pawzz51 Posted June 16, 2011 #1 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I have an opportunity to take a last-minute cruise to Alaska and wanted to go on the Golden Princess. While attempting to make the reservation, I found that the ship is full and all they can offer me is a spot on their "waitlist". I would really appreciate some advice or an experienced opinion with this possibility. Specifically, what are the odds in getting it and how long does it usually take to hear whether you will get on or not. Thanks ahead of time for any info.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted June 16, 2011 #2 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Welcome to cruise critic. Your chances of clear ing the waitlist will mainly depend on two factors: 1. How soon will you sail? 2. Where on the waitlist are you? The problem for you is going to be airfare. I assume you will need to fly to the cruise. I would not buy air until I had a cabin. You may find that purchasing air at the last minute will wipe out the savings on the last minute cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuldalai Posted June 16, 2011 #3 Share Posted June 16, 2011 There are two (2) key windows of opportunity here : - The first is when the "crunch" date that all deposited passengers have to pay their balance of fare by arrives. Many pax get cold feet and do not proceed with the booking and as such this is the best opportunity for those on the waiting list to get an offer as usually a reasonable number of cabins are freed up . - Then the second opportunity where cabins become available is by cancellations by fully paid pax. This usually happens at 180, 70, 40 and 15 days prior to actual departure of the cruise. (The closer in to the date of departure the less money one gets back, and within 14 days if one cancels you usually do all your fare.) At each of these timelines a few cabins may become available for upgrade sells or for those on a waiting list . Within 2 weeks of departure your chances of getting on from a cancellation would be very low, but not unheard of . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawzz51 Posted June 16, 2011 Author #4 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Yes you are right...the airfare and arrangements is what makes me nervous about doing this. I am looking to get on the Golden for the mid-september cruise.Thanks for your input ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted June 16, 2011 #5 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Mid-September would mean that final payment is not due yet. It is usually due 75 days before sailing. That would mean about July 1 for your's. That increases your chances of clearing. There are often many who cancel rather than pay the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BosoxI Posted June 16, 2011 #6 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) I have had only one waitlist experience but it turned out well. We was waitlisted for a minisuite at a time when the price was quite low. Afterwards, however, the price rose precipitously. We were #11 on the list but I don't know whether that list was for the particular category or for all cabins. About 5 days prior to departure the call from Princess came, offering a minisuite cabin. To my surprise it was offered at the price when we waitlisted, not the current, much higher price. The representative agreed to let me have a few minutes to see if flights were available. They were and when I called to accept the deal, he told me I would be very pleased with the assignment. It turned out to be a AA or AB cabin. All in all a very pleasant experience. Contrast this with Celebrity where we waitlisted for a TA 2 years ago. They never informed me that a cabin was available until I called them to cancel the waitlist, as we had found a better Princess TA during the interim. Best thing that could have happened.. Edited June 16, 2011 by BosoxI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marym933 Posted June 16, 2011 #7 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Mid-September would mean that final payment is not due yet. It is usually due 75 days before sailing. That would mean about July 1 for your's. That increases your chances of clearing. There are often many who cancel rather than pay the rest. I am on the 9/10/11 Golden voyage. I booked through an on-line agency. My final payment is due June 20. I don't know if that is the "real" final payment date imposed by Princess or the agency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruisey Posted June 18, 2014 #8 Share Posted June 18, 2014 The unfortunate disadvantage of Wait Lists I have found out through personal experience is that price wise you are gouged. The cruise line know you are eager to get on that ship even if it has been newly released. i found out my checking on line TA's they have the original price on offer.:) Another notation is that the cruise line don't mention the ship is full they just say they don't have a cabin in that category to phone them.They have got you on the line.:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted June 18, 2014 #9 Share Posted June 18, 2014 The unfortunate disadvantage of Wait Lists I have found out through personal experience is that price wise you are gouged.The cruise line know you are eager to get on that ship even if it has been newly released. i found out my checking on line TA's they have the original price on offer.:) Another notation is that the cruise line don't mention the ship is full they just say they don't have a cabin in that category to phone them.They have got you on the line.:( More of reason to book before the ship sells out. Princess does in fact tell you the sailing is sold out when it says "this sailing is sold out" when you try any search. If the TA had your cruise which Princess showed as sold out, you should have booked it through the TA. ;) Its a business, they are in it to make $$$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruisey Posted June 18, 2014 #10 Share Posted June 18, 2014 More of reason to book before the ship sells out. Princess does in fact tell you the sailing is sold out when it says "this sailing is sold out" when you try any search. If the TA had your cruise which Princess showed as sold out, you should have booked it through the TA. ;) Its a business, they are in it to make $$$$. On the Canadian Princess Web site. "Pricing is currently not available for this date or the selected cabin type.Please try a different departure date or check back later.You may also call 1-800-774-6237 for further details" Does that mean what? How can I tell which is a good TA or bad to deposit my money with? Do they book in Canadian