What is the chance Carnival will let us reschedule or cancel

[Cinnamon2]

My group of 8 Fun Girls, actually senior ladies, booked Carnival Freedom for January 29, 2022.  Now that CDC is recommending that nobody sail, some of us and our families are concerned and think we should cancel or postpone.  I personally do not want to lose any money and realize if I were to try to cancel now, I could lose money, onboard credit, etc.  Just asking for opinions:  Do you think Carnival will allow people to cancel for a refund or postpone with FCC in the next couple of weeks?  I realize anything can happen, any of us could test positive or our flights could be canceled.   We were so looking forward to this girls getaway cruise but under the circumstances, I am kind of hoping we will have the option to reschedule or cancel.

[BlerkOne]

Probably a good chance, but you have to call Carnival.

[firefly333]

Cdc meaningless to me, everyone knew travel was a risk. But if you dont want to cruise I'm betting too carnival will work with you. I'm probably your age, but I'm like bring it on, but I love to cruise. 

[Bevv]

https://www.carnival.com/Legal/covid-19-legal-notices/covid-19-guest-protocols?icid=advisory_cruisehealth_072821    

Cruise Cancelled by Guest

If, following a declaration of a Public Health Emergency, you cancel a booking for a cruise scheduled during the declared emergency, or must cancel your booking because you are prohibited from traveling to the vessel due to a governmental travel restriction, but the cruise is not cancelled, you are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival. In all other cases our standard cancellation policy will apply, as set forth in the Ticket Contract for your cruise.

[PekingeseLady]

1 hour ago, Cinnamon2 said:

My group of 8 Fun Girls, actually senior ladies, booked Carnival Freedom for January 29, 2022.  Now that CDC is recommending that nobody sail, some of us and our families are concerned and think we should cancel or postpone.  I personally do not want to lose any money and realize if I were to try to cancel now, I could lose money, onboard credit, etc.  Just asking for opinions:  Do you think Carnival will allow people to cancel for a refund or postpone with FCC in the next couple of weeks?  I realize anything can happen, any of us could test positive or our flights could be canceled.   We were so looking forward to this girls getaway cruise but under the circumstances, I am kind of hoping we will have the option to reschedule or cancel.

Yes, you have to be patient to get through their phone lines right now. Can early when they first open. If you get the message their to busy to answer call back tomorrow, just call right back. Once through i was on hold for almost 2 hours. Finally got through, was able to cancel my b2b for the 8th and 15th. No penalties or fees, 100% refund. I moved it all over to my April 2023 cruise I already had booked.   

[icft]

22 minutes ago, dcsham said:

Fun Girls, senior ladies. 🤣

I have come across such groups on many cruises. Those gals know how to have fun. I haven't seen similar groups of senior guys though. Another reason I want my DW to outlive me. She could party on.

 

Cinnamon2 - If things don't improve as your cruise approaches I fully expect Carnival to offer refunds and FCC. My guess is they will do that a few days to a week before the current offer expires. But thee is no benefit to cancelling now vs. waiting to just before the cruise.

[Cinnamon2]

OP here . . . thanks for your comments everyone!   Just to clarify:  I know according to the protocols in place now we cannot cancel without penalty unless we were to get a sympathetic agent on the phone.  Just wondering if you guys/gals think there is a chance that Carnival will offer the option to cancel or reschedule.  I'm hoping we see something soon.  We booked this cruise in the summer of 2020 and at the time January 2022 was so far away we were sure the pandemic would be over and now here we are.  I personally do not want to spend hours on the phone waiting for Carnival.  We have 7 cabins booked through a TA so we could let her do the leg work.  I am just trying to make decisions for myself and know what to recommend to the group.

[surrealuv]

I'm going to see what the numbers look like in Florida on the day I can do check in. If the numbers are really high I'm going to try to move all my money to my 2023 Alaska trip. I am curious though to see how my OBC is going to work out since I have quite a bit. Also not sure what Southwest will do since my Alaska trip is over 12 months later and I won't be able to use the funds by then?

[Guest BasicSailor]

22 minutes ago, Cinnamon2 said:

OP here . . . thanks for your comments everyone!   Just to clarify:  I know according to the protocols in place now we cannot cancel without penalty unless we were to get a sympathetic agent on the phone.  Just wondering if you guys/gals think there is a chance that Carnival will offer the option to cancel or reschedule.  I'm hoping we see something soon.  We booked this cruise in the summer of 2020 and at the time January 2022 was so far away we were sure the pandemic would be over and now here we are.  I personally do not want to spend hours on the phone waiting for Carnival.  We have 7 cabins booked through a TA so we could let her do the leg work.  I am just trying to make decisions for myself and know what to recommend to the group.

It looks to be your TA will have to spend some time on the phone with carnival to clear this matter up. 

