Refund When Disney Changed Requirements

[KashasMom]

I am not looking to start anything controversial so please keep to facts. With the news that Pfizer's vaccine for under 5s will be available by the end of the month, our cruise plans may be shaken up once again. My questions - each time the vaccine age was lowered (12+, then 5-11) how long was it before Disney required those age groups to be vaccinated? If you did not want to comply, did you get a refund? We recently changed our cruise from Feb to Oct but part of our extended family has toddlers they don't intend to vaccinate now. I assume they will get a full refund and my family (without under 5s) will not? Our TA already told all of us that if we do NOT go on the October cruise, we will all lose our money (we are Concierge PIF). Something to do with the most recent 14 day allowed change and how the new cruise will not have the same cancelation rules (I didn't particularly understand). I'm just trying to figure out how much of our $25,000+ we may lose and also set expectations about the possibility of cruising without our family.

Also, when reentering the U.S. by ship are you required to take a COVID test (as you are when coming by plane) or are cruise ships exempt?

 

[Calantha]

Also, when reentering the U.S. by ship are you required to take a COVID test (as you are when coming by plane) or are cruise ships exempt?

This: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html - it only applies to those arriving by plane. The answer is down in the FAQ part.

 

[KantLose]

I am not looking to start anything controversial so please keep to facts. With the news that Pfizer's vaccine for under 5s will be available by the end of the month, our cruise plans may be shaken up once again. My questions - each time the vaccine age was lowered (12+, then 5-11) how long was it before Disney required those age groups to be vaccinated? If you did not want to comply, did you get a refund? We recently changed our cruise from Feb to Oct but part of our extended family has toddlers they don't intend to vaccinate now. I assume they will get a full refund and my family (without under 5s) will not? Our TA already told all of us that if we do NOT go on the October cruise, we will all lose our money (we are Concierge PIF). Something to do with the most recent 14 day allowed change and how the new cruise will not have the same cancelation rules (I didn't particularly understand). I'm just trying to figure out how much of our $25,000+ we may lose and also set expectations about the possibility of cruising without our family.

Also, when reentering the U.S. by ship are you required to take a COVID test (as you are when coming by plane) or are cruise ships exempt?

Even though you have chosen to PIF, you are not in the required PIF window for an October cruise, so should be able to request a full refund up until the final payment date (the relaxed date for cruises through Sept is 60 days out, not sure yet if this will be extended). Since you are concierge, I believe the deposit is not refundable, but may be able to be transferred to a new booking

 

[cvjw]

We were booked on 2 dream cruises last month right after they changed the vaccine requirements to 5 years old. We got an email from DCL giving us 2 weeks, I think, to cancel with a full refund due to the rule change. The email came right after the rule change.

 

[KashasMom]

Even though you have chosen to PIF, you are not in the required PIF window for an October cruise, so should be able to request a full refund up until the final payment date (the relaxed date for cruises through Sept is 60 days out, not sure yet if this will be extended). Since you are concierge, I believe the deposit is not refundable, but may be able to be transferred to a new booking

Unfortunately all of that is the complete opposite of what our TA told us. We are PIF because our cruise was in Feb. He told us since we had already moved it once we could not transfer to a new booking. I'm so confused about all of this.

 

[KashasMom]

We were booked on 2 dream cruises last month right after they changed the vaccine requirements to 5 years old. We got an email from DCL giving us 2 weeks, I think, to cancel with a full refund due to the rule change. The email came right after the rule change.

Thank you! Then it looks like we will only lose half our money or have to cruise alone. At least our family can get a refund (although they'd rather cruise!).

 

[KashasMom]

This: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html - it only applies to those arriving by plane. The answer is down in the FAQ part.

Thanks! This still boggles my mind a bit though.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

It’s was about 5-6 weeks from announcement to requirements for cruising with 1-2 weeks of flexible cancellation by DCL.m

 

[KantLose]

Unfortunately all of that is the complete opposite of what our TA told us. We are PIF because our cruise was in Feb. He told us since we had already moved it once we could not transfer to a new booking. I'm so confused about all of this.

I would check with DCL to be sure, as there have been a few mentions on this board of TAs not always having the most up to date info. I know that policies have been confusing with all of the shifting of dates, but it still seems like you shouldn’t be at risk of losing the whole amount since October is so many months away.

 

[Freeman867]

Unfortunately all of that is the complete opposite of what our TA told us. We are PIF because our cruise was in Feb. He told us since we had already moved it once we could not transfer to a new booking. I'm so confused about all of this.

I wouldn't be surprised if you get an email with cancellation options after they officially announce the policy in a month or so. You'll probably need to wait until that point to get solid answers on this, however.

