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Will cruises get cancelled this year

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  • 26-04-2020 4:32pm
    #1
    owlbethere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭


    Booked a cruise holiday after the Christmas and paid a deposit. It's a Mediterranean cruise late in the autumn and the remainder of the holiday has to be paid before August. Booked through a travel agency with flights and transfers included.

    What are my chances the cruises won't operate this year and the whole lot gets cancelled?

    I don't want to go on holidays any more and I want to stay at home. I'm following the guidelines and doing my bit not to pick up the virus so the idea of getting on a plane followed by a ship now fills be with dread and it doesn't make sense to me in case I get sick out abroad.

    I won't be cancelling, just yet. I will wait til closer to the payment date and hope the cruise gets cancelled and we get refunded the deposit. I'm really banking on the cruise company cancelling.


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    #2
    Rodin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    owlbethere wrote: »
    Booked a cruise holiday after the Christmas and paid a deposit. It's a Mediterranean cruise late in the autumn and the remainder of the holiday has to be paid before August. Booked through a travel agency with flights and transfers included.

    What are my chances the cruises won't operate this year and the whole lot gets cancelled?

    I don't want to go on holidays any more and I want to stay at home. I'm following the guidelines and doing my bit not to pick up the virus so the idea of getting on a plane followed by a ship now fills be with dread and it doesn't make sense to me in case I get sick out abroad.

    I won't be cancelling, just yet. I will wait til closer to the payment date and hope the cruise gets cancelled and we get refunded the deposit. I'm really banking on the cruise company cancelling.

    Yes.


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    #3
    johnire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭johnire


    We had a Caribbean cruise booked for 2 weeks for next April and have just cancelled it today.
    There’s no way I’d put myself in that environment until I have the vaccine. So until that happens no cruises for us.


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    #4
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    anybody who is ever considering going on a cruise again in my opinion needs their head examined

    cruise ships will be sold for scrap metal in a few years time, that industry is finished


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    #5
    NickNickleby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,817 ✭✭✭NickNickleby


    johnire wrote: »
    We had a Caribbean cruise booked for 2 weeks for next April and have just cancelled it today.
    There’s no way I’d put myself in that environment until I have the vaccine. So until that happens no cruises for us.

    Interesting. I've paid a significant deposit on a fly/cruise package for late August out of Spain. The balance is due in June. My understanding is that I cannot recover the deposit, as the cruise company have not cancelled. Did you get your deposit back?


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    #6
    whippet
    Registered Users Posts: 7,671 ✭✭✭whippet


    i'm not sure that the cruise industry will disappear but it won't be near as popular as it is now.

    I went on my first and last cruise a few years back and there was nothing redeeming about it - what is sold as luxury is far from it. Cramped accommodation with little or no facilities (unless you upgrade to mega expensive suites) ... and then everything is a race for service. Lunch and dinners are like a cattle mart etc. Shore trips are pointless as it's all rushed, over priced and you can't get a decent experience of anywhere.

    Hand sanitiser everywhere to remind you that you are at close quarters to thousands of people all day long.

    It really is the worst of all aspects of package holidays rolled in to one uncomfortable trip.

    But - as with everything there is a market for it and people who enjoy the continuous food, booze and sitting around.


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    #7
    bilbot79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,979 ✭✭✭bilbot79


    Lex Luthor wrote: »
    anybody who is ever considering going on a cruise again in my opinion needs their head examined

    cruise ships will be sold for scrap metal in a few years time, that industry is finished


    Absolute horsepoo. People love cruising and once there's no covid off they'll go. Me included


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    #8
    harr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,478 ✭✭✭harr


    Not cruise related but we had to cancel holiday today we had booked for early July . Remainder of balance was due today and travel company still saying holiday going ahead. Offered us a voucher if we paid in full or to rebook next year.
    Wasn’t really comfortable handing over nearly €2000 for a voucher. No real guarantee the company will be even trading next year . So balance of €800 gone . A lot of money for us.


