Final payment due and not sure if we should cancel

[TEGL]

Our final payment is due next week for our sailing in September and Im so torn on if I want to roll the dice and risk it or cancel now.  I know not much information is out yet on what the requirements will be which is what is making me nervous.  Will the pools be open?  The kids water park and slides be open?  Will face masks be required? Will the kids club be open?  Will we be able to get off at all the ports?  We will be traveling with our 6-year old who has special needs and if mask are mandatory that will be a big problem for us.  He will not wear a mask and if we wear one with him it is very short lived because he just wants it off our face.  We will be sailing on Freedom, we decided on this ship because of the big water park in the center for the little ones.  We sailed on the Library a few years back but he was unable to go on any of the kids water slides because he was not tall enough at the time, it was a *nightmare* for us because he wanted to go so bad.  He is finally tall enough and SO excited but I am now worried they will have that closed down or have a limited number of kids at a time.  We only get to travel once a year and I am wondering if its worth risking it and making that finally payment or if we should choose to go else where.   
I emailed our travel agent about all of this but she didn't have any answers either.  Any advice?  

[CORKY_Q]

Not an expert on this but, I believe with the Cruise w/ Confidence you can cancel without penalty until quite shortly before sailing.  By then you should have your answers about Kids Clubs, masks, etc.

 

Stay safe.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 minute ago, CORKY_Q said:

Not an expert on this but, I believe with the Cruise w/ Confidence you can cancel without penalty until quite shortly before sailing.  By then you should have your answers about Kids Clubs, masks, etc.

 

Stay safe.

I think he was concerned about making final payment. I have a cruise In October and I am hesitant to make a final payment as well. He can get a FCC for a future cruise or S&L to next year (with restriction). 
 

@TEGL

[CORKY_Q]

2 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think he was concerned about making final payment. I have a cruise In October and I am hesitant to make a final payment as well. He can get a FCC for a future cruise or S&L to next year (with restriction). 
 

@TEGL

He is concerned about final payment because:

" I know not much information is out yet on what the requirements will be which is what is making me nervous.  Will the pools be open?  The kids water park and slides be open?  Will face masks be required? Will the kids club be open?  Will we be able to get off at all the ports? " 

I was trying to respond to those questions which are making TEGL nervous.  

You are correct that he can get FFC and/or L&S.

[Milwaukee Eight]

3 minutes ago, CORKY_Q said:

He is concerned about final payment because:

" I know not much information is out yet on what the requirements will be which is what is making me nervous.  Will the pools be open?  The kids water park and slides be open?  Will face masks be required? Will the kids club be open?  Will we be able to get off at all the ports? " 

I was trying to respond to those questions which are making TEGL nervous.  

You are correct that he can get FFC and/or L&S.

You are correct however nobody knows the answer to his questions right now. You gave an answer that required the final payment. I gave an answer that is  an alternative to making final payment. Might change tomorrow. 
 

M8

Edited June 10, 2020 by Milwaukee Eight

[Biker19]

25 minutes ago, TEGL said:

Any advice?  

Cancel and take the FCC.

[truffles2]

Lift and shift until next year.

No penalty and no loss.

Edited June 10, 2020 by truffles2
add

[FlorenceItaly]

Based on what you have shared, if I were you, I would not make final payment.  Or, I would Lift and Shift before final payment.

[cruiselvr04]

We have the same dilemma in 3 weeks.  If nothing changes I am canceling.  I can’t afford to have $3700 of my money held hostage again for 3 months.  I want to do other things with it like take an alternative vacation.  I am willing to take my chances that it will not sail.  If it does I will check last minute prices and take what cabin is left if the price is right.  We are loyalist but to take final payment from people knowing ships will not sail is unethical.  If they would move final payment to a shorter time like 45 days we’d have a better idea of what’s going to happen.

[dani negreanu]

Depends on your financial position -- if you can afford to have money "tied up" or not.

 

If you have a refundable deposit**, cancel and "take the money". Sadly, I don't see any cruising at least until Spring Break 2021.

 

**I've just cancelled a cruise for September 2020 too.

 

[trivia addict]

Why would you stress over this? Do not make the final payment and put the money away for next year when you (hopefully) can cruise and enjoy looking forward to your vacation.
Visit a National Park instead! Take a road trip with the kids. Those road trips and National Parks are some of my adult children’s best memories. We definitely heard about them at the wedding speeches! Lots of laughs!

Much of the fun of a cruise is planning. In this case, you can not plan, only worry  about your decision. 

i have cancelled two cruises so far. For one, in May, I had paid the final, but I did get my money back. The other in September, I canceled before final and did get the deposit back. 
I have one scheduled for January 2021. Payment not due till October, but will probably cancel that one also.

