Opinions about No Refund for FCC if you aren’t allowed to Cruise

[BIGADORF]

Anybody have any experience or knowledge about whether Princess can refuse to refund the money for a cruise that was paid for entirely with FCC, but was cancelled by Princess? Specifically if Princess will not allow a person who is over 70 with diabetes to cruise in the future without a doctor’s form. It would seem that if Princess indeed will require such a form and if the doctor will not sign it, that they are basically saying, “we have your money that you paid for a cruise for in the form of FCC, but we won’t let you use it”. Doesn’t sound fair and equitable to me.

[Shmoo here]

4 minutes ago, BIGADORF said:

Anybody have any experience or knowledge about whether Princess can refuse to refund the money for a cruise that was paid for entirely with FCC, but was cancelled by Princess? Specifically if Princess will not allow a person who is over 70 with diabetes to cruise in the future without a doctor’s form. It would seem that if Princess indeed will require such a form and if the doctor will not sign it, that they are basically saying, “we have your money that you paid for a cruise for in the form of FCC, but we won’t let you use it”. Doesn’t sound fair and equitable to me.

I believe FCC is refundable if you don't use it within a specified time.  Am I wrong?

 

Do you mean the FCC is the amount you paid on the cancelled cruise?  The options for that are a refund, or a FCC, as far as I know.  If it turns out you can't cruise, then you'd get the refund.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Shmoo here

[cruzsnooze]

How did you pay for an entire cruise with a FCC?

[BIGADORF]

We had to cancel a 2019 cruise due to a medical emergency, rebooked the same cruise for 2020 that was cancelled.

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

How did you pay for an entire cruise with a FCC?

 

[dog]

This needs to be answered by Princess. If you have FCC, and are refused boarding, due to new health restrictions, will Princess refund it?

[caribill]

3 hours ago, BIGADORF said:

Anybody have any experience or knowledge about whether Princess can refuse to refund the money for a cruise that was paid for entirely with FCC, but was cancelled by Princess? Specifically if Princess will not allow a person who is over 70 with diabetes to cruise in the future without a doctor’s form. It would seem that if Princess indeed will require such a form and if the doctor will not sign it, that they are basically saying, “we have your money that you paid for a cruise for in the form of FCC, but we won’t let you use it”. Doesn’t sound fair and equitable to me.

 

Nothing in current Princess postings indicates that such a form would be required.

 

See

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/plan/Health-Advisory-and-Travel-Safety-Procedures.pdf

 

 

[brisalta]

3 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Nothing in current Princess postings indicates that such a form would be required.

 

See

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/plan/Health-Advisory-and-Travel-Safety-Procedures.pdf

 

 

 

But it does indicate if a passenger is refused boarding for health reason they will be issued a full cruise credit or refund.

 

B. Travel Restrictions: Guests and crew members meeting certain criteria will be unable to sail. Guests who are unable to sail because of a failure to meet the following criteria will be issued a full cruise credit or refund:

• I. If you have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, or a person under monitoring for COVID-19.
• II. If you are suffering from a fever or flu-like symptoms prior to embarkation.
• III. If you have an underlying severe chronic medical condition. The above requirements apply to all guests, crew members, service staff and visitors.

[caribill]

1 hour ago, brisalta said:

 

But it does indicate if a passenger is refused boarding for health reason they will be issued a full cruise credit or refund.

 

B. Travel Restrictions: Guests and crew members meeting certain criteria will be unable to sail. Guests who are unable to sail because of a failure to meet the following criteria will be issued a full cruise credit or refund:

 

I wonder if they refund the airfare used to get to the unable-to-sail cruise and also pay the airfare for a last minute booking to fly home after being denied boarding.

[Potstech]

Just like the airlines and their travel banks it should be considered theft and state Attorney Generals should charge them for this.  Now all the non lawyers can step in.

[cruzsnooze]

I used $9000 in gift cards and Princess has told me they will reload the cards even though my health puts me at high risk and I cannot cruise at this time. I am assuming I will have to wait until a vaccine is available allowing Carnival Corp to hold this large amount of my money indefinitely. I wish there was a way to get my money back.....................any ideas? 

