Help me understand Princess's waitlist plan

[kywildcatfanone]

Folks,

 

I have a question. I have a post I started a couple of days ago about waitlisting. My Brother-in-law and his wife want to join us next month on the Grand, and all of cabin categories are waitlisted. That's fine, it's only 6 weeks till sailing. If they can't get on, they will book the CB for the following day, which still has availability. I told them not to wait this long to decide.

 

I called Princess and they said they can't tell you where you are on the waitlist until you give them the deposit and book the waitlist, which struck me as odd, since they told my brother-in-law that after paying the deposit, he could call back and they could tell him where he stood. I guess the answer there is they want your commitment first, even though they can tell you what the wait is.

 

Here's the "I don't understand this" part of my story. They told him when he waitlisted that they would be calling folks to see if they were willing to change sailing dates, and I have read of that happening to folks on these boards. So he asked them, "If you are going to do that anyway, can you call my brother-in-law (me) and ask if he wants to move to the CB, and he would book there, and we could still go together". He told them that they would not have to offer me anything to move, as our preference would be to sail together. And yes, that would be true, all they have to do is call me. They told him no.

 

So, if they are going to do that anyway, why not allow my wife and I to be one of those moving our sailing date? They would for sure have two cabins sold on another cruise. What am I missing here? I'm sure I haven't thought this through completely, but it seems fairly simple to me.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Toto2Kansas]

If the sailing is overbooked, they call those that they need their cabin category. Sometimes there are certain categories that are way over booked, some are not. I have also seen them offer shipboard credit and other incentives in the past to move down to a lesser category, say mini suite to balcony cabin, if the mini suites are way overbooked.

 

This is probably why Princess didn't call you and make you the offer. If you haven't booked a stateroom that they want, you will not get the call.

 

If this sailing is so overbooked that they are making calls to some to switch to another date or ship, I definitely would not count on them finding the waitlist clearing so they can join you. Sorry!

[chasetf]

Folks,

 

I have a question. I have a post I started a couple of days ago about waitlisting. My Brother-in-law and his wife want to join us next month on the Grand, and all of cabin categories are waitlisted. That's fine, it's only 6 weeks till sailing. If they can't get on, they will book the CB for the following day, which still has availability. I told them not to wait this long to decide.

 

I called Princess and they said they can't tell you where you are on the waitlist until you give them the deposit and book the waitlist, which struck me as odd, since they told my brother-in-law that after paying the deposit, he could call back and they could tell him where he stood. I guess the answer there is they want your commitment first, even though they can tell you what the wait is.

 

Here's the "I don't understand this" part of my story. They told him when he waitlisted that they would be calling folks to see if they were willing to change sailing dates, and I have read of that happening to folks on these boards. So he asked them, "If you are going to do that anyway, can you call my brother-in-law (me) and ask if he wants to move to the CB, and he would book there, and we could still go together". He told them that they would not have to offer me anything to move, as our preference would be to sail together. And yes, that would be true, all they have to do is call me. They told him no.

 

So, if they are going to do that anyway, why not allow my wife and I to be one of those moving our sailing date? They would for sure have two cabins sold on another cruise. What am I missing here? I'm sure I haven't thought this through completely, but it seems fairly simple to me.

 

Thanks, Mike

What you ask is a lot of extra work for the cruise line. It does sound plausible like you say, but is pretty inconvenient for the cruise line and there are very few passengers who would be in your category of wanting to change just to change so they can sail with friends.

 

Being waitlisted is like being standby on an airline. If they have cancellations, then if things open up the waitlisted person lucks out.

 

The situation were they call to offer incentives to change are also analogous to the airline industry overbooking. In those cases the cruise line created the problem by selling more cabins (or seats for the airline) than they have so they need to rectify the situation.

 

With waitlisting (standby) they have nothing to rectify. So I think your best bet is to call and volunteer.... and maybe they may accomodate you. But the fact is they will fill that next cruise with flash sales so even with available cabins now, those will be filled by sail date.

[chasetf]

URRRGGGGG...... It told me the first post failed (and it took two tries to edit this) frustration on the boards.