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    #9
    owlbethere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭owlbethere


    harr wrote: »
    Not cruise related but we had to cancel holiday today we had booked for early July . Remainder of balance was due today and travel company still saying holiday going ahead. Offered us a voucher if we paid in full or to rebook next year.
    Wasn’t really comfortable handing over nearly €2000 for a voucher. No real guarantee the company will be even trading next year . So balance of €800 gone . A lot of money for us.

    I'm so sorry to read about this. Its so sh1te for you. Its not fair from the travel company. Its poor form. You'd be mad to continue with holiday plans. Youre only just inviting disease to come your way. There would be potential to be sick out abroad or potential to be sent home in a coffin.

    For what it's worth, I think you made the best decision to cancel. A deferral doesn't make sense. We're entering into a period of great uncertainty. If you pull through the virus, we might be in a position where we won't be able to afford to travel into town never mind about getting on a jetplane.


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    #10
    owlbethere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭owlbethere


    NickNickleby wrote: »
    Interesting. I've paid a significant deposit on a fly/cruise package for late August out of Spain. The balance is due in June. My understanding is that I cannot recover the deposit, as the cruise company have not cancelled. Did you get your deposit back?

    This is my position too. Hold off from cancelling until payment date in the hope they cancel and hopefully you will get your deposit back.

    I'm in the same position as you. I'm not going on holidays. Not now and I don't want a deferral or a voucher.


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    #11
    johnire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭johnire


    We just had a deposit paid on the cruise itself. It was 500 each and we lost just 35 each. The balance is be refunded so we’re more than happy with that. It was Royal Caribbean that we were due to go with.
    NickNickleby wrote: »
    Interesting. I've paid a significant deposit on a fly/cruise package for late August out of Spain. The balance is due in June. My understanding is that I cannot recover the deposit, as the cruise company have not cancelled. Did you get your deposit back?


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    #12
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    harr wrote: »
    Not cruise related but we had to cancel holiday today we had booked for early July . Remainder of balance was due today and travel company still saying holiday going ahead. Offered us a voucher if we paid in full or to rebook next year.
    Wasn’t really comfortable handing over nearly €2000 for a voucher. No real guarantee the company will be even trading next year . So balance of €800 gone . A lot of money for us.

    sorry to hear this, the ideal scenario is that people pay up and honour the contract and then when the company cancel you get your refund

    however I fully get why people are reluctant to pay out balances, especially when its a lot of money

    I'm down €250 for the same reason as accomodation was looking for balance of €2000 but decided to just suck it up

    have another €1300 tied up in flights that I am hoping I'll get back but flight has yet to be cancelled


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    #13
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    bilbot79 wrote: »
    Absolute horsepoo. People love cruising and once there's no covid off they'll go. Me included

    I hope you're wrong but this is one industry that is not going to recover from this

    it was bad enough getting impacted by the virus, but there were people held up on cruise ships for weeks, nobody in their right mind would take that risk again

    I was planning on going on one for a landmark bday coming up in the next couple yrs but no way would I go on one now


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    #14
    Sam Hain
    Registered Users Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭Sam Hain


    bilbot79 wrote: »
    Absolute horsepoo. People love cruising and once there's no covid off they'll go. Me included

    Cruises are for chumps.


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    #15
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,127 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Sam Hain wrote: »
    Cruises are for chumps.

    Have you been on one?

    I had lots of preconceived notions before I went on one. No problem saying I was wrong about most of them.

    I would do another one once there is a vaccine for Covid, no problem.


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    #16
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 45,073 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    I'd love to go on another cruise (did one for my honeymoon and loved it).

    This crisis has made them affordable, just utterly unappealing right now!

    Owner Suite on a 7 day Caribbean cruise with RC for 4k.... about half or a third the price i was seeing previously.


