Advance Notice For Canceled Cruise

[Garycruz]

I’ve seen quite a few threads involving cruises being canceled due to the charters. I’m glad this hasn’t happened to me but I can imagine how disappointing and how much of an inconvenience it must be considering all the planning preparation many put into an upcoming cruise. I’m curious how far in advance a cruise line typically cancels a cruise. I’d like to think they wouldn’t do it unless it was at least several months out. Is there a certain time when you know your safe?

[Clarea]

There's no "typically" when it comes to cancelling cruises. It could happen at any time.

[Garycruz]

When you say they can cancel at any time, do you know of instances when they canceled weeks and not months ahead of time? For instance, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to cancel a day before the cruise. There may not be a typical time but I hope there is a minimum time. At least I’d like to think so.

[ONECRUISER]

When you say they can cancel at any time, do you know of instances when they canceled weeks and not months ahead of time? For instance, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to cancel a day before the cruise. There may not be a typical time but I hope there is a minimum time. At least I’d like to think so.

Most likely won't Charter last minute, usually many months out, but if Mechanical issues though rare, it could be possible..

[NCMtnBoys]

When you say they can cancel at any time, do you know of instances when they canceled weeks and not months ahead of time? For instance, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to cancel a day before the cruise. There may not be a typical time but I hope there is a minimum time. At least I’d like to think so.

 

A few months ago they canceled a Radiance of the Seas sailing out of Sydney just 2-3 days before departure due to a mechanical issue. Some (many?) people had left home already to make their way to Australia, only learning of the cancellation once they arrived. Some may not have even known about the cancellation until they arrived at the port. It's rare, and not their typical way of doing business. I would have been beyond disappointed had I gone all that way and found out there was no cruise.

 

Incidentally I am booked on a cruise that is currently in a "code red" status. Waiting to see if it shows back up as bookable or whether we'll be notified that it's been chartered.

[bananawindnj]

I was going to cancel a cruise in February on Independence OTS about 5 weeks ago. Figured I would lose deposit and insurance, but just couldn't make it. I received an email a day before I was going to cancel, that the cruise was being chartered and we would be canceled . Got all my money back this past week.

 

 

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[Garycruz]

Most likely won't Charter last minute, usually many months out, but if Mechanical issues though rare, it could be possible..

 

 

 

I don’t think the cruise line has much of a choice when it comes to mechanical issues. I was asking specifically about cancellations due to charters which they do have control over. I’m just wondering how close to sailing date they go. Hopefully not less than several months out.

[Garycruz]

I was going to cancel a cruise in February on Independence OTS about 5 weeks ago. Figured I would lose deposit and insurance, but just couldn't make it. I received an email a day before I was going to cancel, that the cruise was being chartered and we would be canceled . Got all my money back this past week.

 

 

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So they canceled only 5 weeks out? I’m glad that worked out for you. But I am surprised they would cancel for a charter so close to sail date.

[bananawindnj]

So they canceled only 5 weeks out? I’m glad that worked out for you. But I am surprised they would cancel for a charter so close to sail date.

 

 

 

Cancelled 5 weeks ago, for a cruise next February , 9 months to go.

 

 

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[Retired LEO]

I don’t think the cruise line has much of a choice when it comes to mechanical issues. I was asking specifically about cancellations due to charters which they do have control over. I’m just wondering how close to sailing date they go. Hopefully not less than several months out.

 

There really is no answer to this. Weeks? Months? When it happens, it happens.

[BlueHerons]

I was in the meeting planning business for years (hotel side) and groups charter a good year out.

 

I'd say if you are within three months you are pretty safe.

[Garycruz]

Cancelled 5 weeks ago, for a cruise next February , 9 months to go.

 

 

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9 months out makes more sense. Thanks.

[Cru-Zin]

How can they displace people who have already booked and incurred other travel related expenses to take on a charter? I know it's because they're going to make more money but wouldn't you think the bad publicity would cause them to lose money? This is my first RC cruise coming up and I've read so many complaints that it scares me. I have cruised Holland America, Princess, Costa, Carnival, and NCL. I have never seen so many complaints on CC for any other line as RC, whether it be bad pizza, losing the sale price on drink packages & excursions, website issues, pets on board, cancellations, etc. Apparently they are not a passenger focused cruise line.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Apparently they are not a passenger focused cruise line.

They are totally money focussed!

 

Their CEO thinks their pax are too stupid to budget money....:rolleyes:

[xxHadleyxx]

How can they displace people who have already booked and incurred other travel related expenses to take on a charter? I know it's because they're going to make more money but wouldn't you think the bad publicity would cause them to lose money? This is my first RC cruise coming up and I've read so many complaints that it scares me. I have cruised Holland America, Princess, Costa, Carnival, and NCL. I have never seen so many complaints on CC for any other line as RC, whether it be bad pizza, losing the sale price on drink packages & excursions, website issues, pets on board, cancellations, etc. Apparently they are not a passenger focused cruise line.

 

 

I believe the main reason you see more complaints about RCI is that they have more passengers.

Looking at your list of other lines and comparing passenger capacity:

RCI handles about 3 1/2 times more passengers than Holland America, twice as many as Princess, 2 1/2 as many as Costa, about 20% more than Carnival and nearly double what Norwegian handles.---so of course they will also have proportionally more problems and complaints. it may not be the only reason, and RCI screws things up too---but I think it is a major reason that you seem to not be accounting for.

