waitlisting for a balcony...

[Rookiecruisers06]

One of my co workers and his wife have decided they want to go on the same cruise as we are going on, and when they contacted Princess, the rep told them they could get waitlisted for BA - BE balcony cabin, and if they become available, they would be able to upgrade.

 

They stated they really did not want the interior stateroom, and did not want to spend the extra for a mini suite...

 

Has anyone ever waitlisted for a particular style of room, and not received it?

[NZYU]

Our TA said that if we went on the waitlist for any category, we were more likely to get on board. The inside cabins, he said, are more likely to become available on a cruise.

 

He said the balconies and mini-suites are the most popular and are harder to get into.

 

Also, the rooms open up after the final payment is due.

 

Good luck. Hope your friends can get on board.

[ocngypz]

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.

 

I will agree that it is easier to waitlist for an inside rather than balcony.

 

Did Princess give them any indication where they were on the waitlist?

[Rookiecruisers06]

Yes, they were 50 something on the waitlist for the BA balcony on our deck...

[flamomo]

In 2005 we were waitlisted for a balcony - any category - on the Sun, were told we were #1 on the list, and were not able to get a balcony. We had booked an OV cabin because no balconies were available when we booked (almost a year out), and that's what we ended up being in. We kept checking, were told we were still #1 on the list and that it was very likely we would be able to get a balcony. But it never happened. We were rather disappointed, but enjoyed our cruise, nontheless.

[Kevin]

We were #180 on the waitlist for our upcoming cruise. I kept checking the Princess booking site for availability and when I saw a balcony cabin come available, I called, I gave them some more money, and they gave me the cabin.

 

I would not count on the waitlist actually working because others might jump in front using the same steps I followed.\

 

Have them actively look for available cabins. Fro my cruise there were several that appeared within a day or two after final payment.

[suziehmkr]

The waitlists do NOT always work. Have your friends check availability with an online agency like the one with the roaming gnome in the mornings - each & every morning - even a few times a day if it is that important to them.

 

We were waitlisted for any balcony quad for our holiday cruise. We were #12 on the list. But, the diligent person that I am, I was checking availability every day, several times a day if I could. I would see them pop up and then go away within an hour. I thought that it was because they would show until while they assigned it to the next waitlisted passenger.... NOT. By the time a quad showed up on Caribe deck, I called my TA and she grabbed it and then gave Princess a call to find out WHY these weren't going into the waitlist pool.... of course, they could not give her an answer.

 

To this day, I feel that we would have never come up on the list had I not been checking every day........ just some advise for your friends.