Princess UNFAIR pricing

[BruceMuzz]

I have to say that I agree with the OP. I do think it is unfair that Princess offers a special "sale" price to only certain cruisers. If there is a sale price, I think it should be available to anyone that wants to book.

 

That said, I have booked cruises and then read on CC about others getting great deals on the cruise I paid more for. I have not cancelled. But, it makes me feel like I should wait to book until I receive special deals. If Princess targets sales to those who don't currently have any bookings, then I guess it is to my advantage to not have any bookings and not book in advance. I like to do that so I can choose the cabin I want, but maybe to save so much money I could go on another cruise, I should just not worry about which cabin I get. If everyone waited for sales and did not book in advance, Princess bookings would go way down. Maybe then Princess would offer sales to anyone who wished to book at the current sale price.

 

On any given flight, it is true that the passengers on board have all paid a large variety of prices. But when airlines have sales, the price is available to everyone. Yes it is true that the price of flights fluctuates a lot, but on any given day, anyone who logs onto an airline web site can book at the current price, whether it is higher or lower than last week.

 

This is definitely NOT true about airline prices. I am in the upper levels of several airline frequent flyer programs. I receive many special offers and deals that are available ONLY to those with a certain high number of miles flown. Is that fair?

 

I don't even bother to log onto some of the Airline websites. There is a special toll-free number I can call and everything is taken care of for me. Is that fair?

 

On two of the airlines I fly, I have so many miles already that I receive double miles for every flight I take. Is that fair?

 

On one of the airlines I fly, I have so many miles that I am guaranteed a free upgrade to First Class on any flight I book. Is that fair?

 

I also have homes in three different countries. But many of the special offers I receive are only valid for residents of certain countries. Is that fair?

[seb530]

Sorry but to be blunt I dont understand the OPs anger, you paid what you thought was a fair price and now you moan cos someone got a better deal. Princess can offer what they want to who they want IMO.

 

Sound like a spoiled kid.

[Minoushka]

My sister gets offers from Princess much more then me and I'm the one who cruises more ...perhaps to lure her back!!!!

.She got an offer for my cruise by mail .much cheaper then what I had lots of $$$ less I called my PVP and after checking with many supervisers got it too .I always deal with PVP ...they get the scoops and it is easier to deal with the companies directly

She also calls when she gets price reductions that are not public ..A TRUE GEM!!!!

Last cruise I booked a guarantee and my PVP with that company chose my cabin right away ...good choice I may add ...no waiting ...now he got me an aft balcony port side

 

Keep checking Keep asking

I got a drop of 1000$ for the cabin on GRAND last year!!!

 

I'm hoping for 1 more price drop before final payment ...So far Xmas and NEw years are being dropped considerably .I get mail every day which I passed on to my cousins who are looking for a holiday cruise ...my hubby wants me home for nEW YEARS!!!!..so I;m waiting for Jan ....

[cruisefreaks]

Recently while booking a cruise on the Star one of my friends Captian's Circle number brought up MUCH lower price than my number did ( I'm Elite, she's not). I called Princess and was able to book a total of 4 cabins (for friends and family) all with the lower rate.

 

I completely understand the posters frustration. It still ticks me off that the folks who rarely cruise are offered the best rates.............not much of a reward for loyalty..........

 

Donna

[Pia1913]

Recently while booking a cruise on the Star one of my friends Captian's Circle number brought up MUCH lower price than my number did ( I'm Elite, she's not). I called Princess and was able to book a total of 4 cabins (for friends and family) all with the lower rate.

 

I completely understand the posters frustration. It still ticks me off that the folks who rarely cruise are offered the best rates.............not much of a reward for loyalty..........

 

Donna

 

Which is why you need to be proactive with your bookings and also why I keep my reservations with Princess until just before final payment. My mouth works just as well as any TA; maybe better. :D

[DJASEA]

Easy decision -- either be happy with the GREAT deal you got on a BA balcony for 26 days, or let your feet do the talking and make your previous Princess cruise your last one...

[bhopal21]

Easy decision -- either be happy with the GREAT deal you got on a BA balcony for 26 days, or let your feet do the talking and make your previous Princess cruise your last one...

 

Exactly, and to the point. Those are the only choices I see as well.

