Is anyone making final payment for 2021 cruises?

[susiesan]

My Marina Baltic cruise is supposed to be Aug. 29, 2021. My TA just sent me a revised invoice showing the final payment date of April 21, over 4 months before the cruise is set to go. Considering Oceania isn't even sailing yet in 2021, and no one knows when they will start or in what form the cruises will be, who would make their final payment so far in advance? I don't recall ever having to make the final payment for an O cruise over 120 days out.

 

For anyone on the earliest sailings, April, your final payment would have been due by now. Has anyone made that payment? Did you make because you are willing to get a FCC if your cruise doesn't go? Not me. If the details aren't finalized by late April for a late August cruise I am cancelling. I don't want a FCC. I will wait until I actually see Oceania ships sailing again before I book another cruise with O since their deposits are so high.

[mofrances]

We are booked on a Riviera sailing on June 27 this year. My TA emailed us a few weeks ago to say that Oceania had moved the final payment date to 60 days instead of the original 90 days.  Also cancellation penalties don't kick in for us until 60 days out as well.

 

We are really counting on this cruise sailing so I haven't put a whole lot of thought into the FCC question yet...

[Benjo8]

Similarly, my May 19th European cruise final payment was moved back to 3/13. I hope they cancel prior to that. I don't see European cruising happening this summer. Don't know what i will do if they don't.

[RJB]

We are booked on a Dec. cruise and will not make final payment until we see that the industry has opened up.  Each month they cancel a few months out so we need to see if we might go.  Keeping our money till we know for sure  we will sail. 

[pinotlover]

Our next O cruise is November with a late June payment date. I don’t expect that O will be sailing by June, but I do believe the November cruise will likely go. Therefore, I fully expect O to extend our payment date to late September (60 days out) to when some sailing will have  began. Doing so will thwart a wave of cancellations that will occur if they attempt to keep the full payment date in June.

[Tranquility Base]

My next final payment is not till October so will be assessing the onboard experience and the port situation before then.

I have no qualms about cancelling if necessary.

With all my cancellations so far I have only taken refunds, not FCCs.

 

As the UK and the Sth Africa variants take over as the dominant number of cases around the world, I have no doubt more and more countries will tighten up inbound travel requirements in the short term.

Many countries will only start to open for tourism again when their own populations are vaccinated ( IE: around 70% plus)

 

I think many will do so in a very controlled manner, hence land based tourism first.

These smaller numbers at any one time will be easier for local authorities to check, monitor and manage than a large number arriving via cruise ship.

 

Hence a number of countries will keep cruise ships on the sidelines for another 12 months yet.

 

Happy to be shown to be wrong, but that's my gut feeling at this stage.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Tranquility Base

[edgee]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

My next final payment is not till October so will be assessing the onboard experience and the port situation before then.

I have no qualms about cancelling if necessary.

With all my cancellations so far I have only taken refunds, not FCCs.

 

As the UK and the Sth Africa variants take over as the dominant number of cases around the world, I have no doubt more and more countries will tighten up inbound travel requirements in the short term.

Many countries will only start to open for tourism again when their own populations are vaccinated ( IE: around 70% plus)

 

I think many will do so in a very controlled manner, hence land based tourism first.

These smaller numbers at any one time will be easier for local authorities to check, monitor and manage than a large number arriving via cruise ship.

 

Hence a number of countries will keep cruise ships on the sidelines for another 12 months yet.

 

Happy to be shown to be wrong, but that's my gut feeling at this stage.

I agree with you. Am booked on a January  of 2022 20 day cruise with penalty dates kicking in July 21. Hopefully they will move that date, as I feel there is no way we will know  when the world will open up by then.

[susiesan]

Interesting that some people get their final payment date extended and some don't,  like mine. I took a look at the cabins available and it is wide open., not exactly selling well. To give people incentive and confidence to either book or not cancel it seems O would be wise to shorten final payment time like many other cruise lines have. Until the Windstar Tahiti cruise I was supposed to be on next week was canceled,  I had a 30 day window to make the final payment. 

 

So is 120 days for final payment something new with Oceania or not? Seems excessively long for a 10 day cruise, especially these days.

[pinotlover]

Susiean;

 

Historically, for Oceania, that has been policy. For longer cruises the timeline extends.

 

These are not normal times and the different companies are facilitating each other for mutual survival. As part of Oceania’s program, they provide air transportation. Typically, with bulk ticketing, the airlines require the name of each passenger going into each seat on their planes 90 days prior to the flight. 120 days gets everyone paid and final information to get flight arrangements finalized at bulk rates.

[jagoffee]

34 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Interesting that some people get their final payment date extended and some don't,  like mine. I took a look at the cabins available and it is wide open., not exactly selling well. To give people incentive and confidence to either book or not cancel it seems O would be wise to shorten final payment time like many other cruise lines have. Until the Windstar Tahiti cruise I was supposed to be on next week was canceled,  I had a 30 day window to make the final payment. 

 

So is 120 days for final payment something new with Oceania or not? Seems excessively long for a 10 day cruise, especially these days.

I cannot tell you how new it is.  I have a January 2022 Oceania cruise booked and the penalty phase starts 120 days before the cruise starts.  The final payment is due three weeks later, so about 100 days.  

[alcpa1]

Our May 28th sailing from SFO to YVR also has a 90 day payment date. We're still up in the air and are awaiting notification from O because we don't think 7+ day cruises will sail by then.

