Cancellation & How Strict is RCI?

[escentialssoycandles]

I just found out I am having surgery a few days before my 3 night Bahamas Cruise. I already have 2 other cruises booked for 2008. I am wondering how strict is RCI if I have to cancel or change my booking? I am 30 days out and I know it is $200, but my cruise was only $480.00 so that seams crazy. My TA said there is nothing they can do. Do you think if I call RCI directly or C&A, they will allow me to change my cruise or will I still lose the $200? Thanks for the input.

[Glama]

Sorry to say, I think you're going to lose your $200, unless you purchased insurance. It may be worth a try to call RCI, maybe they would at least let you apply that $200 to a new booking, but it's iffy.

 

Can't you postpone the surgery another week? If their waiting a month to do the surgery already, maybe they can give you one more week so you can enjoy your vacation and not lose money?

 

Best of luck with the surgery!

[lvtotrvl1]

Has your TA called the C&A desk? If so, you probably won't have much luck. That is what insurance is for. It may be worth writing a letter to special services to see if you could receive a future credit.

[alexkrn46]

Good luck with the surgery.... I would call C&A not ventured nothing gained.

[Ocean Boy]

Chances are that if the cruise was booked through a T.A. that no one in the C & A department is going to even discuss it with the OP but it doesn't hurt to try.

[Cuizer2]

I just found out I am having surgery a few days before my 3 night Bahamas Cruise. I already have 2 other cruises booked for 2008. I am wondering how strict is RCI if I have to cancel or change my booking? I am 30 days out and I know it is $200, but my cruise was only $480.00 so that seams crazy. My TA said there is nothing they can do. Do you think if I call RCI directly or C&A, they will allow me to change my cruise or will I still lose the $200? Thanks for the input.

 

Why don't you call RCI and find out?

[fm519]

You could try finding someone to take your place on the cruise, even if you loose some money, you wouldn't have to loose it all. We took a cruise in Sept and one of the ladies in our party had a family emergency 3 days before our ship sailed. She wasn't able to get a refund, but someone was able to take her place. Just a suggestion...might be worth a try.

[katiel53]

I think insurance would be your only hope. If you think about it from RCI's standpoint, there has to be a cut-off time or anyone wanting to cancel for a good reason would want a refund.

 

If your TA already called, you are out of luck because RCI won't talk to you when you are booked through a TA. I know that because of things that have happened to us.

 

Hopefully, you can have your surgery performed later, or look at it as you spent $200 instead of what the onboard expenses would be. Good luck with the surgery.

[VaCruzers]

I would call & ask! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

I can report that I was able to "reschedule" rather than cancel a cruise within the penalty period once, but I think I was lucky in getting a compassionate, caring customer service representative. We had booked nearly a year in advance, then as the date got close, my son was accepted into a specialized college program & my husband had mandatory work requirements come up - both during the week of the cruise. We were able to reschedule for a later date, but it took a lot of talking to a lot of people & it was about 3 years ago. We did have travel insurance, but it would not have applied to either situation which prevented us from traveling the originally booked week.

 

Good luck!

[VaCruzers]

I would call & ask! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

I can report that I was able to "reschedule" rather than cancel a cruise within the penalty period once, but I think I was lucky in getting a compassionate, caring customer service representative. We had booked nearly a year in advance, then as the date got close, my son was accepted into a specialized college program & my husband had mandatory work requirements come up - both during the week of the cruise. We were able to reschedule for a later date, but it took a lot of talking to a lot of people & it was about 3 years ago. We were issued credit vouchers which had to be used within a certain timeframe - I think a year. We did have travel insurance, but it would not have applied to either situation which prevented us from traveling the originally booked week.

 

Good luck!

[VaCruzers]

Sorry for that double post - it said it had timed out so I hit submit again.......

[Linda/Ohio]

Why not get a confernece call with TA and C&A? I have a relative who was able to push back her cruise by a few weeks. New cruiise didn't have same cabin---but for a few bucks more she was able to go.

[willysgrandma]

This is precisely what insurance is for. You can try and ask, but don't complain if the answer is no - that is the precise purpose of purchasing insurance, which would have covered you and only cost a few dollars for that cruise.

 

Isn't there any way you can reschedule your surgery for a week later? That might be your most cost effective soultion.

 

And make sure you buy insurance for those other cruises you have scheduled. As you can see, anything can happen that might prevent you from taking a cruise and losing money.

[Rancher Dave]

I can report that I was able to "reschedule" rather than cancel a cruise within the penalty period once, but I think I was lucky in getting a compassionate, caring customer service representative.

