What is the chance of getting a spot on a sold out cruise?

[Hopeful Viking 2024]

I have my heart set on a particular cruise at a particular time (a year from now),  but it is sold out (apart from staterooms beyond my price range). What are the chances of cheaper staterooms becoming available before it sails? Are people more likely to cancel early or late? Any stories of nabbing a spot when all hope seemed gone? The cruise in question is Venice to Istanbul. I’ve put my name on a mailing list with Viking. Any other tips? 

[formernuke]

Often spaces open up (in general), so can keep checking back. You may also try calling and asking for a guarantee (GTY) cabin in the category of your choice. This far out they would probably offer you that. Then you will get a cabin in your category (or higher). We did a guarantee a couple of years ago and it worked out great. (There always is a risk that you might get one of the handful of cabins that might have some noise issues; depends upon how sensitive you are as to whether it's worth the risk to you)

[May B]

Keep the cruise open in a window, and check it every day, or more often. Be poised to call if a stateroom in your category shows up. It can happen any time, really.

[CDNPolar]

Don't know where you are located geographically, but if you are in USA or Canada, the penalties kick in at 120 days from the cruise embarkation.

 

In my mind, if someone is going to cancel they will do it close to this timeframe.   Even after making full payment before this date they can get back all but $100 per person if they cancel 121+ days out.

 

Now - before others come in and correct me on this, this would pertain to an 8-12'ish day cruise.  Deposits and cancellations periods will be different for longer cruises, and if you are not in Canada or the USA then the penalty periods and penalties may be different.

[Hopeful Viking 2024]

Thank you, I’m in Australia and deposits here are $1000 per person. The cruise in question is 15 days, payable in full 121 days prior to sailing. 

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Don't know where you are located geographically, but if you are in USA or Canada, the penalties kick in at 120 days from the cruise embarkation.

 

In my mind, if someone is going to cancel they will do it close to this timeframe.   Even after making full payment before this date they can get back all but $100 per person if they cancel 121+ days out.

 

Now - before others come in and correct me on this, this would pertain to an 8-12'ish day cruise.  Deposits and cancellations periods will be different for longer cruises, and if you are not in Canada or the USA then the penalty periods and penalties may be different.

For 15 and 18 day cruises our 100% refund cancelation period was also 120 days prior.  Also the US final payment is often 12 months before the cruise and 6 months for those who have other cruises booked.  These times may also have cancelations just prior.

[flare3192]

i would consider all others have said but also using a travel agent to check often for you

[Peregrina651]

Keep trying!  With the older demographic, cancellations can happen any time.  People get sick, need surgery, break bones.   

 

One couple on our sold out Nile River cruise booked 11 days prior to departure because there was a last minute cancellation.  

 

 

[MSEm]

Definitely try for the GTY now. This is not a guarantee that you will get a cabin but will probably improve your chances. I would expect some cabins to open up.  Travel Agencies will often block X number of cabins ( minimum of 8) for a group.  Also organization will block a large number of cabins for a group cruise. If all of the blocked cabins are not booked with deposits, the cabins will appear for sale after the deposits on all blocked cabins must be made. Agents will release cabins without deposits or pay the deposit "out of Pocket" for the agency.

[lackcreativity]

2 hours ago, MSEm said:

Definitely try for the GTY now. This is not a guarantee that you will get a cabin but will probably improve your chances. 

I would hope someone else will confirm this, but having accepted a Guaranteed cabin on a previous cruise, I was under the impression that it did guarantee a cabin, just not which one. It also included a possibility that you would be upgraded (which didn't happen in our case.)

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, MSEm said:

Definitely try for the GTY now. This is not a guarantee that you will get a cabin but will probably improve your chances. I would expect some cabins to open up.  Travel Agencies will often block X number of cabins ( minimum of 😎 for a group.  Also organization will block a large number of cabins for a group cruise. If all of the blocked cabins are not booked with deposits, the cabins will appear for sale after the deposits on all blocked cabins must be made. Agents will release cabins without deposits or pay the deposit "out of Pocket" for the agency.

I thought Viking didn’t do this—reserve a block of cabins for TAs.

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, MSEm said:

Definitely try for the GTY now. This is not a guarantee that you will get a cabin but will probably improve your chances.