[trivia addict]

PS. I am a teacher. (Many years!) I am  experienced with both regular and special needs children.

Do not put YOUR expectations on your 6 year old.

Trust me, any new experience for any 6 year old will enrich him and make him happy. A 6 year old only wants to learn and grow!

[bouhunter]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Cancel and take the FCC.

Agree.  Or lift and shift to next year.  Odds are that IF they sail in September:

 

1.  There will be restrictions/masks that are not fun

2.  Not all itin's will sail, so yours could still be cancelled anyway.

3.  Ports might be limited.

Edited June 10, 2020 by bouhunter

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

Depends on your financial position -- if you can afford to have money "tied up" or not.

 

If you have a refundable deposit**, cancel and "take the money". Sadly, I don't see any cruising at least until Spring Break 2021.

 

**I've just cancelled a cruise for September 2020 too.

 

Thats the same time line I have crusing starting back up again also. Sping break or just after.

 

A good solid 12 months, of no cruising sounds like the safest approach.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Jimbo

[depplep]

Our final payment is due July 22 for Oct Allure Med cruise. 90% sure we're going to cancel for a lot of the same reasons. Don't know what we're getting into on the ship, at the airport or at the sites on land. Also, a lot of the flights now are 2 stops over and back. Not real interested in that and also don't want Royal holding my $ for months.

[jerseyjjs]

I wish that I had the option to truly cancel my Sept sailing.  I booked a non-refundable casino rate and final payment is due in 2 weeks.  At this point, I'd rather not sail in September because there will a slew of restrictions that'll assure that cruising will not be anything at like what I'm used to it being. Just doesn't sound like the makings of a relaxing vacation.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, depplep said:

Our final payment is due July 22 for Oct Allure Med cruise. 90% sure we're going to cancel for a lot of the same reasons. Don't know what we're getting into on the ship, at the airport or at the sites on land. Also, a lot of the flights now are 2 stops over and back. Not real interested in that and also don't want Royal holding my $ for months.

Sounds like your on October 25 Presidents Cruise. We plan to cancel unless things really change. We haven’t booked airfare or hotel. 

[kidless]

We also are almost to final payment for our September cruise. I want to pay it because I’m forever the optimist I do see encouraging signs the ships will be cruising soon. If the parks are beginning to phase open then why not cruising.
 

I heard someone say it won’t happen till there’s a vaccine which I think would be a disaster for cruise lines to be unable to sail for 12-18 months. 
 

i wish the cruise lines would let final payments lapse till closer to sail date at this time. You’d think it would save them heart ache and money not having to do massive refunds. 
 

I will most likely pay off cruise and hope for the best. If it gets cancelled I’ll make 25% off my investment.  😊 

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, jerseyjjs said:

I wish that I had the option to truly cancel my Sept sailing. 

You always have the option to cancel.

[jerseyjjs]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

You always have the option to cancel.

 

 

Right.  But I either lose the non-refundable deposit or basically go on one of the "guinea pig" sailings.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, jerseyjjs said:

 But I either lose the non-refundable deposit or basically go on one of the "guinea pig" sailings.

You get an FCC if you cancel and CEO Fain was committed to having cruising still be enjoyable.

[Jingerwoppy]

Cancel

[RVfromAZ]

I understand your frustration, we have a cruise Scheduled on Rhapsody(from Venice)  Sept. 26, 2020, so final payment is due in two weeks, I just keep going back and forth on what to do.  I don't think there is much a chance of it sailing, I just keep wishing. 

I'm thinking about doing Lift and Shift. 

[patattack]

59 minutes ago, RVfromAZ said:

I understand your frustration, we have a cruise Scheduled on Rhapsody(from Venice)  Sept. 26, 2020, so final payment is due in two weeks, I just keep going back and forth on what to do.  I don't think there is much a chance of it sailing, I just keep wishing. 

I'm thinking about doing Lift and Shift. 

We are on the Oct 24th Rhapsody out of Venice.  We looked at lift and switch, but the 2021 Greek and Croatia did not have the same ports.  We are wait and watch right now.

[zonacruiser25]

We are in the same situation.  Presidents and TA on Allure.  We will likely cancel and not make final payment.  With the money we were going to spend we can take a couple of nice road trips.  If anyone has Sirius radio, there is a show on the 60's channel in the morning with Flash Phelps.  He talks about driving around the country and most of the time he has been there.  Set a destination and just stop when you see a historical marker, park, Presidential Library or whatever.  Almost like shopping for excursions in a port you have never been to and booking tours with any company but the ship!  Take a drive and enjoy your family time.  Your 6 yr old will get great memories!  Then use your FCC when you can cruise with more answers than questions.