How long until next cancellations?

[MarLieb]

I'm really kicking myself from switching my refundable deposit to non-refundable to "save" $2k.  We don't sail until December 2020, but none of us want to cruise at all anymore.  At least in the near future.  We may just kiss the $1500 deposit goodbye.  There is no way I'm doing PIF on this in September unless things changed very drastically.

[downsmead]

4 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I find it interesting that people knowing they will cancel will wait in hopes of a better offer or extra 25% on FCC.  At the same time worrying that the Celebrity will stay afloat and worrying about the crews and their families.  Cash refunds deplete the day to day operating cash where FCC allow them to spread the losses over months.  

If it were my business and I was facing the uncertainty caused by so many factors out of my control I would do what RC/Celebrity and most other lines are doing.

 

Funny enough it was Celebrity UK that suggested I would be better off waiting to see if the sailing was cancelled !

[hvbaskey]

2 minutes ago, sippican said:

 

As a TA,  I was not aware for refunds being offered instead of FCCs uless X had cancelled the sailing. Can you be more specific?

 

 

Up until last week sometime (cannot remember exact date); IF you were still in the above 30 days mark, you could receive cash back as normal cancellation policy (25%, 50% or 75%) and FCC for the portion that was in the penalty period.

 

We apparently got it in the nick of time, later that night - reports it went to 100% FCC only - regardless of where you were in the penalty phase (after final payment).

 

[downsmead]

Thank you for people’s input, much appreciated. 

[EmeraldCruiser19]

To appreciate their passengers, I would like to think they will decide the next cancellations before this period is over and people are not on their way to the port getting texts or emails to say their cruise has been cancelled.
We have cancelled our May cruise until later in the year, hoping things will be settle.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Someone in IT not up to speed ( probably as it’s the weekend).

As much as Celebrity's IT group deserves much of the criticism that it receives, they aren't responsible for decisions on such things as making upgrade bids. They simply implement the decision at the direction of Marketing.

[az_tchr]

5 minutes ago, EmeraldCruiser19 said:

To appreciate their passengers, I would like to think they will decide the next cancellations before this period is over and people are not on their way to the port getting texts or emails to say their cruise has been cancelled.
We have cancelled our May cruise until later in the year, hoping things will be settle.

I agree. The timing of the cessation of cruising was not chosen by Celebrity, but the US government telling cruise companies they would shut immediately voluntarily or be shut.

The current situation is impossible to predict, but Alaska is clear for the coming months. X has an opportunity to do the right thing instead of hoping people will cancel and take a FCC in a "game of chicken". Sure hope maybe in a week or 10 days they cancell Alaska and Europe through at least 15 May. Hard to cruise without ports.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Orator said:

Appears that there is some gamesmanship going on here. People are waiting to cancel in anticipation of a FCC.  I believe that it would better for all concerned if. Celebrity just announced that any person booked on a cruise that would be cancelled would receive the benefit even if the cancellation was requested in advance of the cancellation announcement People would be then encouraged to cancel and rebook for a letter date and this would provide Celebrity with some inventory control..

As one who made the decision and cancelled a week ago, I fully support this idea.

[upwarduk]

30 minutes ago, downsmead said:

35 minutes ago, jelayne said:

 

Funny enough it was Celebrity UK that suggested I would be better off waiting to see if the sailing was cancelled !

You can only wait until the day of final payment.

[downsmead]

19 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

You can only wait until the day of final payment.

We have made final payment at the beginning of the month.

 

In terms of IT, the website is showing the following, hence my question.

The UK T&C then show the various penalties if you cancel. I had presumed that ‘penalty’ referred to the money you would lose if you cancel.

I have a cruise booked in 2021 to which I can apply the FCC.

[grandgeezer]

6 hours ago, pasta1 said:

We were offered to bid for upgrade on this cruise.  All those empty cabins and to pay for an upgrade. What is Celebrity thinking?

I thought you could only offer an upgrade bill within 30 days of sailing?

[grandgeezer]

5 hours ago, pasta1 said:

Celebrity Summit My 28 cruise is 55 percent of capacity!

April 30 Alaska cruise on the Millennium is 45% of capacity.

[frteach]

There are a lot of us who are in limbo with cruises booked through June, and it would be great if Celebrity made a decision on these to match up with the decisions that governments are making. I don't mind FCC, but it would be nice if could truly plan my cruises through 2021 "with confidence".

[sippican]

2 hours ago, az_tchr said:

The current situation is impossible to predict, but Alaska is clear for the coming months. X has an opportunity to do the right thing instead of hoping people will cancel and take a FCC in a "game of chicken". Sure hope maybe in a week or 10 days they cancell Alaska and Europe through at least 15 May. Hard to cruise without ports.

 

I'd like to amend the request to include the Solstice transpacific, which is now without any ports (Sydney, NZ, French Polynesia) including the final destination, Vancouver.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by sippican

[az_tchr]

1 hour ago, sippican said:

 

I'd like to amend the request to include the Solstice transpacific, which is now without any ports (Sydney, NZ, French Polynesia) including the final destination, Vancouver.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, frteach said:

There are a lot of us who are in limbo with cruises booked through June, and it would be great if Celebrity made a decision on these to match up with the decisions that governments are making. I don't mind FCC, but it would be nice if could truly plan my cruises through 2021 "with confidence".