As many here understand the purpose of the CDC. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by BasicSailor

[cocomango]

8 minutes ago, surrealuv said:

I'm going to see what the numbers look like in Florida on the day I can do check in. If the numbers are really high I'm going to try to move all my money to my 2023 Alaska trip. I am curious though to see how my OBC is going to work out since I have quite a bit. Also not sure what Southwest will do since my Alaska trip is over 12 months later and I won't be able to use the funds by then?

 

What numbers will you be checking?  Local infection rates?  Occupancy of the cruise? 

(is there a way to find out the occupancy of the cruise beforehand? ) 

[surrealuv]

8 minutes ago, cocomango said:

 

What numbers will you be checking?  Local infection rates?  Occupancy of the cruise? 

(is there a way to find out the occupancy of the cruise beforehand? ) 

I'll be checking Miami infection rates.

[firefly333]

37 minutes ago, Cinnamon2 said:

OP here . . . thanks for your comments everyone!   Just to clarify:  I know according to the protocols in place now we cannot cancel without penalty unless we were to get a sympathetic agent on the phone.  Just wondering if you guys/gals think there is a chance that Carnival will offer the option to cancel or reschedule.  I'm hoping we see something soon.  We booked this cruise in the summer of 2020 and at the time January 2022 was so far away we were sure the pandemic would be over and now here we are.  I personally do not want to spend hours on the phone waiting for Carnival.  We have 7 cabins booked through a TA so we could let her do the leg work.  I am just trying to make decisions for myself and know what to recommend to the group.

Your agent should have no problem cancelling for February. She needs to say protocols have changed and we cant do the new protocols and want a refund. 

 

The last sentence above is what will allow you to cancel. You TA should be able to do it, you cant. You have to go through your ta. They own the booking. Me I'm happy with whatever the cruise will be, but I know some arent. I'm going no matter what. In fact I'm booked on a b2b. If I test positive it will be cut short and I'll deal with losing a week. But I see nothing to gain for me staying home. And btw I'm a senior like you. I'm just maybe more of a cruise addict than you, a die hard.

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Your agent should have no problem cancelling for February. She needs to say protocols have changed and we cant do the new protocols and want a refund. 

 

The last sentence above is what will allow you to cancel. 

 

This didn't work for me a few days ago and I have done that same thing in the past.  New protocols were announced through Jan. 31st.  Cruises up to and including Jan. 14th could cancel for refund or FCC.  My Jan. 15th cruise could only be moved to another date at the prevailing rate.  It was a casino offer.  Carnival may extend the cancel offer closer to Jan. 15th, but my travel arrangements weren't that flexible and I decided to move my cruise to next year. 

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

 

This didn't work for me a few days ago and I have done that same thing in the past.  New protocols were announced through Jan. 31st.  Cruises up to and including Jan. 14th could cancel for refund or FCC.  My Jan. 15th cruise could only be moved to another date at the prevailing rate.  It was a casino offer.  Carnival may extend the cancel offer closer to Jan. 15th, but my travel arrangements weren't that flexible and I decided to move my cruise to next year. 

Idk if a casino rate is treated differently. Thanks for your experience. I've read some who got refunds and who didnt. I'm assuming op doesnt have a casino offer though and I'm sure you have to push that you cant do the protocols. .. definitely a hard choice. 

[fair-winds39]

We were scheduled for a February 2022 cruise and decided not to go. Our reasons were many, much of it anxiety. We’ve been cruising for many years and always went relaxed, and stress-free, which made for nice vacations. Our upcoming Feb. 2022 cruise was beginning to become very stressful. We called our PVP this week and moved our cruise to much later in the year without penalties.

 

We changed our rescheduled cruise to an 8 day instead of 7, so our cruise price increased  a little bit, but that’s the only thing that changed. 
 

You should have no problem with whatever you decide. I feel Carnival is doing their best to accommodate their customers during these trying times.

[Essiesmom]

I had a cruise booked nearly two years ago for January 2021.  Cancelled by Covid and moved to January 2022.  I emailed my TA on Thursday to cancel for medical reasons, not Covid related - sister needs open heart surgery, double bypass.  TA sounded like she could hold onto the OBC and perks but still request a refund.  Other than the health issues, my only worry was finding a place for a Covid test.  We were going to drive to the port.  EM

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Idk if a casino rate is treated differently. Thanks for your experience. I've read some who got refunds and who didnt. I'm assuming op doesnt have a casino offer though and I'm sure you have to push that you cant do the protocols. .. definitely a hard choice. 

I think casino offers are treated differently.  When the agent answered the phone I told her about my concerns with the new protocols and when she saw it was a casino booking she said I'd have to go through the casino department for any changes to the booking.  I was transferred to them and while the agent seemed sympathetic, I couldn't get anything but the move option.   

[sanmarcosman]

OP - Unless Carnival ceases cruise operations entirely they're not going to send you an email asking: " Hey, would you like to cancel your cruise?" You'll have to contact Carnival. Good luck to you.