 

Mike:)

[kilimaspitz]

Being in the UK we never, as far as I know, receive price drops or very many flyers offering heavily discounted prices:( However, I believe if you want something and are happy to pay the asking price at the time of sale then why complain if it becomes cheaper later? After all if the price was suddenly to go up you wouldn't expect to pay more for it once you've booked? I know it is annoying but if I get the holiday I want, at the time of year I want to go and I am happy to pay the price that means more to me then leaving it to the last minute and having to chance not getting where I want/what I want. I can understand the op being annoyed but I wouldn't let it spoil my holiday and I don't think it would put me off booking again with Princess. You might get a better deal with another cruise line but you might not get exactly the same cruise/service/experience.

[kestrel]

I completely understand the posters frustration. It still ticks me off that the folks who rarely cruise are offered the best rates.............not much of a reward for loyalty..........

 

Donna

 

This is exactly what I feel.

[mom2tcdx2]

I guess I never paid that much attention to the flyers I get from Princess. I never realized the pricing wasn't good for anyone that would call about it. I have a few times mentioned or given the flyer to someone else if they were possibly interested. I actually wonder how they monitor so well which customers receive which flyers?

 

Strange thing too I booked two cruises with them in 2006. I have received no flyers since the last cruise, however my ex boyfriend still receives flyers at my home address and he hasn't cruised since I last did.

However just a short time ago I booked a cruise for next Sept on the Emerald Princess. I now receive a flyer a couple times a week. Interesting how they didn't mail me any advertisements until after I booked something again??

 

So far however none of them have included the sailing I have booked. Just got one yesterday for deals on the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii cruises.

 

I can sort of see the OP's point of view, but it would seem to me they paid what originally was a ridiculously overpriced amount for their cabin. If an IS was going for $4000 when they booked and now the IS are $2700 seems like they should have waited. However if you look at the other point the cabin they are now in is possibly $800-1000 more than they paid for it, then I suppose you could say they did get a good deal.

[slotl]

this "targeted" stuff is creating some very ill will among those who aren't targeted, understandably. :(

 

i totally agree.

[DaisyRose]

Originally Posted by sunsetbeachgal

this "targeted" stuff is creating some very ill will among those who aren't targeted, understandably. :(

Yes, I really agree with this, too. I do think it is fine to reward loyalty, though, so if the best prices were being offered to elite, and next best to platinum, etc., I would agree with those price differences. That would encourage passengers who like Princess to keep booking, knowing that after they have gone up a level, they might get even better prices. There are so many cruise lines, and this leaves me feeling that if loyalty is not rewarded, but almost penalized by offering better prices to less frequent cruisers, then maybe I should spread all my future bookings around on lots of cruise lines. It would be fun to try lots of different lines, I'd have a sailing on many lines, and I could see who comes through with some good offers. I'm also thinking that maybe Princess counts on not too many people finding out about better deals that targeted customers are offered.

[Pia1913]

I guess I never paid that much attention to the flyers I get from Princess. I never realized the pricing wasn't good for anyone that would call about it. I have a few times mentioned or given the flyer to someone else if they were possibly interested. I actually wonder how they monitor so well which customers receive which flyers?

 

Strange thing too I booked two cruises with them in 2006. I have received no flyers since the last cruise, however my ex boyfriend still receives flyers at my home address and he hasn't cruised since I last did.

However just a short time ago I booked a cruise for next Sept on the Emerald Princess. I now receive a flyer a couple times a week. Interesting how they didn't mail me any advertisements until after I booked something again??

 

So far however none of them have included the sailing I have booked. Just got one yesterday for deals on the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii cruises.

 

I can sort of see the OP's point of view, but it would seem to me they paid what originally was a ridiculously overpriced amount for their cabin. If an IS was going for $4000 when they booked and now the IS are $2700 seems like they should have waited. However if you look at the other point the cabin they are now in is possibly $800-1000 more than they paid for it, then I suppose you could say they did get a good deal.

 

 

Off topic, but I just took your quiz. I am a Perfect Packer too.:D

[caribill]

We had booked a TA on the Ruby for 10/09 and received a call from our travel agent that there was a 2 for 1 promo mailing. She asked if we received it. We had not so she suggested I call Princess. I did so but had no luck. She took the bull by the horns and called Princess for me. No luck with the first call. She called again and the 2nd agent was able to offer the 2 for 1. Maybe she was lucky but persistance sometimes pays off.

 

 

Shows the value of a good Travel Agent.

[tibmi]

We have been on 3 previous Princess cruises and will be traveling on the Pacific Princess on the 18th Dec.

We booked in May 09 got a BC cabin, now in Australia as our UK friends have pointed out we had to pay

1. A none refundable deposit of AU$400 pp

 

2. the BC cabin will cost us AU$7,600 pp with no price reduction allowed

 

Even with the exchange rate it will be at least $2,500pp nore then the US Princess offers mentioned. We would love to be able to get this offer but we don't and nothing of significace is offered thru our Captian's Circle either.

