Tips for Travel To/From the Port

[SRF]

Having seen recently, a number of threads about issues with changes in a cruise, including cancellation, a few things to think about when you book travel ancillary to the cruise.

 

1)  Do not book airfare that is not at least changeable.  Many people book the lowest airfare, that does not allow any changes.  So if your cruise is cancelled, or something changes, you are out the airfare.  Even if you have to pay a change fee, that is better than losing the entire air fare.

 

2)  Do not book non-refundable hotel rooms.  If you are flying in a day or two early, book hotel rooms that can be canceled.  Again, if things change, you can change your hotel reservations.

 

3) Don't book any other things that you cannot change or cancel (see the theme here 😄 ).

 

4)  Do not book third party excursions that are pre-paid and non-refundable.  The cruise itinerary is NOT guaranteed, and can change for many reasons.  If the ship does not go to the port, or arrives very late or has to leave very early, you don't want to be stuck paying for an excursion you do not do.

 

Realize, that at any time, the ship you are booked on could be chartered and you will not be able to make the cruise you were expecting.  They normally give you at least 6 months notice.  Cruise lines also change ships and ports.  So the ship you are booked one, could be moved to another port, and a different ship swapped in.

 

And as mentioned above, the itinerary can change.  This can happen months ahead of time, or even just a few days before sailing.  Or even once you are on the ship.  It could be due to weather, or other things out of control of the cruise line.  And they typically do not offer any compensation for this.

 

If either of these things occur, it is NOT a bait and switch. This is clearly spelled out in the terms and conditions when you book. And, of course, everyone READS those terms and conditions. 😄

 

And finally, trip insurance is a VERY good thing to have.  Either through your credit card, or via an actual trip insurance coverage.    To save some money on the insurance, you can choose only insure a portion of the cost of the trip.  If the cruise line cancels, you will get a refund for the cruise, but your other expenses will not be covered.  So maybe just buy enough insurance to cover the other expenses.   Of course, this does not cover the cost of the cruise if YOU cancel.

 

And finally, if you do not do these things, and are out some money for non-refundable bookings, coming to Cruise Critic and claiming you are a victim of unfair practices and were lied to, will typically NOT get you much sympathy. 😄

 

[sparks1093]

Great list. If we have to fly we typically won't purchase airfare until much closer to the cruise and at that point it's unlikely that the cruise would be cancelled for anything but weather. 

[Hlitner]

Interesting post.  We disagree with most of what was posted (based on more then 40 years of extensive cruise experience) and far more then 100 cruises... but it is truly interesting :).

 

Hank

[GUT2407]

Interesting, but not how I do things, but to each their own I guess is a good policy.

[sparks1093]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting post.  We disagree with most of what was posted (based on more then 40 years of extensive cruise experience) and far more then 100 cruises... but it is truly interesting :).

 

Hank

Oh come on, Hank, we know that you love to share your knowledge🙂. If you disagree with the points made give us the counterpoints so everyone can gain from your experience. I think the underlying premise, that nothing about a cruise is guaranteed, is fully valid. Heck, in court filings the cruise lines have even maintained that they don't guarantee the seaworthiness of their vessels. How each cruiser handles that knowledge is certainly worthy of discussion.

[SRF]

As I stated, the reason I posted this was based on a number of threads here on CC about things changing and people out pre-paid, non-refundable bookings.

 

If you have good travel insurance, or can afford the lose, fine, you can ignore it.  But for a new cruiser, they may not realize the consequences.  And based on posting, they DO NOT understand.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

As I stated, the reason I posted this was based on a number of threads here on CC about things changing and people out pre-paid, non-refundable bookings.

 

If you have good travel insurance, or can afford the lose, fine, you can ignore it.  But for a new cruiser, they may not realize the consequences.  And based on posting, they DO NOT understand.

Exactly and by posting it in a forum dedicated to first time cruisers it's more likely to reach the target audience. Of course this presupposes that someone is going to be doing their due diligence in the first place. I suspect that there is a good number of people that just go without any thought to doing any type of research at all.

[Tourist1292]

Just think about the cost first. The additional cost for changeable air ticket and no fee cancellation hotel reservation may cost more than the travel insurance. In addition, some credit card provide travel insurance when you charge to it. 

[Hlitner]

6 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Exactly and by posting it in a forum dedicated to first time cruisers it's more likely to reach the target audience. Of course this presupposes that someone is going to be doing their due diligence in the first place. I suspect that there is a good number of people that just go without any thought to doing any type of research at all.

Lets take the comment about not booking airfare unless it is changeable.  While this is sometimes possible, in many cases you can get a much lower fare (sometimes hundreds or even thousands of dollars) by booking fares that do not allow cancellation and have pretty big fees (usually hundreds of dollars) for changes.   A great example might be a Business Class fare from Japan to Detroit where a flexible changeable ticket can cost in excess of $10,000 but a lower cost restricted fare for the same seat might be about $3000.  