[dog]

9 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

I used $9000 in gift cards and Princess has told me they will reload the cards even though my health puts me at high risk and I cannot cruise at this time. I am assuming I will have to wait until a vaccine is available allowing Carnival Corp to hold this large amount of my money indefinitely. I wish there was a way to get my money back.....................any ideas? 

Did you speak to Princess about health issue that will prevent you from sailing?  We need to get this cleared up. If we are not allowed to board. We need credit card refund. This health requirement came out AFTER we accepted FCC 

[joe d]

 

"Guests and crew members meeting certain criteria will be unable to sail........ If you have an underlying severe chronic medical condition."

We need to know exactly what this means.  Why would anyone  book a cruise and give their money to Princess if there was a chance they could be turned away at the last moment.

[cruzsnooze]

29 minutes ago, dog said:

Did you speak to Princess about health issue that will prevent you from sailing?  We need to get this cleared up. If we are not allowed to board. We need credit card refund. This health requirement came out AFTER we accepted FCC 

I emailed guest relations and told them the exact reasons I wouldn't be able to cruise under their new health guidelines. I told them I would look forward to cruising with them again but not in the near future because of the virus. I explained that $9000 was a lot of money for them to hold. I told them I already had 55 cruises with them so of course they should consider me a good customer. They responded that all sales on gift cards are final...period!

Edited April 18, 2020 by cruzsnooze

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

I emailed guest relations and told them the exact reasons I wouldn't be able to cruise under their new health guidelines. They responded that all sales on gift cards are final...period!

are gift cards transferrable ? sell on E-bay or Craigslist ?

[cruzsnooze]

23 minutes ago, voljeep said:

are gift cards transferrable ? sell on E-bay or Craigslist ?

It would be to big a loss to sell on ebay and Craigslist is asking for scammers/trouble.  Ebay and paypal take big commissions.   I am waiting to see what happens for a while but I think it's unfair for Princess to say I can't cruise and not refund these cards.

 

  I took option 1 for a 125% FCC it's now a moot point. I took that option since Princess wouldn't give me a refund.

Edited April 18, 2020 by cruzsnooze

[jagoffee]

Just now, cruzsnooze said:

It would be to big a loss to sell on ebay and Craigslist is asking for scammers/trouble.  Ebay and paypal take big commissions. I am waiting to see what happens for a while but I think it's unfair for Princess to say I can't cruise and not refund these cards.

Certainly understandable why you are concerned.  

The gift cards are in fact not refundable, which you knew where you purchased them. You  have certainly identified the downside of purchasing gift cards with a bonus.  At the time, it probably seemed like easy money.

 

No one is cruising at this time.  The timing of the resumption of cruising is a very big unknown.  The restrictions on who can cruise is most likely going to be a general policy and not a Princess policy.  Therefore, it is likely not to be Princess that is preventing or discouraging you from cruising. There are probably a lot of people who would not care to cruise until the COVID -19 ceases to exist.  (Or perhaps have underlying conditions that should discourage them from ever cruising).  As we all know it is not uncommon for people to die while on a cruise.

 

IMO, no one was ever suppose to get on a cruise if they were sick,  so it is nothing different.  Cruise lines Restricting those over 70 with underlying condition was just an attempt by the cruise lines to be allowed to keep operating.   Knowing what we know now, it seems silly.
 The governments around the world have shut them down for now.  We will see what the conditions will be for them to be allowed to operate.  For the US it will be cruises touching US ports.  The restrictions are likely not to be simply filling out a form concerning underlying medical conditions.
 

Once  all this becomes clear, you will have a better case.  Might not be the appropriate time for “what ifs” Too many unknowns.
 

[Musky Ike]

16 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

The gift cards are in fact not refundable, which you knew where you purchased them. You  have certainly identified the downside of purchasing gift cards with a bonus.  At the time, it probably seemed like easy money.