[zacc]

If the sailing is overbooked, they call those that they need their cabin category. Sometimes there are certain categories that are way over booked, some are not. I have also seen them offer shipboard credit and other incentives in the past to move down to a lesser category, say mini suite to balcony cabin, if the mini suites are way overbooked.

 

This is probably why Princess didn't call you and make you the offer. If you haven't booked a stateroom that they want, you will not get the call.

 

If this sailing is so overbooked that they are making calls to some to switch to another date or ship, I definitely would not count on them finding the waitlist clearing so they can join you. Sorry!

Technically a cruise is not overbooked when you see waitlisting. When a category is full and someone still wants to book that category that are placed on a "waitlist." No one with a confirmed or guaranteed cabin is at risk of not having their cabin when they arrive. At such time that a cruise line decides they may make offers to those having cabins to move to other cabins. When someone accepts their offer it frees up their original cabin and the next person on the waitlist gets it. If no cabins in a particular category open, unless the person on the waitlist opts for a different cabin they don't sail. But waitlisting has nothing to do with overbooking.

[nw2this]

Will the $50 change fee get you on the other sailing? or does it only apply to changes on the same ship and sail date?

[Toto2Kansas]

Technically a cruise is not overbooked when you see waitlisting. When a category is full and someone still wants to book that category that are placed on a "waitlist." No one with a confirmed or guaranteed cabin is at risk of not having their cabin when they arrive. At such time that a cruise line decides they may make offers to those having cabins to move to other cabins. When someone accepts their offer it frees up their original cabin and the next person on the waitlist gets it. If no cabins in a particular category open, unless the person on the waitlist opts for a different cabin they don't sail. But waitlisting has nothing to do with overbooking.

But from reading this members other posts, the cruise line is now calling passengers to move to a different sailing, or at least that is how I understood it? When they do this, the cruise is overbooked, which is not surprising because of spring break.

 

Even sold out/overbooked ships on Princess will allow you to waitlist for a stateroom, just take a look at Princess personalizer, there are many ships totally sold out/overbooked and every stateroom category is still marked as wait only. Have a look at some of the spring break cruises that have been sold out for months, like the Emerald Princess.

 

I know how a waitlist on Princess works, trust me, after 20 years of sailing with them. ;)

[Toto2Kansas]

Will the $50 change fee get you on the other sailing? or does it only apply to changes on the same ship and sail date?

No, the $50 change fee will not work to move to another ship, sailing date.

[Pam in CA]

Will the $50 change fee get you on the other sailing? or does it only apply to changes on the same ship and sail date?

No. The $50 change fee is for a name change and you can only change one name in the cabin; at least one passenger must remain the same. So, this wouldn't work. To change to another sailing, you'd have to cancel and re-book the other cruise at the current cruise price, whether that's higher or lower. Plus, if it's past final payment, you'd be charged the cancellation fees (unless you have insurance.)

[zacc]

But from reading this members other posts, the cruise line is now calling passengers to move to a different sailing, or at least that is how I understood it? When they do this, the cruise is overbooked, which is not surprising because of spring break.

 

Even sold out/overbooked ships on Princess will allow you to waitlist for a stateroom, just take a look at Princess personalizer, there are many ships totally sold out/overbooked and every stateroom category is still marked as wait only. Have a look at some of the spring break cruises that have been sold out for months, like the Emerald Princess.

 

I know how a waitlist on Princess works, trust me, after 20 years of sailing with them. ;)

So do I...I have waitlisted with Princess. The ship in question is not overbooked.....they have not awarded more cabins than they have on the ship. It is not like overbooking an airline flight were you may show up and find you have no seat. For the cruise line it is a win/win situation.......they start with a full ship and end with a full ship. They offer deals to people already awarded a cabin....if they like the deal they take it whether it is another cabin or a different sailing date...and are happy. The cruise line moves the next person on the waitlist into that cabin and they are happy. Besides I've driven a car for several decades but that doesn't mean I know everything about an engine, trust me

[SeattleCruiselover]

There is a difference between waitlisting and a move over.