Ummmm….it’s called a guarantee!

[OneSixtyToOne]

Just an observation but it appears to me that a lot of the GTYs are on a leg of a back to back cruise or a leg of the WC. Viking is probably holding slots open for the entire BTB and as departure date approaches, they start assigning cabins. This might well entail an upgrade in some circumstances, but a guaranteed cabin means you will get something.

[millybess]

4 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

I thought Viking didn’t do this—reserve a block of cabins for TAs.

On the second half of our b2b, that is exactly what they did.  The TAs were able to get together large groups to fill those cabins.  Most of them were under 30 years old.  In fact (thread drift alert) the bartenders told us there was a large staff meeting before they embarked and the staff were told that they were not allowed to serve some of them.  But, if a person older than 21 ordered a drink for them, then they had to serve it.  

[LindaS272]

Interesting! I can see TAs booking cabins for specific groups, but a Viking rep told us years ago that travel agencies do not book a block of cabins to randomly sell to clientele. So maybe this policy has changed.

[millybess]

1 minute ago, LindaS272 said:

Interesting! I can see TAs booking cabins for specific groups, but a Viking rep told us years ago that travel agencies do not book a block of cabins to randomly sell to clientele. So maybe this policy has changed.

We talked to two of the TAs and that is exactly what they did.  They bought up a block of cabins.  I really wanted to ask if they sold them at a profit, but I didn't really want to know the answer.  Interestingly, the GM sought us out on the last evening of our first cruise to tell us that our cruise was about to get a lot different and that is exactly what happened.  It was fun though.🙂

[Mich3554]

I know a woman I met on the World Cruise who managed to not only snag a cabin, she was able to upgrade from a DV to a PV a few months before we left.  I know another who was able to upgrade from a PV to an ES a few months before.  
So on sold out cruises, there seems to be a lot of jockeying around of rooms, probably up until the 120 day point where penalties start kicking in.  
 

[EchoIsland]

2 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

I would hope someone else will confirm this, but having accepted a Guaranteed cabin on a previous cruise, I was under the impression that it did guarantee a cabin, just not which one. It also included a possibility that you would be upgraded (which didn't happen in our case.)

Yes, we booked a GTY V2 on the West Indies cruise and 10 days prior to sailing received notice we were upgraded to a DV6.  

[MSEm]

I receive 2 monthly magazines that advertise "Group" cruises on various lines including

Viking.  Crossing cruises are often on the ACBL bridge cruises where the games can be held on the sea days.A quick look through the ACBL Bridge magazine shows  25 ads for 2024 cruises.

[MSEm]

I have read a posting on people being contacted to change to another cruise because of over booking on  a sailing.

[longterm]

1 hour ago, MSEm said:

I have read a posting on people being contacted to change to another cruise because of over booking on  a sailing.

That happened to us; we had a Caribbean cruise planned for December 2020. The day before the cruise, we were offered a longer cruise, $1500, and upgrade to a Penthouse Junior Suite, so I took it.

 

Then, Covid.

 

Our replacement cruise, which was supposed to be February 2021, was canceled; when I called to find out when we were going to actually go, the rep told me they wouldn't give me the upgrades that we had been promised. After a frustrating and irritating hour with 3 or 4 different reps, the last one recommended that I contact the "move-over" department, who offer and arrange the upgrade offers. I did so, was told we'd get our upgrades, but if we didn't go (or if the cruise got canceled AGAIN), we wouldn't get the upgrade. We held our breath, and did go on the cruise in December 2021, got our suite, had a great trip.

 

So if it's a popular cruise that you want (sounds like it is), you might be lucky and someone takes advantage of an upgrade offer. 

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

he 120 day point where penalties start kicking in.  

 

beyond that even -- because of unplanned events that force a cancellation.

 

 

4 hours ago, EchoIsland said:

Yes, we booked a GTY V2 on the West Indies cruise and 10 days prior to sailing received notice we were upgraded to a DV6.  

 

We have done GTY V2 twice now and both times were assigned DV cabins. On one of those cruises, someone on the roll call booked GTY and ended up in an DV1 aft cabin.  You never know what you will get. Also, you might not know your cabin assigned days before departure.