How far to kick the can (canceled cruises)?

[BoozinCroozin]

We originally had an RCL cruise that we kicked down the calendar 2 more times. After the 3rd, they have raised prices so high that we could no longer even think to rebook with them. We originally booked our then second cruise (before the first RCL cancelation) on Mardi Gras for July 2021. We booked our "new" second cruise on Magic over Thanksgiving 2021. My confidence that was once very high is extremely low for both of these cruises. 

 

My question is what people are doing for themselves and how willing are they to keep kicking that can down the road? I am about to put a deposit down on our next cruising window which is April 2022 (possibly our first cruise ever). That will be 3 deposits locked up and possible the 3rd would be on NCL.

 

Thought of a second question as well. If my two cruises on CCL are canceled (I would move the first deposit to the second cruise initially), is the gift card CCL gives only a CCL gift card or is it a general Visa type gift card?

[RWolver672]

29 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

 

 

My question is what people are doing for themselves and how willing are they to keep kicking that can down the road?

 

Thought of a second question as well. If my two cruises on CCL are canceled (I would move the first deposit to the second cruise initially), is the gift card CCL gives only a CCL gift card or is it a general Visa type gift card?

 

When we found out that there was a possibility (which became truth) that you would have to wear masks, couldn't get off the ship without going through one of their excursions, might possibly be guaranteed in your cabin, we kicked the can into the ditch right then.  That's not cruising to us.  We won't even think about booking a cruise until this mess is over.  

 

From what I've read on here, if you paid with a CCL gift card and ask for a refund, it will be with a CCL gift card.

[pe4all]

We "kicked the can" down the road until January 2022.  Hoping cruising starts up by then, even with restrictions.  If not, we will kick the can a bit further down the road.  Not worried about CCL having part of our money at this point in time.

[Mary229]

I kicked until April 2022 but I only have $300 pp invested in the deposit, I lose more than that in the stock market in a half hour.

[13cheermom]

So we kicked the can from 5/8/20 until 3/13/22 for one cruise.  Then changed from 10/17/20 to 5/8/21 to 11/5/22 for the Mardi Gras cruise (hoping to get to sail on the "new" ship before it's old, lol.  Then took a refund on 10/17/21 cancellation.  When I rescheduled the May 2020 cruise to March 2022, I thought it was plenty of time to get back to some normalcy, however sitting here in Feb 2021, I'm starting to wonder.  Might end up the 3X moved Mardi Gras for Nov. 2022 might be a more realistic expectation.  Who knows really 🙄.

[dbrucern]

Have not kicked the can yet although we know that our May cruise out of California will probably be canceled either by Carnival or me and the one to Alaska in August is looking like the same.  We don't have a problem with complying with the requirements, I already wear a mask properly 12hrs a day as a healthcare worker. Only worry is the Covid test providing all the info they want within the time set.  

[MsTabbyKats]

My Sept 2021 won't happen because Canada is not allowing cruise ships into the country until Mar 2022.  I could cancel now...but I'll hold off because perhaps my FCC will be extended.  I really see no point in booking anything else.  And I'm not paying "those prices" so I can sit on the ship with a mask on.

 

I have a Sept 2022 to Canada booked on Carnival.  I have $600 of my money "invested" in that...and a $600 OBC.  So, it's a gamble.  Even if that one sails but has "minimal restrictions"...I'd probably.  "Minimal" means I'd wear a mask, but I can get off at the ports and walk around.  Then again....who knows what Canada will require.

 

Rule of thumb...no more "new money" goes into cruising.

[PhillyFan33579]

I have had 6 cruises cancelled so far and I have requested (and received) refunds on all of them. I still have several cruises that I booked before the pandemic, which I expect all to be cancelled, but I have no plans to book any more cruises until cruising resumes from US ports. 

[Linda the Book Lover]

We rebooked our cruises except the MSC one only because we are waiting for our FCC. My DS and DD booked a birthday cruise for dear old mom which was canceled and we rebooked. I told the DD just yesterday that I would like to rebook if it is canceled. What the hay, wow look at that can fly I just kicked! I wonder if Kansas City or Tampa Bay want to add me to the roster as a kicker for the Super Bowl today?

