an airplane most likely paid a different amount than you did.

 

This is not discussing airplane seats, it is about cruising issues & different cruiselines - u know comparing apples to apples not apples to oranges!

 

But that aside - if u wish to pay more than the 'last minute booking' folks - please - be my guest!

 

I, however, do not and I wld think a lot of other folks don't either...IMO anyway and especially when another cruiseline doesn't play 'fast & loose' this way!

 

Have happy cruisin'!

[Westaussie]

You lucky people getting your cruise price lowered. For us Australians booking Princess, we generally pay brochure price and price trends are not passed onto us. For our upcoming Crown cruises, the price we bought at in October is what I had to pay on final payment last week. NOT RIGHT ! I think I have paid my auto tips to Princess already by paying brochure price!

 

Same here, there was a price drop on our Royal Princess cruise for June and when I asked about it I was told that Princess could not rebook in Australia. Believe that is the same for UK and Canada yet we are all Princess' loyal passengers! On a positive side they did not increase our February Coral Princess fare when our dollar took a dive - some of the other cruise lines did.

 

Vera

[cruisecrasy]

Same here, there was a price drop on our Royal Princess cruise for June and when I asked about it I was told that Princess could not rebook in Australia. Believe that is the same for UK and Canada yet we are all Princess' loyal passengers! On a positive side they did not increase our February Coral Princess fare when our dollar took a dive - some of the other cruise lines did.

 

Vera

Curious why they can't rebook in Australia, UK or Canada?

 

Nice for u re: your Coral cruise in Feb. but then again Princess doesn't refund money if their $ dives in relation to ours either..

 

Noticed that RC offered some cruises at par for Canadians for awhile..

 

When I booked my Princess cruise for this fall, I paid a premium but has anyone seen any offers by Princess for 'at par' rates in the past 6 months?

 

Have happy cruisin'! :)