Refundable or non.

[tomcruiser1234]

Hi

 

looking at b2b2b. Like to hold the rooms.  The cost is higher for refundable by far. Some say you can wait till as late as final payment and then take the non refundable. However not sure the price will be the same. Will the non refundable price be the same at final payment or has it gone higher on others bookings. Any experience i would like to hear. Thanks. 

[prmssk]

We always book non-refundable and I track prices.  In most cases the non-refundable price increases (often significantly) between when we book and final payment.  I've heard others mention doing what you are suggesting but I'm not sure that suggestion would have ever paid off for us.  But maybe that is because we try to book really early.

[tomcruiser1234]

Thanks prmssk 

 

I since we cruise celebrity all the time   If we cancel the refundable but book another cruise is it true you only loose $100 of the $900 deposit   You just apply the other to the next cruise???

[Wineaux007]

9 minutes ago, tomcruiser1234 said:

Thanks prmssk 

 

I since we cruise celebrity all the time   If we cancel the refundable but book another cruise is it true you only loose $100 of the $900 deposit   You just apply the other to the next cruise???

We recently cancelled a non-refundable cruise with a $900 deposit.  We lost $200 and $700 was refunded as a FCC which we applied to a future sailing we had booked.

 

Celebrity & Royal came out with new non-refundable policy concerning suites starting 1 June.  I'm not sure, but I believe you would lose all your deposit if you cancelled?  I have 4 suites booked that are grandfathered from this new policy if I cancel.

[tomcruiser1234]

So i can still transfer a refundable booking but loose $100 per person?or $100 per cabin?  

 

Gotta be careful lol. 

 

Cruises getting expensive and complicated

[Wineaux007]

4 minutes ago, tomcruiser1234 said:

So i can still transfer a refundable booking but loose $100 per person?or $100 per cabin?  

 

Gotta be careful lol. 

 

Cruises getting expensive and complicated

If it's a refundable booking, why would you lose anything?  Non-refundable would lose $100 per person.

[prmssk]

A refundable deposit is fully refundable.  The official policy now on non-refundable deposits is that you lose the entire deposit.  That said, many are still having success moving a nonrefundable deposit to a new cruise usually with a $100 per person fee.

[JaneStarr]

6 minutes ago, prmssk said:

A refundable deposit is fully refundable.  The official policy now on non-refundable deposits is that you lose the entire deposit.  That said, many are still having success moving a nonrefundable deposit to a new cruise usually with a $100 per person fee.

Maybe that’s because the new policy hasn’t been implemented yet. I think I read it was due to start next month/

[tomcruiser1234]

Wow typed in refundable deposit and found a boat load of info. 

 

For refundable. It looks like you will be charged $100 per person to transfer to another cruise. As of June 1 non refundable will be exactly that   So if you hold for $900 suite you lose its all with non refundable. 

 

Gottta call and check tommorow 

[prmssk]

1 minute ago, JaneStarr said:

Maybe that’s because the new policy hasn’t been implemented yet. I think I read it was due to start next month/

When the press release/information came out on the change earlier this year it was supposed to be effective for all cruises booked March 2, 2023 and later.  When you try to book a cruise, if you read the fine print, it also references the March 2 date.  So personally, I don't suggest anyone booking a non-refundable fare if they aren't okay with fully losing their deposit in the case of cancellation.

[tomcruiser1234]

Yes   Things are changing fast. 

 

You had lots of option right after covid startup. Not now. 

 

Gonna make the calls and verify before doing anything.   June 1 is suppose to change things even more 

[travelwide]

Please post what you find out. I did not hear of anything coming on June 1. Would love to know.

[Pinboy]

13 hours ago, Wineaux007 said:

We recently cancelled a non-refundable cruise with a $900 deposit.  We lost $200 and $700 was refunded as a FCC which we applied to a future sailing we had booked.

Thank you for that--- Excellent to know.

So, if we have 2 cruises booked with Non-refundable deposits( $900 each ) and cancel one, we would only lose $200 and the $700 balance can be added to the other cruise ( already booked ) as part of the Final Payment ?

 

[tomcruiser1234]

Ok. Good news. My 1st booking was made last July so i will get and FCC for the $900 deposit. A non refundable going forward when cancelled you will loose. 

 

I had a refundable made after March and used it to book a later cruise in April.  They waved the $200 and applied the full $900 to the new booking. Not sure if they will continue to wave but it worked this time. 

 

Some more confusion. I did refundable booking today on the b2b2b to Liberty NJ and they only charged me $500 deposit for a suite LOL.   Anyways the celebrity folks were very helpful.   

 

No they are not the bad guys but just the messenger     

 

Happy cruise bookings.  Not sure i got all the answers

[Wineaux007]

1 hour ago, Pinboy said:

Thank you for that--- Excellent to know.

