Book, wait and cancel

[robgvic]

thanks toto, i'll try that. One question: What would be the downside of "waiting too long in case the ship fills up"?. I would have the two cabins and would move one passenger and one deposit over to the cabin with the best price just before final payment.

 

Robgvic:

 

The only thing wrong with booking the bc guarantee (we like to book specific cabins) is with 50 bb cabins and 10 ba cabins my odds would be to get a bb (if i got an upgrade) and not getting our ba cabin.

 

Snowbird

 

but if you are really upset because you cant go don't be so picky.

Also i am sure there are people who book a regular cruise without a cruise credit who cancel also. Anyone who books can cancell up to final payment with no penalty

[long cruiser]

My TA told me that for every final booking on a particular cruise at least the people cancel.I'm happy i only have to book one cabin-mine.

long cruiser

[ONT-CA]

So you think that Princess, who has spent years micro-managing

their yield management reads a post on cruise critic,

and suddenly decides to manually change inventory?

 

Heavens no! I am beginning to think that those that has two, three, four bookings to decide things like which side of the ship to sail upon, to decide whether or not Uncle Fred was going to make it, your name it, all saw them selves and began to release some of the phantom bookings that were never to be fulfilled and perhaps that brought about this ease.

[ONT-CA]

...As for ONT-CA, I'm sorry you can't get the booking you want right now and I'm sorry you can not be a little more persistent and patient to get the booking you want. It is first come, first served.:)

 

Please understand, we do not want to change the system for everyone, only those that persistently book and cancel. Princess knows who they are. We have had over 25 cruises and never cancelled one. As to the question of patience, I know that those who booked for whatever reason knowing full well that they will eventually cancel will, as a result, open up the booking for those passengers dedicated to the cruise. It is just a shame we cannot book flights, land transportation, hotels and the like until they decide to withdraw their phantom booking. But as we say, there is a relaxation of availability months before the final payment, which in my humble opinion may and hopefully be the result of this discussion.

[Me2]

Please understand, we do not want to change the system for everyone, only those that persistently book and cancel. Princess knows who they are. ..., I know that those who booked ...knowing full well that they will eventually cancel ... until they decide to withdraw their phantom booking..

 

Hi, you seem convinced that many people book on purpose knowing full well they will cancel, and that Princess knows their identity. How do you come to this conclusion? Has someone at Princess told you this?

 

On a positive note, I hope for your sake you decide to book both segments and ask to be notified when other accomodations open up for you on the 2nd leg, as I do understand your logistics problem. Other posters had good points on people booking early to get discounted rates which mean many book as soon as a cruise is listed - a year or so before sailing. Booking in July for a cruise 4 months away doesn't provide much inventory for you to chose from. And again, if the 2nd leg covers Thanksgiving holiday period, that could be another reason it is already fully booked. Just a thought

 

Good luck!

[ONT-CA]

... Booking in July for a cruise 4 months away doesn't provide much inventory for you to chose from. And again, if the 2nd leg covers Thanksgiving holiday period, that could be another reason it is already fully booked. Just a thought Good luck!

 

First and foremost thank you for your good wishes. The cruise in question was nine months hence when we commenced this. But it is not this specific cruise that is the point of our discussion. As you have probably read, accommodation aboard ships have turnover 3-4 times before sailing. Some have indicated that it may be as high as 6 times. Perhaps it can be best said that once the reality of an impossible booking takes hold, no matter how sincere the intent, and that to all extent and appearances the trip will not come about, cancelling the booking then rather than hours before final payment can be a blessing to others.

[happytalk44]

A travel excommunication by Bell, Book and Candle would seem appropriate to those who Book, Wait and Cancel cruises with Princess. As referred to in another thread, we are unable to book two specific cruises, one in November of this year and the other in February of 2012. We can go on a waiting list but these bookings require a lot of preparation of pre and post travel and accommodation that would be lost if we do not get aboard. But the sore point is that in one particular 30 day cruise that we desire, we can book the first 14-day part but not the second 16-day part. Why? The latter half is all booked up. So not only are these phantom bookings, as yet to be cancelled while holding up real bookings on that latter half they are preventing those who want to book the entire cruise of 30 days. Princess needs to look at it’s booking system to dissuade those who book, and pardon our example, in the hopes that Uncle Fred will pass on and leave us the money to actually go on this cruise. Princess must realize that the system is being abused and definitely at their expense as far as we are concerned. There should be some form of penalty for holding a booking or in some cases many bookings without the real intent to finalize the transaction.

