To Pay or Not To Pay

[cuppettmd]

Hey, Folks: I have my first RCI cruise booked in Oct, on the Mariner. I need some advice, Please. This virus has pushed back my Wife's surgery and we are afraid that we will not be able to go. Her immune system would be compromised and we just don't think it will be a good idea. My question is this, I have paid $300 dollars so far, I'm using a TA. Would it be better to take the loss and just walk away, or would it be better to finish paying it off and try to get a refund? I don't have insurance but I suppose it's not to late to buy some. Maybe? I booked this cruise over a year ago and the final payment date is in August. Any advice will be Greatly Appreciated! Thanks!

[Jimbo]

7 minutes ago, cuppettmd said:

Hey, Folks: I have my first RCI cruise booked in Oct, on the Mariner. I need some advice, Please. This virus has pushed back my Wife's surgery and we are afraid that we will not be able to go. Her immune system would be compromised and we just don't think it will be a good idea. My question is this, I have paid $300 dollars so far, I'm using a TA. Would it be better to take the loss and just walk away, or would it be better to finish paying it off and try to get a refund? I don't have insurance but I suppose it's not to late to buy some. Maybe? I booked this cruise over a year ago and the final payment date is in August. Any advice will be Greatly Appreciated! Thanks!

Refundable or Non refundable deposit?

[reallyitsmema]

I would not pay final payment, I would try to move the deposit to another cruise late next year.  Best wishes to your wife.

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, cuppettmd said:

Would it be better to take the loss and just walk away, or would it be better to finish paying it off and try to get a refund?

Neither, wait closer to final payment and then re ask then - lot more info will be available then.

[Maverick61]

Consider using Lift and Shift to move in back a year to Oct 21.  That will also delay your final payment date

[FaithPlus1]

I would just do the Lift and Shift to move it back, or just take cruise credit. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, cuppettmd said:

Hey, Folks: I have my first RCI cruise booked in Oct, on the Mariner. I need some advice, Please. This virus has pushed back my Wife's surgery and we are afraid that we will not be able to go. Her immune system would be compromised and we just don't think it will be a good idea. My question is this, I have paid $300 dollars so far, I'm using a TA. Would it be better to take the loss and just walk away, or would it be better to finish paying it off and try to get a refund? I don't have insurance but I suppose it's not to late to buy some. Maybe? I booked this cruise over a year ago and the final payment date is in August. Any advice will be Greatly Appreciated! Thanks!

No need to walk away from anything.  As others have mentioned you can do a lift and shift to same date  next year plus / minus 4 weeks or you can cancel now and get a Future cruise credit for the full amount of your deposit that is valid until Dec 2021. (penalties are being waived on non refundable deposits)

[ZoeyVictoria]

I book directly with the cruise lines 99% of the time, but booked one with an online TA right before this mess started.  It was a short cruise at a giveaway price and I thought there was no way I wouldn’t go.  Things changed, I needed to cancel, and they were going to charge my credit card a $100 administrative fee (while I waited for my $200 deposit refund).  The fee would be waived if I booked another cruise through them within 12 months, and they let me transfer another cruise I had booked the previous day to them instead.  If you are facing an administrative fee, there are ways to work around it.

[Merly]

After reading the issues with refunds there is no way I am giving them a very large final payment on a cruise I think is unlikely to sail. I would rather walk away from the deposit if we cannot move it to next year.  ( late in the year)

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, Merly said:

I would rather walk away from the deposit if we cannot move it to next year.

You can just opt for the FCC if you can't find a sailing now.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Don't pay any more money right now.  You've been given some very good advice in this thread.  All my best to your wife!

[SNJCruisers]

You never said whether it was a refundable deposit or not.  If it is, put in the request through your TA, cancell and wait for your 300 refund.  If NRD, then lift and shift to 4 weeks prior or after your Oct date for next year.  Or take the FCC if it's a NRD if the lift and shift dates don't  work for you.  Any way you cut it, you will not lose.

[cuppettmd]

Wow! You All Rock! I'll hold off for now and if we do indeed have to cancel, I'll either get my deposit back or Lift and Shift to another cruise, Thanks So Much for the advice!

[klfrodo]

Buying insurance now would be a waste of money. If she is scheduled for surgery which you feel would cause her to be immunosuppressed, then that would probably be considered a 'Pre-Existing Condition" which would void the insurance.

The insurance you would have to purchase would have to be one that "Waived" pre-existing conditions. Most of those have a time limit to be purchased after the first initial down payment.