New England Canada Cruise

[Frenchkona]

I have to make a decision by Wednesday regarding our June 16th Cruise to New England and Canada. I need to choose from these options. Any advice would be very much appreciated. 
 

1.  Pay the final payment, hoping that the cruise actually happens. 
2.  Pay the final payment, and have the option of canceling later and taking the future credits. 
3.  Pay the final payment and staying with it and if it is canceled then taking the whole payment and possible additional credit

4.  Just cancel and look into something next year. 
 

one option gives me my deposit immediately and my money is not tied up. The others have various other stipulations. So your help would be appreciated. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Save your money and cancel the cruise.  Re-book the cruise next year.

[puppycanducruise]

Canada has closed its ports to cruise ships (with more than 500 people aboard) until July 1.  So, your cruise itinerary will change or not happen.

If it were me, I'd just cancel and look for something next year.

Good luck with your decision.

[meechee341]

1 hour ago, Frenchkona said:

I have to make a decision by Wednesday regarding our June 16th Cruise to New England and Canada. I need to choose from these options. Any advice would be very much appreciated. 
 

1.  Pay the final payment, hoping that the cruise actually happens. 
2.  Pay the final payment, and have the option of canceling later and taking the future credits. 
3.  Pay the final payment and staying with it and if it is canceled then taking the whole payment and possible additional credit

4.  Just cancel and look into something next year. 
 

one option gives me my deposit immediately and my money is not tied up. The others have various other stipulations. So your help would be appreciated. 

I was on this 12 night cruise and I canceled long before Canada shut down all its ports until July.  This cruise is not going to happen.  Canada is shut down and New England is a hot zone with increasing upticks in the new virus patients.  Cancel before the 18th deadline and get your money back if you booked a refundable ticket.  My booking was refundable and when the State Department announced that US citizens should stay off cruise ships, that's when I canceled.  I don't want to be stuck with a bunch of FCC and Dr. Fauci is predicting that this is only going to get worse.  People are making the assumption that somehow their summer cruises will be running.  I don't think that's a good assumption to make.  You don't know what the future will hold, but you can get your cash back and have it in your pocket in case you need to pay a bill or stock up on toilet paper or food.  Get the cash and leave the FCC.  

[gerelmx]

Change to September or October sailing, 12 night Boston, NE & Canada

[az_tchr]

Your decision is easy.

Either cancell and rebook for next year.

Cancell

Or pay for this year and worry about what will happen for the next three months.

Seems easy to me since there is only a small chance this cruise will happen. Why put energy into what might well be a futile gesture.

[MEcruzr]

Maine has closed Portland and Bar Harbor through April and it sounds like that will get extended. 

 

Cancel and get your money back. I'm reading that FCC is lost if you cancel any cruise you apply it to (it's considered "redeemed" once it's applied... like a discount coupon... you can't get the value back). Cancel and get your $$ back while you can! IF, by some miracle, that cruise sails you will be able to get a heck of deal on it last minute. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by MEcruzr

[Fouremco]

This is an easy one: cancel now. Then, if you still have confidence in Celebrity and the cruise industry, book something for later in the year. Just remember that the Canadian ban is subject to review and may be extended, so I wouldn't jump on another booking quite yet.

[pixiedust777]

Cancel and get all your money back while you can.

 

[dani negreanu]

I was already in 100% penalty when the situation worsened.

 

I cancelled the moment the "cruise with confidence" was announced and immediately applied it to another cruise, 15 months from now. Hopefully, the cruise line will still operate by then...

 

Take the cash....

[39august]

Take the money and run! We are going to cancel our b2b July cruises before the final payment date to get our cruise and air payments refunded. Air was booked with Celebrity. 

[takemewithyou]

I was on that cruise and cancelled a couple of weeks ago fearing that Canada would close ports and they are!  Now Maine is cancelling cruise ships!  Cancel and take back your deposit.

[meechee341]

3 hours ago, pixiedust777 said:

Cancel and get all your money back while you can.

 

Exactly!  FCC is worthless.  They are going to put a bunch of restrictions and stipulations on those vouchers.  Get your cash and get out while you can. 

[MEcruzr]

18 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

I was on that cruise and cancelled a couple of weeks ago fearing that Canada would close ports and they are!  Now Maine is cancelling cruise ships!  Cancel and take back your deposit.