[JerseyGirlJen]

My February 2022 cruise was rebooked from my cancelled Sunrise 2021.  I chose February 2022 because, as of this past summer, I thought "its a year and a half away a lot can change". Now that it's only 1 year away I'm hoping its cancelled because, it it goes, I don't anticipate it will be a fun time with all the restrictions.  If it's not cancelled I will wait until close to final payment is due and then rebook out as far out as possible.  

 

In the meantime I recently took a chance on a low deposit and booked NOLA in January 2023.  2 years away...keeping fingers crossed.

[skridge]

8 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

We originally had an RCL cruise that we kicked down the calendar 2 more times. After the 3rd, they have raised prices so high that we could no longer even think to rebook with them. We originally booked our then second cruise (before the first RCL cancelation) on Mardi Gras for July 2021. We booked our "new" second cruise on Magic over Thanksgiving 2021. My confidence that was once very high is extremely low for both of these cruises. 

 

My question is what people are doing for themselves and how willing are they to keep kicking that can down the road? I am about to put a deposit down on our next cruising window which is April 2022 (possibly our first cruise ever). That will be 3 deposits locked up and possible the 3rd would be on NCL.

 

Thought of a second question as well. If my two cruises on CCL are canceled (I would move the first deposit to the second cruise initially), is the gift card CCL gives only a CCL gift card or is it a general Visa type gift card?

In my opinion it is throwing good money after bad at an industry that is on the brink.  If it were me I would wait until the cruise lines stop this ponzi scheme they have going on right now and jump on a cruise when they actually start sailing again and hold on to your money for a land vacation in the mean time.

 

[scpirate]

9 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

We originally had an RCL cruise that we kicked down the calendar 2 more times. After the 3rd, they have raised prices so high that we could no longer even think to rebook with them. We originally booked our then second cruise (before the first RCL cancelation) on Mardi Gras for July 2021. We booked our "new" second cruise on Magic over Thanksgiving 2021. My confidence that was once very high is extremely low for both of these cruises. 

 

My question is what people are doing for themselves and how willing are they to keep kicking that can down the road? I am about to put a deposit down on our next cruising window which is April 2022 (possibly our first cruise ever). That will be 3 deposits locked up and possible the 3rd would be on NCL.

 

Thought of a second question as well. If my two cruises on CCL are canceled (I would move the first deposit to the second cruise initially), is the gift card CCL gives only a CCL gift card or is it a general Visa type gift card?

The gift card is a carnival only gift card.i wish it was a visa.i booked with gift cards I rolled like 3 times since cuba got cancelled.with the new conditions on cruising I  would rather not go .it's really hard to turn a gift card to cash.

[Linda the Book Lover]

6 minutes ago, scpirate said:

The gift card is a carnival only gift card.i wish it was a visa.i booked with gift cards I rolled like 3 times since cuba got cancelled.with the new conditions on cruising I  would rather not go .it's really hard to turn a gift card to cash.

After many telephone calls they finally sent our gift cards which I placed on the substitute cruise for the cancellation. For some reason they would not transfer the gift cards to the new rebook. No worries I was able to tell Carnival who I spoke with and the responses until finally they sent them. I will never iuse gift cards again which is why I am hoping to cruise and get them done with.

 

[Ihearttravel11]

My July 2020 cruise to Mexico got cancelled, so we opted for a full refund. Mulled over things for a couple months, and rebooked for Alaska 2022. I paid deposits, and won't pay a penny more until a week before the final payment is due. I am so glad that we opted to book so far in advance. Especially with Canada not allowing ships in this year.

[Sea Hag]

We had a cruise at the end of March 2020 that was canceled. Got future cruise credit for it. At the time, we had a Western Caribbean booked for March of this year. Early last summer, I lost faith in that one and canceled it. Good move on my part. We booked a coast for the end of October of this year and applied the credits to that, with a bit left over. When I booked that one, I had about 50% confidence in it sailing. I'm at about 40% confidence right now, but since it goes South from San Francisco, it might still be a go. If that one's canceled, I'll roll the credits over to a coastal in April of 2022. If that one's canceled, I'll roll the credits over to a September 2022 Alaska, roundtrip Seattle. That's are far as the can kicking planning goes around here. I'm taking a long term, patient viewpoint of this. Eventually is better than never.

