Cancelling a cruise before final payment.

[Emmandjay]

We have the final payment for our Apex cruise due in a few days.  In view of the current Coronavirus situation, we have decided not to go ahead and forfeit the deposit.  We booked direct with Celebrity, but can't find how to cancel on their website.  Does anyone know the way to do this?  Do we need to phone them on their expensive UK number?

Any help appreciated.

[Oceangoer2]

Click on Manage Your Reservation, then Reservation Details, at the bottom left hand corner you should find the link to cancel your stateroom..May not appear on UK site, but I hope this helps.

 

Edited March 3, 2020 by oceangoer2

[az_tchr]

12 minutes ago, Emmandjay said:

We have the final payment for our Apex cruise due in a few days.  In view of the current Coronavirus situation, we have decided not to go ahead and forfeit the deposit.  We booked direct with Celebrity, but can't find how to cancel on their website.  Does anyone know the way to do this?  Do we need to phone them on their expensive UK number?

Any help appreciated.

Since you booked directly with Celebrity you need to cancel with them. Have no idea about the UK website as I am in the USA. I would either call their UK number or use WiFi and call their number in Florida in addition to sending them an email. Ask them to confirm the cancellation with an email to you.

You likely would get through on their US number as it is morning here.

Their UK website is a bit different.

Edited March 3, 2020 by az_tchr
UK website

[upwarduk]

Here is the  free 0800 number:

0800 441 4053

I would give that a try.

 

Edited March 3, 2020 by upwarduk

[laslomas]

1 hour ago, Emmandjay said:

We have the final payment for our Apex cruise due in a few days.  In view of the current Coronavirus situation, we have decided not to go ahead and forfeit the deposit.  We booked direct with Celebrity, but can't find how to cancel on their website.  Does anyone know the way to do this?  Do we need to phone them on their expensive UK number?

Any help appreciated.

 

I have read another thread on here stating that Celebrity are changing the final payment date to 60 days before departure on some of their cruises sailing before mid-June. Not sure when your cruise leaves, but this maybe something that would help you. Presumably it's to give their customers a chance to wait a bit longer before making this decision.

 

Also there is the option to move your deposit to another sailing for an admin charge of £75 for the first 2 passengers in a stateroom. I had to do this last year and decided it was better than losing the deposit. I believe if you are Elite in Captains Club you can move your deposit to another sailing once for free.

 

Also, it is not advertised, but there is a freephone number for Celebrity which is 0800 4414055. This takes you several menu choices but it is free. Also number 01932 834300 will also get you to the exact same menu choices. 

 

Good luck with whatever choices you make.

 

UpwardUK just beat me to it!!!

Edited March 3, 2020 by laslomas

[Oceangoer2]

Is this only in the UK?  Never heard of it in NA...." I believe if you are Elite in Captains Club you can move your deposit to another sailing once for free. "

[Emmandjay]

Thank you all so much for your help.  I used the 0800 number and have just cancelled the cruise.  We will sail again when the situation improves.

[RCMarr]

We had a cruise scheduled for May 8, 2020 around Ireland, Scotland and England.  The final payment date was extended from 2/8 to 3/9.  Based on this extension we were able to cancel and just forfeit the 200 nonrefundable deposit.  I tried to move the deposit to another cruise but was told no.  With the possible shutdown in this area, I think we made the correct call.  The thought of being quarantined on a ship or hospital was more than we wished to deal with.

[laslomas]

4 hours ago, oceangoer2 said:

Is this only in the UK?  Never heard of it in NA...." I believe if you are Elite in Captains Club you can move your deposit to another sailing once for free. "

 

Not sure if only in the UK. I have just checked the Booking Conditions on the UK website and this is what it states about making changes:

For guests wishing to make a significant amendment to their booking outside of 56 days from departure, such as changing the ship, sail date, flights or brand, please note that a booking transfer fee is applicable. The transfer fee is £75 per guest which is limited to the first two guests on a booking, therefore any additional guests on the booking will not be charged as well. Please note, the transfer fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above. Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking.

