Harmony altered cruise details just received

[Cruiseathoning]

Miami is likely to be evacuating soon.

we are due to fly to Fort Lauderdale but think we are going to fly to New York instead spend a few days there, then fly jfk to Fort Lauderdale Monday,, what do you think of the chances of harmonys Tuesdays departure changing?

 

I think an objective person would currently view any form of marine travel originating in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on next Tuesday as unlikely.

[shellunderwater]

Personally, if I had to fly in....

 

I would take the full refund. Travel to there is going to be a nightmare, if possible. Hotels are going to be questionable.

 

Take the refund and book a trip to Vegas or Phoenix or.....

 

If I lived near, and could drive to the port AFTER the storms are gone, might be different.

 

None of this is my way of saying anyone else is wrong, just offering a thought. Everyone has to base their decision on their situation. But, its vacation, a time to relax and enjoy and I don't want to try THAT hard to get there and have it be a mess. Cut and run, lots of other options.

 

We are on the Oasis on the 17th, so we've pondered the options for Irma/Jose. We are sitting tight at this point. We feel bad for folks impacted.

[kimberley]

I am on the Harmony now. We have been told we MAY not make it back to Fort Lauderdale for Saturday. Luckily I'm on a Facebook page for the sailing of the 9th otherwise I wouldn't know any of this. We are b2b so it doesn't impact on us too much accept we will only be going to Cozumel now.

The Captain is going to make an announcement at Noon. Also I guess there is no guarantee of actually getting back to port on Tuesday. It all depends on the Hurricane

[gazzy2k]

Hi again

I've just a received a call from RCCL, regarding the itinerary change & benefits i am to receive for still joining the ship on tuesday,

we will receive a certificate towards my next cruise 50% of the cost of this cruise.

also 50% on board credit which can be refunded to our credit card on leaving the ship.

 

also i asked regarding the beverage package & after speaking to his team leader he confirm that this will be refunded pro rata to my card also

 

thank you

[Corby114]

As most people know it's safer for a ship to stay at sea away from a hurricane or tropical storm than attempt to dock when a serious storm is approaching the area. Hurricane Irma unfortunately is a storm of the century that will cause unprecedented damage wherever it winds up. Royal Caribbean made the right decision keeping the Allure, Oasis, and Harmony at sea until it's safe for them to return after the hurricane passes. If I was personally cruising from Florida this coming weekend I would cancel and use the refund for a sailing in the future. Florida is not the place I want to be stuck in with no power, no food, no power,etc. Please pray for Florida and hope the storm turns around and heads for the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

[Christefan]

Official update from RCL on 09/06/2017:

 

Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise

 

The new departure date will be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico. We know this change is disappointing, and we are truly sorry. Should you choose to sail with us we will provide you with a refund of 50% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, and an additional 50% future cruise credit.

 

If you are unable to travel and need to cancel next week’s cruise, we will provide you with a 100% future cruise credit. Pre-booked shore excursions will be refunded to your original form of payment, and you will have the ability to book excursions in our new port of call once onboard.

[ColoradoGurl]

I don't really see it as a free cruise. They are cutting the cruise a little less than half, basically. Plus, the ports have been reduced to one, rather than three, so less port fees to pay. It only seems right to give back the days and port fees you are no longer cruising/using, so 50% of what you paid seems right on paper. Then they are giving you 50% of what you paid on this cruise as credit toward the next cruise. This is a nice gesture compared to the 25% toward the next cruise after those cruises were cancelled.

 

If this was still a full 7-day cruise and they were giving back 50%, plus 50% toward another cruise, I see that as a free cruise. But we are only offered 4-days and only one port. With us on the Allure, we were offered Nassau, which may still be damaged in the hurricane, hopefully not.

 

We are coming in from California. Flying over to Florida for a 4-day cruise with only one port does not sound appealing to us. We also don't want our money to be tied up with one company, either.

 

 

Hmmmm, ok, yeah I see your point. So it's more like a free "extended 4 days" of your cruise, but not consecutive days, for the price of 7.

