$500 fee to change cruise / No more Cruise with Confidence?

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

Why not.  Paxs did not ask for refunds and in essence provided them liquidity.  So instead we have FCCs with expirations dates.  

I guess those would be the passengers who were enticed by the 125% FCC? 

[FionaMG]

I'm confused by what happened to you too, @boilachicken, because Harmony was actually sailing on the original route during the time frame you mention. She started back up out of Barcelona on the 15th of August and the Rome interporting embarkations began in September. I boarded in Barcelona on the 26th of September.

 

As far as I know (although I could be mistaken), no further sailings were cancelled after the restart and she did that itinerary right through until the 31st of October, when she left Europe for the US. Throughout the whole period from start-up to transatlantic there was a long, long live thread here on the board that different posters added to week after week, myself included.

 

Now, I do remember there was an issue with some UK passengers on some sailings during that time  frame having their bookings cancelled because of the Covid restrictions being imposed on Brits by the Italian government, so perhaps that was what happened to you? As opposed to the entire sailing being cancelled?

 

However, I also don't understand why you weren't offered the chance to switch to Allure, which is the same class of ship and was doing the exact same itinerary the following year. You are absolutely correct in saying that Wonder wasn't scheduled for that itinerary at the time but Allure was. And nobody was switched from Harmony to Wonder; they were switched from Harmony to Allure. Wonder only came into the picture later and it was at that point that the people on Allure (including those who had originally booked Allure and those who had been switched from Harmony) were moved over to Wonder (causing an array of other issues in the process. @Jimbo am I right?).

 

Anyway, whatever happens, I really hope you are able to get a satisfactory solution.

 

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, Maryscooking said:

 

 

To top it off, the policy that they've adopted of charging a ton extra to get a refundable deposit has really pushed me away. We have one more 2022 cruise scheduled with Royal and it remains to be seen if there will be more.

Are you also upset by airlines and hotels that charge more for refundable reservations vs nonrefundable?  We have watch these other travel businesses switch  away from selling only refundable travel  services to offering the consumer the choice of premium priced refundable or less expensive nonrefundable.  It is unsurprising to see the same happen to cruising.

[Jimbo]

46 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

I'm confused by what happened to you too, @boilachicken, because Harmony was actually sailing on the original route during the time frame you mention. She started back up out of Barcelona on the 15th of August and the Rome interporting embarkations began in September. I boarded in Barcelona on the 26th of September.

 

As far as I know (although I could be mistaken), no further sailings were cancelled after the restart and she did that itinerary right through until the 31st of October, when she left Europe for the US. Throughout the whole period from start-up to transatlantic there was a long, long live thread here on the board that different posters added to week after week, myself included.

 

Now, I do remember there was an issue with some UK passengers on some sailings during that time  frame having their bookings cancelled because of the Covid restrictions being imposed on Brits by the Italian government, so perhaps that was what happened to you? As opposed to the entire sailing being cancelled?

 

However, I also don't understand why you weren't offered the chance to switch to Allure, which is the same class of ship and was doing the exact same itinerary the following year. You are absolutely correct in saying that Wonder wasn't scheduled for that itinerary at the time but Allure was. And nobody was switched from Harmony to Wonder; they were switched from Harmony to Allure. Wonder only came into the picture later and it was at that point that the people on Allure (including those who had originally booked Allure and those who had been switched from Harmony) were moved over to Wonder (causing an array of other issues in the process. @Jimbo am I right?).

 

Anyway, whatever happens, I really hope you are able to get a satisfactory solution.

 

We actually lifted from Explorer to Harmony to Allure and are now on Wonder. All price protected. Still have a Owners Suite.

[dani negreanu]

5 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

 

Wise decision. Lousy ship.

[MikeTheNFT]

Just now, dani negreanu said:

 

Wise decision. Lousy ship.

Out of curiosity, what do you hate about it?

[FionaMG]

12 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

We actually lifted from Explorer to Harmony to Allure and are now on Wonder. All price protected. Still have a Owners Suite.

Hope this one's a go!

[deliver42]

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I can't see why there is a $500.00 penalty. I can see the non refundable penalty of $100.00 each, but $500.00 seems extreme regardless of the situation.

[dani negreanu]

1 minute ago, rennyn said:

Out of curiosity, what do you hate about it?

