Non refundable deposit question

[Earthworm Jim]

If you have a non-refundable deposit booking and then a better offer comes along (before final payment), if you took the new deal would you lose your deposit?

 

I'm guessing yes.

[caribill]

Assuming you are staying on the same cruise, your deposit would transfer to your new pricing.

[dog]

Call Princess and ask. It may be worth it. They have been making some exceptions and letting people transfer to new pricing, as mentioned above.

[skynight]

Same voyage, same cabin, different promo? Most likely the deposit will transfer over, but it's not a guarantee. It also may depend on the country which you reside. 

[Earthworm Jim]

OK, thanks all. It was more of a theoretical question. I actually got a refundable deposit for my Alaska cruise with the recently completed 72 hour sale. But my procrastinating sister did not, and I was wondering what the implications were.

 

Who knows if there ever will be a better offer or not.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Earthworm Jim

[Tak8]

I booked a nonrefundable on the Sky about two weeks ago.  Before completing the booking, my travel agent wanted to make sure I understood that I couldn't change offers without losing my deposit.  Maybe his information is in error, but I booked with that in mind.  

[waltd]

We found a cruise that we liked but it had a non-refundable deposit.   I asked the TA if I could get the same cruise with a refundable deposit as I wasn't 100 percent sure we could go.   She said yes.   Price of cruise was a bit more but not much so we booked it.   Have read on CC that some cruises can be reserved both ways.   Just ask.

[dog]

2 hours ago, Tak8 said:

I booked a nonrefundable on the Sky about two weeks ago.  Before completing the booking, my travel agent wanted to make sure I understood that I couldn't change offers without losing my deposit.  Maybe his information is in error, but I booked with that in mind.  

 

Since you went through a TA they would have to call Princess to see if you can change or transfer to a new booking with a better promotion. Worth asking. 

[Steelers36]

16 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

If you have a non-refundable deposit booking and then a better offer comes along (before final payment), if you took the new deal would you lose your deposit?

 

I'm guessing yes.

Duplicate thread.  Try this longer one for answers as well. 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2576596-non-refundable-deposits/

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, steelers36 said:

Duplicate thread.  Try this longer one for answers as well. 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2576596-non-refundable-deposits/

 

 

I just read through that whole thread and didn't find any reference to the refaring of a NRD booking prior to the final payment due date, so I posted the question there.

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I just read through that whole thread and didn't find any reference to the refaring of a NRD booking prior to the final payment due date, so I posted the question there.

Interesting as I am sure I have read this question several times in the past couple of months since Landmark was on and now 3FF.   Maybe on different threads. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by steelers36

[Ken the cruiser]

12 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Interesting as I am sure I have read this question several times in the past couple of months since Landmark was on and now 3FF.   Maybe on different threads. 

So, what's the answer and it should not have to include talking with the "right" Princess agent or to a supervisor? I know my TA would have to ask their Princess TA POC, who sometimes is not all-knowing, so it would be nice to have a definitive answer before we ask our TA to make our booking a refundable or nonrefundable fare.

 

For example I know for a fact you lose the deposit, even 16+ months out, if you try to refare a HAL nonrefundable booking. We lost out on a $2,000+ drop in NRD fares because of it on our upcoming 40 day HAL cruise. However, from what our X PCC tells us, we can refare an existing Celebrity booking, with either a NRD and refundable deposit, as many times as we want as long as we don't change the booking number.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[Earthworm Jim]

13 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I just read through that whole thread and didn't find any reference to the refaring of a NRD booking prior to the final payment due date, so I posted the question there.

 

You didn't post the question here, I did. So perhaps I duplicated your post in a different thread. My apologies.

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

You didn't post the question here, I did. So perhaps I duplicated your post in a different thread. My apologies.

On the contrary because you started this thread and didn't get a definitive answer to your refaring question, I started looking around and found the fall 2018 thread. By coincidence I had just finished posting my refaring question on that thread when steelers36 posted the link to that thread on this thread. Hopefully that clears up why I then posted what I did a few minutes ago on your thread. Sorry for the confusion, but it would be nice to have a definitive answer.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[Steelers36]

I guess I posted a reply on the other thread (used the email link from Princess).  It is a bit confusing with two threads with same title.  Anyway, AFAIK, customers can re-fare prior to FP date with either RD or NRD, particularly if the deposit was a FCD.  Princess is not going to unduly cause issue with a repeat customer business.  I am not sure what thread(s) this has been discussed recently, but probably Landmark and 3FF threads where people were posting about the change to NRD's in default pricing.  Sometimes the RD option doesn't cost anymore or very little more (probably depends on cabin type).

 

[Renmar]

4 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

I guess I posted a reply on the other thread (used the email link from Princess).  It is a bit confusing with two threads with same title.  Anyway, AFAIK, customers can re-fare prior to FP date with either RD or NRD, particularly if the deposit was a FCD.  Princess is not going to unduly cause issue with a repeat customer business.  I am not sure what thread(s) this has been discussed recently, but probably Landmark and 3FF threads where people were posting about the change to NRD's in default pricing.  Sometimes the RD option doesn't cost anymore or very little more (probably depends on cabin type).

 

I apologize up front for not being on topic here. Just an observation about the use of so many "initialises". I know a lot of people on these boards know what they mean but there are probably a lot of new cruisers joining these boards who have no clue what we are talking about.

AFAIK-JMHO-LOL etcetera are well known initialises but FP-FCD-RD-NRD-3FF not so much (looked it up on Google, all kind of different explanations).

Anyway here are just a few of the ones we use on these boards;

FP= Final Payment     FCD= Future Cruise Deposit   RD= Refundable Deposit     NRD= Non Refundable Deposit     

3FF= 3 For Free     OBC= On Board Credit

 

There are probably more.

