Refundable vs non-refundable deposit

[Monica3]

First time cruiser, looking to book our first cruise on Harmony of the Seas for August, 2022.  Trying to decide on doing refundable or non-refundable deposit.  Looking for opinions. I have heard that I can start refundable and then drop down to non-refundable as it gets closer to the final payment in order to save money.  Has anyone ever done that?

[CGTLH]

It is possible to move from refundable to non-refundable closer to final payment date. However, you do have one catch. When moving deposit types it will trigger the cruise to be priced at the current rate. In most instances the rate ends up increasing as final payment date nears.

[Flopper]

Don’t play that game until cruise with confidence is up. 

[Dad2Cue]

As @CGTLH says there is that catch.  Cruise prices are generally increasing so it is more likely that you will be stuck paying the refundable price.

Now I look at whether the extra cost of booking refundable is worth it to get the added flexibility.  Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.  It mostly depends on how committed you are to ship,  itinerary  and the date of the cruise.  The extra money to book refundable does protect your deposit. However, if you do the cruise,  it may end up costing you more than the deposit you are trying to protect.  In that case, booking refundable is hard to justify. 

OTOH, I prefer to book refundable when it doesn't increase the price of the cruise too much.  Sometimes I simply want to make a reservation to get the stateroom I want but my plans aren't definite.  In that case, I can cancel and get a full refund when I book refundable.  

Presently, the cruise with confidence rules allows changes and waives the change fees so that needs to be considered as well.

[AshleyDillo]

Cruise with Confidence is only good for cruises through April 30, 2022, so it isn't an option here.  

Basically you have to weigh whether the $100/per person cancellation penalty is worth the cost savings of going with a lower nonrefundable deposit cruise fare price.  Remember you will still have the rest of the deposit available as a FCC to switch to a different cruise (for example, if your nonrefundable deposit is $250 and you decide to cancel or change cruises prior to final payment, you will have a $150 FCC).  

Also keep in mind, Guarantee rates are only available with nonrefundable deposits. 

[Matt]

11 hours ago, Monica3 said:

Trying to decide on doing refundable or non-refundable deposit. 

Always book refundable IMO