Question re: Canceling a cruise

[nanseev]

Hi all,

 

Sorry for the length…I’m wordy.

 

I have some Royal cruises booked that I think we are going to cancel a portion.  We got an amazing deal on b2b Grand Suites over the Christmas and NYE weeks, and we booked two for each week (one for us and one for the kids) and honestly…two weeks, two suites each, is just too much of a stretch for us with cruise, gambling, spending, and other expenses.  We booked it when the cruise was first released thinking we would save $ for it, and in hindsight…it was a better dream vs reality.

 

i haven’t called Royal yet, and I would bet we booked with non-refundable deposits.  Here’s my question…the cruise is a TON more $ now.  Like $7k-8k increase PER room (from $2,900 to $10,700 for each suite).  Could I switch all of the names on the reservations and have someone pay me for my deposit that I already paid…assuming I could find someone who would want it?  I’d be saving a family of four almost $15k!! I would love to be able to pay the savings forward to someone….but do I trust someone who I don’t know personally?  Am I nuts?  Should I just cancel it, and if I lose the deposit…oh well.? 
 

As I type this I am also telling myself to just suck it up…you only live once and I don’t have to spend *every* night in the casino….lol.  
 

But seriously…can I change the names for my holiday cruises?

 

[Tree_skier]

No, unfortunately that won't work.  Almost all suites are NRD so your depsits are locked in there.  Also, if changing people in the room at least one name has to remain on each reservation.  Sadly, I think your only option is cancel or go on the cruise.  

Edited May 21 by Tree_skier

[c-leg5]

Is this booked through a casino offer?

[nanseev]

52 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Is this booked through a casino offer?

No…straight booking.  It was just an absolute bargain when it was released.

[cynt]

As mentioned the suites are probably NRD. You could possibly move everyone to inside cabins for one of the weeks. 

 

However, I would not cancel if you did indeed get a great rate like you mentioned on the suites. I would totally chill and relax one week (gratuities would be the only thing on that weeks receipt).  Gamble and do all the things the other week. I would tell the family we're on a budget of zero dollars week one. Week two go and enjoy yourself. My family wouldn't care about budget week one knowing they have a two week cruise. They would be so excited being on the cruise ship for two weeks. 

 

Have a great cruise.

[FionaMG]

B2B cruises are essentially two separate cruises. Could you go on just one of them and move the other to next year, not necessarily in suites? I've never booked a suite so I don’t know if the amount of the deposit is different from a standard cabin, but as far as I know all suite deposits are non-refundable so the change fee of $100pp to switch to a different sailing will probably be less than the amount of the deposit you'd lose by cancelling.

 

Hope you can work something out.

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, nanseev said:

two weeks, two suites each, is just too much of a stretch for us with cruise, gambling, spending, and other expenses.

You could try pricing a downgrade and cut way back on planned spending - could be a teaching moment for everyone.

[Mum2Mercury]

10 hours ago, nanseev said:

Hi all,

 

Sorry for the length…I’m wordy.

 

I have some Royal cruises booked that I think we are going to cancel a portion.  We got an amazing deal on b2b Grand Suites over the Christmas and NYE weeks, and we booked two for each week (one for us and one for the kids) and honestly…two weeks, two suites each, is just too much of a stretch for us with cruise, gambling, spending, and other expenses.  We booked it when the cruise was first released thinking we would save $ for it, and in hindsight…it was a better dream vs reality.

 

i haven’t called Royal yet, and I would bet we booked with non-refundable deposits.  Here’s my question…the cruise is a TON more $ now.  Like $7k-8k increase PER room (from $2,900 to $10,700 for each suite).  Could I switch all of the names on the reservations and have someone pay me for my deposit that I already paid…assuming I could find someone who would want it?  I’d be saving a family of four almost $15k!! I would love to be able to pay the savings forward to someone….but do I trust someone who I don’t know personally?  Am I nuts?  Should I just cancel it, and if I lose the deposit…oh well.? 
 

