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I previously posted our scenario on this forum and wanted to share that we finally received all refunds for taxes, fees, gratuities and cruise planner purchases. There IS hope!! It just took way too long! ? Cruise planned on March 14th on Symphony. Cruise cancelled By RCCL on March 13th as part of voluntary suspension. Received 125% FCC email on 4/6/20. Called and emailed several times about cash refund for remaining items. Cruise planner cancellation email received on 4/14/20. Refund received TODAY 5/7/20 - 17 business days after receiving the cruise planner cancellation and 39 business days after our cruise was cancelled. The biggest insight I have on timing and advice is to make sure you’ve received a cruise planner cancellation email (if you prepurchased anything). That means the process has started. No email goes out if you are only waiting for taxes, fees, gratuities. And, there really is no rhyme or reason on when they are processing because our traveling companions had very similar refund coming to them and received it within 2 weeks of the cancelled cruise.

After going through that onslaught of negativity I'm gonna toss a wrench in the works... As the post above points out they did a very smart move today with new policy. That is of monumental importance. The virus is one thing but the perception of a "don't care about passengers" cloud was building to a feverish point... If they do concentrate on creating and improving the image of caring about us then things will be fine... They are solvent into early next year. Then they have some some maneuvering that will need to get done. Creditors will be forced to re re re adjust their terms. If RCCL goes belly up with the kind of debt they carry it would sink the lenders. So... They are going to flex any way they can. 11 would destroy their ability to continue as being credit worthy . Liquidation for RCCL would be monumentally difficult Not a lot of buyers out there for steel monsters a quarter mile long with all those "0"s in the price tags. So , no, my Deep self does not see the big B in the window at this time... Sorry if I derailed a little of the negativity you worked so hard at making... I'm jst in a mood I guess... ?

The name of it sounds like a tagline for underwear: "Lift & Shift for that Royal Wedgie."

Ummmm.....is "Mr.Speed Noodles" aware he is being called Mr.Speed Noodles by a bunch of random internet people?

I was able to Lift and Shift August sailing on Oasis to same cruise in 2021. They adjusted our room categories from the 2020 deck plan category to the new 2021 deck plan category so price protected our fare. Sad not to go this year but so glad we could Lift and Shift to next year!

He very much is. He's totally cool with it. He's really looking forward to meeting people on the upcoming group cruises that we have booked!

I received this email last night I will update if I get my refund for my 4 May cruise that got cancelled. At this point I have not received any refund for the cruise including shore excursions, taxes, fees, or gratuities.

Great article with a lot of good points. The Points Guy: 5 reasons why I’m bullish on the return of cruising. https://thepointsguy.com/news/5-reasons-why-im-bullish-on-the-return-of-cruising/

I wanted to post an update. I just received my cruise refund today. I received an email from RC yesterday advising that they had processed my refund and I verified it today on my CC account. It was for the exact amount I had calculated. So, for me, RC proactively canceled my cruise of April 3 on March 13, promptly refunded my cruise planner monies and then processed my cruise refund 38 BUSINESS DAYS after I requested it. They never sent an apology, but my full purchase price for all monies paid have been refunded down the penny. Regards, Polly

I'd settle for a stale bag of peanuts and a bottle of warm water if it meant I was cruising soon.

Received the same email today for our cancelled March 23 cruise on Jewel of the Seas. We had booked B2B cruises on Jewel for March 16 and March 23, both cancelled by RCCL mid March. Refund for March 16 cruise came through about a month ago but my travel agent held on to it waiting on the other refund coming through. Got the call from my TA yesterday to make the full refund to my credit card. Happy days; glad this is over and my money is now safe. ?

Im still holding out hope for my July 31 southbound Alaska cruise out of Anchorage, heres why... RC is taking measures to ensure they will be the cleanest, most safe ship on the waters with the application for the patent on sea mask-and the e-muster, we see them taking steps that the other lines have not. Alaska has been in phase one for almost 2 weeks... and im sure will move to phase 2 by June EDIT- Phase 2 begins May 8 https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/State-announces-plan-for-phase-2-reopening-Alaska-570260251.html and then phase 3 by at least end of June. The US Canada border restrictions ends May 15th, unless extended a month to June 15. the ONE outlier here in my opinion is Canadas port closures. if they remain closed for the rest of 2020 (possible) then its a done no deal. Im sick of the doom and gloom, if you keep uttering positive vibes and words, the universe responds (read the book the Secret, it has changed my life!) I think that sailing the final 2 sailings of Alaska 2020 would still be worth it to RCL. I know my (newbie on here) opinion probably means nothing... but Im a very forward thinker.

