May 2021 cruises

[jelly.roll]

I'm trying to understand the high prices for May sailings. It looks like they have a lot unbooked space; either they expect big demand if they announce May sailings or they need the float income to cover costs of  cancellation. If Royal is going to require vaccinations in order to start sailing, they need to announce it soon to allow for the cancellations and new bookings that would result.  Royal has recently raised enough money to make it beyond the year which helped the stock price and makes it safer to make lift and shift reservations. Carnival has told investors they may not sail until the end of the year, but this may be a case of under promising so they can beat expectations. I'm still hopeful for a limited May start up however.

[Iamcruzin]

16 minutes ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I just can't think on an appropriate (and printable!) word to convey how I feel about a number of things re May (ex Southampton) sailings.

 

I grind my teeth seemingly at least every week when I get an email from RCI inviting me to buy drinks packages, excursions etc for my next cruise (that will never sail). I never get any other emails form them. OK, these emails are probably automatic and not issued manually, but they do **** me off and show a lack of common sense by RCI.

 

Anyone thinking of booking a May sailing needs to be certified - with one exception.

 

That exception is anyone with the cash that is prepared to pay the cost in full in anticipation of getting an FCC at cruise cost plus 25% - there aren't many places where one can get a 25% return - legally.

 

If L&S is not available, I would need the extra 25% on 2021 to cover the inflated cost of 2022 - nearly. Here are my current figures:

 

Three May 2021 cruises cost me £3.1k, the identical three cruises in 2022 would cost me (as of Sunday just gone) £4.5k and three FCCs would come to £3.9k.

 

Perhaps it's time for RCI to reconsider the percentage uplift on FCCs.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

I think the prices are inflated to cover the cost of the 25% addition to the FCC and to make a profit.  They know passengers will have to use them no matter what the price is. The only guaranteed customers they have right now are those holding FCCs and lifting and shifting. 

[cublet]

3 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I think the prices are inflated to cover the cost of the 25% addition to the FCC and to make a profit.  They know passengers will have to use them no matter what the price is. The only guaranteed customers they have right now are those holding FCCs and lifting and shifting. 

Hello,

 

Yes, I agree with you completely.

 

I just wish, having got us over a barrel, they didn't also give us an occasional poke with a sharp stick in the form of 'offers' that will never sail.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

 

[SpainAlien]

It looks like the remaining Carnival cruises for May are going to be cancelled imminently, they have been removed from the website 

 

 

[compman9]

I am booked on the 9th May Odyssey cruise

 

I know it will be cancelled, and am happy for them to take final payment

 

I will use the 125% with gratitude

[orville99]

1 hour ago, compman9 said:

I am booked on the 9th May Odyssey cruise

 

I know it will be cancelled, and am happy for them to take final payment

 

I will use the 125% with gratitude

We have a mid-May cruise that we doubt will sail, but the only reason we would take the FCC is that we have another already booked cruise in 2022 on which it can be applied. The way they are raising prices on 2022-2023 cruises, the 125% FCC won't cover the price increase they're asking for a new booking for next year. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by orville99

[molly361]

4 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have a mid-May cruise that we doubt will sail, but the only reason we would take the FCC is that we have another already booked cruise in 2022 on which it can be applied. The way they are raising prices on 2022-2023 cruises, the 125% FCC won't cover the price increase they're asking for a new booking for next year. 

Same here.  We have a cruise in January 2022 that I will turn around and apply the FCC to if we can't  shift the cruise.  Final payment is only a couple of months after we should receive the FCC so might as well make 25%

[cruise wizard]

6 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have a mid-May cruise that we doubt will sail, but the only reason we would take the FCC is that we have another already booked cruise in 2022 on which it can be applied. The way they are raising prices on 2022-2023 cruises, the 125% FCC won't cover the price increase they're asking for a new booking for next year. 

 

Agree...............if you already have a future booked cruise to apply the 125%............new bookings are about 50 - 100% higher and the extra 25% doesn't cover the increases. Lift and Shift is great if you have an open date next year and within the +/- 1 week time frame and the same itinerary and ship (good luck)!!!!!!

[orville99]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Same here.  We have a cruise in January 2022 that I will turn around and apply the FCC to if we can't  shift the cruise.  Final payment is only a couple of months after we should receive the FCC so might as well make 25%

If we were to book an exact replacement cruise for next May - itinerary, ship, suite - that we have now, the price is almost $3,000 more than we paid for the one this May. even with the 125% FCC we would come up more than $1,000 short. We have booked cruises in 2022 that we can apply an FCC to, but if we didn't, we'd take the refund in a heartbeat.

