BEWARE! Celebrity is NOT refunding money for cancelled cruises

[TMLAalum]

Sounds like the OP's TA dropped the ball.

 

There is a recent article on Christopher Elliott's travel forum about a cruiser who called to ask her TA about options oer Covid-19 concerns IF she cancelled her cruise that was paid in full. The TA took the inquiry as an instruction to cancel! The cruiser was in Full Penalty phase so lost everything- nearly $9k. Of course, the cruise was subsequently cancelled but the gal was SOL as far as getting her $$ back from the cruiseline despite numerous emails and calls. Elliott went to bat and the only thing that worked was a hefty but not full refund from the TA's errors & omissions insurance policy not from the cruiseline!

 

The timing as to when and if to cancel was a crapshoot at the start of Covid-19. Thankfully, options are much better now although still imperfect.

[Pinboy]

18 hours ago, wsjim said:

When we found out, we called and asked that they cancel our cruise.  

Question :

If you found out that your cruise was cancelled or being cancelled, how could it not be official ?

18 hours ago, wsjim said:

Celebrity put out a news notice that gave the two choices - cancel now and get a 100% refund, or wait and get 125%. 

This makes it " Official ". 

Am I missing something ??

 

18 hours ago, wsjim said:

Hope this clears it up and brings you "public shamers" down a few notches.

Hope you enjoy CC-- It's a great site .

As on any social media sites there are " public shamers " ( idiots ) ,however, 99.9% on CC are extremely knowledgeable and polite , even when they have a different opinion to yours. 

You will see who's who very shortly.

 

 

 

[yorky]

Sorry you lost out, unprecedented times and we are all learning as we go, at times even a few hours seems to make a difference between doing well and not, the latest updates to cruise with confidence just another example.

[Denny01]

Celebrity has been clear on options that we have. They’ve been stated by Celebrity via emails and on their website and via professional TA’s. If you misread the directives and went cheap with a booker, then you lose out on what You think you deserve and get what is stated. I canceled prior to one cruise being canceled by the Line. and got a FCC; not a refund or any extra. My decision and I understood what the consequences were - I wasn’t that interested in a refund because I booked with that LIne in 2021 and could transfer the FCC to that cruise. I could have waited until they canceled and got more FCC, but I had my own flights, own Hotels and tours that I had to cancel since those businesss didn’t have obvious refunding. My next cruise, where the TA worked with me to book the cruise, the flights and pre/post hotels/tours had me wait until the Line canceled and got a full refund. 5 weeks after.

 

I’ll disagree that this is a Catch-22. Catch-22 Is where there is no real options because the options are mutually conflicting. You either cancel when you want (early) and they keep your money until you use it with them in the future (ignoring the business failing), or you wait for them to cancel so you get a full refund, but you may well (and probably) have to make a final payment giving them more money and wait after that for a month+ for that refund. 

 

I still have a cruise set for Oct 2020 on Celebrity. My final payent is in July. I have to decide if I want to consider flying to Europe to board a ship with 2000+ people for 2+weeks; or cancel. If I decide to cancel, I have two options: I cancel now and get a FCC; if I want a refund, I’ll have to wait for the Line to cancel. if the Line cancels prior to my final payment, fine, I’ll get a refund of my deposit. If no cancel at final payment date, I’ll have to make the large payment rolling the dice on the cruise being canceled. That means I’ll have a big chunk on a chargecard that I may get back a month+ after it is canceled, or the ship will sail and if I’ve decided not to go, I’ll have to cancel and get a very large FCC. 

 

that’ a long paragraph but very clear on options; none of it mutually conflicting, just not great when all I want is the Line to give me all my money back to me immediately: nothing to Beware of, just Aware of. 

 

Heck, the refund I did get went to a chargecard. It was large so I requested my chargecard to transfer most of it to my bank account. they said it would take 3-4 business days; its now been 6 days and nothing done yet. They responded that since it was a big amount, it required extended checking by a group. So lets start 10 or more threads about how all those chargecard companies are holding onto our money and so on.

 

Den  

Edited May 9, 2020 by Denny01

[sam49]

19 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Fake news. X cancelled my 5/2020 cruise back in 3/2020. I received full refund + 25% FCC. Can't be happier with X.