 

As to cruise lines chartering cruises after you have booked a cruise, that has certainly happened (but it is not common) and is primarily an issue with shorter cruises (10 days or less).  For those of us who book long cruises (often several months) on exotic itineraries, charters and large group bookings are not an issue.

 

As to hotel rooms, booking a non-refundable room can sometimes save you substantial money.  And in places like rural Alaska it may be impossible to get a room without at least a partial non-refundable fee.  We just ran into this exact situation when we decided to drive a rental car from Anchorage to the Denali area...a few days before we are taking a cruise from Whittier.  All the decent hotels in the Denali area have large non-refundable deposits.  Bottom line is that if you want to stay in or near the park you must take the plunge :).

 

While SRF's post does have some wisdom, following that advice may not be possible in many cases...or a very expensive proposition.  Most travel decisions become a balancing act between risk, benefit, and spirit of adventure.  Some folks try  to cover their risk by purchasing various types of insurance (or cancellation waivers) but even this has its downside.  Consider that DW and I have not purchases any trip cancellation insurance on our 100+ cruises.  Until recently , we calculated we were over $100,000 (yes that is $100,000) ahead because of all the money we have saved by not buying so-called trip insurance.  We do have some coverage through a Chase Card ($10,000 and in some cases $20,000) for cancellation for cause.  We also purchase an excellent annual travel medical policy that has $250,000 of medical coverage (and $500,000 of trip evacuation) for $450 a year.  That $450 covers every trip (up to 70 days per trip) we take over an entire year.  Finally, after far more then 100 cruises (more then 1000 days on cruises) we recently had a medical emergency while on a cruise in Asia.  In the end, between the insurance provided by our Chase card (there is no extra charge for this benefit) and our annual Medical we only lost a few thousand dollars (out of pocket) which was only because of my decision to fly home Business Class..  In a sense we self-insure and are still far ahead in the game.

 

So my contrarian advice (to SRFs post) is that folks should carefully weigh all the options based on their personal travel habits and risk tolerance.  There is no "one size fits all" solution.

 

Hank

[zqvol]

To say that most of this information is overkill is being nice. Each person should evaluate their situation and take the risks that they are comfortable with.

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Lets take the comment about not booking airfare unless it is changeable.  While this is sometimes possible, in many cases you can get a much lower fare (sometimes hundreds or even thousands of dollars) by booking fares that do not allow cancellation and have pretty big fees (usually hundreds of dollars) for changes.   A great example might be a Business Class fare from Japan to Detroit where a flexible changeable ticket can cost in excess of $10,000 but a lower cost restricted fare for the same seat might be about $3000.  

 

As to cruise lines chartering cruises after you have booked a cruise, that has certainly happened (but it is not common) and is primarily an issue with shorter cruises (10 days or less).  For those of us who book long cruises (often several months) on exotic itineraries, charters and large group bookings are not an issue.

 

As to hotel rooms, booking a non-refundable room can sometimes save you substantial money.  And in places like rural Alaska it may be impossible to get a room without at least a partial non-refundable fee.  We just ran into this exact situation when we decided to drive a rental car from Anchorage to the Denali area...a few days before we are taking a cruise from Whittier.  All the decent hotels in the Denali area have large non-refundable deposits.  Bottom line is that if you want to stay in or near the park you must take the plunge :).

 

While SRF's post does have some wisdom, following that advice may not be possible in many cases...or a very expensive proposition.  Most travel decisions become a balancing act between risk, benefit, and spirit of adventure.  Some folks try  to cover their risk by purchasing various types of insurance (or cancellation waivers) but even this has its downside.  Consider that DW and I have not purchases any trip cancellation insurance on our 100+ cruises.  Until recently , we calculated we were over $100,000 (yes that is $100,000) ahead because of all the money we have saved by not buying so-called trip insurance.  We do have some coverage through a Chase Card ($10,000 and in some cases $20,000) for cancellation for cause.  We also purchase an excellent annual travel medical policy that has $250,000 of medical coverage (and $500,000 of trip evacuation) for $450 a year.  That $450 covers every trip (up to 70 days per trip) we take over an entire year.  Finally, after far more then 100 cruises (more then 1000 days on cruises) we recently had a medical emergency while on a cruise in Asia.  In the end, between the insurance provided by our Chase card (there is no extra charge for this benefit) and our annual Medical we only lost a few thousand dollars (out of pocket) which was only because of my decision to fly home Business Class..  In a sense we self-insure and are still far ahead in the game.

 

So my contrarian advice (to SRFs post) is that folks should carefully weigh all the options based on their personal travel habits and risk tolerance.  There is no "one size fits all" solution.

 

Hank

And how much of what you say (which is certainly wise and based on a lot of experience) actually pertains to the typical first time cruiser (which is who SRF's post was directed to)? Yes, there is a lot to be weighed regarding options etc. but the main thing to keep in mind is that nothing about a cruise is guaranteed.

[kelship]

Thank you. I knew most of this, especially the possible itinerary changes, as i tend to travel to the Caribbean during hurricane season. 

