Cancel/Postpone due to military orders?

[Littled7287]

Any one with experience cancelling a cruise that is paid in full due to military orders? We cruise very soon and my husband’s leave just got cancelled. No, we don’t have insurance so I realize we might about to eat a huge chunk of change. Always get it for international but haven’t for domestic. Google isn’t being very helpful and neither is the Disney page. I’m thinking we’re out of luck but hoping someone might have experience with this!

 

[yowcruiser]

Why not reaching out to Disney directly and ask...but i am thinking that Disney might be agreeable in at least offering a credit... Not Disney, but this is what Carnival does when a military member is called to duty or has their leave cancelled (as at 2018)

 

[Kennywood]

I have to believe that if you send Disney a copy of your husband's orders (with sensitive information redacted, of course), they would at least give you full credit toward a future cruise.

Can you imagine the negative PR Disney would get by not working with the family of a member of our armed services?

 

[RedHead0186]

I agree with contacting Disney directly. This might be a policy they don't want to advertise too much for chance of misuse, but I can't imagine they wouldn't at least work with you. You'll have to call them anyway (to cancel), so that's probably your best bet. Good luck!

 

[disnygirl55]

This happened to us once (though it was several years ago) - they allowed us to move to a future sailing with no push back. Seemed to be very understanding of the situation. Good luck! (and thanks to you and your husband for the service to our country!)

 

[DLgal]

Call Disney and ask, but be prepared to be told there is nothing they can do. I hope they help you, though.

I just want to reiterate that, as a military family, you should always purchase trip insurance with a specific coverage for military leave revocation or new orders. This is what we always do. It's not expensive. Our last Disney cruise cost $120 to insure. It's good peace of mind because we know how unpredictable military life can be.

You can also look into a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve. They waive the annual fee for military members and their spouses. This card has excellent built in travel insurance. Just make sure you purchase ALL travel related expenses with that card and you are protected as part of the card benefits. Look into it. It's a fantastic credit card with all kinds of perks.

 

[Cheburashka]

Any one with experience cancelling a cruise that is paid in full due to military orders? We cruise very soon and my husband’s leave just got cancelled. No, we don’t have insurance so I realize we might about to eat a huge chunk of change. Always get it for international but haven’t for domestic. Google isn’t being very helpful and neither is the Disney page. I’m thinking we’re out of luck but hoping someone might have experience with this!

If you booked it more than a few weeks ago, you should be able to get a full refund if you have Covid symptoms or exposure to anyone with Covid. No documentation required.

 

[Chemist]

If you booked it more than a few weeks ago, you should be able to get a full refund if you have Covid symptoms or exposure to anyone with Covid. No documentation required.

Just that uncomfortable feeling that comes from lying.

 

[Cheburashka]

Just that uncomfortable feeling that comes from lying.

It might not be a lie. People, especially children and those close to them, get Covid symptoms (sore throat, fever, cough, unexplained muscle aches, etc.) all the time. Someone in their travel party might have this and it would be legitimate grounds to cancel the cruise for a full refund, but if they aren't aware of that cancellation policy, they would miss that opportunity. It's DCL's policy that if you have Covid symptoms, you can cancel and get a full refund without documentation required, as long as you booked before a certain date. If someone qualifies for a refund under that policy, they have a legitimate right to the refund, even if it wasn't their initial reason for wanting to cancel the cruise.

 

[Chemist]

It might not be a lie. People, especially children and those close to them, get Covid symptoms (sore throat, fever, cough, unexplained muscle aches, etc.) all the time. Someone in their travel party might have this and it would be legitimate grounds to cancel the cruise, but if they aren't aware of that cancellation policy, they would miss that opportunity.

That is true, but...

I've seen this proposed for the family that:
a. Had their flight cancelled (and didn't have insurance)
b. Had a family medical emergency (NOT COVID) and didn't have insurance.

You are clearly proposing this as a work-around for people who don't have insurance. None of these posters were concerned about COVID exposure/symptoms. It was always that they had another problem.

And encouraging them to say that they had COVID because they didn't have insurance is, in fact, lying.

And its my understanding that the loophole is closing soon.

 

[Cheburashka]

That is true, but...

I've seen this proposed for the family that:
a. Had their flight cancelled (and didn't have insurance)
b. Had a family medical emergency (NOT COVID) and didn't have insurance.

You are clearly proposing this as a work-around for people who don't have insurance. None of these posters were concerned about COVID exposure/symptoms. It was always that they had another problem.

And encouraging them to say that they had COVID because they didn't have insurance is, in fact, lying.

And its my understanding that the loophole is closing soon.

Like I said, it's DCL's policy that if you have Covid symptoms, you can cancel and get a full refund without documentation required, as long as you booked before a certain date. If someone qualifies for a refund under that policy, they have a legitimate right to the refund, even if it wasn't their initial reason for wanting to cancel the cruise. People, especially people with kids, have symptoms and family members with symptoms all the time without registering that as an issue, and telling them about the policy lets them know that those symptoms could be their way to cancel the cruise and get a refund. It wouldn't be fair for a person who qualifies for the refund under that policy to lose all of that money because they weren't aware of the policy.

Please back off your personal attacks on me. I know a lot of people (as does everyone) who don't typically register their symptoms or kids' symptoms as an issue. So if this weren't pointed out to them, they might not know it can be the basis for a refund. As I said, this is only refundable for cruises booked before a certain date, because as Covid recedes, DCL doesn't feel the need to be so vigilant. But it still applies for cruises booked before that recent date.

 

[Anna131517]

OP - call Disney. Good luck! When I was active duty I always purchased trip insurance through USAA for expensive trips so you might look into that in the future.

 

[taradelao]

I can't speak for cruises but I know my brother and his family reschedule their WDW trip due to possible orders. Disney was very understanding; however, a note that they didn't outright cancel, they just moved dates.

 

[DCLMP]

I can't speak for cruises but I know my brother and his family reschedule their WDW trip due to possible orders. Disney was very understanding; however, a note that they didn't outright cancel, they just moved dates.

WDW doesn't have cancellation fees.

 

[lanejudy]

WDW doesn't have cancellation fees.

WDW does have cancellation fees if you book a package (room+tickets). That said, it is usually much easier to cancel or push out a WDW trip than a DCL.

OP - call and discuss it. I believe this is why the MIL rates typically aren't (or weren't historically) dropped until much closer to the sail date. In the future, consider any cruise to be international travel and buy insurance.

 

[DCLMP]

WDW does have cancellation fees if you book a package (room+tickets). That said, it is usually much easier to cancel or push out a WDW trip than a DCL.

OP - call and discuss it. I believe this is why the MIL rates typically aren't (or weren't historically) dropped until much closer to the sail date. In the future, consider any cruise to be international travel and buy insurance.

I knew someone would knit pick that statement. Let's be honest it's nothing like the money lost from a cruise and there are many ways around it.