New to cruising and wondering about flex cruising/cancellation policy (potential early April 2022 cruise)

[exnihilio13]

Since we're fairly new to this stuff and alot of literature out there doesn't necessarily take the current covid climate into account I figured this is a good place to confirm my suspicions.
Our deposit for an early April sailing is due within a few days and I wanted to know my possible "out clauses" if things don't improve or, please no, get worse.

My understanding of two major key points of the current policy are:

15 days or more until cruise - flexible cruise dates
For any reason at all (though the policy is more for covid related concerns) I (or my travel agent) can reach out to a Disney rep and move my date to another later date.
Is there any advantage to doing this? I guess if it was a cruise booked with a 10% credit from a prior cruise maybe? Allows you to keep that 10% credit?
The current cruise we have booked is a "Canadians get 30% off" but I assume that would not apply to a future cruise. Would it not make more sense to just use the 14 day covid cancellation full refund policy I mention next?

Within 14 days of the cruise - cancellation due to covid or possible covid exposure (also presumably symptoms)
The million dollar question that i see alluded to but wanted to be certain:
No proof is required for any of those things right?
So if our travel agent or we reached out to Disney a couple days before the cruise and said we had possible exposure they'd likely push us to take the credit towards a future cruise but otherwise would offer a full refund including the full original deposit.

Thanks so much in advance!!

 

[lanejudy]

The Cruise Date Flexibility policy is for cruises on or before May 31, 2022. That could change but is the current deadline. You may change the date of your cruise up to 15 days prior to embarkation; the new date must be before May 31, 2023. Prevailing rates on the new date, I honestly don't know if OBBs or other (Canadian 30%) offers move with it. If you cancel the new date the cancellation penalty is the greater of the (waived) penalty from the original sail date in 2022 or the penalty applicable to the new date. So if you wait until 16 days prior to embarkation and push out the date, but then cancel the new date, you are subject to 75% penalty.

The 14 day Flexible Refund policy allows you to cancel without penalty or push the date forward if within 14 days of embarkation. If pushing out the date, you must sail by Sept. 30, 2022. No proof is required. The intent here is to keep any/all illness off the ship. Making someone provide proof could cause them to try and board anyway because they lacked any "official" proof.

These policies are explained on the DCL website under Book with Confidence.

 

[exnihilio13]

I guess it's the "Relaxed Cancellation Fee Schedule" that has me a little confused.
I can't really see why anyone would absorb the penalty cost of cancelling rather than just sighting concern of covid exposure. Especially if no proof is requested.
I do fully get Disney not wanting take any risk of covid getting onboard so they need to word things carefully but I wonder why they don't just sight a full refund policy during pandemic times no questions asked rather than stating "Guests with COVID-19-related health concerns (symptoms or exposure)" can cancel.
If you were to say "I'm concerned I may get covid if I go on a cruise" would that qualify?

Just making sure I'm justified in my confidence that the 14 days out flexible refund makes me feel we can book with the hope that by April the Omnicron wave should have settle down. And if not then nothing ventured, nothing gained since I'd get a full refund.

 

[lanejudy]

If you were to say "I'm concerned I may get covid if I go on a cruise" would that qualify?

Probably not. I suggest you review the website info as there are officially qualifying scenarios for the 14-day refund...

• Qualifying scenarios include Guests who:
  • Have symptoms of COVID-19
  • Have a temperature of 100.4°F or greater
  • Have had known exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days
  • Have tested positive for COVID-19

I don't know what the situation will be come April. Right now, being exposed seems pretty easy -- we receive notice on at least a weekly basis that my daughter has been exposed, sometimes multiple times a week.

 

[lanejudy]

I guess it's the "Relaxed Cancellation Fee Schedule" that has me a little confused.

And that is different than the 2 policies I summarized above. As 3 separate policies, one or more may end while the other(s) remain in place or get extended. Only the 14-day refund doesn't specify valid cruise dates... leaves one to wonder if that may be the first to be yanked with little or no notice, or maybe it will be the policy that survives longer. The others specify they are in place through May 2022 or September 2022. Any could be extended, which I believe already occurred once for the Relaxed Cancellation Fee schedule.

