No More Cruise With Confidence?

[frisbeewife]

So I notice the website says CWC applies to cruises booked through March 31, 2022. Which was yesterday. So do cruises booked now go back to the pre-pandemic policy of no refunds?

 

[topnole]

1 minute ago, frisbeewife said:

So I notice the website says CWC applies to cruises booked through March 31, 2022. Which was yesterday. So do cruises booked now go back to the pre-pandemic policy of no refunds?

 

That appears to be the case.  Plus, starting in May,  no more refund if you test positive right before the cruise.  These are big changes. 

[Biker19]

39 minutes ago, frisbeewife said:

So do cruises booked now go back to the pre-pandemic policy of no refunds?

Refunds were becoming rarer even under CWC - most were getting FCCs. The main thing going away is the ability to cancel for an FCC inside final payment.

[smplybcause]

40 minutes ago, topnole said:

That appears to be the case.  Plus, starting in May,  no more refund if you test positive right before the cruise.  These are big changes. 

 

Are they at least giving you FCC?

[smokeybandit]

46 minutes ago, topnole said:

Plus, starting in May,  no more refund if you test positive right before the cruise.  These are big changes. 

 

This is a huge change. Hopefully by then there won't be the need for pre-cruise testing because making people throw away their cruise merely due to a positive mandatory test (even if they feel 100% fine) is cruel and probably would lead to lawsuits.

Edited April 1, 2022 by smokeybandit

[topnole]

5 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Are they at least giving you FCC?

I don’t think there is any stated policy on it at this point.  I was hoping someone more knowledgeable might be able to chime in?

[topnole]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

 

This is a huge change. Hopefully by then there won't be the need for pre-cruise testing because making people throw away their cruise merely due to a positive mandatory test (even if they feel 100% fine) is cruel and probably would lead to lawsuits.

I’m not confident this goes away by next month.  Very surprising Royal doesn’t have stated policy for cruises that now require final payment.  Honestly, this is just really poor management/communication.  As in total amateur hour.  

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, topnole said:

 As in total amateur hour.  

Welcome to RCI circa............. forever?

[molly361]

9 minutes ago, topnole said:

I don’t think there is any stated policy on it at this point.  I was hoping someone more knowledgeable might be able to chime in?

So you are just speculating here and in the other thread that you started?  

[smplybcause]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

 

So their FAQ definitely doesn't say what happens if you test positive for a cruise after March 31. And I have a cruise leaving in April. *****

 

Edit: Jk on the refund part - it's March 2023. Didn't notice the year! 

 

Looks like the cut off for them covering costs if you test positive on board is end of April. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by smplybcause

[topnole]

10 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So you are just speculating here and in the other thread that you started?  

I’m not speculating.  The posted policy is what it is.  I can’t be 100% sure there isn’t something else post somewhere that I’m unaware of, hence my comment.  
 

Yep, I commented on this thread because it is so tightly related.  How exactly am I speculating in this or the other thread.  Please enlighten me with your wisdom since you state I am speculating?  I’d love to know what the policy is beyond April.  

[jerseygirl3]

27 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

This is a huge change. Hopefully by then there won't be the need for pre-cruise testing because making people throw away their cruise merely due to a positive mandatory test (even if they feel 100% fine) is cruel and probably would lead to lawsuits.

I would imagine it would be just like before the pandemic.  If you got an illness at the last minute that prevented you to cruise, you'd either lose all your money or hope you have travel insurance that would reimburse you.  Several years ago, my  husband had a stroke 3 weeks before we were due to cruise.  Of course we had to cancel.  Our travel insurance compensated us fully for all non-refundable monies.

[Lane Hog]

It seems that Canada may have dropped their pre travel testing requirement.

 

Perhaps Royal has had some indication that CDC is allowing the same for cruises?

[smplybcause]

Refunds if you test positive before the cruise was EXTENDED to March 2023. If anything that suggests royal thinking pre cruise testing will be here for a while. 

[topnole]

2 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

I would imagine it would be just like before the pandemic.  If you got an illness at the last minute that prevented you to cruise, you'd either lose all your money or hope you have travel insurance that would reimburse you.  Several years ago, my  husband had a stroke 3 weeks before we were due to cruise.  Of course we had to cancel.  Our travel insurance compensated us fully for all non-refundable monies.

Once Covid hit a lot of insurance excluded Covid for many things.  So it isn’t exactly that easy.  

[smokeybandit]

4 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

  If you got an illness at the last minute that prevented you to cruise, you'd either lose all your money or hope you have travel insurance that would reimburse you. 

 

Except they weren't testing you for any illness to board the ship.

[molly361]

8 minutes ago, topnole said:

I’m not speculating.  The posted policy is what it is.  I can’t be 100% sure there isn’t something else post somewhere that I’m unaware of, hence my comment.  
 

Yep, I commented on this thread because it is so tightly related.  How exactly am I speculating in this or the other thread.  Please enlighten me with your wisdom since you state I am speculating?  I’d love to know what the policy is beyond April.  

Your are making it sound like you know that it is not going to get extended. Just wondering how you know that

[jerseygirl3]

5 minutes ago, topnole said:

Once Covid hit a lot of insurance excluded Covid for many things.  So it isn’t exactly that easy.  

Thankfully the plan we took out for our Transatlantic cruise this Fall states that "Covid-19 is treated the same as any other sickness under the terms of the plan."

[topnole]

3 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Your are making it sound like you know that it is not going to get extended. Just wondering how you know that

How the heck would I know.  I’m clearly saying we don’t know and it is amateurish on their part for not updating this one way or another given folks now must make final payment with no stated policy for their cruise.  

[gracia98888]

So if I have a cruise in July 2022 and I booked under cruise with confidence (booked yesterday, 3/31/22) what will happen if you test positive before you cruise?  I thought it would be FCC.  If not, what's the point of CWC?  Or do I now also need to get travel insurance? Was hoping to avoid that as I have before since the CWC policy.

 

[molly361]

23 minutes ago, topnole said:

How the heck would I know.  I’m clearly saying we don’t know and it is amateurish on their part for not updating this one way or another given folks now must make final payment with no stated policy for their cruise.  

 

If I test positive for COVID-19 right before my cruise, at the terminal before the cruise, or on the cruise, what is your refund policy and what associated costs are covered?

A

 

 

Guests will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge. 

• 100% cruise fare refund for you, and your Travelling Party, if any of you tests positive for COVID-19 within 10 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal, for cruises departing on or before March 31, 2023.

Edited April 1, 2022 by molly361

[smokeybandit]

4 minutes ago, gracia98888 said:

So if I have a cruise in July 2022 and I booked under cruise with confidence (booked yesterday, 3/31/22) what will happen if you test positive before you cruise?  I thought it would be FCC.  If not, what's the point of CWC?  Or do I now also need to get travel insurance? Was hoping to avoid that as I have before since the CWC policy.

 

Testing positive before the cruise still gets you a refund/FCC through March 2023.  Just the cancel for any reason option goes away for any cruise booked today and beyond.

Edited April 1, 2022 by smokeybandit

[gracia98888]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

Testing positive still gets you a refund/FCC through March 2023.  Just the cancel for any reason option goes away for any cruise booked today and beyond.

OK so I booked and deposited yesterday, so I could still cancel for any reason since it was under the CWC policy still?

 

[molly361]

Just now, gracia98888 said:

OK so I booked and deposited yesterday, so I could still cancel for any reason since it was under the CWC policy still?

 

What date are you sailing?

[gracia98888]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

What date are you sailing?

July 8, 2022