[neatokimmo]

I have the same cruise booked on the magic. My investment is lower than yours, just $150 in deposits. 
 

I was really confident this cruise would happen. Then they changed the dry dock dates. Now we only have what, like three cruises between the restart date and our cruise? That’s not a lot of buffer with everything going on.

 

If it is cancelled I’ll move it to Thanksgiving 2022.

[Butterbean1000]

After having 3 cruises canceled (paid in full)  we booked out to February 2022. Then we got to thinking that 2 years is a long time to have nearly 3,000 tied up.   So we cancelled and using that money for our upcoming Key West road trip. We got tired of kicking the can. Besides, we're not willing to cruise with the new restrictions.

[ULCajunCruiser]

My June 2020 cruise got kicked to June 2021.   That one is looking real sketchy. so I'm looking at August of 2020.   To my pleasant surprise, that cruise is actually cheaper than the one I have now.   Have to keep kicking, I have over $3,000 in gift cards that need to be used!!

[naxer]

I only had one cruise cancelled.  I took the refund on that one.  I had another one booked on the Mardi Gras for Thanksgiving Weekend 2021 before the pandemic.  Since then I booked the Celebration for 2023, and just last week I booked the Vista for February 2022 (the same day Canada cancelled cruises through that month).  The Europeans have been cruising for a while now.  I think something's going to have to give for North America by this summer.  I think cruising will happen by then, but the question becomes do I want to cruise with restrictions? and/or am I willing to cruise with the restrictions not so enforced on board?    

[1980dory]

We were going to book a cruise for 8-22 but have decided to give it up and not book.  Too many cancellations already with no end in sight.  Getting tired of playing this game and being jacked around by the cruise lines on returning money.  Prices are either staying the same or are going up.  None are going down.  I feel for the cruise lines but I have to take care of myself and this just isn't working for me.

At present we have future cruises booked for 11-21, 4-22, and 5-22.  Now they are starting to look doubtful and my toe is getting very painful from all this can kicking. Time to do something different.

Maybe we'll fire up the motorhome and do something different.  We do have control over that option.

[BoozinCroozin]

18 hours ago, neatokimmo said:

I have the same cruise booked on the magic. My investment is lower than yours, just $150 in deposits. 
 

I was really confident this cruise would happen. Then they changed the dry dock dates. Now we only have what, like three cruises between the restart date and our cruise? That’s not a lot of buffer with everything going on.

 

If it is cancelled I’ll move it to Thanksgiving 2022.

I am less concerned with the dry dock. I think that was canceled because there won't be cruise from Norfolk in 2021. I Still hope this cruise goes. I need a vacation. I don't think July Mardi Gras will go. 

[VentureMan_2000]

Waiting for 2023 USA cruises to open up...  will kick my two Sept 2021 cruises ( B2B ) to 2023 when that happens. 

[volfan22701]

we moved ours to April 2022, October 2022 and March 2023. all of them were only $200 deposits with casino rates so not a whole lot tied up. should know at final payment date for each one what the restrictions for that cruise may be and can decide if we can live with it. there are other vacations we can do if cruising is not back to some sort of normal by the time we go. we will have both shots by the end of this month but sounds now as if that may not be enough to be 100% safe with all the variants.

first cruise is still 432 days away so a lot can change in that time.

Edited February 8, 2021 by volfan22701

[katstoy]

Initially booked for April 2020, then April 2021; now booked for November 2022.  I think anything for 2021 is wishful thinking.

[SRQbeachgirl]

We had three cruises canceled in 2020, got refunds for them, and didn't even try booking anything for 2021. We now have the Mardi Gras booked for April 2022, but only have $198 invested and the rest isn't due until January 2022. If ships aren't sailing by that time I'll be surprised if there are many cruise lines still in business to go back to.