 

We like good food, not gourmet, nothing special. But this was the worse food we've experienced on Royal -- same offerings every day, meat warmed up again and again until it turned hard and dry. However, on the cruise's last day in Quebec, they had a bunch of Travel Agents visiting and ... surprise... the food improved dramatically 😉

 

The crew was the worst also -- didn't give a d**n about anything, very aloof, haven't the foggiest idea about immigration rules - claiming that we, as Israelis, need a visa to enter Canada (whereas this visa is needed only if you arrive by plane). I, the passenger, had to show them the rules !! Luckily, I had a letter from the Canadian Embassy in Tel-Aviv, acknowledging that there is no need for visa when entering Canada by ship or car.

 

The check in "chief" asked to keep a copy of the Embassy letter.

 

We lost half a day arriving late in Quebec, since the captain wasn't aware there are currents in St. Lawrence river...

 

The crew were not aware that actually people are keen to go ashore, and used only 2 tenders instead of 4, resulting in very long lines...

 

Shall I go on?

 

[Jimbo]

16 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Hope this one's a go!

I'm not getting my hopes up, still don't think I can get my Wife on a Cruise ship anytime soon that far away. With her medical condition she is still leery of being around that many people. Airplane and such.

 

I'm hopeful I can get her on a ship leaving from Florida on my Birthday next March 2023. That cruise is all ready paid in full and is non refundable.

 

Until then we probably won't cruise again, The Europe cruise we will probably just take the deposit money and shift it to the march 2023 and upgrade our cabin to something better.

 

Other cruise we have booked is Refundable so we can just get that deposit back.

 

Not going to chase down that Owners Suite price anymore on the Europe cruise...So don't think we will ever cruise in Europe in less my wife's view changes on things.

 

Don't see that happening because neither one of us is getting any younger.

 

Things to look forward to thought is we are going to remodel our kitchen, so some of that money that we were going to spend in Europe will now be used for the remodel. Both of us  will enjoy the new kitchen, we are having a lot of fun in the planning stages right now.

[Starry Eyes]

40 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I can't see why there is a $500.00 penalty. I can see the non refundable penalty of $100.00 each, but $500.00 seems extreme regardless of the situation.

The OP has mentioned having two balcony cabins…perhaps there are five people with a change fee of $100 each…that has not been clarified.

[ONECRUISER]

7 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

35+ years ago Class was pretty amazing then, loved all that Glass. Was a Single Dad raising 3 youngsters with Grandeur and Enchantment first Cruises for my kids 1997-2002, they loved the 24hr Pizza/Burgers/Hot Dogs offered off the Solarium and the then New Adventure Ocean. Royal actually gave me a Pager while my Kids were in AO. Now, my Adult Kids Love Quantum then Oasis Class. Me now, Single, SOLO, like the longer 10+ niters on Radiance Class. But I'm actually doing B4B Vision TA this Apr-May, my first back on the Class in 20+yrs and did score Aft/Corner on Vision for this so I'm Happy Camper

[twangster]

When Cruise with Confidence first was introduced for a cruise to eligible it had to be booked by Jan. 31, 2021 and sailed by April 2022.   Booking an October cruise back then was well after the end of CWC (at that time). 

 

Having a cruise impacted in the days before the restart should not somehow qualify for a "forever exemption".  There has to be limits and those limits were well known at the time.  Cruises rebooked to after April 2022 were not eligible.  

 

We are all fortunate that CWC has now been extended to include sailings through Sept. 2022 but that is the hard limit, at this time.

 

I have had three great cruises on Vision including 16 nights through the Panama canal.  No issues with crew or food.  No zip line or ice skating rink but I know that when I booked her.  

 

Smaller ships work well in Europe that are often port intensive where the destination is the destination, not the ship.

 

Having said that it's well known that sometimes calling back a few times might find you talking with an agent that is willing to do something beyond the terms and conditions of the official programs.  It never hurts to ask, again.

 

 

[ONECRUISER]

...Oop's, meant say "25+ yrs ago Class" (Vision) above. 35+ was when I started Cruising, Vision's obviously were not yet here...or my Kids.

[FionaMG]

10 hours ago, Jimbo said:

So don't think we will ever cruise in Europe in less my wife's view changes on things.

 

I'm sorry to hear that.  

It does sound as though you're making the proverbial lemonade from life's lemons though, so that's good.

[nelblu]

13 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I guess those would be the passengers who were enticed by the 125% FCC? 

Yes, but also a ton of customers that selected CWC and got FCCs and never realized that things were going to get worse and worse.  Plus, H&S protocols changed and put customers in a terrible position with expiring FCCs.  

