Just like you would any vacation, if you’re going on a cruise, you want to get the best price you can. There are traditionally been several ways to do this.
How you book:
- Look for discounts from AAA, AARP, Costco, military history, residency (i.e. “FL resident”), etc
- Book with a travel agent who’s aware of the current discounts
- Book with an online travel agent that specializes in cruises
Where and what you book:
- Sail off-peak, and shoulder season
- Go on a repositioning cruise (repositioning cruises are exactly the same as a repositioning flight; the cruise ship has been in Alaska all season but now has to go to, I dunno, Miami. So they offer a repositioning cruise to get the ship from Point A to Point B)
- Get a low-price guarantee cabin (they’re essentially like basic economy; you’re guaranteed a cabin but there are rules that go with it, usually like you won’t know your cabin number until last minute, you can make changes, can’t cancel, etc.)
When you book:
- Last-minute deals
For that last one, you can traditionally get some kick-butt deals if you get a last-minute cruise. I’m talking like “be here in the next week/2 weeks” sort of cruises. And it makes sense…if a ship still has some empty cabins, why not do whatever they can to fill them up? It takes a special kind of person who can drop everything and go on a cruise that quickly, and the cruise lines know it. So they make those prices VERY comfortable for those willing to go on a multi-day cruise, essentially on a whim.
Princess Cruises was one of those cruise lines that offered last-minute pricing, but the line, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, is going to try mixing things up a little. They’ve just announced they’re going to significantly alter their pricing strategy and this will ensure that early-birds, instead of last-minute sailors, will enjoy the best possible deals on its at-sea vacation products.
Voyages that set sail in 2024 and 2025 are now listed at extremely low prices, and once they’re gone, the rates per cabin will continually increase. Once again, similar to airline pricing.
“A Princess cruise vacation is the best value in travel, but with continuing increases in consumer demand our new pricing approach will always reward guests who lock in their Princess vacations well in advance,” said Terry Thorton, chief commercial officer, Princess Cruises. “Gone are the days of last-minute deep discounts close to departure dates. The best time to secure a spot on a 2024 or 2025 Princess cruise is right now.”
But wait, there’s more!
Princess is also initiating its ‘Best Price Guarantee’. They’re so positive their prices will be lowest that the company is promising to match any lower rate found for the same cruise and stateroom category. The Best Price Guarantee is valid for any booking on Princess Cruises’ official website within 72 hours of a reservation. If guests find a lower fare than their initial booking within that time frame (same sail dates, stateroom category, cruise fare type, and number of guests) the cruise line will match the price difference (the “match” may also be made via an upgrade to a higher category stateroom, an onboard credit valued at 110% of the price difference, or other potential offers).
But if you’re not yet sure of the departure date, Princess Promotions will also let you secure today’s pricing for a future vacation without locking in the specific dates or itinerary (for full terms, conditions and restrictions, visit https://www.princess.com/cruise-deals-promotions/).
On top of that, Princess has also lowered its pricing for 3rd and 4th guests sharing a stateroom. So if you’re a family of 4, or are 4 friends sailing together, there will be even more value.
Our take on this
Offering the lowest prices to the first people who make reservations is smart. You get to pay less for something you were going to buy anyway, and it gives the cruise line your money to play with for that much longer.
Plus, cruises have been selling out on a more consistent basis – since those “last minute” deals are harder to find, booking early guarantees you’ll get on the ship you want, when you want…and at a price you like better.
The only thing we will say is that “Best Price Guarantee” is a little silly. If they’re only guaranteeing prices that can be found on their own website, well duh, of course they’re going to make sure they never go below whatever their original “lowest rate” had been.
Feature Photo: Princess Cruises
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