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    #17
    hots
    Registered Users Posts: 5,200 ✭✭✭hots


    We had one for the last week of July and no rescheduling for last week of Jan next year, I'd say they'll be running by then but lower numbers on them and a bit of a dodgy air about the place as it'll be in the back of peoples minds.


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    #18
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    Mitch Connor wrote: »

    Owner Suite on a 7 day Caribbean cruise with RC for 4k.... about half or a third the price i was seeing previously.

    there's a reason


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    #19
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 45,073 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    Lex Luthor wrote: »
    there's a reason

    Yes, as I said in the second line of the post you quoted, and deleted from your reply. The crisis. I got that.


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    #20
    cee_jay
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 7,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭cee_jay


    I have one booked for end November - sailing out of Hong Kong to Japan. We have the deposit paid only, with refundable accommodation in Hong Kong for a week before. No flights booked yet because just waiting for the cruise to be cancelled - Hong Kong have their cruise terminal shut since February, and the ship we were to sail on was moved to Australia temporarily until all cruising stopped. The flights to Hong Kong have actually increased in price since this started.


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    #21
    skooterblue2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,816 ✭✭✭skooterblue2


    johnire wrote: »
    There’s no way I’d put myself in that environment until I have the vaccine. So until that happens no cruises for us.

    There will be no vaccine within 4 years. The virus changes so rapidly. Also all the cruise lines are going to need refinancing from banks and investors. There is also going to be a depression afterwards.

    I wouldnt start booking for anything within 18 months.


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    #22
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    skooterblue2 wrote: »
    There will be no vaccine within 4 years. The virus changes so rapidly. Also all the cruise lines are going to need refinancing from banks and investors. There is also going to be a depression afterwards.

    I wouldnt start booking for anything within 18 months.

    its for this reason why I think the cruise line industry is doomed
    No company can afford to be without revenue for 18 months and survive


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    #23
    skooterblue2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,816 ✭✭✭skooterblue2


    Mitch Connor wrote: »
    I'd love to go on another cruise (did one for my honeymoon and loved it).

    This crisis has made them affordable, just utterly unappealing right now!

    Owner Suite on a 7 day Caribbean cruise with RC for 4k.... about half or a third the price i was seeing previously.

    Same here. Food served from 7am to 11pm in the buffet, out of this world restaurants, pools side drinks, great people, great staff, new port every morning, great shopping, great destinations.

    This crap is all over, I will be back and "loyal to Royal" and booking for 2022.


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    #24
    nailer54321
    Closed Accounts Posts: 391 ✭✭nailer54321


    Anyone who considers booking a holiday now should get there heads examined. Wait until there is a vaccine then you can go on your holidays. Are people living in there own little worlds, just look at how the airlines are treating there customers, they are only interested in getting you to accept a voucher and make it extreamly hard for you to get a full refund even though you are entitled to one. in my opion, wait until a vaccine then watch how hard the airlines and travel industry will look to get you business back. Safe Travel everyone.


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    #25
    skooterblue2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,816 ✭✭✭skooterblue2


    nailer54321 wrote: »
    Anyone who considers booking a holiday now should get there heads examined. Wait until there is a vaccine then you can go on your holidays. Are people living in there own little worlds, just look at how the airlines are treating there customers, they are only interested in getting you to accept a voucher and make it extreamly hard for you to get a full refund even though you are entitled to one. in my opion, wait until a vaccine then watch how hard the airlines and travel industry will look to get you business back. Safe Travel everyone.

    Not strictly true. booking two years in advance is common in the cruising world. Cruises are refunding within 90 days. They are giving up to 200% cruise credit to rebook, they are playing the long game for customer loyalty.


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    #26
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,778 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    I'd like to the think the floating-city, "today it's Venice" mega-cruise industry is finished, it's a massively polluting and decadent model that represents the absolute worst of mass tourism. The big cruise companies are in financial trouble and there may not be much appetite to bail them out given their shady business practises. Smaller cruises may have a future.


