Can someone explain Celebrity cancellation policy please??

[GatorMomInNC]

Hello - Our Princess Cruise was cancelled, so we just booked on Celebrity Silhouette for a October  -- Cruise to Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands.  I chose the refundable fare.  The way it was explained to me by Celebrity was that with the current policy, we could cance up to 2 days before but only get a FCC.   If we paid the $700 extra, we can get a cash refund up to 2 days before.  I asked several times, and this is what I was told.  But, my confirmation info doesn't say that??  So any experienced Celebrity Cruisers here who can tell me if this is true? My PIF date is in August.    

 

I am cruising with my sister, and when our Princess Cruise was cancelled we had already booked our airline tix.  I have a $3200 aifare credit, she has $1500, and my sister wants to get her money back, not another huge credit she may not use if we have to cruise a different line, etc.  This is 4th time we have changed our cruising plans, so if this one gets cancelled we are just going to fly to Europe (assuming we are allowed still in November) and spend 2 weeks traveling around and NOT cruise. 

 

Any guidance greatly appreciated!

[cruiserchuck]

For cruises booked by the end of July, Celebrity is allowing cancellations up to two days before the cruise, with a full refund.  If you cancel within the penalty period, the refund is via FCC.  I am not sure what the extra $700 amount is, but it sounds like they are offering a cancel for any reason policy (with a cash refund) in return for the extra $700 payment.

[jelayne]

@cruiserchuckmay have found something different on  Celebrity’s website but from what  I know there is no refund at 48 hrs  pre cruise, which is within the penalty period so you get a FCC.  So does your confirmation say you purchased insurance thru Celebrity?

 

Here is what the website says regarding cancelling.  I would suggest you check your confirmation closely and, if the $700 was for insurance you get the details of the insurance.  
If the $700 was for a refundable deposit then once you are past final payment the amount of your refund will be less than 100% and should be spelled out in your booking confirmation under cancellation penalty.

We never buy insurance thru the cruise line so I’m not sure what it covers.

I 

Edited June 22, 2021 by jelayne

[GatorMomInNC]

Thanks for the responses.  I didn't see these until just recently. 

 

Just to clarify, when I booked I had an option to pay a higher cruise fare, by $700, for a "refundable deposit".  I booked on the phone, and the customer service told me that if I choose that option and I have to cancel with the "cruise with confidence" i.e., between the PIF date and 2 days before the cruise I could get a CASH refund, not a FCC.   But this was not in writing, and I don't know if the person was right.    If that is not the case, there is no reason for me to pay extra, since my PIF is in the very near future, and I am not planning to cancel the cruise before then.  

 

Just wondered if anyone had any idea if this is WRONG or RIGHT.....

[cruiserchuck]

I believe if you cancel before the penalty period begins (90 days before the cruise), you would get a full cash refund.  If you cancel after the penalty period begins, you would receive FCC.  So it sounds like you were given incorrect information.  

 

I saw another thread today indicating that Celebrity has cancelled the September Silhouette sailings.  

[Gail & Dan]

If I read this correctly you pay $700 for a refundable Deposit ?? how much is the deposit?? $960

 

[wrk2cruise]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:49 AM, GatorMomInNC said:

Thanks for the responses.  I didn't see these until just recently. 

 

Just to clarify, when I booked I had an option to pay a higher cruise fare, by $700, for a "refundable deposit".  I booked on the phone, and the customer service told me that if I choose that option and I have to cancel with the "cruise with confidence" i.e., between the PIF date and 2 days before the cruise I could get a CASH refund, not a FCC.   But this was not in writing, and I don't know if the person was right.    If that is not the case, there is no reason for me to pay extra, since my PIF is in the very near future, and I am not planning to cancel the cruise before then.  

 

Just wondered if anyone had any idea if this is WRONG or RIGHT.....

 

The agent on the phone was WRONG.  Refundable deposit is just that for the deposit.  Once you get to final payment date 90 days out you are in the "penalty" period where there is a scale shown on your invoice of what % is refunded in cash and what is penalty (lost) if you cancel.

 

Current bookings have the Cruise With Confidence protection which will provide the option to get 100% of your cruise fare returned as FCC with book by/use by deadlines mid next year as long as you cancel up to 48 hrs prior.

 

Now if you have just booked you are very close to the final payment date.  I would have not paid up for the refundable deposit as you paid $700 to protect what I suspect is a $900 deposit for about 30 days.  

 

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

The agent on the phone was WRONG.  Refundable deposit is just that for the deposit.  Once you get to final payment date 90 days out you are in the "penalty" period where there is a scale shown on your invoice of what % is refunded in cash and what is penalty (lost) if you cancel.

 

Current bookings have the Cruise With Confidence protection which will provide the option to get 100% of your cruise fare returned as FCC with book by/use by deadlines mid next year as long as you cancel up to 48 hrs prior.

 

Now if you have just booked you are very close to the final payment date.  I would have not paid up for the refundable deposit as you paid $700 to protect what I suspect is a $900 deposit for about 30 days.  

 

If true this is a terrible and costly misunderstanding, because they could have paid $700 less and lost only $100 with a $800 FCC when cancelling before the Final Payment.

IMO Celebrity is successfully shifting customers to the non refundable deposits with the price difference.  In my case, I previously  never put down a non refundable deposit, but I do now.  I look at it as “risking” only $100.  An FCC is OK with me for such a cost difference.  Of course I seldom cancel a cruise, so it does not really matter.

Edited July 12, 2021 by jagoffee

[abbydancer2003]

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

If true this is a terrible and costly misunderstanding, because they could have paid $700 less and lost only $100 with a $800 FCC when cancelling before the Final Payment.

IMO Celebrity is successfully shifting customers to the non refundable deposits with the price difference.  In my case, I previously  never put down a non refundable deposit, but I do now.  I look at it as “risking” only $100.  An FCC is OK with me for such a cost difference.  Of course I seldom cancel a cruise, so it does not really matter.

Same here.  It sort of self cancellation insurance.  I've saved so much by getting NRDs that even if at some point I have to pay 100.00 cancel fee, I've saved a whole lot more on cruises I haven't cancelled.

[ipeeinthepool]

6 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

The agent on the phone was WRONG.  Refundable deposit is just that for the deposit.  Once you get to final payment date 90 days out you are in the "penalty" period where there is a scale shown on your invoice of what % is refunded in cash and what is penalty (lost) if you cancel.

 

Current bookings have the Cruise With Confidence protection which will provide the option to get 100% of your cruise fare returned as FCC with book by/use by deadlines mid next year as long as you cancel up to 48 hrs prior.

 

Now if you have just booked you are very close to the final payment date.  I would have not paid up for the refundable deposit as you paid $700 to protect what I suspect is a $900 deposit for about 30 days.  

 

 

If fares have not gone up, it sounds like the OP should consider cancelling and re-booking a non-refundable fare.

[wrk2cruise]

That's what I'd recommend unless there is a chance they will cancel in the next couple of weeks and have no plans to sail on Celebrity in the next year.

[GatorMomInNC]

Thanks everyone - sorry it took so long to check back here.  We did end up cancelling the cruise.  It sailed out of England and we were afraid THEY were going to cancel on US (we have already had another cruise cancelled by Princess).  We didn't want to have to keep dealing with changing flights and uncertainty, so I switched to a Norwegian cruise out of Greece as those have been sailing a while and we figured it wouldn't get cancelled.  I would have preferred Celebrity, but they didn't have anything available.  

 

But, knowing what everyone here has said, if we had decided to keep the cruise I would have re-booked at the lower rate.  It is very discouraging that the agent gave me the wrong info about the refund policy.