Port Everglades and Port Of Miami are 28 miles apart. Doubt they open one w/o the other considering many people fly into each respective international airport dependent on cost and then drive to their cruise departure port. Besides that, both Broward & Miami Dade counties mimic each others moves so if one port opens the other will follow.

Really glad to hear you were able to take advantage of this new program, and that you're finding value from the blog!

Makes some good points...….what it will all depend on really is how easy/hard it is to travel to get to the cruise port. From out of state to out of country travel, there are going to be a lot of hoops and expenses now that weren't there before. I am not worried about cruising at all...I just dont know if I will be able to afford to get there or legally be able to travel till there is a vaccine at least. That's how its sounding in my province and country at this point.

The use of 'seasons' to describe a point in time is very confusing for people in the Southern Hemisphere! Can't they just say the month! ? ?

Alrighty, jus' lookin' out ya' know.

IMO, 2 weeks of UDP is too much food. We are on a B2B on Oasis in December. We purchased the UDP for the first week and the 3 night package for the second week. For us, there is a lot of "pressure" (totally self-imposed) to eat specialty whenever specialty is available if we have paid for it. By the second week, you will long for the ability to just SKIP a meal here and there and/or grab a quick gnosh somewhere without thinking, in the back of your mind, "I've just wasted money by passing up an opportunity to eat in a specialty restaurant". We did a 12 night holiday cruise on Grandeur a number of years ago and did the UDP. I was so tired of eating at 3 specialty restaurants by the time we got off that cruise....never again.

I don’t see anything in the “rules” that would prevent this. Frankly, I’ve thought of doing this myself.

Kinda far but I got $77 from Philly to fort Lauderdale for October!

We're leaving on Navigator from Miami on November 9th. We decided to say the hell with it and booked our flights/hotel room a couple weeks ago. I found the cheapest flights I have ever seen from Maine to Miami and didn't want to wait. $117 pp round trip.

I think you need to call back. However helpful and patient the rep may have been it sounds like they do not have the full information to hand. The whole thing is very new and the reps are not all up to speed yet. From the info I have been following on the massive thread on the subject over on CC, the L&S option does not apply only to bookings departing up to the end of August. Rather, the end of August is the cut-off date to be able to take advantage of the offer, which applies to all existing live bookings as at yesterday's date. Also, the itinerary does not have to be identical in terms of ports of call; it must be in the same geographical cruising area but the actual ports can vary. And the new cruise does not even have to be on the same ship. What might stymie you is the requirement that the new cruise must be the same length as the current one. You would need to try and find one that is the same length as your current one and which sails one year plus or minus 4 weeks from your current sail date. Hope you are able to get it sorted to your satisfaction.

I was flabergasted two days ago as my wife and I were discussing travel to Hilton Head from Nashville in July which has traditionally been in the $500-$600 range. The lowest coach fare right now is $153 round trip, so if this conference we have planned happens, you can bet that we are flying directly to the island instead of flying to Savannah or driving.

I am a healthy eater at home so when I am on a cruise, it's a total junk food diet:) Huge Windjammer breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, hash-browns, and more. Lunch is a Hot-dog, Burger, or Fried Chicken. Dinner is two main courses in the MDR, mostly steak! Pizza at Sorrento's is a good evening or late night snack.

My favorite margarita is the specialty in Boleros called the Granrita. (I think that is the name) It is a traditional margarita with Patron, but they add in Gran Marnier too. The Gran Marnier just makes the drink soooo much smother going down.

I guess you have to play it by ear, At least it was a positive article. I´m not scared to cruise, actually I am looking forward to it more than ever. I feel safer on a ship than at Disney World.

You should be able to move your October Oasis cruise to next October. I didn't check but I'm assuming that would be a Caribbean to Caribbean move. They should keep the current pricing that you have. Your final payment date should become the final payment date of the new cruise. You should keep OBC that you received from NextCruise bookings and goodwill, but you wouldn't get to keep an OBC booking offer. You can Lift & Shift once per cruise booked. If the price goes down on the newer cruise to below what you paid you should be able to use the Best Price Guarantee option. You can Lift & Shift on any currently booked cruise, but you have to be able to move it to a cruise a year later. So if you have a cruise in 18 months, there needs to be a cruise 30 months that qualifies for you to move it to. I would assume if you move a cruise and it gets canceled then you get whatever options are offered for that cancellation.

