Nonrefundable deposits

[Fishboy1947]

I have only cruised with Princess but found itineraries that I prefer on other lines.

 

I have always paid refundable deposits, if cruise cancelled prior to final payment. This allowed rebooking if fares dropped or cancellation for other reasons.

 

When I look on Royal Caribbean their $500 per couple deposit is nonrefundable. If I understand Celebrity, their $500 deposit is nonrefundable unless you pay a $262 fee for a balcony room. 
 

Have these lines typically had nonrefundable deposits or is this something new?

 

It’s a major difference for us booking a family cruise a year away

[Ashland]

If you look at RCI website and go all the way through the process there will be an option to book a refundable rate but at an increase in fare. You can also do this by calling RCI directly and they'll give you the same option...refundable vs non-refundable quotes.

[Essiesmom]

I think one of the reasons this was implemented several years ago is that apparently many people were booking multiple cruises for the same time slot, with the intention of deciding which to keep at final payment.  This tied up many desirable cabins, which were thrown back into inventory at final payment.  EM

[navybankerteacher]

I expect that the non-refundable deposit will ultimately go the way of live music on many lines:  vanish altogether, be really limited one way or the other, or come with some sort of significant surcharge.

[ontheweb]

34 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

I expect that the non-refundable deposit will ultimately go the way of live music on many lines:  vanish altogether, be really limited one way or the other, or come with some sort of significant surcharge.

My crystal ball sees the same outcome. It may take a little time as people are still leery from the pandemic, but it is on the way.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

I expect that the non-refundable deposit will ultimately go the way of live music on many lines:  vanish altogether, be really limited one way or the other, or come with some sort of significant surcharge.

 

We frequently see hotels with discounted non-refundable base fares.  There is an option to pay more for refundable/free cancellations.   I wonder if the cruise lines would see it as a upsell option.  

 

We have two cruises booked right now.  We paid the surcharge for the fully refundable option.    

[Ashland]

When I recently booked multiple cabins for our extended family Alaska cruise one of the cabins (a 2 bedroom on Serenade) offered a refundable rate at the exact same price point the non refundable rate was...That was a no brainer.

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this comment.  Did you mean "refundable" deposits will likely go away or do you indeed intend to write "non-refundable deposit"?  If so, why would non-refundable deposits be phased out?  I would think this would be good for the cruise lines as it would pretty much eliminate back-up bookings.

No - I meant refundable - as it never really made sense for the lines to permit over-bookers take cabins off the market.  I suppose it served as a marketing tool, but if it ever attracted many deposits (especially on attractive itineraries which are likely to sell out earlier) it would be seen by the lines as counter-productive.

[sverigecruiser]

 

I really hope that the refundable deposits will go away. If everyone had to pay non-refundable deposits noone should book multiple cruises without the intention to go on all and that should give me more options when I shall book.

[Ashland]

38 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I really hope that the refundable deposits will go away. If everyone had to pay non-refundable deposits noone should book multiple cruises without the intention to go on all and that should give me more options when I shall book.

I disagree !! The option should be there for those that want it.

[Tapi]

If I’m booking a cruise that’s far into the future, I WANT a refundable deposit even if I have to pay a bit more for it. I won’t pay a “use it or loose it” non-refundable deposit unless I’m close to final payment at the time I make my booking. 

[ldubs]

18 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this comment.  Did you mean "refundable" deposits will likely go away or do you indeed intend to write "non-refundable deposit"?  If so, why would non-refundable deposits be phased out?  I would think this would be good for the cruise lines as it would pretty much eliminate back-up bookings.

 

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

No - I meant refundable - as it never really made sense for the lines to permit over-bookers take cabins off the market.  I suppose it served as a marketing tool, but if it ever attracted many deposits (especially on attractive itineraries which are likely to sell out earlier) it would be seen by the lines as counter-productive.

 

I would think there is a value to having bookings happen far in advance, even if a certain percent are cancelled.  On popular itineraries there will be high demand for those newly released cabins.   If fares are nonrefundable,  people will be less likely to push the button until much closer to the actual cruise date.  

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

I disagree !! The option should be there for those that want it.

No - it should be there if the cruise line wants it.   If the line thinks it helps their bottom line to let people remove cabins from inventory at no cost, that is their business;  but if there is no cost for playing that game, booking cruises will be more difficult/costly for serious travelers.

[Ashland]

44 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

No - it should be there if the cruise line wants it.   If the line thinks it helps their bottom line to let people remove cabins from inventory at no cost, that is their business;  but if there is no cost for playing that game, booking cruises will be more difficult/costly for serious travelers.

"No cost"? There is a cost for those wanting to book a refundable rate and so far the cruise lines are giving them that option...nothing wrong with that.

[navybankerteacher]

22 minutes ago, Ashland said:

"No cost"? There is a cost for those wanting to book a refundable rate and so far the cruise lines are giving them that option...nothing wrong with that.

 

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

No - it should be there if the cruise line wants it.   If the line thinks it helps their bottom line to let people remove cabins from inventory at no cost, that is their business;  but if there is no cost for playing that game, booking cruises will be more difficult/costly for serious travelers.

