Major cruise line to cruisers: We're done giving you last-minute deals

19.10.2023 - 19:03 / thepointsguy.com / Terry Thornton

Looking for a last-minute deal on a Princess Cruises voyage? We have bad news: You're probably not going to find one.

In what it's calling a dramatic shift in its pricing strategy, the world's fifth-largest cruise line on Thursday said it would no longer offer last-minute discounts for cabins on unsold voyages.

The Los Angeles-based company said in a statement that for all 2024 and 2025 sailings, the current fares available for cabins are the lowest it will offer, and they will only rise over time.

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"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," Princess Chief Commercial Officer Terry Thornton said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

"Gone are the days of last-minute deep discounts close to departure dates," Thornton added, noting that "The best time to secure a spot on a 2024 or 2025 Princess cruise is right now."

As part of the announcement, Princess said it was introducing a Best Price Guarantee in which it would match any lower price that customers found for a cabin on its website after making a booking.

The line said the guarantee would apply to pricing for like-for-like cabins on the same sailing and in the same sailing category. In other words, if you book a particular type of balcony cabin for $1,000 and later see it on sale for $900, you'll get the $100 difference back.

Related: The 3 types of Princess Cruises ships, explained

The refund will take the form of an onboard credit or, in some cases, an upgrade to a higher category of cabin, according to the fine print for the offer posted on the Princess website.

One major caveat: In its announcement of the Best Price Guarantee, Princess didn't mention a time limit. However, the fine print for the offer notes the guarantee only applies to lower pricing found on its website within 72 hours of a passenger making an original booking.

The fine print also says the guarantee would only apply to bookings made through Oct. 31. Customers who want to take advantage of the Best Price Guarantee will have to fill out an online form.

In addition, the fine print says the Best Price Guarantee does not apply to negotiated fares with corporations, travel agencies, groups and associations.

Princess on Thursday also announced new lower pricing for third and fourth guests sharing a cabin. Factoring in the lower pricing, the line said a family of four staying in the same cabin could sail on a seven-night Caribbean cruise out of Galveston, Texas, for as little as $600 per person — or about $86 per person, per day.

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