“Cruise With Confidence”- cancellations up to 48 hours before sailing

[Fouremco]

9 minutes ago, JOHN474 said:

I can now share what I learned.

 

Thanks for sharing John.

 

One question many of us are asking is whether or not the FCC can be applied to an existing booking. Did this come up at all during your discussions?

[dani negreanu]

21 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Our cruise is a Med Cruise from Italy. Mostly Italy. Malta and two Greek ports. I cannot see that in anyway the cruise can touch any of those ports.

 

Our cruise on Explorer of the Seas (September 27th, 2020) has the same itinerary out of Rome...

 

After cancelling my April Apex cruise, I fear the Explorer will also be a "no go"....

[dani negreanu]

14 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

One question many of us are asking is whether or not the FCC can be applied to an existing booking.

 

YES. I applied it not only to an exisiting booking, but also one paid in full (due to favorable exchange rates at the time), many months before the actual final payment date. Got the remainder credited back to cc.

 

[Pushka]

2 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Our cruise on Explorer of the Seas (September 27th, 2020) has the same itinerary out of Rome...

 

After cancelling my April Apex cruise, I fear the Explorer will also be a "no go"....

 

Sad times. I think that the TAs will be the first sign of what is to come. Sure, they can get them to disembark in Barcelona instead of Rome but that isn't going to work in a busy, well, maybe not so much now, summer season. We always choose for itinerary but was also looking forward to the Edge as an experience but I don't want a substitute Western med cruise at all. 

[JOHN474]

15 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Thanks for sharing John.

 

One question many of us are asking is whether or not the FCC can be applied to an existing booking. Did this come up at all during your discussions?

 

I did not specifically ask that question, but asked if the credit could be used the same as cash so to speak, as long as it had not expired. I was told YES. I was told if the cruise it is applied to is less than the credit, the remainder of the credit can be used on an additional cruise. Celebrity seems to be very flexible with the FCC.

[lostchild]

46 minutes ago, JOHN474 said:

My non-refundable deposits went to FCC. Port charges and Taxes went to CC for refund. The normal cancellation penalty, if applicable, ie. 25%, 50%% or 75%, went to FCC. The remainder went to a CC refund. I did not have Celebrity insurance but asked and was told, the insurance charge would be lost. There was no charge by this particular travel agent. Although it is true, you can cancel, under the Cruise With Confidence program up to 48 hours before, the closer you get to sailing, the greater the monies to a Future Cruise Credit. I think the chance of Celebrity going bankrupt is slim, it is to your advantage, if you feel you will probably cancel, it is advantageous to cancel sooner rather than later.

 

Oh wow I didn't know that!  I was going to wait until much closer to the sail date before cancelling.  I guess I need to get my act together.   I also have Costco Travel.   I am still at 25% penalty.   I thought everything will go toward FCC.   I guess it makes sense to only have the penalty and non-refundable deposit go toward FCC.

Edited March 8, 2020 by lostchild

[Fouremco]

16 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Our cruise on Explorer of the Seas (September 27th, 2020) has the same itinerary out of Rome...

 

After cancelling my April Apex cruise, I fear the Explorer will also be a "no go"....

 

11 minutes ago, JOHN474 said:

 

I did not specifically ask that question, but asked if the credit could be used the same as cash so to speak, as long as it had not expired. I was told YES. I was told if the cruise it is applied to is less than the credit, the remainder of the credit can be used on an additional cruise. Celebrity seems to be very flexible with the FCC.

Thank you both. It appears that Celebrity is allowing people to use it for existing bookings, but I wish that they'd say so explicitly.

[drakes2]

8 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

 

Thank you both. It appears that Celebrity is allowing people to use it for existing bookings, but I wish that they'd say so explicitly.

I also have a Bermuda cruise that I may cancel. Final payment is April 7th so not far away. Have not booked air and hotel yet so could apply FCC to another cruise.  I'll either take 2 cruises in the fall or do a B2B.

[sfaaa]

1 hour ago, JOHN474 said:

Just wanted to return the favor ... after many folks contributed to my understanding via this bulletin board.

After spending about 6 hours on several attempts to get through to Costco Travel ... as they were having phone issues, and Celebrity was also backed up when Costco called them. I can now share what I learned. I just cancelled 5 B2B trips.

I can clarify many questions. My non-refundable deposits went to FCC. Port charges and Taxes went to CC for refund. The normal cancellation penalty, if applicable, ie. 25%, 50%% or 75%, went to FCC. The remainder went to a CC refund. I did not have Celebrity insurance but asked and was told, the insurance charge would be lost. There was no charge by this particular travel agent. Although it is true, you can cancel, under the Cruise With Confidence program up to 48 hours before, the closer you get to sailing, the greater the monies to a Future Cruise Credit. I think the chance of Celebrity going bankrupt is slim, it is to your advantage, if you feel you will probably cancel, it is advantageous to cancel sooner rather than later. Also, in the fine print, Celebrity notes they could withdraw this offer at any time. If exponentially more people take this offer, than expected, Celebrity might withdraw it. Based on the fact that it took me 6 hours to cancel, many folks might be doing same........

