Royal Caribbean Extends Temporary Suspension of Operations

From Royal Caribbean International

Given global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has decided to extend the suspension of sailings of their global fleet.

Royal Caribbean is working with guests to address the disruption to their vacations and expects to return to service on May 12, 2020. Due to announced port closures in Canada, Royal Caribbean expects to return service for Alaska, New England and Canada sailings on July 1, 2020.

Royal Caribbean implemented a Cruise With Confidence amended cancellation policy when the first suspension was announced earlier in the month. Today the company updated this policy to reflect a few changes offering even greater flexibility to guests.

Cruise With Confidence. Here are your options:

Royal Caribbean's Cruise With Confidence policy allows guests to cancel their bookings departing through July 31, 2020 up to 48 hours prior to their vacation start date and receive a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) worth 125% valid on sailings through December 31, 2021. Guests who don't wish to have a future cruise credit can opt for a 100% reimbursement instead. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment. No matter what option the guest chooses, the same type of refund will apply to each guest sharing the same stateroom.

What happens next?

We understand the uncertainty of travel right now, and the financial burden this time of crisis may have weighed on you, but we are here to help. We hope you sail again. Royal Caribbean is on your side and so are we. Take some time to decide when it would be best for you to sail. Then, reach out to one of our cruise specialists for advice in selecting another cruise. In some cases, we receive additional discounts and amenities like onboard credits that we can pass on to you. Simply CLICK HERE to be connected to a Magic Family Travel cruise specialist.

