Any Wiggle Room on Cancelling?

[Cruise Junky]

we are flying with AA in November from San Juan to Seattle with only one stop. There are many different options that only require one stop. Our stop is in Dallas... but like the above poster, there are many other airlines that fly to/from San Juan from Seattle.

 

I've got that one on my screen. Are you leaving San Juan at 11:25? That would also require us to overnight in Seattle before hand. I'll see what Hubby says when he gets home.

 

SEA 7:05a SJU 8:45p (10h 35m)

SJU 11:25a SEA 7:00p (10h 40m)

$607 pp

[Cruise Junky]

The cruiseline isn't going to be flexible with their cancellation policy and they really shouldn't be. That's why they offer insurance and it's up to the individual whether they want to take it or not. You can always ask but I wouldn't get my hopes up. There are too many stories of why people have to cancel that are heart-wrenching yet they made a choice not to get the insurance or buy insurance that will cover their need.

 

I have to defend that statement. I never ever book cruise air, so why would I book Cruiseline Insurance? it wouldn't have covered me. I do have insurance, but there was not a policy offered to "Cancel At Will". I fully appreciate the cruiseline's policy on cancelling, but with a wait list, and they're probably going to start calling people anyway offering incentives to be bumped, I'm giving them the option to start with me, never hurts to offer :) We wanted a quick painless getaway for a week for DH's birthday, I didn't sign up for a 16 hour cross country marathon to get to a 7 day cruise, but unfortunately that's what's happened. Whether we fly to Boston, NY...drive to Seattle, I can't do it for under that time frame.

[Colo Cruiser]

can you change your flight to fly from Seattle instead? It's only a 2 hour drive from VAncouver and their are better options from Seattle. Just a thought.

 

2 hour drive at 80 mph and no border crossing! :eek:

[louiesowner]

we live in White Rock... so it only takes us 2 hours to get to the airport, but that is with getting through the border quickly... which happens a lot if you time it properly.

 

email me at sdhilton at shaw dot ca if you want some help with the flights... i am also on MSN if you have that... louiesowner at hotmail dot com

[Pam in CA]

I have to defend that statement. I never ever book cruise air, so why would I book Cruiseline Insurance? it wouldn't have covered me.

The Princess insurance would have allowed you to cancel and get the credit. I'm aware that the cruiseline's insurance won't cover independent air. I usually don't get air insurance because I figure that if I have to cancel, I can re-use the tickets at another time for the change fee. I'm currently in Boston after having used air tickets that I booked last May but had to cancel. As it turns out, the fare plus change fee was less than my credit so it worked out great. There was a $1.43 difference. :)

[tequiza]

Hello all, I have been following your flight problems and I had the same situation. We are going to SJ on April 4th. I had booked through united in August. It was great. Direct to Chicago and then change over planes and direct to Sj. I checked with my Ta and our flights had also been changed. We were going down the day before anyway as never to sure of flight delays etc.

My TA phoned me today and has changed our flights with no extra charges. We have to leave on the 3rd instead of 4th but I consider this a bonus extra day. We leave Van 8 in morn. arrive in Chicago at 2:30 in afternoon. We will over nite then catch direct flight to Sj next day at 8am. We have already booked hotel in Sj and now instead of arriving at midnight we have most of afternoon and evening to explore and just rest up fo the cruise. I hope maybe this info helps. I haven't priced hotels in Chicago yet but TA said would be no problem.

Let us know how you make out.

[Cruise Junky]

Hello all, I have been following your flight problems and I had the same situation. We are going to SJ on April 4th. I had booked through united in August. It was great. Direct to Chicago and then change over planes and direct to Sj. I checked with my Ta and our flights had also been changed. We were going down the day before anyway as never to sure of flight delays etc.

