Deposit + Club Orange Fees if Cruise Canceled altogether - Questions

[forevercruising1]

Hello, all!

 

I've read multiple threads regarding canceling Club Orange, but I am hoping I can get clarification from cruisers who have actually canceled a cruise completely, since some of my questions have differing answers.  I have a couple of cruises booked that were reserved with FCD's, then I paid for Club Orange, but I booked them very early after release of the dates and now my work schedule will not allow me to sail at those times.  I'm trying to figure out a plan of least loss.

 

1.  Have you had success getting the prepaid Club Orange fees refunded if you have canceled a cruise altogether (not just upgraded to a Neptune Suite)? 

2.  If you have had success with #1, was it with a refundable deposit only? 

3.  Has anyone been refunded Club Orange fees if the deposit was non-refundable?

4.  I was told, by a HAL representative, that if we used Future Cruise Deposits for deposits, they would always be refundable, regardless of the type of fare booked; however, the HAL representative I spoke with today said that is not the case and that even Future Cruise Deposits will be lost if booked under a non-refundable deposit promotion.  Has anyone had a different experience from this?  Has anyone received your FCD back if booked under a non-refundable promotion?

5.  I do have Allianz Annual Trip Insurance, but I don't see coverage for work schedule changes; if any of you have had success getting reimbursed for the "non-refundable" portions ($350 in my case), it'd be great if you could share.

 

If any of you have actually been through these situations and can shed light on any of these issues, I'd appreciate it. 

 

Thank you and Happy [Early] New Year!  🙂

[waiting2retire]

Quick question. Are you beyond final payment date?

 

If not, my understanding is that the Club Orange fees will be refunded. Can’t say for sure about the FCD but what the HAL rep told you today doesn’t make sense to me. 
 

 

[forevercruising1]

No, not past final payment on either cruise -- thanks for asking for clarification!

 

** Do you think the CO fees would be refunded even if booked on a non-refundable deposit promo?

 

Thanks - I appreciate your reply!

[crystalspin]

43 minutes ago, forevercruising1 said:

4.  I was told, by a HAL representative, that if we used Future Cruise Deposits for deposits, they would always be refundable, regardless of the type of fare booked; however, the HAL representative I spoke with today said that is not the case and that even Future Cruise Deposits will be lost if booked under a non-refundable deposit promotion.  Has anyone had a different experience from this?  Has anyone received your FCD back if booked under a non-refundable promotion?

5.  I do have Allianz Annual Trip Insurance, but I don't see coverage for work schedule changes; if any of you have had success getting reimbursed for the "non-refundable" portions ($350 in my case), it'd be great if you could share.

4, We applied our (6) FCDs to a 24-day north Atlantic cruise. When I realized that we were going to be gone over the same sensitive dates with the 24-day as the 35-day Voyage of the Vikings, I moved the FCDs to the VOV. When I went to book the VOV, a non-refundable fare came up $8,000 cheaper than the refundable HIA fare. I still do not know why! but either a Mariner's special or a Private fare! I could not argue with that kind of savings!

 

A bit later I got wondering, and asked my PCC if I had made the FCDs non-refundable by applying them to a NR fare, and she replied that they were refundable or movable, up until the Final Payment date of the VOV cruise.

 

5, Cruise Critic has a Travel Insurance board,

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

HOWEVER the company that provides our industry answers (TripInsuranceStore), does not handle Allianz plans. You could ask on the board and hope for other subscribers to have an answer. 

[kazu]

OP, I have Allianz for medical and have used it for trip cancellation in the past.  There is no coverage for cancelling a cruise for anything other than what is stipulated.  So things like a work schedule change, sick dog, itinerary changes, sick family member (not fatal) don’t qualify.

 

I use HAL’s insurance for the cancellation.  The Platinum only covers 90% but it is a true cancel for any reason policy.  No questions asked. If you book a non refundable cruise, you need to purchase it at the time of booking, though.
 

[TAW1963]

8 hours ago, forevercruising1 said:

Hello, all!

 

I've read multiple threads regarding canceling Club Orange, but I am hoping I can get clarification from cruisers who have actually canceled a cruise completely, since some of my questions have differing answers.  I have a couple of cruises booked that were reserved with FCD's, then I paid for Club Orange, but I booked them very early after release of the dates and now my work schedule will not allow me to sail at those times.  I'm trying to figure out a plan of least loss.

 

1.  Have you had success getting the prepaid Club Orange fees refunded if you have canceled a cruise altogether (not just upgraded to a Neptune Suite)? 

2.  If you have had success with #1, was it with a refundable deposit only? 

3.  Has anyone been refunded Club Orange fees if the deposit was non-refundable?

4.  I was told, by a HAL representative, that if we used Future Cruise Deposits for deposits, they would always be refundable, regardless of the type of fare booked; however, the HAL representative I spoke with today said that is not the case and that even Future Cruise Deposits will be lost if booked under a non-refundable deposit promotion.  Has anyone had a different experience from this?  Has anyone received your FCD back if booked under a non-refundable promotion?

