Name Change Fee?

Hoping someone can help me with a rather stressful situation. My PCC is gone for the holidays.

Our family of five has two Neptune Suites for Dec. 31 on the Rotterdam. My husband, myself, and 14-year-old child in one cabin; my mother and the 18-year-old kid in the other. As of today, Mom can't go due to her husband's health.

Fortunately, we always purchase HAL's premium cancellation protection, which is a 90 percent refund, so we're only out $1,000 for the cruise. However, if we four go without my Mom, it also will cost $1,000 to shift one person from our cabin into hers because it would be considered a name change. So subtracting a person--not adding or substituting--is still a $1,000 name change?

We do NOT want to go without my Mom, so actually this would be a good argument to use with her, since she is insisting we go. There are a lot of moving parts to the trip, so I'm hoping someone could shed light on this piece. The PCC I spoke with just said "it's complicated." We're all 4-star mariners, so I guess I should understand, but we've been blessed not to deal with this situation before.

Thanks in advance.

Last year my sister paid $800 to have my name taken off our reservation and have her husband's name added after I was diagnosed with Pneumonia after a minor outpatient procedure about 10 days before we were to leave on our cruise.

Good luck and I hope everything works out for your family

BTW: Sis and I are going on another cruise this January, kind of a "makeup" for last year.

Last year, at the last minute, my GF couldn't cruise and I really wanted to go. So I invited my mother. Name change was $999.

Hoping someone can help me with a rather stressful situation. My PCC is gone for the holidays.

 

Our family of five has two Neptune Suites for Dec. 31 on the Rotterdam. My husband, myself, and 14-year-old child in one cabin; my mother and the 18-year-old kid in the other. As of today, Mom can't go due to her husband's health.

 

Fortunately, we always purchase HAL's premium cancellation protection, which is a 90 percent refund, so we're only out $1,000 for the cruise. However, if we four go without my Mom, it also will cost $1,000 to shift one person from our cabin into hers because it would be considered a name change. So subtracting a person--not adding or substituting--is still a $1,000 name change?

 

This is simply nuts! You mean you have to pay a $1,000 fee because your mom cancelled? I would simply show up and tell the check-in staff your mother had a sudden illness and won't be sailing. With respect to the room assignments, again, I would say nothing and work out your sleeping arrangements as you see fit. I doubt HAL will become adversarial with guests that book two Pinnacle suites.

If you cancel your mother and just leave the 18 year old in the room on their own on paper how much would that cost? Then when you get on the ship you can get an extra key and put who you want in each room and they don't even need to know

Will your insurance cover the solo room cost for your 18yo? If so, I would just go with the previous poster's recommendation. You haven't by any chance got connecting rooms. That would really solve the problem.

Thank you! I hadn't thought of seeing what the price would be if the 18 - year-old was in the room solo. The cabins are next to each other and, of course, we'd just work out the arrangements. They won't let us put four in a Neptune suite, and the ship is fully booked.

I know people have gotten hit with this name change fee when they've substituted a person, but it struck me as odd when all the original passengers are sailing--we're just subtracting one person. The PC said it would be considered a re-booking.

I wish I had the cruise consultant we've worked with for years--2 cruises a year, always 2 Neptune suites. Answers from Seattle vary so much; it's frustrating. I really appreciate everyone's advice.

Usually a Neptune Suite will accommodate 4 people on the Rotterdam.

If you cancel your mother and just leave the 18 year old in the room on their own on paper how much would that cost? Then when you get on the ship you can get an extra key and put who you want in each room and they don't even need to know

What is the minimum age to sail alone?

So subtracting a person--not adding or substituting--is still a $1,000 name change?

Sorry OP, I misread your question. I'm not sure what happens if you just subtract a person.

Good luck and Happy cruising!

This is nuts. Last year I think I paid a $250 fee to change a name on my New Year's booking.... maybe the difference is due to category booked &/or time from sailing? Mine was after final payment but 30+ days from sailing.

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone. Turns out you have to be 21 to travel alone in a cabin. Our cabins are adjoining, but not connecting. Since my mom can't make the trip, either my husband or I would need to be moved next door to the cabin with the 18-year-old.

HAL is going to charge us $1200 to do this.

The explanation given is that it is considered a re-booking, even though it involves all original passengers, and that "it's complicated."

Of course, policy is policy, and HAL has a right to do whatever, but this does seem extreme. We are HAL loyalists. My Mom is a 5 Star Mariner and we are all 4 Stars--my kids have grown up sailing HAL.

I think we're coming to the end of an era for us, but we've been blessed with the many years we've gotten to travel together.

Just wondering if the OP (or her mother) took insurance and if it would cover this circumstance?

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Will your insurance cover the solo room cost for your 18yo? If so, I would just go with the previous poster's recommendation. You haven't by any chance got connecting rooms. That would really solve the problem.

HAL’s cancel for any reason policy does not protect the single supplement of the second passenger.

The cancellation would be made based on the medical condition of a family member and cabin repriced with a single supplement, but interesting because the single is 18 years old (Celebrity allows minors - I think age 13/14 -20 in a cabin as long as they are nearby the parents - same quadrant/area on the ship).

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HAL is going to charge us $1200 to do this.

 

 

 

The explanation given is that it is considered a re-booking, even though it involves all original passengers, and that "it's complicated."

 

 

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It sounds like you can’t get money back from your moms cancellation for a medical reason (family member), but if she left the ship after it departed no additional single supplement would be made. This is why some just show up with one less passenger (rather than canceling). You won’t get money back and (hopefully) they don’t go after you for a single supplement. This doesn’t work if your flights are booked through the cruise line.

Is the $1,200.00 10% of the fare, or based on the current rate (you said the ship was sold out). I would ask how they came up with this amount?

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This is nuts. Last year I think I paid a $250 fee to change a name on my New Year's booking.... maybe the difference is due to category booked &/or time from sailing? Mine was after final payment but 30+ days from sailing.

Within 30 days is typically the 95% - 100% penalty period.

The issue is that cancellation is being made for a medical reason of a family member. The problem is that the entire cabin is not being canceled. The other problem is that up until the ship departs it’s just the ships “protection policy”. The real medical cancellation by an outside insurer hasn’t kicked in yet. I thought that would protect the second passenger and was within 24 hours - but I haven’t reviewed the policy in years.

The amount is being calculated on the rate of the Neptune suite.

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