 

Also, lots of confusion coming out of RCL--one day you can convert FCCs to refunds and other days you are not allowed.   Just wondering, if RCL came out and plainly stated that customers would be allowed to convert FCCs to refunds, how many would jump at the offer.  I know that I would be in front of the line.

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

I'm sorry to hear that.  

It does sound as though you're making the proverbial lemonade from life's lemons though, so that's good.

No need to feel sorry, we have been quite fortunate to experience things and visit many places most people only dream about going to. We have cruised a lot and spent a ton of money on cruises and  land vacations.

 

Definitely  no regrets here. We had a great run and I wouldn't change any of it.  If it means no cruises to Europe , that's okay too.

 

Because of Covid  things have changed now and other different kinds of adventures lie ahead for us now and we both look forward to it. 🙂

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Jimbo

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, nelblu said:

Yes, but also a ton of customers that selected CWC and got FCCs and never realized that things were going to get worse and worse.  Plus, H&S protocols changed and put customers in a terrible position with expiring FCCs.  

 

Also, lots of confusion coming out of RCL--one day you can convert FCCs to refunds and other days you are not allowed.   Just wondering, if RCL came out and plainly stated that customers would be allowed to convert FCCs to refunds, how many would jump at the offer.  I know that I would be in front of the line.

I get it but my attitude has always been that cash in my bank account is preferable to cash in RCI's bank account and an FCC that they control and make the rules for. 

[Maryscooking]

15 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Are you also upset by airlines and hotels that charge more for refundable reservations vs nonrefundable?  We have watch these other travel businesses switch  away from selling only refundable travel  services to offering the consumer the choice of premium priced refundable or less expensive nonrefundable.  It is unsurprising to see the same happen to cruising.

 

I pay attention to these clauses because my husband's job requires this kind of flexibility. So I can confidently say that acros the travel industry, refundable pricing is NOT only offered at the premium level. In fact, since the pandemic I've seen more companies offering flexible cancellation policies than ever before.

 

I don't book airline reservations without the "no change fee" clause. I'm pretty loyal to United for that reason but I know other lines offer it too. They do have a very basic fare that doesn't come with anything and seats you in the back of the plane, but their standard fares have no change fees, right up until you fly. And I'm not referring to premium pricing. Just standard economy.

 

And hotels?  Nearly every hotel chain (even the premium ones) offers free cancellation up until a week to one day before the reservation. Even when there is "non-refundable" pricing, its usually only a $5-$30 discount per night over standard pricing depending on the room price. 

 

The big resorts like Universal and Disney? Same thing, free cancellation.

 

We are spending two weeks in Alaska in July and every outfitter that I've booked with offers free cancellation up until at minimum a month in advance - and most are within a few days to a week.

 

Cruise lines are already exceptional in the travel industry for their 90-120 day cancellation policy to qualify for a full deposit refund. And now Royal Carribbean wants $250 to upwards of $750 (maybe more but that's the highest I've seen) just to have the privilege to cancel three months in advance? Honestly, its ridiculous. They are to the point where their prices, when comparing apples to apples (ie, adding in the things they don't include that other lines' pricing does include) have motivated me to look at cruise lines I haven't considered before. I've cruised Royal for 20 years but have travelled enough by other means to know they aren't the only way to have a fantastic vacation.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Maryscooking
grammar

[Maryscooking]

16 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I guess those would be the passengers who were enticed by the 125% FCC? 

 

I let them hold my money because in my mind it was already gone, spent on the trip, so I didn't need it for the budget (ie, wasn't traveling at the time). I also thought it would help them through an impossibly tough time and I knew I'd be re-booking. The 25% was supposed to be a bonus, but in my case was eaten up by the increased cost of the replacement cruise I chose, due to being forced to a different season (off season vs summer cruising).

 

[Starry Eyes]

44 minutes ago, Maryscooking said:

 

I pay attention to these clauses because my husband's job requires this kind of flexibility. So I can confidently say that acros the travel industry, refundable pricing is NOT only offered at the premium level. In fact, since the pandemic I've seen more companies offering flexible cancellation policies than ever before.

 

I don't book airline reservations without the "no change fee" clause. I'm pretty loyal to United for that reason but I know other lines offer it too. They do have a very basic fare that doesn't come with anything and seats you in the back of the plane, but their standard fares have no change fees, right up until you fly. And I'm not referring to premium pricing. Just standard economy.

 

And hotels?  Nearly every hotel chain (even the premium ones) offers free cancellation up until a week to one day before the reservation. Even when there is "non-refundable" pricing, its usually only a $5-$30 discount per night over standard pricing depending on the room price. 