 

 If I were young without health issues, it might be worth the gamble to cruise, especially at a discounted fare. Since I am not, I am very grateful Celebrity offered this temporary flexible cancellation program. 

A very good analysis. Thank you. If you are a gambler and want to roll the dice, you can also play the odd that cruise line may cancel the cruise before you do. In such scenario, you will likely be compensated with additional FCC because  it is the cruise line that pulls the plug on your cruise instead of you cancelling.

Edited March 8, 2020 by sfaaa

[Fouremco]

3 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I also have a Bermuda cruise that I may cancel. Final payment is April 7th so not far away. Have not booked air and hotel yet so could apply FCC to another cruise.  I'll either take 2 cruises in the fall or do a B2B.

It's good to be in your position of being able to cancel before final payment or wait and cancel under the Cruise with Confidence plan.

[drakes2]

17 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

It's good to be in your position of being able to cancel before final payment or wait and cancel under the Cruise with Confidence plan.

It may work out to my benefit as been looking at a British Isles cruise out of Amsterdam for August. My son and family live walking distance to the port. I did a Baltic from there in 2016 and all worked out well.  

[JOHN474]

59 minutes ago, lostchild said:

 

Oh wow I didn't know that!  I was going to wait until much closer to the sail date before cancelling.  I guess I need to get my act together.   I also have Costco Travel.   I am still at 25% penalty.   I thought everything will go toward FCC.   I guess it makes sense to only have the penalty and non-refundable deposit go toward FCC.

 

just to be clear, the normal cancellation % penalty goes to the FCC. If you cancel sooner, a smaller cancellation % penalty will go to the FCC and a large amount to the Credit Card Can refund.

[JOHN474]

44 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

A very good analysis. Thank you. If you are a gambler and want to roll the dice, you can also play the odd that cruise line may cancel the cruise before you do. In such scenario, you will likely be compensated with additional FCC because  it is the cruise line that pulls the plug on your cruise instead of you cancelling.

 

SFAAA ... I think you meant to say if the cruise line cancels, you will get all the monies credited to your credit card as a cash refund rather than a FCC. Yes this is a gamble. Though Celebrity could opt to delete many of the ports, and or change the itinerary rather than cancelling the cruise. Before Celebrity offered this option, which their fine print states they can withdraw, I was going to gamble and wait to see if they cancelled. I am still gambling a tiny bit, gambling that they will not go out of business and void the FCC. But I dont see this as a major risk. If you are at the 50% cancellation point, you still get a large amount credited to your CC immediately.

[sfaaa]

Just now, JOHN474 said:

 

SFAAA ... I think you meant to say if the cruise line cancels, you will get all the monies credited to your credit card as a cash refund rather than a FCC. Yes this is a gamble. Though Celebrity could opt to delete many of the ports, and or change the itinerary rather than cancelling the cruise. Before Celebrity offered this option, which their fine print states they can withdraw, I was going to gamble and wait to see if they cancelled. I am still gambling a tiny bit, gambling that they will not go out of business and void the FCC. But I dont see this as a major risk. If you are at the 50% cancellation point, you still get a large amount credited to your CC immediately.

Celebrity recently cancelled my 5/20 cruise. I received a full refund + an additional 25% FCC as compensation.

[JOHN474]

4 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Celebrity recently cancelled my 5/20 cruise. I received a full refund + an additional 25% FCC as compensation.

 

Thanks for clarifying. That is an even better deal. Guess it depends on how much a gambler you are.  If I was much younger,  I might be inclined to gamble more.  In your case, I think you "won" an even better prize 🙂

[coolptnr]

SFAAA: Celebrity recently cancelled my 5/20 cruise. I received a full refund + an additional 25% FCC as compensation.

 

Would you mind sharing with us which itinerary that was? I see one that is the Celebrity Apex on 5/20  that is still available...so it can't be that one. Which one was it?

[coolptnr]

So on another thread, a cruise scheduled for 3/17 was just cancelled by Celebrity...with "encouragement" from the Govt of India. Here is Celebrity's communication to its customers on the cruise. Its abbreviated...you can go to the original thread (its in the Celebrity Cruises board-readily available) if you want the full text, but the essence of it is captured here....

 

*************

We have just been advised that the Government of India will no longer allow entry to cruise ships. We have therefore made the difficult decision to cancel the Constellation voyage of 3/17/20. Up until today we did not intend to cancel this voyage, however, in an abundance of caution we feel this is the best decision for the health and safety of all. This decision was not made lightly as we value your vacation time and want to ensure you have the best experience possible on a Celebrity Cruise.

