When do you realistically think ABD will start operating again?

[lovetotravel]

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[sayhello]

I just got the email warning me I have to PIF for May in the next 30 days... with April not even cancelled yet it looks like they stopped following their cancellation trend. Anyone know if I push my luck and PIF can I still move funds to another trip? Or is that impossible after PIF..?

Their normal policy is that you cannot move the funds once you PIF. Whether your trip falls under some sort of exception due to the pandemic would be a question for ABD.

ABD's normal policy is (bolding is mine):

Please note: In accordance with our response to the COVID-19 virus, Adventures by Disney has updated our cancellation policy.

Cancellations can be made by telephone or in writing. The time of cancellation will be the date upon which Adventures by Disney Travel Services receives notice from you. If you fail to execute and return the Adventure Travel Agreement to us no later than 14 calendar days after booking, it will be deemed a cancellation by you. If you make changes to the vacation commencement date or chosen vacation, it will be deemed a cancellation by you. If you cancel, amounts paid, minus cancellation fees and nonrefundable amounts, will be promptly refunded. Regardless of when you book, your deposit is refundable for 14 calendar days after original booking. You must notify us if you decide to cancel within this 14-calendar day period.

Unless stated otherwise in your Guest Confirmation, the following cancellation policy shall apply:

Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date​	Fee Amount​
120 days or more	Deposit per Guest
119-90 days	50% of vacation package price per Guest
89-46 days	75% of vacation package price per Guest
45 days or less	100% of vacation package price per Guest

​

The COVID cancellation policy says this, which I'm sure is not what you want to hear:

ADVENTURE DATE CHANGE POLICY UPDATE

Guests currently booked on adventures through April 30, 2021 can change their reservation up to 45 days prior to their trip and receive a 100% credit to be used toward a future adventure. Guests may select an alternative adventure and/or a new travel date for itineraries departing through May 31, 2022 by calling (855) 223-0025 or (407) 566-8345. The credit is non-refundable and will be applied against the standard prevailing rates of the new itinerary and/or travel dates selected.

It also says:

FINAL PAYMENT UPDATE

For existing bookings that travel through March 31, 2022, final payment will now be due 90 days prior to the adventure start date. Trips cancelled between 89-45 days prior to departure are subject to a 50% cancellation penalty; trips cancelled less than 45 days prior to departure are subject to a 100% cancellation penalty. Disneyland Resort and Southern California Escape departures beginning in March 2022, all Buenos Aires Escape departures, and all expedition cruise sailings are excluded from this final payment policy.

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

Their normal policy is that you cannot move the funds once you PIF. Whether your trip falls under some sort of exception due to the pandemic would be a question for ABD.

ABD's normal policy is (bolding is mine):

Please note: In accordance with our response to the COVID-19 virus, Adventures by Disney has updated our cancellation policy.

Cancellations can be made by telephone or in writing. The time of cancellation will be the date upon which Adventures by Disney Travel Services receives notice from you. If you fail to execute and return the Adventure Travel Agreement to us no later than 14 calendar days after booking, it will be deemed a cancellation by you. If you make changes to the vacation commencement date or chosen vacation, it will be deemed a cancellation by you. If you cancel, amounts paid, minus cancellation fees and nonrefundable amounts, will be promptly refunded. Regardless of when you book, your deposit is refundable for 14 calendar days after original booking. You must notify us if you decide to cancel within this 14-calendar day period.

Unless stated otherwise in your Guest Confirmation, the following cancellation policy shall apply:

Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date​	Fee Amount​
120 days or more	Deposit per Guest
119-90 days	50% of vacation package price per Guest
89-46 days	75% of vacation package price per Guest
45 days or less	100% of vacation package price per Guest

​

The COVID cancellation policy says this, which I'm sure is not what you want to hear:

ADVENTURE DATE CHANGE POLICY UPDATE

Guests currently booked on adventures through April 30, 2021 can change their reservation up to 45 days prior to their trip and receive a 100% credit to be used toward a future adventure. Guests may select an alternative adventure and/or a new travel date for itineraries departing through May 31, 2022 by calling (855) 223-0025 or (407) 566-8345. The credit is non-refundable and will be applied against the standard prevailing rates of the new itinerary and/or travel dates selected.

It also says:

FINAL PAYMENT UPDATE

For existing bookings that travel through March 31, 2022, final payment will now be due 90 days prior to the adventure start date. Trips cancelled between 89-45 days prior to departure are subject to a 50% cancellation penalty; trips cancelled less than 45 days prior to departure are subject to a 100% cancellation penalty. Disneyland Resort and Southern California Escape departures beginning in March 2022, all Buenos Aires Escape departures, and all expedition cruise sailings are excluded from this final payment policy.

Sayhello

Isn’t the normal pattern to offer the ability to change the trip the last step before the trip cancellations? Don’t know your May trip dates - I’m in a similar situation with the PIF email for a May 25 trip.