Tell me about it! I have followed this thread and kept my mouth shut as folks just seem to jump all over us folks who might have an issue with things. I have the same problem as I could NOT book in June for a cruise in Jan 2013!!!! Same story. It has nothing to do with waiting until the cruise is 4 months out. That is 19 months!!! People are holding cabins.

[Astro Flyer]

Tell me about it! I have followed this thread and kept my mouth shut as folks just seem to jump all over us folks who might have an issue with things. I have the same problem as I could NOT book in June for a cruise in Jan 2013!!!! Same story. It has nothing to do with waiting until the cruise is 4 months out. That is 19 months!!! People are holding cabins.

As I posted earlier, we couldn't get a cabin in the location we wanted as soon as they were released in March for a November/December 2012 cruise. It was sold as a 32 day or a 12 & a 20 day cruise but not one cabin in our desired location 21 months in advance for the full 32 days. They were readily available to book the 2 segments & our TA said it was because of group bookings and/or cruise line yield management policies. They were readily availble as 2 cruises but not as one cruise with a 10% discount but fortunately our TA got Princess book one for us...21 months in advance! :eek:

 

So these situations are not always created by situations being discussed in this thread...at least in our situation trying to book 21 months in advance it was more likely due to yield management & group bookings. :(

[caribill]

It was sold as a 32 day or a 12 & a 20 day cruise but not one cabin in our desired location 21 months in advance for the full 32 days.

 

Obviously people who book this as a single 32 day cruise want to be in the same cabin for both segments, so Princess sets aside a number of cabins just for that purpose. The rest are sold only for the individual segments.

 

A travel agent who just uses the Princess computer to book would find that restriction. A good travel agent, which you seem to have, will call Princess and arrange for the cabin location you want to be available for you as a single 32 day cruise. So congrats on having a good TA.

[chamima]

As I posted earlier, we couldn't get a cabin in the location we wanted as soon as they were released in March for a November/December 2012 cruise. It was sold as a 32 day or a 12 & a 20 day cruise but not one cabin in our desired location 21 months in advance for the full 32 days. They were readily available to book the 2 segments & our TA said it was because of group bookings and/or cruise line yield management policies. They were readily availble as 2 cruises but not as one cruise with a 10% discount but fortunately our TA got Princess book one for us...21 months in advance! :eek:

 

So these situations are not always created by situations being discussed in this thread...at least in our situation trying to book 21 months in advance it was more likely due to yield management & group bookings. :(

 

 

I had the same problem but it was the opposite. You could book as a 16 and an 11 or a 37 and we wanted to book as two segments (OBCs , etc.) but the cabin we wanted was only available if you booked the full 37 days as one cruise. I booked with Princess and so had no TA to go to bat for me. (I'll switch it to a TA when it get closer so no advice there, please)

The Princess rep said they often hold cabins for specific segments and for once I think she knew what she was talking about because I've noticed that before.

[Sea and Me]

When is the time frame when these particular agencies have to give those block of rooms up?? I think it is after final payment. So if you book a particular cabin and really would like one that the "groups" have your really out of luck. Is that the way I'm seeing it?? When you do go to the Princess site they show 6 cabins to choose from surely they have more "stashed" somewhere!!

Carol

[Coral]

When is the time frame when these particular agencies have to give those block of rooms up?? I think it is after final payment. So if you book a particular cabin and really would like one that the "groups" have your really out of luck. Is that the way I'm seeing it?? When you do go to the Princess site they show 6 cabins to choose from surely they have more "stashed" somewhere!!

Carol

 

Princess always shows us "the best located 6 cabins" when you go to look. Best located is defined by Princess as usually most central location.

 

Most TAs give up their group space at final payments but if a cruise is selling out, the cruise line usually notifies the TA that they are reclaiming the group space in so many days such as within a week.

[chamima]

I had the same problem but it was the opposite. You could book as a 16 and an 11 or a 37 and we wanted to book as two segments (OBCs , etc.) but the cabin we wanted was only available if you booked the full 37 days as one cruise. I booked with Princess and so had no TA to go to bat for me. (I'll switch it to a TA when it get closer so no advice there, please)

The Princess rep said they often hold cabins for specific segments and for once I think she knew what she was talking about because I've noticed that before.

 

I should never post before I have at least two cups of coffee.

16 plus 11 is 27, not 37. :o

[Astro Flyer]

Obviously people who book this as a single 32 day cruise want to be in the same cabin for both segments, so Princess sets aside a number of cabins just for that purpose.