In the past Princess has indeed refunded back to a Princess gift card for us.

[spyro1952]

1 hour ago, joe d said:

 

"Guests and crew members meeting certain criteria will be unable to sail........ If you have an underlying severe chronic medical condition."

We need to know exactly what this means.  Why would anyone  book a cruise and give their money to Princess if there was a chance they could be turned away at the last moment.

This criteria has been developed by the CD C and includes age restrictions, many chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, immune disorders, chemo

patients, respiratory disease like asthma or COPD.   Of course these can be enforced at US ports only.   I do see similar  European ports using similar restrictions, preventing cruise lines from trying to push the envelope.

[cruzsnooze]

16 minutes ago, Musky Ike said:

In the past Princess has indeed refunded back to a Princess gift card for us.

That's not the issue, they are willing to refund back to the gift cards. The problem is not being able to use the gift cards due to the regulations regarding age and preexisting conditions rendering the cards useless.  

[dog]

Got some answers I can accept from Matt at Princess. From his offices- all are working from home. Tech problems with website, high volumes, computer problems--led them to do refunds/FCC manually.

Future Cruise Deposits to be refunded in FCC amount for recently cancelled cruises, unlike in the past where they were put back in your Circle Account.

And from another rep.I spoke to about the Health Restrictions. Princess has not given them Lists for excluding anyone from cruising with their line. She was just told to refer to CDC lists. I have not looked this up, but she told me it said....restrictions if you had been hospitalized within 2 months prior to cruise. (PLEASE NOTE-JUST SHARING WHAT I WAS TOLD---NOT ME SAYING IT).

 

DEPOSIT for cruise I am considering is $520 (for 2)  on website (which isn't working for me still), but today, past passenger

promotion for reduced deposit of $260  ( for 2).

[Daniel A]

14 hours ago, dog said:

This needs to be answered by Princess. If you have FCC, and are refused boarding, due to new health restrictions, will Princess refund it?

Another wrinkle to this issue is what happens if you were given a higher percentage of your original cruise fare?  I.e. what if you got 125% FCC and then you were denied boarding.  Would your expected cash refund be the original amount or would it be the 125%?  Somebody said it correctly - too many what ifs?

[brisalta]

13 hours ago, caribill said:

 

I wonder if they refund the airfare used to get to the unable-to-sail cruise and also pay the airfare for a last minute booking to fly home after being denied boarding.

 

Send them an email and ask for clarification of the policy 😉

[npcl]

5 hours ago, spyro1952 said:

This criteria has been developed by the CD C and includes age restrictions, many chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, immune disorders, chemo

patients, respiratory disease like asthma or COPD.   Of course these can be enforced at US ports only.   I do see similar  European ports using similar restrictions, preventing cruise lines from trying to push the envelope.

If I recall correctly the restrictions were from a proposal from CLIA prior to the stoppage, in an attempt to keep going.

 

The CDC merely posted a recommendation that those with such conditions not cruise, along with the later no one should be cruising at this time.

 

The most recent document from CDC for the 100 day stoppage does not list the restrictions as being a requirement for the cruise lines to include in their plan.

 

 

[cruzsnooze]

5 hours ago, jagoffee said:

 

The gift cards are in fact not refundable, which you knew where you purchased them. You  have certainly identified the downside of purchasing gift cards with a bonus.  At the time, it probably seemed like easy money.

 

 

But when I purchased them there were no restrictions  preventing me from using the cards. In fact I used the cards for a cruise they cancelled and now can't use them due to preexisting conditions. The rules changed due to circumstances which everyone understands. I would expect Princess to do the right thing and make a refund of the cost of the cards and not the bonus portion which was a freebie. 

[cherylandtk]

Buying gift cards is sort of like buying foreign currency-it’s only good in certain countries. Not a problem if you can travel there; big problem if you cannot.

 

While I’m sympathetic to your plight, I would not hold out hope that Princess  will change refund policies because your travel abilities have changed.  Your expectations were different when the cards were purchased, but that is an inherent risk of purchasing any gift card.