Sensible is boring!!

[babs135]

Just need to vent a little to make myself feel better so please be kind to me!   I've seen a cruise which really appeals to me and even DH's eyes lit up when I showed him it BUT it's not until February 2026.

The genuine concern is that we are senior citizens with multiple health issues which sadly will not improve in the 601 days to the cruise (yes, I checked how far ahead it is) and neither of us is prepared to book so far ahead.  We are in the UK so refundable deposits are very few and far between.   I will make a note of it and (much) nearer the time should be able to make a decision re booking.

Curious as to what other older folk do in a situation like this?  Do they throw caution to the wind and book or are they sensible and just wait?

 

[sparks1093]

We haven't quite reached this stage yet, but if it were a cruise that we really wanted to do I'd probably book it if and when the cruise line had a deposit special (not sure if that happens in the UK). Even a full deposit wouldn't be a deal breaker but I'd like to put down as little as possible, just in case. Then we could assess it closer to the cruise before paying anything further.

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

Just need to vent a little to make myself feel better so please be kind to me!   I've seen a cruise which really appeals to me and even DH's eyes lit up when I showed him it BUT it's not until February 2026.

The genuine concern is that we are senior citizens with multiple health issues which sadly will not improve in the 601 days to the cruise (yes, I checked how far ahead it is) and neither of us is prepared to book so far ahead.  We are in the UK so refundable deposits are very few and far between.   I will make a note of it and (much) nearer the time should be able to make a decision re booking.

Curious as to what other older folk do in a situation like this?  Do they throw caution to the wind and book or are they sensible and just wait?

 

 

Not fully understanding the UK deposit and refundable vs. non-refundable thing, if available I would purchase trip cancelation insurance for the amount of the non-refundable deposit.

 

If health issues are what you are concerned with then if you do have to cancel closer to the point of final payment, then you are probably going to do so under a covered reason.  Right?

 

If you reach final and full payment, or you have to add payment as time goes on, just add that coverage to your cancellation insurance so that you are covered for the full amount.

 

That would be the way that we would play it because we do book up to 2 years in advance.

 

We would go for it, but we have great deals - with Viking - on deposits now so even if we were to lose the deposit we wouldn't care.

 

 

[VMax1700]

Is there similar (not exact copies I understand), but reasonably similar cruises in 2024/2025?  How much are they now?  

 

What cruise line is it?  Do they ever do specials?  I know it is kinda unheard of in this part of the world, but HAL did a £1 deposit special not so long ago.  

[VMax1700]

8 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Not fully understanding the UK deposit and refundable vs. non-refundable thing, if available I would purchase trip cancelation insurance for the amount of the non-refundable deposit.

Basically you pay your deposit and if you cancel then you lose your deposit.  Usually about 15% of the cruise price.  For this reason alone, it is next to impossible to get trip cancellation insurance that covers the deposit element or it is so expensive that it is cheaper to lose the deposit.

Only way that I have found around it is to purchase Future Cruise Deposit certificates from your preferred cruise line.

[VMax1700]

@babs135 Does the cruise line do Future Cruise Deposits?  Could you take a short cheapy cruise to purchase them and then use as deposit for your dream cruise?

[MBP&O2/O]

We booked 18 months out ... the  cruise has a 150 day no penalty cancellation.

We are UK based.

My signature may assist🙂

Edited June 17 by MBP&O2/O

[Essiesmom]

I’m in the same boat, so to speak.  Someone here once said she was so old she doesn’t buy green bananas.  I have a cruise booked six months out, but I won’t go farther out, and this is an exception.  EM

[MBP&O2/O]

Just copied this from the cruise website

[John Bull]

8 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Not fully understanding the UK deposit and refundable vs. non-refundable thing, if available I would purchase trip cancelation insurance for the amount of the non-refundable deposit.

 

If health issues are what you are concerned with then if you do have to cancel closer to the point of final payment, then you are probably going to do so under a covered reason.  Right?

 

If you reach final and full payment, or you have to add payment as time goes on, just add that coverage to your cancellation insurance so that you are covered for the full amount.

 

That would be the way that we would play it because we do book up to 2 years in advance.

 

We would go for it, but we have great deals - with Viking - on deposits now so even if we were to lose the deposit we wouldn't care.

 

 

 

As a heads-up, in the UK deposits are required with booking and are non-refundable.

For distant dates, interim payments are due and the same applies.

 

To the best of my knowledge "cancel for any reason" insurance isn't available in the UK.

