Flexible refund policy for covid?

[lmb80129]

At this point, I can't find an end date for the flexible refund policy for covid but I can't imagine that Disney will keep it around forever. What are the chances that Disney will give us a heads up that it is going away before final payments are due? We have a placeholder on a short cruise in October and I worry that Disney might take our flexibility to cancel because of covid. Are we at the point that we need to have insurance to cover canceling cruises for covid?

 

[DLgal]

You should get insurance

 

[Mommb]

Disney may announce when the policy is ending a few weeks or months in advance, but they are under no obligation to do so. If you are concerned about needing to cancel, you should get your own insurance.

Getting insurance will also cover you if you need to cancel for reasons other than COVID. For example, October is still hurricane season. If the cruise is cancelled, Disney will issue a refund. However, if arrival back to port is delayed and you miss a flight home, or if bad weather hits your area so you are unable to travel to the port but the cruise still runs, insurance could help.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Isn’t that the kind of thing where the policy is grandfathered in when you buy the cruise? Seems like they wouldn’t give a lot of advance notice on that.

 

[Cheburashka]

At this point, I can't find an end date for the flexible refund policy for covid but I can't imagine that Disney will keep it around forever. What are the chances that Disney will give us a heads up that it is going away before final payments are due? We have a placeholder on a short cruise in October and I worry that Disney might take our flexibility to cancel because of covid. Are we at the point that we need to have insurance to cover canceling cruises for covid?

It's highly likely that the policy will continue through October. Remember, the policy exists primarily not just for the guests' financial security, but to keep Covid off the ships by making last-minute cancellations easy, and Covid spread is unquestionably going to be an ongoing issue in October. The flexible refund policy is still in place now- I know because I just had to use it for a cruise that is taking place this week, which I can't attend due to Covid exposure.

I had a cruise booked when Disney changed the testing policy from at port to at home before the cruise. They gave you a chance to get a refund (past PIF) due to this change. I think that if a similar policy change occurred re flexible refund policy due to Covid, they would give guests a similar "out".

 

[Snowwhyt]

It's highly likely that the policy will continue through October. Remember, the policy exists primarily not just for the guests' financial security, but to keep Covid off the ships by making last-minute cancellations easy, and Covid spread is unquestionably going to be an ongoing issue in October. The flexible refund policy is still in place now- I know because I just had to use it for a cruise that is taking place this week, which I can't attend due to Covid exposure.

I had a cruise booked when Disney changed the testing policy from at port to at home before the cruise. They gave you a chance to get a refund (past PIF) due to this change. I think that if a similar policy change occurred re flexible refund policy due to Covid, they would give guests a similar "out".

I was thinking spring of 2023. In September 2022 cold and flu season kicks in, so will rise the numbers of current variations, or maybe a new variant will start an upswing. So making it less likely for people to take the risk to travel (lose money to travel)
I don’t see any reason that they can’t shorten the number of days from 0-14 to 0-5 days now. People are told to go back to work 5 days after positive test.
I’d rather have people Covid free before they come on the ship. So still a negative test, but there’s the 90 day letter for those who still can have it show up for 90 days?

Does there have to be a rule for those that take the medication for Covid and get rebound Covid? Does that make the test before the rebound but after initial Covid onset something to consider?

Not questions for debate here. Just wondering about safety. I’m always traveling with the people in their 70s. Safety levels are constantly in flux, we felt it was safe in February to take them to the Caribbean for a week. We did not feel it was safe to take them on the transatlantic. With the number of people who got Covid from the transatlantic I believe we made the right decision leaving them home.

 

[lanejudy]

There are 4 temporary policies, 3 with stated end dates and 1 doesn’t say.

The “Extended Final Payment” and “Relaxed Cancellation Fee” have been extended for cruises sailing through March 31st 2023. These allow for the 60-day PIF without penalty.

The “Cruise Date Flexibility” is set to end Sept. 30th 2022. This one allows one to change the cruise date up until 15 days prior to embarkation and waive the penalty.

