How does cancellation from hurricanes work?

[jw01]

If there's a hurricane and RCCL cancels, do they refund the full price? What about independently booked airfare? Is it a good idea to get the trip insurance? Would that cover indepently booked airfare?

 

Thanks!

[LonW]

If there's a hurricane and RCCL cancels, do they refund the full price? What about independently booked airfare? Is it a good idea to get the trip insurance? Would that cover indepently booked airfare?

 

Thanks!

 

Good questions. They will not refund independently booked air fare.

One of the reasons I get insurance. Check out http://www.insuremytrip.com/

[wwinfl91]

I think you will find most of the time the Cruise lines don't actually cancel the whole cruise. Instead they modify the ports and sailing schedule to avoid the hurricane area. The ships are safer at sea than they would be docked in a port so they sail away from hurricanes.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[woodman]

Trip insurance is always a good idea. You never know what might happen on the way to the ship. Wheather, car trouble, illness, unforseen delays, etc.

IMHO a very good investment, I always think of it as part of the price of the cruise.

[Schplinky]

They rarely cancel the whole cruise. Usually, the previous week will stay at sea another day or two and you may leave late. More commonly, you will sail "around' the foul weather and you may miss ports or pick up other ports you weren't expecting. I think that for this reason, if you are accepting the generally better rates available during hurricaane season, you need to be reasonable when the line says they're not stopping at this port or that. You've already been compensated by receiving a cheaper price.

[Lyncruiser]

We were scheduled to leave Miami on Navigator of the Seas on a Saturday in September. RCCL did provide an opportunity to cancel or reschedule the cruise. Unfortunately, that option was only offered late Friday for a Saturday ship departure. We landed in Miami from the West coast a few hours before the cancellation/rebooking option was made available. I was in touch with RCCL and our travel agent from 7 a.m. on Friday onward. We were a group of 10 and our airfare cost $5,000.

 

Friday morning when we were scheduled to leave, we were still being told that NOS was on schedule, not to worry. Accordingly, we had no choice but to fly to Miami as there was always the possibility they would get the ship into port, re-provisioned and loaded and back out to see before the port was closed. Had we not flown to Miami and had RCCL actually gotten the ship turned around (which they had done a couple of weekends before) we would have lost our entire cruise fare. We had insurance by the way, but it doesn't cover you if you simply choose not to go on your cruise due to an approaching hurricane.

 

Also, once we had burned 1/2 of our air tickets, our insurer would not pay for our airfare if we wanted to reschedule the cruise and fly home before they closed the Miami airport. Since we could not afford to let $5,000 in airfare evaporate, we had no choice but to stay in Miami during the hurricane and take a delayed cruise. Friday night we were advised NOS would be one day late departing Miami. It was only Saturday night that we were advised NOS would not leave Miami until midnight on Monday night. We went on the 5-day cruise. We were given $500 per cabin shipboard credit plus a coupon for 50% off on a future cruise. The 50% off coupon had many, many restrictions. We ultimately went on a cruise the next year but found a last minute rate the beat the 50% off price, so we never used our coupon.

 

What was the worst thing? Having to fly directly into the path of a hurricane. It was very frightening. We were unsure whether we'd find a hotel for the extra nights. We did, but many passengers ended up sleeping in their cars the night of the hurricane. We bought flashlights, food, water, etc. and holed up in our room. Fortunately, the hurricane veered somewhat north of Miami. There are fantastic rates coming out for this fall. In fact we discussed it yesterday. None of us have the stomach for Florida in Sept. or Oct. (or even July or August) given what's happened over the past two hurricane seasons.

[cruisinMike]

I think you will find most of the time the Cruise lines don't actually cancel the whole cruise. Instead they modify the ports and sailing schedule to avoid the hurricane area. The ships are safer at sea than they would be docked in a port so they sail away from hurricanes.

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

Well I think you're right, buuuuuuuuut, it does happen. My October 24th sailing of Enchantment out of FLL was cancelled due to Wilma. And oh yea, we were down their when it hit. It might be rare, but it can happen.

[cruisinMike]

They rarely cancel the whole cruise. Usually, the previous week will stay at sea another day or two and you may leave late. More commonly, you will sail "around' the foul weather and you may miss ports or pick up other ports you weren't expecting. I think that for this reason, if you are accepting the generally better rates available during hurricaane season, you need to be reasonable when the line says they're not stopping at this port or that. You've already been compensated by receiving a cheaper price.

 

 

The only exception I take to this is the part about the compensation/better rates suggestion. Yes I agree missing a port doesn't mean you qualify for compensation (definetly don't want to go there). But just because you paid a lower fare in comparison shouldn't automatically qualify you for no compensation (if at any other time you would be given compensation on another cruise such as in the spring). The real reason the rates are lower is that RCI knows the market is not as large as in off hurricane season and it is the old law of supply and demand. If they could sell these at a higher price they would.

[Schplinky]

If they could sell these at a higher price they would.

 

Yes, you're right. It's a circular argument, though. The reason they can't sell at a higher rate is that the routings can change because of hurricanes. I think we're agreeing with each other.

[Coralc]

Also, once we had burned 1/2 of our air tickets, our insurer would not pay for our airfare if we wanted to reschedule the cruise and fly home before they closed the Miami airport. Since we could not afford to let $5,000 in airfare evaporate, we had no choice but to stay in Miami during the hurricane and take a delayed cruise. Friday night we were advised NOS would be one day late departing Miami. It was only Saturday night that we were advised NOS would not leave Miami until midnight on Monday night. We went on the 5-day cruise. We were given $500 per cabin shipboard credit plus a coupon for 50% off on a future cruise. The 50% off coupon had many, many restrictions. We ultimately went on a cruise the next year but found a last minute rate the beat the 50% off price, so we never used our coupon.I[COLOR="DarkOrange"] I Can't figure out the quote thing, or how to make it work[/color]

 

 

 

Lyncruiser. My question would be....You had a shortened cruise and onboard credit, but it sounds like you also had 2 nights in a hotel, unscheduled.? Did you file any sort of claim with travel insurance, and if so, what did it cover and what were you reimbursed? :-)

[a-tx-brit]

We were on the Rhapsody 9/18/05. due to "rita' visiting Tx and Galveston being closed we had an extra day in Montigo bay and a on to Ft. Lauderdale for fuel. Returned to Galveston on wednesday. Had a 10 day cruise for the price of 7, so it's not always bad.

(Yes we did feel sorry for those expecting to sail on the 17th.)