Would you trade your 100% FCC for 80% cash back?

[Norwich Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

Do you realise that in order to use your fcc you have to pay much more for your future Cruise (compared to the price you paid) for the exact same cabin same Cruise

Not the same ship I do realise but quite similar.

 

There is really do different for us to book Allure from Barcelona this year in August or Harmony next year same time frame.

[karena1]

On 3/23/2020 at 11:15 AM, drsel said:

Wow 18 Cruises booked, you must be a multi millionaire

no way, just worked really hard and saved our money.  Never lived above our means, never bought expensive cars or houses.  My car was 16 years old when it died and I was forced to buy a new one.  We do 3 7 night cruises a year and lots of 3 or 4 night cruises.  We love being on a cruise ship.

[Guest BigRoger]

No.... staying committed to cruising and committed to royal... pity we can’t operate a market in selling on FCCs and transferring between cruisers.... at 80% of face value I’d be a buy....

[LMaxwell]

3 hours ago, BigRoger said:

No.... staying committed to cruising and committed to royal... pity we can’t operate a market in selling on FCCs and transferring between cruisers.... at 80% of face value I’d be a buy....

Maybe they could institute that. It's a future credit not unlike a timeshare; people can sell or sublet timeshare time. Why can't I sell my credits at whatever the market may bear to a willing buyer? 

[ARandomTraveler]

I cancelled my June cruise this afternoon. Got a full 100% refund because final payment isn’t until tomorrow and my deposit was refundable.

 

I contemplated paying the final payment and then using my cancel-for-any-reason insurance to get the 75% cash refund if I decide not to go, but decided that 70 days probably won’t make a huge difference in my willingness to vacation overseas so I saved myself the 25% I would have lost and cancelled before final payment instead.
 

I haven’t cancelled my airfare or hotels yet,   just in case there’s a small tiny minuscule possibility that things make a complete turnaround, in which case I’ll re-book the cruise portion of the trip, even if it’s more money because at that point I’d be 100% willing to go. 
 

If not, I’m holding out for the airline to cancel the flight so I can get a 100% refund. If not, I’ll use my insurance and get 75% cash back, which right now is much more valuable than a 100% airline credit for $2800 that I probably won’t use within the year. 
 

Thank goodness I learned from cruise critic back during hurricane Maria to buy the cancel for any reason. Really made this much less painful, although I’m so bummed my vacation this year looks unlikely. 

[AlohaLivin]

I would have to do the credit. We cruise as often as we can with both working full time and I couldn’t stomach trashing 20% of the cost of an OS.  I do think RCL needs to extend to deadline for using it however - NCL is giving an entire year longer.

Edited March 25, 2020 by AlohaLivin

[bonsai3s]

No.  We love to cruise and cruise often.

[ReneeFLL]

On 3/22/2020 at 11:13 AM, Judyrem said:

Anyone have  any idea when Royal will announce the canceling of the April 11-12 cruises that were to sail then?

 

I am playing "chicken" with Royal 😉 because I want a refund.

Looks like you just won. 🥂

Edited March 25, 2020 by ReneeFLL

[Judyrem]

6 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Looks like you just won. 🥂

Yes and I feel great! 😎

[LMaxwell]

21 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

That’s not strictly true.

 

Maybe on some cruises but definitely not all.

 

 

All cruises will require new deposits to utilize the FCC.  

[Iamcruzin]

On 3/24/2020 at 8:33 AM, drsel said:

Would you take a 100% refund of your deposit, instead of a 150% fcc

Yes, in hot minute.

[Iamcruzin]

29 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

Yes and I feel great! 😎

And I am Happy for you.

[Norwich Cruiser]

15 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

All cruises will require new deposits to utilize the FCC.  

That’s correct 

[Iamcruzin]

11 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

 

Thank goodness I learned from cruise critic back during hurricane Maria to buy the cancel for any reason. Really made this much less painful, although I’m so bummed my vacation this year looks unlikely. 

Here is what I learned from this disaster.

Cancel for any reason does not apply to New York State. In the past I purchased through the cruise line because they had CFAR now I'm wondering if it would have applied to me.

I always book a refundable deposit and will continue to do so booking far out. If the cruise line no longer offers a refundable deposit I will either choose not to cruise or only book last minute deals.

We have hotel reservations in Florida for early June to attend my son's College graduation. Most likely it will be canceled. I wish I would have booked it through AAA and only left a deposit. Instead my son saved us some money by booking it through a program they offer at work. I had to pay in full and it's not refundable. Lesson learned there.

[drsel]

For Cruises, booking last minute is the way to go

[Bookster99]

On 3/21/2020 at 7:34 PM, LMaxwell said:

I canceled under the cruise with confidence offer before refunds were being offered. When they canceled and offered 100% refund or 125% FCC that was a better deal for most people.  

 

But I am looking at this from the flip side; without knowing how long this crisis continues, when cruises will resume or what pricing will look like, if my or my spouses job will be secure, or if the company survives even, I'm looking at the FCC at best as just a coupon discount on a future cruise and at worst it turns to a value of $0 (which given the nearness of my sail date would have been the refund due for cancellation unless I had used my trip insurance). 

 

That said though instead of wanting the additional credit on the FCC others got (that's great for them, I'm not jealous and don't want to take anything from them) if I had the option to forego the FCC and get 80% cash refund I would.  

