ladysail2

Actually I did ask a few days ago if an FCC can be used for a deposit and was told ‘no’ by a travel agent. I haven’t seen a statement in the Royal policy statements regarding their rule though…🤷‍♀️

Thank you both for your answers. What I didn’t understand is that there’s a difference between just cancelling a cruise and cancelling a cruise to book another one. Now, the policy is if one cancels a cruise that was booked after 5/31/2022…one loses the whole NRD. Am I correct? Some deposits are quite high..upwards of $500….what protection does one have to recoup a deposit if the cancellation is due to a severe reason such as serious illness or death in the family? Does travel insurance cover that in any way? Of course one can opt to pay the RD amount but I’ve seen those rates increase by a few thousand $$ (unless Royal has decreased those amounts). Sorry for all the question…thanks for any explanations..😊

Testing…

How does one recoup their deposit if a cancellation has to be made? Does RC still have the optional refundable deposit amount when booking a cruise? TIA 😊

I’ve already made a note in my documents re: OBC -> gift card , on my next Carnival cruise..😊. Thanks for all the info and tips!

I found my answer. I can use the gift card for the deposit. Thanks!

That’s an excellent idea, I truly believe it. I won’t even call it a theory..it’s too plausible. With the Carnival OBC given when booking, can one add funds to it and buy a gift card for the $100? Can a gift card be used for a deposit? Thanks in advance for any information! 😊

That’s what happened, the agency purchased cruise cash. A benefit to Carnival. My agent didn’t purchase it for some reason. Before my next Carnival cruise in 2025, I will start dropping a few hints that I hope the OBC is refundable. Fingers crossed. 😊. Yet, same agency and two days after the Carnival cruise I took a Royal Caribbean cruise and that OBC was totally refundable. That’s why I thought that perhaps Carnival had changed its policy and converted OBC purchases into Cruise Cash.

An OBC from the cruise line offered at booking is always non-refundable as far as I know. I thought an OBC from the cruiser’s travel agency was always refundable since it is usually a ‘gift’. Cruise cash is more of a ‘gift’ to the cruise line..in this case, Carnival. Buying a gift card would at least benefit me at some point in time!

I’ll keep checking of course, but it seems that I can count on being back by 2pm.

Wow..you must have had a few anxious moments, I’m glad you made it in time. I also like the 11.30 to Noon boarding….I don’t really like dragging around my carry-on bag. I can drop it off in the cabin, but it contains un-loseables and I don’t want the room steward to mistake it for a left behind bag.

Definitely will, just trying to gauge number of hours. Thank you!

I certainly will, I just wondered how much I would have to plan visits to a few places. Thanks!

I didn’t know that that worked anymore. I thought one had to use the full amount and only cash out any winnings. On Royal, I was able to cash out the refundable OBC, but not until the very last sailing day….I guess they hope one uses it up on the ship.

I did ask my travel agent and she knew nothing about it. She didn’t set up the ‘OBC’. The notice in the cabin said it was a ‘gift’ from a man’s name. Had no idea who he was. The travel agent said it was the owner of the agency. So who knows what happened? I know that they didn’t give me the amount stated on the invoice, and when they agreed, they added the missing amount to my Royal Caribbean cruise and it was ‘refundable’. It just seems unusual that on Carnival the OBC was non-refundable and on Royal it was refundable.

Does anyone know what the latest time that one can arrive for embarkation? On turnaround day on a B2B, I’d like to go off the ship and go to a few places. The ship leaves again at 4pm…..would it be prudent to be back at the ship by 2pm? Thanks so much!

Try looking at a few different booking sites that offer hotel comparisons with reviews. You would probably want to be fairly close to the port. Montreal offers a wide range of prices, hotel types and areas in which to stay. You might want to ask your question on the Canadian board too, they may have better answers. Good Luck!

Just booked this cruise yesterday. I know it’s early to ask…but who all is going??? Hopefully others will respond and we can get a thread going! Good week to all!

My travel agent/agency very nicely gave me an OBC for my last Carnival cruise. When I went to Guest Services to confirm that I had it, they told me that it was cruise cash, and therefore not refundable. Is this something new with Carnival, or did the agency do this on purpose? Cruise Cash is more of a benefit for the cruise line than for the cruiser, IMHO. Just wondering if this is usual on Carnival? Thank you.

On April 20, I tried to bring an empty ‘stubby’ water bottle on Carnival Paradise. The security person threw it right in the garbage. I said it was empty and I wanted to keep it. (It was the right size to fit in my purse). She said ‘ no plastic on Carnival’. Got to my cabin..and what’s waiting for me…my order of water in 12 plastic bottles. There were no signs saying that one cannot bring an empty plastic bottle on the ship. It was my property, not her’s. What a jerk! I’ll put it in my checked bag next time.

Went over it many times while visiting my parents. We were always going somewhere, but never saw a ship. That was before my cruising days….next week and the week after will be my 3rd & 4th round trip time under the bridge!

I imagine the sound of the horn scared a few drivers! Even if you could be driving on the bridge as a ship passed under, you wouldn’t be able to stop for pictures…☺️

Thank you for the reminder of going under the bridge. I’ll be doing it twice return, once on Carnival and once on Royal. Also, I’ve travelled on the bridge when my parents had a winter place in Ellenton. It’s a beautiful bridge.

I just watched a few videos about the ‘aft extended view’ balconies and you’re right. No loungers. Disappointing to say the least. Oh well, at least I won’t be expecting one now. Thanks for the heads-up!

As long as it fits me in a lounger with a cool drink on my hand…that’s all that counts! 😁