I agree with @vanelli56...you will know in plenty of time about the resumption of cruising in order to book flights and hotel...one thing you will see is that while flights are cheap now, they will probably be cheap for a while as the public gets used to traveling again. I would seriously consider purchasing travel insurance as you get closer, and maybe wait until there is more certainty about the cruise happening. It's always nice to have all the details wrapped up, and all you have to do is show up, but waiting seems like the best option right now. It might also make sense to look at the difference in fares between reusable and refundable for the flights you are considering.

I'd definitely wait. At least until a point when RC actually starts cruising as planned. Even if it's late July, that still gives you a few months to get air fare. I would not start to worry until about 90 days out from your cruise. So if they aren't sailing by that point, then you have some serious thinking to do.

Pretty much anything I don't have to prepare and clean up after. I'm easy to please ?.

I agree, Joe. I think that your swap would meet the intent of the offer....and that it would be a good move for you if the current cruise gets scrapped. Sorry that you would have to wait another year but at least you would still get the cruise you have been so looking forward to.

I think RCCL is offering flexibity for those who are unsure about the safety of cruising over the next couple of months. Good move on RCCL's part.

YOLO booked it! Just added 8-night sailing on Odyssey for 2/12/22... My wife just realized it will be Valentine's Day during that cruise. This will be our first Quantum/Quantum Ultra experience and the first time we're going to Grand Cayman, Curacao and Aruba! Only 647 days to go for that one! LOL!

I had given our TA the go ahead to book our August 2020 Alaska cruise then got caught up with the times reading this thread. So luckily I caught him before he fired off the $500 credit card payment. I'm a little embarrassed at how little I knew of the Alaska/Canada mandates on travel....but I know now. I'm shifting to looking at late spring/early summer 2021for this cruise. Can someone give me an idea of what time frame I should shoot for as far as weather, whales, etc.? Thanks!

No. Just meant an RC Owned line. I’m the dummy who now flies to Florida 3 weeks out of 6. Indy on 10/22, Oasis on 11/8, and Apex on 11/21.

@Baked Alaska Ha! That's probably why they chose this funny name.

I filtered their cruises by "Caribbean" for destination, and their calendar is greyed out until November.

@CrznTxn Those are exactly my thoughts. It also gives them a snapshot of consumer confidence. If an influx of cancellations occur for Sept-Nov of this year, then they know people are not ready to get back to cruising. which allows them to come up with more business strategies. Also Lift and Shift makes me think of bras....you know lifting them up and shifting them in place.

It is a shrewd business move on Royal's part. If they can keep your current money AND have a cruise on the books, they can show the lenders they have booked orders. This can possibly get more capital and a lower rate if they have to dip into the well for more sustaining money.

Or if you lose control of something after getting lit.

LOL @Baked Alaska I don't care what you call it, because of the Blog and all of you, I was able to take advantage of it and turn a worrisome upcoming vacation filled with worry into a vacation in filled with anticipation and excitement again.

Neesa great post, I learned a long time ago, if you get thrown lemons turn them into lemonade. Always try to turn the worst problem into a positive. Come out and tell people we have a problem and we are going to make you experience even better and then show them how you are going to improve their experience. Positive attitudes always help.

Snack: Cafe 270 beef on wick Dinner: Coastal Kitchen Filet Honorable mention: anything from Sorrentos after 3AM

Yes, you can order them outside the list. The lava flow is just a pina colada with strawberry puree, so anywhere that has a blender can make one. The cost will be the same as the other frozen drinks. A margarita on the rocks is a very basic drink you can get from any bar; if you want a frozen one of course the bar needs a blender.

I'm in my 40s and I still don't drive, and here this kid is... ?

I’ll keep you posted. I emailed my TA.

Lol they should have restricted their seasons in the beginning. I doubt they will have any consumer confidence since they are ground zero with COVID-19 and the negative press cruises have gotten.

Thats based on some pretty optimistic scenarios. Including being back by year end and I just dont think they will be. Borders will still be closed.. airlines shutdown etc etc. They are burning 400m a month and 100m on refunds. They are also depending on 75% of all rooms full when they do resume. Which is optimistic in itself. I love RCCL I have never been on a cruise with any other company. But its all stacked against them. As someone else said chapter 11 is not the end of the world. Its not good and will hurt them and a lot of customers but its not Chapter 7 which is shutdown and sell off.