I’m seriously considering canceling vs paying & later moving the funds to something else, because should travel start up again I’m not wanting to take the chance my trip might actually happen. I’m not comfortable going to Central Europe at this time. Still too many unknowns & I won’t have the vaccine by then. A lot can change between now & then, I realize, but it still feels too soon & I’m less of a gambler with this one. I still want to do the trip but no longer attached to the May dates & want things to be more open before settling on another date.

 

[lovetotravel]

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[AquaDame]

Where is your trip? Are you able to deal with the quarantine and covid test back into US?

May 27th - yes we could do both, as we work from home at present. It wouldn't be good optics for me to do that to my coworkers as I do go in a few times a week for a few hours when it is absolutely necessary. I'd not only be taking a vacation but making them cover my on site work for a couple weeks after as well. That's if we don't care about possibly contracting it also, which we very much do. I do not appreciate ABD's attitude that its our problem when its a GLOBAL PANDEMIC and clearly the world sees catching it as a Very Bad Thing that we are changing our way of life to avoid.

Also when did you book and did you book with the refundable deposit?

We booked day 1, January 27th, 2020 so no refundable deposit. If that were an option we would have cancelled months ago when it became apparent that we will not be fully vaccinated by the end of May. We also would have a MUCH higher opinion of ABD, let me tell you...

Isn’t the normal pattern to offer the ability to change the trip the last step before the trip cancellations? Don’t know your May trip dates - I’m in a similar situation with the PIF email for a May 25 trip.

I’m seriously considering canceling vs paying & later moving the funds to something else, because should travel start up again I’m not wanting to take the chance my trip might actually happen. I’m not comfortable going to Central Europe at this time. Still too many unknowns & I won’t have the vaccine by then. A lot can change between now & then, I realize, but it still feels too soon & I’m less of a gambler with this one. I still want to do the trip but no longer attached to the May dates & want things to be more open before settling on another date.

Yeah, @sayhello posted the official rules (thank you!!) but I know they are a little vague about the one time move that shouldn't be possible but totally has been. I was hoping folks may have had experience with doing this in the last year and would be able to tell me what is happening unofficially within their PIF date.

A couple of weeks ago I was perfectly fine with waiting but now that they are not following their cancellation schedule I am uncertain again. I can't believe I've been having to fret this much about a trip for over a year now. DCL cruises are cancelling into May already, while ABD is saying they can send a group to Costa Rica in March.

I really don't think this trip can go responsibly, that is the crux of my anger, but ultimately I am not going to risk 5K with possibly nothing to show for it. If I am wrong, and the trip goes, then I will shut up about it as it truly will have been a choice I made. Right now though? I feel I am being played for my deposit with their games. I think, like you, if I can't move the trip after PIF and they haven't cancelled it by our PIF day then I have no choice, which is a slap in the face when (if?) they do cancel it.

I intend on cancelling the other Disney trip we have booked for November if I lose my deposit. It's mental gymnastics since lost money is lost money but it will make me feel like I at least did something to recoup.

I can't imagine what would make me book another ABD at that point. For years I and others have said time and again that Disney keeps you safe, they can be trusted to do the right thing. They're selling their reputation with me at present. Guess that's worth about 1K to them.

 

[TarotFox]

I know that this isn't policy, but when I was in this situation in June I moved it to a placeholder instead of canceling. I didn't have much intention of using it, but a few months later after the trip was canceled Kevin was able to get them to refund it for me. He did stress that it was a bit of CM magic, and I'm so thankful he pulled it off for me.

 

[AquaDame]

I know that this isn't policy, but when I was in this situation in June I moved it to a placeholder instead of canceling. I didn't have much intention of using it, but a few months later after the trip was canceled Kevin was able to get them to refund it for me. He did stress that it was a bit of CM magic, and I'm so thankful he pulled it off for me.

That is really nice..! I don't know that I can count on magic though... that is always at their whim.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Received the AbD email today re my booking for this May, offering me the opportunity to move all funds to either another adventure or place the booking as a future travel hold date, for travel that will be completed by May 31, 2022. Should I choose either option, the future travel credit is non-refundable. Since I was fortunate enough to book in May 2020 with a fully refundable deposit up to PIF date which is later this month, I don’t think I will take them up on this offer. But, as I recall, it is the step before they move to cancel the adventure.

 

[AquaDame]

Received the AbD email today re my booking for this May, offering me the opportunity to move all funds to either another adventure or place the booking as a future travel hold date, for travel that will be completed by May 31, 2022. Should I choose either option, the future travel credit is non-refundable. Since I was fortunate enough to book in May 2020 with a fully refundable deposit up to PIF date which is later this month, I don’t think I will take them up on this offer. But, as I recall, it is the step before they move to cancel the adventure.

Checked my email excitedly... no such offer for me. I wonder if the river cruises will be handled differently.

 

[AquaDame]

I should have checked the website first - I don't see terms being different for my trip as listed there. I guess in this case it will be safer to PIF and park it if it is not cancelled before 45 days out. I'll see what my husband would prefer to do now (if it were up to him he'd have already eaten the loss and been done with them).