Our February '22 Sirena cruise has the 120 day payment date so far but we are hopeful that we can board the ship and hit the high seas. We need it!!!!!

[LHT28]

13 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I cannot tell you how new it is.  I have a January 2022 Oceania cruise booked and the penalty phase starts 120 days before the cruise starts.  The final payment is due three weeks later, so about 100 days.  

It is  not new   the final payment is 90 days  but some TA's ask for it earlier

Your cruise is far enough out  that it may change the final payment date ..YET

[pinotlover]

People should be careful about what they wish for. An ancedotal argument could be made that every cruise for which Oceania has reduced the payment date to 60 days has been thus far cancelled. Will perhaps a sign of hope and intentions to sail be when the payment requirements don’t change?

[ORV]

The final payment date is based on the length of the cruise. I don't exactly remember but some are 150 days out or more. It's only been since Covid that they have been shortened(or as some people think, extended)

[LHT28]

Yes the 120 days is for 14 day or less cruises

15 + day the penalty kicks in earlier

The penalty phase kicks in about a month before the final payment date  & is an Admin Fee  that can be used on a future cruise

 

 Do people not read their invoices?? 😲

[Nashna]

Our final payment deadline was extended to 60 days prior to sailing a month before it was originally due for an April 22, 2021 cruise.  That cruise still has not been officially canceled.  I expect that it will be in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I booked two January 2022 cruises in December.  The pricing for the two different cruise lines has gone up dramatically in one month.  The Celebrity 7-night sailing is now $1100.00 per person higher while the Princess 10-night sailing is $1250.00 per person higher.    

[susiesan]

42 minutes ago, Nashna said:

Our final payment deadline was extended to 60 days prior to sailing a month before it was originally due for an April 22, 2021 cruise.  That cruise still has not been officially canceled.  I expect that it will be in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I booked two January 2022 cruises in December.  The pricing for the two different cruise lines has gone up dramatically in one month.  The Celebrity 7-night sailing is now $1100.00 per person higher while the Princess 10-night sailing is $1250.00 per person higher.    

Nashna, will you be making the final payment?

 

My problem with the timing of my final payment is that I will be out of the country in Namibia at the time the payment is due. I have to make a decision whether or not to cancel before I leave for that trip on May 5. If I cancel and then O extends the final payment date or announces the cruise is a go it will be too late to take it. If that happens, I will be cruising the Baltic in Aug. 2022 with NCL, my plan B reservation.

[pinotlover]

57 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Nashna, will you be making the final payment?

 

My problem with the timing of my final payment is that I will be out of the country in Namibia at the time the payment is due. I have to make a decision whether or not to cancel before I leave for that trip on May 5. If I cancel and then O extends the final payment date or announces the cruise is a go it will be too late to take it. If that happens, I will be cruising the Baltic in Aug. 2022 with NCL, my plan B reservation.

I truly don’t understand this post!! I tell my TA which credit card to use and she makes the payment for me. She tells me what day she’ll do it, usually a couple days before the due date, in case I want to change things. Being in Nambia or Timbuktu would have no effect upon us making payment.

[mrlevin]

Regent not Oceania; final payment for a 31 May cruise was changed from 1 January to 31 March.  I just made final payment today so that when Regent cancels they put me on identical cruise in 2022.  If I didn't make final payment they would just return my money and I would have to pay the higher price for 2022.

 

Marc

[LouChamp]

5 hours ago, susiesan said:

Nashna, will you be making the final payment?

 

My problem with the timing of my final payment is that I will be out of the country in Namibia at the time the payment is due. I have to make a decision whether or not to cancel before I leave for that trip on May 5. If I cancel and then O extends the final payment date or announces the cruise is a go it will be too late to take it. If that happens, I will be cruising the Baltic in Aug. 2022 with NCL, my plan B reservation.

I'm compelled to ask with all due respect why are are going to Namibia

[marieps]

9 hours ago, ORV said:

The final payment date is based on the length of the cruise. I don't exactly remember but some are 150 days out or more. It's only been since Covid that they have been shortened(or as some people think, extended)

We are on the Oct 2021 TA on Riviera, and the final payment is in April.  181 days.  It's concerning, but we are hopeful that things will be somewhat recovered by then.  If Riviera doesn't go to Europe for a summer season, obviously that's a bad sign. 

[seachelt]

We also are on the Riviera, October 18 to November 7, 2021 Istanbul to Monte Carlo.  Final payment is due May 21, 2021.   Penalty for cancellation starts April 20, 2021.

I'm planning to make final payment when it's due (but always hoping that final payment date will be adjusted!)

Be well.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, marieps said:

.  If Riviera doesn't go to Europe for a summer season, obviously that's a bad sign. 

She is in Europe already  but that means nothing at this point in time  if she will sail with passengers

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, seachelt said:

We also are on the Riviera, October 18 to November 7, 2021 Istanbul to Monte Carlo.  Final payment is due May 21, 2021.   Penalty for cancellation starts April 20, 2021.

I'm planning to make final payment when it's due (but always hoping that final payment date will be adjusted!)

Be well.

You could always ask  for the payment time to be adjusted 

With the current World situation  I would not be paying  in May

JMO

[RJB]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

You could always ask  for the payment time to be adjusted 

With the current World situation  I would not be paying  in May

JMO

Feel the same way.