The Relaxed Cancellation Fee Schedule is for cruises through September 2022. The cancellation penalties, which typically kick-in around 3-4 months prior to sail date, don't kick-in until 2 months (60 days) out. Unless booked on a *GT, which is not refundable (except for the 14-day Covid refund explained above).

 

[exnihilio13]

Right now, being exposed seems pretty easy -- we receive notice on at least a weekly basis that my daughter has been exposed, sometimes multiple times a week.

Ugh..that's gotta be maddening/stressful for both you and your daughter.
We've been doing ok with our kids with school but Quebec (Canada) has been pretty quick with the lockdowns when things start going sideways. Our kids have only just started going back to school this week.
It's that whole Hope and Optimism that I'm trying to injectinto our lives a bit. Something to look forward to.
But I'd also rather it not cost me several hundred bucks to be disappointed.
I feel pretty confident wit the flexible dates being until mid-May that the Flexible refund policy will still apply in April even if things are improved.
If things are still the same as they are now though I don't think the juice would be worth the squeeze. Bit too stressful.

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

[Mommb]

I can't really see why anyone would absorb the penalty cost of cancelling rather than just sighting concern of covid exposure.

As 3 separate policies, one or more may end while the other(s) remain in place or get extended. Only the 14-day refund doesn't specify valid cruise dates... leaves one to wonder if that may be the first to be yanked with little or no notice, or maybe it will be the policy that survives longer. The others specify they are in place through May 2022 or September 2022.

It is possible that the "14 Day Flexible Refund policy" could be changed or removed if Disney Cruise feels it is no longer necessary. People booked on cruises eligible for the "Cruise Date Flexibility policy" who know between 59 days and 14 days before cruising that they do not wish to take their booked cruise may want to use that policy to change to a later cruise. If they then cancel that cruise, they will get at least a partial refund. If they wait until 14 days before the cruise, they risk not being unable to get a refund at all if the 14 Day policy is rescinded or changed, or if they aren't able to meet the requirements to use that policy.

As lanejudy mentioned, there are specific conditions that allow for cancelling 14 days or fewer before a cruise, and Disney Cruise could start requiring verification that passengers who cancel meet these conditions.

 

[Birklej]

Does anyone know if the flexible cancelation rules apply to the concierge deposit?

 

[KashasMom]

Does anyone know if the flexible cancelation rules apply to the concierge deposit?

No. No breaks for concierge. We just moved our cruise again from Feb 8th to October and were told that if we could not move/cancel that cruise or we would lose 75% plus the cruise deposit so pretty much everything. I didn't understand why though. I would love to have just gotten my money back and gotten out but I really am not cool with lying within the 14 days to say that someone in our party had been exposed/had COVID. I'm really hoping things are better by October!

 

[Birklej]

No. No breaks for concierge. We just moved our cruise again from Feb 8th to October and were told that if we could not move/cancel that cruise or we would lose 75% plus the cruise deposit so pretty much everything. I didn't understand why though. I would love to have just gotten my money back and gotten out but I really am not cool with lying within the 14 days to say that someone in our party had been exposed/had COVID. I'm really hoping things are better by October!

Definitely wouldn't lie but if we have to cancel within the 14days I'm not sure if we would want to rebook. Just wondering if we get a full refund or how much we will be out if the unthinkable happens.

 

[AquaDame]

Does anyone know if the flexible cancelation rules apply to the concierge deposit?

I believe only the 14 day Flexible Refund policy affects concierge.

 

[KashasMom]

Definitely wouldn't lie but if we have to cancel within the 14days I'm not sure if we would want to rebook. Just wondering if we get a full refund or how much we will be out if the unthinkable happens.

If you cancel within the 14 days because of exposure or COVID positive, you can get your money back.

 

[MomOTwins]

Is there any advantage to doing this? I guess if it was a cruise booked with a 10% credit from a prior cruise maybe? Allows you to keep that 10% credit?

Exactly. For our upcoming cruise in April, we not only have the 10% off for it being a placeholder, we have 25% bonus future cruise credit from the original cruise being cancelled by Disney in 2020. We have moved it several times under the flexible cruise date policy since we don't want to cancel and lose several thousand dollars in freebie credits.