Cancel after final payment

[lme901]

Hi - looking for anyone with recent experience cancelling after final payment.  Our dog injured his leg this weekend and we are not sure if we will be able to take our cruise next month.  This Friday our cruise becomes 100% non-refundable so we are in the 75% penalty period.  The celebrity rep told me I could cancel anything purchased through the cruise planner up until 48 hours before sailing and be fully refunded.  I know to cancel all of that prior to cancelling the cruise.  She said the 25% refund I could get through Thursday would be based on the full cruise price $3,170 including tips and the port fees/taxes line.  I thought tips/ports charges would be refunded even if I cancelled later?  I anticipated the 25% refund would be based on the room subtotal $2,633.  I asked her to confirm with her manger.  She said she could be they would just say the same thing, put me on hold for ten minutes and then the line disconnected.  I was not called back even though she did make it a point to ask for a call back number in the beginning of the conversation.  She also gave me a number for the refundable cruise planner portion over $1500 higher than what I've spent so I have little faith in any of her answers.  Just looking for an idea of what we should get back to decide if we want to gamble things will work out next month and we go or if we cut our losses this week and get whatever we can back now.  We do have trip insurance but unfortunately, my dogs injury does not qualify as a covered reason to cancel.

 

Thanks.

 

[leaveitallbehind]

My understanding is along with the 25% of your cruise fare, you should receive port fees and taxes.  Additionally anything paid pre-cruise through the planner will also be returned, such as your gratuities.  This would include any 3rd party refundable OBC, but obviously not ship sponsored OBC.

Edited May 13 by leaveitallbehind

[Lastdance]

I am sorry about your experience with the representative, as this is all too common with Celebrity.   Since it appears that you do not have a TA, you are fully in charge of this situation, so hopefully you can someone from Celebrity who can actually help and knows the rules.  Is your vet able to advise you on your dog’s leg in order for you to make a better decision?  I totally understand your situation, as we have always put our dogs first.  On one TA, we had a $4,000 vet bill as our Kelsey had to stay at the animal hospital quite a few nights.  Anyway, hope you can find a responsible customer service agent who can help with your situation.  It looks like you know the rules, but it never hurts to be sure and receive the paper-work(cancelation hardcopy)while still on the phone.  Good Luck!

[Jeremiah1212]

You get your taxes and fees refunded to you.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/cancellation-policy

 

What is Celebrity's cruise or Cruisetour cancellation and refund policy?

In the event of a cancellation of a Cruise or CruiseTour, any applicable Taxes/Fees or Fuel Supplement charges shall be refunded. For bookings made outside of the United States and Canada, a different cancellation policy may apply. Contact your local office or travel agency for details.

[hcat]

Hope your dog improves..hard choices but pets are family!

[lme901]

6 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

I am sorry about your experience with the representative, as this is all too common with Celebrity.   Since it appears that you do not have a TA, you are fully in charge of this situation, so hopefully you can someone from Celebrity who can actually help and knows the rules.  Is your vet able to advise you on your dog’s leg in order for you to make a better decision?  I totally understand your situation, as we have always put our dogs first.  On one TA, we had a $4,000 vet bill as our Kelsey had to stay at the animal hospital quite a few nights.  Anyway, hope you can find a responsible customer service agent who can help with your situation.  It looks like you know the rules, but it never hurts to be sure and receive the paper-work(cancelation hardcopy)while still on the phone.  Good Luck!

Thanks.  Last year we had to FaceTime while they put our dog to sleep over kidney issues and two days later her littermate tore his CCL (similar to our ACL).  It was a horrible trip overall with everything happening at home.  😞 His leg has mostly healed beyond the occasional stiff days but he tore the CCL on his other side over the weekend.  It's common injury about a year later and likely due to overcompensating on the other side. It's hard to say where he will be in a month along with if his dog sitter would want to do it and if we would feel comfortable leaving him (especially after what happened with his sister last year).  Sorry about what you went through on the trip.  I understand how stressful that can be too.  

[lme901]

30 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

My understanding is along with the 25% of your cruise fare, you should receive port fees and taxes.  Additionally anything paid pre-cruise through the planner will also be returned, such as your gratuities.  This would include any 3rd party refundable OBC, but obviously not ship sponsored OBC.

Thanks, great reminder of the OBC, I did take that into consideration on the cruise planner purchases.  

 

[lme901]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

Hope your dog improves..hard choices but pets are family!

Thanks.  That's how we feel....really just trying to figure out what we would get refunded this week and what it would be if we take a chance and keep the booking but cancel later.   

[leaveitallbehind]

4 minutes ago, lme901 said:

Thanks, great reminder of the OBC, I did take that into consideration on the cruise planner purchases.  

 

If your OBC was deposited by you, a family member or friend, or a TA, then as a third party OBC you will receive that back.  Also credit card sponsored points OBC are refunded back to the CC.

Edited May 13 by leaveitallbehind

[lme901]

12 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

You get your taxes and fees refunded to you.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/cancellation-policy

 

What is Celebrity's cruise or Cruisetour cancellation and refund policy?

In the event of a cancellation of a Cruise or CruiseTour, any applicable Taxes/Fees or Fuel Supplement charges shall be refunded. For bookings made outside of the United States and Canada, a different cancellation policy may apply. Contact your local office or travel agency for details.

