Do a lot of people cancel at 120 days?

[AliceIn]

My cruise is completely sold out for cabins fitting a family of 5. We are booked in a 2 bedroom on the Escape, and we are on deck 18. I was interested in the same cabin, just down one deck. My travel agent said check back just before we hit 120 days.

 

I looked up reviews for our room and found no noise issues, so we are probably fine. Is it worth it to keep checking with my TA, or is it likely that the rooms will stay as is?

[triptolemus]

So your TA is asking you to do their work for them?

 

What a lousy TA.

 

The answer is that it doesn't sound like you have anything to lose by checking just before 120 days out. So... check just before 120 days out.

[ClevelandCruisin]

No fee to cancel at 120 days... so maybe people do. Things come up when booking 8+ months in advance.

 

I always book the room I want to stay in and can afford. Enjoy your cruise!

[Petitbotcottage]

No fee to cancel at 120 days... so maybe people do.

In my opinion, ANYBODY who cancels should at least lose their deposit. It seems too easy simply to pull out of a contract with no penalty

[ray98]

Life happens so cancellations do happen. The percentage of occurrence would be no more than speculation and vary. You may also have people upgrading cabins so cabins will shuffle.

[Casino Comp Chick]

In my opinion, ANYBODY who cancels should at least lose their deposit. It seems too easy simply to pull out of a contract with no penalty

 

Then maybe YOU should start booking on the UK site. They have penalties and if you think ANYBODY should be penalized, start with yourself.

[dd likes to cruise]

I've read many posters that mention booking when itineraries or ships first come out to get the cabins they like. But actually tell you they will decide closer to as to which cruise to really take, and will cancel the others. Now I have no idea the percentage of people who do that, but I've read it a few times here on cruise critic.

[AliceIn]

No fee to cancel at 120 days... so maybe people do. Things come up when booking 8+ months in advance.

 

I always book the room I want to stay in and can afford. Enjoy your cruise!

 

I always book the category I want, and pick the closest match to my preferences at booking. I booked this cruise in early February (right after our school district posted the final calendars for the 2017/2018 school year). I wish I could book earlier, but the district has been experimenting with start and end dates. We have had dates anywhere from the first week in August start to the last week in August. It makes planning a bit difficult. We like to get away from home in August, because, Frankly, it is abominably hot and the Caribbean is such a relief!

 

 

There were only a few cabins available, so I picked one.

There were none on 17 that day. Honestly, I am happy with the room, but it would have been nice to get the same room on 17.

 

My TA is good, btw, I used them for the extra perks they offer, NOT hand holding. I actually enjoy doing a lot of the arranging myself. I was just curious if there really was a noticeable difference in availability at 120 days.

[Petitbotcottage]

Then maybe YOU should start booking on the UK site. They have penalties and if you think ANYBODY should be penalized, start with yourself.

I have read your recent posts and your "discussions" with luvtheships, and I can easily understand how you upset posters. I do think that your comment is rather rude. I am simply expressing an opinion regarding cancellations where I consider that it should not be that easy to cancel with no penalties.:(

[hansolosmom]

I would think they would tell you to look at 90 days out since that's the last point you can get your deposit back if you cancel. I don't know what is magic about 120 days, but I can say there will be a percentage of people who will cancel and maybe from experience they have figured out it's around 120 days.

 

I had to cancel/rebook our trip because of my son's schedule so I understand your situation. (I also appreciate being able to get my deposit back because sometimes things come up and we have to change our plans). We are on deck 14 and I would also rather be a deck lower so we would have cabins above us rather than the café. But we'll make the best of it.

 

If you don't see anything at 120 days out, keep checking because I think as you get closer to final payment at 90 days things may open up

[triptolemus]

In my opinion, ANYBODY who cancels should at least lose their deposit. It seems too easy simply to pull out of a contract with no penalty

 

How bizarre. Why would a consumer advocate for circumstances that are less consumer-friendly? I suppose you're one of those people who enjoy things like cable modem rental fees,

 

Someone who cancels before final payment (UK notwithstanding) is not pulling out of the contract. They are exercising an option according TO the contract.

