Avalon extended cancellations thru October 31 now

[lindya]

Just received notice that our Rhine trip October 2020 is cancelled..we will be moving to 2021...probably fall again..

[franski]

Yeah... our trip to Eastern Europe cancelled as well.  Can't say I am surprised.

 

We will be asking for our deposit back.  We can't move the booking - as it is considered a "new booking" if we do that - and our travel insurance won't cover anything booked during a travel advisory.

 

This is twice that we have had this exact cruise cancelled by Avalon (1st time was due to low water...).  I am starting to think that we should just look at a different itinerary.

 

Fran

[lindya]

aww, sorry your trip isnt working out..luckily we can rebook next year but airfare isnt free..other perks make it about even though.

[KathyK13]

16 hours ago, franski said:

Yeah... our trip to Eastern Europe cancelled as well.  Can't say I am surprised.

 

We will be asking for our deposit back.  We can't move the booking - as it is considered a "new booking" if we do that - and our travel insurance won't cover anything booked during a travel advisory.

 

This is twice that we have had this exact cruise cancelled by Avalon (1st time was due to low water...).  I am starting to think that we should just look at a different itinerary.

 

Fran

We rescheduled a Christmas markets cruise from 12/20 to 12/21; although Avalon hadn't cancelled it yet we knew we wouldn't be going.  We ended up reserving a different cruise that had 2 additional nights and a better itinerary.  With the lower prices Avalon is offering for next year the longer cruise was only $200 more and we received a suite upgrade.  I'm surprised your travel insurance wouldn't cover a new booking.  I was pleasantly surprised that our insurance company transferred the deposit we made to our new booking.  Hoping that by December 2021 cruising will be back to normal!

[Daisi]

Fran, sorry you missed out again.  I know you had arranged to make the final payment later than what was scheduled, but I guess Avalon is looking at minimising the FCC to just deposits.  Makes sense on their parts, clients aren't out the price of the whole cruise, and being able to apply the FCC to any of their product, they enable you to either re-schedule or arrange something closer to home that may also interest you.  We have decided that if ours gets cancelled and we can't find something we wish to do, we will investigate their "weekend" packages as we can add on in a different city and explore on our own.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, hopefully when you re-new your insurance next year, you are able to find a good deal and Covid will not be such a threat.

[franski]

6 hours ago, KathyK13 said:

 I'm surprised your travel insurance wouldn't cover a new booking.  I was pleasantly surprised that our insurance company transferred the deposit we made to our new booking.  Hoping that by December 2021 cruising will be back to normal!

We have an annual plan.  They have really good, reasonably priced coverage - for multiple trips/year - but they were very clear that if we book at this time, they will not cover us.  I think it comes down to risk.   We are  considered "seniors" (although I am not yet 65...) and my DH has some health issues, so insurance isn't as easy to come by as it was a few years ago.  If we have to wait to book, we will wait...

 

Fran

Edited July 28, 2020 by franski

[franski]

5 hours ago, Daisi said:

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, hopefully when you re-new your insurance next year, you are able to find a good deal and Covid will not be such a threat.

Thanks, Daisi - 

 

It seems strange to not have something booked for next year - but, without knowing what will be "open", we will just take some time to do a bit of research, and perhaps revise the "bucket list"...  I am so thankful that we were able to make it to Egypt and cruise the Nile before the world changed so drastically!!

 

Fran

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, franski said:

We have an annual plan.  They have really good, reasonably priced coverage - for multiple trips/year - but they were very clear that if we book at this time, they will not cover us.  I think it comes down to risk.   We are  considered "seniors" (although I am not yet 65...) and my DH has some health issues, so insurance isn't as easy to come by as it was a few years ago.  If we have to wait to book, we will wait...

 

Fran

 

@KathyK13 lives in New York, and we are uniquely lucky not to be allowed to purchase annual plans [as verified recently in the special Cruise Critic forum with Steve Dasseos of the TripInsuranceStore.com:

But the good news is that New Yorkers can get their premiums back if the trip is cancelled.

[franski]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

@KathyK13 lives in New York, and we are uniquely lucky not to be allowed to purchase annual plans [as verified recently in the special Cruise Critic forum with Steve Dasseos of the TripInsuranceStore.com:

But the good news is that New Yorkers can get their premiums back if the trip is cancelled.

 

Interesting read...  And the information about exclusions just confirmed the position our company has taken (exclusion for government prohibition).   I wasn't aware that some places in the US are not able to purchase an annual plan.  I was very pleased when I was able to source and access one for DH and myself.  Helps not only for "big" trips - but also give me some peace of mind when I visit my friend in KY. 

 

When our Avalon cruise was cancelled 2 years ago, we had an insurance plan just for that one cruise --> and our TA was able to get that premium back.   But - then we found an annual plan, and never looked back!!

 

I am always surprised that some people are comfortable putting large amounts of money into travel - and don't feel an insurance policy is necessary.... I have heard a number of horror stories of lost funds. 

 

Fran

[notamermaid]

@franski

Sorry to read your cruise has been cancelled. I suppose at this point in time it comes as no big surprise. I wish I could say you are safer staying at home, with the increase in cases in Austria and Serbia and the unrest there in the latter, but that is not the case. I hope you can get a satisfactory solution for the insurance problem.

 

Look after yourself.

 

notamermaid

 

[franski]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

@franski

Sorry to read your cruise has been cancelled. I suppose at this point in time it comes as no big surprise. I wish I could say you are safer staying at home, with the increase in cases in Austria and Serbia and the unrest there in the latter, but that is not the case. I hope you can get a satisfactory solution for the insurance problem.

 

Look after yourself.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Thanks, notamermaid...  We continue to practice social distancing (went to our 1st Covid wedding on the weekend... outside, less than 50 people, lots of room to distance, masks for those who wished them...) - and limit shopping to necessities only.  Coffee with friends is by Face Time - meetings by Zoom.  We are, I believe, safer at home.  Our numbers here continue to slowly decrease - as Canada continues to limit travel across the country, and the Canada/US border remains closed.  

 

I have lots of time to do more research on future travel options - but, who really knows what travel will look like this time next year... or even 2 years from now?   I am thinking that much will depend on where/when 2nd wave hits - and when a vaccine is available (although, then we will enter a new challenge... as not everyone will get the vaccine even if it is available - and then, do we want to travel with them if they haven't been vaccinated - and come from a hot spot!!)  

 

Interesting times, for sure...

 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you (and steamboats as well) for your ongoing snippets of information.  These are a part of any travel discussion that involves Europe.

 

Fran