Will my last minute dream cruise sell out???

[MarWaves86]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have been planning this vacation for the last month or so but can't reserve or purchase it yet because I wont have the funds until mid next week. I am planning on going on the Crown Princess on Nov 12, to the Southern Caribbean.

 

The only thing that has me a little panic'd is the Princess Website says "call for pricing and availability" for the porthole, balcony. Only the suite and interior are still currently available. I plan on purchasing the interior stateroom for the cruise.

 

Two questions: a) Does "call for pricing and availability" mean it's sold out?

and b) what's the likeliness the interior stateroom will be sold out by mid next week. Thanks for your advisement!

 

God Bless,

 

Ryan

[1025cruise]

If you are planning on booking for a cruise that leaves November 12, and haven't done so by now, you are probably going to be out of luck.

[ballinafad]

I would suggest that you try to have a cabin held for you. I have done that before and had a cabin held for 2 days while we were trying to ensure flight arrangements. Ask your travel agent. Good luck.

[antsp]

Insides are available from 549 pp

[Iamcruzin]

I am seeing Cat M booking guarantee only, at $449 with my past passenger discount but the other Cat's K,J,JJ and II each have one room still available.

[paul929207]

If there are onloy a few rooms left, it is certainly possible they will sell out.

 

If I am reading correctly, you are in LA and wanting to cruise from San Juan. Do you have air? It is usually expensive at the last minute.

[robtulipe]

I have been planning this vacation for the last month or so but can't reserve or purchase it yet because I wont have the funds until mid next week.

 

Why don't you put the payment on your credit card so you can book it immediately and then you can pay it off fully, to avoid interest charges, when a billing statement payment is due, probably next month depending on your billing statement date. This is if you have a credit card which can also be used to cover your onboard account billing.

This is also safer in that the credit card provides protection if in case there is a billing dispute. Cash or debit payments don't really offer any options in payment disputes.

[robtulipe]

If there are onloy a few rooms left, it is certainly possible they will sell out.

 

If I am reading correctly, you are in LA and wanting to cruise from San Juan. Do you have air? It is usually expensive at the last minute.

 

Crown leaves from Ft. Lauderdale which is, IMO, a much easier and cheaper location for the OP to get to last minute than SJ.

Caribbean Princess is the Princess ship that goes out of SJ.

[robtulipe]

Does "call for pricing and availability" mean it's sold out?

 

Since no one answered this question I will give you my thoughts on this.

Usually this indicates those categories are sold out but the cruiseline adds this in order to have the opportunity to sell you an available cabin or to wait list you for the cabin category you want.

[Host CJSKIDS]

If there are onloy a few rooms left, it is certainly possible they will sell out.

 

If I am reading correctly, you are in LA and wanting to cruise from San Juan. Do you have air? It is usually expensive at the last minute.

 

The 11/12 Crown sailing actually departs from Fort Lauderdale. I'm on the sailing!

[MarWaves86]

Crown leaves from Ft. Lauderdale which is, IMO, a much easier and cheaper location for the OP to get to last minute than SJ.

Caribbean Princess is the Princess ship that goes out of SJ.

 

I am talking about the one that leave from Ft Lauderdale

[MarWaves86]

The 11/12 Crown sailing actually departs from Fort Lauderdale. I'm on the sailing!

 

It seems like an amazing cruise! If it sells out though, I've decided either to take the Celebrity Eclipse cruise out of Miami, on I believe the 13th of Nov.

[MarWaves86]

It's my dream cruise because I plan on popping a certain question, to a certain somebody...:)

[Host CJSKIDS]

It's my dream cruise because I plan on popping a certain question, to a certain somebody...:)

 

How exciting! Hopefully it works out and you'll be joining the sailing.

[JimmyVWine]

It's my dream cruise because I plan on popping a certain question, to a certain somebody...:)

 

I'm not going to get into your finances, but if you have this whole "dream cruise" planned out to get engaged and you still don't have a cabin, then you need to take action. Call Princess and use your darned credit card for goodness sake, and then immediately pay it off when the funds you are waiting on become available. Just sit down for 5 minutes and ponder the parade of horribles that you will face if you procrastinate any further only to find out that you won't get on that ship. You are at a life-changing crossroads and you are holding a credit card that can solve your dilemma completely, yet you won't use it, risking the complete failure of your well-thought out plan and causing you angst in the process. I hate to be preachy, but you have the solution right in front of you. Use it.

[MarWaves86]

Even if you like to pay for everything in cash, your emergency credit could be used in this case if you really feel like it's an emergency to book this cruise. I remember how tempting it was to use credit cards when I had my first place on my own. Fortunately, my mother instilled in us a great fear of debt. Some of my friends racked up huge debts on their credit cards. I avoided that--and still do--by paying off the monthly balance every month.

