crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We are looking at booking the Freedom out of Ft Lauderdale Feb 2015. We were very excited about this cruise not only because my husband will turn 50 AND retire in February but also for the ports! ( We really want to sail to Aruba!!) Now I read all these rumors about the Freedom moving to Galveston :( I am really hoping this isnt true but if it is and we are already booked, with airfare purchased.....what happens?? We have really struggled finding a cruise with the ports we want, on a ship we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclue Posted March 1, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 1, 2014 You should always purchase travel insurance; that would cover you. WE were booked on the Sunshine Inaugural cruise from Venice to the Mediterranean....when Carnival realized the ship would not be ready on time; they cancelled the cruise. We were reimbursed all our expenses even the cost of our travel insurance and international flights. Regarding the Freedom, I think they will make that decision fairly soon. You can always go to Aruba on a Princess or Royal Caribbean out of FLL. eclue:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 Author #3 Share Posted March 1, 2014 You should always purchase travel insurance; that would cover you. WE were booked on the Sunshine Inaugural cruise from Venice to the Mediterranean....when Carnival realized the ship would not be ready on time; they cancelled the cruise. We were reimbursed all our expenses even the cost of our travel insurance and international flights. Regarding the Freedom, I think they will make that decision fairly soon. You can always go to Aruba on a Princess or Royal Caribbean out of FLL. eclue:rolleyes: We have looked at other cruise lines but Carnivals price is what keeps us coming back. We are really happy sailing with them :) We do plan on taking travel insurance this time after some family health issues really close to our last cruise. I guess thats what I was wondering is do they refund your airfare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortSideCruzan Posted March 1, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) We are looking at booking the Freedom out of Ft Lauderdale Feb 2015. We were very excited about this cruise not only because my husband will turn 50 AND retire in February but also for the ports! ( We really want to sail to Aruba!!) Now I read all these rumors about the Freedom moving to Galveston :( I am really hoping this isnt true but if it is and we are already booked, with airfare purchased.....what happens?? We have really struggled finding a cruise with the ports we want, on a ship we want. Hi Crazyboutdisney :) My wife & I had a 16-day B2B voyage booked on the Splendor out of New York. It was cancelled, Carnival reimbursed us 100%, and also gave us on-board credit towards our next voyage. Having said that, trip insurance is always wise.. Here is that dreadful cancellation letter....:( :) Edited March 1, 2014 by PortSideCruzan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMedik Posted March 1, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We are looking at booking the Freedom out of Ft Lauderdale Feb 2015. We were very excited about this cruise not only because my husband will turn 50 AND retire in February but also for the ports! ( We really want to sail to Aruba!!) Now I read all these rumors about the Freedom moving to Galveston :( I am really hoping this isnt true but if it is and we are already booked, with airfare purchased.....what happens?? We have really struggled finding a cruise with the ports we want, on a ship we want. Crazyboutdisney, We haven't had a cruise cancelled, but we did get moved from one ship to the replacement ship which was what we planned on when booking; Dream's home port was announced three years in advance (Unlike the way they announce things lately) and we knew she'd be replacing Glory so we booked a deck 6 aft wrap on Glory waaay in advance and we were automatically switched to Dream aft wrap deck 6. Luckily deck six aft wraps are the best aft wraps on Dream Class ships, but not really comparable to the size of Conquest Class aft wraps. If I were looking to book in the time frame you are looking and wanted to sail from Port Everglades I would book Freedom and plan to be switched to Magic........if the rumors hold true. :confused: They do give you the option of transferring the booking to any other ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmc500 Posted March 1, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) ( We really want to sail to Aruba!!) Now I read all these rumors about the Freedom moving to Galveston :( I am really hoping this isnt true but if it is and we are already booked, with airfare purchased.....what happens?. This happened to us in 2012. We were booked on the Ecstasy out of New Orleans. A few weeks before the cruise Carnival moved the ship to Port Canaveral. They then moved the Elation to NOLA and booked us on that. I would bet that if the Freedom moves, they will replace it with a similar class ship. Kevin C Edited March 1, 2014 by kmc500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy884 Posted March 1, 2014 #7 Share Posted March 1, 2014 This happened to my mom and dad, brother and his family (I think is was the Sunshine with the fire). Only my mom and dad had travel insurance. // They were only given three weeks notice. My brother's family just got money back, a certificate