Travel agencies reserving blocks of cabins

[gecko12]

I've noticed that my cruise for 2012 is sold out for cabins that hold 4 on the cruise website. However on travel agency websites the majority are still available. So my question is if they go unsold when do the agencies turn them back in? I'm trying to keep an eye out for price reductions but if they don't have to turn them in until full payment is due, I won't be able to take advantage of price drops. There's still plenty of 2 person cabins available so the cruise line may still drop prices but in general I'm curious about agencies reserving blocks of rooms.

[paul929207]

Generally, a TA will keep an unsold cabins until final payment is due.

[smeyer418]

actually what happens varies by cruise line and how the cabins have been sold to the TA's.

Some of the group reserves are just that-just a reserve- and the TA can return any unsold rooms anytime prior to final payment(and sometimes after too). Some however have actually been purchased by the TA(or more likely a TA buying group) at a net fare and the risk of loss has been passed to the TA and the TA can't "return" them....

[gecko12]

Thanks Smeyer418 - that makes sense. I've seen the cabins available on multiple sites so it probably is a buying group.

[cruiseco]

actually what happens varies by cruise line and how the cabins have been sold to the TA's.

Some of the group reserves are just that-just a reserve- and the TA can return any unsold rooms anytime prior to final payment(and sometimes after too). Some however have actually been purchased by the TA(or more likely a TA buying group) at a net fare and the risk of loss has been passed to the TA and the TA can't "return" them....

 

And cruise lines always reserve the right to recall unsold group space at any time. So a TA generally can't get away with just sitting on space hoping that they'll sell them -- if the cruise line needs them they'll take back cabins in a heartbeat. They HATE losing a sale to another cruise line because they don't have the triple or quad-occupancy cabin the client needs because it's rotting away in some TA's unsold space.

 

Non-standard cabins can and usually do have different group hold policies. Usually a TA can reserve run-of-the-mill standard double occupancy cabins with a small token deposit. But quad or triple occupancy cabins and suites at some point usually need the full standard deposit and client names. These cabins can be scarce at times and the cruise line will be calling if they're turning away bookings when you've got unsold space just sitting there.