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

Lift and Shift is great if you have an open date next year and within the +/- 1 week time frame and the same itinerary and ship

It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same ship.  Royal has only offered one ship however where the ship the following year is different but still doing the same itinerary they have allowed people to make that change. 

[cruise wizard]

3 minutes ago, orville99 said:

If we were to book an exact replacement cruise for next May - itinerary, ship, suite - that we have now, the price is almost $3,000 more than we paid for the one this May. even with the 125% FCC we would come up more than $1,000 short. We have booked cruises in 2022 that we can apply an FCC to, but if we didn't, we'd take the refund in a heartbeat.

 

I think that we will be cruising less (a lot less) if the prices remain so high. We are booked through 2022..............2023 looks real iffy!!!!!!

[cruise wizard]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same ship.  Royal has only offered one ship however where the ship the following year is different but still doing the same itinerary they have allowed people to make that change. 

 

We have a B2B2B this September on Jewel............Canada & New England............an 8 night + 6 night and 7 night. Still waiting to see if it might sail (Wait and See choice) - there is supposed to be another C & NE second announcement which is TBD which might make a L&S option but I don't see the 8, 6, 7 nights being scheduled - most likely all 7's. For 2022 only Voyager is out of Boston for 7 night itineraries.............so far.

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

 

We have a B2B2B this September on Jewel............Canada & New England............an 8 night + 6 night and 7 night. Still waiting to see if it might sail (Wait and See choice) - there is supposed to be another C & NE second announcement which is TBD which might make a L&S option but I don't see the 8, 6, 7 nights being scheduled - most likely all 7's. For 2022 only Voyager is out of Boston for 7 night itineraries.............so far.

If it came down to it hopefully Royal would look at it as your 8,6 and 7 nights is the same as three x 7 night cruises and allow you to shift the group. 
 

I don’t see going from Jewel to Voyager as an issue. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[cruise wizard]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If it came down to it hopefully Royal would look at it as your 8,6 and 7 nights is the same as three x 7 night cruises and allow you to shift the group. 
 

I don’t see going from Jewel to Voyager as an issue. 

 

I always like to read your advise.............thank you!!!!

 

We have 4B aft cabins on Jewel (love the afts and book them as soon as itineraries come out. The Voyager 4B's are not afts..............but 3B could work - how is RCCL on accommodating a L&S like that?

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

 

I always like to read your advise.............thank you!!!!

 

We have 4B aft cabins on Jewel (love the afts and book them as soon as itineraries come out. The Voyager 4B's are not afts..............but 3B could work - how is RCCL on accommodating a L&S like that?

Thanks.  You might be able to persuade them on that as the only difference is the occupancy as long as they do not have the 3B restricted to 3 or 4 per cabin. .  4B and 3B are the same just occupancy difference.

 

How were the itineraries on Jewel, the ones on Voyager all look the same.

 

the other one to ask for would be a 4D.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[island lady]

Considering doing an L&S for the first time on our doomed, soon to be cancelled Allure 5/30 cruise. 

 

Question is.... I have paid for all but 200 balance on it with previous FCC from a cancelled cruise of last year.  Is that available for L&S when you have paid down with FCC?  Have never done one before.  All of my other cancelled cruises have been cash back refund, and FCC refund for NR deposit.  

[cruise wizard]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Thanks.  You might be able to persuade them on that as the only difference is the occupancy as long as they do not have the 3B restricted to 3 or 4 per cabin. .  4B and 3B are the same just occupancy difference.

 

How were the itineraries on Jewel, the ones on Voyager all look the same.

 

Pretty close - one extra port on the 8 day in Canada.

 

I just checked the "scanner" and the only Voyager cruise is 9/18. One dilemma that I also have is that we would have to cruise in October (we are on Mariner to do B2B2B - Bermuda & Carib in September). It is always something!!!!!!!!!!!!

[orville99]

5 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

 

Pretty close - one extra port on the 8 day in Canada.

 

I just checked the "scanner" and the only Voyager cruise is 9/18. One dilemma that I also have is that we would have to cruise in October (we are on Mariner to do B2B2B - Bermuda & Carib in September). It is always something!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're in the same boat. We already have a B2B booked for the last two weeks in April 2022 (prior L&S on an RCL cancelled 2021 March cruise to connect the second leg to an existing cruise), so if we were to do an L&S on our May 2021 cruise we would have to be able to move it forward by two weeks to match up with the B2B, making that a B2B2B.