 

[lanejudy]

I think it was maybe 6-8 weeks after vaccines became available and before the requirement took effect. BUT there was only maybe a 1-week window for cancelling without penalty IF you were already within the PIF/penalty phase.

I think your challenge (if I recall from prior posts) is you have now pushed out a cruise when you were within the 60-day penalty phase? You are not eligible for a full refund if you cancel the new cruise. When you do that, your new cruise automatically retains the greater of the penalty that would have been charged when you moved the cruise or the penalty at the time you cancel the new cruise. I don't know what happens if you wanted to cancel due to new vaccine requirements, but they might only allow you to push out further - again retaining the penalty clause from the Feb(?) cruise.

As for a test -- there is currently no requirement to test when you return to the US from a cruise.

 

[KashasMom]

I think it was maybe 6-8 weeks after vaccines became available and before the requirement took effect. BUT there was only maybe a 1-week window for cancelling without penalty IF you were already within the PIF/penalty phase.

I think your challenge (if I recall from prior posts) is you have now pushed out a cruise when you were within the 60-day penalty phase? You are not eligible for a full refund if you cancel the new cruise. When you do that, your new cruise automatically retains the greater of the penalty that would have been charged when you moved the cruise or the penalty at the time you cancel the new cruise. I don't know what happens if you wanted to cancel due to new vaccine requirements, but they might only allow you to push out further - again retaining the penalty clause from the Feb(?) cruise.

As for a test -- there is currently no requirement to test when you return to the US from a cruise.

Yes, I think that's it! We were already in the 60-day penalty phase. So we would lose 75% of our fare plus the non-refundable deposit. It looks like our extended family will have the option of a refund. We probably won't have any option but to cruise. Thanks for the help.

 

[DCLMP]

Yes, I think that's it! We were already in the 60-day penalty phase. So we would lose 75% of our fare plus the non-refundable deposit. It looks like our extended family will have the option of a refund. We probably won't have any option but to cruise. Thanks for the help.

The ships are empty enough as it is I'm not sure Disney will go that route, but I think you'll be fine regardless.

 

[gilsan]

I believe that DCL allowed cancellations with no penalty when they changed to include 5-11 in the vaccination requirements. https://disneycruiselineblog.com/20...s-5-years-and-older-starting-january-13-2022/

 

[Ol Goof]

We booked the inaugural sailing on the Wish with a 4 yo in our party. She is now 5 and I’m told by TA no refund, no moving the deposit, no change of any kind. So when I remove her and her parents from the reservation I will loose a lot of money.

 

[DCLMP]

We booked the inaugural sailing on the Wish with a 4 yo in our party. She is now 5 and I’m told by TA no refund, no moving the deposit, no change of any kind. So when I remove her and her parents from the reservation I will loose a lot of money.

That's awful. I remember DCL CM's telling some posters on here not to cancel summer cruises because the mandate was only until May. I know the inaugural cruise has special rules and it's unfortunate you booked through a TA because now you can't advocate for yourself. I'm sure you are not alone. The Wish was pretty much sold out through the Summer, but now there are rooms on just about every sailing. When it's all said and done DCL may have to offer discounts to fill the rooms.

Just to add after thinking about it. When DCL started selling this cruise there was no Vaccine mandate. I don't even think cruises had restarted yet. It seems really odd to me that Disney would refuse refunds if they changed their requirements to sail. I would call DCL myself if your TA won't fight for you. If that fails I'd dispute it on my CC.

 

[KashasMom]

The ships are empty enough as it is I'm not sure Disney will go that route, but I think you'll be fine regardless.

Our TA told us specifically it's this cruise or we'll lose almost all of our money so I'm going with what he says. Seems we were within penalty period. Tough times to be traveling in!

 

[KashasMom]

We booked the inaugural sailing on the Wish with a 4 yo in our party. She is now 5 and I’m told by TA no refund, no moving the deposit, no change of any kind. So when I remove her and her parents from the reservation I will loose a lot of money.

I really hope that this is not true for you! These are extenuating circumstances. Good luck!

 

[anneeb]

In the past when vaccine requirements changed did they allow cancelation only for cabins with kids in the age group impacted? It seems odd to me that they wouldn't extend the cancel policy to the entire linked party. I also find it odd that you are only able to change dates once. We bumped a PIF concierge cruise Feb 2022 to Jan 2023. When I made the change they stressed that the 75% penalty to cancel the new cruise would still apply. But they did not say we couldn't move the dates again if we needed to. I would definitely double check that part.

 

[DCLMP]

Our TA told us specifically it's this cruise or we'll lose almost all of our money so I'm going with what he says. Seems we were within penalty period. Tough times to be traveling in!

This is why I don't use a TA.