Waiting List

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ILuv2Cruise

Guest
My boyfriend and I were planning on going to Hawaii with my family over Spring Break. However the trip was cancelled for certain reasons so we were looking to join my boyfriend's family on the March 19th Grand Princess Cruise out of Galveston, Texas. When we called to book we were told that they were sold out but we payed a deposit to be put on a Waiting List. We were put on the Waiting list around valentines day and started out at number 39. We are currently now number 30 on the waiting list and have been told that we are next to be called for any obstructed oceanview rooms on the emerald(i think?) deck. So we are basically sitting here waiting to see if anybody will cancel under that category of rooms. It is now March 9th and the ship leaves March 19th. I was just wondering if anybody else ever had any experience with the waiting list and what their luck was. Do you think we'll get a call before March 19th comes around?
Thanks for the help,
-Natalie
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
Your chances are good, as long as you live near the port. Airfare may be a bigger problem. I was wait listed on HAL to Hawaii for a very sold out December cruise out of San Diego. They called me 4 days before the cruise with an opening. But the cabin location was very bad and they refused to drop the price a dime. So I did not go.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Ah.. Im sorry that didnt work out for you. We dont live near the port but we are planning on driving to Galveston. We are leaving really early Friday morning. Right now prices dont really matter to us..we just want whatever is available. Im glad to know that you still had a chance 4 days before the cruise leaves. We have 7 days to wait and we are the next to be called for a room. Even though it will probably be a lower end room as far as location goes, I'm willing to take what I can get. I am a senior in high school and spring break was supposed to be my senior trip and its just not working! haha.
Thanks for the input :) Hopefully another cruise works out for you soon!
 
S

Snowblower

Guest
You have a good chance because of what Frank said about the airfare. You most likely are competing with people that will choke on the price of airfare this late in the game and decline the offer. As for you taking an obstructed view or even an inside stateroom is better than sitting home on spring break. Grand Princess is a nice ship and you will have a good time no matter where you park yourself at night!!! Good luck and hope it all works out. Please post back if it does.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Thank you for the support. You have a very good point with the people not wanting to pay airfare. I was thinking about that today and how most people, even if they are driving, would probably give up by now because of the price or because of how close it is and not being able to pack and get ready in time. So if they pull themselves out of the waiting list for those reasons, we probably have a good chance of getting a room. Also there is people who, unfortunately, end up getting sick or have weather problems or just something crazy that just so happens to fall right on their cruise week. If they end up cancelling as well then we'll have an even greater chance.
I always feel so guilty talking about people cancelling because I dont mean to sound so greedy Im just really excited for a VACATION. haha. Im just getting nervous because its really getting down to the wire and I have less than a week now to get called. My boyfriends mom was talking to her travel agent tonight and he told her that the only way we would get a room is if somebody on board ended up dying. I thought that was a pretty low way of looking at it but he said that most of the people dont cancel this late in the game because they wont get their money back.
Ahh anyways.. I'll keep you posted and let you know if we make it or not.
Hope you enjoy your upcoming cruises as I see you have lots of them on your last post! :)
Thanks for the comment,
-Natalie
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
There is more to my story. I called HAL every day up to and including the day the ship sailed. They refused to drop the price at all and said "marketing" decided that they would rather sail with an empty cabin rather than offer a discount. I was not greedy, I just wanted a token deal or something.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Ah im sorry it turned out like that. And thats pretty stupid to rather have an empty cabin than a discount. To me it makes no sense.
Well its down to 8 days and still no call. :p
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
You need to have your TA call them every day. And you call too. Here's a story my TA told me in confidence. She said that the cruise line will fax a wait list opening when they have a cabin come up. The TA has no more than 48 hours to respond. My TA confided she once went on short 3 day vacation and missed such a fax. So her client never got the cabin they wanted. She never told her client about the slip up. But she learned a lesson. If I were you, I would call the cruise line twice a day. If they give you the standard line that they will only talk to your TA, ask for a supervisor. Find out where you are on the list. If you or your family are past Princess passengers, tell them that. Good luck. But remember, it's Spring Break.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Yeah I have been calling everyday. We're still in the same spot. Some of them give me that whole "your travel agent will tell you" line but I just hang up and call back again until I get a different person who will tell me. Its just really irritating that we are ALMOST there but we arent. I mean we're next to be called and our cruise leaves on saturday (we're driving on friday morning.) So we are next to be called and we have until next thursday night to be called. ARGHH. You would think they could just find us ONE room. We are open for any category and for the majority of the cabins we are next to be called for.
Its just really frustrating. haha.