 

Think of it this way, if my house for some god forsaken reason doesn't close, even though im 98% it will, and I put the cruise on my EMERGENCY credit card, what the heck am I going to do? lol?

[robtulipe]

I don't rack up debt, I pay everything in cash, I have an emergency credit card, and I live on a budget. Closing on my house next week, so that's why I want to take a vacation ASAP!!!! Don't hate folks...don't hate!

IMO, as I mentioned above, it makes sense in this situation to use your credit card and pay it off completely by the payment due date to get free grace period financing along with the protection a credit card provides.

I always use a credit card to pay for my vacation costs and always pay it off fully by the payment due date so there is no interest or service fees. Along with the disputed charges protection my credit card pays me back 1% to 2% (latter is for foreign currency transactions) and provides travel and medical insurance as an included uncharged for benefit.

[robtulipe]

Think of it this way, if my house for some god forsaken reason doesn't close, even though im 98% it will, and I put the cruise on my EMERGENCY credit card, what the heck am I going to do? lol?

I would go on the cruise since it will have been paid for. LOL;)

[MarWaves86]

I would go on the cruise since it will have been paid for. LOL;)

 

HAHAHAH. Believe me, I want to go on this cruise VERY badly. I was always told don't count your chickens until they hatch.

 

The only reason I want to go on the Crown so badly is because it goes to Aruba!!!!!!

 

I live on the west coast and it's going be about $1200 to get to Florida, on top of the cruise so it's going to be quite expensive.

 

If it's meant to be then everything will fall into place :)

[Lancer1568]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have been planning this vacation for the last month or so but can't reserve or purchase it yet because I wont have the funds until mid next week. I am planning on going on the Crown Princess on Nov 12, to the Southern Caribbean.

 

The only thing that has me a little panic'd is the Princess Website says "call for pricing and availability" for the porthole, balcony. Only the suite and interior are still currently available. I plan on purchasing the interior stateroom for the cruise.

 

Two questions: a) Does "call for pricing and availability" mean it's sold out?

and b) what's the likeliness the interior stateroom will be sold out by mid next week. Thanks for your advisement!

 

God Bless,

 

Ryan

One suggestion another poster made is a really good one. Last time I booked this close to sailing they gave me 24 hours to make final payment so I could arrange my flights. Had a little trouble arranging flights so called back and got a 24 hour extension on final payment (did this twice) so you may be able to book and string the final payment along.

[fishywood]

Do not despair--I have booked as late as five days before sailing. Usually if the ship is not completely sold out (of non-suites) they will keep a guarantee booking for either inside or outside obstructed available to lure last minute passengers. The issue is that you are dangerously close to the deadline for Princess being able to book your air--hope you are researching flight cost on your own.

 

My suggestion is this: go to the website and request to be contacted by a Princess Vacation Planner. He/She will call you on Monday and can put a cabin on hold for 48 hours for you. If you are not ready to make payment on Wednesday just call and ask for an extension--the Vacation Planners are empowered to keep the room on hold a little longer than just any customer service rep.

[gelo7]

Do not despair--I have booked as late as five days before sailing. Usually if the ship is not completely sold out (of non-suites) they will keep a guarantee booking for either inside or outside obstructed available to lure last minute passengers. The issue is that you are dangerously close to the deadline for Princess being able to book your air--hope you are researching flight cost on your own.

 

My suggestion is this: go to the website and request to be contacted by a Princess Vacation Planner. He/She will call you on Monday and can put a cabin on hold for 48 hours for you. If you are not ready to make payment on Wednesday just call and ask for an extension--the Vacation Planners are empowered to keep the room on hold a little longer than just any customer service rep.

Ditto.....

[DrivesLikeMario]

This close to sailing, the hold may only be for 24 hrs. Either way (24 or 48 hrs.), I suggest you start holding cabins, MarWaves. When one hold wears off, book the cabin again and place it under hold. This is not the best scenario, but it may help in your case.

 

BTW - just wanted to wish a premature congratulations on the pending question! Hope you two have a happy life of cruising together! :)

[jrzebird]

I agree with the OP. I work for a law firm and do the real estate so know that nothing is a done deal, especially lately, until you have the check in your hand. If you only have to wait until mid-week, then wait. Nothing is refundable at this point, almost nothing, so the plane and ship all have to be for sure. But, there are a lot of cruises that go to Aruba, so this one isn't the only cruise in the world, and if you don't make it, your life will not come to an end!

 

Please come back and let us know how it works out! An exciting time!

[jgf]

I agree with the OP. I work for a law firm and do the real estate so know that nothing is a done deal, especially lately, until you have the check in your hand.

 

Not even then... when we finally closed on the sale of our old house, after two weeks of torture-some delays caused entirely by the buyer's idiocy, the final straw came when, after I specifically requested a cashier's check from the closing attorney to avoid just this problem, our own bank put a hold on all but $5,000 of the deposit. It's not done until the funds clear into your account.