Need help with cancellation policy

[Cruise_Couple]

We have a cruise booked for July 4, 2020. With the current pandemic situation we are considering cancelling because we have children and would rather lean on the side of caution. Due to future events in our life we are not able to postpone this cruise, we would have to cancel. The cruise was booked with a non-refundable deposit and we have made additional payments since then.  Final payment date is fast approaching. My question is... With RCCL's current cancellaton policy what portion, if any, of my money would be refunded to me if we cancel? I really do not understand what they are saying about refunds. We can't use a future credit. I need to make this decision now. 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Cruise_Couple

[mugtech]

Since you are before final payment you should get everything back but your non-refundable part of your payment, $100 per person.  If your deposit was more than $100 per person, that amount would be split among everyone as FCC to be used within a year from the cancellation date.

[ARandomTraveler]

The portion of your money that you paid beyond the required deposit would be refunded in full as long as you cancel before final payment.
 

You will lose $100/person from the deposit, and the rest of the per person deposit would be given back as an FCC to each individual person. So if each person paid $250 deposit, each person will lose $100, and be given an FCC for $150.

 

If you did want to rebook instead of cancel, they are waiving the $100 penalty. But if you cancel, you will lose it. 
 

I cancelled my June cruise today, but I had a refundable deposit so I got everything back. However, the phone rep did push pretty hard to get me to reschedule instead of cancel and it did make me think that RC may rethink offering the option to book refundable deposits in the future because it’s so easy for them to lose money when we cancel. It doesn’t sound like very many people book the refundable option though so maybe not. 

Edited March 25, 2020 by ARandomTraveler

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, Cruise_Couple said:

We have a cruise booked for July 4, 2020. With the current pandemic situation we are considering cancelling because we have children and would rather lean on the side of caution. Due to future events in our life we are not able to postpone this cruise, we would have to cancel. The cruise was booked with a non-refundable deposit and we have made additional payments since then.  Final payment date is fast approaching. My question is... With RCCL's current cancellaton policy what portion, if any, of my money would be refunded to me if we cancel? I really do not understand what they are saying about refunds. We can't use a future credit. I need to make this decision now. 

 

4 hours ago, mugtech said:

Since you are before final payment you should get everything back but your non-refundable part of your payment, $100 per person.  If your deposit was more than $100 per person, that amount would be split among everyone as FCC to be used within a year from the cancellation date.

 

3 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

The portion of your money that you paid beyond the required deposit would be refunded in full as long as you cancel before final payment.
 

You will lose $100/person from the deposit, and the rest of the per person deposit would be given back as an FCC to each individual person. So if each person paid $250 deposit, each person will lose $100, and be given an FCC for $150.

 

If you did want to rebook instead of cancel, they are waiving the $100 penalty. But if you cancel, you will lose it. 
 

I cancelled my June cruise today, but I had a refundable deposit so I got everything back. However, the phone rep did push pretty hard to get me to reschedule instead of cancel and it did make me think that RC may rethink offering the option to book refundable deposits in the future because it’s so easy for them to lose money when we cancel. It doesn’t sound like very many people book the refundable option though so maybe not. 

Under the cruise with confidence policy any eligible sailing that is cancelled (those departing before July 31) will have the $100pp cancellation fee waived.

 

The entire deposit will be refunded as a FCC to be applied to a cruise within a year.

 

OP.  It only has to be applied by.  You could wait for another 9 months to apply it and by then many of the itineraries out until April of 2023 will have been released.  Any money above your deposits will be refunded to your credit card 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[brillohead]

Why the rush to cancel a cruise so far into the future?
 
If the world is still in lockdown mode, you'll be able to get your money back.  If the world isn't still in lockdown mode, the danger (if there is any) will be past.  You'll be more at risk in local stores and restaurants than you will be on a constantly-disinfected cruise ship, IMO.

Do not let coronavirus panic make you cancel your trip right now

Edited March 25, 2020 by brillohead

[ARandomTraveler]

1 minute ago, brillohead said:

Why the rush to cancel a cruise so far into the future?
 
If the world is still in lockdown mode, you'll be able to get your money back.  If the world isn't still in lockdown mode, the danger (if there is any) will be past.  You'll be more at risk in local stores and restaurants than you will be on a constantly-disinfected cruise ship, IMO.

https://www.elliott.org/answers/coronavirus-panic-dont-cancel-future-travel-now/

I would have kept my cruise booking if they pushed the final payment date out so I could assess the situation and decide if I wanted to travel to Asia at the end of May (the cruise portion of that trip was going to be at the end of a couple week land vacation around Asia).
 

But, since my deposit was refundable, I decided to cancel the cruise so I wouldn’t have to deal with having to make a claim on my insurance policy to get my money back in the event the cruise ISN’T cancelled, and I didn’t feel at that time that I felt comfortable doing a several week vacation overseas. 
 

My trip starts in less than 2 months and odds are that even if the cruise isn’t cancelled by the cruiseline, I will probably opt to cancel the whole trip, so I saved myself the 25% I would have lost if I had to make a claim to my insurance to get my money back after final payment. That’s why I cancelled.

 

I haven’t cancelled my airfare because again, I will lose 25% of my money if I cancel the flight, but if American Airlines cancels the flight, I will get 100% back. I’m fine getting the 75% cash back if that’s my best option, but since it makes no difference to me at this point (the flights are already paid in full), I’m waiting that part out. 

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, ARandomTraveler said:

My trip starts in less than 2 months and odds are that even if the cruise isn’t cancelled by the cruiseline, I will probably opt to cancel the whole trip, so I saved myself the 25% I would have lost if I had to make a claim to my insurance to get my money back after final payment. That’s why I cancelled.

That all makes sense... but if your cruise wasn't until July and your deposit was non-refundable, like in the OP's situation???

Just seems way premature to be making a decision for the middle of the summer right now.

[ARandomTraveler]

13 minutes ago, brillohead said:

That all makes sense... but if your cruise wasn't until July and your deposit was non-refundable, like in the OP's situation???

Just seems way premature to be making a decision for the middle of the summer right now.

True- In their situation I’d probably wait it out, though the penalty for cancelling now may be less than the penalty if they wait a month or two. If they are planning to take the cruise as long as it’s sailing it’s moot point, and if the cruiseline cancels it’s also a moot point, but if they want to cancel, it’s all about minimizing the penalties.