What if a cabin mate cancels?

[Beth & Rob]

I've been on many cruises, never paid insurance, but never canceled. I am going in 3 weeks to the Caribbean. My cabin-mate who has now paid in full is having trouble with her boss letting her go. Airfare was already paid too.

 

She did pay insurance for the cruise. What happens to me if she cancels? They won't hit me for a single supplement will they?

 

Thanks for any help. There are other friends going so I have them to hang with so not worried about being alone. We are hoteling it both pre-and post cruise so of course that will cost us each a bit more, but I fear the 1.5 or 2X's charges for being single.

[cr8tiv1]

She will be reimbursed the percentage allowed. Unfortunately, her insurance does not cover you. You will need to pay a single supplement. The best solution is to find a replacement who will pay the fare and just change the name. It may have an added cost, that you might want to absorb.

 

A similar thing happened to me, but neither of us had insurance. She lost everything and I had to pay double. I tried to talk her into being a "no show" so I wouldn't have to fork out the extra. If she had given me time, I am sure I would have found someone to replace her.

 

I only travel with insurance now. It wasn't as costly as it could have been, but a lesson learned.

[Beth & Rob]

Well that would certainly be the end of that friendship for sure....... but there is airfare from LA to Florida as well as an expensive hotel for 4 nights. I don't know anyone that can take such an expensive vacation in just 3 weeks time.

 

IF I were to pay the insurance (can I even do that if I've paid in full already)..... would that cover me in the event she cancels?

[FlipperRae]

I would have your friend check if this would even be covered by her insurance...something tells me it isn't.

[MilliesMom]

Well that would certainly be the end of that friendship for sure....... but there is airfare from LA to Florida as well as an expensive hotel for 4 nights. I don't know anyone that can take such an expensive vacation in just 3 weeks time.

 

IF I were to pay the insurance (can I even do that if I've paid in full already)..... would that cover me in the event she cancels?

 

Please call Princess and ask them directly. You don't have to give your name etc to ask a question.

 

Insurance should cover their cancellation depending on the insurance terms, Princess doesn't lose the money for the cancellation so I don't understand why you would be charged double or even more for the cabin. Your friend is in the 75 - 100% penalty fee depending on when she cancells.

 

Most insurance companies will not allow you to purchase insurance AFTER final payment.

 

For our cruise this May, we have insurance thru insuremytrip.com (American Express). We paid extra to have insurance that would cover us in case my husband's work cancelled his vacation for any reason. It was an extra fee and not offered by most insurance policies.

 

I hope it will all work out and you both will be able to go.

[Nan_Sea]

Would it be possible for you to be the third person in a room with one of your other friends?

[catsforkids]

Please call Princess and ask them directly. You don't have to give your name etc to ask a question.

 

Insurance should cover their cancellation depending on the insurance terms, Princess doesn't lose the money for the cancellation so I don't understand why you would be charged double or even more for the cabin. Your friend is in the 75 - 100% penalty fee depending on when she cancells.

 

Most insurance companies will not allow you to purchase insurance AFTER final payment.

 

For our cruise this May, we have insurance thru insuremytrip.com (American Express). We paid extra to have insurance that would cover us in case my husband's work cancelled his vacation for any reason. It was an extra fee and not offered by most insurance policies.

 

I hope it will all work out and you both will be able to go.

I did not realize cancellation insurance covers when a fellow pax cancels from the cabin.

[flamomo]

It happened to me in 2011, 2 weeks before a Princess cruise. I expected to be hit with the supplement, BUT was not. When I called Princess and said I was still going, I was told that the 2nd fare for our cabin was alreay paid and I owed nothing. We had booked our precruise hotel through Princess, and that did not cost me anything more either.

 

My cabinmate and I live in different parts of the US, and each of us had booked her own air on their own, so there was no issue there for me.

 

My friend had to seek reimbursement from the Princess insurance. I guess she made out OK, as she never mentioned having a problem with it.

[cherylandtk]

Here is the situation:

The friend is today at 75% penalty, meaning she only gets 25% back from the cruiseline. IF her insurance covers her having to work (and except in specific policies, it usually doesn't) then this is a covered reason and she gets the 75% portion back from her insurance, and any airline cancellation fees. If it is not a covered reason, she gets nothing from her insurance and gets only the 25% from the cruiseline. It changes to 100% penalty at 14 days prior.