My TA phoned me today and has changed our flights with no extra charges. We have to leave on the 3rd instead of 4th but I consider this a bonus extra day. We leave Van 8 in morn. arrive in Chicago at 2:30 in afternoon. We will over nite then catch direct flight to Sj next day at 8am. We have already booked hotel in Sj and now instead of arriving at midnight we have most of afternoon and evening to explore and just rest up fo the cruise. I hope maybe this info helps. I haven't priced hotels in Chicago yet but TA said would be no problem.

Let us know how you make out.

 

Hi - thanks for posting that. That's more than likely the route we would take...but of course there's a snag with everything I try and do on this trip...I don't mind overnighting in Chicago, love the city...but if we leave the day we're supposed to now, that gives us one night in San Juan rather than two...our hotel has a minimum two night stay :(.....if we go the day before, it's another day off work. Last flight from Vancouver to Chicago is around 2:00 pm. I swear, this trip is killing me ;)

[tequiza]

I know what you mean. When we were trying to book a hotel for pre cruise most would only take two night bookings. I guess they have a reason but seemed pretty strange to me. It is QUITE expensive for one night but not too many other options for us. Hubby not interested in spending two days in SJ. He should have listened to me because now we get to stay overnight in Chicago instead. I have been to SJ before but it was so late at night did not see anything but lights of city sailing away. I want to go early to check the place out and hopefully the Caoch outlet as well. Hope all works out for you.

[chinatrub1]

cruise junky,

may I ask what kind of cabin you have? I am actually on the waitlist for this cruise!!

[newmexicoNita]

That's what I'm afraid of. We can definitely switch things around, but every other possibility, it's going to cost me. Either $400 to switch to the American Flight, or a Hotel overnight in Chicago to get the 8:00 am flight to San Juan. We'll have to decide if we're willing to forfeit the $1,000 to go to Hawaii for 10 days instead.

you only live once, stick with the plan and enjoy your cruise. LOL

[RichardK]

I fully appreciate the cruiseline's policy on cancelling, but with a wait list, and they're probably going to start calling people anyway offering incentives to be bumped, I'm giving them the option to start with me, never hurts to offer :)

 

Yea, but................it is what it is!

 

Hypothetical>>>Why not book at cruise once bookings first open, at say $1,200 per person, and then the same cabin categories fill at $1,400 and $1,500, etc. up to $1,800 as the ship fills (supply & demand). The ship is full, waitlisted, beyond final payment, and you now come along and offer to "sell them" your cabin for $1,300.

 

You pocket $100 profit, you get out of your passenger contract, the cruise line can now sell the cabin at +$1,800, somebody else pays that and thinks it's a bargain, and everyone walks away happy.

 

Rationale might be there, but fair practice trades don't allow such.

[Cruise Junky]

cruise junky,

may I ask what kind of cabin you have? I am actually on the waitlist for this cruise!!

 

Caribe Deck BB

[Cruise Junky]

Yea, but................it is what it is!

 

Hypothetical>>>Why not book at cruise once bookings first open, at say $1,200 per person, and then the same cabin categories fill at $1,400 and $1,500, etc. up to $1,800 as the ship fills (supply & demand). The ship is full, waitlisted, beyond final payment, and you now come along and offer to "sell them" your cabin for $1,300.

 

You pocket $100 profit, you get out of your passenger contract, the cruise line can now sell the cabin at +$1,800, somebody else pays that and thinks it's a bargain, and everyone walks away happy.

 

Rationale might be there, but fair practice trades don't allow such.

 

I know, but wouldn't it be nice if instead of Princess having to phone around looking to bump people for a price, they had a list already in place of people who would willingly be bumped just for their original money back? I'd be the first to sign up for this cruise :) We can all dream ;)

[RichardK]

I know, but wouldn't it be nice if instead of Princess having to phone around looking to bump people for a price, they had a list already in place of people who would willingly be bumped just for their original money back? I'd be the first to sign up for this cruise :) We can all dream ;)

 

True on both accounts...........yes, it would be nice; and yes, we can all dream. :)

[chinatrub1]

Cruise Junky,

If it was an inside cabin or just an oceanview, I would buy it from you in a heartbeat (if that is possible!) I know the balcony rooms are pretty expensive. Are you planning on selling this room?

