Refund Policy

[Las Vegas Sailing]

What is the current refund policy of RSSC if they cancel a cruise after you have made your final payment?  Are they required to give back a full CASH refund or just a future cruise credit?

[RachelG]

Either full cash refund (well, not exactly cash--they put back a credit to your credit card) or125% FCC.  If you want the refund, you have to request it, and there is a time limit.  You have to either do the refund or the FCC--can't split it up.  If you take the FCC, you will get taxes and money paid for excursions refunded.

[cruiseluv]

As far as I know they're still obligated to offer a full refund

[Travelcat2]

Welcome to the Regent board!

 

They are required to give a full cash refund.  This takes up to 90 days due to the number of cancelations that they are processing.  They have been giving a choice of a refund or 125% FCC.  About 50% of passengers take the refund and the other half take the FCC's.  We have been through this process twice a we have had two cruises canceled and expect another two to be canceled within a couple of months.

[Las Vegas Sailing]

Thank you!

[Kwaj girl]

If your reservation was paid via credit card AND it was also partially paid with FCCs......if Regent cancels the voyage would they refund the amount paid via credit card  to that same credit card AND hold the amount of the original FCC from that booking to be used on a future booking?

[rcandkc]

5 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

If your reservation was paid via credit card AND it was also partially paid with FCCs......if Regent cancels the voyage would they refund the amount paid via credit card  to that same credit card AND hold the amount of the original FCC from that booking to be used on a future booking?

Good question...I’m wondering that too. 

[Travelcat2]

I'm glad that this question was asked as we will be in that position when our January cruise is canceled.  Perhaps we need to contact our TA.

[flossie009]

46 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

If your reservation was paid via credit card AND it was also partially paid with FCCs......if Regent cancels the voyage would they refund the amount paid via credit card  to that same credit card AND hold the amount of the original FCC from that booking to be used on a future booking?

We will also be interested in the answer to this question.

 

Supplementary question:

If the customer cancels, what happens to any FCCs on the cancelled booking? Can they be moved to a later booking (existing or new)? ............. or are they forfeit?

Edited July 15, 2020 by flossie009

[DaveFr]

27 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

We will also be interested in the answer to this question.

 

Supplementary question:

If the customer cancels, what happens to any FCCs on the cancelled booking? Can they be moved to a later booking (existing or new)? ............. or are they forfeit?

Susan,

 

Here’s what the US FAQs say about your question. Hopefully the UK FAQs are the same.
 

“IF I USE MY FUTURE CRUISE CREDIT AND THEN NEED TO CANCEL THAT FUTURE CRUISE, WILL I BE ABLE TO REAPPLY MY CREDIT ON ANOTHER RESERVATION?

 

“In the event that you need to cancel your future cruise, outside of penalty, then the Future Cruise Credit would remain valid and may be applied toward another new reservation, provided the new reservation is made within one year of the original Future Cruise Credit issue date and toward a Regent voyage sailing before December 31, 2022.”

 

Dave

 

[loriva]

From what I've read, FCCs from a cruise that Regent cancels can be applied only to a NEW booking, not an existing one--correct?  Has anyone had Regent agree to apply a FCC to an existing booking?  If not, would there be any reason one could not cancel an existing booking and then make a new one for the same cruise?  (Paying whatever cancellation penalty is in effect at the time, of course, as well as any change in fare.)  

 

Many thanks for your insights,

 

 

[SusieQft]

One certainly could cancel a booking and then rebook if Regent refused to allow the FCC on an existing booking.  (I know that is the case with applying Return to Regent to an existing booking.)  If you do that, you might have to pay a higher price for the sailing if the price has increased since you booked it.  And if the ship is nearly full, you might not be able to get the same or similar cabin back, so that may be a risk also.

 

But I thought that the FCCs from Regent cancellations could be applied to existing bookings.  Maybe the 100% part can, but not the 25% part?  I would really like an answer to this also.  My October booking is flickering on and off right now, and I suspect the cancellation notice will be arriving soon.  I have been planning to apply the FCC to an existing booking.

[flossie009]

4 hours ago, SusieQft said:

But I thought that the FCCs from Regent cancellations could be applied to existing bookings.

I think you are correct. This is an extract from a previous Regent Refund Request Form:

 

13 hours ago, DaveFr said:

Here’s what the US FAQs say about your question. Hopefully the UK FAQs are the same.
 

“IF I USE MY FUTURE CRUISE CREDIT AND THEN NEED TO CANCEL THAT FUTURE CRUISE, WILL I BE ABLE TO REAPPLY MY CREDIT ON ANOTHER RESERVATION?