As I type this I am also telling myself to just suck it up…you only live once and I don’t have to spend *every* night in the casino….lol.  
 

But seriously…can I change the names for my holiday cruises?

 

No, you can't do what you propose.  

What you can do is change to a less expensive room.  

Also consider that the gambling, spending and other expenses are largely under your control.  We personally spend very little on top of our ticket price.  

[RFerrington]

The problem with downgrading at this point, is that in all likelihood, the current downgraded prices are near or maybe even more than what you paid for the suite way back when.  It never hurts to check...but my guess is that the value in downgrading will be low.

 

If it truly is not likely that you can do both cruises this year, I concur that the next best option would be to move one of the cruises out into the future.  Yes, it will cost you $100 PP to move the cruise but if you don't have the money, you don't have the money...and $100 PP is better than losing the entire deposit per person, which is what it would cost to cancel outright.

[fred30]

If the current price really is over 3 times what you paid you may want to try calling and see if they would be willing to give you back most of your deposit money. They would have a good chance of making more money putting the suite back in the mix than keeping your deposit and letting it be a no show.

 

 

[steveru621]

Why not re-schedule?

[nanseev]

9 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Is this booked through a casino offer?

No…straight booking.  It was just an absolute bargain when it was released.

[nanseev]

24 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

Why not re-schedule?

Honestly…didn’t even think about rescheduling!  Almost too obvious of an answer! LOL!  I think that’s the direction I’ll end up going.  There’s more to canceling the b2b - it’s partly money, but it’s also being gone two weeks and home responsibilities.  Thanks for everyone’s input - I appreciate it!  

[bajathree]

15 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Is this booked through a casino offer?

That is one really nice thing about casino offers....if you have to cancel you get back all your taxes and port fees (which is all you have to pay unless you upgraded) and loose nothing but the offer itself.

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, nanseev said:

Honestly…didn’t even think about rescheduling!  Almost too obvious of an answer! LOL!  I think that’s the direction I’ll end up going.  There’s more to canceling the b2b - it’s partly money, but it’s also being gone two weeks and home responsibilities.  Thanks for everyone’s input - I appreciate it!  

You can move the leftover deposit, minus the $100pp per cruise to a shorter cruise. I just did that with a Celebrity cruise B2B that I had to cancel. I travel solo and lost the $200, but moved the remaining $700 to a 6 night Alaska recently. It was the smallest final payment I ever had to make. LOL

[RFerrington]

12 minutes ago, bajathree said:

That is one really nice thing about casino offers....if you have to cancel you get back all your taxes and port fees (which is all you have to pay unless you upgraded) and loose nothing but the offer itself.

…as long as you haven’t upgraded it…

😂😂

[c-leg5]

7 minutes ago, bajathree said:

That is one really nice thing about casino offers....if you have to cancel you get back all your taxes and port fees (which is all you have to pay unless you upgraded) and loose nothing but the offer itself.

True. I guess the OP did state deposit so I didn’t really think it through. I have never booked through casino and I thought they may have paid to upgrade but I suppose you do all that at the end?

 

I was more fixated on the suggestion of changing names, which I don’t think you can do with casino bookings even if one person remains in name and is a no show- I believe the casino person actually has to sail?

[bajathree]

7 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

True. I guess the OP did state deposit so I didn’t really think it through. I have never booked through casino and I thought they may have paid to upgrade but I suppose you do all that at the end?

 

I was more fixated on the suggestion of changing names, which I don’t think you can do with casino bookings even if one person remains in name and is a no show- I believe the casino person actually has to sail?

Yes....the person who "has the offer" has to sail...the second person can be changed as long as you didn't combine offers.

[bajathree]

10 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

…as long as you haven’t upgraded it…

😂😂

Thats exactly why I don't go crazy on upgrading a casino offer....wouldn't pay more than I would want to risk loosing. What I like to do if it's an interior offer for say like an assigned 4V (lowest category interior) is find a sailing that currently is offering a balcony guaranty thats within dollars difference of the 4V. That way you upgraded and are still safe if you end up having to cancel.

