RC Cruises extends global suspension until May 12th, for now.

[jstuartys]

Our June 26 alaska cruise is canceled. Just got the email. We weren’t supposed to be in Canada until July 2. 

[reallyitsmema]

11 minutes ago, NancyIL said:

American's policy is the earlier of one year from when the ticket was issued or Dec. 31. 2020 - not when the credit was issued. Jet Blue's meaning of "date of issue" is unclear.

 

Jet Blue: https://www.jetblue.com/travel-alerts

 

Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we are waiving change/cancel fees for customers traveling through May 31, 2020.

Customers may rebook their flights for travel through October 24, 2020 online in the Manage Trips section of jetblue.com or contact us prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight. Fare difference may apply. For cancellations, funds will be issued as a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit, valid for one year from date of issuance. JetBlue Vacations bookings will be issued as JetBlue Vacations Credit, valid for one year from the date of issuance.

 

Thanks for posting this!  I saw this mornings update for Jetblue and there was no change to the dates.  I can now cancel with this afternoon update.

[nelblu]

Here's their announcement:
 

Health And Travel Alerts
 

UPDATED ON MARCH 24, 2020

 

---

 

Royal Caribbean Announces Global Voluntary Suspension Of Cruising

At Royal Caribbean International, the safety and well-being of our guests and crew are always our top priorities. On March 13^th, we made the decision to voluntarily suspend our sailings departing from US ports, and later on March 14^th we decided to also suspend operations for the remainder of our sailings worldwide. Today, March 24^th, we have decided to extend our voluntary suspension until May 11^th, 2020. Our goal is to resume operations for most of our ships on May 12^th, 2020. Because of announced port closures, there are other itineraries we will be suspending.

• Ships sailing out of Singapore, and ships sailing through Canada have all been impacted differently due to port closures.

◦ Canadian ports will remain closed until July 1^st, 2020.

◦ The Port of Singapore will remain closed through May 2020.

As a result of this change, we’re providing you with a 125% Future Cruise Credit to come back and sail with us by December 31^st, 2021

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by nelblu

[RWMike]

7 minutes ago, nelblu said:

As a result of this change, we’re providing you with a 125% Future Cruise Credit to come back and sail with us by December 31^st, 2021

No refund option??????

[nelblu]

Continued from above:

 

• This amount will be based on your total cruise fare paid (or Cruisetour, if applicable). And, we’re giving you a little extra, knowing that this is such a unique circumstance.

• We will automatically issue you your Future Cruise Credit (FCC) via email. So, there’s nothing for you to do! You can expect to receive your FCC by:

◦ Monday, April 13^th, 2020, if your sail date was on or before April 10^th, 2020, or on Ovation of the Seas April 11^th, 2020, Radiance March 14^th, 2020, Jewel of the Seas March 19^th – May 5^th, 2020, and all April 2020 Spectrum of the Seas sailings.

◦ Monday, April 30^th, 2020, if your sail date was on or after April 11^th, 2020.

• Please know, taxes & fees and any RoyalUp upgrades will be automatically refunded.

• Please note:

◦ If you opted into the Cruise with Confidence 100% Future Cruise Credit for this sailing, you do not qualify for this offer.

◦ And, if you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, you’ll receive a new Future Cruise Certificate for 125% of your total cruise fare value paid, including the value of your original certificate.

◦ If you were impacted by our first global suspension (sailings through April 10^th, 2020), and paid additional monetary funds on a new booking within this extended suspension period, you’ll receive two 125% Future Cruise Credits: one for the original booking and another equal to 125% of any monies paid towards cruise fare on the new booking. You are able to opt in to refund one or both via the process below.

Or, if you prefer the lower value in a full refund, we’re happy to process this for you. Given how fluid this situation is, and the opportunity to use the extra credit being offered, you have plenty of time to make up your mind. You have until December 31^st, 2021 to request a refund.

• Please contact us to start the refund process, if you’re willing to give up the higher value of your 125% Future Cruise Credit.

• We’ll then deactivate your Future Cruise Credit and process your refund to your original form(s) of payment, which will include any non-refundable deposits.

• To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, please click here and we will get the process started for you.

• You can expect to receive your refund 30 days after you submit your request.

• Please note: If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original Cruise with Confidence certificate.

