Booking a cruise and hoping it's canceled

[FigmentSpark]

When I was booking with my credits, the CM reminded me, DCL is not a casino or a lottery.

 

[ajo]

We cancelled our August cruise just before PIF (before they extended the PIF deadline). We wanted to have control over both our funds and our plans. We will wait and see if the August cruises go forward. We would consider rebooking it once we get closer and have a better idea whether the ships will be sailing and, if they are, what changes will be made to the onboard experience and ports.

 

[spiders]

You may think you are smarter than DCL to take advantage of a horrible situation, but they will be smarter. Manyy travel companies and I assume DCL too, will have it in the small print that additional 125% FCC ( or other goodies) only valid for those who booked before XXX date. or they might not even offer you that deal.

I think that's actually pretty unfair. You're right, they probably have added in a clause where they don't owe you anything extra in the event of a cancelled sailing if you book today. With that being said, companies are desperate for money right now. Is someone taking advantage of an airline by booking extremely low fares right now? Most airlines have actually extended the waiver of any change fees for new bookings right now because they just want you to book. The future cruise credits are being offered because they want you to take it. They would rather give you the credit then you give you your money back. It's the same reason why airlines don't want to give you a refund...they need the money. It's the same reason why people who have lost their jobs are not interested in credits but rather cash.

The OP has already stated that at the very least, they'll get to cruise in August.

There are a lot of things you can do right now besides bookings cruises. You can buy some stock that is dirt cheap right now. I lost a fortune on Royal and I bought more. I've lost a fortune on Disney stock as well. I did refinance the house and I saved a fortune. I would probably book some vacations for late summer/fall right now because deals are great and I'm counting on travel resuming (at least domestically) by that time. I just can't take do it because I bid my vacation time a year in advance and I didn't bid anything that would work for me during the later part of the year.

Hertz is in a lot of trouble right now. With car values dropping due to the crisis, their assets (cars) are not worth as much today as they were a month ago. Their debt is backed by their cars. When their cars depreciate quicker than expected then their creditors want an early payment to cover the loss. Right now, it's expected that they are going to owe $1 billion. They only have $1 billion in cash right now. What would help them is obviously more cash.

 

[Garyjames220]

I actually no someone that booked a cruise knowing it would be cancelled, three days later it was cancelled. They got the 125% and have booked up for next year with it

 

[randumb0]

Just book the May 18th cruise if you want to do that

 

[LNMom]

At some point, Disney will get wise to the fact that people are booking "hoping to get cancelled with a great offer" trips. I imagine the company will only offer people who booked by a certain date a "rebooking offer" moving forward.

 

[DisneyDadBama]

classy, take advantage of a pandemic to cheat a company out of a few bucks.

 

[monkeydawn]

Thats not a game I'd play. The risk/ reward ration is too weighted towards risk for me. The risks:
1-hurricane season, I live in an area that's had a hurricane direct or glancing hit the last 4 years. So not only am I worried about when I am traveling being hit, I am worried about home. Either leaving during bad weather or not being home to prep if one develops towards the end of my cruise
2-the cruise sails but with reduced pixie dust, maybe no/ changed ports
3-the cruise sails but someone is sick and we cant port to disembark and are then stuck on ship for ???
4-I get deniend at embarkation because I have a slight unrelated to COVID fever, who knows what that refund policy will be months from now
5-cruises that I am trying to rebook with my 125% credit are far more than 25% more that what I could book them at now due to a bunch of other people ahead of me that had cancelled cruises rebooking.

Reward
1-maybe an extra credit still being given out in August for cancelled cruises

If I were really going to try this I would probably hedge my bets and book the future cruise I ultimately want to take now so that if by the time my August cruise is cancelled the price has increased more than 25% I am not paying more by doing this August cruise for credit plan. Of course that means that the future cruise needs to be more than three months out from the August cruise or due to PIF penalties this really wouldnt work as a plan. The one good thing I can say about this plan is that there arent a lot of for certain better ways to be "investing" money right now for at least the short term.

 

[Garyjames220]

You could book a May cruise and get the credit If cancelled and disney are letting you change the booking upto 31st May if not anyway to use for upto 15 months. If people do it you can’t really lose

 

[G.Tyler]

My thing is this... None of us asked to be in the situation we now find ourselves; that includes Disney and Disney Cruise Line. Disney does so much for the preservation of wildlife (including marine) disadvantaged and critical care children; and then their is the rest of us who Disney loves to entertain and spoil with exceptional personal service. Why would anyone even think of playing them to get an advantage that they would not be normally be entitled to. Just saying...