The “Flexible Refund” allows cancellation with 14 days of embarkation for Covid-related exposure/illness. This one has no specified end date. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends along with the “Cruise Date Flexibility” putting the onus back on the passenger to buy insurance. But I don’t think either will go as long as testing is required.

 

[lanejudy]

Isn’t that the kind of thing where the policy is grandfathered in when you buy the cruise?

I don’t believe so. It’s already noted as “temporary” and if it had to remain in effect that could be late 2023 since those cruises were recently released. I doubt DCL wants to continue taking the hit for cancellations that long.

 

[Whisker]

There are 4 temporary policies, 3 with stated end dates and 1 doesn’t say.

The “Extended Final Payment” and “Relaxed Cancellation Fee” have been extended for cruises sailing through Dec. 31st. These allow for the 60-day PIF without penalty.

The “Cruise Date Flexibility” is set to end Sept. 30th. This one allows one to change the cruise date up until 15 days prior to embarkation and waive the penalty.

The “Cruise Date Flexibility” allows cancellation with 14 days of embarkation for Covid-related exposure/illness. This one has no specified end date. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends along with the “Cruise Date Flexibility” putting the onus back on the passenger to buy insurance. But I don’t think either will go as long as testing is required.

I'm having so much anxiety with our upcoming cruise and covid testing. What happens if you test positive on the precruise/boarding test? Obviously at that point you have missed the 14 day mark. You can't get on the ship, what are the options or do you just lose all the money?

 

[Cheburashka]

I'm having so much anxiety with our upcoming cruise and covid testing. What happens if you test positive on the precruise/boarding test? Obviously at that point you have missed the 14 day mark. You can't get on the ship, what are the options or do you just lose all the money?

You get all of your money refunded within days via the Flexible Refund Policy if you are either exposed to Covid or test positive for Covid within 14 days of sailing. No documentation is required, and the policy does cover you if you test positive at port. You won't have "missed" the 14 day mark if you test positive at port because the 14 day rule for the Flexible Refund Policy is for the 14 days leading up to the cruise. That includes day of sailing.

The Flexible Refund Policy is highly unlikely to go away anytime soon. Its purpose is to keep as much Covid off the ships as possible, and Covid isn't going anywhere.

 

[n2mm]

There are 4 temporary policies, 3 with stated end dates and 1 doesn’t say.

The “Extended Final Payment” and “Relaxed Cancellation Fee” have been extended for cruises sailing through Dec. 31st. These allow for the 60-day PIF without penalty.

The “Cruise Date Flexibility” is set to end Sept. 30th. This one allows one to change the cruise date up until 15 days prior to embarkation and waive the penalty.

The “Cruise Date Flexibility” allows cancellation with 14 days of embarkation for Covid-related exposure/illness. This one has no specified end date. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends along with the “Cruise Date Flexibility” putting the onus back on the passenger to buy insurance. But I don’t think either will go as long as testing is required.

I noticed two of the dates changed to March 31, 2023.

 

[NerfHerder99]

I just booked my first Disney cruise this week for November out of San Diego. I called the DCL 800 number and after about a 30-minute wait I got a very pleasant customer service agent. I specifically asked about the 14-day Flexible Refund Policy for COVID and if it was going away. She mentioned she did not know when it was going away (admitting they don't run all of these decisions by her). I told her I was booking the cruise under the impression that this policy was there when I actually paid up front (OGT reservation) and she agreed that if the policy is there when I book and pay money, it should still remain as a policy until the day I cruise. Obviously, I don't know if I called back and got another rep if the answer would change...

 

[Cheburashka]

I just booked my first Disney cruise this week for November out of San Diego. I called the DCL 800 number and after about a 30-minute wait I got a very pleasant customer service agent. I specifically asked about the 14-day Flexible Refund Policy for COVID and if it was going away. She mentioned she did not know when it was going away (admitting they don't run all of these decisions by her). I told her I was booking the cruise under the impression that this policy was there when I actually paid up front (OGT reservation) and she agreed that if the policy is there when I book and pay money, it should still remain as a policy until the day I cruise. Obviously, I don't know if I called back and got another rep if the answer would change...

