Cancelled May cruise - port fee refund?

[kj2mom]

Hi everyone! So sad for all of us who have had cruises cancelled...expected but still sad. Our May 2021 cruise was a reschedule from July 2020. We moved our PIF and FCC to the May cruise from July but we also received a few refunds (I believe it was the port fees) to my credit card. I am trying to figure out if those were automatic no matter if you reschedule/cancel/don't contact them. We are still trying to decide what to do so I haven't contact DCL at all but just trying to see if I should be watching for the refunds again and if anyone has received any? I paid part of the cruise in gift cards and part on the credit card so I know there is a possibility that the refund may go back on the gift card (not sure how they decided last time to refund my credit card as opposed to the gift cards). Thanks for reading this, I appreciate any insight on these potential refunds and if anyone has received any refunds (looking back I believe our first cruise was cancelled on May 13th and the refunds hit my credit card on the 17th).

 

[lanejudy]

Yes, port fees and taxes are automatically refunded. If you were paid-in-full, I believe your fare is held as credit (+25%) until you contact DCL to request a refund.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi everyone! So sad for all of us who have had cruises cancelled...expected but still sad. Our May 2021 cruise was a reschedule from July 2020. We moved our PIF and FCC to the May cruise from July but we also received a few refunds (I believe it was the port fees) to my credit card. I am trying to figure out if those were automatic no matter if you reschedule/cancel/don't contact them. We are still trying to decide what to do so I haven't contact DCL at all but just trying to see if I should be watching for the refunds again and if anyone has received any? I paid part of the cruise in gift cards and part on the credit card so I know there is a possibility that the refund may go back on the gift card (not sure how they decided last time to refund my credit card as opposed to the gift cards). Thanks for reading this, I appreciate any insight on these potential refunds and if anyone has received any refunds (looking back I believe our first cruise was cancelled on May 13th and the refunds hit my credit card on the 17th).

Typically, when refunds are issued, they are paid back in reverse order of how you paid them. So, the last way you paid anything will be the first place the refund will show up.

For example, you use credit card for deposit, then apply a couple of gift cards, then make different CC payment, then pay it off with 3 more gift cards. The three gift cards will get their money applied back first, then the second credit card payment, then the 2 gift cards, then the first credit card.

 

[kj2mom]

Thank you both, makes perfect sense and I appreciate the responses!

 

[Husker Mike]

Subsequent cancellations are handled differently from the first cancellation, since you don't get to "double dip" your FCC. Your initial cruise gets split into the fare and the fees/taxes, with a refund being offered for the fees and taxes and the FCC applied to the fare. If a subsequent cruise paid for by FCC gets cancelled and the FCC essentially made you paid in full, the full FCC is restored; there isn't a refund. My agent explained that if the subsequent cruise is cancelled, you'd get the FCC restored and anything else you had paid would be refunded.

 

[kj2mom]

Subsequent cancellations are handled differently from the first cancellation, since you don't get to "double dip" your FCC. Your initial cruise gets split into the fare and the fees/taxes, with a refund being offered for the fees and taxes and the FCC applied to the fare. If a subsequent cruise paid for by FCC gets cancelled and the FCC essentially made you paid in full, the full FCC is restored; there isn't a refund. My agent explained that if the subsequent cruise is cancelled, you'd get the FCC restored and anything else you had paid would be refunded.

Please have patience with me while I try to understand...I was PIF for my initial cruise when it was cancelled so I received FCC and my fees/taxes were refunded. I then booked a cruise that was actually less expensive than my original so with my remaining balance I prepaid our tips and had a stock pile of OBC (made up of both my actual money and the FCC). So until I contact them and tell them what I would like to do I should still have the initial amount I paid (minus the fees that were refunded to me from the initial cancellation) plus the original FCC just waiting for me to tell them what I would like to do with it but in the meantime I should receive another credit of the taxes/fees? I really appreciate your help!

 

[Niclovesdisney]

Please have patience with me while I try to understand...I was PIF for my initial cruise when it was cancelled so I received FCC and my fees/taxes were refunded. I then booked a cruise that was actually less expensive than my original so with my remaining balance I prepaid our tips and had a stock pile of OBC (made up of both my actual money and the FCC). So until I contact them and tell them what I would like to do I should still have the initial amount I paid (minus the fees that were refunded to me from the initial cancellation) plus the original FCC just waiting for me to tell them what I would like to do with it but in the meantime I should receive another credit of the taxes/fees? I really appreciate your help!

 

[Niclovesdisney]

I phoned DCL yesterday because we are in the same situation as you. They confirmed that the cancelled cruise that was booked using FCC will not have the port fees refunded. The original amount of FCC just gets carried forward.

 

[kj2mom]

I phoned DCL yesterday because we are in the same situation as you. They confirmed that the cancelled cruise that was booked using FCC will not have the port fees refunded. The original amount of FCC just gets carried forward.

Thank you so much!

 

[lanejudy]

Sorry I misunderstood. The port fees and taxes will be refunded if you actually paid for them out-of-pocket. If you used a FCC that fully covered everything with no additional paid out-of-pocket, no refunds. The FCC will remain available on your account until you use it or request a refund -- at which point the refund will only be the amount paid out of pocket, thereby forfeiting any FCC.