Had to cancel, very disappointed...

[bahouse3]

My girlfriend and I had to cancel our cruise on the Fascination becuase we found out her 2-year old niece is going to have open heart surgery the day we were supposed to leave. I lost 50% of our fare. I did not buy the insurance but I wrote Carnival a letter stating our situation and asked for a refund or on board credit for our next cruise. I rescehduled for Oct 22. Do you think we will get anything????

[hstrybuf]

If you didn't buy the insurance, then you most likely will receive nothing from the cruiseline. Sorry to hear about the niece. Hope all goes well!

[hdawson]

bahouse. Why do you think you should get anything since you assumed responsibility for whatever happened?

[QTPieRye]

FYI~ Yesterday I called Carnival because one of the members of our 9/19 group was having second thoughts due to the hurricane problems, etc. I was told by a PVP that at this point (9 days to go) that she would only get 50% of her cruise fare. When I asked about booking another cruise without penalty, she said that was at the discretion of Carnival and that it was a possibility. In the end, she recommended that somebody go in her place and pay the $50 transfer fee for the name change.

 

Did you tell them your niece's situation when you cancelled? I realize that policy is policy, but sometimes rules are able to be bent. Good luck!

 

Best wishes to your niece and her speedy recovery :)

[Snowball]

bahouse. Why do you think you should get anything since you assumed responsibility for whatever happened?

That was my question as well. I think losing 50% of your fare is a tough lesson to learn when you make the decision to not buy trip insurance, but I don't think that the cruiseline should compensate you in any way for your lost fare.

 

I am sorry to hear about your girlfriend's niece, and hope that the surgery goes well.

[tef43]

I rescehduled for Oct 22. Do you think we will get anything????

Highly doubtful.

 

And depending on the policy that you *could* have purchased, you may still have been in the same situation. A niece might not be considered immediate family in the eyes of the underwriter. It pays to shop around and examine the fine print of each agency's offering.

 

[clyde1818]

I could understand you wanting a refund/credit IF you or your partner got sick, but since it was your neice all I can say is SORRY.

[HeidiHo]

While I don't believe you are entitled to anything, it never hurts to ask. It's possible that since you have rescheduled, Carnival might give you an on board credit. As far as purchasing insurance, the policies that we have purchased in the past would NOT have considered a neice "immediate" family unless the insured was a legal guardian. Of course, other insurance companies could be different.

[hdawson]

According to my Travel Guard policy, just about anyone closer than cousins in a family tree is covered including neice, nephew. uncles and nieces, in-laws and step parents, etc. This is not Travel Guard's premium policy so I would expect this definitiion to be common. Hope this helps the discussion.

[bahouse3]

Thanks for all your info. I realize these lines have their policies but explain to me why I should lose 50% of my fare. The cruise line is not losing anything, they are gaining for nothing. I mean I did already book another cruise through them so they are getting 50 % of my money from the first booking and now another full fare. I don't know where you all come from but family is most important. I don't care who it is in my family having surgery, I will be there for them no matter what. So if you are saying that the insurance probably wouldn't have covered it then I am glad I didn't buy it. I am just trying to get something because I did book another cruise through them. It is worth a try. Honestly if I don't get a little on-borad credit I will probably not go on Carnival again!!! Take that for what its worth!

[imsulin]

bahouse3 - It's apparent that you did not bother to read Carnival's cancellation policy when you booked. And - Carnival is NOT the only cruise line with this policy. ALL cruise lines have a cancellation policy. These policies have been in effect for YEARS, so I am not sure why you are so surprised. The choice to cancel your cruise was YOURS, and while I applaud your family support, you really should have been aware of the consequences. When you booked this cruise, were you offered trip insurance? I'm sorry that, while I have sympathy for your neice, I have little for you, because it seems that you didn't really check out the cancellation policies and trip insurance options in advance...which you should have done. As I said before, Carnival isn't the only cruise line with cancellation policies. They ALL have them. The closer to cruise time that you cancel, the more you lose.

[steveaaaa]

So if you are saying that the insurance probably wouldn't have covered it then I am glad I didn't buy it.

 

Just the opposite....The insurance WOULD have covered it.Reread the post about it again.

Steve

[SallyMay]

I am truly sorry about your neice and hope that all goes well. You say that you booked another cruise and stated that you may not do that one. Do you stand a chance of loosing more money since it is so near? It is a wise idea to purchase the insurance as you never know about the future. Again I hope that all goes well with your neice.

[SevenVII]

Honestly if I don't get a little on-borad credit I will probably not go on Carnival again!!! Take that for what its worth!

Well, if you are one of those type of people who are always trying to blame someone else for mishaps....then I doubt other cruise lines will fit your bill either. I applaud you for taking the hit to the pocketbook and staying with your family member, its the right thing to do. But you should have known that if a medical emergency came up you would need to have insurance, or take the loss.