 

I guess it's an attractive offer for those who would still like to get on a ship and have a piece of their vacation rather than cancel it altogether. But for others, it may be a hassle because it requires another airline purchase and as you said, requires that you plan your next trip on RC for a cruise, when you may have preferred to do something entirely different for your next vacation.

 

In that case, at least you can get 100% of your money back. As long as it's in the form of actual money, and not a future cruise certificate.

 

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

I be flying from London tomorrow first thing, what are the chances RCL Will compensate me for the hotel stay before I cruise for the 4 day, I just spoke to an operator and she's no help what so ever, she claims no manager is around til 3 and half hours later. I'm stuck in limbo as I've chose to stay in Miami a few days before the cruise.

 

 

I can't think of a reason that would convince them to compensate you for a hotel stay that you already had planned and was part of the vacation that you're still taking.

 

Even if you decided to cancel the 4 day option, if the hotel was booked separately, they aren't responsible for refunding you that piece of the vacation, and if for some reason the hotel already has your money and won't give it back, that's an issue to take up with the hotel company.

 

But it sounds like what you're asking is if you still go to Miami to take the 4 day cruise, can you get a partial refund for the hotel too...why not also your air flight? If you booked a few days extra to enjoy Miami, and you did in fact go to Miami and completed that portion of your trip, then nobody will feel the need to wrap that cost into the cruise. While it may have been a part of your cruise vacation in your planning, it will be seen as a totally separate vacation. I don't think you'll be able to convince anyone to give you anything on that, sorry.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

I completely agree. We booked with the kids sail free and got a killer deal for our oasis 9.10 sailing ($1,398 for 3 people) Since they only give you the credit on the cruise fare, we would only get $325 back for 50% and $650 for 100%. Even if you add in the full refund of 1398 plus 650, we cannot book another 7night cruise on ANY ship, let alone oasis class, for that price now that they will not honor the kids sail free.

 

I am waiting for a supervisor to call me back tomorrow regarding my reservation because that doesn't seem fair to not give you the amount to rebook the trip. if you are saying it is 100% cruise credit, then I should be able to rebook my cruise at 100% of what I paid, not 150%.

 

Fl is in state of emergency and your area could be declared for evacuation prior to sail date. In that case file w your travel insurance.

 

Royal is offering refunds and credits, not future price protection. They usually do price protection if they had control over cancellations or modifications, but not for acts of God.

[ColoradoGurl]

After reading a few more posts I've gathered that there are kind of 2 issues here. 1) is that you (Sweetieslove) already planned to be in Miami for a few days before the cruise and are wanting them to wrap that cost into the deal they're giving, which, as I stated above, I don't think they'll do.

 

2) For those of you who want to take the deal, but can't change your flights (or it would be too expensive to do so), will now have to pay for additional nights at a hotel because instead of leaving on the weekend, you're now having to wait until Tuesday. In that case, I feel like they could decide to offer you something if you got the right person on the phone, like maybe extra OBC, but they won't offer it up publicly as part of the deal.

 

I think they are basically telling you that if you want to come to Florida, and you are willing to extend your hotel stay, or pay the change fee for your flight, then they'll offer you the 50% deals on the cruise portion, but it's up to you if you want to pay more money to stay in the hotel in order to still do the cruise and get the deal.

 

Sweetieslove, in your case I think it will be a crapshoot because for some reason your flight tomorrow morning hasn't been cancelled, so the airline isn't going to refund your money, but the cruise line is already telling you before you leave that the sailing has been altered. If you choose to get on the plane, you are choosing to extend your hotel stay even further than you already planned. It might cost less to pay the airline change fee, or in some way argue with RC that you were already in Miami when you got the email, though that would really be a lie :/ And even if it weren't a lie, and you really were already in Miami, it would still take getting the right person on the phone to offer you some extra OBC, but that's really as much as I think you can hope for, if that.

 

 

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Edited September 6, 2017 by ColoradoGurl

[bouhunter]

Personally, if I had to fly in....

 

I would take the full refund. Travel to there is going to be a nightmare, if possible. Hotels are going to be questionable.