[Laszlo]

I have read your recent posts and your "discussions" with luvtheships, and I can easily understand how you upset posters. I do think that your comment is rather rude. I am simply expressing an opinion regarding cancellations where I consider that it should not be that easy to cancel with no penalties.:(

 

Why not? Things come up, 120 days out is plenty of time for someone else to book. Car rental, hotel rooms many other things allow a consumer to cancel in a set amount of time

[Petitbotcottage]

Someone who cancels before final payment (UK notwithstanding) is not pulling out of the contract. They are exercising an option according TO the contract.

Then in my opinion, the contract needs amending. I simply think that the cruise lines should penalise anybody who cancels. It is just too easy to cancel willy nilly. BTW,I have no idea as to what a "cable modem" actually is.

[seashells]

Large agencies block off certain cabin categories' far in advance in case they can sell them.

If they don't sell them within the number of days of sailing, they have to return them to the cruise line at a certain time, BEFORE sailing, and you will see certain cabins all of a sudden open up.

So you may be looking at a haven cabin and all seem to be booked, then suddenly some open up.

Those are the cabins that the large agencies' didn't sell and are now back in the hands/system of the cruise line as opening.

Your agent is still able to book any cabin that opens up. Your agent may be busy booking other lines or other future farther out cruises and doesn't have/take the time to sit and look at just one booking (Yours).

If you desire a different cabin than you booked, it pays to look at availability from 90 days forward several times a day when final payment is due.

You might just find something you're looking for. Pricewise may change and that could be higher or lower.

Also a cabin might open up due too a death or a family crisis thus a cancellation.

[triptolemus]

Then in my opinion, the contract needs amending. I simply think that the cruise lines should penalise anybody who cancels. It is just too easy to cancel willy nilly. .

 

Again, why would a consumer advocate for conditions which are anti-consumer? Why do you care if its too easy to cancel?

 

Did it occur to you that those cancellation terms might benefit the cruise line by encouraging people to book when they otherwise wouldn't due to potential cancellation fees?

[hawkeyetlse]

Why would a consumer advocate for circumstances that are less consumer-friendly?

It makes sense for a consumer to want consumer-friendly policies that they don't personally benefit from to be taken away from other consumers. Because they believe that the money that the company saves by no longer offering those benefits will somehow be redirected towards something that they do care about (or it will allow the company to lower prices, etc.)

 

It isn't clear to me if NCL really loses money overall by maintaining their generous cancellation policy (which becomes a little less generous every year), or if, as you suggested, it encourages enough people to book (and cruise) to make it worthwhile. But as long as all the major cruise lines in the US offer penalty-free cancellation and refundable deposits, NCL has to follow suit. Although I think they will continue to tweak the cancellation fee schedule to make the dates earlier and earlier, and to make the fees increase faster and faster once you hit the penalty phase.

Edited March 30, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[S.S.Oceanlover]

It makes sense for a consumer to want consumer-friendly policies that they don't personally benefit from be taken away from other consumers. Because they believe that the money that the company saves by no longer offering those benefits will somehow be redirected towards something that they do care about (or it will allow the company to lower prices, etc.)

 

It isn't clear to me if NCL really loses money overall by maintaining their generous cancellation policy (which becomes a little less generous every year), or if, as you suggested, it encourages enough people to book (and cruise) to make it worthwhile. But as long as all the major cruise lines in the US offer penalty-free cancellation and refundable deposits, NCL has to follow suit. Although I think they will continue to tweak the cancellation fee schedule to make the dates earlier and earlier, and to make the fees increase faster and faster once you hit the penalty phase.

 

If said person thinks that it saved the company money that's fine, but to think the company is going to pass those savings onto the consumer is being very naive. Of course that's just my opinion.

 

YMMV

 

Bill

[Até]

I would think they would tell you to look at 90 days out since that's the last point you can get your deposit back if you cancel. I don't know what is magic about 120 days...

 

OP is talking about a suite, with other cabins 90 days would be relevant.

[dixieagle]

Then in my opinion, the contract needs amending. I simply think that the cruise lines should penalise anybody who cancels. It is just too easy to cancel willy nilly. BTW,I have no idea as to what a "cable modem" actually is.

 

I think we can be sure that, if the cruise line had a big problem rebooking cabins after cancellation MONTHS out, they would change the terms. If it doesn't bother them, it sure doesn't bother me. Life happens.

[Sharinalovestocruise]

Final payments for Haven are 120 days I believe. On our last cruise the week of the cruise someone cancelled a haven due to medical emergency. So I'd check at 119 days but never hurts to periodically check as occasionally people need to cancel right before sailing.