I cant say I have called twice a day but I do keep checking everyday. I dont care if they get sick of me calling. haha.
Thanks for your help and input! :)
-Natalie
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Still in same spot as of yesterday :( Havent checked today.
AHHHH im going crazy!! haha.
 
M

mlzangel78

Guest
ANy word yet i hope you get to go , i loved the grand princess, i was 25 when i went and i was not bored you will have a great time :)
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
Don't give up yet. Since most cruisers take out insurance these days, they often wait until the very last minute to cancel. I am not sure where you are on the list, but I bet cabins open up on Wednesday and Thursday.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
are you a frequent cruiser? I hope Cabins will open up!! bahh im going crazy! haha.
I guess I shouldnt get so excited about it. Im going to be really let down when it doesnt happen.
Thanks for your help! It means alot. :)
Natalie
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
I travel a lot. 2 or 3 cruises a year. Last year I booked a Ryndam cruise with 4 days to go and a Mercury cruise with 5 days to go. But neither were during Spring Break, like you. And as I said, a 14 day Hawaii on the Statendam for Christmas and New Years opened up with 2 days to go. I also book far ahead for a special cruise. I am on the Sapphire Princess for Devember 17th this year. I leave in 3 weeks on the Oosterdam. Good luck.
 
I

ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Wow you cruise alot. I think Ive only been on 5 or 6 cruises. My family loves to go on Royal Caribbean cruises. Have you ever been on one? Their favorite ship is the Mariner of the Seas. Ive only travled RCCL and Disney so thats why I am so excited to try out Princess and see how different/alike it is to the other ships ive been on.
Well I still have hope that we'll make it. I called this morning and we're still at the same spot. But I was thinking that we've been at this same spot for a week and a half now so we're bound to move up sometime. Its not like we JUST moved to this spot a couple days ago. We've been here for quite some time now. Thursday will be two weeks of being at this same spot.
Oh another question- whats your favorite cruise line/ship and what did you like about it? haha sorry for all the questions you just seem to be a cruise expert ;)
Thanks
-Natalie
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
Still number 30. Hmmm. When I was wait listed for that Hawaii cruise, I had a lot of people in front of me too. As you get closer, more people will cancel and more on the wait list may drop out. You still may get a chance on Friday. Just be ready to move. The last time I was wait listed the cruise line called me directly. For you, they will go through your travel agent. One thing not in your favor, you have never sailed on Princess. Princess is now owned by Carnival, so maybe you can use that if you have been on Princess before. Give me your e-mail and I will give you someone to call at Princess. I am at fblack_111@yahoo.com.

I have been on most cruise lines. My favorite ships are Millennium, the Radiance and the Star Princess. I am going on the new Holland America Oosterdam on April 2nd.
 
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ILuv2Cruise

Guest
Well what Princess told us was that even though we are number 30 on the waitlist, that does not mean that 30 people are ahead of you. Right now we are next to be called for an obstructed view- or so thats what we've been told. I called later on tonight however and we moved to 29. So the list is finally moving again!
My email is PrincessNat23@aol.com. I have been calling 1-800-PRINCES (1-800-774-6237) and thats how ive been checking on the waitlist. Does Princess choose to pick frequent princess cruisers rather than people who have never done a princess cruise before?
That number would be helpful.
Thanks for the help! :)
-Natalie
 
D

DJA

Guest
I think after Wednesday afternoon you're pretty much done, if you haven't filed an immigration form. The new security rules dictate that the lines have to submit their manifest to immigration three days before the ship leaves.
 
F

Frank Black

Guest
DJA:

I believe your are incorrect. In December I was offered a last minute cruise on Holland America just one day before the sailing. Maybe if someone was not a U.S. citizen, but I am not sure on that either.
 


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