 

Take the refund and book a trip to Vegas or Phoenix or.....

 

If I lived near, and could drive to the port AFTER the storms are gone, might be different.

 

None of this is my way of saying anyone else is wrong, just offering a thought. Everyone has to base their decision on their situation. But, its vacation, a time to relax and enjoy and I don't want to try THAT hard to get there and have it be a mess. Cut and run, lots of other options.

 

We are on the Oasis on the 17th, so we've pondered the options for Irma/Jose. We are sitting tight at this point. We feel bad for folks impacted.

 

Unless something has changed this morning, they aren't offering "full refunds", just a credit for a future cruise. In that case there isn't an option to "cut and run to Vegas"...... At least not with any refund money.

[Tony20]

How does the 50% future cruise credit work? Is there a time limit? Does it need to be used in one shot on a cruise? For example, if the 50% credit is $1,000, can it be applied to two short cruises?

 

I know I could ask RCCL, but you all are always smarter.

[Cruiseathoning]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?cone#contents

 

There is one M on Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale.

 

There is another M on Port Canaveral.

 

I would say full refunds at some point are a solid prediction.

[shellunderwater]

Unless something has changed this morning, they aren't offering "full refunds", just a credit for a future cruise. In that case there isn't an option to "cut and run to Vegas"...... At least not with any refund money.

 

Good point.

 

I should clarify we are planning a cruise next year. Thought about booking it on the ship. So, while it might work for us, it might not fit for all others.

 

As I said, not telling anyone what to do.

[Jameslauren]

Our airline (aer lingus) let us change our flight (outbound) free of charge to New York and if our cruise is cancelled they will allow us to change our return while we are in New York,, but we really hope the harmony sails on Tuesday as we can book our next cruise on board as it will work out cheaper doing it that way rather than getting a refund and then having to book it in our local travel agents in Dublin who then will charge us there fee's and commission and we really can't wait to sail on harmony even if it's only for 4 days this time.

 

If hypothetically harmony docked in Fort Lauderdale Sunday or Monday would they sail back out the same day it would they still wait to Tuesday ???

[Clarea]

How does the 50% future cruise credit work? Is there a time limit? Does it need to be used in one shot on a cruise? For example, if the 50% credit is $1,000, can it be applied to two short cruises?

 

I know I could ask RCCL, but you all are always smarter.

My experience would suggest that the FCC has a one year time limit and must be used on one cruise.

[njmomof2]

How does the 50% future cruise credit work? Is there a time limit? Does it need to be used in one shot on a cruise? For example, if the 50% credit is $1,000, can it be applied to two short cruises?

 

I know I could ask RCCL, but you all are always smarter.

 

Generally, FCCs are good for one year. I have never seen them allow them to be split between cruises. That's because they actually retain your booking number, so they apply it to a new cruise in whole.

 

And please remember that the credit amount is a portion of CRUISE FARE ONLY. That means that you need to subtract out the port fees and taxes from that number. So if your cruise cost you $2,000, you're not getting an FCC of $1,000. You need to look at your original invoice and see what amount is cruise fare only, then half that amount.

 

For those that take the shortened cruise, I would also assume that they are going to refund the portion of port fees (since you're only hitting 1 port) as OBC as well, but that's not been confirmed anywhere.

 

I understand the logistics of what's happening, but I personally don't find the option to cancel and take an FCC for your full cruise fare amount (again, if you do that, they really need to refund your port fees and taxes) appealing. Especially when I can't see anyone wanting to fly into a post Cat 4-5 hurricane zone just 2 days later. And for those who were flying into Florida for a Saturday/Sunday departure, while the airlines are only too happy to change flights for no fee (which usually happens when these sort of weather issues occur), what happens if you change the flight to Monday night/Tuesday morning, only to discover that they cancel the cruise like they did with Liberty this past Sunday? You're on the hook for air at that point.

 

I'd normally advise waiting and seeing what transpires in the next couple of days, as the hurricane forecast/path becomes clearer. I'd think that if Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Port Canaveral take direct hits of a Cat 4/5, nothing is going out on Monday or Tuesday. Passengers might then get a full refund.