If you purchased Cruise Planner Items:

• You can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation.

◦ Click here to request your higher value credit. You can only take advantage of this offer through April 8^th, 2020.

• If we don’t hear from you on or before April 8^th, 2020, your Cruise Planner purchases will be automatically refunded.

And, if you purchased air or hotel:

• Cancellations for sailings on or before April 10^th, 2020:

◦ via Royal Caribbean, these will also be automatically refunded to you.

◦ on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them.

• Cancellations for sailings on or after April 11^th, 2020:

◦ if you purchased refundable air or hotel accommodations through Royal Caribbean, they will be automatically refunded to you.

◦ if you booked non-refundable air through Royal Caribbean or booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them.

We know, this too shall pass, and we are optimistic that very soon you’ll be excited about planning your next cruise vacation. As always, the most important thing to us will always be the safety of our guests and crew. In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor the global situation. We wish you good health and truly appreciate your continued loyalty.

For the most current U.S. government travel advisories, be sure to visit these sites:

U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

U.S. Department of State

[A&L_Ont]

27 minutes ago, Jam0610 said:

Feel Alaska will close their ports.

We just have to have faith all will improve.

 

Faith, time and proper actions. I think you could be right about Alaska.

 

18 minutes ago, jstuartys said:

Our June 26 alaska cruise is canceled. Just got the email. We weren’t supposed to be in Canada until July 2. 

I’m sorry to hear this. Living in Canada I’m not sure if our border to the US might be closed longer than the July 1st deadline. It will depend on the health of the world.

Edited March 24, 2020 by A&L_Ont

[ONECRUISER]

54 minutes ago, SuiteTraveler said:

Not unexpected, but so sorry to hear this, especially for all of the employees who will be off work for the foreseeable future.  I watched Chris Wong's blog and sounds like a lot of employees were told they would be sent home in 2 days today.  

He'd been on I think 7 months, ended Contract. Last Blog think he got off this am

Edited March 24, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[suesnake2002]

Yup got the email from my TA. My first B2B ,also my first diamond. April 19-may 3rd. Canceled. Heavy sigh. We were gonna fly delta. Splurged on first class. Will deal with that tomorrow. 

 

 One of our stops was costa maya. We were gonna return to maya chan. Love that place and people. They contacted us when first round of cruises canceled. Telling us if our cruise was canceled they would automatically refund us. 

Well i sent them a message today to keep the money. Pay your workers and keep safe. That money won't make or break me. But to them it might make a difference. Play it foward i say. 

On a more serious note....gosh darn i had the $18 dollar drink package. And a tee shirt too. 

[ILCTCRUISER]

Who can predict when the virus spread will abate?  We know the Canadian government has guessed at July 1 and I'll guess that if data supports opening their ports sooner then the Canadian government will open ports earlier.  However, in the mean time, wouldn't it make sense for the US government to suspend the Jones Act for a set period of time.  That way, if healthcare officials feel the likelihood of spread has been diminished to a target level, then US cruise lines could restart Alaska service and bypass the need to stop at a Canadian port.  It would still need to be a call from healthcare officials, say CDC, but it would create possibilities not only to assist the cruise lines but also help Alaska.  DW is in my ear now saying, Dump the Jones Act altogether.  Made sense at one time but no longer.

[CruisinMama2003]

2 minutes ago, suesnake2002 said:

Yup got the email from my TA. My first B2B ,also my first diamond. April 19-may 3rd. Canceled. Heavy sigh. We were gonna fly delta. Splurged on first class. Will deal with that tomorrow. 

 

 One of our stops was costa maya. We were gonna return to maya chan. Love that place and people. They contacted us when first round of cruises canceled. Telling us if our cruise was canceled they would automatically refund us. 

Well i sent them a message today to keep the money. Pay your workers and keep safe. That money won't make or break me. But to them it might make a difference. Play it foward i say. 

On a more serious note....gosh darn i had the $18 dollar drink package. And a tee shirt too. 

 

This is awesome! 💗

[A&L_Ont]

2 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

We know the Canadian government has guessed at July 1 and I'll guess that if data supports opening their ports sooner then the Canadian government will open ports earlier. 

July 1st is our Government’s best guess at this time. I’d say you are correct too, regarding the possibility of opening sooner.

