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Direct booking with Princess



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 7th, 2010, 10:20 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
tathraman
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Posts: 22
Default Direct booking with Princess

Is there any difference in price making a future booking while on
board than making it through the website? I'm a platinum member.
  #2  
Old March 7th, 2010, 10:35 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Tom K
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Posts: 2,578
Default Direct booking with Princess

On 3/7/10 4:20 PM, tathraman wrote:
Is there any difference in price making a future booking while on
board than making it through the website? I'm a platinum member.


You almost always get a cabin credit with most lines if you do a future
booking on board. And you can still turn it over to your travel agent
once you get home.

--Tom
  #3  
Old March 7th, 2010, 10:47 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Joseph Coulter[_6_]
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Posts: 135
Default Direct booking with Princess

On Sun, 7 Mar 2010 13:20:13 -0800 (PST), tathraman
wrote:

Is there any difference in price making a future booking while on
board than making it through the website? I'm a platinum member.

If you book on board, you get a on borad credit, a lower deposit
requirement and yes indeed you TA at hoome gets the sale. It is the
best deal at sea by far.

(well, if you are platinum, you will soon be elite and get free
laundry to go with the "free" internet those are the perks that I love
the best)
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com
  #4  
Old March 8th, 2010, 11:39 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Seehorse Video
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Posts: 332
Default Direct booking with Princess


"Joseph Coulter" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Mar 2010 13:20:13 -0800 (PST), tathraman
wrote:

Is there any difference in price making a future booking while on
board than making it through the website? I'm a platinum member.

If you book on board, you get a on borad credit, a lower deposit
requirement and yes indeed you TA at hoome gets the sale. It is the
best deal at sea by far.

(well, if you are platinum, you will soon be elite and get free
laundry to go with the "free" internet those are the perks that I love
the best)
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com


Hi All,

Maybe I have just had good luck, but each time I have visited with the rep
on board about future cruises, they have been very knowledgeable. I get
ready answers to all questions and lots of smiles. It has been a good
experience.

Harry Cooper


  #5  
Old March 8th, 2010, 12:40 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
TEP
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Posts: 145
Default Direct booking with Princess



you will soon be elite and get free laundry to go with the "free" internet


While you do get free laundry and free bar setup by being an Elite, the free
unlimited Internet was replaced with a credit system a couple of years ago.
The Internet credit is $75 per person for a 7-day cruise. Assuming 2 people
in a stateroom, this allows for a comfortable amount of "free" Internet use
during the cruise.

  #6  
Old March 8th, 2010, 04:46 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Joseph Coulter[_6_]
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Posts: 135
Default Direct booking with Princess

On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 06:40:21 -0500, "TEP"
wrote:



you will soon be elite and get free laundry to go with the "free" internet


While you do get free laundry and free bar setup by being an Elite, the free
unlimited Internet was replaced with a credit system a couple of years ago.
The Internet credit is $75 per person for a 7-day cruise. Assuming 2 people
in a stateroom, this allows for a comfortable amount of "free" Internet use
during the cruise.

hence my use of italics around the word free. I use a laptop and find
that I can more than keep up with things by going on and off line with
my allotment. As a matter of fact I hardly ever need to dip into my
wife's minutes.
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com
  #7  
Old March 8th, 2010, 05:25 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Seehorse Video
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Posts: 332
Default Direct booking with Princess


"Joseph Coulter" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 06:40:21 -0500, "TEP"
wrote:



you will soon be elite and get free laundry to go with the "free"
internet


While you do get free laundry and free bar setup by being an Elite, the
free
unlimited Internet was replaced with a credit system a couple of years
ago.
The Internet credit is $75 per person for a 7-day cruise. Assuming 2
people
in a stateroom, this allows for a comfortable amount of "free" Internet
use
during the cruise.

hence my use of italics around the word free. I use a laptop and find
that I can more than keep up with things by going on and off line with
my allotment. As a matter of fact I hardly ever need to dip into my
wife's minutes.
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com


I'm curious. I'm at some level or other on several lines, but if I have
taken advantage of whatever perks, it was mostly accidental and in no case
an incentive to pick one line over another. Do many of you really look at
these perks as determining criteria for selecting a cruise? The companies
are trying to marry you to them, is it working? Do you consider it the same
as frequent flyer miles or as cash back credit cards? Are the cruise lines
wasting their money for things you would otherwise purchase or do you only
use them because they're free? As I said, I'm curious.