 

Maine is closed to cruise ships for the month of April... I suspect it will get extended very soon. The downtown area in Portland is shutting down. Everything is closed today to stop St. Patrick's Day gatherings. Restaurants (like D'Millos) are closed indefinitely. Parking garages are only allowing monthly renters in/out... no hourly or daily use. Our ferry system cut the passenger allowance by 50% and are not selling "cruise" tickets so no one can just go for a ride. One island I know of off the midcoast has said only full time residents are allowed on the island. If this extends to the summer the "summer people" who own cottages there can't move back. DMV has closed. Our town offices are closed for business. Medical practices are closed except for emergencies. This in a state with only 12 confirmed cases as of yesterday. I haven't checked today. No way we will be open for cruise business in May... and probably not June!

[prim8keeper]

I would cancel. We went back and forth on whether or not to make final payment for our June 6 cruise to Bermuda, but in the end we did. Hindsight being what it always is I wish we would went with my gut and canceled. Now we just have to wait and see what happens and hope it goes the way of our Edge sailing so we can get a refund.

 

I really struggle to see how any of the Summit cruises (Canada/NE or Bermuda) sail given the current situation/outlook. Ignoring the fact that Canada has closed its ports, Bermuda currently has no cases of COVID-19. For that reason alone I don't see them opening up to cruise ships until things have really settled down. Granted that is never a guarantee, but if Bermuda does indeed close it's ports like Canada you now have the same issue currently plaguing the Alaska season in that you have no foreign port to visit.

Edited March 17, 2020 by prim8keeper

[takemewithyou]

Bermuda’s policy to outside visitors as of today is that you must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival before you can freely move about the island.

 

 

https://www.gotobermuda.com/bta/press-release/bermuda-tourism-authority-update

Edited March 17, 2020 by takemewithyou

[HS2BS]

We are in the situation that we have a Bermuda cruise leaving 05/09, and the following cruise(05/19)is New England/Canada - both already fully paid for. There is probably no way we can go due to the fact that both of us are over 70, healthy(age related health items), but are the ports going to be open.

We would love to go on these cruises, but our worst fear would be that everything clears up(pessimistic/optimistic?) and then ports refuses embarkation leaving us on a cruise to no where!

 We will wait till a few days prior to cancel(maybe Celebrity will cancel) each individually and take the fcc and use them on two other cruises we have booked - Summit(October 17)12 day from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale and a 14 day(01/31/2021) rt South America.

 

Hal

[pasta1]

As I know you are not allowed to apply FCC to another cruise booked. We are on the cruise after your last cruise and on the Equinox late September. We will wait to see if Celebrity cancels the cruise and take full refund. If things get a lot better we will go, if not then Celebrity sails we will take FCC, also when you book a new cruise with your FCC you can not use it for your deposit, which I think is sending a wrong message to its loyal clients. Celebrity does not show good  business ethics to its  loyal customers. Princess is completely the opposite.

[Fouremco]

25 minutes ago, pasta1 said:

As I know you are not allowed to apply FCC to another cruise booked.

There have been many posts on this board by people who have been assured by Celebrity that FCC's can be used for existing bookings. I specifically asked the question and was told that I could. 

[pasta1]

Check Celebrity site and read their FCC policy, please correct me I I am wrong.

[Fouremco]

51 minutes ago, pasta1 said:

Check Celebrity site and read their FCC policy, please correct me I I am wrong.

Celebrity has never been known for consistency in its messaging or the accuracy of any information on its website.

 

If you are touting accuracy of the website, you might want to consider the dozen cruises still being offered that start, finish, or visit Canadian ports before July 2020, a period during which all of these cruise ports will be closed to ships with a combined crew/passenger load of 500 or more people.

[davekathy]

4 hours ago, pasta1 said:

Check Celebrity site and read their FCC policy, please correct me I I am wrong.

Where exactly does it say you cannot use the FCC on an existing booking in the FCC policy? I called the Captains Club and RC C&A society (14 March) and both reps said the FCC can be used for existing bookings. My TA also said FCCs could be applied on existing bookings.

Edited March 18, 2020 by davekathy

[hcat]

Cancel...money in your pocket or on your card is yours.

A FCC is just a chit that might or might not be useful in the future!

[Fouremco]

13 minutes ago, hcat said:

Cancel...money in your pocket or on your card is yours.

A FCC is just a chit that might or might not be useful in the future!

Unfortunately, Celebrity doesn't give you that choice unless they cancel.