 

You would be covered by your insurance IF you have insurance AND your friend cancels for a covered reason. Her reason usually is not covered by most insurances, however, and you do not have insurance. If she cancels and gets a refund of any amount from the cruiseline (i.e. the 25%) then you will get socked with the upcharge/refare to a single rate.

 

Two suggestions:

1. Ask your friend to lay out the costs to her boss and explain how expensive his/her decision will be for her. Sometimes the boss does not realize the cancellation penalites and will change their mind when they see how much it is and realize how the employee will blame them for that loss. The boss may just see it as a scheduling problem, and not a $$$ problem.

2. If # 1 doesn't work, and her insurance won't cover her losses, offer to pay your friend the 25% yourself and have her be a no-show. You won't pay extra to the cruise line and she at least gets the amount back that the cruiseline would have allowed.

 

The prior advice to find someone else is still a third option.

 

Good Luck

[WendyG]

I can't believe her boss is not letting her go! Didn't he approve her vacation request? She booked and paid for the cruise and the airfare, if he makes her cancel HE should reimburse her all the costs and then you go on the cruise and she's just a no-show. Princess got their money, and you just pay for you.

 

I have a GREAT boss - he would never do that to me. I prepare for before and during my absence when I go on vacation, and I check in while I'm away (I love my job) :)

 

If I had more vacation time, I'd' go with ya! LOL I live in Ft Lauderdale :)

[monakayk]

2. If # 1 doesn't work, and her insurance won't cover her losses, offer to pay your friend the 25% yourself and have her be a no-show. You won't pay extra to the cruise line and she at least gets the amount back that the cruiseline would have allowed.

 

The prior advice to find someone else is still a third option.

Good Luck

ITA with the above post....if all fails...contact your other friends who are cruising and try to get into their cabin. There should be cabins still available for you to move into with an extra bed. Also, it would be cheaper to offer the 25% to your friend who cancelled than pay 200%!!!

 

One more suggestion: Have you checked on the cruise roll call..if a solo cruiser would be interested in sharing/splitting the cost of the cabin with you? Or either check with PCL and see if they could find someone cruising solo to share a cabin. That might be an option for you too.

 

Below is a link that solo cruisers use to share solo cruise prices. Sometimes they even 'chat' on that thread---who will be going on a certain cruise. Never know...you might find a cabin-mate there:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=851324

Good Luck!

[e71465]

This happened to my Mom when I had emergency surgery for appendicitis 2 days before our trip. With my encouragement, my Mom went without me, after getting on board she went to the purser's desk and told them I wouldn't be making the trip. She did not pay the single supplement and was happy to have the cabin to herself. I never called Princess to tell them I would not be going. I filed a claim with the insurer two weeks after she returned and was paid by them.

[Beth & Rob]

To be honest I'm not really sure it's her boss not wanting her to go or perhaps that is the reason she is giving me. We are friends, but not the buddy buddy type. I belong to a women's group and she is another member. There were 5 of us going..... 3 in another cabin already.

 

She told me she had another mini-vacation planned later in the month and I think she'd prefer to do that and as she paid the insurance on the cruise, she thinks this would be the easy way out.....by blaming her boss. She has a union position. there is NO WAY IN HELL she'd have a scheduled vacation denied.

 

So who knows what's really up with her, my concerns were with myself. I did speak with Princess. ( I have a great gal there and have used her several times)... As I had referred her... we would both lose the $25 referral bonus. No biggie. As her cabin is paid in full.. I would not be charged ANYTHING... The most it will cost me is that $50. We talked about changing cabins, but I got a terrific deal on an inside. My 3 friends are in a balcony. Rates are way higher so I'd have to cough up a bunch and then slam myself in with 3 already..

 

I had made the air reservations. They were non-refundable and non transferable. So that will be her problem to figure out. The only additional burden on the rest of us is the hotel. 2 nites pre and one night post at the Gallery one. So the split will cost us each a few bucks more....... but then on the bright side... I wanted to rent a golf cart to tour in Turks and Caicos and they only fit 4. :D

[cvpends]

To be honest I'm not really sure it's her boss not wanting her to go or perhaps that is the reason she is giving me. We are friends, but not the buddy buddy type. I belong to a women's group and she is another member. There were 5 of us going..... 3 in another cabin already.

 

She told me she had another mini-vacation planned later in the month and I think she'd prefer to do that and as she paid the insurance on the cruise, she thinks this would be the easy way out.....by blaming her boss. She has a union position. there is NO WAY IN HELL she'd have a scheduled vacation denied.