Canceled Sailings FAQs
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1. Originally, Royal Caribbean made the decision to suspend sailings through April 10th, 2020. Why are sailings now suspended through May 11th, 2020?  The health and safety of our guests and crew remain our utmost priority. As the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to pose growing concerns and travel restrictions persist, Royal Caribbean has now decided to voluntarily suspend ship operations through May 11th, 2020, in an abundance of caution.
2. While the ships pause from normal cruise operations, where will they be located? Each ship has activated their own, unique plan to withstand the time out-of service. We remain hopeful that all ships will return to cruising as of May 12th, 2020. The only known exceptions to this are the return date of July 2nd, 2020 for the kick-off of the Alaska season, as well as all sailings originating or ending in Canada. Likewise, Singapore departures resume operation beginning June 1 st, 2020.
3. I recently cancelled my cruise due to concerns around COVID-19 and received 100% Future Cruise Credit. Can I switch to the higher value Future Cruise Credit? Royal Caribbean’s Cruise with Confidence policy launched on March 6th, 2020 and granted guests the flexibility to wait until 48-hours prior to sailing to cancel. With this policy, the option to sail was still available, which is why a 100% Future Cruise Credit value was offered to those guests who preferred to cancel. With the prior news shared on March 14th, 2020 and now the most recent announcement suspending all sailings through April 10th, guests that decided to wait-it-out now have no option to sail which is why a higher FCC value of 125% was provided. As a result, we will be upholding the FCC offer that was available at the time of the cancellation.
4. If guests prefer a refund over a Future Cruise Credit, is this an option? If a full refund is preferred, we’re happy to process this for you. The selection of a Future Cruise Credit provides a higher value and also allows you plenty of time to make the best decision. FCC redemption is valid on sailings departing on-or-before December 31st, 2021. Upon processing the refund and reimbursing the original form of payment, the Future Cruise Credit will be deactivated. No need to decide now – refund requests are available through December 31st, 2021, giving you ample time to consider your options. Refunds can be expected approximately 30 business days after the request was submitted.
5. What if I have incurred extra expenses such as air change fees or hotel fees as a result of these cancellations? If you booked refundable air or hotel accommodations through Royal Caribbean, we have it covered. If you booked non-refundable air through Royal Caribbean or reserved hotel or air accommodations on their own, please reach out to the airline carrier, tour operator, or hotel supplier/chain directly to discuss options.
6. If I wish to cancel, are all guests booked in my stateroom required to select the same form of compensation? Yes, all guests sharing a stateroom must agree to the same compensation offer.
7. How quickly will I receive the Future Cruise Credit in order to secure their next cruise vacation? For sailings through April 10th, 2020, you will receive your Future Cruise Credit via email no later than Monday, April 13th, 2020. Future Cruise Credits for recently suspended sailings departing between April 11th – May 11th, 2020 can be expected on-or-before Monday, April 30th, 2020.
8. Will my Future Cruise Credit be sent directly to me?  All Future Cruise Credits will be sent directly to the impacted guest, with the associated travel partner in copy.
9. How is my Future Cruise Credit calculated? The FCC compensation amount for impacted sailings is based on the total cruise fare paid at the guest-level and is exclusive of taxes, fees, and prepaid gratuities which are being refunded to the original form of payment.
10. I'm not interested in cancelling and simply wishes to change the ship and sail date. Is this an option? We are excited that you are ready to secure a new ship and sailing date and take advantage of the 125% Future Cruise Certificate. In order to do this, it’s required that we cancel the reservation and issue an FCC. Thereafter, simply rebook your cruise on the desired future ship and sail date, deposit the booking to hold the reservation, and apply the FCC once received. If the issued FCC covers the full amount of the cruise, request a refund for the original deposit amount at that time.
11. When can my client expect to be refunded for all pre-cruise purchases such as shore excursions, specialty dining, beverage package, and other add-ons? You can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation. You can only take advantage of this offer through April 8th, 2020. If we don't hear from you on or before April 8th, 2020, your Cruise Planner purchases will be automatically refunded. You'll receive the refunds 30 days after we process your cancellation request.
12. The final payment date for my cruise is during the period when Royal Caribbean has suspended operations. Will the final payment date be adjusted? Shoreside operations will continue and, therefore, payment deadlines will not change.
13. I purchased Royal Caribbean Travel Protection. Will the cost of it be refunded? Yes, the full cost of the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection will be refunded back to the original form of payment.
14. Are group bookings, including incentive and contracted business, eligible for this compensation offer? Yes, group bookings are eligible and follow the same guidance.
15. What if I used a Future Cruise Credit to pay for my cancelled cruise? The original Future Cruise Credit will be reinstated with the prior FCC amount and expiration date. If expired or due to-expire before October 31st, 2020, you will be granted an extension to redeem on a sailing departing on or-before October 31st, 2020. You will also receive a new Future Cruise Credit based on the remaining amount paid and can be redeemed on any sailing departing on-or-before December 31st, 2021. If you were impacted by the first global suspension (sailings through April 10th, 2020) and paid additional monetary funds on a new booking within this extended suspension period, you are eligible for two 125% FCCs: one for the original booking and another equal to 125% of any monies paid towards the cruise fare on the new booking. 
16. Are Future Cruise Credits, specifically those associated with Cruise with Confidence and our global sailing suspension, applicable to existing bookings? We do understand that you may have an existing booking with a balance where you wish to use your Future Cruise Credit and, in such instances, the FCC can be applied to cover the amount due for the cruise fare portion only. Please note that FCCs do not cover taxes & fees or other booking components - such as prepaid gratuities or transfers. Should the value of the FCC be greater than the balance owed, the variance will be reissued in the form of a Future Cruise Credit.
17. As I await the delivery of their Future Cruise Credit, how do I know my new reservation is secure and won’t cancel? Option dates will automatically be extended to May 31st, 2020, for bookings made on-or-after March 18th, 2020, specifically for guests awaiting the issuance of a Cruise with Confidence or Global Sailing Suspension FCC. Final payments remain unchanged and are not included as part of this option extension. As a reminder, applicable FCCs must be redeemed on sailing departing on-or-before December 31st, 2021 – at which time the FCC expires.
18. Can Future Cruise Credits be used to pay for the deposit due on my reservation? Future Cruise Credits cannot be leveraged to pay the deposit to hold a booking; however, guests opting for Cruise with Confidence or impacted by the Global Sailing Suspension can take advantage of the automatic option extension to May 31st, 2020, to await the delivery of their FCC, apply the respective amount, and then pay any remaining balance of the cruise fare at that time.
19. If I have a unique scenario, specifically related to the redemption of my Future Cruise Credit, is there a process that I should follow to assist in servicing such requests? We understand that there may be one-off scenarios that need special attention or unique consideration. For such situations, please contact our support team at 1-954-628-9560.