 

[Rapunzellover]

I just canceled my May Portugal trip and got a deposit refund. Even if it goes, it won't be what I want. For the price, I'm willing to wait until I know it will be the magic I have always gotten from ABD.

 

[aggiedog]

It's not ABD, but I have a trip to Morocco with Classic Journeys scheduled for March 27 that is a go, shockingly. PIF was 10 days ago, but they didn't decide to proceed until a week later, so didn't actually take any payment until yesterday. I've had my 2 vaccinations and had decided it was time to venture out into the world again. I still feel like it could be canceled at any time if the situation changes, so I guess I"ll believe it when I get there.

 

[AddictedtoTravel]

The Classic Journeys Morocco trip is on my short list. I've look at it several times and had decided to book it when ABD announced New Zealand. Crossing my fingers for y'all.

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

With Canada this week cancelling cruises until 2022, has anyone that planned to do the Alaska Cruise ABD this summer heard anything?

 

[sayhello]

With Canada this week cancelling cruises until 2022, has anyone that planned to do the Alaska Cruise ABD this summer heard anything?

They sail out of Vancouver, so unless DCL re-routes the cruises out of Seattle, I don't see how any of them can sail. But I would assume ABD would wait for DCL to cancel the cruises first.

Sayhello

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

I don’t think they could sail from Seattle since DCL
doesn’t sail under the US flag. Thought they needed to have at least one international port.

 

[sayhello]

I don’t think they could sail from Seattle since DCL
doesn’t sail under the US flag. Thought they needed to have at least one international port.

OK, I had to go back and refresh my memory of the PVSA (the Passenger Vessel Services Act) and you're correct, even if they are closed-loop cruises (starting and ending in Seattle) they need a foreign port because you will be stopping at other USA ports during the trip. So Seattle to Seattle is still not possible without Canada. So I'm assuming all Alaska cruises would be cancelled for 2021. I went on DCL's site, and there are no Alaska cruises listed. Now I suppose they could all be sold out, but it's likely they've pulled the itineraries. They've only officially cancelled cruises through April, with a few extras cancelled for May.

Now I *have* heard some rumors that some cruiselines are trying to get temporary exemptions to the PVSA due to the unusual circumstances of the pandemic, in which case they *could* run the cruises from Seattle, assuming they could secure space at the port. I don't know that anyone has gotten one yet. But that might be why ABD hasn't cancelled yet.

Sayhello

 

[MKMK]

I agree with you and feel your pain. We are scheduled for a May 2021 Egypt ABD. While a few months ago we were 85% sure it would be a go, now we are just waiting for it to be cancelled and have already decided on a date in 2022. We also have a September 2021 Portugal/Spain ABD and are very hopeful it will be a go. It looks like Europe is further along with the vaccine than Egypt (Africa). We are assuming we will be vacinated by then as well.

We are huge ABD fans, but since the virus, haven't been following ABD updates like I normally did... so this question is likely a bit behind. We are scheduled for Egypt in early June 2021. Received my final payment notice from ABD today. Seems like a hassle to send in our payment only to have them send it back again once it is cancelled ... or am I missing something?

 

[Mathmagicland]

We are huge ABD fans, but since the virus, haven't been following ABD updates like I normally did... so this question is likely a bit behind. We are scheduled for Egypt in early June 2021. Received my final payment notice from ABD today. Seems like a hassle to send in our payment only to have them send it back again once it is cancelled ... or am I missing something?

I guess it depends on a few things -

-if for some reason the tour went forward, would you be OK with going? There’s always that chance, more likely as more folks get vaccinated and borders start to reopen.
-when did you book & what are the cancel & deposit refund provisions for your tour? Those that booked before April or May (I think) do not get their deposit back unless cancelled within 14 days of booking, so the only way to get money back is to pay & then hope Disney cancels. . For those who booked starting mid-May for sure, deposits are fully refundable up to PIF date. So you may not get your deposit back if you cancel before Disney does, but then it’s an anxious waiting game to see if they do cancel. Hence, the first question of whether you’d be OK to go if they did not cancel. Then you’d lose the entire payment rather than just the deposit.
-wait to see if Disney offers the option to park the deposit or book to another adventure - they’ve done that I think through April departure dates. But the deposit would need to be used by a certain timeframe when they do make this offer. It’s been a precursor to cancellations in the past, but again since we don’t know when travels may resume, can’t guarantee it means trips will be cancelled.
-if your Egypt trip is already a rebook from something cancelled in 2020, then I’m not sure what your deposit refund parameters are, as I believe if you kept the same reservation number then it goes to the original booking terms. But I’m not sure what Disney has done with rebooking from virus-cancelled trips.

 

[Grifdog22]

Curious if anyone on the Boards is scheduled for the March 27, 2021 trip to Costa Rica that is still a go. Since the USA will require a negative COVID test to get back in the country that is less than 3 days from departure back, I would be interested to hear how this is managed by ABD. Everyone on the trip will have to have one of these - what arrangements are made? I would expect this to apply to all other trips if they go, as I doubt the CDC will now take that requirement back. Please share what you have heard or know on this!