 

I did not realize the 'ship can be chartered' though, so I appreciate the heads up! 

[SRF]

Also, for the airfare, I am not talking about a full flexible fare, I am talking about one with a reasonable change fee.

 

There are fares that if you don't fly what you booked, you lose everything, those are the ones to avoid.   A couple hundred dollar change fee is doable to change to a cruise on different dates.   A whole new airfare may not be.

 

And yes, you ALWAYS have to do the numbers.  Trip insurance may be less and the best way.  But too may threads about changes of ship due to charters or the cruise company moving the ship, or changes in itinerary and people losing thousand of dollars, so have SOME plan.

 

But I find that, for ME, insuring the trip cost is not what I want to do.  Most of the trip insurance cost is based on that.  I buy trip insurance with NO coverage for the cost of the trip, for $32 per trip.  So the savings goes to self insuring.

 

But I also take my own advice, for land vacations, I do not book pre-paid, non-changeable tickets of hotels.  I prefer to have some flexibility, even at a higher cost.  But yes, if the cost difference is great enough, or the at risk money is low enough, I might do so.

 

And also, if you are flying business class for your holidays, you are NOT the target for this thread. 😄

 

[Hlitner]

20 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

And how much of what you say (which is certainly wise and based on a lot of experience) actually pertains to the typical first time cruiser (which is who SRF's post was directed to)? Yes, there is a lot to be weighed regarding options etc. but the main thing to keep in mind is that nothing about a cruise is guaranteed.

Much!  Many first time cruisers fly to their ports (which can even be in Europe or Asia) and generally need to think about their best insurance option.  There is a tendency of some here on CC to assume that everyone takes 7 day (or less) Caribbean cruises.  But while that certainly does apply to many, there are also plenty of folks that do more ambitious itineraries for their first cruise (especially Med cruises).  DW and I once had lunch with a lovely lady, while on a very long Prinsendam cruise.  She mentioned that this was only her 5th cruise.  She later mentioned that her first 4 cruises had been full world cruises (over 100 days each) and our cruise (which was 62 days) was her first short cruise :). It taught me a lesson not to make too many general assumptions :).

 

As to your comment about "guaranteed" I would add that there is nothing in life that is guaranteed except death and taxes.  If one can purchase a non-refundable round trip fare for $500 or a non-refundable fare for $3000 which would you choose?  

 

Hank

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Much!  Many first time cruisers fly to their ports (which can even be in Europe or Asia) and generally need to think about their best insurance option.  There is a tendency of some here on CC to assume that everyone takes 7 day (or less) Caribbean cruises.  But while that certainly does apply to many, there are also plenty of folks that do more ambitious itineraries for their first cruise (especially Med cruises).  DW and I once had lunch with a lovely lady, while on a very long Prinsendam cruise.  She mentioned that this was only her 5th cruise.  She later mentioned that her first 4 cruises had been full world cruises (over 100 days each) and our cruise (which was 62 days) was her first short cruise :). It taught me a lesson not to make too many general assumptions :).

 

As to your comment about "guaranteed" I would add that there is nothing in life that is guaranteed except death and taxes.  If one can purchase a non-refundable round trip fare for $500 or a non-refundable fare for $3000 which would you choose?  

 

Hank

I presume your last line was supposed to be a refundable $3000 fare and of course the answer is obvious. SRF's post was driven by the number of posts lately, by first time cruisers, who were upset that the cruise line had done something (charter, itinerary change) that left them holding the bag on non-refundable airfare, etc. I think most first timers don't realize exactly how much can be changed by the cruise line within the terms of the contract. There are many things that need to be considered when traveling and the more information that is available the more informed people can be (if, of course, they are doing their due diligence in the first place, which I suspect many don't do). I agree with the last line of your last post wholeheartedly- there is no "one sized fits all" solution. 

[SRF]

One more time.  I am not talking about booking REFUNDABLE air travel, but CHANGEABLE, maybe with a reasonable change fee.

 

So you book a non-changeable fare at $1000, or a changeable one at $1200, with a $200 change fee.  Things change, you are out $400 not $1000.

 

YES, there are times when the price difference is enough to make the decision different.  But many people assume, I have a booking, everything is locked in.  OR, they have no clue, and just book the cheapest fare.  Which ends up costing them more.

 

Last spring, I was booking some inter-Europe air travel for a land vacation in Sicily.  Whizz Air.  The non-refundable, non-changeable, no check bags, only one carry on, middle seat fare was around 100 Euro.  The fully refundable, fully changeable, two checked bags, two carry on, was 130 Euro.  Oh, and also got priority boarding with the higher fare. 😄

[lax19]

One thing to remember about airfare...regardless of the change fee, you still pay the difference in fare if you change your trip. For a last minute change, the fare difference could easily be more than the change fee.

[SRF]

Or, I changed one at the last minute, and the new fare was less than the previous fare, and the difference paid about 2/3 of the change fee. 😄

 

But yes, typically the airfare will go up at the last minute.  But for a charter situation, you would still be 6 months out.