What would you do with a booking April 9, 2021?

[FreestyleNovice]

Hello fellow cruisers,

 

We've this "upcoming" cruise; put in as a place holder cruise when booked on board in a pre Covid-19 era called the summer of 2019..

 

• 10-Night Ultimate Southern Caribbean, Departing April 9, 2021 On Celebrity Reflection
• Final payment on January 4, 2021
• Category C2 Concierge Class, with a total $575 OBC plus Classic bev. package.
  Fare $2,749.00   tax/fees $114.28   Sub total $2,863.28 per person, a grand total of $5,726.56 USD.

 

Make final payment, let X cancel and take the 125% credit and spent it on a future cruise far far out. It might land us a significant plus? Will the cruise even take place with what I've (quickly) read about the current US measures? Or just move the booking to another sailing, avoiding final payment and any hassle? Any further tips what to do with this booking? 

 

Interested in any constructive opinions! Keep in mind we need to fly in too, from the EU, if that's even a "normal" possibility by then. That would be the least of the interesting challenges but it might be a thing to consider when contributing to this thread.  Thanks!

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Hello fellow cruisers,

 

We've this "upcoming" cruise; put in as a place holder cruise when booked on board in a pre Covid-19 era called the summer of 2019..

 

• 10-Night Ultimate Southern Caribbean, Departing April 9, 2021 On Celebrity Reflection
• Final payment on January 4, 2021
• Category C2 Concierge Class, with a total $575 OBC plus Classic bev. package.
  Fare $2,749.00   tax/fees $114.28   Sub total $2,863.28 per person, a grand total of $5,726.56 USD.

 

Make final payment, let X cancel and take the 125% credit and spent it on a future cruise far far out. It might land us a significant plus? Will the cruise even take place with what I've (quickly) read about the current US measures? Or just move the booking to another sailing, avoiding final payment and any hassle? Any further tips what to do with this booking? 

 

Interested in any constructive opinions! Keep in mind we need to fly in too, from the EU, if that's even a "normal" possibility by then. That would be the least of the interesting challenges but it might be a thing to consider when contributing to this thread.  Thanks!

So it sounds that your cruise embarks in the US.  If so, you are probably aware that cruises of more than 7 days, are being curtailed, changed or cancelled.  If that is still the case in April, I'd not put one dime further into this.  I am personally doubtful that "normal" cruising will resume before late summer or early fall 2021.  We have a cruise that embarks from Barcelona on 8/28, only have our refundable deposit paid, full payment not due until 5/30.  A lot will happen between now and then, so will remain to be seen what to do.  

[FreestyleNovice]

12 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

So it sounds that your cruise embarks in the US.  If so, you are probably aware that cruises of more than 7 days, are being curtailed, changed or cancelled.  If that is still the case in April, I'd not put one dime further into this.  I am personally doubtful that "normal" cruising will resume before late summer or early fall 2021.  We have a cruise that embarks from Barcelona on 8/28, only have our refundable deposit paid, full payment not due until 5/30.  A lot will happen between now and then, so will remain to be seen what to do.  

 

Yep, round trip from Ft. Lauderdale! Forgot to add that, thanks.

 

I am not completely in to and up to date with the CDC/measures but I've indeed read about the longer cruises but am not familiar with the exact details besides that they stopped accepting bookings for them.

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

Yep, round trip from Ft. Lauderdale! Forgot to add that, thanks.

 

I am not completely in to and up to date with the CDC/measures but I've indeed read about the longer cruises but am not familiar with the exact details besides that they stopped accepting bookings for them.

So you have until first week of Jan to make the deposit decision.  If things are as they are now, I'd definitely not do it.  Financial situation for cruise lines is also iffy at best.  

[ipeeinthepool]

This cruise isn't going to happen, cruises longer than 7 days to or from US ports are limited to 7 days or less until November 2021.  Depending on the performance of a vaccine and continued spread in the US there may be a possibility that the CDC could lift that restriction earlier in the year but certainly not by April.   Hopefully you haven't made flight reservations.  My first choice would be to cancel and take the refund if you have a NRD.  If you don't have an NRD and you want to save the NRD, you can make final payment and request a refund after they cancel.  Celebrity seems to be sending out refunds within a week or two.  This would be my second choice. My third choice would be to transfer the reservation to 10 - 12 day cruise next Spring.  Prices in 2022 don't seem to be too bad.  I suspect that there will be longer Caribbean cruises in November - December 2021 but no one really knows what the cruise experience might be later this year.  Since you are flying in from the EU I would wait until Spring 2022.  IF you choose the transfer option, you can always transfer again to later this fall if things improve.

