Booked a Star Princess Mini‑Suite for Under $1000
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and personal referral links. I may earn a small commission or bonus—at no extra cost to you—if you use my links. I only share tools and resources I personally use and love. Thank you for supporting No Point Left Behind.
Before I even set sail on my Canada cruise last week, I sent my agent friend a text that said:
“Star Princess in December?”
We both want to sail Princess’ newest ship, and thanks to a casino offer through Princess Casino, we knew there was a chance we could make it happen. What caught my eye first were the oceanview prices — they were so low my jaw actually dropped. But once we dug into all of our offers, we realized something even better:
👉 A mini‑suite was in our price range.
And that’s when the negotiations with our husbands began.
Ready to learn how I find deals like this? Check out my How I Book Cruises & Save guide — the exact step‑by‑step strategy I use to stack casino offers, credit card perks, and points to cruise for less.
⭐ The Husband Negotiations (aka: “It’s for research!”)
Our husbands know we love our girl trips. They also know we already have a Halloween cruise booked. So, asking for another cruise? In December? On a brand‑new ship?
We had to come prepared.
We pitched it as “research purposes” — which, honestly, is not even a stretch. I haven’t been to Roatán or Belize City since I started this blog, and I need updated content for my Cruise Port Guides.
But still… the timing, the price, the fact that we were already cruising — it felt like a long shot.
I had basically given up.
Until the day before the offer expired.
I was sitting on the deck of my Canada cruise when I got a text:
“Can you chat.”
And I knew that was going to be good news.
⭐ The Deal That Made It Happen
We ended up booking a mini‑suite on the Star Princess for the exact week we wanted… for less than $1,000 total for two people.
Yes. A brand‑new ship. A mini‑suite. Under $500 per person.
And the best part?
👉 We got on the Cabana Deck.
I saw this deck on the Sun Princess when I sailed the Mediterranean (Sun Princess Review), and I remember thinking, “This is the dream.” I never imagined we’d get it at this price.
⭐ The Itinerary (aka: The “Research Justification”)
Our sailing goes to:
Roatán
Belize City
Cozumel
All ports I haven’t visited since starting No Point Left Behind — which means fresh content for:
So yes… we had to book it.
For research.
Obviously.
⭐ How I Booked My Flights (Points + JetBlue + a Little Strategy)
You know I love stacking deals, so once the cruise was locked in, I went straight to point.me to find flights.
I ended up transferring Amex Membership Rewards to JetBlue and booking our flights that way.
A few notes:
JetBlue transfers at less than 1:1, which isn’t ideal
BUT they added more than one direct flight per day from Nashville
AND the flight times were dreamy
So even with the small transfer fee, it was worth it.
I used to fly JetBlue to FLL all the time pre‑COVID and always preferred it over Southwest. But when they dropped to one flight a day, I couldn’t risk it anymore. I’m thrilled to see they’ve added more direct options again.
Meet My Travel Agent (and Best Friend)
If you’ve followed me for a while, you already know my travel agent — and best friend — Mary Kennedy. She’s the one who helps me find the smartest cruise deals (including this Star Princess one!) and keeps me from missing deadlines when I’m juggling itineraries and blog drafts.
This isn’t sponsored — just genuine appreciation for someone who makes travel smoother for me and my readers. You can learn more about her story and why I trust her with all my bookings in Meet Mary, My Cruise Agent.
⭐ No Hotel Needed (The Best Kind of Savings)
My agent friend Mary lives in Fort Lauderdale, so I get to stay at her house before the cruise.
No hotel. No extra points. No extra cash.
Just a free pre‑cruise sleepover with one of my favorite people.
⭐ Final Price Breakdown
Here’s what this trip is costing me:
7‑night cruise on the brand‑new Star Princess
Mini‑suite on the Cabana Deck
Under $500 per person
Flights booked on points
No hotel needed
This is why I love casino offers. This is why I love points and miles. This is why I love Princess.
And this is why I always say: There is always a deal out there if you know where to look.
If you want to learn how I stack offers like this, start with my Beginner’s Guide to Points & Miles or my Princess Casino Offers Guide.
✍️ About the Author
Julie Davis is the creator of No Point Left Behind, where she helps travelers turn everyday points, perks, and casino offers into unforgettable adventures. A cruise lover and points strategist, Julie shares practical ways to stack Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Capital One miles, and Princess casino offers for maximum value.
Her parents — the blog’s unofficial mascots — are retirees who cruise more than they stay home, inspiring Julie’s Retiree Travel series. When she’s not writing about Caribbean ports or sipping iced coffee in an airport lounge, she’s building her next itinerary in Notion and finding new ways to make travel smarter, not harder.
Follow her adventures at NoPointLeftBehind.net and inside the Travel Hacking Moms Group on Facebook.
