New To Carnival & Cancellation Options

[babba]

Please forgive me if this question has been addressed as I am new to Carnival and could not find any updated information. Back in January I booked a cruise for this November 2020 ... my final payment is due tomorrow and I know that this cruise is most likely not going to happen. I placed a non-refundable deposit. If I make final payment tomorrow what are my options once the cruise is cancelled ... I am afraid that if I do not make final payment my deposit will be gone ... Thank you in advance ...

[ProgRockCruiser]

6 minutes ago, babba said:

Please forgive me if this question has been addressed as I am new to Carnival and could not find any updated information. Back in January I booked a cruise for this November 2020 ... my final payment is due tomorrow and I know that this cruise is most likely not going to happen. I placed a non-refundable deposit. If I make final payment tomorrow what are my options once the cruise is cancelled ... I am afraid that if I do not make final payment my deposit will be gone ... Thank you in advance ...

Well, that depends on what ground rules Carnival uses if the cruise gets cancelled.

 

For recent cancellations (correct me if I'm wrong, fellow CCers), Carnival has offered up full 100% refunds (they seem to be getting faster at issuing those refunds), or the opportunity to move the cruise fare to a future booking (what they call 100% Future Cruise Credit or FCC) with a certain amount of On Board Credit (OBC), depending on length of cruise that was cancelled.

 

So if you pay your full amount due, you will either get it back or be able to use it on a different future cruise booking.

 

(Assuming Carnival doesn't declare Ch 11 bankruptcy, etc etc).

 

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, babba said:

Please forgive me if this question has been addressed as I am new to Carnival and could not find any updated information. Back in January I booked a cruise for this November 2020 ... my final payment is due tomorrow and I know that this cruise is most likely not going to happen. I placed a non-refundable deposit. If I make final payment tomorrow what are my options once the cruise is cancelled ... I am afraid that if I do not make final payment my deposit will be gone ... Thank you in advance ...

Some have posted they were allowed to move their deposit to next year, but it's not published. Kind of a unofficial lift and shift.

 

Or wait to be cancelled and if you didnt use a fcc from a previous canc cruise can get refund or as above obc to rebook and 100% fcc. If canc cruise is 6 days or longer you will be offered $600 obc so it's worth waiting to be canc. Be aware prices for next year are up ... I am wishing I'd booked way out but then I was considering radiance partial Panama for fall of 2021 and it got cancelled.. rebooking so far has required a lot of go with the flow and being flexible for me.

 

I would not skip making final payment and losing it. Either call and move deposit to a later date or make final payment and wait to be cancelled is my advise.

Edited August 27, 2020 by firefly333

[mybichon]

I moved my deposit to a later date for my October cruise. I was so glad I did because the cruise line cancelled three days after the original final payment date and I was able to get my nonrefundable deposit back. 

[cruizergal70]

OP, find a cruise for 2021 and call to see if they will move your deposit.

[TNcruising02]

I would call and ask for the deposit to be moved to a future cruise.  When my cruise was cancelled, I had already paid in full so I just rolled my money into a new cruise.  If I was in your position, I would just ask to move my deposit to a future cruise.

[pe4all]

 My January Breeze 2021 cruise was cancelled due to covid.  Part of my fare was immediately refunded to my credit card (without me asking) and I received a 75% cruise credit, along with getting some obc.  I used that and booked Magic for March 2021.   Magic was then moved to a different port from FLL and that cruise was totally cancelled.   I again had to decide whether to get a full refund, or get a future cruise credit and obc.   I did nothing for months, waiting to see what would happen with the cruising world.  Today I pulled the trigger and booked Magic for March from Miami.  My pvp credited my future cruise credit, transferred the obc to the new cruise.  My final payment isn't due until end of December.  By then I will have a good idea what is going on.  My non-refundable deposit was always credited to my next cruise.  If you think you may cruise in the future you may want to call and roll your money, future cruise credit and obc to new cruise.  Some people will warn you that CCL may go bankrupt.  Maybe, maybe not.  I want to look at the positive, and hope CCL cruising - in some form or another- will come back.

[sunonfire]

In the last safety and health update dated August 26th, there is a sentence -

“Carnival will honor this offer for any guests who were previously booked on voyages departing October 31, 2020 or prior and canceled their booking on or after March 6, 2020.“

 

My focus is not on the dates but the part that guest had cancelled. This seems to say that some guests were offered “cancellation perks” even if the guest had cancelled the booking and after the fact Carnival cancelled the sailing.  Has anyone had any experience with this type of situation?

[firefly333]

I would wait and be cancelled and get the obc offer. Nov cancellations should be coming soon.