Cruise With Confidence —— Updated 1/13/2022

[ChrisK2793]

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[ChrisK2793]

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

So my only negative take on this extension of CWC is that their statement about "The options are nearly endless" isn't what it seems.  Any one of us who are still trying to use our FCC from original cancellations in 2020 ONLY have until December 31, 2022 to use them!  Only bookings paid with cash (meaning it will be a new FCC) qualify for the "year after original sail date" to rebook.

I apologize for this rambling but this has consumed my everyday thoughts for sooo long and today I just need to vent...

My family cruise which includes 13 staterooms and 31 passengers was originally booked in 2019 for April 2020.  It began with my immediate family of 13 (hubby, me, our 3 children and spouses, and our 5 grandchildren booked on a cruise when Kids Sailed Free (4 of them qualified).  The cruise number grew and became an awesome extension of family and friends.  COVID HIT!!!  We all received FCC and used them to book April 2021 and then had to L&S to April 2022 (all perks moved with us!!).  None of this being our fault, right?  So now that the mandate of 12+ needing to be vaccinated is cursing a few of my family members...this is not going to end up as our original family cruise!  Some of the group will most likely just sail in April 2022 because they are tired of the "what to do" questions and just want to end this 3 year ordeal!  Since it is my immediate family that includes a few of the not able to vaccinate...my heartfelt original plan to take my children and grandchildren on a family cruise has been smashed and shattered!!!  My husband just wants to get it over with...but my heart strings want all my kids and grandkids to cruise together!  It just looks impossible at this point because should we CWC this time...we lose every perk we currently have, the biggest one being Kids Sail Free...which Royal honored even when another grandchild reached 12!  Besides that there is no ideal time to cruise since summer is not an option for a rebook and once school begins in September, since the kids are older...they truly cannot miss school-time!  So it looks like once December 31, 2022 arrives I will be out quite a bit of money  and will have not had my dream vacation with my family!

I just do not see a happy solution and it truly hurts!  Thank you for listening to (reading) my woes...

[Fox Forlenza]

Thank God.  We paid off our cruise in May (I know, dumb) already and were getting nervous.  I'm so up in the air about it all.  I don't know what to do.

[Neesa]

@PPPJJ-GCVAB Your post saddened my heart, so much out of your control. If I were you (easy for me because this isn't my experience) but trying to minimize the "losses" so to speak, everyone who can go this time and feels comfortable to do so & can actually sail within the protocols does so. Make the most out of that, then what FCC's are left? Try to get them applied to who is going or better yet refunded due to the vax rules in place etc. 

Plan an even more special trip for you and the grandchildren, rent a whole house on the beach in Florida, VRBO? Something like that? Yes your heart breaks but by setting this positive example for these kiddos who are watching and listening they will see by your actions lemonade can be made from lemons. I wish for you and yours an outcome that works for you all. Good Luck whatever you decide to do!