 

How the hell did you manage that?  I have phoned, emailed and been on twitter and still no sign of my money for a cruise they cancelled.

[Pinboy]

4 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

chargecard companies are holding onto our money and so on.

They are not holding on to your money. 

You can still use the card and that amount would be deducted from what they transfer to your bank account.

 

[sam49]

18 hours ago, Denny01 said:

All this happened over a month ago, and the OP is now saying Celebrity put out a news flash stating their cruise was canceled but Celebrity didn’t actually cancel it until 12 hrs later?? that doesn’t track. then the OP tries to clarify with another post that doesn’t track saying the ‘news flash’ stated customers would get a full refund if they canceled ‘now’ or a FCC plus 25% if they waited??? Waited for what or until when?? None of this is making sense. Neither post tracks with what is actually going on. 

 

From actual experience and reading tons of threads on the same subject (over and over again), Most All cruise lines including Celebrity are offering a full refund or a FCC +25% for a canceled cruise. The customer get to chose which. And cruise lines are offering a FCC (no extras but no penalties) for customers who wish to cancel cruises on their own that are to depart up to a set date, which varies with each Line, but no refund. 

 

The OP canceled a cruise before it was canceled and therefore gets a FCC, no refund and no extra 25%. Unlike the ‘norm’ which was if you canceled a cruise so close to a departure date, you’d lose a good deal of your money, or if over a month away, you’d normally lose $100 out of your deposit.

 

All of this is Around the Bend!

 

Den 

 

 

Sorry but I think you have this wrong.  They SAY you can have a 100% refund but are not actually paying out. Phone calls and emails go unanswered and no money returned. I think they are in bigger trouble than they like to admit.

[BEAV]

19 hours ago, wsjim said:

That's brand new news for Norwegian, because that wasn't the case just 4 days ago.  Thank you for the clarification.

 

The news of securing additional cash to NCL was announced on Wednesday, one day after they had announced things were looking very grim. 

[omeinv]

16 minutes ago, sam49 said:

Sorry but I think you have this wrong.  They SAY you can have a 100% refund but are not actually paying out. Phone calls and emails go unanswered and no money returned. I think they are in bigger trouble than they like to admit.

Nonsense.  The refunds are happening, they're slower than expected due to volume, not lack of funds. 

 

Here in the US phones are answered (I spoke to someone last night and this morning), emails are responded to (I sent an email Thursday after hours and had a response Friday morning), and refunds are happening (mine was requested March 15 and received by my credit card April 19). 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[sam49]

2 minutes ago, omeinv said:

Nonsense.  The refunds are happening, they're slower than expected due to volume, not lack of funds. 

 

Here in the US phones are answered (I spoke to someone last night and this morning), emails are responded to (I sent an email Thursday after hours and had a response Friday morning), and refunds are happening (mine was requested March 15 and received by my credit card April 19). 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

So it appears that preference is given to cruisers from the USA despite the fact that British cruisers have to pay more for their cruises.

 

I have tried to phone (a premium rate number) 15 times, hanging on for hours no reply.  No reply to emails or twitter. 

 

So you had your refund 20 days ago and I am still waiting.  It appears we have very different experiences

[ShawninFL]

20 hours ago, wsjim said:

To all Celebrity cruisers:

 

Celebrity will NOT refund our cruise money for a sailing we had booked on Celebrity Edge for March 22, 2020.

 

This cruise was part of the first wave of cruises cancelled by Celebrity in early March.  When we found out, we called and asked that they cancel our cruise.  Turns out we called a few hours before it was official, so what they're saying is that we cannot get our money, and that we're stuck.  NEVER will I ever cruise again with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.  NEVER.  If this is how they treat their customers (especially all of us in our group, who are Diamond and up), then they deserve to GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

Pretty much every cruise line has held absolutely firm that if the customer proactively cancelled their booking before the cruise line cancelled the booking, then the policy in place at the exact time of cancellation is what is enforced. It's not going to make many people happy, but if they make an exception for you, they have to make an exception for everyone.  They've drawn a line in the sand and it's the policy that was in place at the exact time of cancellation.  Yes, you can vow to never sail on Royal or Celebrity again and that's your right; however, if you did that exact same thing with any of the other cruise lines, you would be in the exact same situation.  

