Concierge transferred to placeholder non-concierge... refund?

[Alyleth]

I wasn't sure how to look this up, so I'm asking here. We had a Jan 2021 reservation, in concierge. I called DCL and said I wanted to move it out (this is all before PIF due) as a placeholder. Now, my ressie is moved out to Dec 2021, but we were put in a non-concierge room. If I just cancel at this point, would I get the deposit back? I've heard you cannot get the deposit back for concierge rooms, but since we were moved, do the rules change?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I wasn't sure how to look this up, so I'm asking here. We had a Jan 2021 reservation, in concierge. I called DCL and said I wanted to move it out (this is all before PIF due) as a placeholder. Now, my ressie is moved out to Dec 2021, but we were put in a non-concierge room. If I just cancel at this point, would I get the deposit back? I've heard you cannot get the deposit back for concierge rooms, but since we were moved, do the rules change?

Concierge reservations have a non-refundable deposit. If you have a concierge reservation, and transfer it to a non-concierge room, the deposit remains non-refundable (if YOU cancel).

Now, if DCL cancels the cruise, the deposit will be refunded, regardless of concierge/non concierge status.

Since your original reservation was Concierge, you couldn't transfer it to a placeholder, but had to get an actual reservation.

 

[JM23457]

If you want your money back, transfer it to the earliest December cruise available, which will probably be cancelled by DCL eventually. Then you can get a full refund.

There is currently a 15-day flexibility policy, so if the December cruise does not get cancelled, you can move your money to a later cruise up until 15 days before the December sailing, without penalty.

 

[AquaDame]

If you want your money back, transfer it to the earliest December cruise available, which will probably be cancelled by DCL eventually. Then you can get a refund.

^This is a gamble... a good gamble I'd guess, but still a gamble. I thought it might bear repeating....

 

[JM23457]

^This is a gamble... a good gamble I'd guess, but still a gamble. I thought it might bear repeating....

It's not really a gamble, because the 15 day flexibility plan would allow OP to change his or her cruise to something much later if a cancellation didn't happen by then. OP is already concierge & therefore non-refundable, so booking a cruise that's past its PIF date doesn't really matter when the cruise can be changed up until 15 days beforehand with no penalty.

 

[Marthasor]

Not much of a gamble, because the 15 day flexibility plan would allow OP to change his or her cruise to something much later if a cancellation didn't happen by then. OP is already concierge & therefore non-refundable, so booking a cruise that's past its PIF date doesn't really matter when the cruise can be changed up until 15 days beforehand.

But then they would have to pay in full and are subject to the cancellation terms and conditions of the December 2020 cruise. Even if they push it out, that means putting multiple thousands of dollars on the line to try to recoup a deposit. If that December 2020 cruise isn’t cancelled they’ve now sunk even more money with DCL. I’m in the same position with December 2020 cruise with a NRD on a different line. My options are taking a FCC or giving them another $10k and sweating it out hoping it’s cancelled. I’ve already been through that with ABD and it was nerve wracking so I’ll take the FCC.

 

[JM23457]

But then they would have to pay in full and are subject to the cancellation terms and conditions of the December 2020 cruise. Even if they push it out, that means putting multiple thousands of dollars on the line to try to recoup a deposit. If that December 2020 cruise isn’t cancelled they’ve now sunk even more money with DCL.

Bottom line is that the deposit is nonrefundable. If they really want the deposit back, that's the only way to get it. To avoid wasting the deposit money, they have to book & fully pay for a cruise. There is no way around that. They can either book & fully pay for a cruise that's probably going to be cancelled within a few months (& thereby get a full refund), or they can wait to book & fully pay for another cruise down the line that will actually sail.

If they don't have the cash to spare to fully pay now, that's one thing. But fully paying now for an early December cruise offers the only chance of getting an actual refund. (And it's a very good chance. It's highly unlikely DCL will sail in early December.)

The only option the OP has besides paying for a cruise is just letting their deposit go to waste.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

OP's cruises are all based on 2021. Who knows what the refund/no refund policies will be over a year from now.

 

[Intr3pid]

Bottom line is that the deposit is nonrefundable. If they really want the deposit back, that's the only way to get it. To avoid wasting the deposit money, they have to book & fully pay for a cruise. There is no way around that. They can either book & fully pay for a cruise that's probably going to be cancelled within a few months (& thereby get a full refund), or they can wait to book & fully pay for another cruise down the line that will actually sail.

If they don't have the cash to spare to fully pay now, that's one thing. But fully paying now for an early December cruise offers the only chance of getting an actual refund. (And it's a very good chance. It's highly unlikely DCL will sail in early December.)

The only option the OP has besides paying for a cruise is just letting their deposit go to waste.

One way to mitigate putting an undue amount of money at risk is to book the cheapest Dream/3-day cruise that is expected to be cancelled.