Please note that your booking will be re-priced in-line with the up-to-date business and price rules and a new confirmation invoice will be issued. 

I think it was probably not necessary to have this in the T&C in NA as the deposit was refundable. In UK when cancelling a cruise we always lose the deposit. So offering the chance to move the deposit for a fee was the best we got. Now, of course there are also non refundable deposits in NA - so who knows??!! 

 

[upwarduk]

8 minutes ago, laslomas said:

Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking.

This was introduced maybe 4/5 years ago after numerous complaints of the unfairness of the booking T&C between UK & US.

[Oceangoer2]

I know about the NRD penalty but not the Captains Club Elite and above ability to change one sail date per year...."Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking....".  Am I reading this right?  Perhaps that's only in the UK.  We are Elite +...I'll contact our X rep and see what the ruling is here.  Recently changed a sail date under an NRD and paid the $100 pp penalty. 

[dani negreanu]

30 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

I'll contact our X rep and see what the ruling is here.

 

Pls. do and let us know.

Thanks.

I'd also like to move my cruise which is April 1st..... Already in 75% penalty....

[laslomas]

1 hour ago, oceangoer2 said:

I know about the NRD penalty but not the Captains Club Elite and above ability to change one sail date per year...."Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking....".  Am I reading this right?  Perhaps that's only in the UK.  We are Elite +...I'll contact our X rep and see what the ruling is here.  Recently changed a sail date under an NRD and paid the $100 pp penalty. 

 

Check in the Booking Conditions on the website. I am sure the T&C between North America and UK will be different, and this may only be in UK as we do not get the more generous benefits offered to North America bookings. I cannot see any mention of it in the Captains Club benefits listed online so it seems to be a booking condition rather than a Captains Club benefit...

Edited March 4, 2020 by laslomas

[Fun lovin]

Our cruise is on the Apex from Rome -I too would consider moving cruise to a different date but how far can you change it? Can it go into 2021 or is there a specific time frame. I booked through a TA and am in Ireland. thank you.

[hcat]

6 hours ago, Emmandjay said:

Thank you all so much for your help.  I used the 0800 number and have just cancelled the cruise.  We will sail again when the situation improves.

Did you have to pay a cancellation fee or lose  deposit?

[az_tchr]

1 hour ago, Fun lovin said:

Our cruise is on the Apex from Rome -I too would consider moving cruise to a different date but how far can you change it? Can it go into 2021 or is there a specific time frame. I booked through a TA and am in Ireland. thank you.

Call your TA. If Celebrity gives you a FCC you have 1 year to book. The cruise can start anytime. Again if you cancel you are subject to the contract terms in the UK I assume. If they cancel you get a refunds and usually a FCC. If that happens use the FCC for the new cruise.

[Emmandjay]

We were offered the chance to pay £75 to move the deposit to another cruise, but we had already decided to take the hit and forfeit the deposit.  Until the uncertainty over cruising goes away, we didn't want to have anything else booked.

Thanks again.

[Oceangoer2]

On 3/3/2020 at 6:07 PM, dani negreanu said:

 

Pls. do and let us know.

Thanks.

I'd also like to move my cruise which is April 1st..... Already in 75% penalty....

X rep response: 

"As of right now that does not apply to the North America market. They might just be testing it in the UK and plan to roll it out in NA later on. "

Not sure how we would know if this does become applicable to NA unless someone makes a change and isn't charged, then lets us know here on CC.

Edited March 5, 2020 by oceangoer2

[laslomas]

9 hours ago, oceangoer2 said:

X rep response: 

"As of right now that does not apply to the North America market. They might just be testing it in the UK and plan to roll it out in NA later on. "

Not sure how we would know if this does become applicable to NA unless someone makes a change and isn't charged, then lets us know here on CC.

 

You would know if it applied in North America by checking the Booking Conditions in the T&C in both the brochure and on the website. The T & C are so numerous to read through that I am sure many of us do not bother and just scan through. I only found this fact when I had to cancel a cruise and was reading through everything I could to find a way not to have to lose my deposit.