Cancellation policies - Adjustment?????

[ael123]

We are booked on the March 29th Sirena Barbados to Barcelona. Then we have a Viking River cruise and are booked on the Queen Mary 2 back to New York.  I am considering cancelling due to Covid, my past health history and the State Department's issuing a "Do Not Travel" Warning to Spain, The Netherlands, and the UK all places we would be going. I checked with Viking and with their worry free travel policy I can cancel with a full future cruise credit. Cunard pushed the final payment date into March so that their passengers can cancel and still keep their final payments. I called Oceania two days ago and was told that if I cancel I am in the 50% penalty period but that I can request a future cruise credit for the 50% I would lose. I thought that was fair, however, yesterday I called my agent and advised him to cancel. He called Oceania and told me they are not accepting any further requests to provide a future cruise credit for cancellations. That change occurred literally over night. Has anyone cancelled recently on a cruise that was in the 50% penalty period? What is your experience? Initially we had an ocean view but we upgraded just before Omicron to a B3 Balcony and paid the difference in full. Given Covid 19 has worsened since we bought and paid for our cruise  I  would think that Oceania should allow some adjustments.  Maybe my agent is incorrect? What is your experience?

[Redtravel]

Tell your agent to keep asking. My TA had similar issues, but eventually got us fcc for canceling.  At first, we were told that the fcc expiration was March 2023.  We booked a similar cruise for 2023 . Embarkation date was exactly one year later.  A few days later, TA told us that Oceania insisted that our fcc expiration date was 12/31/22.  We were annoyed. Rebooked for a 2022 cruise at a not so desirable time of year.  The one take away from this experience is that we will be hesitant in the future when booking.  My TA said that

 all other cruise lines have honored all requests regarding cancellations.  How you are treated during the pandemic will determine the future of that business. Most businesses have been overly helpful.  

[ToxM]

What a nice itinerary you have planned!

 

I cannot offer any experience around the cancellation shenanigans, but I will say that in the UK we are past our peak with omicron cases and expect that the majority of Europe will be in the same position by the end of March. We are almost officially on our way to being endemic rather than pandemic. I hope this allows you some context with which to make any decision you have to make. 

 

I am also on the March 29th TA, we are doing a week in Barbados prior and then 2 days in Barcelona. Care taken during mass transit stages and then the new common sense we have had drilled into us will likely be more than enough to keep us all safe. The passenger load on Sirena looks very light at the moment, you are going to have less on the river cruise and having been on QM2 for their startup cruise in November, and having watched them learn from their mistakes subsequently, I think your route (imho) is as safe as it can be. 

 

I am of course not you, and have no idea o the context of your decision making to this point, but I hope the above helps you somewhat. 

[ORV]

With Marina taking over the Caribbean cruises for Sirena is it still doing that TA? 

[ToxM]

12 minutes ago, ORV said:

With Marina taking over the Caribbean cruises for Sirena is it still doing that TA? 

It is. My TA has confirmed with Oceania. 
 

At the moment anyway. That’s what I am going on. 

[KS&JW]

17 minutes ago, ORV said:

With Marina taking over the Caribbean cruises for Sirena is it still doing that TA? 

If Sirena is going to do any cruises in the Med this summer, the ship needs to get over there.  I don't see them canceling the TA unless things really go south. 

[ORV]

5 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

If Sirena is going to do any cruises in the Med this summer, the ship needs to get over there.  I don't see them canceling the TA unless things really go south. 

Where is the Sirena at this point? 

 

Edit, Just looked that up. It's already hanging around outside La Spezia. I actually thought one of the reasons the Marina was taking over for it in the Caribbean was so it wouldn't have to come over here. Maybe I'm missing something. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by ORV

[HiFi43]

Sirena is just off Northern Italy now

 

Oceania Sirena current location is at West Mediterranean (coordinates 43.81889 N / 9.88429 E) cruising at speed of 14.3 kn (26 kph/ 16 mph) en route to LA SPEZIA. The AIS position was reported 57 seconds ago.

[ToxM]

10 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

If Sirena is going to do any cruises in the Med this summer, the ship needs to get over there.  I don't see them canceling the TA unless things really go south. 

 

6 minutes ago, ORV said:

Where is the Sirena at this point? 

Italy at the moment. That’s why it seems counterintuitive that it would do the TA. I think the trip over to Barbados will be a shakedown. I did ask my TA to confirm with O was on and they did and another TA I know has had it confirmed as well. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by ToxM

[KS&JW]

8 minutes ago, ORV said:

Where is the Sirena at this point? 

 

Edit, Just looked that up. It's already hanging around outside La Spezia. I actually thought one of the reasons the Marina was taking over for it in the Caribbean was so it wouldn't have to come over here. Maybe I'm missing something. 

I had not realized that.   Who knows about the TA then.

[ToxM]

I do think if they were going to cancel it they would have with the swathe that they did with the Marina substitution. 
 

I was a mess last week about it but feeling much more confident this week. 
 

I am naturally a pessimist so maybe this is a bad thing. 

[KS&JW]

57 minutes ago, ToxM said:

I do think if they were going to cancel it they would have with the swathe that they did with the Marina substitution. 
 

 

Makes sense.

[susiesan]

Which Caribbean cruises in March 2022 are still showing as being on Sirena?