zuggie

Chicago.  Have seen several printed sources on this.

More on Abbott Brand Tests

We get a lot of questions about Abbott tests, the most commonly available COVID-19 test brand. Here’s what’s accepted.

Any Abbott brand test administered on site by a pharmacy technician or other health professional is accepted. This includes the common Abbot ID NOW test administered by many pharmacies. The test provider must provide you with a proper results document (no handwritten notes).

The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card Test, which is taken at home and supervised by a telemedicine professional, is accepted. It must be taken under live video supervision. Learn more about our Abbott telehealth home test kit.

The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, if taken at home and not supervised by a telehealth representative, is NOT accepted.

Yes, the ID Now test is acceptable.  Look at the Royal website - click on the information about protocols section (white banner at the very top of the home page).  Follow it thru to "accepted" tests - and then look down to a paragraph about the Abbott tests.  There is says that all Abbott tests are acceptable, including the ID Now.

I'm thinking there's is a way to do this, but can't recall what it is.   

Glad to hear of the extension.  If I have a FCC for $1500. and apply it to an existing booking with a balance of $1,000 - Royal gives me change of $500 as new FCC, correct?  And we still cannot use more than one FCC per person on any one booking?  

I have a number of FFCs - all with expiration dates of December 31, 2021.   New FCCs being issued apparently have expiration dates of April 30, 2022.  Does this new date also apply to the older FFCs with the December expiration date?

OK - I have a paid $200 NON-refundable deposit for a cruise.  Final payment time comes along, and I make the full final payment using previously issued FCC.  Then a month later, Royal cancels the cruise.  Two questions:

1.  I know that I am entitled to receive the $200. as a cash refund.  I want the refund.  I believe that Royal would prefer to give me the $200 back as a 125% FFC.  How, when, and to whom (Royal or my TA) do I communicate my desire for the cash refund?

2.  For the balance paid with previously issued FCC,  will I receive 100% of that amount back as new FCC, or 125% ?

An excellent reason as to why no ships will sail in June is that the CDC has directed that no cruise ships will be allowed to sail from an American port until July 24th.  I believe other cruise lines (Carnival for one) have cancelled all cruises until August 1st.  

It's expected that Royal will announce the next group of cancellations within a day or so, and it should include that June 29th voyage.  Now here's what I believe happens when Royal cancels a cruise.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  The cancellation is automatic.  You get your taxes refunded in cash which will take a month or so to show up.   You might also be refunded $100 per person deposit - not sure about this.  Can someone clarify? The remainder is given back to you as Future Cruise Credit.  An FCC certificate is sent by e-mail, which will also take a month or so.   It will be for 125% of what you didn't get refunded in cash.  After you receive the certificate, you can request that it be converted to a cash refund.  But the refunded amount will be for just 100% of what is owed to you -  and guess what - this will take another month or so before it hits your account. 

Lets say I have a FCC for $1500 that I want to apply to a balance due of $1,000 on another cruise.  Do I get change back for the remaining unused $500?  If so, does the original FCC certificate get reduced to $500. value, or is a new FCC issued for the $500?  

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/cruise-lines-early-source-of-coronavirus-infections-out-of-bailout-package/ar-BB11LAuE?ocid=spartandhp

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this story from this morning's Washington Post says the cruise lines are being left out of the big bail out package.  For all the reasons having been discussed in this thread.

I believe refunds from Cruise Planner purchases (excursions, drink packages, dining packages, etc.) are automatically refunded without a human needing to review it and manually set it in motion.  From what I've been reading on this board over the past couple of weeks, it appears that all Cruise Planner cancellations are refunded in 5 to 6 days.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to these refunds.  We cancelled three cruises on March 7th.  We are to receive cash refunds and FCC on each of these.  The refunds are from payments made not in penalty, taxes, and an Air2Sea refundable payment.  For the cancellation of a departure of March 14, we have received nothing.  For the departure of April 20, we've received the FCC only, no cash refund.  For the departure of May 7th, we've received everything expected - cash refund and FCC. 

It appears that Royal is not processing refunds in the order of sailing dates.  I would guess that processing these refunds is a manual operation where each booking has to be looked at and processed individually.  Royal is probably slammed right now with cancellations, so this whole process is going to take awhile.  Carnival is apparently telling their customers 90 days!

Maybe I can help.  We booked directly through Air2Sea for two one way fares on Qantas from the DFW to Sydney.  The Qantas Website showed a non-refundable fare of $999. each. Called Air2SeA, booked for the same price, and received an Air2Sea four page confirmation.  On the 4th page in the fine print on the bottom, is says "You have purchased refundable with fees airline tickets through our Air2Sea program."  Our confirm also said "**Air2Sea Cancellations Charges - $225 per guest"

We cancelled this cruise through our TA on March 7th.  This was about 45 days before departure date.   A week later, I decided to call Air2Sea to find out what we would be refunded, if anything.  The representative looked it up and said  - it's fully refundable!  I asked about the cancellation fee, and he said that was being waived.  He processed the refund, and said it would take 10 days to process.   This is the 10th day - and so far, nothing.  I'm going to give it another week, and then call back.  Call 844-278-9745, give them your cruise reservation number, and they can tell you how it stands.  