[hcat]

 US   call

48 minutes on hold is not a great response time.... that was my wait time yesterday am

Edited May 9, 2020 by hcat

[Langley Cruisers]

1 hour ago, omeinv said:

Nonsense.  The refunds are happening, they're slower than expected due to volume, not lack of funds...

 

Absolutely agree and can confirm this is the case.

[downsmead]

1 hour ago, sam49 said:

So it appears that preference is given to cruisers from the USA despite the fact that British cruisers have to pay more for their cruises.

 

I have tried to phone (a premium rate number) 15 times, hanging on for hours no reply.  No reply to emails or twitter. 

 

So you had your refund 20 days ago and I am still waiting.  It appears we have very different experiences

We are UK cruisers with two cancelled cruises, both booked directly with X.

1st April Apex cruise, cancelled by X and we opted for the refund a day or so after notification. We received the refund to our credit card on April 29th, all correct albeit in 4 transactions on the same day. Our second cruise was for the 21st April and we are expecting our refund around the 21st May.

I heard that they are working through the refunds in order of sailing date, when was your sail date?

Edited May 9, 2020 by downsmead

[Denny01]

Does anyone really expect that making numerous calls and waiting extended times on hold and sending numerous emails is going to somehow speed up getting a refund? The calls/emails from all of us, US and UK, are and will in the future get the same response of ‘the refund is in process/being worked/will be sent.....etc, etc, etc’ until they actually send the refund. So why are so many making these calls and getting upset over something you have no control over and your efforts make no change to the situation. All it does is get you more upset and suspicious of getting a refund that others are reporting they are getting, including me.

 

Den 

[GerScot]

1 minute ago, Denny01 said:

Does anyone really expect that making numerous calls and waiting extended times on hold and sending numerous emails is going to somehow speed up getting a refund? The calls/emails from all of us, US and UK, are and will in the future get the same response of ‘the refund is in process/being worked/will be sent.....etc, etc, etc’ until they actually send the refund. So why are so many making these calls and getting upset over something you have no control over and your efforts make no change to the situation. All it does is get you more upset and suspicious of getting a refund that others are reporting they are getting, including me.

 

Den 

Sorry Den but not quite correct. I made one call to Captains Club who investigated and told me somehow my refund was "missed" and it would now be processed. Three days later I received my refund. Well worth the call as I would have been waiting for ever.

[Fouremco]

4 minutes ago, GerScot said:

Sorry Den but not quite correct. I made one call to Captains Club who investigated and told me somehow my refund was "missed" and it would now be processed. Three days later I received my refund. Well worth the call as I would have been waiting for ever.

There have been similar posts on other threads too.

[Denny01]

I stand corrected!

 

Den

[Quo Vadis?]

We're just as unhappy as the OP.  We were on Silhouette for a B2B2B starting March 6th.  Our next cruise would have been on March 15th.  On the 12th we had to take Celebrity's offer of FCC because on the next day we would have been less than 48hrs from our next sailing.  Floridian friends with whom we were travelling for the same cruises were not as concerned as we were.  The next morning the announcement came that the cruise was cancelled.  I received the email from Celebrity for our two cruises: would you like a refund or the 125%FCC. We opted for our refund.  When we contacted Celebrity upon arriving home we were told no, YOU cancelled before you got the email therefore you get the FCC not the refund.  Sometimes the early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.  We got the worm but I like cheese much better.

 

From our Canadian government: issued while we were onboard

"

Avoid all cruise ship travel

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is recommending that Canadians avoid all cruise ship travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Cruise passengers include travellers from around the world who may be arriving from areas with known or unknown spread of COVID-19. The virus can spread quickly on board cruises due to the close contact between passengers. Older people and people with a weakened immune system or underlying medical condition are at a higher risk of developing severe disease.

Recent cruise ship outbreaks of COVID-19 indicate that a large number of individuals onboard can become infected. While the majority of affected passengers may experience mild symptoms, there have been a significant number of cases requiring hospitalization and critical care, and some deaths have been reported.

Planning a cruise

Canadians planning cruise ship travel should be aware that infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, can spread quickly due to close contact between passengers. Older people and people with a weakened immune system or underlying medical condition are at a higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19.