I was trying to get the cheapest room possible because we would have to do airfare and probably the hotel the night before.

[Cruise Junky]

Cruise Junky,

If it was an inside cabin or just an oceanview, I would buy it from you in a heartbeat (if that is possible!) I know the balcony rooms are pretty expensive. Are you planning on selling this room?

I was trying to get the cheapest room possible because we would have to do airfare and probably the hotel the night before.

 

It's a nice thought, but I don't think we could :) We haven't decided what we're going to do yet. Princess won't budge, which of course was what I expected, so we'd lose $1,000 cancelling. It's my own stupid fault, I should have checked the flights on United sooner to see that they were sending us on this marathon and we'd have still be within cancelling time, or at least just lost our $500 deposit. C'est La Vie!! There's a 5 star AI in Cabo that we're eyeing instead. All in, about $1,500 cheaper even after losing the $1,000 and only a 4 1/2 hour direct flight.

[Cruise Junky]

Just an update if anyone still cares ;) We cancelled this cruise last night after a couple of days of non-stop talking about what we wanted to do. Yes, we lost $1,000 but I'm trying not to look at it that way. For the money we got back from Princess and the refund of $1,552 from United we were able to book a partial ocean view room at the Sheraton on Maui with direct flights from Vancouver for 8 nights. Now of course, that doesn't come with food, although taking your own booze is a lot easier ;)...but we had $900 in shore excursions booked which certainly goes a long way towards food. So I'm not looking at losing the money, just a straight swap of vacations for the same price!! We got married on Maui 10 years ago and it will be lovely to go back.

[helpmesailaway]

your positive attitude is wonderful.

 

Enjoy a second honeymoon on Maui!!!

[dzcruisers]

Just a curiosity question??? Could you have changed the names in your cabin for a $50. per person fee? I don't know if this is possible for all in the cabin but I know when we changed name of grandchild accompanying us we paid, I believe, $50.

[Cruise Junky]

Just a curiosity question??? Could you have changed the names in your cabin for a $50. per person fee? I don't know if this is possible for all in the cabin but I know when we changed name of grandchild accompanying us we paid, I believe, $50.

 

Honestly no idea. If the gentlemen that wanted on this ship had wanted a balcony, then we might have pursued it. But I didn't even ask.

[mrcamp]

Don't know what the heck it is with these airlines, may be it's the date? 03/22- 03/29 four of us are paying $798/person to fly ORD to SJU (connecting in Orlando) for a cruise that leaves at 10 PM on the crown. We leave ORD at 7:15 am and are scheduled to arrive at SJU at 2:45pm...we hope at least. The direct flights were even over a $1000. Even flying in a day earlier was costing us the same thing or more.

 

We did the same route (direct flights too!) in August last year for $360.

[Cruise Junky]

Don't know what the heck it is with these airlines, may be it's the date? 03/22- 03/29 four of us are paying $798/person to fly ORD to SJU (connecting in Orlando) for a cruise that leaves at 10 PM on the crown. We leave ORD at 7:15 am and are scheduled to arrive at SJU at 2:45pm...we hope at least. The direct flights were even over a $1000. Even flying in a day earlier was costing us the same thing or more.

 

We did the same route (direct flights too!) in August last year for $360.

 

You know it might be the dates...I think that's why United cancelled our flights, late April is getting to the end of the San Juan season. I'm happy to have my $1550 back from United, they cancelled without a problem.

[FredS]

If you read about the airline industry you will see that the prognosis is for fewer flights, increase in costs, full flights, and less choice in when you fly and few airlines, and more "extra" costs added on.

[flamomo]

RE: changing names on the cabin = = Princess allows one name in a cabin to be changed. Were you to change both names, I understand it would be treated as a whole new booking.

So that plan you were trying to work out would not be possible.

[Cruise Junky]

So that plan you were trying to work out would not be possible.

 

Plan, what Plan? I didn't even discuss it. The question was asked after I cancelled.