Waitlisted cruise

[sinophile]

I am waitlisted for a sold out cruise which leaves in about 7 days. What is the latest we could be informed of a cabin for the cruise? I am very keen to go on this cruise. Thanks for any help in advance.

[windsor26]

DO NOT jut wait Go onto the site every couple of hours when you can and see if they have got a cancellation back This could be yours if you get there first or otherwise it goes to the cancellation list and you may not be the one getting it

 

This was what was found on a cruise a few years ago when it was sold out a year before the cruise Good luck

[Pam in CA]

As said, check constantly. If you're waitlisted, do NOT wait for Princess to notify you. They probably won't. This is where a high volume Princess TA can really help. If you booked directly with Princess, you take responsibility for knowing all the ins and outs and have to look out for yourself.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Pam in CA

[cvpends]

When I called and asked this question, Princess said it could be as late as the morning of the sailing.

They said to have my bags packed and to call back often.

 

 

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[sinophile]

As said, check constantly. If you're waitlisted, do NOT wait for Princess to notify you. They probably won't. This is where a high volume Princess TA can really help. If you booked directly with Princess, you take responsibility for knowing all the ins and outs and have to look out for yourself.

We want to use a FCC which my daughter was given when her previous cruise had half the ports cancelled. One of the conditions of using the FCC is that we must book through Princess.

[sinophile]

When I called and asked this question, Princess said it could be as late as the morning of the sailing.

They said to have my bags packed and to call back often.

This is what I suspected.

We only live 3 suburbs away from the port. I also wondered what would happen if we turned up on the departure day with our bags packed and a credit card in hand.

[cvpends]

As long as you are on the wait list, they already know about you. There are always a few who don't make a cruise, so it could be worth your while. But meanwhile, keep calling. Good luck!

 

 

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[Aus Traveller]

This is what I suspected.

We only live 3 suburbs away from the port. I also wondered what would happen if we turned up on the departure day with our bags packed and a credit card in hand.

I do not think you could take advantage of a "no show". The cruiseline has to submit a full passenger manifest a certain time (I think it is one hour) before sailing.

[icat2000]

Which cruise is it?

[sinophile]

Which cruise is it?

The 4 day out of Fremantle.

[likeadisguise]

Wait listed bookings auto cancel right after midnight (California time) the day of the cruise.

[Colo Cruiser]

I am waitlisted for a sold out cruise which leaves in about 7 days. What is the latest we could be informed of a cabin for the cruise? I am very keen to go on this cruise. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

 

We have waitlisted several times. The latest we have received a cabin was 24 hours prior. Yield Mgmt has to close/finalize the cruise/passenger lists at least 24 hours prior.

[cruzsnooze]

As said, check constantly. If you're waitlisted, do NOT wait for Princess to notify you. They probably won't. This is where a high volume Princess TA can really help. If you booked directly with Princess, you take responsibility for knowing all the ins and outs and have to look out for yourself.

 

The problem using a TA in this situation is their availability. They only work 9-5 and not usually on week ends so looking out for oneself might work better. Having the ability to call Princess themselves / directly would up the chances of getting a cabin that becomes available on a Sunday (as an example).

[Coral]

The problem using a TA in this situation is their availability. They only work 9-5 and not usually on week ends so looking out for oneself might work better. Having the ability to call Princess themselves / directly would up the chances of getting a cabin that becomes available on a Sunday (as an example).

 

I have several friends who are TAs and none of them work 9-5. Most of them work longer hours compared to Princess corporate. And yes, they work on weekends also.

 

Travel agents today are much different than 20-30 years ago when they were all brick and mortar.

 

And a TA works for you. So they have your best interest in mind. An order taker at Princess direct will just answer the phone and check but won't constantly check for you.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Coral

[MCC retired]

The problem using a TA in this situation is their availability. They only work 9-5 and not usually on week ends so looking out for oneself might work better. Having the ability to call Princess themselves / directly would up the chances of getting a cabin that becomes available on a Sunday (as an example).

 

 

Where does this stuff come from ?

 

Wow , you are not talking about today's TA .

In reality , many work from home , available for insane hours and have qualified coverage from fellow TA's when away .

Always interview your TA before ever booking .

Personal cruise experience , product knowledge , fee's .

[Shelly97060]

I have several friends who are TAs and none of them work 9-5. Most of them work longer hours compared to Princess corporate. And yes, they work on weekends also.

 

Travel agents today are much different than 20-30 years ago when they were all brick and mortar.

