COVID-19 Issues - I want to cancel

[jplovestocruise]

Hello,

 

We were so excited for our cruise...we sail January 2nd. But, with all that is going on, including all of the crazy posts we are reading on this forum, we feel the best thing to do is cancel.

 

I cannot find anything regarding an update on NCL's cancellation policy, even though their seems to be an outbreak event going on. So, as far as I can tell, we are going to be forced to go on this cruise, or we will have to forfeit our money? That's our only option (as of 9:36 AM CST on 12/27) correct?

[omyjamie]

Yes. We are in the same spot. I called to cancel and they stopped their true "peace of mind" sailings on Oct 30, 2021. Now, it is their old policy, cancel up to 61 days prior to sailing without penalty, but anything after that, you forfeit 100% except the extras and port taxes/fees. I was livid, and had to apologize to the agent multiple times because i know it is not his fault. Only people that reside outside of the US and their countries have put a policy in place that prevent them from traveling are allowed to cancel now.

 

The best thing you can do is test 2-3 days before your cruise, and if its negative, and then if you get denied boarding for testing positive at embarking, you will receive a FCC. NCL seems to have the most strict policy for cancellation. I'm not a fan. Sacrificing short term money to ensure you will have lifelong cruisers is what they should be doing, but its about the bottom line. Yes, its really expensive for the cruise line to allow cancellations like this... but now those of us in the bucket that are concerned about flights, testing positive, needing to quarantine if we test positive and cant get home, etc. have been boxed into a corner, or lose out on thousands of dollars, because of a wave of a variant that NO ONE could have predicted in October of this year. 

 

Its extremely disheartening. On top of that, we have to worry about even being able to make it to the pier now, because hundreds of flights are being cancelled per day due to the airlines having to cancel because of this variant.

 

Good luck. Our sailing is Jan 5. We're "going" but we are every bit prepared that it might not be happening.

[P_Mcruisers]

Oh well...

[jplovestocruise]

8 minutes ago, omyjamie said:

Yes. We are in the same spot. I called to cancel and they stopped their true "peace of mind" sailings on Oct 30, 2021. Now, it is their old policy, cancel up to 61 days prior to sailing without penalty, but anything after that, you forfeit 100% except the extras and port taxes/fees. I was livid, and had to apologize to the agent multiple times because i know it is not his fault. Only people that reside outside of the US and their countries have put a policy in place that prevent them from traveling are allowed to cancel now.

 

The best thing you can do is test 2-3 days before your cruise, and if its negative, and then if you get denied boarding for testing positive at embarking, you will receive a FCC. NCL seems to have the most strict policy for cancellation. I'm not a fan. Sacrificing short term money to ensure you will have lifelong cruisers is what they should be doing, but its about the bottom line. Yes, its really expensive for the cruise line to allow cancellations like this... but now those of us in the bucket that are concerned about flights, testing positive, needing to quarantine if we test positive and cant get home, etc. have been boxed into a corner, or lose out on thousands of dollars, because of a wave of a variant that NO ONE could have predicted in October of this year. 

 

Its extremely disheartening. On top of that, we have to worry about even being able to make it to the pier now, because hundreds of flights are being cancelled per day due to the airlines having to cancel because of this variant.

 

Good luck. Our sailing is Jan 5. We're "going" but we are every bit prepared that it might not be happening.

 

Thank you for the detailed reply, it really helped! I agree it is rather unfortunate... I don't understand why they would want to force people to cruise during this time, like...you have my money, I'm not asking for it back, I'd just prefer to use it for a time when and my family will not have to be stressed out.

Seems like their should be some kind of regulatory intervention with the danger of the situation - such as making it mandatory for the cruise lines to offer forgiveness for cancellation, considering the pending dangers. But, alas, we will do everything we can to have a good time! Fingers crossed.

[TNcruising02]

We are in the same position.  My husband and I decided to hold off on cruising until masks were no longer required.  My sister-in-law convinced us to book a  cruise with Norwegian because they didn't require masks.  We booked and then Norwegian recently changed their policy.  Now the new variant is raging.  We want to cancel.  However, we would lose 25% of what we paid.  That's a lot of money.  And we would only get a FCC.