 

“In the event that you need to cancel your future cruise, outside of penalty, then the Future Cruise Credit would remain valid and may be applied toward another new reservation, provided the new reservation is made within one year of the original Future Cruise Credit issue date and toward a Regent voyage sailing before December 31, 2022.”

Thanks for the clarification.

So I can apply a FCC from a cruise cancelled by Regent to a future existing reservation. If, however, I subsequently cancel that future reservation then the FCC would remain valid but would then only be able to be applied to a new reservation.

This new world of cancellations, refunds & FCCs can be complex ............. and not knowing when cruising will recommence makes forward planning difficult (both for cruise lines, TAs & customers)

 

15 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

About 50% of passengers take the refund and the other half take the FCC's.

An interesting statistic.

Has that balance changed over time? i.e. with each batch of Regent cancellations

 

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by flossie009

[loriva]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

I think you are correct. This is an extract from a previous Regent Refund Request Form:

 

Thanks for the clarification.

So I can apply a FCC from a cruise cancelled by Regent to a future existing reservation. If, however, I subsequently cancel that future reservation then the FCC would remain valid but would then only be able to be applied to a new reservation.

This new world of cancellations, refunds & FCCs can be complex ............. and not knowing when cruising will recommence makes forward planning difficult (both for cruise lines, TAs & customers)

 

An interesting statistic.

Has that balance changed over time? i.e. with each batch of Regent cancellations

 

 

 

Thanks, flossie009.  I am expecting our Navigator booking set to sail on 30 October will be cancelled--by Regent--soon.  It was not booked under the Return to Regent offer.  I thought I had read FCCs could only be applied to NEW bookings, but I might have been looking at the R2R conditions.  We had not been able to identify a good replacement for the Navigator cruise in 2021 and early 2022, so will now plan on applying our FCC to a South Pacific itinerary we have booked for early 2022.  Or maybe cancel that and book a sailing on Explorer with a similar itinerary to the one in December we expect Regent to cancel.

 

Thanks again to all for your insight,

 

 

[Travelcat2]

5 hours ago, flossie009 said:

21 hours ago,  Travelcat2 said: 

An interesting statistic.

Has that balance changed over time? i.e. with each batch of Regent cancellations

 

This statistic is from a FDR interview last month and encompasses all three brands.  It may have changed this month but it is not likely.  That 125% FCC is really appealing (and may be even more so now since people now know how long the refund will take).

[DaveFr]

6 hours ago, flossie009 said:

I think you are correct. This is an extract from a previous Regent Refund Request Form:

 

Thanks for the clarification.

So I can apply a FCC from a cruise cancelled by Regent to a future existing reservation. If, however, I subsequently cancel that future reservation then the FCC would remain valid but would then only be able to be applied to a new reservation.

This new world of cancellations, refunds & FCCs can be complex ............. and not knowing when cruising will recommence makes forward planning difficult (both for cruise lines, TAs & customers)

 

 

Susan, there are a couple of gotchas in the Regent requirements.  You have to cancel the future cruise before penalties apply and the new reservation must be made within a year of the original FCC issuance date. Canceling the new cruise more than a year from the original FCC issuance date, even though penalties have not yet accrued, may risk the validity of the FCC. Regent might issue a 100% cash refund or, more probably, might extend the validity of the FCC to a new date such as December 31, 2021. Of course, Regent might say tough luck you waited too long to cancel the future cruise, although I would be surprised if Regent relied on such a drastic penalty.

 

By the way, I noticed that the June 16 version of the Refund Request Form no longer indicates that taking the 125% FCC will also result in a credit for the full nights of the canceled cruise placed in your society account. Is this an intentional or unintentional omission? Perhaps Pcardad can check with his sources.

 

Dave

Edited July 16, 2020 by DaveFr

[petlover]

1) We received FCC from March.

2)We used it to book a September Mariner Alaska cruise, which was also canceled.    

3) We used a portion of the accumulated FCC to  book Oct. 22, 2020 Mariner cruise from LA to LA paid in full with a balance of FCC left over. It's showing "waitlisted" in all categories so unlikely won't sail.

 

At this point it appears we're 0 for 3 cruises. Any chance we can ca$h in our accumulated FCC or do we just keep accumulating it ? I'm afraid once we've used FCC, that's the only way it's refunded back.

 

Thanks all.