 

And a TA works for you. So they have your best interest in mind. An order taker at Princess direct will just answer the phone and check but won't constantly check for you.

 

Completely agree!

[icat2000]

I have several friends who are TAs and none of them work 9-5. Most of them work longer hours compared to Princess corporate. And yes, they work on weekends also.

 

Travel agents today are much different than 20-30 years ago when they were all brick and mortar.

 

And a TA works for you. So they have your best interest in mind. An order taker at Princess direct will just answer the phone and check but won't constantly check for you.

Your talking about Australia here. I would say to the OP if you haven't heard anything by 48 hours prior its unlikely that you clear the waitlist.

[cruzsnooze]

Where does this stuff come from ?

 

Wow , you are not talking about today's TA .

In reality , many work from home , available for insane hours and have qualified coverage from fellow TA's when away .

Always interview your TA before ever booking .

Personal cruise experience , product knowledge , fee's .

Personal experience. Many people are using online agencies who do your booking and give some OBC and you never hear from them. I stand by my assessment, YMMV.

Edited December 27, 2015 by cruzsnooze

[Coral]

Personal experience. Many people are using online agencies who do your booking and give some OBC and you never hear from them. I stand by my assessment, YMMV.

 

We are not talking about online agencies. We are talking about real travel agents. They exist and are very good!

[cruzsnooze]

We are not talking about online agencies. We are talking about real travel agents. They exist and are very good!

 

Are must be a travel agent, It shows.

[Coral]

Are must be a travel agent, It shows.

 

I am not. Just benefited by having a good one!

[Colo Cruiser]

Are must be a travel agent, It shows.

 

 

You are?

[moki'smommy]

I use an excellent agency that has a real bricks and mortar office. They do a ton of business via e-mail/on line, but they also work over the phone and in person. They have someone in the office till 9pm EST as well as limited hours on Sat. and Sun. With one exception, their agents all have at least 15 years of experience.

 

When the agency (not the TA I normally use) got the e-mail that the 11/29 Caribbean Princess cruise was delayed, the agent on duty forwarded it to me (as if I didn't already have it) and called the cell number in the file to see if there was anything she could do. When I mentioned that there was no food available at the terminal, she sent an e-mail listing several nearby places that delivered. It didn't help since the police were stopping all traffic, but the thought was there. They followed up with a call the next morning, again checking on our status and asking if we needed anything from their end.

 

Obviously there was nothing that an agent could do at that point, but the support was great.

[sinophile]

An update.

 

I couldn’t get through to Princess for many days previous to today due to public holidays. I finally got through to Princess this morning to change one of the names on my booking, as my husband can now not travel on those dates. And my daughter is keen as she has a FCC from a disappointing cruise last month. The operator informed me that it was too late to change any names as the cruise line has be informed at least 15 days ahead.

 

I asked could I cancel my booking and reapply with my name and my daughter’s name. She said yes, but I would need to pay another $200 deposit and would be refunded the original deposit in 10 – 15 days. And I would go to the bottom of the list. I didn’t see that I had many options so I said that I thought it might be best to cancel the booking, I asked if she could check with a supervisor and she came back with no there is no other option but cancelling. She started the process and while she was doing it, my daughter came home and reminded me that when I booked, I wasn’t sure whether my husband would be free, so I discussed with the booking officer that it may be my sister or my daughter who would accompany me. Today’s operator said she would try to change the 2nd guest name, but no it was too late; my booking was cancelled. So that’s it, I thought.

 

I was quite unhappy with the result of the discussion, so after a short break, I rang back. This time the operator couldn’t do enough for me. He reinstated my booking, changed the 2nd guest name to my daughter’s name, and transferred the deposit to the new booking. He also took note of our dietary requirements and informed me that we were 6th on the cancellation list but as we were waitlisted for a balcony cabin, this may give us an advantage over the passengers higher up the list. We would be notified by email, but we should ring every day to make sure any email hadn’t gone astray. He also informed me that as we live so close to the port, we could even get a phone call on the day of the cruise.

 

So now, I am very happy and if our name doesn’t come up, we have at least given it a good try.

[caribill]

I am waitlisted for a sold out cruise which leaves in about 7 days. What is the latest we could be informed of a cabin for the cruise? I am very keen to go on this cruise. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

When asking a question like this, it helps to say where you are on the waitlist.

 

If you are number 1 or 2, the chances are much better than if you are number 10. If you are number 50, the chances are nil.