 

I'm guessing that the OP is likely to have pre-existing medical conditions. If they are disclosed it will jack up the insurance premium or some will or can offer to exclude those pre-conditions from cover.

 

Some insurers won't cover single-trip travel so far ahead.

 

A couple of thoughts..................

Book much later.

With a CRUISE SPECIALIST travel agent you should be able to check from time to time to see how bookings are progressing - make your minds up when it looks likely to book-out in the next few weeks.

 

Contact a CRUISE SPECIALIST agent in the USA.

If you have friends or family in the US or Canada, ask if you can use their address - or some agents will happily use their own address. With that booking from USA or Canada you have the same cancellation rights as US & Canadian cruisers - any money paid before "final payment day" is refundable.

You are also likely to find that the cruise prices are much lower.

There are caveats....

- there is no equivalent to ABTA in the States, so pay ONLY by credit card to keep your money safe.

- Your payments will be taken in USD (your credit card can handle that) so when you pay in about 14 months time  if the £ sinks against the $ your cruise will be that much more expensive, but if the $ sinks against the £ you'll be better off.

- some costs like port fees aren't always included in US prices, but they're trivial amounts.

- you'll be bound by the cruise line's US terms & conditions, which aren't as consumer-friendly as their UK terms because of UK consumer laws

- this route will probably not be available for booking a UK ship like P&O or Marella or Ambassador or Fred Olsen

 

JB🙂

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, babs135 said:

Just need to vent a little to make myself feel better so please be kind to me!   I've seen a cruise which really appeals to me and even DH's eyes lit up when I showed him it BUT it's not until February 2026.

The genuine concern is that we are senior citizens with multiple health issues which sadly will not improve in the 601 days to the cruise (yes, I checked how far ahead it is) and neither of us is prepared to book so far ahead.  We are in the UK so refundable deposits are very few and far between.   I will make a note of it and (much) nearer the time should be able to make a decision re booking.

Curious as to what other older folk do in a situation like this?  Do they throw caution to the wind and book or are they sensible and just wait?

 

We are older than dirt, but still do book some cruises nearly 2 years in advance.  On our side of the pond, it is usually (not always) possible to book with fully refundable deposits.  In addition, many here buy travel insurance which does cover cancellation for good cause (such as a verified health issue).  We also have some higher end credit cards (i.e. Chase Sapphire, AMEX Platinum, etc) that include travel cancellation/interruption as part of their benefits.

 

While we also do plenty of last-minute bookings (sometimes within a few days/weeks of a cruise) this is not always a good strategy.  Quite a few of the better itineraries (especially on longer cruises) do sell-out and even have waiting lists (this is common with Oceania).  For folks who are "picky" about their cabin categories and location, waiting will often mean that the best options are sold-out.  And finally, for folks who prefer to book cruise line excursions, waiting until the last few months may often mean that the most popular (and best) excursions are sold-out.

 

Hank

[Mary229]

@babs135  does the cruise line you wish to sail on have an onboard future cruise program?  Those deposits might be refundable.  If you are sailing with them soon consider booking the 2026 cruise once onboard. 

[babs135]

Thanks for your comments. I did look to see if the cruise was available in 2025, but it isn't. However, financial constraints mean that 2026 is better as it's longer for us to save!  

Decided to take the more pragmatic approach and do nothing until nearer the time, after all the price may drop!!

With family living abroad with our first grandchild, visits to them will almost certainly take priority in the future.

In the meantime we look forward to our cruise on Queen Anne in August.

[babs135]

Regarding FCC, the cruise line is Princess. Don't know if they do them.

[mammajamma2013]

At ages 70 and 73, I would jump on it. But I'm in the United States and can choose a refundable deposit. 

 

I can cancel inside the 100% refundable fare window, so I'm not worried about buying a cruise two years out. I've seen cruises I would have loved to have been on, waited too long to book, and lost out.

[Mary229]

28 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Regarding FCC, the cruise line is Princess. Don't know if they do them.

https://www.princess.com/en-us/blog/cruise-tips/ways-to-save-money-on-your-next-cruise

 

once you book keep the booking in-house with Princess.  It sounds (@John Bull)  if you move it to a UK agency you would have some issues. 
 

this would be for an actual booking with deposit not just a credit.  

Edited June 17 by Mary229

[leaveitallbehind]

Fortunately in he US we have a refundable deposit fare option which, in a case as you present, we would use to secure the cruise while allowing the option to cancel without penalty.  We also typically can convert that to the prevailing non-refundable fare base closer to final payment if that is attractive then.