 

And you asked what they are out? Well, their business relies heavily on booking their cruises, and keeping them booked and sailing full ship. If everyone could just up and bail, no penalties, into the last 60 days they would be out huge amounts of money. but now they insure that they are either gonna keep you sailing to avoid the hefty fine, or they get the hefty fine to help cover the costs if they cant fill that cabin in time(at a reduced rate more than likely).

 

And if the cruise lines lose money, rates go up, which means less affordable cruises. So it has to stay in place!

[Kami's pal]

You say that family comes first. Rightly so. I applaud your values.

 

The other part of the "family comes first" policy is sacrifice. This is what separates the (wo)men from the child. Bite the bullet. Don't whine and complain, man. Be there for your partner wholeheartedly. If you can't let go of that $ loss now, then she may end up wishing that you had gone!

 

Instead of asking the cruise line to make a sacrifice for your niece, you choose to. That's a verb. That means you act unselfishly. Now finish the action by never mentioning the loss again. Concentrate your energy on helping your partner and child and her parents get through this.

 

You might even be grateful that you were still home and not far away when the necessity for surgery became apparent. What a gift. You've been given a chance to give. Use it well.

 

I pray that all goes well for the neice.

[ILov2cruise]

bahouse. Why do you think you should get anything since you assumed responsibility for whatever happened?

 

 

He never said he expected anything, he asked if anyone thought he would got something.

[nybumpkin]

Remember that not just cruise lines have such cancellation penalties - think about airlines as well. Four+ years ago, DH was invited to present his research at a conference being held in Haifa, Israel. The conference registration, hotel registration and airplane reservation were made (and paid for) well in advance. Unfortunately, DH's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer; she passed away the week before the conference. The hotel deposit and the conference fees were refunded by the hotel and conference respectively (with very appreciated expressions of sympathy) - but the airline ticket had to be covered by the travel insurance that DH fortunately had purchased. While there are many travelers that plan trips on the "spur of the moment," the closer to the travel date that a trip is cancelled, the more difficult it is to fill the vacant space.

[dsclark]

I don't see the reason for cancelling. Why cancel? Do you plan on spending the time in the hospital waiting room pacing about awaiting the results of surgery? Do you feel that by going on the scheduled cruise, you will be viewed as inconsiderate?

Trust me, the two year old niece would never know that you are on the cruise.

Personally, if it were my niece, second cousin, whatever, I'd be packing my bags. I'd only cancel if it were one of my own kids.

[glrounds]

Well, if you are one of those type of people who are always trying to blame someone else for mishaps....then I doubt other cruise lines will fit your bill either. I applaud you for taking the hit to the pocketbook and staying with your family member, its the right thing to do. But you should have known that if a medical emergency came up you would need to have insurance, or take the loss.

 

And you asked what they are out? Well, their business relies heavily on booking their cruises, and keeping them booked and sailing full ship. If everyone could just up and bail, no penalties, into the last 60 days they would be out huge amounts of money. but now they insure that they are either gonna keep you sailing to avoid the hefty fine, or they get the hefty fine to help cover the costs if they cant fill that cabin in time(at a reduced rate more than likely).

(My emphasis)

 

Couldn't have said it better myself, Seven.

 

For Carnival to do anything more, would negate the purpose of a written contract. :)

[Cotton]

=bahouse3] I don't know where you all come from but family is most important. I don't care who it is in my family having surgery, I will be there for them no matter what.

 

That's admirable. I feel the same way. I could never enjoy being on vacation while someone dear to me was having crucial surgery.

 

Honestly if I don't get a little on-borad credit I will probably not go on Carnival again!!! Take that for what its worth!

 

I'm sorry you haven't gotten the response you were looking for, but you shouldn't get so angry. I realize that's a lot of money to lose, but the cancellation policy is very clearly spelled out. You accepted that when you booked the cruise.

 

Best wishes to the little niece; so sorry one that young has to go through this.

[tef43]

He never said he expected anything, he asked if anyone thought he would got something.

Well, what he said was ...

Honestly if I don't get a little on-borad credit I will probably not go on Carnival again!!!

Certainly sounds to me like he is expecting some compensation.

[ILov2cruise]

tef43

 

That's not what he said in his first post. I responded to what hdawson wrote after his first post.

The post where he said " It is worth a try" and "I will probably not go on Carnival again" was way after hdawson's first post. Go back and read he posted 1st and she/he posted 3rd.

[Forchunut1]

I'm confused about something. When I booked my first cruise I had to change the dates because of a conflict. Carnival changed it to a different date without any problem or any penalties. Is this a different situation eventhough what it comes down to is just a date change? Is the penalty because of the timing? Just curious. :confused:

[smeyer418]

it depends how long before the cruise you make the change

[Nliedel]

I don't think the OP expected a refund, was just asking about it..

 

As for the two year old not knowing he is there.. Umm the parents will and they need the support. Right now I have been sitting in a hospital for almost 8 weeks and without visitors (and the CC board) I would not be OK.. My husband needs the support as much as I do.. Never discount the power of people on your side in a crisis... Ever.