 

Theo

[Princess Cruises Fann]

My TA is working with Princess on this issue. We booked under the 3 for Free under the NRD deposit with a Future Cruise Deposit assuming we could refare the same cruise, but not cancel. The cruise dropped $400 still under the 3 for Free promotion, but Princess is saying we will lose the deposit if we rebook. My TA said she will keep calling until she gets them to refare and transfer the FCD. 

[dog]

8 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

So, what's the answer and it should not have to include talking with the "right" Princess agent or to a supervisor? I know my TA would have to ask their Princess TA POC, who sometimes is not all-knowing, so it would be nice to have a definitive answer before we ask our TA to make our booking a refundable or nonrefundable fare.

 

For example I know for a fact you lose the deposit, even 16+ months out, if you try to refare a HAL nonrefundable booking. We lost out on a $2,000+ drop in NRD fares because of it on our upcoming 40 day HAL cruise. However, from what our X PCC tells us, we can refare an existing Celebrity booking, with either a NRD and refundable deposit, as many times as we want as long as we don't change the booking number.

 

In a "perfect world" that's what you would expect.

 

I recently had a discussion with my TA, 2 Princess reps, 1 Princess Supervisor. The 3 Princess employees all told me if I book a non refundable fare cruise using my Future cruise deposits (FCD) and I cancelled before final payment my FCD would go back in to my account and I would not lose them, like I would with a "cash" (deposit made on my credit card).

I asked for this in writing. They all told me they do it as a courtesy and do not put it in writing. I chose to book at a higher refundable fare, since Princess reps do not give consistent answers.

All cruiselines HAL,CELEBRITY, ROYAL OCEANIA, AZAMARA etc.---the ones I deal with have their own way of doing things.

I am very sorry you lost so much money. Do you have insurance to recover that loss?

[dog]

1 hour ago, Princess Cruises Fann said:

My TA is working with Princess on this issue. We booked under the 3 for Free under the NRD deposit with a Future Cruise Deposit assuming we could refare the same cruise, but not cancel. The cruise dropped $400 still under the 3 for Free promotion, but Princess is saying we will lose the deposit if we rebook. My TA said she will keep calling until she gets them to refare and transfer the FCD. 

 

Each "sale/promotion" has its own "terms and conditions". I wish you luck getting what you want. Don't giveup though. It is worth asking your TA to call Princess back later or the next day and see if you get the answer you want.

[Ken the cruiser]

25 minutes ago, dog said:

 

In a "perfect world" that's what you would expect.

 

I recently had a discussion with my TA, 2 Princess reps, 1 Princess Supervisor. The 3 Princess employees all told me if I book a non refundable fare cruise using my Future cruise deposits (FCD) and I cancelled before final payment my FCD would go back in to my account and I would not lose them, like I would with a "cash" (deposit made on my credit card).

I asked for this in writing. They all told me they do it as a courtesy and do not put it in writing. I chose to book at a higher refundable fare, since Princess reps do not give consistent answers.

All cruiselines HAL,CELEBRITY, ROYAL OCEANIA, AZAMARA etc.---the ones I deal with have their own way of doing things.

I am very sorry you lost so much money. Do you have insurance to recover that loss?

We didn't lose out on too much savings as we did get the $500 pp towards a future cruise and two $200 beverage cards plus a PG dinner from our first negotiations associated with our NRD booking. But, we did learn a valuable lesson with regards to refaring a HAL cruise with a NRD using one of their future cruise certificates. And with Princess Cruises Fann's unfortunate experience, we now know how Princess deals with refaring a NRD booking where the deposit was in the form of a Princess FCD.

 

With Celebrity we only lose our NRD if we cancel the cruise or change the ship or cruise date. On the bright side with X, we can at least refare a cruise with a NRD if it makes economical sense to do so, unlike HAL and Princess. At least that's the way it appears to me.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[dog]

If you are looking to re-fare a NRD booking, and you used a FCD, you can call your TA or Princess to see if it possible as it pertains to your terms/conditions/restrictions.

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by dog

[Ken the cruiser]

6 hours ago, dog said:

If you are looking to re-fare a NRD booking, and you used a FCD, you can call your TA or Princess to see if it possible as it pertains to your terms/conditions/restrictions.

 

But that's the issue in a nut shell. It seems in order to find out what the Princess rules are "at the time of the booking" associated with a nonrefundable deposit with or without a FCD, you have to first book the cruise.

 

That just seems wrong, but that's ok. We have now decided NEVER to book a Princess cruise with a nonrefundable deposit with or without a FCD. There would simply be too much drama, like there was with our HAL booking or what Princess Cruise Fann is currently going through, especially since we refare a Princess booking at least 2 times on average before the final payment is do.

 

In any event thank you dog, steelers36 and Princess Cruise Fann for helping us better understand this NRD refaring issue and Earthworm Jim for starting this thread!

[Sea Hag]

I may be imagining things, but I think I saw "non-transferrable" as well as "non-refundable" on some situation or another. It should say that on your booking confirmation if it's non-transferrable. If it doesn't say that, then I'd politely argue the point.

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I may be imagining things, but I think I saw "non-transferrable" as well as "non-refundable" on some situation or another. It should say that on your booking confirmation if it's non-transferrable. If it doesn't say that, then I'd politely argue the point.

Doesn't "non-transferable" mean you cannot transfer the booking to someone else?

[Sea Hag]

11 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Doesn't "non-transferable" mean you cannot transfer the booking to someone else?

I think you may be right, if it's said in the context of the booking. But what I'm talking about is in the context of the deposit, as in "non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit." As usual, I didn't make that clear.