More Cancellations, the FCC Window Stays the Same...

[Classiccruiser777]

With the cancellations of all Oceania cruises through July 2021 Oceania should extend the window in which FCCs may be used. To maintain the requirement that the credits taken in lieu of full refunds must be used on a completed cruise by the end of 2022 is unacceptable.

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

With the cancellations of all Oceania cruises through July 2021 Oceania should extend the window in which FCCs may be used. To maintain the requirement that the credits taken in lieu of full refunds must be used on a completed cruise by the end of 2022 is unacceptable.

Since this COVID mess started, the usual practice has been for O to extend the “book by/cruise” by deadlines of FCCs they returned to cruisers when the cruise for which they were used has been cancelled by O.  If I remember correctly, the new deadlines have varied based on current circumstances. But, normally, they’ve allowed a new “book by” window of, at least, several months and new “cruise by” deadlines of, at least, a year away.

 

Cruises that O has now cancelled through July 2021 will probably allow reuse of the returned FCCs with a new “cruise by” deadline as far out as the end of 2022 (if for no other reason than there’s not much availability left in 2022).

 

That said, one of the best things about O is their willingness to consider reasonable requests for extensions of these type of deadlines when there are extenuating circumstances (like Covid). It has worked for us.

 

Note, however, that your best bet for a “cruise by” FCC deadline extension is to have a particular future cruise for which you want the returned FCC applied. IMO, a blanket extension request (with no desired future cruise in the mix), will get you nowhere. And, this is one of those situations where (though you could do it directly with O) the right Connoisseurs’ Club TA can move your request along expeditiously.

 

So, if you’re looking at what is currently available through early 2023, you can certainly ask for a “cruise by” deadline extension for a specific cruise. But, there’s no guarantees - particularly since O appears to want folks to use the current FCCs before the end of 2022 and not issue new ones from now on (for the time being).

 

[PaulMCO]

It also means that the book by date and used by dates of past FCCs will NOT be extended.   Example being our Cuba FCC which had to be used by end of 2021 and had to be booked by end of 2020.

We were already told that this has expired and will not be considered for any future cruise despite the fact that two cruises it was applied by O were cancelled by O. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

It also means that the book by date and used by dates of past FCCs will NOT be extended.   Example being our Cuba FCC which had to be used by end of 2021 and had to be booked by end of 2020.

We were already told that this has expired and will not be considered for any future cruise despite the fact that two cruises it was applied by O were cancelled by O. 

Unclear on what you’re saying.

Did you not comply with the original deadlines in booking a replacement cruise after the Cuba cruise cancelled? 
Sounds like FCC was applied to 2nd cruise OK but that was cancelled too. 
So, was second cruise (for which FCC was reused) cancelled too?

If so, did you get new deadlines on FCC reissue? 

The only thing I could see being a problem is if you kept booking within the new deadlines for each reissue and O said you can’t get a third reissue.

[PaulMCO]

58 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Unclear on what you’re saying.

Did you not comply with the original deadlines in booking a replacement cruise after the Cuba cruise cancelled? 
Sounds like FCC was applied to 2nd cruise OK but that was cancelled too. 
So, was second cruise (for which FCC was reused) cancelled too?

If so, did you get new deadlines on FCC reissue? 

The only thing I could see being a problem is if you kept booking within the new deadlines for each reissue and O said you can’t get a third reissue.

Yes I did comply.  Yes I did, and cancelled by O.  O would not extend the deadline for it its use in 2022.  I am still working with TA to see if we can resolve it. I will want to use that plus other FCC in 2022 when my Alaska cruise is cancelled next month. 

 

Would think other people have have similar issue with FCC received as Administration credit from cruise cancelled cruise where you have 1 year to use it.

 

It is getting very difficult to track the FCC especially through multiple cancellations and deposits that are also rolled in FCC.  I have saved all the emails from Oceania (my TA sends me a copy) outlining how each was calculated.

Edited April 8, 2021 by PaulMCO

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

Yes I did comply.  Yes I did, and cancelled by O.  O would not extend the deadline for it its use in 2022.  I am still working with TA to see if we can resolve it. I will want to use that plus other FCC in 2022 when my Alaska cruise is cancelled next month. 

 

Would think other people have have similar issue with FCC received as Administration credit from cruise cancelled cruise where you have 1 year to use it.

 

It is getting very difficult to track the FCC especially through multiple cancellations and deposits that are also rolled in FCC.  I have saved all the emails from Oceania (my TA sends me a copy) outlining how each was calculated.

As I said in my earlier post, the key is to have a specific future cruise in mind and ask that the exemption be made to apply the FCC(s) to that cruise which you have booked “on hold” for several days awaiting the FCC exemption decision. 

We had multiple FCCs from early 2020 O cancellations applied (with some $$$) to an “extended journey” in late 2020 that O  also cancelled. The original FCCs were reissued (with different new deadlines based somewhat on original dates) and we took a third FCC for the cash in the newly cancelled deal. So, we had a mix of three new deadline dates spread out through 2022. We then identified two future late 2022 segments (B2B but not an “extended journey”) for which we’d need at least one FCC extension. 