Thanks, that is my understanding.  I'm also expecting that is why she disconnected the call since she would had to have come back and say she was wrong.  I was genuinely nothing but nice during the call....my situation is terrible.  I hate losing the money and missing out on the trip but I'm more concerned about my dog, there will be other trips.  

[lme901]

3 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

If your OBC was deposited by you, a family member or friend, or a TA, then as a third party OBC you will receive that back.  Also credit card sponsored points OBC are refunded back to the CC.

My OBC was from Celebrity since this was an onboard booking we did last year so unfortunately no money back there.  

[KEG21552]

I don’t have any answers for you but I do have 3 dogs so understand how you feel.

[wrk2cruise]

14 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

If your OBC was deposited by you, a family member or friend, or a TA, then as a third party OBC you will receive that back.  Also credit card sponsored points OBC are refunded back to the CC.

 

I think you would need to confirm this with your TA.  In my case I cancelled 2 days prior to departure due to death of my father.  The TA OBC was not given to me, I assume it either hadn't been processed yet or was returned to the TA.   One of several reasons I moved away from that TA that many use.

 

Edit: So in my case the TA received full commission plus the additional $400 they were supposed to provide me as OBC.   My current TA reduces my final payment by the OBC amount.

Edited May 13 by wrk2cruise

[leaveitallbehind]

14 minutes ago, lme901 said:

My OBC was from Celebrity since this was an onboard booking we did last year so unfortunately no money back there.  

Yeah it's their money to begin with, which is why it is non-refundable.

[leaveitallbehind]

11 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I think you would need to confirm this with your TA.  In my case I cancelled 2 days prior to departure due to death of my father.  The TA OBC was not given to me, I assume it either hadn't been processed yet or was returned to the TA.   One of several reasons I moved away from that TA that many use.

 

Edit: So in my case the TA received full commission plus the additional $400 they were supposed to provide me as OBC.   My current TA reduces my final payment by the OBC amount.

I guess they figure it was their money so it was their decision to keep it.  My comment including TA OBC was that it was third party based, not cruise line, and therefore would be refundable.  It would be credited to the source from which it was placed originally.  But IMO if the TA was willing to part with it for your use on the cruise he could have returned it to you, or indicate that they will use it as a fare discount on a future cruise to stimulate your return to using them again.  Business decision.

Edited May 13 by leaveitallbehind

[koolforkatz]

Our dog received a very bad bite from another dog, requiring several stitches, four weeks before we were to go on a transatlantic - already paid in full. We  were prepared to stay home and look after him, but after a couple of weeks he was fully recovered and bounced right back.

 

I can't help you with your refund question, but I definitely understand how you feel. Hope your dog makes a quick recovery - they are very resilient!

[Jeremiah1212]

42 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I think you would need to confirm this with your TA.  In my case I cancelled 2 days prior to departure due to death of my father.  The TA OBC was not given to me, I assume it either hadn't been processed yet or was returned to the TA.   One of several reasons I moved away from that TA that many use.

 

Edit: So in my case the TA received full commission plus the additional $400 they were supposed to provide me as OBC.   My current TA reduces my final payment by the OBC amount.

 

Not to derail the topic, but there are a lot of avenues that an agency can grant OBC. There are early booking bonuses, gap points, promotions, etc. that a customer never sees or knows of. Most of what you read on here concerning how OBC is granted is not accurate. I understand people are attempting to be helpful, but more often than not they are wrong. Agencies don't just "keep" OBC if a cruise is canceled within the penalty period. 

[wrk2cruise]

13 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

There are early booking bonuses, gap points, promotions, etc

 

Just wondering do these sources generally pass through as refundable OBC?   I know with my current TA there have been cases where part of what comes from him has been some sort of joint marketing so a portion was OBCN and some OBR.

[newcruzer2]

2 hours ago, lme901 said:

The celebrity rep told me I could cancel anything purchased through the cruise planner up until 48 hours before sailing and be fully refunded.  

 

 

 

[Jeremiah1212]

6 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Just wondering do these sources generally pass through as refundable OBC?   I know with my current TA there have been cases where part of what comes from him has been some sort of joint marketing so a portion was OBCN and some OBR.

 

Generally, no. There are too many variables though. You may have 3 sources and 1 is refundable and 2 are not. I wouldn't even expect many agents to be able to definitively tell you which was which. 

[BigDeeHortz]

I suggest you change the reservation to a future cruise.  There is a change fee.

I believe it is only 200 dollars.

[lme901]

6 hours ago, newcruzer2 said:

 

Thanks for this....we purchased the all in option so unfortunately, we will not be able to recoup the drink package or wifi price, just the upgrades to deluxe that I purchased through the cruise planner.  

[lme901]

2 hours ago, BigDeeHortz said:

I suggest you change the reservation to a future cruise.  There is a change fee.

I believe it is only 200 dollars.

Great idea but I don't think that is an option after final payment was made in March.  

[lme901]

7 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I think you would need to confirm this with your TA.  In my case I cancelled 2 days prior to departure due to death of my father.  The TA OBC was not given to me, I assume it either hadn't been processed yet or was returned to the TA.   One of several reasons I moved away from that TA that many use.

 

Edit: So in my case the TA received full commission plus the additional $400 they were supposed to provide me as OBC.   My current TA reduces my final payment by the OBC amount.

Sorry about your father and having the added stress of the cancellation.  I wouldn't deal with that agency anymore either....

 

We booked direct with Celebrity onboard.  The OBC all goes away which I am expecting.