5.  I do have Allianz Annual Trip Insurance, but I don't see coverage for work schedule changes; if any of you have had success getting reimbursed for the "non-refundable" portions ($350 in my case), it'd be great if you could share.

 

If any of you have actually been through these situations and can shed light on any of these issues, I'd appreciate it. 

 

Thank you and Happy [Early] New Year!  🙂

I have cancelled both refundable and non-refundable fared bookings with Club Orange.  My booking confirmations showed the Club Orange fees were refundable with both if cancelled before final payment.  Indeed, this was the case and I have always had the Club Orange fees refunded.  

[Ipeeinthepools]

Here's related question.  If you cancel after final payment are the Club Orange fees refunded by the HAL Insurance plan.  If so, how long does it take for HAL to refund the 80 or 90 percent of your far and CO?

[cbr663]

1.  Yes.  CO fees were refunded,

2.  Yes.  It was for a refundable cruise fare.  The FCD was placed back into my account for future use.

3.  I haven’t.  From the FAQs though it would appear to me that if it is a non-refundable deposit then the CO fee would not be refunded as the CO fee is part of the cruise fare:

 

 

 

4.  I don’t know what happens if you use a refundable cruise deposit under a non-refundable cruise fare.  You may have to escalate that if the answer you receive is not to your liking.

[forevercruising1]

6 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

I have cancelled both refundable and non-refundable fared bookings with Club Orange.  My booking confirmations showed the Club Orange fees were refundable with both if cancelled before final payment.  Indeed, this was the case and I have always had the Club Orange fees refunded.  

Any chance you had also used Future Cruise Deposits for the deposit on the non-refundable deposit booking?  If so, did those FCDs also come back to you?

 

Thank you!

Edited December 28, 2023 by forevercruising1

[crystalspin]

51 minutes ago, forevercruising1 said:

Any chance you had also used Future Cruise Deposits for the deposit on the non-refundable deposit booking?  If so, did those FCDs also come back to you?

I have not cancelled using FCDs, but I did ask my good and experienced PCC about your very question. See the middle paragraph above (post #4). They would 'come back' up until Final Payment, then lost.

[forevercruising1]

10 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

I have not cancelled using FCDs, but I did ask my good and experienced PCC about your very question. See the middle paragraph above (post #4). They would 'come back' up until Final Payment, then lost.

Thank you for the detailed responses!  I really appreciate them!  🙂

[forevercruising1]

1 hour ago, cbr663 said:

1.  Yes.  CO fees were refunded,

2.  Yes.  It was for a refundable cruise fare.  The FCD was placed back into my account for future use.

3.  I haven’t.  From the FAQs though it would appear to me that if it is a non-refundable deposit then the CO fee would not be refunded as the CO fee is part of the cruise fare:

 

 

 

4.  I don’t know what happens if you use a refundable cruise deposit under a non-refundable cruise fare.  You may have to escalate that if the answer you receive is not to your liking.

Thank you for sharing your specific experiences; the information is very helpful! 🙂

[forevercruising1]

7 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

I have cancelled both refundable and non-refundable fared bookings with Club Orange.  My booking confirmations showed the Club Orange fees were refundable with both if cancelled before final payment.  Indeed, this was the case and I have always had the Club Orange fees refunded.  

This information is very helpful - thank you! 🙂

[forevercruising1]

14 hours ago, kazu said:

OP, I have Allianz for medical and have used it for trip cancellation in the past.  There is no coverage for cancelling a cruise for anything other than what is stipulated.  So things like a work schedule change, sick dog, itinerary changes, sick family member (not fatal) don’t qualify.

 

I use HAL’s insurance for the cancellation.  The Platinum only covers 90% but it is a true cancel for any reason policy.  No questions asked. If you book a non refundable cruise, you need to purchase it at the time of booking, though.
 

Thank you for the additional insurance clarification - I appreciate it!  🙂

[forevercruising1]

3 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I have not cancelled using FCDs, but I did ask my good and experienced PCC about your very question. See the middle paragraph above (post #4). They would 'come back' up until Final Payment, then lost.

 

crystalspin:  Thank you for sharing -- I've not used a PCC as I've always booked direct so I have full access to our bookings at any time, day or night; however, maybe using a PCC is helpful in situations like this -- maybe I'll have to reconsider! 

Edited December 28, 2023 by forevercruising1

[forevercruising1]

On 12/28/2023 at 3:08 AM, TAW1963 said:

I have cancelled both refundable and non-refundable fared bookings with Club Orange.  My booking confirmations showed the Club Orange fees were refundable with both if cancelled before final payment.  Indeed, this was the case and I have always had the Club Orange fees refunded.  