I believe some of the other lines are giving refunds.  We are stuck.  We will definitely take a test before we head to florida.  I also want to get two home tests to test the morning of the cruise.  I don't want to check my luggage, find out we are positive, and then wait five hours to get our luggage back.  Plus, now we are concerned about catching the virus at the airport.  We are considering driving, but it's a very long drive and would require an extra night at a hotel.  Anyway, this isn't how I want to start a cruise.

I wish Norwegian would at least let us move our cruise to a later date, but we would lose 25%.  Carnival let us move our cruise when they changed their policy and they would have allowed for a refund.  I have never  been less excited to go on a cruise.  It seems like a huge waste of money.

[phillygwm]

If you have the standard or platinum NCL travel protection, it allows for a CFAR FCC at 75 or 90% respectively.  

 

If I were scheduled on a cruise imminently, my concern would be about the quality of the cruise (mask mandate, missed ports, etc.) versus getting sick.  You're unlikely to get very sick if you're vaxxed, though depending on where you're travelling from/to there may be quarantine considerations as well.

[flying fingers]

I'm scheduled to sail 1/9. Worried about flight being cancelled as well as testing positive at the pier. I have a PCR test scheduled prior to going but still don't like the risks around not getting there and being denied boarding. I would gladly take FCC or reschedule for a different date. 

[sunshine4me2]

We were booked on Getaway departing today, the 27th.  We too had concerns about Covid #’s rising, and given our ages, 72 & 76.  We booked our cruise January 2021, and after 11 months of planning, and also NCL cancelling our October 2021 cruise, we were just so ready to cruise the Getaway.  Broke our hearts to cancel 5 days before our “bucket list New Years” celebration.

At time of booking we purchased thru NCL  Platinum Plan travel insurance.  When I cancelled,  I was told we would be credited to our credit card, our deposit and Cruise Next certificate we purchased and for the remainder, I needed to file a claim with AON, which I did just yesterday.  NCL advised me I would lose the cost of the insurance and 10% of cruise fare.  I believe the balance from AON, it will be in FCC.  I’ll post when I get status from AON.

Do we fell relieved that we canceled, yes, but sure wish the world was a healthier place.

 

[kfnesq]

We are also in the same position - we are scheduled to cruise on January 18.  We do have CFAR insurance (not with NCL) and would get 75% of the cost back, but would still be out some money, of course.  No luck with asking NCL to rebook to a future cruise or anything (as expected), but it is disheartening that other cruise lines (RCL, at least) has relaxed their cancellation policies during this new surge while NCL seemingly just wants their money and doesn't care much about offering any kind of alternatives for those who don't wish to sail under the current conditions and/or are more concerned with safety and wellness.

[GoldenGirl327]

If you are around people who have tested positive, and you're within 3 weeks of leaving, what if anything, do you have to show to be eligible for FCC? DO you yourself have to be tested and be positive?

[MsTabbyKats]

Here's my feeling about "losing all your money".

 

The money is spent...gone.  If you go on the cruise you'll be spending some more money.  So look it it this way....that additional money is money you'll save by not going.  And...you won't have the stress.

 

 

[RRSeeker]

I called today also, waited on hold 1.5 hours to talk to casinos at sea. Same thing, need to file claim to get 75% ffc. My cruise isn’t until February 13th, just wanted to change the date. I am just going to wait until they are forced to change their policy or cancel if necessary right before the cruise. I will lose the same amount regardless of what I do.

 

I was told the long wait time was people booking cruises, not people trying to cancel. I have my doubts there was a rush to book cruises today like they said. 

[flying fingers]

17 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Here's my feeling about "losing all your money".

 

The money is spent...gone.  If you go on the cruise you'll be spending some more money.  So look it it this way....that additional money is money you'll save by not going.  And...you won't have the stress.

