Cancelled a cruise inside the 30-day period before embarkation?

[Cruizer Diana]

Has anyone cancelled a cruise inside the 30-day period before their embarkation? If you cancelled and were not covered by insurance, were you able to get HAL to give you FCC or re-book without penalty?

 

I don’t fear getting Omicron, which is why we’ve been committed to not cancel up to now. But, I am increasingly concerned about testing positive on the ship and being quarantined for 10 days. The Hawaii cruise just before us (1/16/22 Koningsdam) tested at embarkation, 2-3 days later, will probably test before Honolulu, and probably again 7 days later. I’m seeing posts of people testing positive two days after a negative antigen test, who hadn’t been out of the house for a week or two.  All this testing might be wonderful for the collective peace-of-mind, but it really increases the chance of testing positive (or even a false positive), resulting in a long quarantine. For me, the prospect of a quarantine is much more stressful than getting Omicron. 

 

Any positive reports for those who have cancelled?

 

Thank you for your comments.

[CruiserBruce]

Why would they test "7 days later"?

[Lizofwisconsin]

We did postpone our Jan 2 Panama Canal cruise, 4 days before, due to concerns re: omicron.  Agent said we will get FCC. It has not yet showed up in our account, but she said 2-5 weeks.  Agent told us we could use it for Jan 2023 cruise, but she sounded very new and unsure of some things, so hoping that is true, and watching for the FCC to show up.

[OHCruiser]

We didn't technically cancel the Jan. 16 cruise.  On Jan. 4 we asked to move it to the October sailing.  We were able to do so without a true penalty--that date did cost $116 more per person--and we were able to get the same room.  All funds moved over, including our Platinum Protection.

[Heartgrove]

Just like OHCruiser, we moved our January 16 cruise to an April 3 cruise. Everything transferred without penalty, including insurance, for just the difference in cost for the April cruise. We are traveling with DSIL so had two staterooms side by side. Ours remained the same but hers went from one side of us to the other. side. HAL appears to be very forgiving with reasonable requests right now. Plus I even have a Carnival cruise this year that had a non-refundable deposit that I was able to move from April to June. No penalty with just the difference in cost.

[Shippy]

  We had to cancel a cruise on MSC last September 1 week before start. No insurance. We chose a date this next September & they moved all monies with no problem.

 We just cancelled a cruise on Royal Caribbean that was to leave in 2 weeks. No insurance. They gave us full FCC, good for one year no problem.

 Hated  to do that but are old & sometimes a bit paranoid these days.

We have an Alaska on Holland this year & hope we can make it. I would be surprised if they were not following  what the other cruise lines do for last minute cancellations.

  I would like to also add that the airlines were great. American & Delta both gave us full credits good for a year even though we had not taken out their insurance.

  Were we just lucky ?? Seems like because of the generosity in the travel industry right now, unless you insist on cash back, there is really no sense in spending money on insurance.

[lupaglupa]

My only experience predates covid but with similar results. We cancelled after my husband got appendicitis the night before our cruise! We called just hours before departure and cancelled reservations for four people in two adjoining rooms. HAL moved us to another cruise and all we paid was the difference in changing to a better room category (our original category was full on the second cruise). We had not gotten insurance and HAL would have had every right to tell us "tough luck." Instead they bent over backwards to help us save our vacation. It was a lovely and completely unexpected experience. 

[Cruizer Diana]

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Diana

 

PS: Many cruise lines are now testing every seven days; wondered if HAL might also, since they are increasing testing.

[surfone]

We cancelled yesterday for our cruise next week.  No insurance..  Receiving full refund

[KAKcruiser]

Do you mean a cash refund? Or future cruise credit?

[Cruizer Diana]

5 hours ago, surfone said:

We cancelled yesterday for our cruise next week.  No insurance..  Receiving full refund

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFO!!!

[Mr. Commonwealth]

We cancelled 3 days prior to a Jan. 5 departure.  No insurance.  We were given the option of either a "non-refundable promotional fare cruise credit" or booking a future cruise.

 

We deciding on booking the identical cruise a year later, with no penalty except, as OHCruiser noted, the fare difference which was around $150.  However, we did get the current promotions in effect at the time we re-booked, which were slightly better (for what we value) than our original promotion.

 

I thought that was pretty generous.  Did not seem like a cash refund was on the table, which I completely understand.  That allows HAL to "keep" our money and use it for cash flow purposes until the cruise industry is past omicron.

[teaberrry]

I cancelled about two weeks prior to my January 16th cruise. I had private insurance, not insurance through HAL. Received FCC for full fare paid (though it has not shown up in my account yet as mentioned by others previously), but the taxes were refunded to my method of payment. I had cruise credits in my account before I booked this cruise and I used them toward my cancelled cruise. Those were immediately restored to my HAL account. I have to use the FCC by the end of 2022 and my private insurance policy will transfer to whatever new cruise I book so I don't need to purchase another policy. I actually have a little over 2 years to use the already paid for insurance policy. If I don't use it, I can request a refund.  

[FancyTales]

We canceled two weeks before our cruise and received a full refund on my credit card. 