The ports on offer was what attracted us other then that we are Celebrity cruisers as they do offer price reductions to us up until final payment.

 

SEL LA VIE

[Philip217]

We have been on 3 previous Princess cruises and will be traveling on the Pacific Princess on the 18th Dec.

We booked in May 09 got a BC cabin, now in Australia as our UK friends have pointed out we had to pay

1. A none refundable deposit of AU$400 pp

 

2. the BC cabin will cost us AU$7,600 pp with no price reduction allowed

 

Even with the exchange rate it will be at least $2,500pp nore then the US Princess offers mentioned. We would love to be able to get this offer but we don't and nothing of significace is offered thru our Captian's Circle either.

The ports on offer was what attracted us other then that we are Celebrity cruisers as they do offer price reductions to us up until final payment.

 

SEL LA VIE

 

SEL LA VIE = salt the life (or the life of salt)

 

What does that mean?

French is my first language, but I have never heard that term.

[Pearlbill]

SEL LA VIE = salt the life (or the life of salt)

 

What does that mean?

French is my first language, but I have never heard that term.

 

Hmmmm. C'est la vie??

 

Pearl

[tibmi]

Thank you for the correction Pearl. :)

 

And yes Philip 217 French is not my first language nor my 100th. Da kedo nihogo saberi ma su ;)

[pris993]

Suggest you watch Princess web site prices for repeat passengers. If they drop their price for you cabin, have your TA get the lower price. We found they honor the lower price up to final payment.

[Pearlbill]

Thank you for the correction Pearl. :)

 

And yes Philip 217 French is not my first language nor my 100th. Da kedo nihogo saberi ma su ;)

 

Je vous en prie. Okay, now I've probably used up about 90% of my French vocabulary. French isn't my first nor my 100th either! Neither is Japanese! Just thought I could help.

 

Pearl

[tibmi]

Je vous en prie. Okay, now I've probably used up about 90% of my French vocabulary. French isn't my first nor my 100th either! Neither is Japanese! Just thought I could help.

 

Pearl

 

I really meant the thank-you Pearl that's why the smile at the end, 2nd sentence was for Philip. I just wanted a response to the original message as I'm on the same cruise as slotl and was responding with my view.

 

wishing you no harm:)

[Pearlbill]

I didn't think you meant any harm. I really meant my French "You're welcome."

Happy cruising. Au revoir.....Sayanora.....Aloha....Whatever! LOL

 

Pearl

[grandmato4]

 

2. I am not "eligible" for the $2,400 price (even if I switched to an outside room and dropped my balcony room) because I am NOT the Member who received the flyer.

 

Well said, you not eligible for the $2,400 because you are not the member who recieved the flyer that Princess was targeting for that pomotion.

 

Tageted promotions are nothing unusual. Frustrating, yes, because we'd all love to take advantage of all discounts but unfortuantely we all don't always fall under the targeted category for every discount ever offered.

Maybe next time you will, and someone else won't. I prefer to look upon that as something to look forward to if and when it happens and not an entitlement just because I've cruised more than someone else.

 

I only book cruises with pricing that I'm happy with when I book and yes, I do look for price drops and call when I find one, and am happy to receive a bit lower price than I thought we were going to pay in the first place but never do I concern myself with what someone else is paying for their cruise and complain if I don't find the exact same pricing.

[on the sea addict]

I recently went on an Alaska cruise with 6 other friends and we were "choosen" to get a promotion and it was not offered to the other cruisers. We paid half of what we booked. My friends were told that it is a random offering.

 

Sorry. But it does happen. We are were on our 7th Princess cruise.

 

Happy Sailing, :D

 

A fact is, if you get a "flash promotion" and have yourself LISTED with other couples, they automatically get the same pricing. We sailed to Hawaii and received a flash promo and our friends received it and then in June we sailed Alaska and our friends got the promo and we were able to receive it. But you MUST be listed with them!

on the Sea Addict

[Stacey779]

A fact is, if you get a "flash promotion" and have yourself LISTED with other couples, they automatically get the same pricing. We sailed to Hawaii and received a flash promo and our friends received it and then in June we sailed Alaska and our friends got the promo and we were able to receive it. But you MUST be listed with them!

on the Sea Addict

 

this personally hasn't happened to me, but i just read on another thread that princess has recently halted this policy. it seems like it would make sense to offer the same deal if you're listed together, but for some reason they've stopped. perhaps this is just a temporary thing. :confused: