Is there a better way to check if suite opens up on a specific cruise?

[AZjohn]

I can’t remember if there is a better way than manually checking Princess or TA website if a suite opens up on a specific cruise?
 

Have another couple that is joining us on April 20th cruise on Crown Princess but currently no suites are available. They booked a mini with the big box OTA but of course they aren’t going to check daily nor would I ask our TA to do that either.

 

Other than going through the manual process of searching that cruise up and then check, is there any other way to streamline searching for open cabins? 
 

Final payments is coming up at the end of next month (something might open up) and would like to help them move from their mini to a suite so they can join us for meals (I know we can go to MDR with them but would like to enjoy our suite benefits and no reserve mini are available either). 

Thanks,

John

[XBGuy]

It is not surprising that suite cabins are not available for an April 2024 cruise are currently not available.  However, the impending final payment date may cause that to change.  I would suggest that starting today you, or your friend, check daily—preferably, multiple times per day.  If final payment date passes with no joy, do not give up.  Continue for at least a couple more weeks.

 

Due to a domestic situation i personally have cancelled a suite on a Princess cruise a couple days before final payment.  I intentionally postponed my decision as long as I could.  So, it does happen.

 

In addition to the above action I would certainly encourage your friends to try to enlist their travel agent for possible assistance.

[memoak]

Some suites may open up if TA’s don’t book all the ones they have reserved this generally happens right after final payment. We have asked our CVP in the past to keep an eye on suites but no big box is touting do that for you. We have told friends in the past who wanted to sail with us that they will need to have reserve class dining because that is where we eat almost every night 

[jennybenny]

Even if you asked your TA to look, or if they were put on a wait list (they should still ask to be put on a wait list), the best thing you can do is become a stalker on the Princess website. Save the cruise on Princess so it's easy to check availability when you log in, and hold the cabin if you see it available because it may go away. Then call immediately to have them book it. 

The difficulty is that they booked through a big box store and not sure of their (big box store's) willingness to make the change. 

Good luck

 

We've had luck with cabins opening up after final payment, but we had the wait list with Princess. Every time we've gotten off the wait list, it was because I found the availability.. 

Edited November 14, 2023 by jennybenny
clarification

[PacnGoNow]

2 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I can’t remember if there is a better way than manually checking Princess or TA website if a suite opens up on a specific cruise?
 

Have another couple that is joining us on April 20th cruise on Crown Princess but currently no suites are available. They booked a mini with the big box OTA but of course they aren’t going to check daily nor would I ask our TA to do that either.

 

Other than going through the manual process of searching that cruise up and then check, is there any other way to streamline searching for open cabins? 
 

Final payments is coming up at the end of next month (something might open up) and would like to help them move from their mini to a suite so they can join us for meals (I know we can go to MDR with them but would like to enjoy our suite benefits and no reserve mini are available either). 

Thanks,

John

Since final payment has not been made, I’d check with a PCL CVP and see if there are suites available that they may see, and the TA cannot see. 
 

If I were a TA, I’d gladly check every day for a suite sale.  Not sure their TA will do that though. JMO