FCC-cancel before final payment day

[kao2002]

This may have been covered before, so I apologize if that is the case. Mostly I just lurk on the boards. Hopefully this may help someone...

 

I purchased a FCC and applied it to a cruise on the spot due to a promotion.

Today was the day of Final Payment, which I thought was the deadline to cancel without penalty. To my surprise, when I called to cancel, I was informed I would lose both FCC's used.

 

Guest Relations resolved the issue to my satisfaction quickly and painlessly :), but I did lose the FCC.

 

So, make sure you know the deadline to cancel for your particular sailing without loosing your FCC.

 

Hope this helps someone.

Kelly

[OVgirl]

Can you tell us what the final date would have been to get your FCD back?

What cruise was it for and when would you have sailed? I think many of us would assume that the final payment date would be the same as cancelling without loosing your deposit.

 

Sorry that you had to learn a hard lesson, but thanks for coming here and letting others know.

[kao2002]

Sure, no problem!

Sailing: ms Rotterdam on Jul 07, 2012

14-Day Fjords And North Cape

I would have had to cancel the day BEFORE final payment, so yesterday was the magic day.

[jtl513]

This has been brought up before. It applies to all deposits, not just FCD's. Final Payment day is the first day of the cancellation penalty period, not the last day before it.

[sail7seas]

Yes, we have talked about this before.

It's confusing and easy to fall into that 'trap'.

I wonder why so many of us get confused..... it must be in the way it is worded or told to us by the Future Cruise Consultant. Too many of us are making the same mistake for it to not be called a pattern.

 

IMO

 

OP.... I'm sorry you lost your deposits. Wish that had not happened to you.

[canadianbear]

I'm so sorry you lost your FCC....it's such a shame being a day late that it couldn't be put back in the "pool" so to speak. Thank you for bringing it to our attention again though-I am going to make a note to myself because we have a cruise booked in April 2013.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Actually this is the fault of HAL and they should word it better or make it that your cancel date is the same as refund date. Not all cruise lines do like HAL. Your Final date should be when you can cancel. :mad:

This is one thing that I think Holland America does very badly.

Sadly it is one of the few faults I have with Holland America. Final and cancellation date should always be the same date. Plain and simple!!!!

OP I feel sorry that you lost your FCC but it could have been worse you could have had a regular deposit and trust me you would have lost the whole thing.

[PathfinderEss]

This may have been covered before, so I apologize if that is the case. Mostly I just lurk on the boards. Hopefully this may help someone...

 

I purchased a FCC and applied it to a cruise on the spot due to a promotion.

Today was the day of Final Payment, which I thought was the deadline to cancel without penalty. To my surprise, when I called to cancel, I was informed I would lose both FCC's used.

 

Guest Relations resolved the issue to my satisfaction quickly and painlessly :), but I did lose the FCC.

 

So, make sure you know the deadline to cancel for your particular sailing without loosing your FCC.

 

Hope this helps someone.

Kelly

Yes we have discussed this before but your situation brings it up front again. It should reminds us all that we need to pay attention to dealines. I'm really sorry you lost your FCC.

[Jemima]

My PCC always emphasizes that the last day to cancel without penalty is the last business day before the final payment date.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

I am so sorry that you lost your deposit money.

[Gig Harbor Gal]

Just curious kao2002: how did Guest Relations resolve the issue to your satisfaction, even though you lost the FCC?

[kao2002]

Guest Relations credited the amount I paid for the two FCCs toward on board credit to another cruise. I lost the flexibility and on board credit bonus that comes with a FCC, but I will take that over $200 out of pocket.

 

I see people thought all was lost, sorry about that. It is hard to know how much detail to put into these posts.

[northernphoenix]

We purchased three FCC on our Volendam ALaskan cruise sept/09. when we aranged our Baltic cruise Sept/12, we offered all three FCC and HAL used one to reserve our deluxe suite, and now we plan to use the next two for our Med cruise in 2013. when is the latest date that we can arrange for the Med???