 

Good Luck

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

This cruise isn't going to happen, cruises longer than 7 days to or from US ports are limited to 7 days or less until November 2021.  Depending on the performance of a vaccine and continued spread in the US there may be a possibility that the CDC could lift that restriction earlier in the year but certainly not by April.   Hopefully you haven't made flight reservations.  My first choice would be to cancel and take the refund if you have a NRD.  If you don't have an NRD and you want to save the NRD, you can make final payment and request a refund after they cancel.  Celebrity seems to be sending out refunds within a week or two.  This would be my second choice. My third choice would be to transfer the reservation to 10 - 12 day cruise next Spring.  Prices in 2022 don't seem to be too bad.  I suspect that there will be longer Caribbean cruises in November - December 2021 but no one really knows what the cruise experience might be later this year.  Since you are flying in from the EU I would wait until Spring 2022.  IF you choose the transfer option, you can always transfer again to later this fall if things improve.

 

Good Luck

Agreed, and at this point, I only make my flight res with Celebrity, can pay with final payment it the cruise happens and thus do not need to worry about dealing with the airline for a refund.  I did this exact with my two cancelled cruises this year, easy peasy on the refunds through Celebrity.

[jelayne]

We were booked on the 4/4/21 Edge 7 night sailing and just Lifted & Shifted it to 4/16/22 on the Apex.  I believe the Edge & Apex will be the first to start but maybe not by the early part of April.  Hoping that by April 2022 many will have been vaccinated and while cruising may not be back to pre pandemic days it will be a less stressful vacation.

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We were booked on the 4/4/21 Edge 7 night sailing and just Lifted & Shifted it to 4/16/22 on the Apex.  I believe the Edge & Apex will be the first to start but maybe not by the early part of April.  Hoping that by April 2022 many will have been vaccinated and while cruising may not be back to pre pandemic days it will be a less stressful vacation.

Trust me, if the cruise we have planned for late Aug 2021, were available on celebrity website for 2022, I'd be lifting & shifting in a NY minute.

[Swordfish1949]

We've got 4/4/21 and 4/11/21 B2B on the Edge, and we've been struggling with what to do. I appreciate the thought of lifting & shifting to 2022.

[keesar]

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Hello fellow cruisers,

 

We've this "upcoming" cruise; put in as a place holder cruise when booked on board in a pre Covid-19 era called the summer of 2019..

 

• 10-Night Ultimate Southern Caribbean, Departing April 9, 2021 On Celebrity Reflection
• Final payment on January 4, 2021
• Category C2 Concierge Class, with a total $575 OBC plus Classic bev. package.
  Fare $2,749.00   tax/fees $114.28   Sub total $2,863.28 per person, a grand total of $5,726.56 USD.

 

Make final payment, let X cancel and take the 125% credit and spent it on a future cruise far far out. It might land us a significant plus? Will the cruise even take place with what I've (quickly) read about the current US measures? Or just move the booking to another sailing, avoiding final payment and any hassle? Any further tips what to do with this booking? 

 

Interested in any constructive opinions! Keep in mind we need to fly in too, from the EU, if that's even a "normal" possibility by then. That would be the least of the interesting challenges but it might be a thing to consider when contributing to this thread.  Thanks!

 I would not make a final payment.  Either take the refund of the deposit (if refundable) or try to Lift and Shift to another cruise the next year.  

[leck57]

4 hours ago, keesar said:

 I would not make a final payment.  Either take the refund of the deposit (if refundable) or try to Lift and Shift to another cruise the next year.  

 

Yep, that is what I would do. No way would I pay more money for a cruise that isn't going to happen.

[poffles]

Lift & Shift

[Cruise a holic]

I do not think cruises more then 7 days will cruise in 2021.  In addition, until many people are immunized I do not believe cruises will sail- if they do- it might be dangerous and not a great experience.  

 

Move your cruise to 2022- or at least until November 2021.

We did.  Just move the deposit- do not lay out any more money- 

[wrk2cruise]

4 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

do not lay out any more money-

 

This ^^^^

[KEN31VA]

I had a similar situation and finally decided to request a refund.  It arrived in 10 days.

