Question about moving a cruise

[Jcol5786]

Hello,

 

We had a cruise booked on Empress for February of 2021. We were allowed to lift and shift this cruise to Allure in February of 2022. In the past we have driven to NJ and sailed on Anthem however we thought it was time to try something different even if it meant flying to Florida thus the original booking on Empress. Now with Covid we have missed 2 cruises that would have been on Anthem out of NJ so I'm no longer tired of that itinerary - I just want to get back on a ship. After starting to look at organizing flights and lodging from Toronto to FL I'm thinking I rather move the cruise from Allure to Anthem so I can drive. Will RC  let us transfer our deposit to this new booking? The price on the original Empress cruise was extremely low so RC will actually get a larger cruise fare if they let us do this. I understand that we can cancel the Allure cruise under the cruise with confidence program however we would have to wait for the deposit return before rebooking. I just think it would be simpler if RC allows us to move to the Anthem cruise. Thoughts? Thanks.

[Ken at the beach]

1 hour ago, Jcol5786 said:

Hello,

 

We had a cruise booked on Empress for February of 2021. We were allowed to lift and shift this cruise to Allure in February of 2022. In the past we have driven to NJ and sailed on Anthem however we thought it was time to try something different even if it meant flying to Florida thus the original booking on Empress. Now with Covid we have missed 2 cruises that would have been on Anthem out of NJ so I'm no longer tired of that itinerary - I just want to get back on a ship. After starting to look at organizing flights and lodging from Toronto to FL I'm thinking I rather move the cruise from Allure to Anthem so I can drive. Will RC  let us transfer our deposit to this new booking? The price on the original Empress cruise was extremely low so RC will actually get a larger cruise fare if they let us do this. I understand that we can cancel the Allure cruise under the cruise with confidence program however we would have to wait for the deposit return before rebooking. I just think it would be simpler if RC allows us to move to the Anthem cruise. Thoughts? Thanks.

If you cancel under CWC you won’t get your deposits back. They come back as FCC’s.  You could book a cruise right away and they will extend the due date for the deposit to accommodate the FCC being reissued.  
 

best to give them a call. 

[Sunshine3601]

It is my understanding that you can transfer your deposit to another cruise.  If you booked directly with rcl doesnt hurt to call and ask.  

Other threads are concerned about whether or not Nj/NY port authority will open for cruises in 2021 but I think 2022 you should be fine.

[Jcol5786]

Thanks for the replies. The FCC makes sense. I'd be happy to do that. We are still going back and forth on this one. We had the ocean view room on Empress with the little extra room that everyone wants when they book Empress. Because of that on Allure they let us book the Ocean View room at the front with the slanted window. Love those rooms. The price we paid is $1600C for 8 nights which is a great price so I hate to give it up but I also hate all the extra charges and the issues with flying - parking in TO, baggage fees, transport to and from the hotel to the cruise port etc. All those moving parts are so much easier when you drive IMO.

[Ken at the beach]

10 minutes ago, Jcol5786 said:

Thanks for the replies. The FCC makes sense. I'd be happy to do that. We are still going back and forth on this one. We had the ocean view room on Empress with the little extra room that everyone wants when they book Empress. Because of that on Allure they let us book the Ocean View room at the front with the slanted window. Love those rooms. The price we paid is $1600C for 8 nights which is a great price so I hate to give it up but I also hate all the extra charges and the issues with flying - parking in TO, baggage fees, transport to and from the hotel to the cruise port etc. All those moving parts are so much easier when you drive IMO.

You could drive to Florida. Been doing it twice a year for the last 10 years from Toronto. 

[d9704011]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You could drive to Florida. Been doing it twice a year for the last 10 years from Toronto. 

You drive directly to Florida from Toronto, get on a ship for a week or two, then drive directly back to Toronto?

[Ken at the beach]

4 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You drive directly to Florida from Toronto, get on a ship for a week or two, then drive directly back to Toronto?

Yep, 23 to 25 hours.  We leave at 3 in the afternoon and arrive the day before and grab a hotel for the night.  Sleep really well and the morning of the cruise is just like a normal day. 

 

Flights are a killer at Christmas and March break.  I’d rather drive and cruise twice a year.  

Edited February 28, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[d9704011]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yep, 23 to 25 hours.

 

Flights are a killer at Christmas and March break.  I’d rather drive and cruise twice a year.

