NR Deposit refunds due to not agreeing to Protocols

[Native Floridian 26]

When booking my cruise pre March 31 under CWC, one of the selling points to me was if Protocols were announced that I didn't agree with for my cruise, I could request a refund of my payments incl NR Deposit.  My main question is:  Are new bookings after April 1, 2022 with NR deposits still able to refunded due to booking under unknown Protocols and later not agreeing to the announced Protocols for the cruise sailing?  I have a potential problem because I changed the date and ship of my original booking after April 1.  I was not told the cruise would no longer fall under CWC.  Not sure if the disagreeing with Protocols option is directly tied to CWC.

 

I'm afraid to ask my VP specifically because at this point she may not be realizing I changed the sailing after 3/31.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Native Floridian 26

[Joseph2017China]

What Protocols are you not happy with?  Testing is not going away anytime soon, and everything is pretty much normal on the ship.  They even have the sexy man contest now.

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Are new bookings after April 1, 2022 with NR deposits still able to refunded due to booking under unknown Protocols and later not agreeing to the announced Protocols for the cruise sailing?

The refundability due to protocols is a perk of a CWC booking - once you don't have a CWC booking, that drops off.

 

Biker, who thinks that there may be an uptick in the sale of fake positive COVID test with which you can still get a refund.

[molly361]

Bookings made after March 31, 2022 do not qualify for CWC

[Native Floridian 26]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Bookings made after March 31, 2022 do not qualify for CWC

Yes I realize that. The question is whether the refundability of the deposit due to protocols was a part of CWC.

[molly361]

1 minute ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Yes I realize that. The question is whether the refundability of the deposit due to protocols was a part of CWC.

Yes it is

[Sunshine3601]

17 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Yes I realize that. The question is whether the refundability of the deposit due to protocols was a part of CWC.

Yes, that was part of the CWC.

[Native Floridian 26]

Okay thank you all. Interestingly I never saw it in writing along with a few other benefits of CWC.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Native Floridian 26

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Okay thank you all. Interestingly I never saw it in writing along with a few other benefits of CWC.

Getting a refund because you did not agree with "protocols" was never part of CWC.  It was a limited time exception that was made by Royal that started in January because of the ships missing ports and entertainment.  

 

You can ask but do not be surprised if you are denied and charged a $100pp fee to cancel and get the rest of your deposit back as an FCC.

[Native Floridian 26]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Getting a refund because you did not agree with "protocols" was never part of CWC.  It was a limited time exception that was made by Royal that started in January because of the ships missing ports and entertainment.  

 

You can ask but do not be surprised if you are denied and charged a $100pp fee to cancel and get the rest of your deposit back as an FCC.

Thank you.  My VP has not said that they are no longer doing the refunds due to Protocols.  My sailing is 9/23, and current Protocols apply through 6/30 (which is also nearly impossible to find in writing).

 

[Native Floridian 26]

So that begs the question as to whether they are still doing it.

[RFerrington]

I have continued to be successful in getting full cash refunds for bookings using the “protocol” “excuse”.  The most recent was for a Wonder sailing on 4-8-22.  How long will they continue to provide refunds ?  No way of knowing.  I agree with @Ourusualbeach that this was never a condition of CWC.

Edited April 18, 2022 by RFerrington

[Mapleleafforever]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

The refundability due to protocols is a perk of a CWC booking - once you don't have a CWC booking, that drops off.

 

Biker, who thinks that there may be an uptick in the sale of fake positive COVID test with which you can still get a refund.

So easy to guarantee a positive on a rapid test. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Mapleleafforever

[Native Floridian 26]

1 minute ago, RFerrington said:

I have continued to be successful in getting full cash refunds for bookings using the “protocol” “excuse”.  The most recent was for a Wonder sailing on 4-8-22.  How long will they continue to provide refunds ?  No way of knowing.  I agree with @Ourusualbeach that this was never a condition of CWC.

Good to hear.  My only sticking point on my booking is that I changed date/ship on April 4, for a previously booked CWC sailing.  They didn't tell me my cruise no longer was eligible for CWC.  Hopefully with the Protocols issue being separate, it continues to be honored. Do you work with a Royal VP?  My thoughts are how can you expect to book something that you don't know the rules for without a way to cancel without losing $?