[Schmoe38]

Before you make your final decision, check out your options with a Lift and Shift option for 2022. Only certain itineraries will qualify for a Lift and Shift.

 

We were in a similar situation to yours. We were booked on Equinox for April 11/21. We were not interested in a FCC in case our cruise was cancelled and we were not prepared to make final payment for the cruise in January 2021. We seriously considered cancelling and receiving a 100% reimbursement.

 

We checked out our option for a Lift and Shift and the only itinerary that qualified was early April 2022. Timing was fine, but our stateroom category was unavailable.

 

Our cruise was booked with a refundable deposit, so we simply cancelled our April 11/21 cruise and booked a new sailing for March 28/22. The itinerary was not the same, but was certainly a reasonable alternative for us. The pricing was up a bit, but was still reasonable.

 

If your sailing was booked with a “refundable” deposit, you will have a little more flexibility in choosing your option. 
 

As others have said, we believe making payment in full would be a mistake. Looking for alternatives in the earlier part of 2022 should give you a little more comfort in the timing as opposed to booking a new itinerary in 2021. 
 

Take your time to make sure you know your options and understand the ramification of each of those options. Then you will be in a position to make the decision that is right for you.

 

Randy
 

 

[poffles]

I said Lift & Shift but I would only do this IF the available cruise option for 2022 would cost you more to sail when equally compared to your current booking and you could lock it in without more money handed out.  It could be (by some miracle) that a future L&S is cheaper for your itinerary (or similar cost) and an FC 'bonus' if they cancel could be in your favor to wait.  If you haven't already,  you should be checking your L&S options to know what you would be comparing since that would be a huge factor in the decision.

Edited December 14, 2020 by poffles

[FreestyleNovice]

Thanks so far all! 

 

I am surprised no one said to pay in full to benefit from the 125% credit and then book a new cruise? The idea  came up as it would land some +1000 USD (not sure if tax and fees are included LOL)? Is your trust in Celebrity surviving Covid-19 that low? Again, curious to hear other's opinions. 

 

I am not planning on us taking the cruise, we don't have flight reservations which we normally would have by now nor I am believing it will take place, perhaps besides a small wishful thinking voice somewhere.. 

 

We will look into L&S!

[phoenix_dream]

5 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Thanks so far all! 

 

I am surprised no one said to pay in full to benefit from the 125% credit and then book a new cruise? The idea  came up as it would land some +1000 USD (not sure if tax and fees are included LOL)? Is your trust in Celebrity surviving Covid-19 that low? Again, curious to hear other's opinions. 

 

I am not planning on us taking the cruise, we don't have flight reservations which we normally would have by now nor I am believing it will take place, perhaps besides a small wishful thinking voice somewhere.. 

 

We will look into L&S!

The reason I would not recommend waiting for the 125% credit is that the prices on most cruises in the foreseeable future would likely cost you way more than 125% of what you currently are paying.  This cruise will not sail as is.  No one can really say for sure if Celebrity will outright cancel it, or if they will try to restructure it to a 7 day cruise.  I would probably lift and shift, especially considering where you are flying from.

[Schmoe38]

5 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Thanks so far all! 

 

I am surprised no one said to pay in full to benefit from the 125% credit and then book a new cruise? The idea  came up as it would land some +1000 USD (not sure if tax and fees are included LOL)? Is your trust in Celebrity surviving Covid-19 that low? Again, curious to hear other's opinions. 

 

I am not planning on us taking the cruise, we don't have flight reservations which we normally would have by now nor I am believing it will take place, perhaps besides a small wishful thinking voice somewhere.. 

 

We will look into L&S!

Payment in full puts you entirely at risk of someone else (Celebrity) in terms of the time required to receive your FCC or cash refund. In the meantime you may have to put out some more cash on the new booking while you wait for FCC. Remember, the cruise industry has been bleeding cash for a while now and I’m not sure who can suggest with 100% certainty which lines will emerge with a heartbeat and which ones won’t. That’s why you didn’t get that suggestion from me.

 

We are very loyal to Celebrity, but until we know what cruising will look like and whether or not it is reasonable for us, we are not putting any more money into the system other than what we have out in deposits.

 

Just my 2 cents’ worth.

