Forfeit deposit in order to reprice a cruise?

[NicNata]

In the past if a cruise dropped in price, Azamara would honour the new price and drop the price of an existing booking. I have a booking in November this year to which the 3 free night plus, 10% saving and $500 OBC has now been applied. When I called Azamara, they told me the only way I could benefit from the new price would be to cancel my existing booking, forfeit my GBP250 deposit and rebook. I decided to do it because the saving was so substantial. This has never happened to me before where I had to forfeit the deposit. I wonder what their stance would have been if I had paid the full amount? This doesn't seem like good business practice as it is essentially penalising me for booking early. Of course it does put them in line with how most airlines work so maybe its a new policy for them. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[laurieb]

because it is a new promotion, not just a drop in price, it is normal to have to rebook.  Here in the US, it is just a portion of the deposit; I don't know how it's handled in Portugal.  

[Riocca]

14 minutes ago, NicNata said:

In the past if a cruise dropped in price, Azamara would honour the new price and drop the price of an existing booking. I have a booking in November this year to which the 3 free night plus, 10% saving and $500 OBC has now been applied. When I called Azamara, they told me the only way I could benefit from the new price would be to cancel my existing booking, forfeit my GBP250 deposit and rebook. I decided to do it because the saving was so substantial. This has never happened to me before where I had to forfeit the deposit. I wonder what their stance would have been if I had paid the full amount? This doesn't seem like good business practice as it is essentially penalising me for booking early. Of course it does put them in line with how most airlines work so maybe its a new policy for them. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Was the normal policy for UK bookings pre pandemic unless it was an onboard booking when you could “move” the booking once free from penalties. However it was normal when the offer was very aggressive as this one is to make it for new bookings only. 
It was only during the hiatus of the pandemic with so many cancellations and changes the UK booking rules were relaxed.

So basically yes we’ve had to do this in the past as have quite a few other UK customers on here. It’s long been a bone of contention with most cruise lines not just Azamara that in the UK we lose our deposit if we cancel where for US customers there’s often no or minimal penalty. Supposedly it’s because of the increased consumer protection we have in the UK and EU.

[Heartfelttraveler]

I am in the USA.  I booked a cruise for April 2024 in February of 2023 with an $1100 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Then I booked a cruise for January 2024 in April 2023 with a $2200 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Azamara is the only cruise line that we have sailed with that has a Nonrefundable deposit.

 

It seems like several of the cruise lines are going to a nonrefundable deposit.

[roger b]

51 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Was the normal policy for UK bookings pre pandemic unless it was an onboard booking when you could “move” the booking once free from penalties. However it was normal when the offer was very aggressive as this one is to make it for new bookings only. 
It was only during the hiatus of the pandemic with so many cancellations and changes the UK booking rules were relaxed.

So basically yes we’ve had to do this in the past as have quite a few other UK customers on here. It’s long been a bone of contention with most cruise lines not just Azamara that in the UK we lose our deposit if we cancel where for US customers there’s often no or minimal penalty. Supposedly it’s because of the increased consumer protection we have in the UK and EU.

 I just forfeited my two deposits 0f £1000, but my saving was more than substantial the cost saving for my  B to B cruise was a saving of £4889.00 + they increased my O.B.C to $1400 from $800.

               I now have a 26 day cruise for £5725.00 , This was a no-brainer!!!

[crzrr]

4 minutes ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

I am in the USA.  I booked a cruise for April 2024 in February of 2023 with an $1100 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Then I booked a cruise for January 2024 in April 2023 with a $2200 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Azamara is the only cruise line that we have sailed with that has a Nonrefundable deposit.

 

It seems like several of the cruise lines are going to a nonrefundable deposit.

I think that this might be a policy of your travel agent and not Azamara.  The current cancellation fee in the US is $75 pp if you cancel more than 120 days before your cruise.  Go on the website and search for cancellation policy and it will show you the charges for less than 120 days prior to the cruise as well.  

A good travel agent is sometimes able to get that fee waived if you are cancelling and rebooking to get a lower price.

[laurieb]

7 hours ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

I am in the USA.  I booked a cruise for April 2024 in February of 2023 with an $1100 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Then I booked a cruise for January 2024 in April 2023 with a $2200 nonrefundable deposit.

 

Azamara is the only cruise line that we have sailed with that has a Nonrefundable deposit.

 

It seems like several of the cruise lines are going to a nonrefundable deposit.

They totally have a refundable deposit except for 75.00 pp.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

@Heartfelttraveler please get back to with updates.  Your post is the first I have heard about non-refundable deposits for US customers on Azamara (aside from the $75 pp penalty).  If this is your travel agent's policy, you have a big problem there; but it isn't Azamara.