 

So who knows what's really up with her, my concerns were with myself. I did speak with Princess. ( I have a great gal there and have used her several times)... As I had referred her... we would both lose the $25 referral bonus. No biggie. As her cabin is paid in full.. I would not be charged ANYTHING... The most it will cost me is that $50. We talked about changing cabins, but I got a terrific deal on an inside. My 3 friends are in a balcony. Rates are way higher so I'd have to cough up a bunch and then slam myself in with 3 already..

 

I had made the air reservations. They were non-refundable and non transferable. So that will be her problem to figure out. The only additional burden on the rest of us is the hotel. 2 nites pre and one night post at the Gallery one. So the split will cost us each a few bucks more....... but then on the bright side... I wanted to rent a golf cart to tour in Turks and Caicos and they only fit 4. :D

 

So glad everthing worked out for you!! Enjoy your cruise and the golf cart :D

[Beth & Rob]

I can't believe her boss is not letting her go! Didn't he approve her vacation request? She booked and paid for the cruise and the airfare, if he makes her cancel HE should reimburse her all the costs and then you go on the cruise and she's just a no-show. Princess got their money, and you just pay for you.

 

I have a GREAT boss - he would never do that to me. I prepare for before and during my absence when I go on vacation, and I check in while I'm away (I love my job) :)

 

If I had more vacation time, I'd' go with ya! LOL I live in Ft Lauderdale :)

 

And I bet we'd have a blast too!

[caribill]

ITA with the above post....if all fails...contact your other friends who are cruising and try to get into their cabin. There should be cabins still available for you to move into with an extra bed. If she is moving into a cabin already booked by two others, then it would still be considered a cancellation of the original booking as Princess will now have a cabin it needs to sell. Also, it would be cheaper to offer the 25% to your friend who cancelled than pay 200%!!!

 

One more suggestion: Have you checked on the cruise roll call..if a solo cruiser would be interested in sharing/splitting the cost of the cabin with you? Same problem. If two solos move to one cabin, one cabin will be considered a cancellation with appropriate penalty. Or either check with PCL and see if they could find someone cruising solo to share a cabin. Princess will not do that. That might be an option for you too.

 

Below is a link that solo cruisers use to share solo cruise prices. Sometimes they even 'chat' on that thread---who will be going on a certain cruise. Never know...you might find a cabin-mate there:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=851324

Good Luck!

 

see above in red

[cherylandtk]

...( I have a great gal there and have used her several times)... As I had referred her... we would both lose the $25 referral bonus. No biggie. As her cabin is paid in full.. I would not be charged ANYTHING... The most it will cost me is that $50...

Please call this gal back and ask two specific questions: 1. 'I know her fare is paid in full now, but if she cancels today by calling Princess and gets 25% refunded per the cancellation policy, what will happen to my fare?" (Then, assuming you still get the same answer as first posted) 2. "Would you put that in writing to me in an email?"

 

Trust me on this one. I can point you to specific instances posted on this board where Princess charged the single passenger a re-fared amount when the cancelling passenger receives a partial refund of the fare. If they just don't show, or have a 100% penalty it is completely different. You need this assurance in writing to protect yourself and your money.

 

eta-Here is one instance that came to mind. Part of a much longer thread with a similar situation although the cancellation was for a medical (covered) reason and that passenger ended up taking the trip after all because the cancellation cost would have been very high. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=34796772&postcount=31

[Beth & Rob]

see above in red

 

You are absolutely correct. That is just what I was told yesterday by Princess. So I'm good to stay where I am. Have my own cabin... oooohhh yeah! It might just be a blessing in disguise. As long as it's just $50, I'm so good with that.

[SC LTC]

need advice, our cruise is leaving 4/13/13 the second person

is worried about her daughters medical issues, which i don't blame

her. was thinking if i can add someone else. Has anyone done this before?

thanks.

[cherylandtk]

need advice, our cruise is leaving 4/13/13 the second person

is worried about her daughters medical issues, which i don't blame

her. was thinking if i can add someone else. Has anyone done this before?

thanks.

You can substitute someone else as long as one person (you) stays the same. But you need to decide this soon, there will likely be a small charge -$50?- to change names this late, but it can be done. You might want to call Princess and ask of there is an absolute deadline to do this.

[SC LTC]

You can substitute someone else as long as one person (you) stays the same. But you need to decide this soon, there will likely be a small charge -$50?- to change names this late, but it can be done. You might want to call Princess and ask of there is an absolute deadline to do this.

 

Thank you. :)