So, if we have 2 cruises booked with Non-refundable deposits( $900 each ) and cancel one, we would only lose $200 and the $700 balance can be added to the other cruise ( already booked ) as part of the Final Payment ?

 

You have to wait for the FCC to be sent to you.  Ours took around a month.  Once I received it, I sent it to our TA to have it applied to a currently booked sailing.  

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, tomcruiser1234 said:

I had a refundable made after March and used it to book a later cruise in April.  They waved the $200 and applied the full $900 to the new booking. Not sure if they will continue to wave but it worked this time. 

 

Still not sure why there would be any fee to move a refundable deposit as you can cancel and get your entire deposit back and just book the new sailing with a new deposit.  $0 penalty.

[Pinboy]

13 minutes ago, Wineaux007 said:

You have to wait for the FCC to be sent to you.  Ours took around a month.  Once I received it, I sent it to our TA to have it applied to a currently booked sailing.  

That's very good to know.

I always thought a NRD ( say $900 ) is totally Non-refundable. But it appears that only $200 is taken off and the balance of $700 is returned as a FCC which can be applied to a future booking or a current booking that hasn't been paid if full.

Is that correct , or am I missing " something " ?

Thank you.

 

[prmssk]

32 minutes ago, Wineaux007 said:

You have to wait for the FCC to be sent to you.  Ours took around a month.  Once I received it, I sent it to our TA to have it applied to a currently booked sailing.  

When did you book?

 

This was the policy for bookings prior to March 2, 2023.  Then they eliminated the option to get FCC.

[wrk2cruise]

11 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

That's very good to know.

I always thought a NRD ( say $900 ) is totally Non-refundable. But it appears that only $200 is taken off and the balance of $700 is returned as a FCC which can be applied to a future booking or a current booking that hasn't been paid if full.

Is that correct , or am I missing " something " ?

Thank you.

 

That's the way it used to be but effective with bookings made March 2, 2023 the deposit is now fully non-refundable.

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/CEL_2_23_23_FLY_Non-Refundable_FAQs_Trade.pdf

 

Then there is another change going into effect on June 1 wrt suite deposits.  Suite deposits will be the greater of 10% of the cruise fare or the "standard" deposit rate.   With NRD suite deposits you will lose the full 10%

 

[buzz031]

DP:  We booked a refundable cruise prior to March 1 with $200 future cruise credits. Then after March 1, we changed that cruise to a different sailing and to a non-refundable fare (this was done with no penalties of course because it was booked prior to March 1 and was refundable). When we made this change after March 1, X said if we changed the new cruise in the future, it would have $100 change fee per person to do so. 

 

I realize that this isn't quite as straightforward as someone booking a non-refundable cruise after March 1 and then changing it. So, I'll be interested to know if it is just a $100 change fee per person to change a non-refundable fare, or if you truly lose the entire $900 deposit.

[sdnich]

8 minutes ago, buzz031 said:

DP:  We booked a refundable cruise prior to March 1 with $200 future cruise credits. Then after March 1, we changed that cruise to a different sailing and to a non-refundable fare (this was done with no penalties of course because it was booked prior to March 1 and was refundable). When we made this change after March 1, X said if we changed the new cruise in the future, it would have $100 change fee per person to do so. 

 

I realize that this isn't quite as straightforward as someone booking a non-refundable cruise after March 1 and then changing it. So, I'll be interested to know if it is just a $100 change fee per person to change a non-refundable fare, or if you truly lose the entire $900 deposit.

I am curious about this also.I just canceled a cruise on a Pacific coastal I only had a $500 non refundable deposit down. And I assumed if I was not putting it towards a new Cruise, I would lose the entire amount.? I just sent my travel agent and email asking if we would get $300 FCC back to use towards a cruise that we already have booked. I was under the impression it had to be towards a new booking only.?

Edited May 29, 2023 by sdnich

[Wineaux007]

58 minutes ago, prmssk said:

When did you book?

 

This was the policy for bookings prior to March 2, 2023.  Then they eliminated the option to get FCC.

The booking was made in Dec 2022.  I didn't know they changed the policy.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Effective Jun 1 '23  

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Still not sure why there would be any fee to move a refundable deposit as you can cancel and get your entire deposit back and just book the new sailing with a new deposit.  $0 penalty.

I do not believe there there are any fees associated with a refundable deposit.  Same with an airline.  Refundable refers to the fact that if you cancel, you get 100% of your refundable deposit back to your original form of payment.

 

i suspect some people are confused about the NRD fares/deposits and the change in those deposits.

[jagoffee]

17 hours ago, prmssk said:

A refundable deposit is fully refundable.  The official policy now on non-refundable deposits is that you lose the entire deposit.  That said, many are still having success moving a nonrefundable deposit to a new cruise usually with a $100 per person fee.

My understanding is if you cancel a NRD you lose 100% of the deposit.  No FCC is given for recent bookings if you cancel.  For $100 pp charge you can change the ship and/or date, but you cannot cancel the cruise.