UK Deposit Conditions

[Captain-John]

I have a sailing booked for next April on Reflection, 11 nts Southern Caribbean. It's a fabulous itinerary and we are really looking forward to it.

 

However, I am not sure we can commit to the cruise anymore, dates wise. I haven't booked any flights yet so OK on that front.

 

As it was booked on UK T&C's, the £300 deposit is non-refundable. Ideally, what I'd like to do is transfer the deposit to another Celebrity cruise, closer to home and for a shorter duration.

 

Has anyone had any luck doing this? It would be a shame to lose £300 and also lose the opportunity to try Celebrity if it can be avoided.

 

Thanks

[ShonaTay56]

Hi Captain John,

You haven't said if this cruise was booked through a travel agent or with celebrity direct. I would think the first course of action would be to contact the people you booked the cruise through and discuss this with them.

If it was booked through celebrity I would personally speak to them and explain your predicament and I am sure that they will come to an agreeable solution.

I have dealt with celebrity a few times and have always found them to be accommodating though i have never had to cancel and re-book a cruise yet.

Good luck and hopefully a successful outcome.

Alan Taylor

[Redrobo]

You may cancel and they refund the deposit, maybe.  

You may have to pay towards transferring to another cruise, however it has been know for some to transfer at no loss of deposit or extra cost.

If they are able to re-sell your cabin you should get all of you deposit refunded, as there is no loss to the provider.

 

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-6952099/How-hefty-deposit-lost-sea-youre-forced-cancel-cruise.html

[Captain-John]

Hi Alan,

 

Thanks very much (we're down the coast from you, in Edinburgh).

 

We have booked through an online T/A that I've used several times before (not that they can change the cruise line policy on this basis).

 

I couldn't have anticipated when I booked any possibility of changes to our plans, else I would have went through a US T/A to get a refundable deposit or got some kind of 'any reason' cancellation cover.

 

To me, the layman, it works in X's favour if they can do something as:

 

a) They have plenty of time to re-sell the cabin on Reflection, probably for a higher price than we would pay

b) I will still be sailing with them, and obviously paying the difference towards the new cruise

 

I gather the CEO is reading the boards today, if she could kindly take pity I would be much obliged (!!)

 

Anyway, I'll speak to my T/A and see what they reckon.

 

[chemmo]

If you are Elite or above you are allowed one change to your booking free of charge. Otherwise a change to your booking cost £75 each for the first two guests of each booking. So likely you will incur a cost but better than loosing your full deposit.

 

Worth a phone call to see if you can get your cruise swapped free of charge...They may be more willing to do so if your new booking is at least as expensive or more expensive than your present one.

 

We did the 11 Reflection cruise Southern itinerary 2018 and loved it, hope you can reschedule.

[Captain-John]

2 minutes ago, Redrobo said:

You may cancel and they refund the deposit, maybe.  

You may have to pay towards transferring to another cruise, however it has been know for some to transfer at no loss of deposit or extra cost.

If they are able to re-sell your cabin you should get all of you deposit refunded, as there is no loss to the provider.

 

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-6952099/How-hefty-deposit-lost-sea-youre-forced-cancel-cruise.html

 

Thanks very much. If we outright cancelled I wouldn't look for a refund, I did think it would work more in our favour if we tried to keep the business with X, for their benefit and ours.

 

 

[Captain-John]

2 minutes ago, chemmo said:

If you are Elite or above you are allowed one change to your booking free of charge. Otherwise a change to your booking cost £75 each for the first two guests of each booking. So likely you will incur a cost but better than loosing your full deposit.

 

Worth a phone call to see if you can get your cruise swapped free of charge...They may be more willing to do so if your new booking is at least as expensive or more expensive than your present one.

 

We did the 11 Reflection cruise Southern itinerary 2018 and loved it, hope you can reschedule.

 

Excellent, thanks. Unfortunately we're first time Celebrity cruisers - that's part of the reason we were looking forward to it so much.

 

Wouldn't mind paying £150 in order to swap (and not lose the other £150). Would most likely need to be a European itinerary and sooner than April. If I can find one, and everything lines up, I'll ask kindly if they could do it FOC.

[chemmo]

3 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

 

Excellent, thanks. Unfortunately we're first time Celebrity cruisers - that's part of the reason we were looking forward to it so much.

 

Wouldn't mind paying £150 in order to swap (and not lose the other £150). Would most likely need to be a European itinerary and sooner than April. If I can find one, and everything lines up, I'll ask kindly if they could do it FOC.

 

Remember Celebrity is in Europe seasonally, last itineraries usually end of October/beginning of November and then resume the end of April of the next year. Could be worth looking at offers for September/October....

 

Best of luck.

[Bretty]

@Captain-John like you I’m a first time celebrity cruiser and so the booking T&Cs are fresh in my mind. Here’s the link you need:

https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/booking-conditions/

 

You need sections 1.11 and 1.12

Basically, if you’re more than 56 days from sail date cancellation results in loss of deposit only, and if you want to change ship, sail date etc, there is a £75 pp transfer fee for the first two pax in the cabin.

 

I hope you find something you can transfer to.

All the best

[villauk]

On 8/12/2019 at 12:38 PM, chemmo said:

If you are Elite or above you are allowed one change to your booking free of charge. Otherwise a change to your booking cost £75 each for the first two guests of each booking. So likely you will incur a cost but better than loosing your full deposit.

 

Worth a phone call to see if you can get your cruise swapped free of charge...They may be more willing to do so if your new booking is at least as expensive or more expensive than your present one.

 

We did the 11 Reflection cruise Southern itinerary 2018 and loved it, hope you can reschedule.

 

 

Yes, Chemmo has posted the correct information above regarding U.K. bookings: £75pp (first two pax only) to transfer, unless Elite or it’s an onboard booking (which you can also move FOC). Now if you’d booked in the US, it would be a totally different kettle of fish: cancel and walk away with your full deposit.