Itinerary Changes

[C-Board]

Could anyone please tell me what happens when a cruise booked and paid in full has it's itinerary changed. If it is an itinerary you don't like are you able to cancel w/o penalty. What about post hotel stays/air fares paid and booked. Obviously, I am worried about the upcoming cruise to Egypt in April. I certainly understand if it is pulled because no one wants to be in the middle of a hot spot but just wondering how the chips fall if it were to happen. Has this happened to any of the CCers and how was it dealt with? Thks Marlene

[Jade13]

Could anyone please tell me what happens when a cruise booked and paid in full has it's itinerary changed. If it is an itinerary you don't like are you able to cancel w/o penalty. What about post hotel stays/air fares paid and booked. Obviously, I am worried about the upcoming cruise to Egypt in April. I certainly understand if it is pulled because no one wants to be in the middle of a hot spot but just wondering how the chips fall if it were to happen. Has this happened to any of the CCers and how was it dealt with? Thks Marlene

 

The cruise line does not have to do anything because of a change in ports (read your cruise contract).

 

With that said, last year when Egypt was pulled on three cruises in April/May, Azamara allowed passengers to cancel without penalty. They also gave guests $1,000.00 OBC (per stateroom) to stay on their cruise without Egypt and $500.00 OBC (per stateroom) if they switched to another itinerary instead of just canceling. They also offered up to $500.00 per person to cover airline change fees/difference in airfare to move flights or to cover non-refundable hotel charges. This was on condition that you just changed itinerary/dates and did not flat out cancel. The way it was done is that after you showed proof of your non-refundable fees it was given as a discount off the price of your new cruise/itinerary. $250.00 is the average airline change fee on a non-refundable flight, however, you still have to pay any difference in airfare and taxes, which can be considerable. There could also be some that purchased a consolidator flight on some website with a use it or lose it ticket. There wasn't anyone who posted on this site that I saw in that situation.

 

Note that we had a difference of opinion with Miami on what is considered a non-refundable hotel fee as our 3 night hotel stay was non-refundable but could be reused on a space available basis. Even though we showed Azamara what we had BEFORE we changed itineraries they went back on their word and refused to pay even after we provided a letter from the hotel chain that our charges were not refundable (Note that we offered to give Miami our vouchers which were transferable as we wanted the $500.00 discount we were told we would get before we made a change, but they refused). We are still trying to use our hotel vouchers.

 

Now this happened to us a second time as Egypt was canceled on our new itinerary later in the year and everyone could cancel without penalty. Note this change occurred before final payment date so in the US you could cancel without penalty anyway. This time they did not offer any OBC to anyone but since they lowered the prices to try to sell the new itineraries they just said everyone already booked would get the new prices. They did not do anything extra such as OBC for those already booked whose itineraries had changed. We looked at our options to switch itineraries (There was an Amazon cruise going out the same time period that we liked), but Azamara would not give us price protection to change to the other itinerary we preferred plus it was too much of a hassle to deal with Choice Air. So, the point is that passengers already booked last fall were only given what everyone else received, which was the new itinerary pricing.

 

Now, there is a difference between a port cancellation (such as Egypt) and complete overhaul of the itinerary or cruise cancelation. Passengers on the Journey transatlantic this fall recently found out that the cruise was canceled and ship going into dry dock and then heading to South America. This time passengers were offered $500.00 OBC to move to the new itinerary/dates.

 

I suspect passengers on the itineraries this fall that are being canceled will also receive the $500.00 OBC offer since the new itineraries 1), are not on the exact same dates, 2) start and end in a different port, and 3) do not resemble the original itinerary at all such as a Middle East cruise now going through Italy.

 

We are not retired yet and do not have as much vacation time as others on this board. Therefore, we are hoping Azamara will give us price protection on a cruise in 2013. It is not our fault that we have had Egypt canceled 3 times and drastic itinerary changes, but this time there is nothing else we want this year or that fits into our available time period. The changes with price reductions might work great for those retired (especially those already in Europe who can get inexpensive flights) who already take 4 or 5 (or more) cruises eat year. However, we are looking for itineraries to places that are new for us.

 

I hope this helps.

[Jade13]

So, Egypt has not been canceled yet on your April cruise?

 

If Egypt is not canceled in April then it means that the Egypt cancellations later this year are not related to world events, but are being changed because of poor selling itineraries.

[uktog]

So, Egypt has not been canceled yet on your April cruise?

 

If Egypt is not canceled in April then it means that the Egypt cancellations later this year are not related to world events, but are being changed because of poor selling itineraries.

 

I believe it is related to the Egypt situation as they have left Israel on the agenda for our cruise from what I can see. The cruises that were pulled had been selling well. Therefore, it is related to world events, in that they are not comfortable looking for more longer term bookings for Egypt.

 

Cruises in the immediate future may have different considerations such as the level of upheaval to change now, so they may be leaving stops in place and basing their considerations on a day to day basis - i.e. maybe they will stop maybe they will not - but for the further away ones such as October, their analysis of the longer term situation may have been such that taking steps now is fairer for passengers.

 

I would hesitate to speculate on "compensation" as that might set hares running - it will all become clearer very soon I am sure on these boards. I just hope any OBC is refundable or able to be withdrawn as cash at the casino as I have already had a portion from the cruiseline as a booking incentive and there is only so much I can buy on board, given that our budget is based on taking advantage of the 50% shore excursion offer

[C-Board]

The cruise line does not have to do anything because of a change in ports (read your cruise contract).

 

With that said, last year when Egypt was pulled on three cruises in April/May, Azamara allowed passengers to cancel without penalty

 

Thank you, great information. I hope you eventually get to see Egypt.