Waitlisting For A Certain Room?

[ReneeFLL]

Can a travel agent waitlist you for a certain room if it becomes available? If so, how would that work because I'm sure there would be others ahead of me? I thought if a certain room opens up then it is who ever jumps on it first.

 

Also, is it typical of a TA to only give a bottle of wine for transferring our booking over to them? I thought they usually gave OBC or is this only the bigger ones?

[Clarea]

... Also, is it typical of a TA to only give a bottle of wine for transferring our booking over to them? I thought they usually gave OBC or is this only the bigger ones?

There's no "typical". Each TA does their own thing. I've had some that want to charge me a "booking fee" just to book with them.

[spookwife]

Can a travel agent waitlist you for a certain room if it becomes available? If so, how would that work because I'm sure there would be others ahead of me? I thought if a certain room opens up then it is who ever jumps on it first.

 

Also, is it typical of a TA to only give a bottle of wine for transferring our booking over to them? I thought they usually gave OBC or is this only the bigger ones?

 

 

no such thing as 'typical' when it comes it what TAs are willing to offer as a perk or forfeit out of their commission. when I used one I never got anything except they automatically applied any military discount or OBC from the line if any became applicable. never got so much as a welcome basket of fruit on board from the TA.

 

I doubt there is any way to waitlist a specific cabin number only a cabin category. it woudl NOT be fair to the guy who waitlisted any balcony cabin and was at the top of the list to lose out on it because you wanted a specific balcony cabin and that one just happened to become available.

[cruisinfanatic]

There's no "typical". Each TA does their own thing. I've had some that want to charge me a "booking fee" just to book with them.

How hard did you laugh?

[champagne123]

How hard did you laugh?

 

hahahahah .....now that was MY laugh for the day.

[cruisinfanatic]

Can a travel agent waitlist you for a certain room if it becomes available? If so, how would that work because I'm sure there would be others ahead of me? I thought if a certain room opens up then it is who ever jumps on it first.

 

Also, is it typical of a TA to only give a bottle of wine for transferring our booking over to them? I thought they usually gave OBC or is this only the bigger ones?

Very little chance you would have success waitlisting a cabin. Best way to get it is to watch for it to open at least once a day.

 

As far as TA perks, you have to negotiate that before you book or transfer

[fredflint]

Not sure about a TA but I booked thru Royal and they did just that for me they said it would be held for me for 24 hrs and they both called and emailed me when it became available. I moved to a hump angle cabin.

[Retired LEO]

I doubt there is any way to waitlist a specific cabin number only a cabin category. it woudl NOT be fair to the guy who waitlisted any balcony cabin and was at the top of the list to lose out on it because you wanted a specific balcony cabin and that one just happened to become available.

 

Very little chance you would have success waitlisting a cabin. Best way to get it is to watch for it to open at least once a day.

 

I've been waitlisted for a specific cabin and received a call when it became available to see if I still wanted it. Of course I took it. :) That's booking through RCI directly. I don't know how it would work with a TA.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Retired LEO

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I doubt there is any way to waitlist a specific cabin number only a cabin category. it woudl NOT be fair to the guy who waitlisted any balcony cabin and was at the top of the list to lose out on it because you wanted a specific balcony cabin and that one just happened to become available.

 

Some TAs will do it and some won't. I've used a big box store TA and they won't waitlist a cabin. They also charge $25 for a price drop. I'm now working with another TA who doesn't charge any fees and will waitlist a cabin. Perks are just about the same.

Edited September 20, 2015 by suzyluvs2cruise

[Clarea]

How hard did you laugh?

That was before I was reading Cruise Critic. We actually paid the booking fee once.:o

[John&LaLa]

Very little chance you would have success waitlisting a cabin. Best way to get it is to watch for it to open at least once a day.

 

As far as TA perks, you have to negotiate that before you book or transfer

 

You still have power after you transfer. There is a form to remove a TA as well as add one

[Ashland]

I too have had no trouble waitlisting a certain cabin #...maybe one of the perks dealing directly with RCI...they can always get a hold of me directly and I don't have to wait or assume that 3rd party will follow through within a certain timeframe.

[island lady]

Booked our last Alaska cruise just three days after booking became available, looking for a very popular favorite cabin. It was still not offered online, but did not know they had been booking over the phone directly with RCI for those three days. Cabin was gone already. :(

 

So RCI agent asked if I wanted to be placed on a wait list for that specific cabin. I said sure, but figured fat chance on that one. Two weeks later I got a call asking if I still wanted it and quickly grabbed it! :D

Edited September 20, 2015 by island lady

[RocketMan275]

There's no "typical". Each TA does their own thing. I've had some that want to charge me a "booking fee" just to book with them.

