googler55

On 9/15/2021 at 10:05 AM, Homestyle said:

It would be double to cost to book at todays rates, we have all three perks and $300 OBC.  I could never repeat the deal we have on both cabins.

Same position for us...I have been reviewing options online myself & with our TA. 

Celebrity cancelled our Med itinerary fall of 2020 so we booked Japan March 2021, then L&S to March 2022, & now the same for March 2023!  Don't want to give up on the OBC & the perks (which have been offered as incentives to book now for awhile anyway).  Disappointed is 2 days less though, although the actual port stop of Kyoto is a gain.

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

That sounds really weird to me.  My travel agent doesn't process our payments/refunds at all,  just passes them up and down the line between me and the cruise line (not Azamara in this case, but I don't think that would be any different.)

Further for Work in to Cruise 2023 {sorry, I don't know how to show multi posts}, no matter how the billing was done (processed BY the travel agent or processed THROUGH them by AZ), I would want to ask for an explanation & complete breakdown re the pricing/refunding/FCCs at this time as this doesn't make sense.  

Our 1 & only Azamara cruise showed up on our credit card as "Cruise Payment, Vancouver" (I deal with a Vancouver Island agent/agency) in Cdn $, whereas Oceania, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Viking & others (those are the most recent) all billed under the cruise line name (& also in Cdn $ because that is probably how they bill for Canadian clients...not USD & then converted by your bank).

Anyway, if you think you are "out" by $10,000, would that be the value of your FCCs, or is there more still coming?  An error?  Certainly something you would want to verify about.

A good travel agent WOULD want to work with you throughout all stages (to keep you as a future client) & SHOULD be able to offer you better pricing & better service throughout as well.  This includes making sure all details, including pricing, are understood.

On 5/30/2020 at 10:16 AM, stoshb said:

Regarding the 9/18 Vancouver - Honolulu cruise.

 

I am going for the record on number of times a reservation can be canceled by Celebrity.  In Jan 2018, while on Equinox made a reservation for Equinox in Jan 2020.  That got canceled due to dry-dock issues and reservation moved to a longer cruise leaving end of January.  That got canceled due to ship not scheduled to be out of dry-dock in time.  Reservation moved to May, 2020 and Covid came in and canceled that one.  Moved that reservation to the Sept 18 cruise to Hawaii.  Now that will be canceled.

 

Every time there has been a cancelation, Celebrity has sweetened my deal by a bit.  Waiting to see what happens now.

 

Any suggestions as to what cruise I can book this time that will be canceled and I get more FCC?

 

At least I managed to get in a HA Alaska and a Oceania Caribbean cruise in the meantime. 

 

Life goes on and we just have to go with it or die.

Yes, this must be a record!  Amazing...should submit to Guinness Book of Records!

Please continue to post what you do book--so we don't book the same cruise...tongue in cheek!

Just for general info & comparison, similar complaints over on Oceania board about length of time for notification & refunds.  These are the 2 I've been reading.  We just got in a S. Pacific Oceania cruise Feb 17-Mar 5, have cancelled an Oceania Greek Isles cruise for Nov 2020 (our refunded deposit back on our credit Fri...1 business day short of 8 weeks from cancellation date, which is quicker than some, slower than others, with no apparent rhyme or reason re dates or sailings).  Also cancelled a Viking Rhine River cruise (departure date was this week) & for that took an FCC with very flexible terms.

4 minutes ago, googler55 said:

Yes, had heard of them, but not familiar & not in this area.

I see their website mentions "no more than 84 guests", but do not say how many crew...although it lists 10 positions, I would think there might be more than one of 2 or 3 of those positions, so total could be very close to that 100 mark.  They list some June & July 2020 departures...interesting.  Not cheap either!

Aha...just found info on cruisecritic--mentions crew of 20, so they would have to reduce # of passengers.

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

The only  one I know of is Blount

Yes, had heard of them, but not familiar & not in this area.

I see their website mentions "no more than 84 guests", but do not say how many crew...although it lists 10 positions, I would think there might be more than one of 2 or 3 of those positions, so total could be very close to that 100 mark.  They list some June & July 2020 departures...interesting.  Not cheap either!

I’ll add our experience here now that it is complete.
In Aug 2019 we booked a 10-day Greek Isles cruise for Nov 2020 through our usual local travel agent (deposit in Cdn $).  
Cancelled this trip on Apr 6/20 & received a “Guest Cancellation Statement” same day from Oceania (forwarded by our TA).
Received the deposit back on to our Mastercard credit card yesterday, so 1 business day short of 8 weeks…satisfactory enough in these times.
Not sure what our plans might be for cruising on Oceania in future.  We’ve had 2 cruises with them...just finished a Feb-Mar S. Pacific cruise, & were back home 5 days before WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic.  I had requested a refund for unused port charges (3 missed ports for us), but just got the reply in the negative this week (as expected, but I wanted to make the request).
We are still holding a Celebrity booking, cruising around Japan for late March 2021, so the decision on that can be made as late as Dec 24.
We are hoping to do a Viking river cruise in the next 2-3 years (we took a FCC on a cancelled Rhine one which would have been next week).
We agree with the Canadian Govt’s position re no cruises being allowed in Canadian waters until at least Oct 31.  The actual limit is 100 people or less, but I’m not aware of any ships that size that cruise here.

