Trying to avoid losing my $1750 deposit!

[MarkandStacie]

My wife and I have prior sailings on Celebrity and plan to do so again in the future. We have a problem with our current reservation. This is the first time we are cruisng with our 5 children and one of them has a problem that will stop her from coming. I contacted the company that booked the cruise and they told me Celebrity's policy is rigid. Since the cruise is still over two months away, I'm hoping someone will help our family. Since there our 7 of us forefiting our deposit is $1750! That is more than some one week cruises I have taken.

 

Has anyone had a similar problem and found a way not to lose almost two thosand dollars?

[superjerryw]

I'm not sure I follow you. If you have not made final payment yet because it is not yet due since the sailing is over two months away you should be able to get your full deposit back. Why are you being told you will lose your deposit if the cruise is a few months off. The policy from Celebrity's web site says you would only forfeit your deposit if there were less than 69 days until your sailing for a cruise of 6 or more nights. If your travel agent is telling you something else I think you need to find a new travel agent.

[Kathy & George]

You might try calling X direct with your booking number and dealing with them, also you may be able to switch itinearies to a later date and retain the reservation for a time that is better suited for you. Good luck.

[MarkandStacie]

I did email Celebrity; I will call them today.

[caviargal]

My wife and I have prior sailings on Celebrity and plan to do so again in the future. We have a problem with our current reservation. This is the first time we are cruisng with our 5 children and one of them has a problem that will stop her from coming. I contacted the company that booked the cruise and they told me Celebrity's policy is rigid. Since the cruise is still over two months away, I'm hoping someone will help our family. Since there our 7 of us forefiting our deposit is $1750! That is more than some one week cruises I have taken.

 

Has anyone had a similar problem and found a way not to lose almost two thosand dollars?

 

As a TA, I would say that it is the company and not X who is being rigid. If you are not in final payment yet then the deposit should be refundable or at the very least transferable to another date.

 

I think there is more to this story.

[MarkandStacie]

I gave them the deposit months ago, they required the balance last week. They say I am inside of Celebrity's 69 day window, so I will get the balance back, but not the $1750 deposit.

 

What makes it really hard is I'm willing to book another criuse right now.

[caviargal]

I gave them the deposit months ago, they required the balance last week. They say I am inside of Celebrity's 69 day window, so I will get the balance back, but not the $1750 deposit.

 

What makes it really hard is I'm willing to book another criuse right now.

 

 

If you are inside the window, that is the policy. IME with X, they rarely make exceptions. Are you Captain's Club? Is this a medical problem? Is there a case you can build to make them reconsider? If not, can you give the cruise to someone else, or sell it, possibly downsizing the cabin? I have has more success when offering an option that lets X keep their money.

[MarkandStacie]

that they could give it to me as a credit or I would rebook now for a later cruise.

[caviargal]

that they could give it to me as a credit or I would rebook now for a later cruise.

 

It is really more effective IME if you already have a cruise date that you can transfer the deposit to; this is more definitive and gives X an easy way to transfer the deposit. I have had success with this and not the open ended way.

[tbelian]

Insurance?

[flashdog_1]

Is this situation not covered with your travel insurance?

[RichardK]

To the OP, I mean you no personal disrespect, however, I hope that the cruise line holds to their policy and does not refund you your deposit.

 

I take out Travel Insurance for every one of my cruises ---- just in case!! I take it that you, nor the other members of your family, have travel insurance. If the Cruise Line gives you your money back (especially if it's for an event that insurance would cover) then why do I spend the money to purchase such insurance when I can get my money back w/o having it??

 

As I said nothing personal, I just like their policies vis-à-vis those of us who do purchase the insurance..........somewhat of a zealot in that regard!!

[judycruiser]

Thank you, Richard, for voicing my opinion. Why do people feel they are special and not subject to published rules?

 

The cruise lines should administer those rules fairly to everyone; not just the ones who complain the longest and the loudest.

 

I, too, mean no offense to this OP. This has been gnawing at me for a long time and Richard gave me the chance to agree with him.

 

Judy

[Andy]

I gave them the deposit months ago, they required the balance last week. They say I am inside of Celebrity's 69 day window, so I will get the balance back, but not the $1750 deposit.

 

What makes it really hard is I'm willing to book another criuse right now.

 

Hi MarkandStacie !

 

Did you take the travel insurance ? Perhaps your situation may be covered. If so, I would contact the insurance company.

 

I hope your situation has a happy ending !

[wvufan]

I am not a travel agent, and I am not sure if this is the solution, but I think you might be able to transfer the booking to another future cruise and retain whatever shipboard credits you may have gotten earlier as well as tranferring the deposit.

 

Again, I am not certain of this, but I suggest to inquire about "tranferring the booking."

 

Good luck.

 

OOOEEE:D :D Bob and Phyl

[kitty9]

Celebrity very clearly states in their cruise contract the amounts of money you lose if you cancel after your final payment date. Since your cruise is only 60 days out, you are beyond the final payment date, and therefore you will lose the deposits, unless they allow you to transfer your booking to another date. I know we've been able to transfer our deposits to other cruises when we've changed our minds about a cruise date, but it was never after final payment.