 

When you are waitlisted, you have paid for the privilege to be #x in line to get a cabin if someone already booked in that category fails to make final payment or cancels for some reason. If you match on a waitlist (not very common for anyone in anything double digits or above any more), you have 24 hours to accept the match and make full payment. If you don't reply, you lose your place on the waitlist for that cabin category (one good reason to waitlist for any and all categories that you are willing to pay for).

 

A move over call, on the other hand, is made when the ship is overbooked (not over double occupancy capacity, a different situation entirely) and they need to bring the number of pax down to the allowable maximums. In this case, the move over desk makes a call to selected individuals in the cabin category in which they are overbooked and makes them a concession offer to switch their cruise to: another date, another ship, another itinerary. That concession offer may include a complimentary upgrade, onboard credit, future cruise credit, et cetera. You are under noo obligation to accept a move over offer, though lots of people do (my trainer in Princess reservations moved from an inside cabin that she paid FNF rates for to a balcony cabin at no extra charge--about a 7 or 8 category upgrade, and all she had to do was sail one day earlier on a different ship on the same itinerary). And, no, as a general rule, you cannot volunteer for a move over until they call you.

 

Princess overbooks almost 100% of their sailings to some extent, to counter expected cancellations and non-pays.

[Toto2Kansas]

So do I...I have waitlisted with Princess. The ship in question is not overbooked.....they have not awarded more cabins than they have on the ship. It is not like overbooking an airline flight were you may show up and find you have no seat. For the cruise line it is a win/win situation.......they start with a full ship and end with a full ship. They offer deals to people already awarded a cabin....if they like the deal they take it whether it is another cabin or a different sailing date...and are happy. The cruise line moves the next person on the waitlist into that cabin and they are happy. Besides I've driven a car for several decades but that doesn't mean I know everything about an engine, trust me

 

Wow! Thanks so much for that explanation..................... :rolleyes:

[kywildcatfanone]

Folks,

 

Thanks for the responses, didn't mean to get any arguments going though. As I said in my original post, I'm sure from some perspective it's more complicated than it sounds on the surface. My issue was nothing more than, they tell my Brother-in-Law that they are going to call passengers about switching, and that is the conversation he is having with them, so why not make it easy to move someone who is willing to?

 

I wonder how many phone calls they have to make to get folks to move? If they need to move 20 folks in various categories, do they have to make 200 calls? I just thought this would be a no brainer kind of thing...

 

Mike

[SeattleCruiselover]

MIke: It depends on how many people they need to move and what they are offering. For example, a number of years ago, my parents were booked on an overbooked three day Coastal from Vancouver to LAX. They were offered a 10 day Mexican Riviera if they would change. They took it obviously.

 

If the offer is good enough, they don't have to make too many calls. There is always someone who will take them up on it.

[Toto2Kansas]

Folks,

 

Thanks for the responses, didn't mean to get any arguments going though. As I said in my original post, I'm sure from some perspective it's more complicated than it sounds on the surface. My issue was nothing more than, they tell my Brother-in-Law that they are going to call passengers about switching, and that is the conversation he is having with them, so why not make it easy to move someone who is willing to?

 

I wonder how many phone calls they have to make to get folks to move? If they need to move 20 folks in various categories, do they have to make 200 calls? I just thought this would be a no brainer kind of thing...

 

Mike

 

Mike, no problem. Many times one person will try to make a point or explain something, then another member doesn't understand what point they are trying to make or doesn't totally read the response, so they try to 'show' that the other has no idea what they are talking about. What both are doing is talking about two different ways to explain what is going on that have nothing in common. lol

 

IF the cruise line has overbooked (notice the IF word to those that miss the importantance of the word IF) and they are beginning to call passengers to move to a different sailing, the likelihood of a waitlist clearing is very slim as that is only done when they have an overbooked cruise. I have never heard of them calling and making great offers just so those on a waitlist can make the cruise. The offers they give to move to a different date or ship can sometimes be quite generous, so it is done out of neccessity to free up the cabins needed for those already booked.

 

Best of luck on this, I do hope they find a way to join you. ;)

[emdia43]

I'm just surprised that anyone would agree to be waitlisted- you pay a deposit but don't know if you have a cruise or not- and won't until the last minute- for most of us that need to fly to the port that wouldn't work, airfares for the most part are non- refundable and booking at the last minute too expensive. Am I missing something? Why would anyone book waitlist?