[molly361]

44 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same ship.  Royal has only offered one ship however where the ship the following year is different but still doing the same itinerary they have allowed people to make that change. 

If I were going to try to shift my Allure cruise then I guess it would be better to try for the Western rather than the Eastern that I was thinking of trying for?  My Allure cruise goes to Falmouth, Coco Cay and Labadee.  Guess I should ask my TA😇😇

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, molly361 said:

If I were going to try to shift my Allure cruise then I guess it would be better to try for the Western rather than the Eastern that I was thinking of trying for?  My Allure cruise goes to Falmouth, Coco Cay and Labadee.  Guess I should ask my TA😇😇

I don’t think itinerary would come into play.  It’s the 6 day to 7 that will  be the issue in your case.   If they allow that then I would think it would be either Eastern or Western. 

[Sunshine3601]

I was googling various caribbean islands to see which ones have begun vaccinating.   I.e. aruba news is saying all residents could be vaccinated by end of June, if they receive what they ordered.

Jamaica also just began but very small batch arrived and hope to have residents done by fall.

St thomas started a slow roll out early february and are saying all residents should be vaccinated by end of 2021.

Didnt look like bahamas began vaccinating yet.

from what I could find many other islands have not yet received vaccines.  

I forgot to check bermuda...

Obviously all of this will come into play for us cruisers.  

No way will May happen. 

I still hold out hope for august/september cruises if vaccine suppliers ramp up their production.

[orville99]

On 2/24/2021 at 9:38 AM, molly361 said:

If I were going to try to shift my Allure cruise then I guess it would be better to try for the Western rather than the Eastern that I was thinking of trying for?  My Allure cruise goes to Falmouth, Coco Cay and Labadee.  Guess I should ask my TA😇😇

We have successfully shifted a cancelled 7-night Eastern on Allure for a 7-night Western on Harmony, so that should not present any problems for you.

 

More disturbing for us is that we just got an email from RCL indicating that we still owe everything but the $500 deposit for our May 2021 Allure cruise that we paid off a month ago. Seems like their systems are even more screwed up than ever. Called the C&A D+ desk and they confirmed the cruise is paid in full and sent us an updated booking invoice showing the cruise has a zero balance due.

[molly361]

2 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have successfully shifted a cancelled 7-night Eastern on Allure for a 7-night Western on Harmony, so that should not present any problems for you.

 

More disturbing for us is that we just got an email from RCL indicating that we still owe everything but the $500 deposit for our May 2021 Allure cruise that we paid off a month ago. Seems like their systems are even more screwed up than ever. Called the C&A D+ desk and they confirmed the cruise is paid in full and sent us an updated booking invoice showing the cruise has a zero balance due.

Mine is 6 nights though not 7  There are no 6 nights within the one week before and one week after parameters and the Allure will be in Europe next May

[Ballwin Babe]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

We have successfully shifted a cancelled 7-night Eastern on Allure for a 7-night Western on Harmony, so that should not present any problems for you.

 

More disturbing for us is that we just got an email from RCL indicating that we still owe everything but the $500 deposit for our May 2021 Allure cruise that we paid off a month ago. Seems like their systems are even more screwed up than ever. Called the C&A D+ desk and they confirmed the cruise is paid in full and sent us an updated booking invoice showing the cruise has a zero balance due.

We have a May 9 sailing for which we made the final payment in early February, as scheduled.  Then, a couple weeks ago they charged our cc again, for the same amount.  When our TA called to inquire, she was told that our payment had bee sitting in some "hold" status under group bookings.  In other words, the amount was never credited to our account for the May 9 sailing.   

 

The irony is that it's time to call off the May cruises and refund the payments.  NOT double charge your passengers for a cruise that is 99% unlikely to happen.  

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have successfully shifted a cancelled 7-night Eastern on Allure for a 7-night Western on Harmony, so that should not present any problems for you.

 

More disturbing for us is that we just got an email from RCL indicating that we still owe everything but the $500 deposit for our May 2021 Allure cruise that we paid off a month ago. Seems like their systems are even more screwed up than ever. Called the C&A D+ desk and they confirmed the cruise is paid in full and sent us an updated booking invoice showing the cruise has a zero balance due.

The problem is that Ellen (Molly361) is on a 6 night Allure cruise....not so easily shifted