Penalty Phase

[cousins]

What is this?

[cousins]

What is this?

[Cruise Fanatic]

It is a period of times when penalties will apply if you cancel your cruise. They usually start once final payment is made. The penalty will vary depending at what point you cancel. Ie: On a 7-day cruise the penalty might be something like this : Up to 76 days before cruise No penalty, 75-30 day before cruise you lose your deposit, 29-8 days before cruise you lose 50% of your cruise fare, 7 days or less you lose 100% of your cruise fare. This is why Travel Insurance is highly recommended.

[cousins]

Okay, I thought it was a period of time you couldn't get the new lower rate if there was one.
Thank you!

[TrvlPro]

cousins, it also applies to the time frame when the cruise lines no longer are required to lower the rate for you if the pricing drops. Some will continue to do so but most will not.

They all must adjust rates outside the penalty phase (except for a few specialty promotions on a few lines) becuse you can just cancel and re-book at the lower rate. Once penalties begin they can say no. If you cancel, they keep a chunk of your money. Usually more than the difference in the rate drop.

What cruise line are you worried about?

Cheers, Neil

[Sandy]

quote:

It is a period of times when penalties will apply if you cancel your cruise. They usually start once final payment is made.

One further clarification: Penalties start on the date final payment is due, whether or not final payment has already been paid.

If final payment is due May 1 and one made final payment on April 3, the money is still refundable on April 30. Similarly, if final is due May 1 and the passenger delays and doesn't actually make final payment until May 2 (assuming the cruise line doesn't cancel the booking), penalties still apply as of May 1 on the deposit.

Sandy

[cousins]

We're traveling RCCL Sept 28/last payment due July 20.
It's the New England/Canada Cruise which is a "desired fall cruise" so I've never seen it go down in price in the year since we booked anyway.

[TrvlPro]

Keep an eye on it anyway, from time to time they fall behind in bookings on a lot of ships that are popular and have good itins. They sometimes drop e'm short term to get caught back up and then raise them again. Of course, if you don't catch the drop they won't just adjust it for you. RCCL is the best at refunding the difference, well they all are before penalty but RCCL will do so even after the penalty phase. Call them or your T/A even if it falls at the last possible moment.

Cheers, Neil

[goin' cruisin']

It's also the time after guilt is established and sentence is imposed.

[f-mattox]

Thank you!

I was itchin' to post that, but I had a feeling you would.