Beware of Celebrity’s Non Refundable Deposits

[Glendakayself]

We are currently booked with a refundable deposit, but the price difference for the non-refundable booking is over $600 per person. We have grats and $150 OBC each, but we still come out ahead with the non-refundable deposit price. Our final payment is due July 8, and we are thinking about calling the first of July or end of June to switch to the non-refundable option if it is still available. My thought is that all deposits become non-refundable after the final payment date anyway. We have insurance and would only cancel after final payment due to illness or some other major emergency with immediate family. 

 

What happens with the nonrefundable deposit booking if you cancel due to illness after final payment and apply for the insurance benefit? It is getting to be quite a game!

Edited June 7, 2019 by Glendakayself

[Alsmez]

12 hours ago, Marelaine said:

 

That's what I was told when we booked on board. Deposit of $100/pp is what is charged when you book a future cruise. I had a choice of refundable deposit + 2 perks or non-refundable deposit + $200 OBC + 2 perks. I chose non-refundable for the extra OBC and the agent told me that meant the $200 deposit is non-transferable. We ended up with a pretty good deal.

 

That's an interesting deal - our agent didn't offer us the option to take a non-refundable deposit in exchange for $200 OBC, although that might have been because I made it pretty clear we might have to move this one around. That's actually a great deal if you are certain of your dates.

[kayehall]

What would happen if I were to do a name change with a non refundable deposit?  Would they lose all the perks?

[Lastdance]

1 hour ago, kayehall said:

What would happen if I were to do a name change with a non refundable deposit?  Would they lose all the perks?

 

Not with the big box company...so most likely, not with Celebrity either.  I just did it a couple of days ago and they said that it had to be done at least a month before the sail date.  I booked with Celebrity and then transferred; it had all four perks!  Now when it comes to insurance policies, that is a completely different animal...I did that too, but just removed a name, which they did not want to do, but made an exception.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Lastdance

[Bobsgonecoastal]

4 hours ago, Glendakayself said:

We are currently booked with a refundable deposit, but the price difference for the non-refundable booking is over $600 per person. We have grats and $150 OBC each, but we still come out ahead with the non-refundable deposit price. Our final payment is due July 8, and we are thinking about calling the first of July or end of June to switch to the non-refundable option if it is still available. My thought is that all deposits become non-refundable after the final payment date anyway. We have insurance and would only cancel after final payment due to illness or some other major emergency with immediate family. 

 

What happens with the nonrefundable deposit booking if you cancel due to illness after final payment and apply for the insurance benefit? It is getting to be quite a game!

 

That seems like a sound strategy, as you are right, all deposits become non refundable in the end.  Not sure if an Insurance claim would reimburse the non refundable deposit.  That’s a question worth asking X on my next call.  When we first started cruising with X, we always looked for perks (primarily drink package) but now that we have some CC perks, we’re less likely to take them.  We’re about to go Elite Plus, so al Bacio coffees and teas will be covered, and that’s a big one for us.  Good luck with the booking change, I hope it’s still offered.

[Lastdance]

40 minutes ago, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 

That seems like a sound strategy, as you are right, all deposits become non refundable in the end.  Not sure if an Insurance claim would reimburse the non refundable deposit.  That’s a question worth asking X on my next call.  When we first started cruising with X, we always looked for perks (primarily drink package) but now that we have some CC perks, we’re less likely to take them.  We’re about to go Elite Plus, so al Bacio coffees and teas will be covered, and that’s a big one for us.  Good luck with the booking change, I hope it’s still offered.

 

That is my fav for being Elite +...love the specialty coffees and al Bacio!

[Glendakayself]

I have talked to two Celebrity reps concerning insurance covering a non-refundable deposit. The first rep actually suggested the strategy after looking at the difference in the price when I called to make a payment. She said we would be completely covered.  That is when my idea was born. Then I asked a different rep a couple of months ago how it would work. He asked his supervisor who said it would cover all but $100 of the deposit. I think the price reduction is worth chancing the $100 loss if we were to become ill or have an emergency, but I am not sure the $100 processing fee would even apply. We will change our booking, make final payment a couple of weeks early, and hope we have smooth sailing on the cruise.

 

We are only Elite, but we use the benefit to get water during the social hour. We do not drink alcohol or soda, and any of the drink packages cost more than we would spend. We use the Elite internet benefit for our internet usage and always have minutes left over. We do like to have gratituties paid and will always accept OBC if it is cost effective. This time it is not. On our 2020 cruise, it would cost us more to go non-refundable and pay our own grats and OBC. Like I said before, we to play the game.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Glendakayself

[DrivesLikeMario]

OP-This is one of the many times a travel agent really comes in handy.