My post referred to removing "...cabins from inventory AT NO COST...".   If folks want to pay more for making a refundable reservation,  that amount extra that they pay IS a cost.  What they are doing is paying extra for putting a deposit down on a cruise they presumably wanted to take.  

[sverigecruiser]

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

I disagree !! The option should be there for those that want it.

 

I don't have that option now so for me it should be better if noone had that option!

[sverigecruiser]

7 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

 

I would think there is a value to having bookings happen far in advance, even if a certain percent are cancelled.  On popular itineraries there will be high demand for those newly released cabins.   If fares are nonrefundable,  people will be less likely to push the button until much closer to the actual cruise date.  

 

We normally book our cruises more than a year before the cruise and always have to pay non-refundable deposits. We are used to it and don't expect anything else. If we change our minds about the cruise we loose the deposit.

 

[hallasm]

6 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

I don't have that option now so for me it should be better if noone had that option!

Agree - We do not have that option when booking in Europe - only non-refundable.

[sverigecruiser]

 

Another problem with refundable deposits is that some people may be prepared to pay more for the cruise if they know that they can cancel and rebook if the price goes down closer to sailing. Then the cruiseline can set a higher price from the beginning so everyone booking early will pay a higher price. Some can then rebook and get a lower price and some can't without loosing their deposit.

[SteveH2508]

People booking multiple cruises with refundable deposits reduces the available inventory, thus increasing the price for everyone else.

 

I bet the volume of calls to the cruiselines/TAs would reduce without the cancellation and re-faring calls as well.

[sverigecruiser]

52 minutes ago, SteveH2508 said:

People booking multiple cruises with refundable deposits reduces the available inventory, thus increasing the price for everyone else.

 

 

Very selfish to do. Allowed and without any cost for some but still very selfish!

[middlehaitch]

I had no idea that multi booking happened until a few cruises under my belt and I joined a roll call. 

All of a sudden about 95 days out people active on the roll call started dropping out like flies. 

 

It was nicely explained to me that they booked multi cruises, over a number of different lines,  played the price drop game and chose the one that they got the cheapest. 

I was amazed to say the least (an innocent I know) 

 

I cruise Celebrity a lot and they used to have the price as refundable with the option of a cheaper cruise if you did non-refundable. 

Now it is a non-refundable that is offered with the option to pay more for refundable. 

 

I dont think this makes a lot a lot of difference to the multi-booker as they just say they will pay more, no initial extra dollars, and can still play the multi-booking game re-pricing their chosen cruise at the ~95 day pre-payment in full date with the non refundable price (I take it that is possible.) 

 

Unfortunately, for those of us who book well in advance and would only cancel in an emergency, the best way to deter the multi-booker would be to have the refundable up-price included in the deposit. 

 

Ie- right now a deposit, for us, is generally 450pp refundable or not. If I had to also pay the 250pp  for a refundable deposit on top that now 700pp deposit would certainly make me think twice before multi-booking, if I was a multi-booker.

 

Heck all this devious thinking I’ve been doing and I can lay odds these seasoned cruisers only book when there is a deposit discount sale on anyway so none of this would matter. Oh well. 

 

Cheers, h. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by middlehaitch

[ldubs]

8 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

We normally book our cruises more than a year before the cruise and always have to pay non-refundable deposits. We are used to it and don't expect anything else. If we change our minds about the cruise we loose the deposit.

 

 

8 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Another problem with refundable deposits is that some people may be prepared to pay more for the cruise if they know that they can cancel and rebook if the price goes down closer to sailing. Then the cruiseline can set a higher price from the beginning so everyone booking early will pay a higher price. Some can then rebook and get a lower price and some can't without loosing their deposit.

 

From the standpoint of the consumer, I'm very happy we have the refundable option.  It is fairly common practice and one I would miss if it were removed.  

 

Again, from the consumer side, a fare decrease is not an issue at all.  The cruise lines are happy to apply the lower fare up to the payment date.  Of course that would not apply if the deposits were non-refundable. To the extent refundable fares create increased demand, the price could be impacted.   I am not going to lean towards removing refundable fares just because they are not available in some countries.    

 

Do you know why it is that refundable fares are not an option in your country?  

[ldubs]

8 hours ago, SteveH2508 said:

People booking multiple cruises with refundable deposits reduces the available inventory, thus increasing the price for everyone else.

 

I bet the volume of calls to the cruiselines/TAs would reduce without the cancellation and re-faring calls as well.

 

7 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Very selfish to do. Allowed and without any cost for some but still very selfish!

 

 

I agree that is a downside.  People who book without a serious intent are being selfish.  

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, middlehaitch said:

I had no idea that multi booking happened until a few cruises under my belt and I joined a roll call. 

All of a sudden about 95 days out people active on the roll call started dropping out like flies. 

 

 

 

Maybe some folks book just to participate in roll calls or to show future cruises in their signature!  😀

 

I was aware of folks booking cruises they had no serious intent of taking.  I wonder how widespread it actually is.   Based on your experience with the roll-call, it sounds like it happens a lot more than I imagined.