[RFerrington]

4 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Good to hear.  My only sticking point on my booking is that I changed date/ship on April 4, for a previously booked CWC sailing.  They didn't tell me my cruise no longer was eligible for CWC.  Hopefully with the Protocols issue being separate, it continues to be honored. Do you work with a Royal VP?  My thoughts are how can you expect to book something that you don't know the rules for without a way to cancel without losing $?

I really have no idea whether moving your sail date will have any effect on your ability to get a “protocols” refund or not, but it is my understanding that CWC never had any bearing on the ability to get a refund based on “protocols”.  I work with a TA who has arranged the vast majority of my many refunds (23, to date) and I give her full credit for the success.  All I can say is, it’s worked up until now and I hope it continues to work until they finally eliminate the vax and testing requirements.  I won’t be cruising until they do and as long as they return my money, I have no beef with their rules.  So far, so good.

[Native Floridian 26]

10 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

I really have no idea whether moving your sail date will have any effect on your ability to get a “protocols” refund or not, but it is my understanding that CWC never had any bearing on the ability to get a refund based on “protocols”.  I work with a TA who has arranged the vast majority of my many refunds (23, to date) and I give her full credit for the success.  All I can say is, it’s worked up until now and I hope it continues to work until they finally eliminate the vax and testing requirements.  I won’t be cruising until they do and as long as they return my money, I have no beef with their rules.  So far, so good.

That's awesome!  Thanks for your input.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Native Floridian 26

[Tree_skier]

22 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Good to hear.  My only sticking point on my booking is that I changed date/ship on April 4, for a previously booked CWC sailing.  They didn't tell me my cruise no longer was eligible for CWC.  Hopefully with the Protocols issue being separate, it continues to be honored. Do you work with a Royal VP?  My thoughts are how can you expect to book something that you don't know the rules for without a way to cancel without losing $?

Did your booking number change.  If so I think you are out of luck.

[Native Floridian 26]

5 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Did your booking number change.  If so I think you are out of luck.

No, the booking number stayed the same. Not sure the connection if the Protocols refund isn't connected with CWC.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Native Floridian 26

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

No, the booking number stayed the same. Not sure the connection if the Protocols refund isn't connected with CWC.

I thought the protocol refund was covered as part of CWC sorry I misspoke.    

 

Since you have a booking number that originated prior to 3.31.22 you just might still be protected by CWC.     

Not sure why you are concerned about protocols 5 months from now.   We all learned a lot can happen in 5 months.   

Worst case if you do cancel your cruise you will get a FCC and have 1 year to use.    Let's hope you don't have to cancel

[rudeney]

It might also be that regardless of CWC coverage, if protocols change since you booked your cruise, you may be able to call it a "change in terms of the contract" and get refunded.  For example, the rules now are that you have to be vaccinated, but if they change that and require all passengers to be double"vaccinated and double-boosted", you may have a claim.  This could go the other way, too, if they remove all vaccination and testing requirements and it makes you feel unsafe.  INAL, but It depends on how the contract terms are written when you accepted them at booking.  

[twangster]

27 minutes ago, rudeney said:

you may be able to call it a "change in terms of the contract"

 

The contract verbiage favors the cruise lines in terms of changes.

 

Originally many cruises were booked pre-shutdown so the cruise lines seemed to avoid the potential for controversy by granting refunds.  It was always done one protocol announcement at a time though and it was never fully documented.  One on call I was told you have 30 days after an announcement to request a refund.  However that was a verbal statement.

 

As times moves forward if a cruise was booked after the restart it could be said that a reasonable person knew there was the potential for protocols and what those protocols might look like since protocols were in place while the booking was made.  

 

At some point they could take that position.  For example, cruises booked after May 30, 2021 may not be refund eligible while cruises booked prior to that date are.  

 

I'm just guessing, but at some point I can seem them not being so willing to issue refunds.

[mdepsmom]

Yesterday I cancelled my May B2B Med cruises due to not agreeing w/ the protocols, and I am getting my NRD's refunded.  My TA said the RCI rep applied the code for refund, and it should take 30-45 days.  I booked under CWC but I don't think CWC has anything to do w/ getting protocol-related refunds, as others have already mentioned.