9 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

O was demanding our final payment yesterday... five months out if you don't mind for a B2B...

felt we had no choice but to cancel.

Yes, our 18-day O cruise in February meant we were paying 5 months in advance also. 

So if yesterday was your final payment, that must mean you took the hit with the CAD350pp Admin Fee, & if you don't choose to cruise with Oceania in their specified time frame, you are out that amount.

I realize this has nothing to do with COVID-19, but has come to light right now & I'm not a fan!

Thank you both for your answers.  I was just working on a reply after some checking, & was going to say excluding 6.0 rated cruise lines with which we have no experience, I did not find this policy on the ones we have cruised with:  Celebrity (currently holding a booking for next year, so able to check the invoice), RCI, Princess, HAL, NCL, & only with Oceania with whom we cruised 1 year ago, there may have been a $50USD penalty to cancel 121+ days...certainly not $250USD/$350CAD pp.  And...my main point was that the penalty with Oceania kicks in 1 month prior to final payment!  It's one thing to know you have some sort of penalty as soon as you book, it's another to stick another time frame into the equation.  My thoughts anyway!

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

It is in their Cancellation terms set out in black & white in several places

How is it sneaky?

If people fail read & comprehend  the terms  then that is their problem

JMO

Agree it is there in black & white, but it is sneaky to me because I would say as far as I know/recall any other cruise I have ever booked for us (>20) only has a penalty kick in at final payment...that is usually the date that sticks in one's mind.

Do any other cruise lines do this?

I am reading several of the Oceania topics lately, & happened to post on one about the very issue discussed above--that penalties actually kick in 1 month prior to final payment...which I think is SNEAKY, without a doubt.  We have an Oceania cruise in Nov, which we will very likely be cancelling in July (121+ days) to get all our $ back, which is why I happened to look at ALL the fine print.  BTW, for Canadians, the amt is CAD $350pp.

Does any other cruise line do this?

8 hours ago, poffles said:

 

I know we are all likely to get it eventually no matter what we do, some of us just need to isolate so as to not contribute right now so this can have a more flattened curve impact.  I am healthy as others have stated, but my doctor once told me in the past with regards to the flu, that I am a carrier and that has stuck with me.  I was one of those that said, I don't get sick, I never get the flu, so I never got the flu shot ... after him saying that to me I woke up and started getting the flu shot and have ever since, always in consideration of those around me, close family that has gone through chemo with weak immune systems, elderly parents, friend very susceptible to bronchial issues.

Excellent point, poffles.  Thanks for sharing about the carrier bit.

We can't look after the planet, which is what had been a/the major news story of the past year, if we can't look after each other.

excited cruise traveler - I disagree with your timing & "00%".  Also, anything is up for discussion if someone is wanting to either make a point or get clarification about something.

This as per O's website:

Interesting topics on cc, including this one.
Issues are all over the place right now.  
Opinions are all over the place right now.
Majority of situations - all still a big question mark.
Sun Queen II - sympathize with your situation, but not clear what you mean when you say you “have not received the FCC”…would it just not stay as a credit with Oceania for when you rebook (therefore no $ changing hands now)?
Personally, I’m not impressed with the slowness of O to act/react, & one could say that since people get different prices on the same category of cabins depending when they book, then  likewise for when they cancel…I’m NOT of that opinion, as I believe any company can do a lot to foster goodwill & future loyalty (1st time cruiser or 20th time cruiser or anything in between) by being generous in an unusual situation which this certainly is, not to mention at least doing what other cruise lines are doing.
We were recently on the Regatta Feb 17-Mar 5 (Auckland to Papeete) with 3 missed ports (otherwise a successful & “healthy” cruise).  I asked on board about refund of unused port charges…not a satisfactory answer, & I know not a priority right now for O, but I did email them about this & no reply so far (this is minor at this point).  This was our 2nd O cruise (previous was in 2010).  We had already booked for a Nov 2020 Med cruise (not just booked on board), which I am not yet convinced we will end up taking.  Note about cancellation & refunds which I find very interesting — our final payment is due 90 days prior (cruise is <14 days), but cancellation penalties kick in 120 days prior, a policy I do not recall from any other cruise line, and a bit sneaky IMO.  Similar situation if longer cruise—5 months/6 months respectively.

First time on cruisecritic as a poster (have read it for many years...& appreciate info I've learned).

We (a senior couple) are also booked on this cruise, fortunately well in advance!

Wondering if anyone is interested in sharing a transfer from the port to FCO on Oct 7th...looking at times 7 - 7:30am?

Thanks!