[Bobsgonecoastal]

On 6/6/2019 at 11:42 PM, upwarduk said:

These are the T&C of bookings in UK.

Its only fairly recently that we have been allowed to transfer a cruise ONCE at a cost of £75. Prior to that we just cancelled and lost all our deposit ( only option).

Hence passengers in UK do not book multiple cruises, we book a cruise that we want to take.

 

That’s very interesting.  Have always assumed refundable deposits were the norm all the way around.  We can still select refundable deposits if we take the offered perk package $$$.  As Elite, soon to be E-plus, the perk package holds less attractive than it did when we no loyalty perks.

 

Bob and Mary

[cruiserchuck]

28 minutes ago, Bobsgonecoastal said:

That’s very interesting.  Have always assumed refundable deposits were the norm all the way around.  We can still select refundable deposits if we take the offered perk package $$$.  As Elite, soon to be E-plus, the perk package holds less attractive than it did when we no loyalty perks.

 

Bob and Mary

 

I recall reading here that the UK also provides some additional benefits for travelers, such as the ability to cancel with full refund if the itinerary is changed substantially prior to the cruise.

 

Did Celebrity ever explain to you why your cancellation fee does not seem consistent with their terms and conditions?

[upwarduk]

5 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

Did Celebrity ever explain to you why your cancellation fee does not seem consistent with their terms and conditions?

It’s not just Celebrity, any holiday cancelled means you loose your deposit.

[cantstopingcruising]

I just booked a non-refundable for the first time, but it was one week before final payment.

 

We have 2 cruises booked in 2020, both on board with $100pp deposit and we were not told anything about penalties.

I assume we booked the good old-fashioned way!

 

In the future, if they continue this practice, I may find another option for vacation. I am not comfortable with non-refundable and the refundable fares are ridiculously higher.

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, cantstopingcruising said:

I just booked a non-refundable for the first time, but it was one week before final payment.

 

We have 2 cruises booked in 2020, both on board with $100pp deposit and we were not told anything about penalties.

I assume we booked the good old-fashioned way!

 

In the future, if they continue this practice, I may find another option for vacation. I am not comfortable with non-refundable and the refundable fares are ridiculously higher.

 

We also booked our last cruise with a non-refundable deposit, about a month before final payment was due.  I noticed that Celebrity continues to offer non-refundable deposit pricing within 90 days of sailing, when all deposits are non-refundable.  

[koolforkatz]

On 6/6/2019 at 1:49 PM, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 

Celebrity said That is true if you transfer the booking.  If you cancel, it’s 75% of booking deposit less the $100 per guest.  That’s how they explained it to me, and arrived at $475 certificate from a $900 deposit.

 

This just doesn't seem right. I cancelled a cruise about 6 weeks ago that was booked under a non-refundable deposit ($960 Cdn). I knew I was going to be out the $100 per person, but I did receive the rest back ($760 Cdn) as a credit. However, trying to actually get the credit took a few phone calls and it was 5 weeks after I cancelled that I finally got it.

 

Sounds like somebody gave you misinformation. I would call the Captains Club - that's who helped me chase down my credits.

 

 

[pd7277]

On 6/6/2019 at 5:07 PM, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 I found the disclosure on the booking confirm in one line 8 pt type, but yes it’s there.   No disclosure while I was making the changes however , which would have helped.

Can you share the disclosure info you found?  I cancelled and rebooked on December 7 and didn't have this issue (although it was handled by my TA).  I ended up paying a $35 fee.

 

I didn't think the "Non-Refundable Deposit" became a big thing until the recent Set Sail (or whatever it is called) Promotion which is only a month or so old.   But I could be wrong.  

[Bobsgonecoastal]

2 hours ago, pd7277 said:

Can you share the disclosure info you found?  I cancelled and rebooked on December 7 and didn't have this issue (although it was handled by my TA).  I ended up paying a $35 fee.

 

I didn't think the "Non-Refundable Deposit" became a big thing until the recent Set Sail (or whatever it is called) Promotion which is only a month or so old.   But I could be wrong.  

 

For this particular booking, the disclosure is just below the booking charges. There is a paragraph of text beginning with;

 

”The minimum deposit for this reservation is Non-Refundable.  A change fee of 100 USD per guest will apply for ship or sail date changes”.

 

there is more having to do with final payment dates, etc.

 

i talked to a representative from X today and she stated the first Rep gave me faulty information about the portion of my $900 deposit that would be returned in the form of a future cruise certificate.  I was told, and stated here, that I would receive 75% less $200 ($100x2 guests) of the deposit.  Today I was told it would be $900 less the $200 change fee.  Now I can at least understand the math.