Yeah, a DCL phone rep has very minimal credibility on interpretation of the policy. I'm not saying she's right or wrong, just that as she herself admitted, she has no knowledge about this, so your guess is as good as hers. I've been told blatantly wrong info by DCL phone reps in the past. Most of them have never even sailed with DCL, and they also aren't travel agents. They're just paid to answer the phone.

That said, imo there's about a 99% chance of the Flexible Refund Policy still being in effect this November. I'm sailing over Thanksgiving and did not book full cancellation coverage insurance (I always get emergency medical repatriation insurance) because I would only cancel if I got sick, and I feel very confident that policy will still be there if I do get sick. It exists to keep Covid off the ships as much as possible, and Covid will not be gone or normalized by this November.

 

[cw1380]

Hey all,

Hopping on here to see if anyone can answer a question regarding the flexible refund policy and concierge deposits. I'm a little frustrated because I booked the cruise when there was testing at the port so it seemed like a safe vacation option. Well now we have testing 3 days prior and covid is apparently spreading quite easily on the ships now.

Is there any way Disney will allow my non-refundable deposit to be returned based on the fact the scenarios have changed since I booked, or at least let me have it back on a gift card? Alternatively, what happens to concierge guests who have covid right before the cruise, do they get all of their money back or do they lose their deposit? This is all super confusing, so any help would be great!

 

[Cheburashka]

Hey all,

Hopping on here to see if anyone can answer a question regarding the flexible refund policy and concierge deposits. I'm a little frustrated because I booked the cruise when there was testing at the port so it seemed like a safe vacation option. Well now we have testing 3 days prior and covid is apparently spreading quite easily on the ships now.

Is there any way Disney will allow my non-refundable deposit to be returned based on the fact the scenarios have changed since I booked, or at least let me have it back on a gift card? Alternatively, what happens to concierge guests who have covid right before the cruise, do they get all of their money back or do they lose their deposit? This is all super confusing, so any help would be great!

If you are exposed to Covid or test positive for Covid within 14 days of sailing, you get a full refund from Disney. Even if you were booked concierge, or booked GT, or anything else. It doesn't matter how you were booked, you'll get all of your money back within days. No documentation required. You just call them and tell them, and they'll cancel the cruise and refund all of your money.

 

[lanejudy]

If you are at least 60 days out from embarkation, Concierge deposits can be pushed out to a future date. Assuming no FCC is being used. If you are within 15-60 days of embarkation you can push out the date up thru Sept.2023 without penalty, BUT be aware the penalty will carry forward if you end up cancelling the future cruise. If you are within 14 days of embarkation and can claim exposure to Covid DCL allows cancellation for a full refund (minus insurance).

 

[DMickey]

Anyone heard if the 14 day Flexible refund policy for covid will be extended past December 2022?

 

[lanejudy]

Anyone heard if the 14 day Flexible refund policy for covid will be extended past December 2022?

The "Flexible Refund" temporary policy is the only one that doesn't have a specified end date -- or extension of the end date. This is the policy that allows for cancellation due to covid exposure within 14 days of the cruise. It could end at any point, but so far no date has been mentioned.

 

[dreamer17555]

Anyone heard if the 14 day Flexible refund policy for covid will be extended past December 2022?

Crickets. Which I think is telling in itself. With testing going away for vaccinated before boarding I could see this policy disappearing completely. It doesn't help Disney. Covid outbreaks (mostly minor) will happen on sailings. Allowing the 14 day policy only lets them lose money when people cancel. It doesn't make sense to continue it IMO.

 

[KevinFL]

The "Flexible Refund" temporary policy is the only one that doesn't have a specified end date -- or extension of the end date. This is the policy that allows for cancellation due to covid exposure within 14 days of the cruise. It could end at any point, but so far no date has been mentioned.

Not sure how this could suddenly end anytime on existing bookings. It is advertised that you can book with confidence because of this policy. So I can book today a cruise for July 2023 knowing that Disney has a Flexible Refund policy. They cannot take that away suddenly after I have been baited into booking under the policy. IMO