I'm trying to look at it that way but it still stings. Since I have nothing to lose by waiting until last minute I'm gong to that.  May have to stay off this board to keep my anxiety down. I was originally happy just o spend time on my balcony and on outside decks. A lit of options to eat outside also. Have to remember that and get my joy at cruising on a network no crowded ship back!  

17 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

 

 

 

[Lou33]

If you had booked Royal Caribbean, you would feel much better right now.  They will allow you to cancel up to 48 hours before your cruise:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence

 

In addition, if you test positive up to 14 days before your cruise, they will give a full refund, not just FCC.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/covid-19-cancellations-and-refunds-policy.pdf

 

Also with Royal Caribbean the final payment is not even due until 30 days prior to the cruise.

 

We have our final payment with NCL due this week.  Knowing the more restrictive policies with NCL, will they wonder why there are mass cancellations when payments are due?  One company says: "don't worry, we want you for the long term".  The other says: "Lets grab their money while we can".  

Edited December 27, 2021 by Lou33

[TNcruising02]

40 minutes ago, flying fingers said:

I'm trying to look at it that way but it still stings. Since I have nothing to lose by waiting until last minute I'm gong to that.  May have to stay off this board to keep my anxiety down. I was originally happy just o spend time on my balcony and on outside decks. A lit of options to eat outside also. Have to remember that and get my joy at cruising on a network no crowded ship back!  

 

I agree that you have nothing to lose by waiting.  Neither do I.  If I cancel right before my cruise, I will still lose the same amount of money.  However, by holding out there is still the possibility that Norwegian will follow other lines and let people move their cruise or even get a refund.  Also, there is the possibility a cruise might be cancelled.  I can always cancel right before my cruise, so I will just see how things are going in a couple of weeks.

[mvh]

If you're worried about the cost, right now it makes sense to cancel before final payment if you are able. Then if you still really want to go you can book a week before the sailing at a fraction of the original price right now.  My mid January cruise is half of what I paid with a ton of open rooms.  Probably not going to bother going and just eating the cost.  Honestly, can a cruise really be any fun right now?  If so, please explain how. 

[MsTabbyKats]

I'm not cheerleading or anything, but in light of very recent developments NCL would be foolish to not have a more flexible cancellation policy.

 

I have a final payment coming up and I'm almost certain I'm gonna cancel.  Worst case scenario...things get better and I rebook a few days before sailing.  May cost a little more (probably a little less) but I'll avoid the dilemma.

[MNcruisingcouple]

18 minutes ago, mvh said:

If you're worried about the cost, right now it makes sense to cancel before final payment if you are able. Then if you still really want to go you can book a week before the sailing at a fraction of the original price right now.  My mid January cruise is half of what I paid with a ton of open rooms.  Probably not going to bother going and just eating the cost.  Honestly, can a cruise really be any fun right now?  If so, please explain how. 

 

We were on the Breakaway that sailed 12/5 from New Orleans.  Group of 7, sat in the terminal for 5 hours, finally boarded, masks required, tested twice during the week.  Still had an amazing time.  Great food and drinks, great weather, amazing staff, fun music.  

[kfnesq]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

I agree that you have nothing to lose by waiting.  Neither do I.  If I cancel right before my cruise, I will still lose the same amount of money.  However, by holding out there is still the possibility that Norwegian will follow other lines and let people move their cruise or even get a refund.  Also, there is the possibility a cruise might be cancelled.  I can always cancel right before my cruise, so I will just see how things are going in a couple of weeks.

Exactly - this is what I plan to do as well. 

[kfnesq]

5 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

We were on the Breakaway that sailed 12/5 from New Orleans.  Group of 7, sat in the terminal for 5 hours, finally boarded, masks required, tested twice during the week.  Still had an amazing time.  Great food and drinks, great weather, amazing staff, fun music.  

Just curious - why were you tested twice during the cruise?  Was everyone tested?

[ChiefMateJRK]

37 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I'm not cheerleading or anything, but in light of very recent developments NCL would be foolish to not have a more flexible cancellation policy.

 

I have a final payment coming up and I'm almost certain I'm gonna cancel.  Worst case scenario...things get better and I rebook a few days before sailing.  May cost a little more (probably a little less) but I'll avoid the dilemma.

