As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise line operations ceased worldwide back in March. Many cruise lines have suspended sailings through July of this year, and sailings on some ships have been suspended into the fall. More suspensions are likely.
For those whose sailings were cancelled, most cruise companies have offered a choice between a refund and a future cruise credit (FCC). Never in history have there been so many FCCs floating around so I thought I would use today's newsletter to explain them. Unfortunately, rules differ from one cruise line to the next.
I'll summarize the main components and options for FCCs here and you can read line-by-line specifics by clicking the link below.
Most FCCs range in value from 100% to 150% of the amount the guest originally paid for the cancelled cruise.
With some cruise lines, FCCs may be applied to the entire cost of a new cruise but with others, FCCs cannot be applied to the initial deposit, taxes or fees.
With most cruise lines, FCCs may only be applied to a new booking and may not be applied to a booking that existed at the time the customer chose the FCC option for a cancelled cruise.
You can only use your FCC on the same cruise line that issued the credit, with one exception: FCCs issued by Ponant or Paul Gauguin can be used on either line.
It's possible that a customer could receive an FCC that is bigger than the cost of the next cruise the customer wishes to take. Cruise line policies for the treatment of any "excess" FCC balances vary.
Depending on the cruise line, if the value of a customer's FCC exceeds the price of a new cruise, the remaining credit might be refunded, forfeited, applied to taxes & fees, used for an upgrade, redeemed as part of a second cruise purchase or used to put an onboard credit on the booking.
FCCs are either "attached" to a customer's past guest number, cancelled booking/reservation number or a virtual voucher number and may be applied to the purchase of a new cruise offered by the issuing cruise line anytime up until the expiration date. Many have asked if there is a way to view an FCC on a web page and unfortunately there is not.
Due to the large number of cruises suspended by cruise lines over the past few months, some cruise lines have advised that customers may have to wait up to 60 days from the cancellation date for their FCC to be issued.
However, you do not need to wait for your FCC to be issued in order to reserve your next cruise. You can pay your deposit with a credit card to reserve a future cruise and apply your FCC to the balance due at a later date.
FCC redemption rules vary by cruise line, but typically the credit must be redeemed by the end of 2021 or within twelve months of issue.
In most cases, but not all, FCCs are issued to each guest, have no cash value and are non-transferrable.
Whether you decide to apply your credit now or prefer to wait until a later date to book, a Vacations To Go cruise counselor will be ready to help you navigate the applicable FCC rules, redeem your credit, and take advantage of our deeply discounted cruise pricing.
If you are holding an FCC for a booking that was not originally handled by Vacations To Go, we can still help you use it on a new booking.
To assist you with the FCC redemption process, we have put together a list of each cruise line's cancellation dates, FCC values, booking deadlines and other rules, as well as a link to cruises to which you may apply your credit. To view our comprehensive summary of FCC rules, click here.