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

Thanks for your comments. I did look to see if the cruise was available in 2025, but it isn't. However, financial constraints mean that 2026 is better as it's longer for us to save!  

Decided to take the more pragmatic approach and do nothing until nearer the time, after all the price may drop!!

With family living abroad with our first grandchild, visits to them will almost certainly take priority in the future.

In the meantime we look forward to our cruise on Queen Anne in August.

I think you're making the right decision, it's really a risk-tolerance situation.  Some plow through life without worrying about possible problems, others would drive themselves crazy worrying about losing the deposit.  Have you checked the 'transferability' of a deposit?  Since I think I'll stay healthy and live forever, knowing a deposit is transferable to another cruise makes me comfortable.  Do UK credit cards offer travel insurance?  That's an incredibly helpful perk.  Finding a cruise-expert travel advisor would be the best way to go; my TA has ways of setting things up to my advantage.  I'm jealous of your upcoming voyage on Q Anne!  

[K32682]

Would you rather miss the cruise because you didn't book it and it becomes unavailable or miss the cruise because you did book it and your health took a turn? Making the booking is making a bet on yourself and let future unfold as it will. 

A friend of mine had many great plans of wonderful things he wanted to do and was always saying "someday I'm going to...."  I attended his funeral last month. His "someday" never came. 

[cruiseaholic777]

I would book it and hope that you make it.

[clo]

14 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Not fully understanding the UK deposit and refundable vs. non-refundable thing, if available I would purchase trip cancelation insurance for the amount of the non-refundable deposit.

 

We're in our 70s and purchased trip insurance for the first time. Had a completely unexpected medical issue and decided to cancel. My doctor supported this. This is something that could have happened on early trips - land and sea - and what a mess THAT would have been. So, if UK has similar insurance I honestly would suggest you purchase it. It's not cheap but way, WAY cheaper than losing the full cost of the trip.

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, clo said:

We're in our 70s and purchased trip insurance for the first time. Had a completely unexpected medical issue and decided to cancel. My doctor supported this. This is something that could have happened on early trips - land and sea - and what a mess THAT would have been. So, if UK has similar insurance I honestly would suggest you purchase it. It's not cheap but way, WAY cheaper than losing the full cost of the trip.

We buy trip insurance for the medical, an expense that can literally wipe you out. As for the cost of the trip, it would be a bummer to lose it and not get to use it, but it is a sunken cost, something we have already paid and can afford.

[DarrenM]

22 hours ago, K32682 said:

Would you rather miss the cruise because you didn't book it and it becomes unavailable or miss the cruise because you did book it and your health took a turn? Making the booking is making a bet on yourself and let future unfold as it will. 

A friend of mine had many great plans of wonderful things he wanted to do and was always saying "someday I'm going to...."  I attended his funeral last month. His "someday" never came. 

this. Absolutely this

[clo]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We buy trip insurance for the medical, an expense that can literally wipe you out. As for the cost of the trip, it would be a bummer to lose it and not get to use it, but it is a sunken cost, something we have already paid and can afford.

Not counting air (used points) this was a $14k trip. "Sunken cost" or not that's not 'chump change.' For us anyway. Will we suffer physically? No. But I'm not walking away from it 🙂

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Not counting air (used points) this was a $14k trip. "Sunken cost" or not that's not 'chump change.' For us anyway. Will we suffer physically? No. But I'm not walking away from it 🙂

Last summer, we cruised from London (Southampton) to Reykjavik On our wedding anniversary, the sea day between Norway and Iceland, the following conversation took place when we woke up. Me--Happy Anniversary. DW--Happy Anniversary and can you check when the medical center is open.

 

She went there as she was very constipated. They did an exam and gave her a prescription drug (actually an OTC drug in the US, but prescription drug in the EU) Later, after we were home, she went to her doctor as the problem persisted. He told her to take an OTC drug. A week or two later she ended up in an ambulance, emergency ward, and after they did an MRI a hospital bed. She had a twisted bowel. If her condition had got to that point on the cruise, the medical expense would have been horrific, way more than we paid for the cruise.

 

Would losing our fare but tough? Yes, but not earthshattering. Would the possible medical expense been a really tough blow? Absolutely.

 

PS.---advice to everyone, do not ever get a twisted bowel.

.

Edited June 18 by ontheweb