I'm leaning in the same direction.  I have two final payments due in January and I really can't see myself making those final payments.  One is POA, which is more risky on both sides (a) the prices have gone way up since I booked countered by (b) Hawaii may shut down cruising and keep us guessing for when they will restart.  The other is just a backup AK cruise, which I have little concern about prices being substantially more expensive a month or so before the cruise.  We're not very picky wrt room selections.

[CarolinaMamma]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

I agree that you have nothing to lose by waiting.  Neither do I.  If I cancel right before my cruise, I will still lose the same amount of money.  However, by holding out there is still the possibility that Norwegian will follow other lines and let people move their cruise or even get a refund.  Also, there is the possibility a cruise might be cancelled.  I can always cancel right before my cruise, so I will just see how things are going in a couple of weeks.

Yep. Our ApriL 2020 cruise was cancelled by NCL and we got a full refund, but the people who cancelled a few days before NCL cancelled the cruise got totally screwed. 
 

One thing I did before that cruise was cancelled was I removed every single optional thong from my cruise (prepaid gratuities, specialty dining, shore excursions, premium plus beverage package( so o could get a cash refund for those things right away, knowing that I could always add them in later if the cruise was a go. 
 

We are scheduled to sail Jan 16 and I have the same hesitations about the nightmare that will happen if we test positive at the pier. We have CFAR insurance that will get us a 75% refund if we cancel up to 48 hours in advance, but I’m not ready to cancel yet. Will continue watching this board and the experiences of others. 

[vacruizer]

28 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I'm not cheerleading or anything, but in light of very recent developments NCL would be foolish to not have a more flexible cancellation policy.

 

I have a final payment coming up and I'm almost certain I'm gonna cancel.  Worst case scenario...things get better and I rebook a few days before sailing.  May cost a little more (probably a little less) but I'll avoid the dilemma.

Agreed. Carnival and RC are both allowing cancellations right now without penalty. I’m booked on the Joy for my honeymoon at the end of January and thought I’d be really excited to finally be back on a ship again. Now I’m just stressed. 
 

We opted NCL at first for their no mask policy and because they refused to extend a Cruise Next Certificate expiring next month - even though it’s now been applied to multiple sailings that never went during the shutdown. Figured we could accept the masks when that announcement came (we aren’t anti mask at all) but would be nice to have options with all the changes over the last few weeks. I’m definitely disturbed by the multiple reports of chaos at various terminals when someone tests positive and not getting the assistance NCl promised. 
 

When booking, we were at that point confident in traveling again but much has changed in the last few weeks.  I fully get that the cruise lines are hurting for income, but a little goodwill and flexibility would keep many of us coming back in the future. Instead I’m just feeling like I threw away a lot of hard earned money to not even get the product I was sold. 

[Sand and Seas]

45 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

We were on the Breakaway that sailed 12/5 from New Orleans.  Group of 7, sat in the terminal for 5 hours, finally boarded, masks required, tested twice during the week.  Still had an amazing time.  Great food and drinks, great weather, amazing staff, fun music.  

We were on this cruise too and I totally agree!

For the poster who asked about 'why tested twice', this was part of an agreement with the CDC.  The cruise before us had 17 (or 20?) positive cases, one of which was a possible Omicron.  CDC held us up for a few hours and finally agreed to let us sail masked with everyone being tested twice.

 

[Lou33]

2 hours ago, mvh said:

If you're worried about the cost, right now it makes sense to cancel before final payment if you are able.

 

2 hours ago, omyjamie said:

All I kept thinking was how poor NCL has handled a lot of this pandemic stuff. 

 

2 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I'm not cheerleading or anything, but in light of very recent developments NCL would be foolish to not have a more flexible cancellation policy.

I really like cruising on NCL.  They do many things very well, and if there are no problems or issues, it is a great experience.  But over the last few years, I've noticed that when things do not go well, they seem to hang you out to dry. 

 

It's kind of like working for a company.  The may treat me well during the good times.  But what I remember most is how I'm treated during the bad times.