[keels81]

5 hours ago, Cinnamon2 said:

OP here . . . thanks for your comments everyone!   Just to clarify:  I know according to the protocols in place now we cannot cancel without penalty unless we were to get a sympathetic agent on the phone.  Just wondering if you guys/gals think there is a chance that Carnival will offer the option to cancel or reschedule.  I'm hoping we see something soon.  We booked this cruise in the summer of 2020 and at the time January 2022 was so far away we were sure the pandemic would be over and now here we are.  I personally do not want to spend hours on the phone waiting for Carnival.  We have 7 cabins booked through a TA so we could let her do the leg work.  I am just trying to make decisions for myself and know what to recommend to the group.

 

I would go ahead and put y'all's concerns on your TA's radar so they can start making a call to Carnival to find options for you. The TA wait time has been WAY shorter than the Covid or Consumer line and they're generally able to get a better resolution for you (similar to what a PVP can get) based on partnerships/consortiums/etc. Their escalation process to get certain things approved (PIF extension, FCC/refunds) is a lot simpler than the direct consumer process.

 

Obviously kicking the can down the road for a cruise maybe in the Spring/Summer is better for everyone involved than a complete cancelation and refund.

[cyclist_guy1]

5 hours ago, Cinnamon2 said:

OP here . . . thanks for your comments everyone!   Just to clarify:  I know according to the protocols in place now we cannot cancel without penalty unless we were to get a sympathetic agent on the phone.

not true fortunately for you. we had a cruise scheduled for tomorrow 1/2. i called yesterday afternoon to cancel our cruise due to the recent cdc announcement and other reasons. we received a full 100% refund no questions asked.

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, cyclist_guy1 said:

not true fortunately for you. we had a cruise scheduled for tomorrow 1/2. i called yesterday afternoon to cancel our cruise due to the recent cdc announcement and other reasons. we received a full 100% refund no questions asked.

This is where the confusion comes into play.  Cruises prior to and including Jan. 14th departure can request a refund.  For cruises departing on Jan. 15th or after, it appears that moving your cruise is the only option.  Carnival may include more cruise refunds for later departures.  No one knows yet. 

[Earthworm Jim]

19 hours ago, RoperDK said:

This is where the confusion comes into play.  Cruises prior to and including Jan. 14th departure can request a refund.  For cruises departing on Jan. 15th or after, it appears that moving your cruise is the only option.  Carnival may include more cruise refunds for later departures.  No one knows yet. 

 

No, that January 14th letter was just an extra thing for those cruises which allowed those cruisers to have the option of a refund, not just a FCC. After that, Carnival's normal Covid cancelation policy, which was posted and linked above by Bevv in post number 4, applies. According to that policy:

 

If, following a declaration of a Public Health Emergency, you cancel a booking for a cruise scheduled during the declared emergency...  you are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival.

 

There is currently a Public Health Emergency declared by the CDC. They declared it in January 2020 and has been extended every 90 days (when they would have expired if no action was taken) ever since. The last extension was October 18, 2021, so it will need to be extended again in mid-January. But since there are currently record number of cases the chance of such an extension is virtually 100%. Here is a link to the current extension:

 

https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/COVDI-15Oct21.aspx 

 

The only reason you wouldn't be able to cancel is if Carnival isn't following their own rules.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Earthworm Jim

[sapphire_407]

I have rescheduled twice with no penalties and kept my OBC.  I booked through a Carnival representative. 

[RoperDK]

5 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

No, that January 14th letter was just an extra thing for those cruises which allowed those cruisers to have the option of a refund, not just a FCC. After that, Carnival's normal Covid cancelation policy, which was posted and linked above by Bevv in post number 4, applies. According to that policy:

 

If, following a declaration of a Public Health Emergency, you cancel a booking for a cruise scheduled during the declared emergency...  you are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival.

 

There is currently a Public Health Emergency declared by the CDC. They declared it in January 2020 and has been extended every 90 days (when they would have expired if no action was taken) ever since. The last extension was October 18, 2021, so it will need to be extended again in mid-January. But since there are currently record number of cases the chance of such an extension is virtually 100%. Here is a link to the current extension:

 

https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/COVDI-15Oct21.aspx 

 

The only reason you wouldn't be able to cancel is if Carnival isn't following their own rules.

I have posted on several threads recently about casino rates only allowing a move instead of a refund or FCC.  I pulled out all of my tricks to try to get a refund or FCC for my Jan. 15th casino cruise, but all I could get was the move option.  I was trying to see if others were in my same situation.  Not a lot of responses yet, but unfortunately it is too late for me.  I could not wait it out because of travel planning and took what I could get.  I would say that I was mad at Carnival, but it appears that all of the other cruise lines are playing hardball.  I would love to hear from others that had different outcomes.