[suesnake2002]

Thank you. But return customers only paid $100. Really not that big a deal

[Evilgrin72]

If I take the 125% FCC and rebook a cruise for June or July, does that still fall under the Cruise with Confidence umbrella? 

[NancyIL]

I am glad RCI included the link in their announcement to request a 100% refund now - bypassing the travel agent and either of us having to call. https://rccloffer.questionpro.com/

[APDMOM]

@suesnake2002 That was very kind of you! Hope your next “first” diamond cruise is extra EXTRA special!!  🤗

[rtazz17]

1 hour ago, Hobby3333 said:

With what is still going on with Covid-19, chances of cruising until August is slim to none.   

Bound to always have a doom and gloomer

[suzyluvs2cruise]

34 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

He'd been on I think 7 months, ended Contract. Last Blog think he got off this am

 

Chris' contact was due to end at the end of April.

[Billy Baltic]

They still appear to be issuing FCC to be used by end of 2021. The cost of European itineraries in 2021 was already very high. This will drive it up further. 

[rabidstoat]

12 minutes ago, NancyIL said:

I am glad RCI included the link in their announcement to request a 100% refund now - bypassing the travel agent and either of us having to call. https://rccloffer.questionpro.com/

 

And they say the money should be refunded within 30 days, unlike NCL which is saying it'll be up to 90 days!

[RoyalC]

14 minutes ago, rtazz17 said:

Bound to always have a doom and gloomer

 

In all fairness, the governments (my state of IL included) have set a precedent never seen before. Recall 2009, Swine Flu, no one remembers it hardly. 61,000,000 infected in America, and 12,500 dead. Declared a National Emergency by the President at the time six months AFTER it was declared a Pandemic. 

Fast forward, hundreds and less in certain states get sick and the economy is shut down. Once testing is widespread, you will have larger numbers. So what do you do? Allow the public back? You quarantined them over hundreds confirmed sick! Now you have thousands! Can you just say we need to get people traveling again so disregard the earlier precedent? Lawsuits will fly when someone gets sick. Olympics cancelled. Events in the Chicago area this summer cancelled already. I'm I afraid? No, but precedent has been set with this virus so I guess we will see.

 

[Zeashore]

2 hours ago, psuboater said:

Was really looking forward to our May 11th cruise to Bermuda - but I also figured out by last week it wasn't going to happen. Be safe, everyone. 

Same here, same cruise psuboater.   My bucket list will have to wait..... 

[reallyitsmema]

Go into your cruise planner before you decide on cancelling vs FCC.  You can choose to receive your cruise planner purchases as a 125% OBC instead of getting them refunded.

Edited March 25, 2020 by reallyitsmema

[Coralc]

2 hours ago, Kteacher said:

   It gets a little trickier for us. We can only travel during school vacations. If I cancel the flights now they credit from the airline will expire before April school vacation 2021. Winter breaks are out as my husband does snow plowing from November -March. I always buy travel insurance, but of course pandemic is one of the exclusions 😐. Of course being April school vacation week the flights we purchased back in September were $$$$$.

 

I was looking at that. I don't know about your specific insurance, so check with your insurer. If you CANCEL your flights outright without taking the voucher it becomes a non-refundable cost that should be covered by your insurer. 

If your cruise is cancelled by the cruise line, it is a cancellation and you purchased or paid for the insurance before all of this became an issue. (or I did). 

[ONECRUISER]

37 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Chris' contact was due to end at the end of April.

Sorry, heard him say this was end of his Contract. Prob right just was ended few weeks early

[firefox247]

54 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

 . . . wouldn't it make sense for the US government to suspend the Jones Act for a set period of time.  That way, if healthcare officials feel the likelihood of spread has been diminished to a target level, then US cruise lines could restart Alaska service and bypass the need to stop at a Canadian port. . . .

 

No chance that will happen.  All the cruise lines register their ships in foreign countries to avoid US labor laws and to avoid paying much (if anything) in US taxes.  Having the US government bail out (or even help out) a company that so clearly desires to avoid US taxes and the expensive US labor market is political poison.

 

If they do not want to be subject to the Jones Act, then they can flag their vessels in the US.  Otherwise, they can hit up the Bahamas--where nearly all their ships are registered--for some corporate welfare until all this passes.