HAL Extends Suspension until 12/15

[jelayne]

Just noticed HAL has extended their suspension of cruising until 12/15.  Wonder if/when Celebrity will do the same.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/coronavirus-travel-advisory.html

Edited August 12, 2020 by jelayne
Typo

[H2OH!]

Probably not since they prefer to take our money and then take their time giving refunds. Very frustrated with how Celebrity is handling this....a  month at a time cancellation.

 

Amy

[floridacruisers]

We travel on both HAL and Celebrity with each having strengths that we like. The folks over at the HAL site are having the same problems with refunds. We have one ourselves. Just have to be patient regardless. Good thing we always use a credit card.

 

  Phil.....floridacruisers

[Algebralovr]

I'm expecting them to cancel through the end of 2020 any time.

[Arizona Wildcat]

We have watched for a plan from the cruiselines for some months for resumption of cruising.  With no real options working and a vaccine months away seems the lines will walk back the date slowly in a futile attempt to handle the customer issues.

Does it really matter to move the date back a month at a time or till 2021 in one swoop?  Many including myself will not cruise until there is a vaccine.  One also needs to examine the issue of closed borders and ports.  Too many other issues besides to mention.

[bouhunter]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

 

Does it really matter to move the date back a month at a time or till 2021 in one swoop?  

Apparently it does to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they want final payments..

[Johnamac123]

22 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

Apparently it does to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they want final payments..

This is so very true for those of us with a 2021 booking that is not eligible for L&S....

[cruise kitty]

Thank you for the info, I was expecting this,  they are offering double the $$ for deposits, going to move to Thanksgiving 2021 

[alwaysonaship]

I just got off the phone with Celebrity about our January 2021 Australia/New Zealand Cruise. I realize they are bleeding money, but darn they are no help. I will not make final payment on a cruise that will most likely be cancelled. I do not want to get on a ship nor fly until there is a vaccine. Does anyone feel all they want is For us to bankroll them. Excuse me, had to vent. 

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, Algebralovr said:

I'm expecting them to cancel through the end of 2020 any time.

 

Viking just did so. 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/08/12/viking-cruises-cancels-sailings-rest-2020-cites-covid-19/3357372001/

[jelayne]

I love Celebrity but I'm not  bankrolling any cruise line, it is our choice to book cruises and  our choice to make final payment or cancel.

 

Since June we  have cancelled 2 cruises before final payment, and will cancel another one next week.  We have a B2B for April which based on what we know today we will cancel before final payment as well.   In our case things like countries not allowing US citizens or non-residents to enter,  ports that are closed,  the ship is anchored on the other side of the world  give us a darn good indication that a cruise will not sail and we cancel, get our deposit refunded and move on.   

[Algebralovr]

1 hour ago, Johnamac123 said:

This is so very true for those of us with a 2021 booking that is not eligible for L&S....

My next cruise on the books is a holiday 2020 cruise.  It isn't eligible for L&S because it is a Canal Touch cruise, and they are not doing those on either M or S class ships in the holidays in 2021.  Edge is doing it, but we can't L&S it to Edge under their rules.  

 

I would happily L&S it to Equinox over the holidays for 2021, but they won't allow it.  The 2021 cruise on the same ship is only 11 nights.  No winning here.

[terrydtx]

Viking Ocean followed today suspending all cruises through Dec 31st. I think the whole cruise industry will be doing the same soon.

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

I love Celebrity but I'm not  bankrolling any cruise line, it is our choice to book cruises and  our choice to make final payment or cancel.

 

 

Anyone that made a non-refundable deposit really doesn't have a choice if they want a refund.  You need to make final payment and wait for the cancellation.

[Johnamac123]

8 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

Anyone that made a non-refundable deposit really doesn't have a choice if they want a refund.  You need to make final payment and wait for the cancellation.

So true..However, what real benefit is 125%FCC if the cruise price has doubled??? I just looked at a ghost booking for my next Reflection sailing. My $2,500 Inside Stateroom is now over $5,000!! Admittedly, this sailing has few available rooms, but still... 

[jelayne]

49 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

Anyone that made a non-refundable deposit really doesn't have a choice if they want a refund.  You need to make final payment and wait for the cancellation.

We had a non-refundable deposit on 1 cruise we cancelled.  We chose to cancel and get the full $900 deposit as a FCC rather than make final payment of close to $10K and wait 6 months or more for the refund.

[Johnamac123]

4 hours ago, jelayne said:

We had a non-refundable deposit on 1 cruise we cancelled.  We chose to cancel and get the full $900 deposit as a FCC rather than make final payment of close to $10K and wait 6 months or more for the refund.

Good strategy... I will consider this as I approach the final payment due date...

[mac_tlc]

14 hours ago, Johnamac123 said:

So true..However, what real benefit is 125%FCC if the cruise price has doubled??? I just looked at a ghost booking for my next Reflection sailing. My $2,500 Inside Stateroom is now over $5,000!! Admittedly, this sailing has few available rooms, but still... 

In our case, we have had four cruises cancelled where I ended up with an FCC. On three, I made the final payment, one I did not. I will turn around and apply them to four future cruises that I already had booked before Covid appeared so they were already booked at a price I felt comfortable with. In those cases, the 25% is a great deal——- so long as the companies “stay afloat”. 
 

mac_tlc

[jg51]

21 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

Anyone that made a non-refundable deposit really doesn't have a choice if they want a refund.  You need to make final payment and wait for the cancellation.

 

We suggest that folks check the "Booking Charges" section of their invoices.  Look, below the itemized charges, for a section of text that begins with "Deposit has been posted to your reservation."  It will then explicitly tell you if that deposit is "non-refundable."  (It will not explicitly tell you if it is refundable; you can just assume that it is refundable, if it is not referred to as non-refundable.  Sorry about the double negative!)

 

HOWEVER ...

 

When we made reservations for a Spring, 2021, cruise -- AFTER the virus chaos had begun -- we were told that ALL deposits (until further notice) would be refundable.  We shall see if that was an honest and accurate statement.  [Actually, we would prefer not to even find out.  We would prefer to cruise instead.]

.

Edited August 13, 2020 by jg51