 

From now on, travel insurance will would solve these problems, if, and only if, you have a coverable reason for canceling the cruise.

 

Good Luck

[MarkandStacie]

To the OP, I mean you no personal disrespect, however, I hope that the cruise line holds to their policy and does not refund you your deposit.

 

I take out Travel Insurance for every one of my cruises ---- just in case!! I take it that you, nor the other members of your family, have travel insurance. If the Cruise Line gives you your money back (especially if it's for an event that insurance would cover) then why do I spend the money to purchase such insurance when I can get my money back w/o having it??

 

As I said nothing personal, I just like their policies vis-à-vis those of us who do purchase the insurance..........somewhat of a zealot in that regard!!

 

 

Get ready for disrespect.

 

As far as those who have mentioned insurance...have you ever tried to use it? It is VERY narrowly defined, and even than only the party in question is entitled to a refund. In our case, my daughter can't go, that leaves 6 of us. If you bought insurance and thought it might help you in case of life or work changes, you are wrong.

 

Who ever said you hope they don't comply.....I'll take the high road.

 

I am asking them to put it towrds a different cruise or credit to a future date. I realize that most on this board are veryu loyal and normally see things the cruiselines way.

[kitty9]

MarkandStacie, you're misinformed as to insurance and getting refunds. If every member of your family is insured, and one cannot go on the trip, and the rest of your travel party has to cancel, you do get a refund of everything. I know this because I had to do just that with my family.

[Sky Sweet]

To the OP, I mean you no personal disrespect, however, I hope that the cruise line holds to their policy and does not refund you your deposit.

 

I take out Travel Insurance for every one of my cruises ---- just in case!! I take it that you, nor the other members of your family, have travel insurance. If the Cruise Line gives you your money back (especially if it's for an event that insurance would cover) then why do I spend the money to purchase such insurance when I can get my money back w/o having it??

 

As I said nothing personal, I just like their policies vis-à-vis those of us who do purchase the insurance..........somewhat of a zealot in that regard!!

 

I feel the same way. It is comparable to a person who buys a house that is located within a flood hazard zone, but does not want to pay for flood insurance. Then if the area floods, they expect to get the same financial reimbursement for repairs as someone who has been paying flood insurance premiums for years.

[Garrick]

I would never rely on an email to ask for any kind of exception to a stated rule. Email just isn't personal, and it's all too easy for someone to say no.

 

Only customer service could give you an exception to their policy, and that's really only likely if you've got a definite date in mind for the cruise you will take. Are you able to go on a cruise sooner than the one you have booked? Might be to Celebrity's advantage to sell cabins that are unsold at this late date, rather than dissapoint a customer.

 

It would be all to easy for someone to beg for an exception, move the date out past the 69 day window, and then cancel within terms. Not that you would, but I'm certain that every cruise line has had it happen to them when just "trying to be accomodative"

 

Garrick

[RichardK]

If you bought insurance and thought it might help you in case of life or work changes, you are wrong.

 

“The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves…..” [William Shakespeare]

 

Hey, you rolled the dice and lost. Life changes, work changes, whatever. Take the loss and move on...............

[judycruiser]

I still agree with you Richard.

 

Why can't the rest of the family go without the one family member?

 

 

Judy

[MarkandStacie]

In the origanal post I stated this was the first cruise I was taking the children on, I can't do a $5k family trip and leave out one.

 

In any regauards, it appears Celebrity has more compasion than some of you.

 

To all of you who wished good fortune, it looks like it worked!

[ocngypz]

Final payments are due to Celebrity 75 days prior to departure. Right now you are in the lose deposit penalty period. That's Celebrity's rule.

 

As far as insurance is concerned, there are policies out there which can be purchased for "cancel for any reason". Naturally, the premiums are higher.

 

Since you are past final payment, the chance of the deposit being flipped to another booking are slim to none.

 

Recently, I had a client who had to cancel a cruise for 3/4. By the grace of God... and the director of customer service at Princess, I was able to get all monies (they had made final payments for the 3/4 cruise) transferred to the 3/24 departure. $2250 in cancellation penalties were waived by Princess.. but only because they wanted the later departure due to an impending surgery. They only allowed me to do this because the fares for the second cruise were higher than they had originally paid. PCL was very stern about any possibility of cancelling the 3/24 cruise. They said this was a one time only deal on the booking, and if my clients cancelled the 3/24 sailing, they would forfeit the appropriate amounts.

 

No, my clients did not buy insurance even after I begged and begged them to.

 

Celebrity is tough. You can try just having the entire amount rolled over to anothr cruise immediately (at highr rates) and see what happens.

Good luck.. you'll need it.

[zebra36]

Mark,

 

Had you stated up front that you had purchased insurance I hope you could have avoided all of the less than glowing comments. Glad that all worked out for you in the end. Have a great cruise.