 

[Garyjames220]

My thing is this... None of us asked to be in the situation we now find ourselves; that includes Disney and Disney Cruise Line. Disney does so much for the preservation of wildlife (including marine) disadvantaged and critical care children; and then their is the rest of us who Disney loves to entertain and spoil with exceptional personal service. Why would anyone even think of playing them to get an advantage that they would not be normally be entitled to. Just saying...

true. But if people think they could save 1k or something. Chances are they will do it

 

[G.Tyler]

true. But if people think they could save 1k or something. Chances are they will do it

... Maybe some, but thankfully not all!

 

[MomOTwins]

You could book a May cruise and get the credit If cancelled and disney are letting you change the booking upto 31st May if not anyway to use for upto 15 months. If people do it you can’t really lose

The way you lose is that if your cruise isn't cancelled, and you opt to take the 100% credit, it is non-refundable (just like a GT fare). So if your circumstances change and you no longer want to take the cruise within 15 months, you're out of luck.

 

[Garyjames220]

The way you lose is that if your cruise isn't cancelled, and you opt to take the 100% credit, it is non-refundable (just like a GT fare). So if your circumstances change and you no longer want to take the cruise within 15 months, you're out of luck.

True but if your sure u want to cruise it would work. And the chances are it will be cancelled. Royal Caribbean have already cancelled all there May cruises. Disney will any time now

 

[MomOTwins]

True but if your sure u want to cruise it would work. And the chances are it will be cancelled. Royal Caribbean have already cancelled all there May cruises. Disney will any time now

True--I do think May cruises have pretty much no chance of sailing right now. But it's less clear to me about cruises later in the summer.

 

[Karin1984]

True--I do think May cruises have pretty much no chance of sailing right now. But it's less clear to me about cruises later in the summer.

I think that at some point DCL will start sailing again this year, but still have a very customer friendly cancellation policy in place. As there will be plenty of guests who are not comfortable to cruise yet, and/or are more vulnerable to the virus. To recover from this crisis, a company needs goodwill and trust.

Betting on a cruise getting cancelled, to get 125% FCC, that is going to be tricky, because you do not know when/if the policy will change.
To prevent misuse, airlines usually have something in place that change/cancellation policies are for tickets booked before a certain date. Is it the same with DCL and other cruiselines?

And otherwise, I think DCL has calculated in misuse, but the group misusing the policy will be very small.
It's like self-service scanners in the supermarket. Yes, some people will not some scan items and steal from the supermarket through this system. But the cost of the theft doesn't make up for hiring an extra cashier.

 

[Lill]

Where do you see the 125 % FCC? I am sure it was there but currently I only see 100 % future credit.

• Guests currently booked on our European sailings through our July 25 departure can change their reservation up until the day before embarkation and receive a 100% cruise credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date. The credit is non-refundable and standard prevailing rates will apply. Alternatively, Guests currently booked on our July 13, July 18 and July 25, 2020 European sailings may delay their final payment to 30 days prior to their sailing. Guests who booked their reservation through a travel agent should contact them directly. Those who booked with Disney Cruise Line may call us at (866) 325-2112 or (407) 566-3510.
  
  
• Temporary Cancellation Policy Update
  Given the current situation, we are offering temporary adjustments to our cancellation policy to provide more flexibility for our Guests. These adjustments may continue to evolve as more information becomes available.
  All Guests scheduled to depart on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy between May 18 and May 31, 2020 can change their reservation up until the day before embarkation and receive a 100% cruise credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date. The credit is non-refundable and standard prevailing rates will apply.

 

[Garyjames220]

Where do you see the 125 % FCC? I am sure it was there but currently I only see 100 % future credit.

• Guests currently booked on our European sailings through our July 25 departure can change their reservation up until the day before embarkation and receive a 100% cruise credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date. The credit is non-refundable and standard prevailing rates will apply. Alternatively, Guests currently booked on our July 13, July 18 and July 25, 2020 European sailings may delay their final payment to 30 days prior to their sailing. Guests who booked their reservation through a travel agent should contact them directly. Those who booked with Disney Cruise Line may call us at (866) 325-2112 or (407) 566-3510.
  
  
• Temporary Cancellation Policy Update
  Given the current situation, we are offering temporary adjustments to our cancellation policy to provide more flexibility for our Guests. These adjustments may continue to evolve as more information becomes available.
  All Guests scheduled to depart on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy between May 18 and May 31, 2020 can change their reservation up until the day before embarkation and receive a 100% cruise credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date. The credit is non-refundable and standard prevailing rates will apply.

It’s only 125% if disney cancel

the above is if you cancel

 

[Lill]

It’s only 125% if disney cancel

the above is if you cancel

Oh thank you for clearing this up! Of course it is... Need my coffee

 

[Stinkerbell1973]

Personally, I feel it’s selfish to take advantage of the current situation for personal benefit. That’s just me though.