Dollars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreasier Posted June 18, 2014 #11 Share Posted June 18, 2014 If you are on the September 13 sailing, all categories except Oceanview are showing as available on the Princess site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted June 18, 2014 #12 Share Posted June 18, 2014 If you are on the September 13 sailing, all categories except Oceanview are showing as available on the Princess site. 50th Anniv, Pacific Princess Mexico cruise fall 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted June 18, 2014 #13 Share Posted June 18, 2014 On the Canadian Princess Web site."Pricing is currently not available for this date or the selected cabin type.Please try a different departure date or check back later.You may also call 1-800-774-6237 for further details" Does that mean what? Either all categories are sold out or Princess is busy updating the inventory on the ship. Like it says, call Princess for further details. How can I tell which is a good TA or bad to deposit my money with? Word of mouth with other passengers. Do they book in Canadian Dollars? See above in red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likeadisguise Posted June 18, 2014 #14 Share Posted June 18, 2014 The unfortunate disadvantage of Wait Lists I have found out through personal experience is that price wise you are gouged.The cruise line know you are eager to get on that ship even if it has been newly released. i found out my checking on line TA's they have the original price on offer.:) Another notation is that the cruise line don't mention the ship is full they just say they don't have a cabin in that category to phone them.They have got you on the line.:( When you clear the waitlist, you get whatever the current price for the cruise is. There's no special "even higher" price designated for people who have been waitlisted. This means that you can't lock in a promotion or special offer, but it's basically the luck of the draw what the price offered will be when and if your waitlisted booking clears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted June 18, 2014 #15 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Vicious cycle..... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058321 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruisey Posted June 18, 2014 #16 Share Posted June 18, 2014 When you clear the waitlist, you get whatever the current price for the cruise is. There's no special "even higher" price designated for people who have been waitlisted. This means that you can't lock in a promotion or special offer, but it's basically the luck of the draw what the price offered will be when and if your waitlisted booking clears. Stated that i was locked in to the price they gave me which was the price the on line TA's offer for an outside cabin. Anyway that's water under the bridge now I have cancelled .I don't like to play mind games. Honesty is always the best policy. This was pointed out to me very directly by a person have met on board on my other post.Persons are not going to normally cancel on special cruise on a small ship....not as much as 47 bookings anyway even 17 months out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdisney Posted June 18, 2014 #17 Share Posted June 18, 2014 We were wait listed for a triple balcony for our cruise that's coming up next month. For awhile it said that same message, "pricing is not available…etc." I kept checking daily to see if something opened up due to a cancellation. Something finally did, and my TA was able to book it and then cancel the wait list reservation. So you might keep your eyes on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreasier Posted June 18, 2014 #18 Share Posted June 18, 2014 (edited) Word of caution on waitlists - Princess does not always follow them. A South America cruise on the Grand last year sold out over a year in advance. Several people on the waitlist were not contacted before Princess posted cabins on the website. New people were able to get a cabin while people who had been on the waitlist for sometime were bypassed. It pays to check the website every day (or more). Edited June 18, 2014 by mreasier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare geoherb Posted June 18, 2014 #19 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Persons are not going to normally cancel on special cruise on a small ship....not as much as 47 bookings anyway even 17 months out.I doubt people will cancel except for unexpected events. Given the average age of passengers on the December 2015 cruise, I'd bet that many might end up canceling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruisey Posted June 18, 2014 #20 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I doubt people will cancel except for unexpected events. Given the average age of passengers on the December 2015 cruise, I'd bet that many might end up canceling. Spring chicken myself I am nearer 80:D There is life in this old gal never the less;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickEk Posted June 18, 2014 #21 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Word of caution on waitlists - Princess does not always follow them. A South America cruise on the Grand last year sold out over a year in advance. Several people on the waitlist were not contacted before Princess posted cabins on the website. New people were able to get a cabin while people who had been on the waitlist for sometime were bypassed. It pays to check the website every day (or more). You just have to make sure that you are waitlisted in every category. If you're waitlisted for, say, an MA mini-suite and an MD becomes available, they're not going to contact you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillslife Posted June 18, 2014 #22 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Strongly agree with checking the website yourself daily ( mreasier). I was waitlisted in all categories except suite for 2014 West Africa...never was I contacted. I checked the web daily saw a balcony showing available on the Princess website and booked it online.....so I don't place much merit In the wait list theory.....you need to look out for yourself if you really want to go;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amusea Posted June 20, 2014 #23 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Large agencies sometimes book blocks of rooms in order to get a lower group rate and if they do not sell them all they return the unsold ones, usually around the final payment date. So that is always a good time to keep your eyes open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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