 

Randy

[Tigrou]

3 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Thanks so far all! 

 

I am surprised no one said to pay in full to benefit from the 125% credit and then book a new cruise? The idea  came up as it would land some +1000 USD (not sure if tax and fees are included LOL)? Is your trust in Celebrity surviving Covid-19 that low? Again, curious to hear other's opinions. 

 

I am not planning on us taking the cruise, we don't have flight reservations which we normally would have by now nor I am believing it will take place, perhaps besides a small wishful thinking voice somewhere.. 

 

We will look into L&S!

 

It's not necessarily a lack of trust in Celebrity surviving, for me it's an issue of timing. 

 

When my Oct 20 cruise was cancelled I took the 125% FCC knowing I already had 3 cruises booked in 2021 that it would pay towards.  However, since then CDC have said no cruises over 7 days so 2 of mine are likely to be cancelled, even though Celebrity haven't done so yet.  As a result, I am highly unlikely to be able to use the FCC by the deadline of 31 Dec 21 (for cruises up to 4 May 22). 

 

Although more and more cruises continue to be cancelled, Celebrity haven't pushed the FCC expiry date further so the timeframe in which to use them is growing increasingly smaller.

 

I've now asked to swap my 125% FCC to 100% cash refund, the deadline for which is 31 Dec 20.  If my cruises somehow happen to go ahead and I've lost out on the 25% extra then so be it.  But I wasn't prepared to risk forfeiting the whole amount to Celebrity.

 

 

[poffles]

46 minutes ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Thanks so far all! 

 

I am surprised no one said to pay in full to benefit from the 125% credit and then book a new cruise? 

 

Putting myself in another person's shoes with my own sense of decision making ... I would not seriously consider handing over a cent more out of pocket money for final payment on any cruise that I felt confident was not going to sail.  Throw in what others have said about higher 'future' costs (much of which can already be seen), then ultimately any FC 'bonus' could be viewed as breaking even at best.

 

Interestingly, I had a 12 day Caribbean cruise booked for April 2021 (Reflection), back in August I did the L&S to April 2022.  I was long ago seeing this all roll out into next year, I could have been and hoped to be wrong but sadly here we are.  I have since canceled my 2022 cruise by choice, but that future cruise would now cost me more than double the $4,500 CAD (balcony 2 people, drinks, $400OBC included).  There is no way EVER that I would pay $9K for that cruise but L&S worked perfect, others I was booked with are still sailing and lets just say they are over the moon that they did L&S and kept their cost and perks, totally nuts the price increase on some sailings.

Edited December 14, 2020 by poffles

[PTC DAWG]

I just made final payment, albeit with FCC's, on an Edge sailing, 4/21/2021.  IF it goes, I'm going.  IF not, play the waiting game.  The FCC's came from a canceled cruise this past April.  

 

We have too good of a cabin and much OBC to consider passing it up if it sails.  

[TFree]

@PTC DAWG: Two questions.  First, is there a typo in the Edge sailing date you are referring to?  We have an Edge transatlantic currently booked, leaving Ft. Lauderdale on 4/18/2021.  The ship should be in the middle of the ocean on 4/21/2021.  Second, why would you make final payment now, if it is not due until (presumably) some time in January?  My plan has been to wait until the last minute, and then at least inquire whether Celebrity will extend the final payment date, to see if my sailing is actually going to go.

 

Tom & Judy

[Oceangoer2]

34 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I just made final payment, albeit with FCC's, on an Edge sailing, 4/21/2021.  IF it goes, I'm going.  IF not, play the waiting game.  The FCC's came from a canceled cruise this past April.  

 

We have too good of a cabin and much OBC to consider passing it up if it sails.  

Same situation - in a way.  X cancelled our Edge 11/12/21 which was moved to Silhouette.  Not sure 11/12/21 will go...no one I guess can be sure of anything right now;  even with vaccine, it'll take time to get through the system for many of us.   When the time comes to decide (Aug) and we don't pay full freight there's a refund.  If we pay and  X cancels, it'll be a long time before it's possible to enjoy a L&S cruise (11/22).  Also, have a choice cabin with $900 Cdn OBC we don't want to lose if we cancel outright next Aug. Just thinking ahead, I tried to move it to 2/22....no luck...without having to refund this DP and book at prevailing rate and lose OBC.  So will just roll with it for now and follow posters' experiences.