 

In order to compensate you for this cancellation, all booked guests will receive a full refund to their original method of payment and a 25% Future Cruise Credit (FCC).

 

*********

I post this because there may be more than a few who would rather get their money returned to them, as opposed to relying on future cruise credit. It'll probably be more than a year before the corona virus challenge is under control. So that puts us at April 2021 at best.

 

If you look at the availability of cruises post April 2021,  consider that you'll need to choose one that meets your preferences. Keep in mind you'll need to choose before December 31st 2021. So you really have about 8 months of cruises to choose from. That's not a lot...especially when you factor in your criteria: some family members can go, some can't. Some jobs will give you the time off, some won't. Some will have other limitations that will prohibit cruising during that period. There will be a lot of pressure to book these cruises before end of year 2021. Guaranteed some will get shut out...what if that's you? Are you happy? Wouldn't you rather have your money and be free to make your own choice, not faced with a deadline that could prove impossible to meet? I know I would...

 

And consider this: Even if they do come up with a vaccine in the next 9-12-15 months, do you feel confident that it has been fully vetted?

 

I'll get a flu shot in a minute(I've gotten one this year)...it has been tested and generally proven safe. But a brand new corona virus vaccine? Folks, we are the guinea pigs. We will determine whether it is safe or not. We are on the front lines...

 

Something to consider...

[Pushka]

They will be refunded in full (in "cash" ) plus receive as an extra the FCC. I have my 2021 cruises all sorted so the FCC would be of no value to me. Which is why I'm not cancelling my current Edge cruise and I expect it to be cancelled anyway as it is Rome/Greece/ Rome. Can't happen. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Pushka

[sfaaa]

2 hours ago, coolptnr said:

SFAAA: Celebrity recently cancelled my 5/20 cruise. I received a full refund + an additional 25% FCC as compensation.

 

Would you mind sharing with us which itinerary that was? I see one that is the Celebrity Apex on 5/20  that is still available...so it can't be that one. Which one was it?

TransPacific sailing from Japan.

[upwarduk]

2 hours ago, coolptnr said:

We have just been advised that the Government of India will no longer allow entry to cruise ships. We have therefore made the difficult decision to cancel the Constellation voyage of 3/17/20. Up until today we did not intend to cancel this voyage, however, in an abundance of caution we feel this is the best decision for the health and safety of all. This decision was not made lightly as we value your vacation time and want to ensure you have the best experience possible on a Celebrity Cruise.

It just makes me wonder how many other countries are going to ban cruise ships?

My Cruise was due on August 1st- one day AFTER the July 31st ‘Cruise with confidence’ cut off date.

I really do wonder whether the ships will be Repositioned to Europe in a few few months time.

[Pushka]

40 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

It just makes me wonder how many other countries are going to ban cruise ships?

My Cruise was due on August 1st- one day AFTER the July 31st ‘Cruise with confidence’ cut off date.

I really do wonder whether the ships will be Repositioned to Europe in a few few months time.

Agree. That has been my reference point for a few weeks now, once Italy became involved. 

[BigAl94]

51 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

It just makes me wonder how many other countries are going to ban cruise ships?

My Cruise was due on August 1st- one day AFTER the July 31st ‘Cruise with confidence’ cut off date.

I really do wonder whether the ships will be Repositioned to Europe in a few few months time.

What makes you think they'll be welcomed in European, British Isles or Irish ports by that stage? 

[zanderblue]

Yeah, What you say is not wrong, but equally at this point in time there is no reason to believe that cruise ships would not be welcome in Europe.

I think we all need to have realistic expectations going forward. The world will continue to turn and folks need to live their lives and go about their business. Now I don’t mean to  minimise the seriousness of this outbreak, but if we all have a look at the personal consequences of catching the virus and the risks associated with that; we can make a rational decision about how much, if any, we want to modify our actions and behaviours.

I totally get that what works for me won’t necessarily work for the next person.

The other factor of course is if the authorities get involved and start mandating, I guess then we will all need to do as we are told. Hopefully, It will never get to that level of intervention.

Edited March 8, 2020 by zanderblue

[hcat]

12 hours ago, Fouremco said:

 

Thank you both. It appears that Celebrity is allowing people to use it for existing bookings, but I wish that they'd say so explicitly.

Print out Mr Fain's Press Release which does say that!

[Tanker]

On 3/7/2020 at 6:42 AM, Tanker said:

We used 100K BOA reward points to reduce the cost of our cruise in May.  Has anyone checked to see how BOA and Celebrity will handle the reward points and if they will also transfer towards a future cruise?  

 

 

If you redeemed BOA MyCruise reward points you should contact BOA before making any decisions even though I found the following statement in the BOA MyCruise Rewards terms and conditions: "If Celebrity Cruises cancels the cruise vacation you have booked, we will offer a credit of equal value of the reward redemption."  You never know if there are any caveats or restrictions in small print.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Tanker