 

[REOVA]

21 hours ago, teaberrry said:

I cancelled about two weeks prior to my January 16th cruise. I had private insurance, not insurance through HAL. Received FCC for full fare paid (though it has not shown up in my account yet as mentioned by others previously), but the taxes were refunded to my method of payment. I had cruise credits in my account before I booked this cruise and I used them toward my cancelled cruise. Those were immediately restored to my HAL account. I have to use the FCC by the end of 2022 and my private insurance policy will transfer to whatever new cruise I book so I don't need to purchase another policy. I actually have a little over 2 years to use the already paid for insurance policy. If I don't use it, I can request a refund.  

which private insurer did you use?

[teaberrry]

3 hours ago, REOVA said:

which private insurer did you use?

I used Allianz with the help of my travel agent. I was pleasantly surprised I could keep the policy (for now) and put it toward whichever cruise I book between now and the end of the year. If I take a flight to get to/from the cruise, I can also add that into the policy.

[Cruizer Diana]

Beware if you are booked with FlightEase!

My TA tried to cancel us for the 2/2/22 Hawaii cruise yesterday and today. We would lose a considerable amount from the cruise booking and lose the entire flight.

 

Bottom line is that we would lose our entire HAL FlightEase 1st class ticket Seattle to San Diego. Cancelling or even moving the cruise to another date would automatically cancel the flight  and we would lose the entire cost of the flight. We can't ask to cancel or move the cruise without losing the flight ticket.

 

We plan to cancel the FlightEase for our upcoming May trip to Europe, since final payment is 2/14/22 and HAL will not budge on the final payment date for either the cruise or the flight. 

 

If you book directly with an airline, most will allow no-penalty changes and future flight certificates if you cancel. The advantages of FlightEase are much fewer these days.

[Torquer]

4 hours ago, Cruizer Diana said:

We plan to cancel the FlightEase for our upcoming May trip to Europe, since final payment is 2/14/22 and HAL will not budge on the final payment date for either the cruise or the flight.

 

I don't understand your comment about your May cruise.  This week HAL changed the final payment date to 60 days, rather than 90 days for cruises in this time frame.  So you have until sometime in March for your final payment.  We are in the same boat, so to speak, with an upcoming May cruise and I had certainly assumed this applied to FlightEase flights too...are you saying it doesn't?

 

For more info, see the following, and click on "SEE MORE" under the Terms & Conditions section.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/flexible-cancellation.html

[Cruizer Diana]

25 minutes ago, Torquer said:

 

I don't understand your comment about your May cruise.  This week HAL changed the final payment date to 60 days, rather than 90 days for cruises in this time frame.  So you have until sometime in March for your final payment.  We are in the same boat, so to speak, with an upcoming May cruise and I had certainly assumed this applied to FlightEase flights too...are you saying it doesn't?

 

For more info, see the following, and click on "SEE MORE" under the Terms & Conditions section.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/flexible-cancellation.html

I agree with you. I've also read the policy and shared it with my TA. We don't understand HAL's reply either. My TA asked two different agents at HAL and insisted on speaking with the supervisor each time. He even pointed out that we are almost 5* and have a 28-day cruise in Norway and the British Isles in May, with FlightEase--with a final payment due in three weeks. Same answer about both the final payment for the May cruise and the refund/credits for the February FlightEase flights. 

 

We decided to just go on the 2/2/22 Hawaii cruise. Not concerned about catching Omicron [Naturally vaxed March 2020 + 2 Moderna jabs + Booster (may be required in two weeks in Hawaii)]. But, we are concerned with the huge number of passengers quarantining for 10 days onboard, due to frequent testing onboard. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawaii cruise is cancelled, due to cancellations and number quarantined. If not, we will hope we get lucky.

 

As for May, we will probably cancel the entire trip before the February final payment, unless they acknowledge the change of policy. Then, we will just play it by ear. We don't plan to be in this situation again with high risk of quarantine and continuous protocol changes by HAL, countries, and ports--without enough time to access options. We tolerated the nonsense with Italy in October-- keeping us on the ship with no excursions at all and then requiring ship's excursions in other ports, as well as the testing, locator forms, changing flights because the Netherlands said they would quarantine anyone entering the country (including transit at the airport)......

Edited January 23, 2022 by Cruizer Diana

[Torquer]

16 hours ago, Cruizer Diana said:

I agree with you. I've also read the policy and shared it with my TA. We don't understand HAL's reply either. My TA asked two different agents at HAL and insisted on speaking with the supervisor each time. He even pointed out that we are almost 5* and have a 28-day cruise in Norway and the British Isles in May, with FlightEase--with a final payment due in three weeks. Same answer about both the final payment for the May cruise and the refund/credits for the February FlightEase flights.

 

I don't understand....what does HAL say on why they won't follow their on rules of a 60-day cancellation, instead of their claim of 90 days?  Their written policy seems quite clear to me.

 

Has anybody else found that HAL is not honoring their 60-day cancellation policy?

[Cruizer Diana]

HAL just told my TA that he was wrong.

 

By the way, this topic is also being discussed on another post. Someone mentioned that sometimes the final payment is moved to a date closer to the sailing, BUT the penalties may kick in BEFORE final payment. I have seen this on one of my previous cruises (either HAL or Azamara) and had forgotten about that.

 

So, if you accept the later final payment date, be sure to notice when penalties kick in!