[Bobsgonecoastal]

2 hours ago, koolforkatz said:

 

This just doesn't seem right. I cancelled a cruise about 6 weeks ago that was booked under a non-refundable deposit ($960 Cdn). I knew I was going to be out the $100 per person, but I did receive the rest back ($760 Cdn) as a credit. However, trying to actually get the credit took a few phone calls and it was 5 weeks after I cancelled that I finally got it.

 

Sounds like somebody gave you misinformation. I would call the Captains Club - that's who helped me chase down my credits.

 

 

 

I spoke with a representative from X today and she stated the first Rep gave me faulty information about the portion of my $900 deposit that would be returned in the form of a future cruise certificate.  I was told, and stated here, that I would receive 75% less $200 ($100x2 guests) of the deposit.  Today I was told it would be $900 less the $200 change fee.  Now I can at least understand the math.

[Bobsgonecoastal]

5 hours ago, upwarduk said:

It’s not just Celebrity, any holiday cancelled means you loose your deposit.

 

I spoke with a representative from X today and she stated the first Rep gave me faulty information about the portion of my $900 deposit that would be returned in the form of a future cruise certificate.  I was told, and stated here, that I would receive 75% less $200 ($100x2 guests) of the deposit.  Today I was told it would be $900 less the $200 change fee.  Now I can at least understand the math.

[koolforkatz]

7 minutes ago, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 

I spoke with a representative from X today and she stated the first Rep gave me faulty information about the portion of my $900 deposit that would be returned in the form of a future cruise certificate.  I was told, and stated here, that I would receive 75% less $200 ($100x2 guests) of the deposit.  Today I was told it would be $900 less the $200 change fee.  Now I can at least understand the math.

Glad you got it sorted.

[bermadu22]

On 6/6/2019 at 6:02 PM, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 

We’ve noticed the onboard future cruise offers vary considerably.  We made one that had a deposit of $20 pp.  the last couple of cruises did not have much to offer as far as future cruise incentives go.  I think business is pretty good for the cruise lines right now, so they may not feel they need to do much on incentives.

I agree. I recently saw a current Summit daily that said people who book onboard are put into a drawing for $200 OBC for the current cruise. I remember back when they gave everyone who booked a future cruise on board OBC for their current cruise. Now it's a drawing that only goes to one stateroom. Maybe that was just HAL and Celebrity has always had it as a special drawing. 

[cruiserchuck]

At one time, Celebrity was offering OBC on your current cruise (as opposed to your next cruise) for onboard bookings.  I have not seen it offered recently. 

[burrma]

On 6/6/2019 at 9:37 PM, cruiserchuck said:

Celebrity started yet another sale today.  The fine print about nonrefundable deposits provides:

 

"Non-Refundable Deposit Offer: To qualify for the lowest available cruise fare, guest must choose a non-refundable deposit. Non-refundable deposit booking (“NRDB”) cancelled prior to final payment due date will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the deposit minus a $100 per person service fee. FCC is non-transferable and expires after 12-months from issue date. $100 per person service fee applies to changes to NRDB ship or sail date. Applicable to groups at prevailing rates. Not applicable to incentive, contract, or charter groups. Nonrefundable deposit offers are not applicable to sailings within final payment."

 

Based on this verbiage, you should only be out the $100 per person service fee.

 

When you booked onboard, did you get any onboard credit to use on that cruise?  I recall they offered that option at some point.

This is the concerning part: FCC is non-transferable and expires after 12-months from issue date. So if you booked today June with  non refundable deposit; for next March; if you cancel you must use it; minus $100 pp before next June and can't be extended. They certainly don't give you much time to use it!

 

[wrk2cruise]

This thread is 4 years old.   Much has changed with NRD deposits and there are several more recent threads on those changes.

 

[the penguins]

On 6/7/2019 at 2:26 AM, Bobsgonecoastal said:

 

You may want to get their definition of lose.  In our case, 75% of the $900 deposit less $200 was returned ($475) in the form of a future cruise certificate.  The non-refundable deposit is a relatively new concept for Celebrity, and will no doubt have resistance and growing pains.  Overall, I believe you will find Celebrity an excellent cruise experience.  By the end of this month we will have completed 15 cruises with Celebrity.  Our first cruise with them was late 2013, so obviously we like the experience so far.  Your mileage may vary.

Non refundable is not new in the UK. Until recently (post Covid) all deposits were non refundable from the moment you booked. Non refundable stopped people making multiple bookings and deciding later which to take. Our insurance covers us from the date of booking for cancellation due to sickness and jury service. Elite status and above gives you one free change.

Whenever we book onboard the Agent rings around all the salient points and you have time (24 hours?) to cancel.

We transfer all onboard bookings immediately to our Agent for extra perks and/or to see if they can offer a better deal.