[tanyaewa]

Cut and run, lots of other options.

 

 

People, do you understand the magnitude of the storm and its repercussions? Even if you can get yourself to S Florida... the quality of your vacation will be SEVERELY compromised. If you have any options of cancelling, changing or rebooking in my opinion that it the very best idea at this time. The devastation will be reeling and will truly not make for the magical Caribbean vacation you have been dreaming of. MAKE OTHER PLANS!!

[imouer]

Oh that kind of sucks because the airlines are not going to be feeling obligated to give you a refund if you don't take the deal

 

 

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[imouer]

And staying in Miami for a few days is beyond a bad idea it's borderline suicidal. This is a category five hurricane considered to be the strongest one to ever hit the United States in the history and you would be at Ground Zero that is not a viable option

 

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

 

If hypothetically harmony docked in Fort Lauderdale Sunday or Monday would they sail back out the same day it would they still wait to Tuesday ???

 

 

I doubt it, because then they would leave stranded all the people who planned to fly in Monday or Tuesday.

 

 

 

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[Tony20]

Generally, FCCs are good for one year. I have never seen them allow them to be split between cruises. That's because they actually retain your booking number, so they apply it to a new cruise in whole.

 

And please remember that the credit amount is a portion of CRUISE FARE ONLY. That means that you need to subtract out the port fees and taxes from that number. So if your cruise cost you $2,000, you're not getting an FCC of $1,000. You need to look at your original invoice and see what amount is cruise fare only, then half that amount.

 

For those that take the shortened cruise, I would also assume that they are going to refund the portion of port fees (since you're only hitting 1 port) as OBC as well, but that's not been confirmed anywhere.

 

I understand the logistics of what's happening, but I personally don't find the option to cancel and take an FCC for your full cruise fare amount (again, if you do that, they really need to refund your port fees and taxes) appealing. Especially when I can't see anyone wanting to fly into a post Cat 4-5 hurricane zone just 2 days later. And for those who were flying into Florida for a Saturday/Sunday departure, while the airlines are only too happy to change flights for no fee (which usually happens when these sort of weather issues occur), what happens if you change the flight to Monday night/Tuesday morning, only to discover that they cancel the cruise like they did with Liberty this past Sunday? You're on the hook for air at that point.

 

I'd normally advise waiting and seeing what transpires in the next couple of days, as the hurricane forecast/path becomes clearer. I'd think that if Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Port Canaveral take direct hits of a Cat 4/5, nothing is going out on Monday or Tuesday. Passengers might then get a full refund.

 

Thanks for the info, Janet. Right now I'm planning on driving down from Central Florida on Tuesday AM and taking the cruise. The incentives are great for us as frequent cruisers. Also, the prospect of having a very uncrowded Harmony is really attractive. Shorter lines for the water slide and flow rider. Maybe a deck chair for me and a deck chair for my book. etc etc.

[DCCruiser57]

My experience would suggest that the FCC has a one year time limit and must be used on one cruise.

 

RCl's website advisory states that the FCC must be applied to a future cruise within 30 days. See the following link.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/itineraryUpdates.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=3&snav=10

[Tony20]

RCl's website advisory states that the FCC must be applied to a future cruise within 30 days. See the following link.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/itineraryUpdates.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=3&snav=10

 

Not clear that this applies to Harmony. It's only stated for the cancelled Majesty in the release.

[bc cruiser]

We are trying to decide what to do, we want to take the 4 night deal, but are worried that we might not be able to get to port as we will be driving from Panama City, Fl. and that is close to 550 miles and not sure of gas availability. We have a lot of questions for them, as we already paid gratuities for 7 nights, will our gratuities be transferred over. We also pre paid for Chops for our 50th wedding anniversary. Has anyone already took the 4 night deal, if so, please post how everything is handled. Has anyone heard how soon we have to make a decision? Thanks everyone for what you have posted and hopefully some of us will get to meet each other on this trip. Be safe!