TAW1963: Could you direct me to where your booking confirmation states that the Club Orange fees are refundable?

 

Thanks!!

[TAW1963]

1 hour ago, forevercruising1 said:

TAW1963: Could you direct me to where your booking confirmation states that the Club Orange fees are refundable?

 

Thanks!!

Here is a snapshot of the cancellation fee schedule that is within the booking confirmation pdf for one of my cancelled cruises.  You can see at the bottom that Club Orange was added (and had to be paid at the time it was added).   In the cancellation fee schedule only my non-refundable $1 deposit pp would be forfeited until Sept 01 of 2025.    In fact, I did have to cancel this cruise and all but my $1 pp deposit was refunded.   

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by TAW1963

[forevercruising1]

11 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

Here is a snapshot of the cancellation fee schedule that is within the booking confirmation pdf for one of my cancelled cruises.  You can see at the bottom that Club Orange was added (and had to be paid at the time it was added).   In the cancellation fee schedule only my non-refundable $1 deposit pp would be forfeited until Sept 01 of 2025.    In fact, I did have to cancel this cruise and all but my $1 pp deposit was refunded.   

 

 

Thanks so much for sharing this!  That is where I thought you were referring to, but I think the HAL representative might have modified the details of my booking when I called to add Club Orange and upgrade my cabin assignment. 

 

First, I always book refundable deposits; we have to change dates often due to my work schedule so I never select non-refundable (I always do our own bookings, direct).  However, in the following email confirmation, there are a couple of things that are abnormal:

 

 

1.  I booked this cruise on the HAL website on April 14, 2023 and called that same day to add Club Orange and upgrade my cabin; however, as you can see in the picture, the "Cancellation Fees Schedule" states that cancellation fees begin on April 11, 2023 -- I'm not sure how that can be since I had not even made the reservation on that date.

 

2.  It looks like the Club Orange Fees are what are listed as non-refundable, which, I assume, means that the two Future Cruise Deposits will be refundable, as I'd expected.  ** NOTE:  Final payment for this cruise is not until December 22, 2024.

 

So, I need to call tomorrow to cancel this booking and I'm trying to get all of my "ducks in a row" before I call.  If any of you are able to shed any light on these discrepancies, I'd appreciate your insight.

 

Thank you, in advance!

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by forevercruising1

[POA1]

2 hours ago, forevercruising1 said:

So, I need to call tomorrow to cancel this booking and I'm trying to get all of my "ducks in a row" before I call.  If any of you are able to shed any light on these discrepancies, I'd appreciate your insight.

If you call on Saturday or Sunday, there's a high likelihood that you are going to reach a non-US call center. I'd wait until January 2nd,if I were you.

 

If you added Club Orange and did not upgrade, it's probably easy to remove. I'd give that a shot. If you played the CO upgrade game, it's more complicated.

 

If you had booked with a PCC or TA, you'd have someone to shepherd this through the process. I know that's water under the bridge, though.

 

I assume this is a 7 day cruise for 2 people and you paid your CO in two parts? That is the only way I can make the math work. (Of course, it's 6:30 AM on a Saturday and coffee is in the future, so I could be wrong.)

 

If possible, see if you can remove CO and leave the money on the booking as additional deposit. You may be told that you are in cancel penalty fee, because technically you are.

 

If you can remove CO without penalty, do that. Then, call back to cancel the booking later and get the whole deposit refunded.

 

Or, just tell the person you talk to that you want to know if there are cancelation fees on booking now. They can look, and maybe you'll get good news.

Edited December 30, 2023 by POA1

[TAW1963]

2 hours ago, forevercruising1 said:

 

Thanks so much for sharing this!  That is where I thought you were referring to, but I think the HAL representative might have modified the details of my booking when I called to add Club Orange and upgrade my cabin assignment. 

 

First, I always book refundable deposits; we have to change dates often due to my work schedule so I never select non-refundable (I always do our own bookings, direct).  However, in the following email confirmation, there are a couple of things that are abnormal:

 

 

1.  I booked this cruise on the HAL website on April 14, 2023 and called that same day to add Club Orange and upgrade my cabin; however, as you can see in the picture, the "Cancellation Fees Schedule" states that cancellation fees begin on April 11, 2023 -- I'm not sure how that can be since I had not even made the reservation on that date.

 

2.  It looks like the Club Orange Fees are what are listed as non-refundable, which, I assume, means that the two Future Cruise Deposits will be refundable, as I'd expected.  ** NOTE:  Final payment for this cruise is not until December 22, 2024.

 

So, I need to call tomorrow to cancel this booking and I'm trying to get all of my "ducks in a row" before I call.  If any of you are able to shed any light on these discrepancies, I'd appreciate your insight.