for discounts on a future Carnival cruise -- don't remember the percentage), and could make claims for non-refundable expenses. // What that doesn't cover though is scrambling to find another vacation last minute, higher air just three weeks out, etc. Instead of doing a Mexican Riviera out of California, they flew to Florida instead and did that MSC Italian line. (My parents just loved it and did a second week on the same cruise. They had talented students from a music school do the entertainment and there was a lot of classical music and not too loud (right up my parents alley). They have done lots of cruising and lines and till that trip Carnival was their favorite. MSC is now their new favorite. My brother (while he likes any vacation and always makes the best of things) said he didn't care much for that line, definitely prefers Carnival and RCCL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fla Senior Posted March 1, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We were booked over a year ago on Sunshine for this May. A few months ago Carnival decided to move Sunshine to Port Canaveral and send Dream to New Orleans. Our cruise was moved to Dream. Called Carnival and told them we wanted to go on the Sunshine. So they gave us the option to move our date up and cruise on Sunshine out of New Orleans or keep date and cruise Sunshine out of Port Canaveral. We opted to cruise out of New Orleans. They also gave us $100 OBC for our trouble. (We also had the option to cancel cruise with full refund). These things tend to happen frequently but the cruise line will typically work with you. Also be careful booking a cruise just for a port. Weather or port issues can always cause a port to be cancelled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingoftheicedragons Posted March 1, 2014 #9 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We were booked on the Legend for a Med cruise for October 2013--that cruise was canceled, and I heard about it through USA Today. It was up to us to reschedule, which we did and sailed on the Sunshine instead. We did have 11 months notice, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwrestler171 Posted March 1, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I didn't know they let you purchase airfare that far out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XLRATION Posted March 1, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We had our Carnival Spendor cruise cancelled recently because CCL decided to pull it out of NY. They tried to sell us on another cruise but did reimburse us in full and gave us future cruise credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger10! Posted March 1, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We've had that happen to us. They cancelled our sailing switched us to a different ship on with same ports we did last year. Wasn't happy so I called them and they switched us to a different ship again and new ports added a day from a 7 day cruise to an 8 day and didn't charge any extra. Luckily we did not have our flight booked yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky2 Posted March 1, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We are looking at booking the Freedom out of Ft Lauderdale Feb 2015. We were very excited about this cruise not only because my husband will turn 50 AND retire in February but also for the ports! ( We really want to sail to Aruba!!) Now I read all these rumors about the Freedom moving to Galveston :( I am really hoping this isnt true but if it is and we are already booked, with airfare purchased.....what happens?? We have really struggled finding a cruise with the ports we want, on a ship we want. I'm concerned about Freedom, too, as we're booked on B2B 1/18 and 1/24/15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 Author #14 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I didn't know they let you purchase airfare that far out. You are correct, usually its a minimum of 6 months out and some major airlines are further out than that. I have no idea when they will announce if they are moving it(if they really are) so it could be after we have purchased airfare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 Author #15 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Crazyboutdisney, We haven't had a cruise cancelled, but we did get moved from one ship to the replacement ship which was what we planned on when booking; Dream's home port was announced three years in advance (Unlike the way they announce things lately) and we knew she'd be replacing Glory so we booked a deck 6 aft wrap on Glory waaay in advance and we were automatically switched to Dream aft wrap deck 6. Luckily deck six aft wraps are the best aft wraps on Dream Class ships, but not really comparable to the size of Conquest Class aft wraps. If I were looking to book in the time frame you are looking and wanted to sail from Port Everglades I would book Freedom and plan to be switched to Magic........if the rumors hold true. :confused: They do give you the option of transferring the booking to any other ship. It would be great if they moved us to the Magic....especially if it was for the same fare!! But I dont think we would take the switch if it were to the Conquest. We are traveling with two other couples and they would really like to sail on a boat larger than that class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 Author #16 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We