[RFerrington]

35 minutes ago, bajathree said:

Thats exactly why I don't go crazy on upgrading a casino offer....wouldn't pay more than I would want to risk loosing. What I like to do if it's an interior offer for say like an assigned 4V (lowest category interior) is find a sailing that currently is offering a balcony guaranty thats within dollars difference of the 4V. That way you upgraded and are still safe if you end up having to cancel.

Exactly what we do.  I was very fortunate recently when I booked our annual Prime cruises I was able to upgrade both of them for $0 to an XB (OV balcony GTY) on SY.  Woohoo !

[bajathree]

47 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Exactly what we do.  I was very fortunate recently when I booked our annual Prime cruises I was able to upgrade both of them for $0 to an XB (OV balcony GTY) on SY.  Woohoo !

We just also did the same on a SY sailing;) for next year....no idea what will be 10 months out....it was a $12 total upgrade for both.

Edited May 21 by bajathree

[RFerrington]

25 minutes ago, bajathree said:

We just also did the same on a SY sailing;) for next year....no idea what will be 10 months out....it was a $12 total upgrade for both.

When are you going ?  We are on 3-2-25 and 3-9-25.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 hours ago, fred30 said:

If the current price really is over 3 times what you paid you may want to try calling and see if they would be willing to give you back most of your deposit money. They would have a good chance of making more money putting the suite back in the mix than keeping your deposit and letting it be a no show.

 

 

Royal is not sympathetic like that.  They won't wheel and deal with you even though the prices have gone up.  Also the OP is well before final payment so there is no chance of them ever being a no show as that would require making final payment.  Royal will get their cabin back at final in the worst case scenario and have plenty of time to sell it and keep the deposit as well.

[Dan83]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the OP could in theory do something like they describe. But not exactly. They could change names on the reservation, but one name of the original names would have to be left and be a no show. So some of the cruise fare would be wasted. A grand suite on most ships has a capacity of 4. So that leaves 3 names that could be changed. A family of 3 may be looking for a bargain. Sounds risky dealing with strangers, but if you knew the family it may work out ok. 

[Ourusualbeach]

20 hours ago, nanseev said:

Hi all,

 

Sorry for the length…I’m wordy.

 

I have some Royal cruises booked that I think we are going to cancel a portion.  We got an amazing deal on b2b Grand Suites over the Christmas and NYE weeks, and we booked two for each week (one for us and one for the kids) and honestly…two weeks, two suites each, is just too much of a stretch for us with cruise, gambling, spending, and other expenses.  We booked it when the cruise was first released thinking we would save $ for it, and in hindsight…it was a better dream vs reality.

 

i haven’t called Royal yet, and I would bet we booked with non-refundable deposits.  Here’s my question…the cruise is a TON more $ now.  Like $7k-8k increase PER room (from $2,900 to $10,700 for each suite).  Could I switch all of the names on the reservations and have someone pay me for my deposit that I already paid…assuming I could find someone who would want it?  I’d be saving a family of four almost $15k!! I would love to be able to pay the savings forward to someone….but do I trust someone who I don’t know personally?  Am I nuts?  Should I just cancel it, and if I lose the deposit…oh well.? 
 

As I type this I am also telling myself to just suck it up…you only live once and I don’t have to spend *every* night in the casino….lol.  
 

But seriously…can I change the names for my holiday cruises?

 

Easy enough in your case to do this.

 

This only works since you have 2 suites on each sailing.  Simply come up with a price that you think is fair and charge the other people that price with the understanding that they will be on your reservation.  Just add them as guests 3 and 4 to one booking of they have 2 people or add guests 3 and 4 to both bookings if they have 4 people.  This would work well if you could get a family member or friend to join, not sure I would try it with a stranger though.  On board just get things switched around.