Hmmm... The last few years it’s been a chore to drive from Ottawa to the Thousand Islands Bridge!  I guess we’ll stick with the airplane.

[Jcol5786]

Hi,

I've drove to Florida many times but I teach at a college and cruise during the reading week in February thus the need to fly if we book a Florida cruise. We have a cruise booked in May of 2022 on Explorer out of Miami which we'll be driving to.

[Jcol5786]

3 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Hmmm... The last few years it’s been a chore to drive from Ottawa to the Thousand Islands Bridge!  I guess we’ll stick with the airplane.

I'm in Kingston which is 30 minutes from the Thousand Islands so it's pretty easy for us to hit the duty free and cross.

[Jcol5786]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yep, 23 to 25 hours.  We leave at 3 in the afternoon and arrive the day before and grab a hotel for the night.  Sleep really well and the morning of the cruise is just like a normal day. 

 

Flights are a killer at Christmas and March break.  I’d rather drive and cruise twice a year.  

Do you drive straight through? I have to take 2 days. Daytona Beach is 20 hrs for us.

[Ken at the beach]

15 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Hmmm... The last few years it’s been a chore to drive from Ottawa to the Thousand Islands Bridge!  I guess we’ll stick with the airplane.

We did that route once to avoid some weather.  Hated it.  Took us almost 30 hours although having my mom with us having to stop at a bathroom every 2 hours probably didn’t help. 

[Ken at the beach]

9 minutes ago, Jcol5786 said:

Do you drive straight through? I have to take 2 days. Daytona Beach is 20 hrs for us.

It’s straight through. 
 

my wife’s a teacher and kids in school. I would have the car packed and pick her up on the Thursday before March break (our board has a board holiday on the Friday.  Occasionally she will take an unpaid day if I find a deal in a cruise where we can’t get there or make it back in time. 
 

We share the driving and now have 2 teens with licences. 

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

We did that route once to avoid some weather.  Hated it.  Took us almost 30 hours although having my mom with us having to stop at a bathroom every 2 hours probably didn’t help. 

Well, I can identify with the bathroom breaks every couple of hours; Rapaflo helps but....

 

I’ve driven to Florida several times in the winter and the stretch on I81 from the border to Harrisburg is a killer if the weather gets a bit iffy.

[Ken at the beach]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

Well, I can identify with the bathroom breaks every couple of hours; Rapaflo helps but....

 

I’ve driven to Florida several times in the winter and the stretch on I81 from the border to Harrisburg is a killer if the weather gets a bit iffy.

Our similar stretch  is I 90 from Buffalo to Erie.  Caught more than a few squalls there.  Luckily for us I can head south through Buffalo or Windsor and there’s only an hour difference in time.  The two routes seem to pick up different weather systems so if one looks bad we take the other.  We do the same thing coming home.  Decide which route back the morning of departure. 

[Ken at the beach]

22 minutes ago, Jcol5786 said:

I'm in Kingston which is 30 minutes from the Thousand Islands so it's pretty easy for us to hit the duty free and cross.

I’m heading to Kingston tomorrow.  Taking my step mom to a specialist appointment.  Which reminds me that I need to check the weather 

[Jcol5786]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’m heading to Kingston tomorrow.  Taking my step mom to a specialist appointment.  Which reminds me that I need to check the weather 

I work at KGH as well. Weather looks OK for travelling. Good luck with your appointment.

[Ken at the beach]

5 minutes ago, Jcol5786 said:

I work at KGH as well. Weather looks OK for travelling. Good luck with your appointment.

Thanks, Luckily tomorrow the appointment (consult) is at a clinic on the west side of town.  The next drive will be to KGH.

[ONECRUISER]

4 hours ago, d9704011 said:

You drive directly to Florida from Toronto, get on a ship for a week or two, then drive directly back to Toronto?

Michigan to Orlando 1200+ Miles (18/19hrs)or Michigan to MIA 1400+ Miles(21/22hrs) these each way. Did this 3-4 times a yr for 8yrs, 1/4 were Cruises. Love to drive, kids were great travelers. At times going 6+ hrs in between pit stops, most the time didnt stop for nite until were there in Florida. Twice got off ship in Miami in am, was home kids in school next morning after driving all nite. Back then Diamond(Top Tier then) we were in first 10 off ship, could park next to the ship, so close could hit my vehicle with a stone from my Balcony Cabin.

Edited March 1, 2021 by ONECRUISER