 

The big resorts like Universal and Disney? Same thing, free cancellation.

 

We are spending two weeks in Alaska in July and every outfitter that I've booked with offers free cancellation up until at minimum a month in advance - and most are within a few days to a week.

 

Cruise lines are already exceptional in the travel industry for their 90-120 day cancellation policy to qualify for a full deposit refund. And now Royal Carribbean wants $250 to upwards of $750 (maybe more but that's the highest I've seen) just to have the privilege to cancel three months in advance? Honestly, its ridiculous. They are to the point where their prices, when comparing apples to apples (ie, adding in the things they don't include that other lines' pricing does include) have motivated me to look at cruise lines I haven't considered before. I've cruised Royal for 20 years but have travelled enough by other means to know they aren't the only way to have a fantastic vacation.

Royal Caribbean has also become more flexible during the pandemic.  While the OP is unhappy that CWC does not cover his October 2022 cruise, it has covered many cruises.

I am glad United’s policies work well for you, and you seem happy buying “no change fee” plane tickets.  Refundable is different…do refundable tickets sell at a higher cost or not?  I have caught fabulous deals on nonrefundable hotels; maybe you don’t search for those due to family circumstances.  I do not welcome the nonrefundable deposits nor will I enjoy the return of change fees as CWC ends…I just did not find it surprising.  

[nelblu]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

I get it but my attitude has always been that cash in my bank account is preferable to cash in RCI's bank account and an FCC that they control and make the rules for. 

If I only had a crystal ball.☺️

[Joseph2017China]

Cruise with Confidence is a program to cover the unknown issues of cruising with different countries, preventing you.  So, now, the cruise is a normal cruise, and the poster wants to cancel and rebook on another cruise, that is in a country, with no covid restrictions.  Things are now getting back to normal, and the program is over.  Best bet is to call, and see if they would work with this, but all programs have an end date.

[bonsai3s]

14 hours ago, twangster said:

When Cruise with Confidence first was introduced for a cruise to eligible it had to be booked by Jan. 31, 2021 and sailed by April 2022.   Booking an October cruise back then was well after the end of CWC (at that time). 

 

Having a cruise impacted in the days before the restart should not somehow qualify for a "forever exemption".  There has to be limits and those limits were well known at the time.  Cruises rebooked to after April 2022 were not eligible.  

 

We are all fortunate that CWC has now been extended to include sailings through Sept. 2022 but that is the hard limit, at this time.

 

I have had three great cruises on Vision including 16 nights through the Panama canal.  No issues with crew or food.  No zip line or ice skating rink but I know that when I booked her.  

 

Smaller ships work well in Europe that are often port intensive where the destination is the destination, not the ship.

 

Having said that it's well known that sometimes calling back a few times might find you talking with an agent that is willing to do something beyond the terms and conditions of the official programs.  It never hurts to ask, again.

 

 

Twangster...agree!

 

I wanted to highlight what you said and inform the OP that this just happened to us yesterday.  Similar situation...trying to move our October 2022 sailing to February 2023.  RCCL informed us and our TA that we will have to pay a penalty to move because it was outside the CWC window...CWC ends Sept 30, 2022.  Our penalties would've been the same as the OP...$500...2 cabins, 5 x $100 deposits.

 

Yesterday, we kindly asked our TA to again try and move our cruises without the penalties.

The answer from RCCL was "Sorry, we can't do it."

We then asked our TA to politely escalate it to a supervisor or resolutions.  After a very long hold, our TA came back and said "You've struck gold! they moved your sailings without penalties." 😊

 

 

[Jimbo]

36 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Twangster...agree!

 

I wanted to highlight what you said and inform the OP that this just happened to us yesterday.  Similar situation...trying to move our October 2022 sailing to February 2023.  RCCL informed us and our TA that we will have to pay a penalty to move because it was outside the CWC window...CWC ends Sept 30, 2022.  Our penalties would've been the same as the OP...$500...2 cabins, 5 x $100 deposits.

 

Yesterday, we kindly asked our TA to again try and move our cruises without the penalties.

The answer from RCCL was "Sorry, we can't do it."

We then asked our TA to politely escalate it to a supervisor or resolutions.  After a very long hold, our TA came back and said "You've struck gold! they moved your sailings without penalties." 😊

 

 

So if that is the case, under the CWC I guess we could again move our Europe Cruise to September 2023 since our cruise date is September 22, 2022

 

Could we do that without any added fee? Is that correct? Would it still be price protected or how does that work when you use CWC?