 

I think this is a great idea, if you could possibly go a week earlier after Thanksgiving when it gets slow, maybe they will let you move the rez without any significant fees, maybe none. My guess if you ask for a cabin on a cruise they are trying to fill up on a slow day in the next few weeks that is where you will likely find your best luck getting a compassionate CSR to get a supervisor to agree to a special deal.

 

Best of luck on the cruise, and surgery.

[Merion_Mom]

Sorry for that double post - it said it had timed out so I hit submit again.......

 

Debbie, when I get that message, here is what I do:

 

Hit the back button. Highlight and copy your post. Open up a new window, go to CC and go to your thread and see if the post is there. Usually it is. IF it isn't, then you can re-post, using your saved copy.

 

:)

[Cuizer2]

Debbie, when I get that message, here is what I do:

 

Hit the back button. Highlight and copy your post. Open up a new window, go to CC and go to your thread and see if the post is there. Usually it is. IF it isn't, then you can re-post, using your saved copy.

 

:)

 

Seems easier to just apologize for the double post. :p

[uksimonusa]

They were very strict for me. We had a Mariner cruise boooked for the end of May 2006, 29 days before sailing, my wife received her notice of Citizenship interview, that she had waited 3 years for, and takes a year to reschedule, the interview was for the last day of the cruise. I called RCI to try and reschedule to the week earlier or later. They would do nothing for me at all, had to cancel the Mariner cruise and loose 100%, claim with their insurance for a 75% cruise credit, that would not come in time to apply to the new cruise, then book the Navigator for the week earlier at an increased cost of $650 for the 3 of us. In the end it cost us $1475 to change. :mad:

 

The upside is that we had a great cruise on the Navigator, and my wife is now "Proud to be an American":D

[vmom]

I'd see if you can find someone else to go in your place and then have them repay you what you paid.

 

Or

Can you postpone the surgery for a week? That would solve the problem.

Next time if you are concerned about insurance prices, maybe check out a TA that throws in insurance as a bonus, or a TA that offers highly discounted insurance.

[Tranquil Waters]

Seems easier to just apologize for the double post. :p

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Glad I kept reading before posting....:D

[shorbr]

I had no problem getting refunded for a cruise that was scheduled in 2004. I had been diagnosed with breast cancer in August and my last treatment was in December. All along I thought I would be able to still cruise, but my oncologist was totally against it. I canceled maybe 2 weeks before the cruise was scheduled. I called them and told them my situation and they refunded all monies. RCCL was very empathetic with my situation and I appreciated that.

 

So call and give it a try.

[escentialssoycandles]

I spoke to my TA, had to cancel the cruise. I also spoke to someone at RCI and they told me to send the letter to Resolution Dept with my medical procedures being scheduled to see if they could waive the $200.00 cancellation penalty. Unfortunately they would not allow me to re-schedule, but I have something going on every week (including a 7 night cruise) before my surgery anyways.

 

I am having various procedures done (endoscopy tomorrow) and next week (gall bladder sonogram). We cruise for 7 nights over Thanksgiving Break and then come home to have a colonoscopy on 11/29. My surgery is scheduled for 12/4 for a 22mm Kidney Cyst which I just found out I had on Halloween after a CT scan due to swelling up severely, to the point I looked like I was 7 months pregnant. (Which is not a bad thing, but my son was like "Mommy are you having another baby? and was quite disappointed when I told him no")

This was the 5th time in 9 months and this time it lasted a couple of days long. Hence why we are doing a gazillion procedures before the surgery to rule out anything else. It is laproscopic, but I am not sure on the healing time and did not want to take a chance with cruising and all 3 days later. I am only 31 and somewhat of a medical mystery LOL, so finally we are doing all possible testing to figure out what is going on with me!

 

Thanks for your concern, I do appreciate it.

[willysgrandma]

I am undergoing many of the same type of procedures you are - I feel for you, as I know how stressful this all is.

 

Isn't there a way they can put off the surgery a week?

[escentialssoycandles]

I am undergoing many of the same type of procedures you are - I feel for you, as I know how stressful this all is.

 

Isn't there a way they can put off the surgery a week?

 

Unfortunately if I put it off, it will take me into Christmas time and I run a business on top of my regular FT job and Xmas season is the busiest for me. It is a must do to pay for all of these fun tests and Xmas gifts at the same time!

[willysgrandma]

Sorry to hear it. I wish you the best for your upcoming surgery - hope all goes well.

[Sea Island Lady]

The amount is not much of a sacrifice for good health. ;) I do hope everything turns out well. Sounds scary!