If you don't ask, you don't get.

[Host Mike]

I noticed that Princess has published a lower web page price on a Mexican Riviera cruise that I had fully paid for and is now one month past final payment date.  I asked my cruise agent to look into this and surprise, surprise, she got Princess to refare it with the same cabin and a lower price.  This unexpected refund will be credited to my credit card.  Bottom line.  "If you don't ask, you don't get.

[NSWP]

Well done MIKE.  Does not happen here, we cannot book Princess with USA T/A's or Princess USA. Have to book with Princess Australia or Australian T/A. So the price advertised is what you pay.  No price reductions along the way, Princess Australia website has never heard of price drops. I use Cruise1st Australia.

[f-mattox]

Bottom line.  "If you don't ask, you don't get.
 

So true.  I usually book directly through Princess and I've learned to check the website price every few weeks.  This gets to be a bit of a nuisance, but nobody is going to do it for me; and it usually pays off.  On our Hawaiian cruise on Golden Princess last year the price on our mini-suite was reduced $500.00 pp for a short time, which resulted in a $1028.00 savings (the $28.00 because of the lower taxes) and all it took was a 2 minute call to 800-PRINCESS.  Several friends on the same cruise had their balcony cabins reduced by $400.00 pp.  It pays to check and it pays to ask  .

[f-mattox]

NSWP, you posted while I was writing and I missed it.  I've head what you say from others and I think that's OUTRAGEOUS! .  Surely they must realize that passengers in all markets talk together and compare notes.  In a free market a seller should be able to charge whatever he thinks the market will bear.  But for a commodity or service provided at a specified location, i.e. a cruise from point A to point B, everyone should have access to the same prices and discounts, regardless of his point of origin. 

Maybe someday it will be so.

[NSWP]

NSWP, you posted while I was writing and I missed it.  I've head what you say from others and I think that's OUTRAGEOUS! .  Surely they must realize that passengers in all markets talk together and compare notes.  In a free market a seller should be able to charge whatever he thinks the market will bear.  But for a commodity or service provided at a specified location, i.e. a cruise from point A to point B, everyone should have access to the same prices and discounts, regardless of his point of origin.  

Maybe someday it will be so.

Outrageous? Yes it is.  But true, Princess Australia will not budge from their prices which are brochure prices.
If you go over to sites like Vacations to Go, it lists the lines non Americans/Canadians cannot book through U.S. T/A's.   I have checked the prices of my upcoming Ruby/Coral cruises with VTG listings and their prices are probably around 20% less than what I am paying through an Aussie T/A.   This has been the policy for some years now.  Of course many Aussie Cruisers are outraged, but if we want to cruise overseas on the newer ships, we are forced to pay whatever price Princess puts on the ticket.

Due to Princess policy, I am starting to look at other lines I can book with non Aussie T/A's.

[TrishEd]

Maybe if enough of you complain and move to other lines they will get the message. No business or lower prices.

[Host Mike]

Princess knows that those with Princess insurance can cancel at any time, even after final payment, then they can rebook.  It's not likely that Princess will remind you about this option.  For arguments sake, when a merchant drops a price they don't have much of or any obligation to give refunds to someone who bought that item many months ago.  My late great T.A. use to watch for Princess price drops and automatically pass them on to me.  Those automatic days are over.

All of this said, on another Princess cruise I booked the web site price went up and Princess isn't raising my price and I'm not complaining.  

[nabs14]

Just talked with my TA this morning about checking prices on my future cruise.  He has been a family TA for about 20 years now.  He has a program which he runs about every two weeks checking for any price changes & just checked my next cruise to find out the price has gone up quite a bit since booked but I am safe.  Of course I was hoping it was down...  We talked about after this upcoming cruise of moving on to other cruise lines as some others are priced better & at the moment easier to get along with...

Elite Passenger...   

[f-mattox]

As TrishEd said, maybe if enough of this feedback finds its way to Princess, they'll sit up and take notice--especially when it comes from an Elite passenger.

[nabs14]

I have come to the conclusion since I am an Elite passenger with Princess, as high as one can go, I am seriously thinking of switching to other cruise lines who are less expensive & more accommodating to the passenger, especially for those single passengers...   

[Suzy Cruisy]

   I ask on everything in life!  But for sure on prices on cruises for me and my clients.

Nabs - I have tons of Aus clients.  Celebrity and Royal Caribbean play nice with USA agents booking AUS clients, but the prices differences are as huge either.

Suzy

[Host Mike]

Future Cruise Director Lindsay Ross currently on the Sapphire claimed that Veterans get no discounts off of fares, only on board credits.  She shut up when she was confronted by passengers telling her that Princess offered a Veteran's day discount fare for Veterans and cheaper Interline Veterans fares as well.  Lindsay also claimed that for Princess to return to Antarctica they would have to install new ship motors and that getting the same cabin on B2B cruises was only by "dumb luck."

[nabs14]

Suzy, I don't understand you message.  I am thinking you think I am Australian but I am not... I am American...   

[Fllady]

I noticed that Princess has published a lower web page price on a Mexican Riviera cruise that I had fully paid for and is now one month past final payment date.  I asked my cruise agent to look into this and surprise, surprise, she got Princess to refare it with the same cabin and a lower price.  This unexpected refund will be credited to my credit card.  Bottom line.  "If you don't ask, you don't get.

Just happened to me.  We booked after final payment, TA gave us the best price??? then we told our friends who called their TA and got a better price.  My DH said enough is enough, and wrote them a letter, and our TA also called them on it,
bottom line we got a rfund of difference in the price on our credit card.  So guess we have to get vocal to get it!

[NSWP]

  I ask on everything in life!  But for sure on prices on cruises for me and my clients.

Nabs - I have tons of Aus clients.  Celebrity and Royal Caribbean play nice with USA agents booking AUS clients, but the prices differences are as huge either.

Suzy

Suzy, how do you book your Aussie clients on Princess then? Give them a US address?   I heard Princess have refused boarding to Aussies who booked with US t/a's.  What say ye?