 

 

                       

Edited July 16, 2020 by petlover

[flossie009]

28 minutes ago, petlover said:

Any chance we can ca$h in our accumulated FCC or do we just keep accumulating it ? I'm afraid once we've used FCC, that's the only way it's refunded back.

I believe that once you have gone down the FCC route, you have to stick with them i.e. you cannot convert back to a cash refund in the future even if you encounter further cancellations by Regent.

 

@DaveFr, Thanks for the further clarifications.

 

3 hours ago, DaveFr said:

By the way, I noticed that the June 16 version of the Refund Request Form no longer indicates that taking the 125% FCC will also result in a credit for the full nights of the canceled cruise placed in your society account.

Here is my copy of the June Refund Request Form which still includes the promise of SSS nights:

Regent refund request form_June 2020.pdf

Edited July 16, 2020 by flossie009

[SusieQft]

39 minutes ago, petlover said:

At this point it appears we're 0 for 3 cruises. Any chance we can ca$h in our accumulated FCC or do we just keep accumulating it ? I'm afraid once we've used FCC, that's the only way it's refunded back.

Excellent question.  I am assuming that the original FCC was described as can be refunded as cash if you are unable to use it by a particular date. 

 

If you tried to use it but were unsuccessful because Regent cancelled the booking(s), I would interpret that as qualifying for a cash refund.  Of course, Regent may not see it that way.  If you cancel any booking using that FCC yourself, that would be a different story, and Regent would have better grounds for saying you gave up the right to convert to cash. 

 

Also, as I understand it, once you miss the original date to request cash, it would not convert until whatever the expiration date is to use it.  So if that is the case no one would have direct experience with this yet.  Does anyone know for sure?  Is there a distinction between voluntary and involuntary cancellations? 

 

The Refund Request form that Flossie just posted does not mention the delayed conversion to cash, so maybe it is no longer true.  If so, then that would lean toward the idea that once you accept the FCC, you don't have a cash option.

Edited July 16, 2020 by SusieQft

[flossie009]

25 minutes ago, SusieQft said:

I am assuming that the original FCC was described as can be refunded as cash if you are unable to use it by a particular date. 

Maybe others can correct me but I have never seen that phraseology associated with any FCC issued by Regent.

Edited July 16, 2020 by flossie009

[SusieQft]

3 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

Maybe others can correct me but I have never seen that phraseology associated with any FCC issued by Regent.

I know that Crystal says this.  From their latest cancellation announcement today:  "If guests are unable to redeem their Credits by December 31, 2023, guests may request a refund of the original cruise fare paid."

 

I thought that Regent had the same offer, at least initially, but perhaps I was mistaken.  It is much harder for me to keep track of Regent's cancellation terms because they don't post them on their website like Crystal does.

 

[Travelcat2]

Karen, Regent has never had a policy whereby FCC’s can be converted into a refund.  IMHO, stating what Crystal does only confuses the issue.

 

P.S.  Regent does have their policies on their website.

[SusieQft]

Jackie, I was just explaining why I was confused, not trying to confuse anyone else.

 

If Regent does have their terms for how Regent cancelled cruises are handled posted publicly on the website, I can't find them.  I can only remember seeing things occasionally when someone posts their cancellation letter or refund application.  Could you please tell me where to look on the website?

Edited July 17, 2020 by SusieQft

[DaveFr]

1 hour ago, SusieQft said:

Jackie, I was just explaining why I was confused, not trying to confuse anyone else.

 

If Regent does have their terms for how Regent cancelled cruises are handled posted publicly on the website, I can't find them.  I can only remember seeing things occasionally when someone posts their cancellation letter or refund application.  Could you please tell me where to look on the website?

Karen, here’s what I find on the Regent US website. There is no refund request form as the time to request a refund ended on June 30. 
 

RSSC_VoyageSuspensionFAQ_061620_2.pdf
 

I can’t find the form Flossie009 posted this morning when I check the Regent UK website. This is what I get when I click on the request refund form link on the UK website:

 

Refund Request Form result - UK.pdf
 

Hope this helps.

 

Dave

[SusieQft]

18 minutes ago, DaveFr said:

Karen, here’s what I find on the Regent US website. There is no refund request form as the time to request a refund ended on June 30. 
 

RSSC_VoyageSuspensionFAQ_061620_2.pdf 201.98 kB · 1 download

Thank you.  I have saved the file and will at least be able to refer to this in the future.  But I still cannot find any link to it on the website.  Maybe it only shows you the link to this information if you have a booking cancelled by Regent?  If that is the case, I will probably find out soon.  I find it very frustrating that I cannot go to it directly on the website.