Found out my wife is pregnant, now need advice on how to adjust or refund with RCL

[What is in a name]

Long story short. I booked 3 staterooms in May 2018 with Royal Caribbean. My wife and I recently found out she is pregnant and will be in her third trimester during the cruise. Also stateroom #2's partner is also expecting (she wasn't coming) and due like 1 week after our cruise. So we either need to cancel or change, and I'm trying to know what to expect when I call RCL.

 

5 total passengers, each having paid the $250 deposit. I have also bought a few drink, dining and internet packages as well.

 

I see there is $100 dollar change requests per guest. We did sign up for the Vacation Protection Plan through royal, but not sure if this will cover us. Obviously one booked passenger can get a doctor's note, but the other pregnant couple is not married nor is the expectant mother a booked passenger.

 

So worst case we just have to eat $250? Or pay the $100 dollar change request per person and pick a date really far in the future?

[Clarea]

If you cancel or change, you wll automatically get refunded all your pre-cruise purchases (drink, dining, internet packages).

 

If you chose fares with refundable deposit, you should get the entire deposit back if yiou cancel.

 

If you chose fares with a nion-refundable deposit, you will lose $100 per person if you cancel, and the balance will be given as a credit that you must use wthin one year.

[cb at sea]

Remember, if you cancel and rebook, and intend to bring the new baby, it must be 6 months old to sail on everything but a trans-Atlantic or Pacific trip...for those, it must be 1 year old.

[LMaxwell]

I would opt for the refund now versus moving the date far into the future, too many unknowns at this point in time. Since you are before final payment date if you booked with refundable deposit you would get the total amount back. If you booked with non-refundable deposit you will lose out on the fee and have a credit for the remainder. The sooner you act the better off you are.

[Biker19]

The sooner you act the better off you are.

Not in the case of NRD - the 1 year clock to use the FCC starts ticking when you cancel. In that case, you are better off waiting till just before final.

[Ashland]

Doesn't the fact that the OP & wife can't sail due to a medical condition (yes pregnancy) make a big difference here ?

[Turtles06]

Doesn't the fact that the OP & wife can't sail due to a medical condition (yes pregnancy) make a big difference here ?

 

If they have travel insurance that covers having to cancel for medical reasons, and they have a non-refundable deposit, then I presume that upon cancelling and filing a claim with the insurer, they would get $500 (or perhaps less if the carrier attributes value to the future credit RCI would provide).

[Ashland]

If they have travel insurance that covers having to cancel for medical reasons, and they have a non-refundable deposit, then I presume that upon cancelling and filing a claim with the insurer, they would get $500 (or perhaps less if the carrier attributes value to the future credit RCI would provide).

I believe the OP took the RCI cruise insurance...so this and the fact that they can't sail with the pregnancy policy RCI has in place...that's what I was getting at and questioning even if they have a NRD...wouldn't this make a difference ?

[Clarea]

I believe the OP took the RCI cruise insurance...so this and the fact that they can't sail with the pregnancy policy RCI has in place...that's what I was getting at and questioning even if they have a NRD...wouldn't this make a difference ?

It would depend if the policy considers pregnancy one of the covered medical reasons. They might consider it a pre-existing condition and may not be covered depending on when the insurance was actually purchased.

[Merion_Mom]

Remember, if you cancel and rebook, and intend to bring the new baby, it must be 6 months old to sail on everything but a trans-Atlantic or Pacific trip...for those, it must be 1 year old.

That's not exactly the policy.

 

 

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise and/or CruiseTour. HOWEVER: For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises and/or CruiseTours, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/CruiseTour. For the purposes of this policy, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise/CruiseTour.

[nyllrap]

Most travel insurance does not cover cancelling due to pregnancy, unless a specific rider was purchased. But it really depends on the specific plan.

[jamesr3939]

Cancel now, take the hit, and request reimbursement from the insurance. We had the same thing happen when DIL decided to get PG and the baby wouldn't be old enough to sail. Yes, any FCC must be used within one year of cancellation. But, fact is $100 isn't going break the bank if you can't use it. Keep in mind the FCC must be used by the named PAX so you can't pass it along to anybody else.

 

All the excursions and drink packages you can just cancel and they will be back on the CC within a week.

[Johnamac123]

Congratulations on the great news!!!