The Elephant in the Room: Coronovirus and Travel

We sure have found ourselves in uncharted territory lately, haven’t we?  Through hurricanes, tsunami’s, fires and more, the travel industry has continued to provide our clients with exciting adventures and FUNtastic experiences.  The Coronovirus, unfortunately, has stopped us dead in our tracks and has – and is – playing havoc on the entire country.
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The question on everyone’s mind is:  should we cancel our travel plans?  I wish I could give you all a well-informed, definitive answer but the truth is, if the travel supplier isn’t canceling your package/cruise, etc., then the decision as to whether or not to cancel is highly personal.  

If you or any of your travel companions have medical conditions that could be compromised by the threat of contact then, of course, you’ll want to reschedule your plans.  Dan is having a series of heart procedures next month that will put him in the 60-day window of hospitalization, so we’re having to cancel our amazing 16-day Transatlantic Cruise the first of June.  We are heart-broken!  We’d both looked so forward to visiting Ireland and Scotland – locations very high on our bucket list!  But I know God has a reason for not wanting us to make that trip right now, so I have complete faith it’s all good.  We’re now looking for a new adventure for later on so we can use our Future Cruise Credit.
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If your employer is mandating a 14-day self-quarantine if you travel out of the country, then you may well want to reconsider traveling right now.  I’m sure there are other reasons that may prompt you to reschedule – like I said, it’s highly personal and only you can make that decision.

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So, what happens if you DO decide to cancel?  It gets really tricky here and totally depends on the travel supplier and the type of travel you’re taking.  I’m going to try to summarize the CURRENT policies – but keep in mind they change not only daily, but sometimes hourly!
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If you’re flying and your flight was not part of a cruise package, the air lines are not issuing refunds.  Even if you’re supposed to fly to a country that isn’t allowing visitors, the air lines aren’t budging.  Some will waive change penalties if you reschedule travel.  And, if you have CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) Travel Protection, you can file a claim for a refund.  If you don’t have CFAR, and you don’t rebook, you will very likely lose whatever you’ve already paid.

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If you’re cruising again, cancellation policies vary from cruise line to cruise line.  Here’s the nutshell version of both Carnival and Royal Caribbean’s policies: the two cruise lines that I currently have bookings for. 

Carnival:

• For cruises that are cancelled due to the 30-day suspension, passengers will receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or, if they choose, a full refund of monies paid. 
• Travel Protection is not refunded or applied to FCC.
• If there is a flight booked as part of the cruise package, everything paid (except Travel Protection) will be applied to the FCC.
• If the new cruise is less than the FCC issued, passengers will be required to pay the difference. 
• If the new cruise is more than the FCC issued:
  • For March-May cruises, any unused FCC amount will be applied as an OBC, not to exceed $500.  The balance will be refunded to the credit card on record.
  • For June – September, any used FCC will be forfeited.
• The FCC can’t be used towards the deposit.
• Future cruise must be booked by 12/31/20 and sail by 12/31/2022.
• Passengers who were to have sailed during the 30-day suspension period will also receive an Onboard Credit (OBC):
  • For 5 days or less:  Passengers will receive a $300 OBC per cabin
  • For 6 days or more:  Passengers will receive a $600 OBC per cabin

• Passengers canceling cruises after the suspension period:

• For 5 days or less:  Passengers will receive a $50 OBC per cabin
• For 6 days or more:  Passengers will receive a $100 OBC per cabin

Royal Caribbean:

• For cruises that have been cancelled due to the 30-day Suspension, a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be automatically issued.
• The amount of the FCC is based on your total cruise fare paid and will be emailed to you and me on-or-before April 13th, 2020. 
• All pre-purchased amenities or onboard packages will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment.
• To make it easy for us during this difficult time, RCCL is taking care of everything – no action needed from us!
• Alternatively, a full refund is an option if preferred.  If you elect to cancel and not rebook, you will need to let me know and I will call in the cancellation and request the refund to your original form of payment.  You can expect the refund within 30 days.
• For cruises sailing April 10 through July 31, 2020, you will receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit if you plan on rebooking your cruise.  All that is needed is for me to let RCCL know that you plan on rebooking before 12/31/2020.  If you’re ready to set the date for your next cruise, I can take care of the cancellation, rebooked cruise and FCC assignment all at the same time.  You will need to pay the deposit for your new cruise within 72 hours of the booking – FCC’s can’t be applied to the new booking.
• If you decide to cancel your cruise all together, standard cancellation penalties will apply.

If you’ve booked your cruise through me, I’ve sent out an email outlining these policies so all you need to do is respond and let me know which option you prefer.  If you have any questions about this (and believe me, I know it’s confusing!), just let me know!

Looking forward to this all becoming just a distant memory!  How about you?

Terie
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