Problem getting deposit back

[Lady Vidora]

We put a deposit on a December 2009 ten-day cruise with Holland America Cruise line. Because changes to our work schedules, we won't be able to go on the cruise we wanted to go on, and if we leave later in the month, the cruise will be over Christmas or New Year which costs more than we are willing to pay. We decided we would cancel that cruise, and take a shorter one on another cruise line for now, and book our dream cruise at a later date when we're sure we can take it.

Our travel agent says the deposit can't be directly transferred to the shorter cruise, because although both lines are owned by Carnival they are seperate, so the deposit needs to be refunded to us, then we have to put another deposit down for the new cruise.

However, and this is the problem, the travel agent says she can only refund $600 of our deposit because the rest (178.50) is "cancellation insurance". This doesn't sound right, since if I booked with Holland America directly, I would be able to get all my money back. And the insurance is supposed to apply if I cancel after the full payment is due. Because of comments she has made about how we won't like the other cruise line, etc (and we know it's not as good as Holland, so we're not arguing that point) we are suspicious of this charge.
Any thoughts?

[skippyy]

Very suspicious..you should get all of your money refunded if you cancel prior to final payment date:confused: Get your money and a new TA:eek:

[pms4104]

Perhaps the fee is the agency's, as HAL does not charge cancel fees this far out. Unless you took HAL's insurance ... which never ever is refundable. Is that what the $178.50 is ... cruiseline cancel insurance/protection?

[mrsltg]

Perhaps the fee is the agency's, as HAL does not charge cancel fees this far out. Unless you took HAL's insurance ... which never ever is refundable. Is that what the $178.50 is ... cruiseline cancel insurance/protection?

That's what it sounds like to me, too. If you purchased insurance you're on the hook for it as soon as you agree to it.

[sail7seas]

I think I have read here that if you cancel a HAL cruise and have their coverage, if you book a new HAL cruise you can transfer the coverage to the new cruise. You cannot transfer it to another cruise line in the Carnival Family of Ships.

[Lady Vidora]

Okay, I found some documents. It's the CPP Standard Cancellation Protection Plan. It does say the CPP standard Plan cost is non-refundable. i just didn't realize that the money we gave the TA went towards that already...I thought we'd pay for insurance when the rest of the $$ was due. I guess it's my fault for not understanding, but we didn't have this fee on Princess. I'm looking at that paperwork, too.

[pms4104]

Okay, I found some documents. It's the CPP Standard Cancellation Protection Plan. It does say the CPP standard Plan cost is non-refundable. i just didn't realize that the money we gave the TA went towards that already...I thought we'd pay for insurance when the rest of the $$ was due. I guess it's my fault for not understanding, but we didn't have this fee on Princess. I'm looking at that paperwork, too.
With HAL, if you dersire the protection plan it must be purchased at time of deposit ... you are not able to add it a later date. Sorry your T/A was not clear in explaining that to you. Third party insurance, however, is a different story.

[English_in_Spain]

You are lucky to get any deposit back.

In Europe, if we cancel at anytime we lose ALL our deposit.

This has happened to me twice. Both times unavaoidable but not something covered by our travel insurance policy.

[wander]

I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the same thing would have happened had you booked directly with HAL.

[Cinema15]

Chalk it up to experience as two lessons learned.

Insurance, once purchased, is not refundable and when buying travel protection always use an outside company and not the cruiseline itself.

[AZjohn]

Chalk it up to experience as two lessons learned.

Insurance, once purchased, is not refundable and when buying travel protection always use an outside company and not the cruiseline itself.

And to add, most 3rd party insurances are transferable to another cruise regardless if it a different cruise line or not.

[Tricia724]

And to add, most 3rd party insurances are transferable to another cruise regardless if it a different cruise line or not.

This is true. We always buy our travel insurance from Travelex, and when we canceled our Azamara cruise and booked with Holland America, we were able to transfer the policy. It was a one-time transfer, though. If we had canceled our HAL cruise, we would have been out of luck.

[Lady Vidora]

I didn't know I was buying hal insurance because the travel agent sent me home with a brochure from another insurance company...a third party one. I see clearly (with 20/20 hindsight) that I shouldn't have assumed that the HAL process would be the same as princess, but I still feel someone should have mentioned that our "deposit" wasn't all a deposit, but a deposit and insurance payment. Feels a little hinky, but we are chalking it up and moving on.

[pms4104]

delete ... I missed Lady Vidora's post #6 above.

[happyglobetrotter]

This is true. We always buy our travel insurance from Travelex, and when we canceled our Azamara cruise and booked with Holland America, we were able to transfer the policy. It was a one-time transfer, though. If we had canceled our HAL cruise, we would have been out of luck.


Be careful, these outside policies have exclusions for pre-existing conditions whereas cruise lines have much less if any exclusions. So the older you are, the more it makes sense to take the cruise line insurance.