Thanks for your insights...very true however in our situation wanting to book all 32 days, Princess only set aside the fore/aft cabins which for my mal de mer prone wife isn't desireable...not one midship was available when the cruise was released for booking. I can appreciate their reasoning but not for every cabin immediately when they are released for booking. My TA is a high producing Princess agency so receives all of those benefits but IMHO she shouldn't have needed to go through the extra work to get us our cabin.

 

I had the same problem but it was the opposite. You could book as a 16 and an 11 or a 37 and we wanted to book as two segments (OBCs , etc.) but the cabin we wanted was only available if you booked the full 37 days as one cruise. I booked with Princess and so had no TA to go to bat for me. (I'll switch it to a TA when it get closer so no advice there, please)

The Princess rep said they often hold cabins for specific segments and for once I think she knew what she was talking about because I've noticed that before.

It proves that yield managment varies & even in similar situations as yours & mine wanting a good cabin for the longer cruise it can be the opposite experience. :rolleyes: There are a lot of variables that go into their decisions however I don't always have to agree with them. :p

[Me2]

First and foremost thank you for your good wishes. The cruise in question was nine months hence when we commenced this. .

 

Hi, Ont-Ca,

 

Thanks for correcting my post - I'd assumed this was a recent booking attempt.

 

This has been an interesting thread. I'm learning more and more about b2b cruises vs. 2 single bookings, and yield control.

 

Please keep us advised. I really do hope it turns out well for you,

[PotatoBug]

The Princess rep said they often hold cabins for specific segments and for once I think she knew what she was talking about because I've noticed that before.

 

I ran into the same sort of problem with a FLL-Vancouver relo. There are several cabins that I would be happy with but none of them are available for the full 18 days, but they're all available for the two legs (15 and 3). A TA told me it's a limitation in the booking software which is just plain stupid.

[Astro Flyer]

I ran into the same sort of problem with a FLL-Vancouver relo. There are several cabins that I would be happy with but none of them are available for the full 18 days, but they're all available for the two legs (15 and 3). A TA told me it's a limitation in the booking software which is just plain stupid.

And someone had to put that limitation into the program so it's probably more of a human generated issue. Although I am totally illiterate when it comes to computer programming & software development, I would guess there are ways to make software do whatever the programmer, or company wants the software to do for them.

 

At least Princess still allows the human intervention of a TA to overcome the limits in place by a yield management program. :)

[PotatoBug]

Basically, a cabin can either be on the list of cabins for the "full" cruise, or on the lists for the different legs. Otherwise if it were booked for one of the legs then the software wouldn't know it was no longer available for the full cruise. And, like I said, that's just stupid. It's so easy to fix that it's almost inconceivable that it works that way.

[Astro Flyer]

Basically, a cabin can either be on the list of cabins for the "full" cruise, or on the lists for the different legs. Otherwise if it were booked for one of the legs then the software wouldn't know it was no longer available for the full cruise. And, like I said, that's just stupid. It's so easy to fix that it's almost inconceivable that it works that way.

I completely agree that they need to fix the program. I'm guessing that part of the reason for less availability of good cabins on the combined cruises has to do with them giving about a 10% discount...at least in our situation. To only have fore/aft cabins for the combined cruise & more desirable (for many) midship cabins on the 2 segments is ridiculous & needs to be changed.

[chamima]

I completely agree that they need to fix the program. I'm guessing that part of the reason for less availability of good cabins on the combined cruises has to do with them giving about a 10% discount...at least in our situation. To only have fore/aft cabins for the combined cruise & more desirable (for many) midship cabins on the 2 segments is ridiculous & needs to be changed.

 

 

We actually wanted the aft you that you didn't want ,so "desirable" might be hard to assess. ;)

It just seems to me that they could have made some of the aft cabins available for the 2 segments (and for you, some of the cabins in the middle for the combined)

[Astro Flyer]

We actually wanted the aft you that you didn't want ,so "desirable" might be hard to assess. ;)

It just seems to me that they could have made some of the aft cabins available for the 2 segments (and for you, some of the cabins in the middle for the combined)

Definitely hard to assess "desirable" & I should have said "some" prefer midship...particularly my mal de mer prone wife. :p

 

After eagerly awaiting the opening bell for the 2012/2013 cruises it was a big shock to me not find any cabin in a location we desired. Just as you wanted an aft cabin, they should spread out the availability for all cabins so there's some for everyone...particularly when booking so far in advance. They should have some available for each segment & the combined cruise & hopefully they'll fix their software to allow that to happen...soon. I wrote Princess a letter but didn't get a reply which was okay because my TA took care of it for us...YEAH...case closed! :D