RCCL Cruise with Confidence questions

[jmsnyc]

Hi....   I was reading the faq on RCCL website and one of them states the following:

Q : What happens if there’s a difference in cruise fare between the Future Cruise Credit I receive, and the cruise that I would like to book next?
A : If the cruise fare on your new booking exceeds the Future Cruise Credit’s value, you will have to pay the difference. Alternatively, if the new cruise fare is lower than the Future Cruise Credit’s value, a new Future Cruise Credit will be issued for the remaining balance.

 

So, given that taking two cruises within the timeframe is unlikely, is there any way that the difference can be applied to onboard credit?

Also, how do taxes, fees, excursions, tips etc work?   Are they refunded or included in the lump sum that is applied to the future cruise credit?

Edited October 20, 2021 by jmsnyc

[Biker19]

40 minutes ago, jmsnyc said:

So, given that taking two cruises within the timeframe is unlikely, is there any way that the difference can be applied to onboard credit?

 

Also, how do taxes, fees, excursions, tips etc work?   Are they refunded or included in the lump sum that is applied to the future cruise credit?

No.

FCC can only gained and applied on the base fare. All other expenses are paid/refunded.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Biker19

[jmsnyc]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

No.

FCC can only gained and applied on the base fare. All other expenses are paid/refunded.

So if I am thinking of doing this to get the AMEX promo and thus a good chance I will make a change to my cruise, I want to make sure that I am spending close or more on the future cruise?

 

I dont think they refund taxes, do they?

Edited October 20, 2021 by jmsnyc

[Biker19]

30 minutes ago, jmsnyc said:

I dont think they refund taxes, do they?

Yes, they do. FCC is base fare only. 

[jmsnyc]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, they do. FCC is base fare only. 

Ok. Thank you,  Do you have to opt in when you book, or just when you want to cancel ?

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, jmsnyc said:

Ok. Thank you,  Do you have to opt in when you book, or just when you want to cancel ?

I'd let my TA handle it.

 

If I am understanding you want to cancel and get a fcc and then rebook. I think you are prohited from rebooking the same cruise, just what I remember. 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, jmsnyc said:

Do you have to opt in when you book, or just when you want to cancel ?

As far as taxes being refundable, you don’t have a choice, they always are and are separate from base fare on a US booking. 

[smplybcause]

From what I've seen posted the FCC isn't instantaneous. It's not like cancel the cruise and 30 minutes later you can use your FCC. It can take a while. 

[*helena*]

Can I ask.

Can a FCC be applied to an already booked cruise.

What happens to the remaining balance of the FCC if its below the cruise price and when does the new FCC get issued before or after the cruise it's used for sails.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, *helena* said:

 

Can a FCC be applied to an already booked cruise?

What happens to the remaining balance of the FCC if its below the cruise price and when does the new FCC get issued before or after the cruise it's used for sails?

Yes. The balance should be issued as another FCC fairly soon after application, no need to wait for the sailing it was applied on. 

[*helena*]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Yes. The balance should be issued as another FCC fairly soon after application, no need to wait for the sailing it was applied on. 

Thank you.

 

Example senario.

 

FCC issued Dec 2020 expires Dec 2021 Value $1000

Existing cruise booked last year deposit paid $500   Balance of $800  due March 2022

If I apply the FCC in Jan 2022   (1)  will the new FCC be for  $200 and valid for a further 12 months or (2) will I get $200 refunded to my Credit Card in lieu of the deposit paid or (3) will the FCC if issued expire on the same date as the original FCC.

 

Apologies for the ramblings I just cant get my head around FCCs and I may have 6 come the end of Jan

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, *helena* said:

(3) will the FCC if issued expire on the same date as the original FCC.

This, though if it's a CWC FCC, the apply by date is 4/30/22 for a sailing before the end of 2022.

[*helena*]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

This, though if it's a CWC FCC, the apply by date is 4/30/22 for a sailing before the end of 2022.

Thanks again.