 

Booking fee? I encountered one TA who wanted to charge me $2000 (which they would finance of course) for some really great discounts that they could not disclosure until after I paid them.

Edited September 20, 2015 by RocketMan275

[Clarea]

Booking fee? I encountered one TA who wanted to charge me $2000 (which they would finance of course) for some really great discounts that they could not disclosure until after I paid them.

Must have been related to Nancy Pelosi.;)

[Paulette3028]

There's no "typical". Each TA does their own thing. I've had some that want to charge me a "booking fee" just to book with them.

 

Recently the TA we have used for many of our cruises added a booking fee.....and viola, that will be the last cruise we book with her. It doesn't cause us any extra work to book directly with RCI. It doesn't matter that she gave us an OBC to offset it, it is just the issue of it and the fact that we had to notice the charge to bring it to her attention.

 

Is it even possibly to be 'waitlisted' for a specific cabin....you can be waitlisted to move into a certain dining time, or maybe even for a specialty restaurant, or maybe even for a showtime.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Paulette3028

[dutchclogs]

I've had a UK RCI rep actually suggest this. There was a (very) big drop but to be repriced we had to cancel (and forfeit deposit). We had two connecting cabins which we wanted to keep so rep suggested he waitlist cabins to safeguard one or other cabin being booked during process. Different situation but principle the same.

[Cruzin Carol]

Yes you can waitlist a specific cabin if you book direct or with a TA unless you are in a group. Group reservations cannot waitlist. That being said, it is an imperfect system and you can still not get a cabin, even if it's wait listed. If someone cancels it, that cabin will go back into inventory until that night when the waitlists are processed someone that sees it available in the meantime can grab it and it won't go to waitlist. If you do get notified a waitlist became available, you have 24hours to accept it. I found this out because I expierenced it first hand. I saw a cabin in inventory that I had wait listed.

[bbrad8]

Can a travel agent waitlist you for a certain room if it becomes available? If so, how would that work because I'm sure there would be others ahead of me? I thought if a certain room opens up then it is who ever jumps on it first.

 

Yes you can waitlist a specific cabin if you book direct or with a TA unless you are in a group. Group reservations cannot waitlist. That being said, it is an imperfect system and you can still not get a cabin, even if it's wait listed. If someone cancels it, that cabin will go back into inventory until that night when the waitlists are processed someone that sees it available in the meantime can grab it and it won't go to waitlist. If you do get notified a waitlist became available, you have 24hours to accept it. I found this out because I expierenced it first hand. I saw a cabin in inventory that I had wait listed.

 

Cruzin Carol has provided the correct and complete answer to RCI waitlist shortcomings/issues. It is in fact a very imperfect system. Well worth checking availability even w/ a request in place. ;)

 

Bruce

[RCmommy]

We were wait listed for a particular cabin number and got it. No email, call, no notification. I signed in one day to check something and noticed.

[ReneeFLL]

Thanks for all the great info.

[ReneeFLL]

Another question. If I want to check to see what cabins have opened up what is the best way to do that? If I am checking online is there a number associated with the cruise that I can put in or do I have to go thru as if I am booking it for the first time to see what is available?

[bbrad8]

Another question. If I want to check to see what cabins have opened up what is the best way to do that? If I am checking online is there a number associated with the cruise that I can put in or do I have to go thru as if I am booking it for the first time to see what is available?

 

The easiest way is to use the RCI website. Simply work through the online booking process (you are NOT actually going to complete a new booking). Once you get to the Cabin Selection page, click the button to change your cabin. While it will not necessarily show all open cabin numbers in that category, it will show up to 7 currently available cabins. HTH!

 

Bruce

[Ourusualbeach]

Another question. If I want to check to see what cabins have opened up what is the best way to do that? If I am checking online is there a number associated with the cruise that I can put in or do I have to go thru as if I am booking it for the first time to see what is available?

 

You need to go all the way through the process of booking a cruise until you get to the cabin selection page. The system will show up to 15 cabins. You also have the option of entering a specific cabin number which I would always do just to make sure.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Ourusualbeach

[ReneeFLL]

Thanks. I was afraid I would have to do it all the way thru.