 

Thank you, in advance!

 

It certainly does appear like they made the Club Orange fees non-refundable on your booking, which I believe is an error (or at least doesn't match what has been the case for me for many bookings).  I had several bookings in the past year, with Club Orange and refundable deposits, and cancelled all of them since we decided to focus on more cruises with Princess.  Just recently, we decided to book another Alaska cruise with HAL for this next May of 2024.  I called and asked for the Advantage Fare, which had a $700 ($350 pp) refundable deposit.  I added Club Orange to move us to our favorite aft-facing cabin.  As many of us know, Club Orange more than pays for itself in many cases with the cabin upgrade itself.   Anyhow, this is a 7 day cruise, so Club Orange is $175 pp, just like it appears to be in your case.   Attached is my fees schedule, which shows everything is refundable until February 2024.  The amount for Club Orange is nowhere in the fees schedule, nor has it ever been, on any of my bookings.

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by TAW1963

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, forevercruising1 said:

"Cancellation Fees Schedule" states that cancellation fees begin on April 11, 2023 -- I'm not sure how that can be since I had not even made the reservation on that date.

By any chance did you make an online 'Courtesy Hold'?  I have checked a few bookings and if I had a courtesy hold in place then that becomes the initial Cancellation Fee date.

[POA1]

I just looked at my booking, which has Club Orange and Have It All. Probably should have done that two hours ago, but... coffee.

 

It has a final payment date of 12/30/2023. (Why, it as if I made this reservation just so I could answer this question! 😃)

 

I paid for the cruise in full on 9/28/2023. I had them add HIA in October, before the price went up from $50 pp/day to $55. I waited until the 28th of December to pay for Have It All.

 

I used HAL gift cards to pay for oue HIA. The cruise was paid on our Platinum Amex, because it's stupidly expensive annual fee includes travel insurance coverage. I had to call HAL to get the gift cards to process because the website does not want to properly process gift cards. (Motto: If Bad User Interface Design & Broken Functionality had a baby, you'd be looking at it.™)

 

My cancelation penalties kick in tomorrow, New Year's Eve. For the whole shebang, including HIA and CO. We have no intention of canceling, and my wife has already informed me that if I can't go, she has plenty of friends who would be happy to go, because she has a Retreat Cabana.

 

The paperwork, anonymized to protect my secret identity. These images should be quite zoomable if you click on them.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by POA1

[TAW1963]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

I just looked at my booking, which has Club Orange and Have It All. Probably should have done that two hours ago, but... coffee.

 

It has a final payment date of 12/30/2023. (Why, it as if I made this reservation just so I could answer this question! 😃)

 

I paid for the cruise in full on 9/28/2023. I had them add HIA in October, before the price went up from $50 pp/day to $55. I waited until the 28th of December to pay for Have It All.

 

I used HAL gift cards to pay for oue HIA. The cruise was paid on our Platinum Amex, because it's stupidly expensive annual fee includes travel insurance coverage. I had to call HAL to get the gift cards to process because the website does not want to properly process gift cards. (Motto: If Bad User Interface Design & Broken Functionality had a baby, you'd be looking at it.™)

 

My cancelation penalties kick in tomorrow, New Year's Eve. For the whole shebang, including HIA and CO. We have no intention of canceling, and my wife has already informed me that if I can't go, she has plenty of friends who would be happy to go, because she has a Retreat Cabana.

 

The paperwork, anonymized to protect my secret identity. These images should be quite zoomable if you click on them.

 

 

.  

 

This booking re-enforces, and shows the same thing as mine did in post #20, that Club Orange should be refundable prior to final payment.

Edited December 30, 2023 by TAW1963

[POA1]

2 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

This booking re-enforces, and shows the same thing as mine did in post #20, that Club Orange should be refundable prior to final payment.

I think that is the case. That's why I suggested calling after the New Year's break when the stateside office would be in.

[forevercruising1]

16 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

By any chance did you make an online 'Courtesy Hold'?  I have checked a few bookings and if I had a courtesy hold in place then that becomes the initial Cancellation Fee date.

 

VMax1700:  OH MY -- I didn't even consider that.  I went back into my confirmations and yes, I did do a courtesy hold first, then called the next day or so to pay the deposit.  Thank you for solving that part of the mystery!  It doesn't solve my problem, but at least I have another piece of the puzzle.

 

I still find it odd that, even in my original Courtesy Hold confirmation, it shows a $175 deposit owed.  I can't remember a promo which required a deposit of $175, but there must have been one; it is still odd, because I always select a non-refundable deposit option -- I don't know how this happened.  Clearly, I did not pay close enough attention to detail in this case.  I might not end up a happy camper when this is all said and done....

 

Thanks, again!

Edited December 31, 2023 by forevercruising1