Cruise sold out/no waitlist?

[Robin7]

We've been looking at a Celebrity Cruise leaving Auckland, NZ, on March 2 and debarking in Honolulu on March 16. Because of various things, we've had problems pinning down the relatives we want to share this cruise with. Now I'm told by Celebrity there is only one cabin (we need three) and no waiting list.

 

Is that true? My inlaws are currently on a Princess cruise to Hawaii for which they were waitlisted last month and a cabin became available two days later. Does Celebrity really not have an option like that? We've never been on Celebrity, just HAL and Princess. Maybe I'm not using the correct term when I ask about being put on a waitlist. Any ideas???

 

Robin

[MoreCruisesNow]

Of course Celebrity will waitlist categories and particular staterooms.

 

However, Celebrity will NOT waitlist when a category is closed, which I take to mean that the number of waitlisted reservations equals or exceeds the historical cancellation parameters.

 

In other words, Celebrity will NOT waitlist when it seems unlikely that a stateroom will become available, which seems like a fairly honest and straightforward way to do things.

[Karynanne]

We are on this cruise, and yes it's been Sold Out for many months. This is an itinerary that Celebrity is just introducing this winter, and this repo is the last one of the Australia/New Zealand/Tahiti cycle.

 

You may want to wait until Dec., when final payments are due. Maybe some cabins will become available at that time.

 

Karyn

[Robin7]

We are on this cruise, and yes it's been Sold Out for many months. This is an itinerary that Celebrity is just introducing this winter, and this repo is the last one of the Australia/New Zealand/Tahiti cycle.

 

We're really hoping to get on this cruise as we see that the next time they do this itinerary is April 2009. My mother-in-law's health is fragile, and we really wanted to do this together and don't want to wait another year. Her mother and stepfather lived on Rarotonga for almost two years in the late 1970s when Grandpa had a massive heart attack and had to be medevac'ed home. They never returned so my inlaws never had the chance to visit them there.

 

We were hoping to take Mom to the island so she could see it and the people her parents had come to love so much. When Grandma and Grandpa died--five years apart--the number of island people who came to their funerals was amazing, and many of them had to drive long distances from the places they'd moved to here in the states. And I do understand that the stop at Rarotonga often has to be missed because it's a tendering stop. We'll just be praying we can go there!

 

I just spoke with an online travel agency that said we could be waitlisted for $500 per cabin. He also said the chances of getting staterooms between now and final payment was very likely. So we'll probably do it and cross our fingers.

 

I'm still wondering why the gal at Celebrity didn't offer me this option though.

 

Robin

[MoreCruisesNow]

Best be very careful of that travel agent.

 

I checked with a friend of mine and I can guarantee you that ALL CATEGORIES ARE CLOSED - which means that they cannot be waitlisted.

 

That's why the Celebrity person didn't offer to do it - even for $500...

 

And why I would be VERY careful of a travel agent who offered to do it for that.

 

I can absolutely guarantee you that Celebrity NEVER charges anyone anything for a waitlisted reservation (until it clears, of course).

[Cruise Junky]

The Travelling Gnome site is showing an Inside Guarantee as open.

[Karynanne]

Best be very careful of that travel agent.

 

I checked with a friend of mine and I can guarantee you that ALL CATEGORIES ARE CLOSED - which means that they cannot be waitlisted.

 

That's why the Celebrity person didn't offer to do it - even for $500...

 

And why I would be VERY careful of a travel agent who offered to do it for that.

 

I can absolutely guarantee you that Celebrity NEVER charges anyone anything for a waitlisted reservation (until it clears, of course).

 

I'm also suspect of anyone wanting $500, just to waitlist. Deposits are made for definite reservations.

 

Karyn

[Hebe]

We are also on this cruise and to be honest we booked it the day it opened and it sold out very quickly. My suggestion to you would take the one room that is open now (you can hold it for a deposit and cancel later) and continue to watch both the celebrity site and other offers. Final payment is due on December 23rd so I believe you will see some rooms open up then.

[Roland4]

Unless you are prepared to lose $1500, I would be very careful about the online agency's claim. I am a TA and I can confirm what everyone here is telling you about that itinerary being sold out and closed to any further bookings. Better to grab the one cabin you can and keep your fingers crossed until Final.

[Robin7]

Wow! Thank you. Cruise Critic members are such a great resource!

 

Since the inlaws are all (brother-in-law and his wife, as well as MIL and FIL) in the middle of the Pacific on their way to Hawaii on the Regal Princess, we decided to just wait until they get back to do anything definite. I checked several sites, and they all list an inside guarantee as available. Hopefully it will remain that way, and if it doesn't, we hope to be able to catch other ones as they open up. We really didn't want to shell out $1500 to be on a waitlist. Now I'm glad we didn't. And if they don't open up, I guess we'll have to book the one in April 2009.

 

Thanks for all the advice!

 

Robin

[Daffydd]

We've been looking at a Celebrity Cruise leaving Auckland, NZ, on March 2 and debarking in Honolulu on March 16. Because of various things, we've had problems pinning down the relatives we want to share this cruise with. Now I'm told by Celebrity there is only one cabin (we need three) and no waiting list.

 

Is that true? My inlaws are currently on a Princess cruise to Hawaii for which they were waitlisted last month and a cabin became available two days later. Does Celebrity really not have an option like that? We've never been on Celebrity, just HAL and Princess. Maybe I'm not using the correct term when I ask about being put on a waitlist. Any ideas???

 

Robin

 

 

Robin

There are still T/A's in UK offering 57 Inner Cabins @ £969 grade 9 Sports,Penthouse & Vista Decks

Highlights:

CruiseOnly:Auckland, Tauranga, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora, Fanning Island, Lahaina

is this the cruise they are also offering other cabins with flights,

We have been told before that a Lot of Travel Agents Hold cabins for their own clientel

[Robin7]

CruiseOnly:Auckland, Tauranga, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora, Fanning Island, Lahaina

 

No, the cruise we are looking for is from Auckland to Honolulu on March 2. But thanks for trying.

 

I spoke with Celebrity last night. They have category 5 staterooms available. We're still waiting for the family to disembark their current cruise before booking anything.

 

The Celebrity person I spoke with last night said that all the inside categories are closed because they have more people (and groups) on the waiting list than historically cancel. We may just have to switch to an Auckland-Sydney route that doesn't stop in Rarotonga.

 

But thanks for all your help.

 

Robin

[chessbriar]

There are at least 10 category 5 cabins available for the Mercury March 02 2008

[Daffydd]

Bobby, Donna Pam

 

 

Have left a message for Campbell Soup on Jewel Sept. 2-14 2007 Roll Call to get in touch ,has difficulty she has to go to the library because her DSL router died on Sunday Morning

 

David

[Daffydd]

Bobby, Donna Pam

 

 

Have left a message for Campbell Soup on Jewel Sept. 2-14 2007 Roll Call to get in touch ,has difficulty she has to go to the library because her DSL router died on Sunday Morning

 

David

 

 

Apologies wrong board

David

[gofish]

right now the Travelling Gnome site has 5 ocean view rooms available