  #8  
Old March 8th, 2010, 05:36 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Charles[_1_]
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Posts: 3,112
Default Direct booking with Princess

In article , Seehorse
Video wrote:

Are the cruise lines wasting their money for things you would
otherwise purchase or do you only use them because they're free? As
I said, I'm curious.


I used to think not but I have found that if I get free internet time
and/or free laundry that does have an effect all other things being
comparable. The very best loyalty perks I get right now are on
Celebrity. That does make me desire to go on Celebrity. On Royal
Caribbean since they took away the use of the concierge lounges for
Diamonds I find myself only looking at the RCI ships that have Diamond
Lounges. I don't think they are wasting their money. The perks might
not be decisive for a purchase.... but they are influential.

--
Charles
  #9  
Old March 8th, 2010, 05:49 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
TEP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 145
Default Direct booking with Princess



hence my use of italics around the word free.


Sorry, I misinterpreted. I guess I assumed that if one already spent $$$ to
book a cruise, the "free" part was not really free.

  #10  
Old March 8th, 2010, 06:20 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
George Leppla
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Posts: 1,219
Default Direct booking with Princess

John Sisker wrote:

On our last cruise with Princess, I sailed as an Elite Member. Out of
curiosity, and for future reference to not only our clients, but
ourselves, we checked out this onboard service. In fact, we even stood
within ear-shot to see what the Princess Cruises Agent said and how they
handled other clients. First of all, this is indeed a wave (no pun
intended) of the future. Is this cutting, or intending to cut the travel
agent out of future sales? Of course it is. Cruise lines have been
narrowing down the involvement of agents for years. It's really only
just a matter of time. Yet, in this particular case, any booking made on
the ship can be transferred over to your agent - at least for now.


This is incorrect.

Any booking made onboard automatically defaults back the the travel
agent that booked the current cruise.... nothing has to be transferred.
AT THE TIME OF BOOKING, the customer can request that the booking be
assigned to another travel agent or left as an open booking with
Princess... with no travel agency on record. If that option is chosen,
the customer can assign the booking to any travel agent they wish as
long as it is done before the final payment date.

Again... On Princess (and the other major cruise lines) all onboard
bookings automatically default back to the agency of record. Here is
the official policy from Princess:

"When booking a confirmed future cruise onboard, the Onboard Sales
Manager (OBSM) will pull up the passengers existing booking and book the
passengers using the same method as their current booking (i.e. travel
agents or direct)."


A few years ago while on one of our group cruises on the Adventure of
the Seas, a number of people in our group booked a future group cruise
on the Celebrity Solstice. The onboard sales guy wasn't the sharpest
pencil in the box, especially when it came to booking Celebrity cruises,
but after talking with him and having him make MY reservation first and
then I accompanied other members of the group when they made their
reservations, he got into he spirit of the program and I believe booked
20 cabins that week.

(Note: While on a Royal Caribbean ship you can make a Celebrity
reservation and vice versa... but it has to be for a specific sailing.
It can not be an "open" booking where you just make a deposit and choose
the sailing and ship later)

One thing to consider when doing this..... most of the cruise lines have
instituted a "one bite of he apple" policy and some of the onboard
credits they offer for making these bookings are not combinable with
other promotional programs or rates.


--

George Leppla

Countryside Travel http://www.CruiseMaster.com
Blog http://cruisemaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CruiseMaster
 




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