Simple Questions ... I hope.

[Dad2Cue]

This concerns a January 2021 cruise that was lifted and shifted to January 2022.  The only purpose was that it was going to be something warm to do in January.  It was relatively inexpensive but it was paid in full so approximately $1,500 tied up in a cruise more than 16 months away.  I'm okay with that but now we have other cruises booked before this cruise that have only the deposit paid.   I think that doing a L&S changed some of my cruise with confidence options but I'm not sure what options are left.  My main interest is moving money to another cruise that might happen sooner.

The nonrefundable deposit was $500 and there wasn't a FCC involved.   The L&S provided price protection and a significant savings.  What happens IF ...

#1 I want to UPGRADE my cabin? I probably lose the price protection ... right?

#2 I want to CHANGE to a different cruise?  Is the change fee $100 per person ($200 total)? 

#3 I want to CANCEL the cruise? Is the cancellation fee $500 and is $1,000 refunded or will it be a FCC?

#4 I want to SHIFT MONEY to pay for an earlier cruise?  Can I leave the $500 deposit but move $1,000 to an earlier cruise?

Thanks.

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

6 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

#1 I want to UPGRADE my cabin? I probably lose the price protection ... right?

I would think yes.  Whenever you upgrade you are paying prevailing rates.

6 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

#2 I want to CHANGE to a different cruise?  Is the change fee $100 per person ($200 total)? 

#3 I want to CANCEL the cruise? Is the cancellation fee $500 and is $1,000 refunded or will it be a FCC?

Assuming you booked non-refundable, I would think with "Cruise with Confidence" you can cancel get it all back as FCC and avoid the $100 change fee.  But maybe @JLMoran can chime in on this one.  I remember a complication that arose when he cancelled his Iceland sailing after L&S.  It had something to do with final payment dates.

9 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

#4 I want to SHIFT MONEY to pay for an earlier cruise?  Can I leave the $500 deposit but move $1,000 to an earlier cruise?

No clue about this one.  I have never come across a situation (or heard about one) where someone had to do this.....

[JLMoran]

14 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

#3 I want to CANCEL the cruise? Is the cancellation fee $500 and is $1,000 refunded or will it be a FCC?

Part of the answer to this will depend on when you did the L&S -- before or after your final payment date. If you did it before final payment, you should be able to cancel and get back the full amount minus the standard NRD penalty that gets held as FCC. If you did the L&S after final payment date, you're going to be subject to whatever cancellation penalty percentage was in effect on the original sailing. If that's a significant percentage, you'd be better off using Cruise with Confidence to get 100% FCC for that 2022 sailing.

What I'm not sure about is whether FCC issued for a 2022 sailing can then be applied to sailings happening in 2021 or any time in 2022 that's earlier than the canceled cruise's sail date. That whole "Future" part of FCC. Guessing that these days, Royal doesn't really care one way or the other. But I'll let @Lovetocruise2002 or @WAAAYTOOO or @twangster answer that, since they all have a lot more experience these days with FCC than me.

[Lovetocruise2002]

I have not cancelled my 2022 sailing ( and have no plans to) so I don't know what happens in that case.

[Dad2Cue]

6 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Part of the answer to this will depend on when you did the L&S -- before or after your final payment date. If you did it before final payment, you should be able to cancel and get back the full amount minus the standard NRD penalty that gets held as FCC. If you did the L&S after final payment date, you're going to be subject to whatever cancellation penalty percentage was in effect on the original sailing. If that's a significant percentage, you'd be better off using Cruise with Confidence to get 100% FCC for that 2022 sailing.

What I'm not sure about is whether FCC issued for a 2022 sailing can then be applied to sailings happening in 2021 or any time in 2022 that's earlier than the canceled cruise's sail date. That whole "Future" part of FCC. Guessing that these days, Royal doesn't really care one way or the other. But I'll let @Lovetocruise2002 or @WAAAYTOOO or @twangster answer that, since they all have a lot more experience these days with FCC than me.

It was L&S before the final payment date.  I'm indifferent about the Jan 2022 cruise.  I mostly would like to get the entire $1,500 applied to an earlier cruise.  I believe that when I did the L&S it more or less cancels the cruise with confidence provisions.  I think there will be change fees and/or cancellation fees.  

[JLMoran]

20 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

It was L&S before the final payment date.  I'm indifferent about the Jan 2022 cruise.  I mostly would like to get the entire $1,500 applied to an earlier cruise.  I believe that when I did the L&S it more or less cancels the cruise with confidence provisions.  I think there will be change fees and/or cancellation fees.  

So with L&S, you're effectively getting a one-time "reset" of the booking -- new final payment date, still able to cancel for 100% future cruise credit under CWC and still able to cancel for cash refund if before the new final payment date (I confirmed this with my TA when I did an L&S earlier this year).

Since you did get the L&S done before final payment, there is nothing stopping you from just canceling that cruise entirely. But because you booked NRD, you will end up having the $100 per person cancellation penalty applied, and the remaining deposit money will be issued to you as future cruise credit. Given you'll have that penalty to deal with and you'll also be dealing with FCC no matter what, I'd check with your TA and see if using CWC to take the 100% FCC option instead lets you get around the NRD penalty and hold on to 100% of your money (as FCC) to put towards those other cruise bookings.

[Dad2Cue]

49 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

if using CWC to take the 100% FCC option instead lets you get around the NRD penalty and hold on to 100% of your money (as FCC) to put towards those other cruise bookings.

That would be nice ... effectively, a "future" cruise credit becomes an "earlier" cruise credit !!!  Something tells me it won't be that simple.  I might try that later when actually going on a cruise seems more certain. 

Maybe Royal will start booking virtual cruises that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.  What was that song, "Living in a Virtual World"?  Maybe it was a "Material" World --- I'm too old for the virtual stuff.

[SpeedNoodles]

32 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

 

Maybe Royal will start booking virtual cruises that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.   

They've actually done a couple of these already!