 

So far as I know all the major lines will cancel for charters---one hopes giving at least a few months warning. The time it happened to us was on Disney. A Med Sailing on the Magic at the end of August. I am pretty sure we found out in mid May---I found out online on a message board----the cruise line did not notify direct bookings until about 3 weeks later---we called in prior to that to get things straightened out---poor people who are not active on message boards were not notified until the two alternative sailings offered at same price were already booked up.

 

Personally, I feel the cruise lines ought to offer charter sails only before the cruise otherwise goes on sale to the public and not cancel booked fares for reasons fully in their control--but I like cruising enough to deal with the risk that which seems to be the industry standard, so oh well.

Edited May 30, 2018 by xxHadleyxx

[mag19]

My September cruise got cancelled at the end of January. My TA didn't get official email until about 2 weeks after it disappeared from the website. Then on top of that they didn't refund my money for almost a month because the cruise was totally paid for

 

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[xxHadleyxx]

Just found the old email> to be fair to Disney, it was actually in February when they sold the August cruise as a charter---so we got more warning than I had recalled.

[JMG]

We were on a chartered cruise in April. A week after we returned it was announced that the ship was being chartered again for end of March 2019. We already have a cruise booked for that same week so..will have to bypass the 2019 charter.

 

To date, RCI is still selling staterooms for the date that this group has chartered. The group that chartered the ship have not started registration. They usually start taking reservations mid July. I keep following to see how long it takes for this charter agreement to cancel previous reservations. Needless to say, reservation agents have no clue about the charter but if you google...you can find the promo info for the charter group, SO, it would be 9 months out before the currently booked passengers are officially notified about the cancellation of their cruise.

 

 

We had booked a cruise for next Feb on Navigator. We were going to cancel since we realized the cruise would have been the 2nd cruise out of drydock. A few weeks later, RCI notifed us that the drydock had been extended and our cruise was cancelled.

 

To compensate us, we were offered the opportunity to switch to one of 2 cruises on Jewel...same itinerary that we booked. We were price protected, they gave us OBC. Another option to was switch to a different itinerary of our choice, the perks were reduced. Third option was to cancel and get full refund plus an amount for flight changes.

 

For us, it was a great deal! We got the same date, same itinerary, different ship. As it turned out, the fare for the Jewel was less than what we had booked for the NOTS, We also got the additional OBC. We were thrilled that we waited before we cancelled the NOTS cruise.

[nolesrule]

Ironically, so far the only cruise we've booked that was canceled was a charter. It was canceled due to redeployment.

[dani negreanu]

Our Jewel cruise of 19th March 2017 was cancelled in May 2016.

I was checking everyday for a better located cabin, and suddenly the cruise was "waitlisted" (April 2016).

Emailed my TA, who contacted RC -- their reply was "inventory revision".

My TA smelled a rat, and immediately booked us for the following week (March 26th).

So, at that point I paid for 2 deposits....

Only 6 weeks later RC advised us that our cruise was chartered, and offered us only 2 other dates to choose from, price protected.

The offered dates didn't suit us, so the only compensation we got was 100$ OBC.

[Cru-Zin]

Have 2 Diamond cruisers in my exercise class and heard one tell the other that RC is canceling Hawaii cruises. If it's true, I can understand why. I just hope they notify those going in a timely fashion.

[CruiseGal999]

When you say they can cancel at any time, do you know of instances when they canceled weeks and not months ahead of time? For instance, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to cancel a day before the cruise. There may not be a typical time but I hope there is a minimum time. At least I’d like to think so.

 

 

I think there was a post from a woman saying she got notice that her cruise was cancelled ... and she was at the airport to fly to Australia for the cruise.

 

I'm going off of memory here and may not have everything exactly correct. If anyone remembers and knows the link ... please post it.

 

But it took an amazing effort of people on CC and at the CL to get her a cabin on board her original cruise.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Usually they will not cancel less than 9 month out for charters...:rolleyes:

[Biker19]

Have 2 Diamond cruisers in my exercise class and heard one tell the other that RC is canceling Hawaii cruises. If it's true, I can understand why. I just hope they notify those going in a timely fashion.

Explorer 2019 spring TP (via Hawaii) was cancelled when she was replaced with Ovation - folks got over a year notice.

[RocketMan275]

To date, RCI is still selling staterooms for the date that this group has chartered. The group that chartered the ship have not started registration. They usually start taking reservations mid July. I keep following to see how long it takes for this charter agreement to cancel previous reservations. Needless to say, reservation agents have no clue about the charter but if you google...you can find the promo info for the charter group, SO, it would be 9 months out before the currently booked passengers are officially notified about the cancellation of their cruise.

 

Had the same thing happen on a Holland cruise. After I had booked a cabin, I found there was a Jazz group charter on the same ship/same date. The cruise line continued to accept reservations while the charter did as well. This went on for several weeks. Both selling cabins on the same cruise. BTW, it was advertised as a total, 100% charter.

 

Turns out there is such a thing as a contingency charter. The charter group works a deal with the cruise line for a ship/date/etc. They then sell cabins. If they sell enough, they complete the charter agreement. If not, the charter is cancelled. This condition can exist for weeks/months. This is good deal for both the charter group and the cruise line since they can hedge their bets. Not so good a deal for passengers.