Non-Refunable deposits - BEWARE!!!!

[Fisherwoman]

We booked a cruise for Christmas months ago.  Daughter is pregnant and baby is due in August.  We want to take the 4 month old on the cruise but RCCL will NOT allow a baby under 6 months.  They are charging us $100 PP for rebooking for 2020.  It's their rules that are stopping us from cruising.  Travel agent says they will NOT waive the $100 PP fee.  This is ridiculous and very unfair!

[PhoenixCruiser]

Is this something your travel insurance will cover?

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[tennislvr8]

15 minutes ago, Fisherwoman said:

We booked a cruise for Christmas months ago.  Daughter is pregnant and baby is due in August.  We want to take the 4 month old on the cruise but RCCL will NOT allow a baby under 6 months.  They are charging us $100 PP for rebooking for 2020.  It's their rules that are stopping us from cruising.  Travel agent says they will NOT waive the $100 PP fee.  This is ridiculous and very unfair!

Why would you want to take a 4 month out of the country??? It's for yours and their protection the baby isn't allowed on thst young and I don't blame them. It's not unfair, you don't agree and it's costing you money so you're upset. 

Edited February 11, 2019 by tennislvr8

[Johnamac123]

Sorry to sound so cold, but those were the rules when you booked. Maybe consider leaving the baby with the other grandparents and give your daughter and sil a break? Also, taking a 4 month old on a cruise is a very bad idea. God forbid, what if serious medical care is needed? You're out in the fricking ocean.....

[ONECRUISER]

38 minutes ago, Fisherwoman said:

We booked a cruise for Christmas months ago.  Daughter is pregnant and baby is due in August.  We want to take the 4 month old on the cruise but RCCL will NOT allow a baby under 6 months.  They are charging us $100 PP for rebooking for 2020.  It's their rules that are stopping us from cruising.  Travel agent says they will NOT waive the $100 PP fee.  This is ridiculous and very unfair!

Sorry but think that has been rules think as long as I been Cruising(30+ yrs) and most lines have same. Good Luck with the New Grand Baby, Congrats!

Edited February 11, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[gerif]

You knew the rules regarding non-refundable deposits when you booked. Unless you booked a suite, you had the option of booking with a refundable deposit but chose not to, so I really don’t understand your issue. Rules regarding minimum ages for infants to sail are easily available so you cannot blame the cruise line for that one. 

[Merion_Mom]

MSC will let you take a baby that young on a cruise.

[CarrieAP]

Congratulations and what a blessing!!

 

Please note that it is not safe to cruise (i.e. be in the middle of an ocean) with a baby younger than 1 year per society of pediatric physicians. When little ones get sick they can deteriorate quickly. While there are doctors on board they do not have the required pediatric knowledge or resources. Depending on the port stops, resources may also be limited there as well. 

[QueenofKrakatoa]

These are the rules for most cruise lines, with apparently the exception of MSC. Personally, I wouldn't be taking my 4 month old on a cruise.

[DDG 41]

 

3 hours ago, Johnamac123 said:

Also, taking a 4 month old on a cruise is a very bad idea. God forbid, what if serious medical care is needed? You're out in the fricking ocean.....

Well Serious medical care can be required by anyone at any time.

So are you saying don't cruise because you're in the middle of the ocean and you might need medical care.

[GarlicBread]

BEWARE! a cruise line has rules! Who knew....

[molly361]

Everyone likes booking non refundable in order to save some money until life gets in the way😇

[KevInPitt]

Whose choice was it to book a non-refundable fare?

 

Whose choice was it to get pregnant with a non-refundable cruise booked?

 

Whose choice was it to not understand the ramifications of their actions?

 

In summary, thanks for warning others to understand (and accept) their personal responsibility.

[ramja96]

I would think the word "non-refundable" is self explanatory. That's the risk you take for saving a couple bucks.

[shopaholic6]

Non-Refundable deposits .....BEWARE ...... they ARE non-refundable!  

 

 

[Jasukkie]

Here's another way of looking at this situation...wow, it's only going to cost $100pp to change our non-refundable cruise to another date, that's reasonable.

 

As for the 4 month old, I would wait until fully immunized. And reliably sleeping through the night. And well past teething stage. Cruise ships are close quarters.

[BND]

Ridiculous and unfair that they enforce the rules that you agreed to when you booked?  It's non-refundable, what part of that do you not understand?  We, personally don't like non-refundable, but it's because we have never cancelled a trip.  The reason they started it is really to our benefit (even if it does suck) because it stops people from booking multiple cruises and then not going on all of them.  It was very common and kept a lot of good cabins out of inventory.  We met a lot of people over the years who would book 5 or 6 cruises in a prime location on a ship and then right before final payment, cancel all but one.  When we first started cruising on Explorer out of NJ, we would book GS and even booking 18 months out, inventory was very limited.  They first tried double deposit for GS and above but it apparently didn't do the trick, although for us it meant tying up $1800 that far out.  

[molly361]

23 minutes ago, BND said:

Ridiculous and unfair that they enforce the rules that you agreed to when you booked?  It's non-refundable, what part of that do you not understand?  We, personally don't like non-refundable, but it's because we have never cancelled a trip.  The reason they started it is really to our benefit (even if it does suck) because it stops people from booking multiple cruises and then not going on all of them.  It was very common and kept a lot of good cabins out of inventory.  We met a lot of people over the years who would book 5 or 6 cruises in a prime location on a ship and then right before final payment, cancel all but one.  When we first started cruising on Explorer out of NJ, we would book GS and even booking 18 months out, inventory was very limited.  They first tried double deposit for GS and above but it apparently didn't do the trick, although for us it meant tying up $1800 that far out.  

Unless you are booking a suite until and when they do away with refundable deposits people can still book multiple cruises and cancel at the last minute

[BND]

7 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Unless you are booking a suite until and when they do away with refundable deposits people can still book multiple cruises and cancel at the last minute

They can, but people who really don't want to pay more for a cruise won't do it.  The whole idea is a refundable deposit makes the cruise itself cost more. It's a disincentive to book it that way.

[cruisegirl1]

Those cancellation rules have been in effect for a while. In fact, if you do a next cruise booking on board, you are required to sign a form indicating you are aware of the non refundable-change fee policy.

 

I am told many people used  the fully refundable policy to book several cruises or even several cabins on a ship and cancelled all those they didn’t want just before final payment. This held cabins that other paying customers could not book. Not sure if that info is an urban legend or true. 

 

In any case, congrats on the upcoming birth and I hope you all get to cruise. 

 

M

[Joseph2017China]

What's more important?  The health of the baby, or your wallet?  The other thing is, a ship, does not staff a pediatrician or has the facilities to handle new born infants. 

[mjkacmom]

The vast majority of cruise lines do not allow babies under 6 months old, not even a day.

[nascarcruiser]

Just another example of how people think rules don't apply to them.  Entitlement at it's finest. Rules are rules.  Nonrefundable deposit means just that.  Policy says now children under 6 months then no children under 6 months

[Envelope21]

I think the point has been made. No need to pile on.

[LMaxwell]

I don't like the NRD rules, but they are pretty clear and upfront as to what you are or are not getting.  I won't book NRD rates because of this.  One of the TA's I use flat refuses to book ANY guest under an NRD for similar reasons to OP.  People don't read the terms and conditions closely enough as to what happens in the event of a change or cancellation.  I don't think NRD is consumer-friendly so I don't choose it, but if I did I wouldn't complain about being held to the T&C's either.  Think of OP's post as a reminder.