Cruise Cancellation Advice

[hiworldtraveler]

You folks always provide such valuable information at this site so I know you have some ideas for me on this situation.

 

I have friends who are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in March 2016 with final payment due in December 2015. I believe EZ air and pre-cruise stay is also included in the plans. All booking was done through Princess. Unfortunately, the wife is strickened with cancer among other health issues and currently going through chemo so the trip needs to be cancelled.

 

The cruise was booked with FCC (which expires at the end of the year) and a lot OBC from veteran, missed ports, etc. What would be the best way for them to preserve their FCC & OBC? Cancel the trip or roll it over to another cruise? Their son and daughter-in-law are also part of the group, what would they lose since they are not sailing without the parents? What can they do to preserve their investment?

 

Looking forward to your suggestions.

[Pam in CA]

If they cancel, their FCC goes back onto their Captain's Circle account. I haven't been successful in extending the FCC but I think others have.

 

Any OBC given by Princess for issues on a past cruise will also go back to their Captain's Circle account. If there's an expiration date, there won't be any extension. Military OBC is automatically applied to every cruise booked.

[tetleytea]

SS about your circumstances.

[Murphey]

Cancelling before final payment, with everything booked through Princess, should make everyone whole again.

 

May I add something personal. I obviously don't know the exact circumstances however, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February and immediately thought of cancelling our many plans. But I knew I had until final payment to make a real decision. At final payment date, I a 50/50 chance of going on a cruise scheduled 8/31. I threw insurance at the trip...it was my carrot during some dark times. My early diagnosis was quite grim. My oncologist gave me clearance to go yesterday. I am still in treatment. What I want to say is that in the early days of diagnosis, things can and will change rapidly. You have time to let things sort themselves out. Good luck and God speed.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Murphey

[mellon1]

Cancelling before final payment, with everything booked through Princess, should make everyone whole again.

 

May I add something personal. I obviously don't know the exact circumstances however, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February and immediately thought of cancelling our many plans. But I knew I had until final payment to make a real decision. At final payment date, I a 50/50 chance of going on a cruise scheduled 8/31. I threw insurance at the trip...it was my carrot during some dark times. My early diagnosis was quite grim. My oncologist gave me clearance to go yesterday. I am still in treatment. What I want to say is that in the early days of diagnosis, things can and will change rapidly. You have time to let things sort themselves out. Good luck and God speed.

 

Murphey,

 

So sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My DH just got diagnosed and had surgery and we are waiting to see what happens on Tuesday as we meet with the Cancer Center. We booked, but I didn't get insurance. I usually get it when we make final payment. I don't know if the cancer condition would be covered under this, and as I understand Princess only gives you a cruise, not repayment.

 

I am so happy for you that you can go on the cruise. My husband is very upset he may not be able to go. I have been cramming reading and they say that you may have a diagnosis of cancer, but prognosis is your race to run and you can change it.

 

Prayers.

Edited August 8, 2015 by mellon1

[Murphey]

Murphey,

 

So sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My DH just got diagnosed and had surgery and we are waiting to see what happens on Tuesday as we meet with the Cancer Center. We booked, but I didn't get insurance. I usually get it when we make final payment. I don't know if the cancer condition would be covered under this, and as I understand Princess only gives you a cruise, not repayment.

 

I am so happy for you that you can go on the cruise. My husband is very upset he may not be able to go. I have been cramming reading and they say that you may have a diagnosis of cancer, but prognosis is your race to run and you can change it.

 

Prayers.

 

Thank you for your kind words. Here's what I learned about Princess insurance during this (platinum).

 

If you cancel "for any reason", and you have a pre-existing condition, you will get "credit" back. However, if you buy your insurance on the same day that you book your cruise, you get $$ back.

 

So, I'm my case (as you can see by my signature) we are booked on a med cruise next May. But, I bought the insurance the day I booked the cruise. If I cancel I get all my $$ back except for the insurance payment. In my case we didn't want to wait for final payment because if we miss that cruise, it means there will not be an opportunity for me to just take credit to use later. So I risk the insurance payment.

 

Did that just make sense??

[AE_Collector]

If they cancel, their FCC goes back onto their Captain's Circle account. I haven't been successful in extending the FCC but I think others have.

 

One phone call extends a soon to expire Future Cruise Deposit for another two years. If not, a credit will soon appear on the credit card used to purchase it OR a check will arrive in the mail.

 

Terry

[Colo Cruiser]

You folks always provide such valuable information at this site so I know you have some ideas for me on this situation.