1 hour ago, UrbanGirlie said:

Has anyone gotten their taxes refunded to their CC yet? I cancelled my PIF cruise which was scheduled for 4/5 on Monday, 3/9 and received my FCC this past Tuesday but as of yet no refund to my credit card of the over $600 in taxes owed back.

Worried about $ like everyone else right now!

 

I'm in the same boat.  Cancelled three cruises on March 7th. We're due FCC's and cash refunds on all three.  About 5 or 6 days ago, received the correct FFC's on two of them.  Then, yesterday, received refunded taxes and out-of-penalty payments credited back to my CC for just one of the these two.   I would imagine the good folks at Royal that process all this stuff are pretty busy right now, and I believe these refunds will be issued eventually.   I'm going to wait for another ten days before calling.

Good news for your exercise program while on Song of Norway Live.  You get to walk up the outside stairs to get to the Viking Crown Lounge!

How cool is this!  Our very first cruise was on the Song of Norway in the early 70's.  We look forward to reliving our experience with your Song of Norway Live.  Thanks for doing this.  

On 3/15/2020 at 9:36 PM, hun said:

We cancelled last weekend  (50%refund/50 FCC) and got our FCC email today. I called (got through in a few minutes) and asked when I’d get the actual credit to my credit card and she said within the next 7-10 days.  The rep was able to look up and tell me exactly what I’d be getting (which wasn’t the case last week when I cancelled) 

We had booked Air2Sea and she said we should be getting that refund to our card in the next week as well, since our tickets were refundable. 

We canceled two cruises with our big box Warehouse TA on March 7th.  Just yesterday received confirm from Royal showing amounts of FCC received along with certificate numbers.

Part of one of the bookings included a Air2Sea flight - a trans-pacific on Qantas with a departure date in mid-May.  The airfare totaled $1,999 (just coach - cheapest fare available which I assumed was non-refundable) with Air2 Sea cancellation fee of $450. total.  So I went back and read the Air2Sea confirm carefully, and saw in very fine print that we had purchased refundable airfare, which was a surprise to me.  

I called Air2Sea yesterday (got thru immediately - no hold time) to inquire if this air reservation had been cancelled along with the cruise portion.  Apparently not!!  Representative said she take care of this immediately.  It took about 3 or 4 minutes.  Good news and surprise - the full amount of $1,999 is going back to our credit card, and should take from 7 to 10 days to show up.  I asked about that cancellation fee of $450, and she said that was being waived.

RCL's stock price dropped to $5 and some change back in 2008 and two years later it rose to around $40.  I don't think it will make it down to $5 this year, but in the $20 range - I'm a buyer!

No alcohol sales and the casino will be closed.  But you know for Royal to do this for a short week, Royal is making more money than running the ship for a normal 7 day sailing.  That’s a lot of chicken sandwiches!!!

I have several questions about this.  I'm going on the assumption that our $14.50 daily gratuities are pooled.  This being the case, is an "additional tip" left on a bar or specialty restaurant ticket also pooled?.   If I leave a cash tip, is the server required to add it to the pool, or can he keep it for himself?

14 hours ago, LUVINMYHUBS said:

If you own 100 shares of RCCL stock, will it stack( add to)  the OBC from TA, or is it either/or?

There's another thread currently active here which gives the Royal website which explains the revised SH benefit.  I can't seem to be able to copy and paste the address here.  But you can see this site as posted on the other thread.

Anyhow, under #7 on the Royal site, I quote verbatim:  "Onboard credit may not be used for onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities."   I would assume onboard service charges are the gratuities.  Could this possible mean that SH OBC cannot be used to pre-pay grats in advance of the cruise, but can be applied to grats once on the ship?

2 hours ago, truffles2 said:

Are people still being successful getting the SH discount along with balcony discount--as long as it was booked after June 1?

The way I'm reading and understanding the new terms - yes, the SH onboard credit  is combinable with the C&A Balcony Discount, as well as any other OBC's received from the cruise line in conjunction with booking the cruise.  Also, I'm reading (I think) that the SH OBC cannot be applied to onboard service charges - like the daily gratuities charge.   Would like to hear if others are interpreting all this the same way.

5 hours ago, Snit13 said:

I guess this has changed as when we sailed Empress  Viking Crown had area set aside for Diamond cocktail hours, and we were not limited to 3 drinks.  First night it was in Boleros inside and outside.

We sailed on Empress this past Spring on one of the last Cuba cruises.  They had the first night event in Boleros, and then suggested that Diamonds and above might meet in the Viking Crown for happy hour.  There was no designated seating area there, and you went to the regular bar for drinks on your card.  I assumed there was the usual limit of three.

3 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

I decided not to tantalize the OP with that tidbit.  😉

 

(The last time I received that benefit, I was cruising first on the Oasis, then on the Mariner.  The Oasis was in Fort Lauderdale;  the Mariner was in Los Angeles.  😀 😯 😀 )

 

We once did a S2S with a day in between with a Royal ship and a Celebrity ship.  And Royal gave us a nice room at the Hilton with transfers.  Oh, how we miss the good old days 🙂

On 7 day itineraries, usually 2nd and 6th nights.  These

are usually days at sea.