Wait list questions

[smj]

I have noticed that all categories on our cruise are wait listed and have been for a while. I was just wondering how long Oceania keeps the wait list going.

[sitraveler]

The wait list is going to last until the cruise sails. There are always cancellations at final payment, there are guarantees who will be filled first and then the wait list.

[zoncom]

I know on most lines those with $ deposit go to top of list.

[StanandJim]

I know on most lines those with $ deposit go to top of list.

 

What is the difference between "waitlisting with a deposit" and "buying a guarantee", then?

I've never understood the difference.

[hondorner]

What is the difference between "waitlisting with a deposit" and "buying a guarantee", then?

I've never understood the difference.

If you request a waitlist, you'll get on the list, but may not reach the acceptance point. Your bad luck, but you haven't lost the opportunity to use your money.

 

If you put a deposit on a waitlist (and I'm not certain Oceania does this), you move to a spot on the waitlist ahead of those who have not placed a deposit, but behind those who placed a deposit before you. Once again, you may not reach the acceptance point. If so, you will regain your deposit, but will have lost the opportunity to do something else with the money while the cruise line held it.

 

In either of the above cases you will only make the cruise if all the guarantees and all those ahead of you on the waitlist are accepted.

 

A guarantee (GTY) (at least on Oceania) is something else entirely. In this case, you place a deposit and are guaranteed a spot on the cruise, just not in any specific cabin. You will at least guarantee a cabin the the category you have chosen. Guarantees are not available for every category, and are limited to the number Oceania expects will be canceled by those with cabin assignments, based on historical numbers.

 

If there is no cabin available in the chosen category, someone with a GTY will be bumped to an available category. This is rare, however, as Oceania prefers to make offers to others with confirmed cabins in that category to make room for the folks with GTYs.

 

The basic difference between a waitlist and a GTY, at least on Oceania, is that a GTY will make the cruise (will never be bumped off), while a waitlist might make the cruise. A deposited waitlist (if Oceania uses that level) has a better chance but no guarantee.

 

Oceania will never bump a GTY, but will continue to make ever more attractive offers to confirmed guests to make room, even going so far as making offers too good to refuse to move to another cruise.

 

There are always cancellations before a cruise; the purpose of GTYs and waitlists is to create a pool of guests and potential guests to fill those vacancies. If they predict the number accurately, all GTY's will get their cabin but no one on a waitlist will get to go. If they predict inaccurately on the low side of cancellations, everyone with a GTY will get to go, while no one with a waitlist will be called. If there are a higher number of cancellations than predicted, the pool of GTY's will be exhausted and those on the waitlist will start to be called, beginning with deposited waitlisters (again, I'm not certain if Oceania uses this level).

 

Oceania is generally very good at predicting the number of cancellations. The odds are that few, if any on a waitlist will be called. I'd have to be extremely flexible in my planning and not really care if I make the cruise to ever decide to go on a waitlist.

 

There is another type of waitlist; for those who have already confirmed a cabin at a lower level and hope to move up. For example, one could waitlist for an Owner's Suite...but there is probably little likelihood of making that.

Edited January 26, 2016 by hondorner

[cotto22]

Hondorner, thanks for the very thorough explanation. We waitlisted a higher level cabin for an upcoming cruise while depositing on an available level. After cancelations, we were moved up. (definitely not to the Owner's Suite, however!)

[Iamthesea]

Were you moved up, as in "upgraded" or moved up after you paid more?

 

We were thinking of getting on a Wait List for a CC, but decided it really wasn't worth the extra from our B3.

[pinotlover]

While I could understand waitlisting for a PH, while booking a Verandah, I could never understand waitlisting a cruise, especially after the payment due date for that cruise! :eek:

 

This is especially the case if the cruise does not originate in the US. One surely won't buy airfare for a cruise while only being on waitlist. What kind of air transportation options would one expect, in today's market, if Oceania called them two weeks before the cruise and told them they got on the cruise? Middle seat, middle section, back of the plane if they are lucky. If not, one of those seats against the bathrooms that won't recline for a 8-10 hour crossing! :eek:

 

We have a cruise starting in Beijing in a few months. One can do a flight check now, and our one stop(regional airport to major hub to Beijing) flights don't come up, they're sold out. Best connections are now three plane changes and 8 additional hours of travel time. Coming back now, on a new reservation, requires an overnight layover. That's the cost of waiting to book these long haul flights in today's market. I'm too tall and to old to fold up, in the back of a plane for that long to ever consider waitlisting a cruise. Maybe if I lived in Southern FL and caught a cruise out of Miami, only! :rolleyes:

[cotto22]

Were you moved up, as in "upgraded" or moved up after you paid more?

 

We were thinking of getting on a Wait List for a CC, but decided it really wasn't worth the extra from our B3.

 

We were moved up after paying more, since we were waitlisted for a larger cabin. The only times we were upgraded for free were on Regent, to a nicer area on the ship (same size cabin), and on Silversea, where they gave us a balcony when we paid for an ocean view. Nice surprises, both times.

Edited January 27, 2016 by cotto22

[Iamthesea]

Yes, very nice! :)

 

Two more weeks to go for us and our first cruise on Oceania. I know y'all will be glad when I am not asking anymore questions on this board. :rolleyes: That is, unless we decide we like Oceania and then there will be a lot more questions to come. :D

Edited January 27, 2016 by Iamthesea

[JMBobB]

On a whim, after returning from a TA last April on which we were told n0 way, full to the brim, I called our TA and asked her to put us on the wait list for Marina's 2016 Australia-New Zealand Cruise. She asked if I minded putting a deposit on the voyage and I said 'go fer it.' She got us wait listed for 6 different categories.

 

We got a call last August as we were just leaving town enroute SFO for a Rhine River Cruise and our TA informed us she had good news and bad news. The good news was that an opening had come up in our preferred category and did we still want it? The bad news was that it was gonna cost us. :eek:

 

We took the offer and are booked to fly to Sydney on February 18th. :D

 

JMBobB

Edited January 27, 2016 by JMBobB

[hondorner]

Yes, very nice! :)

 

Two more weeks to go for us and our first cruise on Oceania. I know y'all will be glad when I am not asking anymore questions on this board. :rolleyes: That is, unless we decide we like Oceania and then there will be a lot more questions to come. :D

I'm pretty sure, based on experience, that when you come back you will be answering questions from other newbies! There will always be something you experience that will help someone else.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[JMBobB]

Fair warning Iamthesea... You vill be assimilated. :D

 

JMBobB

[Iamthesea]

I believe it after reading the review last night from a newbie onboard. :)

[gnld]

From personal experience and info from my TA, I know that Oceania has 2 Wait Lists. The priority one is for those who have put $$ down. They get first crack if something opens up. The other is for those who have not put any $$ down. They get called only after the first list is exhausted.

I've been on both types of wait lists and have gotten called from both (one I took, one I didn't). I'm currently on a Wait List where I've put $$ down. But, as inferred from above posts, it is a bit of a crap shoot if you get called or not!