 

Anyone else? 

Personally, we are doing OK financially through this so far, so i would take the 125% future cruise credit. But I wouldn't blame anyone for taking the cash. Toilet paper costs money. 

[ARandomTraveler]

16 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

Personally, we are doing OK financially through this so far, so i would take the 125% future cruise credit. But I wouldn't blame anyone for taking the cash. Toilet paper costs money. 

My reason for taking the cash has more to do with my un-willingness to give up flexibility on when I want to book my next cruise. I don’t want to be forced to book a cruise, or feel like I have to choose a specific vacation, based on the fact that I have a credit that’s going to expire. 
 

Being in a comfortable spot financially, I see it the opposite way from you, in that I’m fine losing 20% because it’s not gonna break me, and I prefer the flexibility of having the cash.

 

Thats why I always pay the $203 fee to upgrade my booking to the refundable fare, and why I pay the extra money for the cancel-for-any-reason insurance. Many people say that the extra money for those 2 things is too expensive, but I see them as having value and being totally worth the extra money. I’m paying for peace of mind, rather than risking the stress of losing my flexibility just to save $400 or $500.
 

For a $1,000 cruise, people are trading in flexibility and risking losing the entire amount just to get an extra $250. Doesn’t seem worth it to me.

Edited March 25, 2020 by ARandomTraveler

[Bookster99]

2 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

My reason for taking the cash over the FCC has nothing to do with my financial

situation, but more so on my un-willingness to give up flexibility on when I want to book my next cruise. I don’t want to be forced to book a cruise, or feel like I have to choose a specific vacation, based on the fact that I have a credit that’s going to expire. 
 

Being in a comfortable spot financially, I see it the opposite way from you, in that I’m fine losing 20% because it’s not gonna break me, and I prefer the flexibility of having the cash.

 

Thats why I always pay the $203 fee to upgrade my booking to the refundable fare, and why I pay the extra money for the cancel-for-any-reason insurance. Many people say that the extra money for those 2 things is too expensive, but I see them as having value and being totally worth the extra money. I’m paying for peace of mind, rather than risking the stress of losing my flexibility just to save $400 or $500.
 

For a $1,000 cruise, people are trading in flexibility and risking losing the entire amount just to get an extra $250. Doesn’t seem worth it to me. You’re trading in flexibility for a measly $250 bucks.

I see your point. When a global pandemic isn't raging, we cruise about twice a year, so it works for us. It's nice for people to be able to make choices.

[compman9]

This sounds like the sort of question Royal Caribbean would get one of its staff to post on Cruise Critic

 

For Admin - I think it should be deleted

[ARandomTraveler]

11 minutes ago, compman9 said:

This sounds like the sort of question Royal Caribbean would get one of its staff to post on Cruise Critic

 

For Admin - I think it should be deleted

Lol- are you joking? 

Even if it were a covert way for the cruiseline to figure out what people are more likely to do, why is it a bad thing for them to know? It’s no different than taking a survey, and then maybe more people will get what they want. If RC wants to know how to keep business then it’s to our benefit for them to know our thoughts. 
 

Are you one of those people who thinks the government is listening to you through your tv? And if so, aren’t you risking quite a bit by posting on public forums 🤔

Edited March 25, 2020 by ARandomTraveler

[compman9]

12 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Lol- are you joking? 

Even if it were a covert way for the cruiseline to figure out what people are more likely to do, why is it a bad thing for them to know? It’s no different than taking a survey, and then maybe more people will get what they want. If RC wants to know how to keep business then it’s to our benefit for them to know our thoughts. 
 

Are you one of those people who thinks the government is listening to you through your tv? And if so, aren’t you risking quite a bit by posting on public forums 🤔

 

You haven't been here long have you? These boards are riddled with cruise line employees and cheerleaders

 

The website is called Cruise Critic, but heaven help you if you do

 

And for the record, all cruise lines should offer all passengers 100% refund of fares, no questions asked, no fancy deals, no OBC offers, just all the money back in everyone's account for all upcoming cruises until a date their governments (I mean places like the Bahamas, Malta, Liberia etc.), say is the most likely date for a full resumption of uninterrupted cruising

[Judyrem]

18 hours ago, Bookster99 said:

Personally, we are doing OK financially through this so far, so i would take the 125% future cruise credit. But I wouldn't blame anyone for taking the cash. Toilet paper costs money. 

I have been looking for over ten days and have not found a roll🙄.

 

Now I have been buying facial tissue.........🤪

[WeLuvVacation]

IF RCL would cancel my cruise I would expect at the minimum 100% cash refund of all dollars paid. If they were to offer a higher percentage as a FCC I would consider it. Or I will be at the pier in Bayonne on 5/17 waiting to board.

[LMaxwell]

On 3/25/2020 at 1:24 PM, compman9 said:

This sounds like the sort of question Royal Caribbean would get one of its staff to post on Cruise Critic

 

For Admin - I think it should be deleted

 

lol. 

 

I've been accused of a lot of absurd things on Cruise Critic, but never, and I mean NEVER would anyone accuse me of working for a cruise line.  

 

 

[drsel]

I have been looking for over ten days and have not found a roll[emoji849].

 

Now I have been buying facial tissue.........[emoji2957]

Consider investing in a bidet or a jet spray, along with liquid soap