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    #27
    ELM327
    Registered Users Posts: 21,458 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    skooterblue2 wrote: »
    Same here. Food served from 7am to 11pm in the buffet, out of this world restaurants, pools side drinks, great people, great staff, new port every morning, great shopping, great destinations.

    This crap is all over, I will be back and "loyal to Royal" and booking for 2022.
    +1 on everything except I'm a NCL exclusive!


    Will never take a non cruise foreign holdicay again!


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    #28
    skooterblue2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,816 ✭✭✭skooterblue2


    loyatemu wrote: »
    I'd like to the think the floating-city, "today it's Venice" mega-cruise industry is finished, it's a massively polluting and decadent model that represents the absolute worst of mass tourism. The big cruise companies are in financial trouble and there may not be much appetite to bail them out given their shady business practises. Smaller cruises may have a future.

    The industry is already changing to more medium sized cruises which will make it more expensive to cruises. It is no more polluting than a ski holiday or beach resort. Yes many companies are not going to make it through this depression but if you strangle any companies cashflow and ships need Massive maintenance just to stay afloat, a boat is living thing, stop maintaining it and falls apart very quickly.

    What corporation do you know that does everything squeaky clean without a bit bit of blood, child labour, pollution or tax evasion? That is business you may not like it but that is how business is done.


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    #29
    curly from cork
    Registered Users Posts: 1,550 ✭✭✭curly from cork


    Honeymoon booked with Trailfinders last December. Due to go to USA and Mexico the end of July. We have paid a deposit of €1800. The balance is due mid May. I spoke to Trailfinders yesterday and our options are far from what we had hoped for.
    Option 1. Pay the remaining amount ( €5000) on the due date. If close the time the company cancel the holidays we will get a full refund, if the holiday is not cancelled we will have to travel. For obvious reasons apart from an underlying health condition we do not want to travel this year.
    Option 2. Amend the booking and move to a date next year, if we do this there is a penalty of €1000. The €800 left after this amendment will go towards the new booking, prices are not guaranteed at the 2020 price
    TBH we thought that a big company like Trailfinders would be offering to move our honeymoon to next year with no penalty. We were very shocked at the €1000 charge. Can anyone offer any advice or had anyone dealt with an issue similar to this. Thank you


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    #30
    hots
    Registered Users Posts: 5,200 ✭✭✭hots


    curly from cork wrote: »
    Honeymoon booked with Trailfinders last December. Due to go to USA and Mexico the end of July. We have paid a deposit of €1800. The balance is due mid May. I spoke to Trailfinders yesterday and our options are far from what we had hoped for.
    Option 1. Pay the remaining amount ( €5000) on the due date. If close the time the company cancel the holidays we will get a full refund, if the holiday is not cancelled we will have to travel. For obvious reasons apart from an underlying health condition we do not want to travel this year.
    Option 2. Amend the booking and move to a date next year, if we do this there is a penalty of €1000. The €800 left after this amendment will go towards the new booking, prices are not guaranteed at the 2020 price
    TBH we thought that a big company like Trailfinders would be offering to move our honeymoon to next year with no penalty. We were very shocked at the €1000 charge. Can anyone offer any advice or had anyone dealt with an issue similar to this. Thank you

    That's ****ty enough but doesn't surprise me. For us (July too), our cruise is cancelled and fully refunded, flights will all be cancelled and airline credit given and then all but one hotel (5 booked) and refundable or rebookable. I'll be down 200 quid or so, plus the cost of potentially not being able to use some of the flight credit, plus any price increases.


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    #31
    Kerry25x
    Registered Users Posts: 554 ✭✭✭Kerry25x


    Lex Luthor wrote: »
    anybody who is ever considering going on a cruise again in my opinion needs their head examined

    cruise ships will be sold for scrap metal in a few years time, that industry is finished

    Bookings are on the rise for 2021 apparently.

    Its not my preferred holiday but I wouldn't be deterred from cruising again in the future.


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