How is wait list handled?

[royal65]

A cruise I'd like to book is sold out for balconies and minis a year and a half in advance. Can we be wait listed for these categories and is there any advantage to book an outside with the hope of being upgraded, paid or otherwise? If you can be wait listed, are you notified when you get a cabin and is the assignment for a specific cabin or just category? thanx

[Pia1913]

A cruise I'd like to book is sold out for balconies and minis a year and a half in advance. Can we be wait listed for these categories and is there any advantage to book an outside with the hope of being upgraded, paid or otherwise? If you can be wait listed, are you notified when you get a cabin and is the assignment for a specific cabin or just category? thanx

 

Book an outside and waitlist for a balcony. We've done that many times and in fact for our West Africa cruise next year. We got the balcony only a few days after booking. Better to be already booked because your chances are much better.

[Pam in CA]

A cruise I'd like to book is sold out for balconies and minis a year and a half in advance. Can we be wait listed for these categories and is there any advantage to book an outside with the hope of being upgraded, paid or otherwise? If you can be wait listed, are you notified when you get a cabin and is the assignment for a specific cabin or just category? thanx

Book whatever cabin category you would be OK with and wait list for a category or categories you'd prefer. When you clear the wait list, your TA will contact you and offer a specific cabin. You can say, "Yes" or "No." The most important thing is to book a cabin on the cruise and worry about which cabin later.

 

When the Royal's Maiden Passage was originally offered, in March 2012, the ship was essentially sold out within days. I booked a month later and the wait list for any balcony cabin was almost 350. I was offered a cabin a couple of weeks later and grabbed it. My sister booked three months later and the wait list was up to 400. She booked an inside and wait listed for a balcony. Six months later, she was offered a balcony but decided to stick with her inside. Eighteen months after the itinerary was released, there are still inside cabins available.

[Colo Cruiser]

Waitlist for what you want, they will come open.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Book whatever cabin category you would be OK with and wait list for a category or categories you'd prefer. When you clear the wait list, your TA will contact you and offer a specific cabin. You can say, "Yes" or "No." The most important thing is to book a cabin on the cruise and worry about which cabin later.

 

When the Royal's Maiden Passage was originally offered, in March 2012, the ship was essentially sold out within days. I booked a month later and the wait list for any balcony cabin was almost 350. I was offered a cabin a couple of weeks later and grabbed it. My sister booked three months later and the wait list was up to 400. She booked an inside and wait listed for a balcony. Six months later, she was offered a balcony but decided to stick with her inside. Eighteen months after the itinerary was released, there are still inside cabins available.

 

One thing to note (at least my experience last year) is if you turn down a cabin offered in a specific category, you will be taken off the waitlist for that category. I waitlisted us for all insides and OV cabins on one cruise, but kept being offered far forwards, especially below or above the Princess Theater. But when I turned those down, I was removed from each of those categories, even though there was a couple of cabins in each one that would have been acceptable. Fortunately, we were eventually offered an aft that turned out to be a nice cabin for us.