How are you going to be able to do that?  Nobody gas any idea about Covid19 and when the current outbreak will end.  It could be a month or 6 months. Cruiselines want to have COVID go away ASAP. 

SOOOOO, do you cancell everything for 6 months now and possibly try and add back cruises if COVID settles down?  Probably not as it will likely take X 2 weeks to handle the 50K reservations that are cancelled - by cruiser or X. Only then can they reasonably handle the next chunk - probably mostly Europe and some Worldwide cruises. Followed by Alaska.

People are impatient. I get it. Celebrity has not done a very good job with press releases - interesting Princess much better - hope they execute them better in the future.

[az_tchr]

Understand your concern for a transpacific cruise. Presume you are booked on that cruise. There are other worldwide cruises that will be dealt with. Those are easy to handle compared with hundreds of cruises in both Europe and Alaska

[dutchclogs]

Least of potential problems, but does anyone know what happens to obc from having booked on board if X cancels? Is this also forfeited or would this be retained with fcc?

Edited March 15, 2020 by dutchclogs

[39august]

It should be retained just as it is when you switch cruise dates/ships (with refundable deposits). Whether it will be is yet to be known, unless someone on this thread has recent experience. 

[az_tchr]

5 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

I thought you could only offer an upgrade bill within 30 days of sailing?

The Moveup is automated. There have been lots of accepted bids as much as 60 days out.

[grandgeezer]

33 minutes ago, az_tchr said:

The Moveup is automated. There have been lots of accepted bids as much as 60 days out.

Just tried and got an error message saying it had to be within 30 days, mine is 46.

[crusinthrough]

On 3/14/2020 at 10:55 AM, az_tchr said:

A respected and frequent Zenith poster got his notice while flying to his cruise departing the next day. Not good.

 

Didn't the President of the U.S. ask for a shut down of all cruise ships for 30 days late in the day on Friday?  I don't think Celebrity wanted to cancel but after the request and other lines cancelling it only made sense to follow suit.  Unfortunately for all passengers, the timing between flying in the day before and the announcement was off.    

[cluso]

This is crazy, everyone just needs to back off, chill out, and regroup when things look promising.  It is anticipated mid to late April will be a really bad time for Covid-19 in the States. Celebrity would be stupid to start putting out new schedules anytime soon.  They are already taking major heat for taking so long to cancel cruises this past weekend.  Look at all the people now stuck at sea.  Y'all need to start social distancing, and stocking up on toilet paper (tongue in cheek).  Vacations/holidays should be the least of your worries now.

[az_tchr]

38 minutes ago, cluso said:

This is crazy, everyone just needs to back off, chill out, and regroup when things look promising.  It is anticipated mid to late April will be a really bad time for Covid-19 in the States. Celebrity would be stupid to start putting out new schedules anytime soon.  They are already taking major heat for taking so long to cancel cruises this past weekend.  Look at all the people now stuck at sea.  Y'all need to start social distancing, and stocking up on toilet paper (tongue in cheek).  Vacations/holidays should be the least of your worries now.

Completely agree. We are staying at home. Feel no possibility of our 17 April 17 TA on Shilouette cruising.  Trying to keep my wife - asthma - relatively happy.

Loved you toilet paper comment. Local Costco sold about 182000 rolls of TP and it is one of three Costcos. People here have a year's supply. Truly amazing.

Think we will be doing a lot of hikes and gardening in the next few weeks.

[NMTraveller]

I suspect that the 30 days will turn into 60 days...

[JOHN474]

11 hours ago, sippican said:

 

As a TA,  I was not aware for refunds being offered instead of FCCs uless X had cancelled the sailing. Can you be more specific?

 

 

In the US, when the Cruise With Confidence program was rolled out on Friday 3/6, for folks within a (25/50/75) penalty period, the offer was a FCC for the non-refundable deposit, the penalty period, and a cash refund to the CC for the non-penalty portion and port fees and taxes. I cancelled 5  cruises on Saturday 3/7 and got this split. Today 3/15 I received an email with my FCC's but am still waiting for corresponding cash refund to hit my CC card. When they rolled out the program on 3/6 the fine print said they could withdraw or modify the program at any time. Early Tuesday 3/10 Celebrity modified the Cruise With Confidence Offer. I suspect more people were opting to cancel earlier, and not waiting closer to scheduled departure, to maximize the cash refund. They changed the Cruise with Confidence program to all FCC except the port fees and taxes. Alternatively, you have the option today of requesting the original cancellation terms, in effect before the cruise with confidence program. The program in the UK, per entries on this blog, was rolled out a few days after the US rollout, but I suspect the change in terms may have occurred in a  similar way. My comments refer to the US rollout.  I am not that much of a gambler, so I took the sure thing of getting back an average of 60% cash on 5 cruises when the Cruise with confidence program was originally rolled out. Given the change in terms of the Cruise With Confidence Program in the US , and I think UK,,, to all FCC .... I would not cancel to the last minute, as I assume most of the TA's and European cruises will be cancelled through june, given the latest Corona Virus updates in Europe, which would result in the cruises being cancelled and 100% going to a cash refund.