were booked over a year ago on Sunshine for this May. A few months ago Carnival decided to move Sunshine to Port Canaveral and send Dream to New Orleans. Our cruise was moved to Dream. Called Carnival and told them we wanted to go on the Sunshine. So they gave us the option to move our date up and cruise on Sunshine out of New Orleans or keep date and cruise Sunshine out of Port Canaveral. We opted to cruise out of New Orleans. They also gave us $100 OBC for our trouble. (We also had the option to cancel cruise with full refund). These things tend to happen frequently but the cruise line will typically work with you. Also be careful booking a cruise just for a port. Weather or port issues can always cause a port to be cancelled. Its more than just for Aruba, the other ports on this sailing are appealing for all of us. Its hard to find something for everyone when you are traveling with others :) We really wanted to sail on the Breeze but the dates just didnt work with when we could go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 1, 2014 Author #17 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'm concerned about Freedom, too, as we're booked on B2B 1/18 and 1/24/15. I am a planner and we like to book ahead and have plenty of time to plan and prepare. Its bothering me that we cant book with confidence....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky2 Posted March 2, 2014 #18 Share Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) You are correct, usually its a minimum of 6 months out and some major airlines are further out than that. I have no idea when they will announce if they are moving it(if they really are) so it could be after we have purchased airfare. On Delta you can book through 1/25/15 right now. Every day they add another day. We need a return flight on 2/1/15 for our Freedom B2B which should be available in another week. However, I won't book it till I know what's happening with Freedom. Wouldn't mind our 8-day Southern turning into a 12-day ending in Galveston. Just checking and it would be much cheaper flying from Detroit to FLL and returning from Houston. Adding a 12-day to our 6-day would give us 18 days at sea. Edited March 2, 2014 by Sparky2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 2, 2014 Author #19 Share Posted March 2, 2014 On Delta you can book through 1/25/15 right now. Every day they add another day. We need a return flight on 2/1/15 for our Freedom B2B which should be available in another week. However, I won't book it till I know what's happening with Freedom. Wouldn't mind our 8-day Southern turning into a 12-day ending in Galveston. Just checking and it would be much cheaper flying from Detroit to FLL and returning from Houston. Adding a 12-day to our 6-day would give us 18 days at sea. I would love to do a repositioning cruise!! I am not a very patient person.....lol This wait and see isnt easy :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingoftheicedragons Posted March 2, 2014 #20 Share Posted March 2, 2014 It would be great if they moved us to the Magic....especially if it was for the same fare!! But I dont think we would take the switch if it were to the Conquest. We are traveling with two other couples and they would really like to sail on a boat larger than that class. I think Freedom and Conquest are the same class--so they should be pretty similar in size, so I don't fully understand why you wouldn't accept a switch from Freedom to Conquest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redefinition Posted March 2, 2014 #21 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I got a 100% refund and 25% off my next cruise. Aruba - I just went there for a week. Just fly there and stay. It's too beautiful to miss out on it by only have a port day!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christmas Posted March 2, 2014 #22 Share Posted March 2, 2014 If the rumor is true I think Freedom will move to Galveston and Conquest to Fort Lauderdale. Conquest is the same class of ship as Freedom so I don't know why you wouldn't want to take the switch. News on the Freedom is expected to be released this week so I would hold off on booking until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwestgal Posted March 2, 2014 #23 Share Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) I didn't know they let you purchase airfare that far out. You took the words right out of my mouth:eek: Edited March 2, 2014 by Midwestgal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 2, 2014 Author #24 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I think Freedom and Conquest are the same class--so they should be pretty similar in size, so I don't fully understand why you wouldn't accept a switch from Freedom to Conquest. Your right! For some reason I was thinking it was in the same class as the Sunshine. My mistake :) So yes, we would consider the Conquest. Not that I have anything against the Sunshine or that class...we just sailed on her and loved it! But our friends want to sail on a little larger ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyboutdisney Posted March 2, 2014 Author #25 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I got a 100% refund and 25% off my next cruise. Aruba - I just went there for a week. Just fly there and stay. It's too beautiful to miss out on it by only have a port day!! That sounds like a good deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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