[kao2002]

The last time I bought one I applied it just a few days before final payment. It would just be a matter of if the cruise/stateroom you wanted was still available.

A FCC can "float" for up to 4 years.

 

Here is a link to HAL's website that will help you, hopefully.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/travelAgentHQ/e_FCC2011_TA_consumer.html

[sail7seas]

Actually this is the fault of HAL and they should word it better or make it that your cancel date is the same as refund date. Not all cruise lines do like HAL. Your Final date should be when you can cancel. :mad:

This is one thing that I think Holland America does very badly.

 

Sadly it is one of the few faults I have with Holland America. Final and cancellation date should always be the same date. Plain and simple!!!!

 

OP I feel sorry that you lost your FCC but it could have been worse you could have had a regular deposit and trust me you would have lost the whole thing.

 

 

Thanks, Lisa.

I have felt it couldn't be so many of us 'not getting it'. It had to be somewhere in the wording of HAL's cancellation/refund policy.

 

Logic tells us penalty starts on date final payment is due but for HAL apparently not.

 

 

[RuthC]

Keep in mind that the penalty period can start long before final payment date when you have booked a longer cruise, or a segment of a Grand Cruise.

The penalty period for some cruises can be as far out as 120 days, even though final payment comes at the 90 days out mark.

It's always best to check, and not assume for your particular cruise.

[sail7seas]

Good advice, Ruth.

You're right. :)

[cruzn single]

We cancelled after our final payment date. I was told would lose FCC, even though we still had three more years to use FCC!! Girl was quite rude that I talked to, but I waited about two weeks and then called back, and funniest thing, our FCC's are attached to our Mariner number. So, not lost after all. (Although doubt if we will use the FCC's as we aren't planning another HAL sailing, period.)

[pms4104]

We purchased three FCC on our Volendam ALaskan cruise sept/09. when we aranged our Baltic cruise Sept/12, we offered all three FCC and HAL used one to reserve our deluxe suite, and now we plan to use the next two for our Med cruise in 2013. when is the latest date that we can arrange for the Med???

The future deposits are good for 4 years ... you must book your sailing before the expiration date, that is the date that the future deposit was purchased/processed to your credit card. I think the deposit confirmation letter is dated, and that determines the expiry 4 years later. You do not have to sail within that 4 years, but you must book your cruise within that timeframe or lose the $100/person future deposit.

[KirkNC]

Keep in mind that the penalty period can start long before final payment date when you have booked a longer cruise, or a segment of a Grand Cruise.

The penalty period for some cruises can be as far out as 120 days, even though final payment comes at the 90 days out mark.

It's always best to check, and not assume for your particular cruise.

 

Exactly, don't assume you are fine by canceling one day before final payment date as it is dependent on the cruise you booked.

[northernphoenix]

The future deposits are good for 4 years ... you must book your sailing before the expiration date, that is the date that the future deposit was purchased/processed to your credit card. I think the deposit confirmation letter is dated, and that determines the expiry 4 years later. You do not have to sail within that 4 years, but you must book your cruise within that timeframe or lose the $100/person future deposit.

 

Many thanks for the clarification. We should be well within these parameters,

Marilyn

[Cruzin Terri]

This may have been covered before, so I apologize if that is the case. Mostly I just lurk on the boards. Hopefully this may help someone...

 

I purchased a FCC and applied it to a cruise on the spot due to a promotion.

Today was the day of Final Payment, which I thought was the deadline to cancel without penalty. To my surprise, when I called to cancel, I was informed I would lose both FCC's used.

 

Guest Relations resolved the issue to my satisfaction quickly and painlessly :), but I did lose the FCC.

 

So, make sure you know the deadline to cancel for your particular sailing without loosing your FCC.

 

Hope this helps someone.

Kelly

The same thing holds true for HAL's insurance. A lesson I learned the hard way.

Terri