[Heartfelttraveler]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@Heartfelttraveler please get back to with updates.  Your post is the first I have heard about non-refundable deposits for US customers on Azamara (aside from the $75 pp penalty).  If this is your travel agent's policy, you have a big problem there; but it isn't Azamara.

10 hours ago, crzrr said:

I think that this might be a policy of your travel agent and not Azamara.  The current cancellation fee in the US is $75 pp if you cancel more than 120 days before your cruise.  Go on the website and search for cancellation policy and it will show you the charges for less than 120 days prior to the cruise as well.  

A good travel agent is sometimes able to get that fee waived if you are cancelling and rebooking to get a lower price.

Both these cruises are booked with the half off the second person.  Outstanding prices for the World Owner's Suites.  That was part of the promotion.

The TA only has a $50.00 cancellation fee.

[Heartfelttraveler]

Before we booked with the TA I got pricing direct from Azamara and the TA.  Both had the nonrefundable deposit.  It may be that it is a suite(?)  But Azamara said it was the offer.  (We had also been contemplating Holland America for the Japan cruise which did not have a nonrefundable deposit.)  We chose to try Azamara for the smaller ship, itinerary, and longer port times.

 

[laurieb]

From the website:

Cruise Payment & Cancellation Terms | Azamara Cruises

 

The Terms and Conditions for the promotion make no mention of the deposit being nonrefundable

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by laurieb

[Travelingwithstyle]

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@Heartfelttraveler please get back to with updates.  Your post is the first I have heard about non-refundable deposits for US customers on Azamara (aside from the $75 pp penalty).  If this is your travel agent's policy, you have a big problem there; but it isn't Azamara.

The Azamara January 2024 World Cruise that we booked on the Az Quest in November 2021 had a $3000 USD nonrefundable deposit.  We took the chance because we really wanted to go on the WC.  My in-laws cancelled one year before the cruise because of health reasons and they were not refunded the $3,000 USD.  They had to obtain $3,000 through insurance.  It was the first time we had seen a nonrefundable deposit.  Very good to know that their might be promotions or sailings that have this clause.  Thank you for letting us know. 

[laurieb]

On 5/27/2023 at 6:22 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

@Heartfelttraveler please get back to with updates.  Your post is the first I have heard about non-refundable deposits for US customers on Azamara (aside from the $75 pp penalty).  If this is your travel agent's policy, you have a big problem there; but it isn't Azamara.

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here-

I've spoken to a friend that works in the Miami office; there has been no change to the refund policy, so just 75.00pp cancelation fee before final payment.

Edited May 30, 2023 by laurieb

[NicNata]

11 hours ago, laurieb said:

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here-

I've spoken to a friend that works in the Miami office; there has been no change to the refund policy, so just 75.00pp cancelation fee before final payment.

Based on an earlier comment, it appears that this amount only applies to US customers. For UK and Europe it is GBP250 or EUR250. Anyway at least I know for the future

[uktog]

12 hours ago, laurieb said:

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here-

I've spoken to a friend that works in the Miami office; there has been no change to the refund policy, so just 75.00pp cancelation fee before final payment.

But not in every country I’m afraid 

[laurieb]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

But not in every country I’m afraid 

Unfortunate, isn't it?  It would be nice if there was consistency.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The chart in the link in post #12 above clearly shows the variation from country to country.  It is complicated!  My experience as a US customer (including booking an Owners Suite but not a World Cruise – world cruises often have higher deposits and stricter cancellation penalties because they sell out so quickly] has always been a small (was $50 pp, more recently $75) penalty but not a non-refundable deposit.

 

I just did a dummy booking of an Owner's Suite on a cruise for June 2025 and got all the way to the payment page with a link to the T&C that would apply, including this section:

 

Select fare programs require the payment at the time of booking of a nonrefundable deposit. That deposit amount shall not be refunded at any time after it has been paid. Change fees will apply to bookings for which the deposit is nonrefundable.

Cancellation of Cruise or CruiseTour. Cruise reservations that are cancelled by the Passenger prior to the sail date, and CruiseTour reservations that are cancelled by the Passenger prior to the first day of the CruiseTour, may be subject to a cancellation charge. The amount of the cancellation charge shall be determined as shown in the table below and shall vary depending on how far in advance of the sail date (or first day of the CruiseTour) the Operator receives notice of cancellation. The table applies to holiday sailings as well.

 

What I couldn't find was how to tell if your fare program involves a nonrefundable deposit.  There was nothing on any of the pages leading up to this that warned me this June 2025 Owner's Suite was nonrefundable.  But the only fare program on this cruise is an 'early booking bonus' – not the 3 free days or BOGOHO offer.

 

It would be helpful if someone could find a current listing that does have a nonrefundable deposit.