As the situation evolves, many countries are implementing policies and restrictions in order to contain the outbreak. These restrictions may impact a cruise traveller's:

• itinerary
• ability to disembark
• access to health care

If an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs on your cruise ship:

• you could be subject to quarantine procedures, on-board ship or in a foreign country
• the range of consular services available to those on cruise ships, in particular in situations of quarantine, may be significantly restricted by local authorities
• upon return to Canada, you will be required to remain in mandatory isolation for 14 days at a location determined by the Chief Public Health Officer as per the terms of any applicable emergency orders

The decision on Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease in Canada Order (Persons Not on Government Flight) is effective from February 19 to April 30, 2020.

Canadians who choose to voyage on a cruise ship should also be aware that they may not be offered the opportunity to return to Canada on a government-organized repatriation flight, or could be responsible for the costs of repatriation travel.

Government of Canada COVID-19 information line: 1-833-784-4397.

 

This is our insurance coverage:

"You (and your eligible dependents, if applicable) have coverage while travelling out of the country for up to
95 days.

Coverage applies to treatment required due to a sudden, unexpected injury which occurs, or a new medical
condition which begins while travelling outside the province of residence. There is also coverage for a
previously identified medical condition that was stable and not diagnosed as terminal or palliative at the
time of departure from the province of residence. We would consider expenses and treatment required in order
to stabilize the initial emergency/medical condition.  Any ongoing treatment required would not be considered
emergent in nature, and is therefore not covered under the Out of Country benefit.

Reimbursement is subject to 100% coinsurance, $0.00 deductible and a maximum of $2,000,000 per trip. All
expenses would be reimbursed based on reasonable and customary allowances as determined.

 

We were notified on the 12th by our insurance company that we had 10 days to return home or lose our coverage.

 

We had no option but to cancel the cruise.

We are alive and well very happy to be home rather than on a ship.

Yes I cancelled, yes Celebrity enforced their rule, yes I got an FCC but I'm certainly not happy with the process.

I just wish there was a market for non-transferrable FCC.  We can't even give these to family members in case we expire before the FCC

 

[s0479]

28 minutes ago, downsmead said:

We are UK cruisers with two cancelled cruises, both booked directly with X.

1st April Apex cruise, cancelled by X and we opted for the refund a day or so after notification. We received the refund to our credit card on April 29th, all correct albeit in 4 transactions on the same day. Our second cruise was for the 21st April and we are expecting our refund around the 21st May.

I heard that they are working through the refunds in order of sailing date, when was your sail date?

Definitely not by sail date.  Mine was 3/13 and still haven’t received.

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, sam49 said:

Sorry but I think you have this wrong.  They SAY you can have a 100% refund but are not actually paying out. Phone calls and emails go unanswered and no money returned. I think they are in bigger trouble than they like to admit.

 

Things may be different in the UK but calls are being answered in the US.  Some times there is a long hold time and other times I get through with no hold at all. Refunds and FCC's are taking longer than originally expected but many have gotten refunds and FCCs.

[george35]

We bought a b/b on the Equinox sailing, 1st cruise sailing March 28, 2020 & the 2nd cruise sailing April 4, 200.

We received our COMPLETE cruise refund on May 5th for the March 28th sailing, so I figure maybe next week we will get the 2nd week refund. So far I am VERY HAPPY with how Celebrity got our money to us with-in 30 days.

 

george35

[Roger88]

Celebrity is in a very hard situation right now. They will issue all the requested refunds but it will take aproximatly 120 days from the moment of a claim. The reason to it is that they want to hold on to your money until they can cover all the mandatory payments they have. Taxes, dock charges and crew salaries 

[hcat]

1 hour ago, GerScot said:

Sorry Den but not quite correct. I made one call to Captains Club who investigated and told me somehow my refund was "missed" and it would now be processed. Three days later I received my refund. Well worth the call as I would have been waiting for ever.

Perfect example

The calls are worth it for us, so we can track the process esp if a credit card dispute will have to be filed.   In past instances our card company has asked what our contact has been with Celebrity,.  Others will  choose to wait it out but we prefer to know what's happening.  Sometimes we get through with little wait ..lately takes longer.

Edited May 9, 2020 by hcat

[bookitdanno]

Just received my refund.

Took 18 days.

Maybe I just have a great TA!!!