 

Most often, we book onboard and then transfer to a TA. But, with the Covid “no cruise” situation, we fell back on Plan B - a trusted/terrific O phone rep who got us the FCC exception plus carry over of the original “book onboard” discounts et al..

 

Once that was all done, we transferred to the TA.

Bottom line: we found O to be accommodating for reasonable requests.

[Paulchili]

We had 4 O cruises scheduled for 2020 and all were cancelled by O.

This is exactly why I chose to get cash refunds on all 4 to avoid the FCC “mess”

Edited April 8, 2021 by Paulchili

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

We had 4 O cruises scheduled for 2020 and all were cancelled by O.

This is exactly why I chose to get cash refunds on all 4 to avoid the FCC “mess”

FWIW: For the first two 2020 cruises (one modified enroute and one cancelled, we got the refunds AND the FCCs were a bonus!

The third 2020 cancelled cruise, which had used those FCCs didn’t have that much cash in it. So we opted for the an FCC for the cash so that we’d use all three FCCs for one late 2022 cruise. When the dust settled, our cash outlay for the currently booked 24 day B cabin Med cruise in October 2022 will be <$500.

 

But, for the future, unless there’s a sizable bonus for taking an FCC instead of $ refund (if there even still are FCCs[?]), we’ll take the $ refunds for cancellations.

[Redtravel]

Ask for extensions. I did and got it.

[Classiccruiser777]

3 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Ask for extensions. I did and got it.

With whom did you talk to get an extension? I just tried to book an early 2023 cruise using our just cancelled Alaska cruise funds and was refused.

[LHT28]

41 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

With whom did you talk to get an extension? I just tried to book an early 2023 cruise using our just cancelled Alaska cruise funds and was refused.

Were you using an FCC ?

[Redtravel]

52 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

With whom did you talk to get an extension? I just tried to book an early 2023 cruise using our just cancelled Alaska cruise funds and was refused.

My original book by date was March 2021, sail by March 2022.  I did book a summer 2021 cruise that is canceled.  Since my original book by date is gone, my travel agent asked for extension of dates.  Book by end of 2021, sail by end of 2022.  Seems ok since nothing is sailing now.  The booking and rebooking is getting old fast.  thinking that it doesn't make sense that Oceania would turn away a booking.  Ask your TA to request an extension.  If they refuse, they will be the losers.  Oceania doesn't need negative experiences. when a business treats customers unfairly, people stop doing business with them.  During the pandemic, companies that have been fair and treated customers fairly will get future business.  I have had good and bad experiences during the pandemic.  Some companies gave back refunds or extended services. Some just kept my money. I won't be using them again.

[Classiccruiser777]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Were you using an FCC ?

Yes

 

[LHT28]

39 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Yes

 

what were the terms of the FCC?

 Maybe you had to sail prior to 2023 ?

Seems odd they would refuse the new booking otherwise

[Classiccruiser777]

40 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

what were the terms of the FCC?

 Maybe you had to sail prior to 2023 ?

Seems odd they would refuse the new booking otherwise

Oceania  just agreed to provide a full cash refund.

 

It had been a FCC from a cancelled 2020 cruise that was used for a similar 2021 cruise. The condition of the original FCC was that it must be used and the cruise completed by the end of 2022. With all the ongoing cancellations my feeling was that it would only be fair to extend the window of these FCCs.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Oceania  just agreed to provide a full cash refund.

 

It had been a FCC from a cancelled 2020 cruise that was used for a similar 2021 cruise. The condition of the original FCC was that it must be used and the cruise completed by the end of 2022. With all the ongoing cancellations my feeling was that it would only be fair to extend the window of these FCCs.

That is good news for you 👍

 

Yes I agree they should extend the FCC booking/sailing dates   since  no cruises are available  yet  & may not be  for  a while

[Classiccruiser777]

16 hours ago, Paulchili said:

We had 4 O cruises scheduled for 2020 and all were cancelled by O.

This is exactly why I chose to get cash refunds on all 4 to avoid the FCC “mess”

Oceania just agreed to provide us with a full cash refund.

[Paulchili]

2 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Oceania just agreed to provide us with a full cash refund.

Good to know.

[Daniel A]

On 4/8/2021 at 5:29 PM, Classiccruiser777 said:

Oceania just agreed to provide us with a full cash refund.

Any idea how long it has been taking to get refunds posted back to credit cards?

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Any idea how long it has been taking to get refunds posted back to credit cards?

Ours was way last year but IIRC it was right at 45 days which is what we were told.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Any idea how long it has been taking to get refunds posted back to credit cards?

In 2020, O modified one of our cruises early in the year and later cancelled our two other Extended Journeys (spring and autumn). In each case, appropriate CC refunds and FCC redeposits (with new book by/use by deadlines) and even some bonus FCCs were all completed in 10-14 days.

[KS&JW]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Any idea how long it has been taking to get refunds posted back to credit cards?

 I canceled a cruise a month ago.  Was told it could take 90 days.  It took less than a week.