 

I have friends who are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in March 2016 with final payment due in December 2015. I believe EZ air and pre-cruise stay is also included in the plans. All booking was done through Princess. Unfortunately, the wife is strickened with cancer among other health issues and currently going through chemo so the trip needs to be cancelled.

 

The cruise was booked with FCC (which expires at the end of the year) and a lot OBC from veteran, missed ports, etc. What would be the best way for them to preserve their FCC & OBC? Cancel the trip or roll it over to another cruise? Their son and daughter-in-law are also part of the group, what would they lose since they are not sailing without the parents? What can they do to preserve their investment?

 

Looking forward to your suggestions.

 

 

We had a family member extend theirs however they were required to have a current booking. ;)

[Pam in CA]

One phone call extends a soon to expire Future Cruise Deposit for another two years. If not, a credit will soon appear on the credit card used to purchase it OR a check will arrive in the mail.

They wouldn't do it for my daughter whose FCC was going to expire. I just wanted another six months. It was a flat refusal. I can only give you my experience.

[cactusrose]

I've had FCC extended twice but in both instances I was booking a cruise that would sail after the FCC expires. Princess extended the expireng FCC just until the sail date of the cruise I was booking so that I could use it on that booking.

[BroncoLvrs]

Cancelling before final payment, with everything booked through Princess, should make everyone whole again.

 

May I add something personal. I obviously don't know the exact circumstances however, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February and immediately thought of cancelling our many plans. But I knew I had until final payment to make a real decision. At final payment date, I a 50/50 chance of going on a cruise scheduled 8/31. I threw insurance at the trip...it was my carrot during some dark times. My early diagnosis was quite grim. My oncologist gave me clearance to go yesterday. I am still in treatment. What I want to say is that in the early days of diagnosis, things can and will change rapidly. You have time to let things sort themselves out. Good luck and God speed.

 

 

Murphey,

 

So sorry to hear of your cancer but very happy you are going ahead with your travel plans! I had always wanted to cruise but never could find the right time. In 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer (I'd lost my sister six years before to breast cancer) and on the way home from the doctor's office I stopped and booked our first cruise....Alaska in 2011. As you said, it helped get me through some tough times.

 

Praying you have a wonderful cruise!

[likeadisguise]

Thank you for your kind words. Here's what I learned about Princess insurance during this (platinum).

 

If you cancel "for any reason", and you have a pre-existing condition, you will get "credit" back. However, if you buy your insurance on the same day that you book your cruise, you get $$ back.

 

So, I'm my case (as you can see by my signature) we are booked on a med cruise next May. But, I bought the insurance the day I booked the cruise. If I cancel I get all my $$ back except for the insurance payment. In my case we didn't want to wait for final payment because if we miss that cruise, it means there will not be an opportunity for me to just take credit to use later. So I risk the insurance payment.

 

Did that just make sense??

 

To clarify, you have to PAY FOR the insurance when you put down your deposit for the cruise. This is above and beyond the required $$$ deposit (or Future Cruise Deposit). If you just have elected to have the Princess protection but haven't paid for it yet, the pre-existing look-back period doesn't start looking back until you actually pay for it.

[AE_Collector]

Maybe I just got lucky. It was around the middle of June and I called in, they took the info and said to check online in a week or so. I think thatbtheybconfirmed the credit card I purchased with was still valid (to increase the liklihood that it would still be valid in the future if they needed to refund it. I checked online after a week or more and it had a new date two years into the future. I think it might have been two years exactly from the old expiry date rather than two years from the date they extended it.

 

I dont really understand why they would be hard to get along with about this as they really push buying FCC's while onboard. It isnt like an FCC was something you won that they hope will expire before you use it. But I guess anything is possible. I always thought the shorter two year expiry was to get you to look at using them sooner to book a cruise but also to force you to check in more often and update credit card info so they are more likely to be able to refund to you without a big ordeal when they do expire.

 

Terry

 

We had a family member extend theirs however they were required to have a current booking. ;)

 

They wouldn't do it for my daughter whose FCC was going to expire. I just wanted another six months. It was a flat refusal. I can only give you my experience.

 

I've had FCC extended twice but in both instances I was booking a cruise that would sail after the FCC expires. Princess extended the expireng FCC just until the sail date of the cruise I was booking so that I could use it on that booking.

Edited August 8, 2015 by AE_Collector

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February and immediately thought of cancelling our many plans...What I want to say is that in the early days of diagnosis, things can and will change rapidly...

 

Congrats on being cleared to travel! You are correct in that things can change quickly in the early stages of a diagnosis, especially if you haven't had a second opinion yet. Best wishes going forward.

Edited August 8, 2015 by SoCal Cruiser78