I think I have been a bit hasty booking cruises so far ahead I have 3 booked and paid  for in Nov 21 and 3 for Dec/Jan 21/22   I then have 3 deposit paid only cruises in April 22 and 3 in Nov 22.   The FCCs will more than cover the balances due and I will not be booking additional cruises in such a time frame So it will cost me $$$$ for being loyal and booking early.

Note to self do not be eager to book so far ahead.

 

Our covid figures in the UK  are getting out of hand again and we may be denied entry to more countries very soon according to reports over here.

[piperarrow]

I have multiple FCC's in my name but the website will only let me apply one FCC at booking of a new cruise. Can I not use the rest of them for the same cruise? Confused!!

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, piperarrow said:

Can I not use the rest of them for the same cruise?

You should, but you have to call.

[jmsnyc]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:11 AM, Biker19 said:

This, though if it's a CWC FCC, the apply by date is 4/30/22 for a sailing before the end of 2022.

This makes it somewhat tough.  So say you book a cruise for a sailing 4/30/22 for $2000 base fare and then you change the cruise to 3/15/2023 which has a base fare of $1500, you would then only have a month and a half to use the remaining $500 as it would expire a year from initial sailing

 

Did I get that right?

[jmsnyc]

On 10/20/2021 at 6:23 PM, firefly333 said:

I'd let my TA handle it.

 

If I am understanding you want to cancel and get a fcc and then rebook. I think you are prohited from rebooking the same cruise, just what I remember. 

Do you mean same exact cruise , date and everything?  No , thats now what I mean at all - I would not see a reason to do that as I think they have a Best Price Guarantee going on now

 

What I am looking to do is take advantage of the AMEX offer.  I travel solo, so I figure if I book a cruise now, while CwC is still in effect I can have flexibility to use the cruise through April 2023, if I book my initial sailing in April 2022.   Being solo though, it is difficult to spend $1500 on low single supplement cruises base fare, that was why I was hoping the taxes would not be refunded because then the would count towards my AMEX minimum. But as Biker19 pointed out that is not the case, so I would have to find a cruise with a base fare of $1500 or more to take advantage of the AMEX offer.   Any refunds that would put the amount below $1500 would likely trigger an AMEX clawback of the $500

 

The AMEX offer I have is spend $1500 on RCCL and get $500 back

Edited October 23, 2021 by jmsnyc

[Biker19]

9 hours ago, jmsnyc said:

Did I get that right?

Only if you cancel on 4/30/22 - the one year is from cancellation (or move) date not sailing date.  This assumes RCI will allow the use of leftover FCC after the end of 2022 - I don’t recall that being an option before CWC. 

[molly361]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Only if you cancel on 4/30/22 - the one year is from cancellation (or move) date not sailing date.  This assumes RCI will allow the use of leftover FCC after the end of 2022 - I don’t recall that being an option before CWC. 

Yeah I am wondering how that will work.  If you have say $1000 FCC left at the end of April does it just get lost?  Have not seen that addressed anywhere.  Also I "assume" if you apply a FCC to a sailing after April 2022 and you cancel that cruise I guess you lose that FCC rather than it get reissued

[JimVB]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

  Also I "assume" if you apply a FCC to a sailing after April 2022 and you cancel that cruise I guess you lose that FCC rather than it get reissued

If this is the case, might the cancel for any reason provision in Royal's insurance scheme preserve at least some of the value of any FCC's applied to a post April 22 sailing?

[jmsnyc]

On 10/23/2021 at 7:00 AM, Biker19 said:

Only if you cancel on 4/30/22 - the one year is from cancellation (or move) date not sailing date.  This assumes RCI will allow the use of leftover FCC after the end of 2022 - I don’t recall that being an option before CWC. 

Per RCCL CwC page: So if your sailing is 4/30/22, you can cancel by 4/28 and book by April 30, 22 to sail by 4/30/23 

• Future Cruise Credits are valid to book by April 30th, 2022 and sail by December 31, 2022, or one year from the original sailing date, whichever is later.

 

Anyway only 3 days left

Edited October 29, 2021 by jmsnyc

[SherriZ366]

FCCs are stackable on a cruise -- can't remember if it's 6 or 8 FCCs that can be applied to the cruise fare.