[kywildcatfanone]

I'm just surprised that anyone would agree to be waitlisted- you pay a deposit but don't know if you have a cruise or not- and won't until the last minute- for most of us that need to fly to the port that wouldn't work, airfares for the most part are non- refundable and booking at the last minute too expensive. Am I missing something? Why would anyone book waitlist?

 

Since a waitlist cruise probably doesn't have a flash promotion price, I kind of wonder the same thing. My guess on this particular cruise is that it's spring break week for K-12 schools in southern Florida, so if that is the majority of the waitlist personnel, no flight needed.

 

Also, I guess there are some people who don't mind cruising and arranging flights at the last minute. I would consider it, if the price was right for the cruise, but I agree, the flight could negate any savings you might have on the cruise.

 

Mike

[land lover]

I have a question about waitlists.........

 

We booked a Holyland cruise that sailed last Oct. all Cats were waitlisted months before the sail date, but 2 weeks berfore final payment almost all the cats became available..were the "new" rates to high for the waitlisted people?

 

Thanks

[emdia43]

I have a question about waitlists.........

 

We booked a Holyland cruise that sailed last Oct. all Cats were waitlisted months before the sail date, but 2 weeks berfore final payment almost all the cats became available..were the "new" rates to high for the waitlisted people?

 

Thanks

What new rates? Did the price go up?

Wouldn't the price be locked in at the time of booking even for those on a waitlist?

[silvercruiser]

We booked our upcoming Australia cruise (April 14) in Sep 2006, taking advantage of the $100 deposit. At that time we were already waitlisted for any cabin at all and were #300 on the list. It didn't take long to be in the final 100 and then assured an outside cabin. Were waitlisted for a balconey, but finally got one a good year before the cruise.

Why would anyone pay a deposit and be waitlisted? Well, I think that with the low deposits people book and then cancel and don't have much money tied up in the booking.

[silvercruiser]

We booked our upcoming Australia cruise (April 14) in Sep 2006, taking advantage of the $100 deposit. At that time we were already waitlisted for any cabin at all and were #300 on the list. It didn't take long to be in the final 100 and then assured an outside cabin. Were waitlisted for a balconey, but finally got one a good year before the cruise.

Why would anyone pay a deposit and be waitlisted? Well, I think that with the low deposits people book and then cancel and don't have much money tied up in the booking.

[land lover]

What new rates? Did the price go up?

Wouldn't the price be locked in at the time of booking even for those on a waitlist?

 

Yes, prices went up in the lowest cats considerably.

 

From what I understand when waitlisted you pay the going rate at the time you are contacted...

[land lover]

We booked our upcoming Australia cruise (April 14) in Sep 2006, taking advantage of the $100 deposit. At that time we were already waitlisted for any cabin at all and were #300 on the list. It didn't take long to be in the final 100 and then assured an outside cabin. Were waitlisted for a balconey, but finally got one a good year before the cruise.

Why would anyone pay a deposit and be waitlisted? Well, I think that with the low deposits people book and then cancel and don't have much money tied up in the booking.

 

Did the price go up on your the balcony cat?

 

I agree, the 100 deposit does make it easy to book. after all your money is sitting their doing nothing might as well have it holding a cruise.

 

On our cruise we were on the Royal 710 px no Mini's......when I booked 3 weeks after booking opened all IS and OV were wait listed I choose a BA AFT on the back of the ship then about a a year out everything was wait listed the the prices on the lower cats had risen considerably, my CAt which was the highest before the full suites increased the least 400. while some of the lower cats were up 1200-1500. That is why I think alot of people backed out........any thoughts anyone?

[emdia43]

Yes, prices went up in the lowest cats considerably.

 

From what I understand when waitlisted you pay the going rate at the time you are contacted...

 

Wow- I didn't know that.... now it makes even less sense to be on a waitlist, to me. Might as well just wait and see what comes up,without putting any deposit down, if something becomes available at a price you want, book it then.

What happens to the deposit if they offer you something after the 70 day cancellation window and you find the price has gone up and you change your mind about going? :confused: