Cruise deposit refundable?

[20165]

Hi, we are trying to book a celebrity cruise from their website and i cant find any info in regards to whether or not the $565 deposit is refundable if i cancel before that three month mark where i make the final payment.  I pulled up the penalty page and it only starts post final payment.  Does anyone know if i cancel before final payment if i get that $565 back?

 

Also, im going to buy their, Celebrity insurance, that allows for cancel for any reason and receive 90% cruise credit.  Has anyone done this and if so, was it pretty easy to do?  Im about 80% sure we can make the date, but something could come up with work that would force  us to cancel a week or so prior. 

Thx in advance for the info. 

[Ellaleah]

I have a Celebrity cruise booked and it was a choice of refundable or non refundable when I booked.  I have the cruise care, but I think we are only covered to cancel 90 days out in order to get our deposit back.  I’d appreciate hearing if I am correct.

[cruzzzinma]

My deposit on my refundable fare in 2025 is not refundable. If you have a copy of the Celebrity invoice, it shows what is and is not refundable.

[billc23]

Celebrity's default booking is non refundable. They should provide an option for a refundable deposit before checkout. So much has changed with Celebrity it is best to call and ask - then have them provide an email to document the conversation.

 

Edited May 13 by billc23

[20165]

Its a little cryptic, but i guess this means its not refundable?

[20165]

2 minutes ago, billc23 said:

Celebrity's default booking is non refundable. They should provide an option for a refundable deposit before checkout.

Ok, so i did see that option, but it was $1100 more so would that cover me to cancel past the 90 days too?  Doesnt make any sense to pay and extra $1100 to only cover the deposit of $565.

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

2 minutes ago, 20165 said:

Ok, so i did see that option, but it was $1100 more so would that cover me to cancel past the 90 days too?  Doesnt make any sense to pay and extra $1100 to only cover the deposit of $565.

Yes, your deposit is non-refundable.  However, by purchasing cruisecare, you now have the option to cancel the reservation at any time up until departure and obtain a future cruise credit for 90% of the amount paid.  The credit is usable up to 1 year after issue date.

 

I'd say the $548 you paid for the CruiseCare is probably a better buy than the $1100 for the refundable deposit option for a few reasons:

1. You can use the CruiseCare cancel for any reason benefit all the way up till ship departure

2. You also get other cancellation and insurance coverage with the CruiseCare plan

3. The refundable deposit is only refundable prior to final payment date

 

[billc23]

4 minutes ago, 20165 said:

Ok, so i did see that option, but it was $1100 more so would that cover me to cancel past the 90 days too?  Doesnt make any sense to pay and extra $1100 to only cover the deposit of $565.

No it doesn't make sense at the prices they charge. If you cancel you will lose the deposit as far as I know. If you move to a different sailing they may only charge a $200 fee but their new policy may mean you lose the full deposit. As far as cruise care it may be worthwhile to get advice from The Trip Insurance Store to discuss what you want to insure. 

[Marie51]

By the way, just my opinion, but I would not get the trip insurance offered by the cruise line. You can get it much cheaper if you buy trip insurance on your own, there are several companies that sell it.

[Lastdance]

There are drawbacks from Celebrity’s insurance, so be very careful about what it does and does not cover.  The Trip Insurance Store is very helpful and Steve, Kim etc. do a good job of explaining pre-existing conditions, as even a slight prescription change can negate a policy from paying.  It is so important to educate yourself before booking anything, so glad you are putting in the research.  Celebrity keeps changing the rules, yet should abide by those under which you book.  If you are booking through Celebrity, make sure you get a hard copy before you hang up the phone and make sure this is what you paid.  Good Luck!

 

***I wanted to add that if you purchase your own outside insurance, you need to make sure that each one of you is insured for the amount shown on your cruise contract in case something happens.  Celebrity is very creative with their costs, so amounts per person can be very different.  You do not need to insure your port fees or taxes with your insurance.  Booking within a certain number of days also allows you to just pay on the deposit, then add to it, usually before final payment.  I like having  policy where I can add extra coverage for under $10 pp for medical, as pricing are soaring everywhere.

Edited May 13 by Lastdance

[catspaw1]

Check the big box store for trip insurance.  As long as you are a member, you can get the insurance but it costs more 6.5% of trip cost vs 5% if you booked the cruise through them. They had better coverage & cheaper rates than anywhere else. The provider is a Swiss company.  We have booked several trips with them for insurance coverage. Note you must call them if the cruise or trip hasn't been booked with the big box company. 

[PTC DAWG]

On 5/13/2024 at 11:26 AM, billc23 said:

Celebrity's default booking is non refundable. They should provide an option for a refundable deposit before checkout. So much has changed with Celebrity it is best to call and ask - then have them provide an email to document the conversation.

 

Every booking I have looked at has given me a non refundable deposit option..

[billc23]

14 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Every booking I have looked at has given me a non refundable deposit option..

Oops!  My language wasn't clear... I meant to say: They DO provide an option for a refundable deposit before checkout. Some other lines have refundable as the default and you can save by going for the non refundable. 

[Jim_Iain]

On 5/13/2024 at 8:29 AM, 20165 said:

Ok, so i did see that option, but it was $1100 more so would that cover me to cancel past the 90 days too?  Doesnt make any sense to pay and extra $1100 to only cover the deposit of $565.

No.   The refundable only covers you up until final payment date  After that the percentage by number of days apply.

 

You are correct the NRD really doesn't makes sense unless you know in advance that you are likely going to cancel.    I've done it before when no suites were available and knew we wouldn't go unless a Suite was available.

 

Usually it is a better option to purchase the NR and  pay the $100 pp to change a reservation to a different cruise if necessary

 

[20165]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

No.   The refundable only covers you up until final payment date  After that the percentage by number of days apply.

 

You are correct the NRD really doesn't makes sense unless you know in advance that you are likely going to cancel.    I've done it before when no suites were available and knew we wouldn't go unless a Suite was available.

 

Usually it is a better option to purchase the NR and  pay the $100 pp to change a reservation to a different cruise if necessary

 

Well there is some info i didnt know.  If i understand your last statement, its only $100 to change to a different cruise prior to the final payment.  Thats great and really a much better option for us.  The cruise we went with sails in November and the final payment is due at the end of aug so the additional $1100 which is now $1500 give we went the a larger suite really is worth it for essentially 3 months of coverage until the final payment is due.  

And in reality, if we do have to reschedule, we most likely wont know until a month or so before the cruise and the deposit really wont come into play at that point so we bought the Cruisecare which should somewhat help with rescheduling. I believe 90%

You learn something new every day on this site.

Thanks for the info.

 

[wrk2cruise]

That's correct if you have a non refundable deposit you can make any changes to the current sailing at no-charge (price drop, change rooms etc).   If you cancel you lose the entire deposit.  If you change the reservation to a different ship or sailing date they just charge a $100/pp admin fee and you pay the prevailing rate and get whatever perks are available on the new sailing.