So, we are booked for a cruise late 2021 with business air fare included (Regent 7 Seas). Must pay by June 2020. Must sign up for (outside cruise line) insurance before June 2020.

Okay...I get insurance and pay for the cruise on time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CRUISE IS CANCELLED? Do I get stuck with credit from the cruise line or do I get my money back, or do I file a claim with the insurance? Will insurance pay all, including the air, as the coverage will be for an amount that includes it? Guess I lose my insurance costs (a few thousand dollars) either way.

IF I CANCEL FOR AN INSURED REASON? Will I get the cruise and air costs back from the insurance co? I know I am still out my insurance cost, and fairly so.

I am good until I pull the trigger on the full payment and insurance.

I get vague answers from my TA, and no answers from the cruise line.

If you cancel for a covered reason, your insurance should pay any amount you don't get reimbursed for. For example, Regent cancels cruise and reimburses you full amount--then no insurance claim (minus insurance cost, as you note).

Here's Regent's current policy:
https://www.rssc.com/coronavirus-statement

Most cruise lines, when they cancel, have provided full refund, but--to entice you not to take the refund, have offered a 125% future credit option. It's usually the passenger's choice.

June 2020? You mean June 2021 right?

RandyK47

Thank you yes, 2021. Sorry been locked up so long that I'm losing it!

It's good to ask the questions you have and clarify the fine print. The rules on future cruise credit and cancellation have changed since cruise stoppage. Cash refund turnaround on a cruise line initiated cancellation can take over 2 months, so it is worth checking into. It's often quick to pay but slow to refund.

Depends on the cruise line as well.

Some behave in a more adult fashion than others. (Viking refunded our cancelled cruise within 30 days after the official announcement).

A relative reported that a cruise line provided an inflated credit (125% or 150%, I'm not sure) that needed to be booked (but not sailed) by the end of 2022. The enticement that I had not heard before was that the voucher would be redeemable in cash (presumably for 100%) if not used by the end of 2022. Has anyone here had this offer?

There is absolutely no way that I would book a cruise or any other travel-related service until the pandemic and economic situation is much clearer. Way too many variables, including getting stuck with a credit for future travel which cannot later be cashed out because the cruise line is bankrupt and you are, by then, way beyond credit card bankruptcy chargeback protection deadlines.

We also have no idea what cruising will look like that far out and what J air travel will mean. Is this still something you will want?

Finally, don't be enticed by premium credits. If you are offered a credit at 125% of cash paid, who is to say what the cruise will cost a year later? If the cruise price increases by 25%, you have lost the additional value.

The way I have seen future credit options described is that you can book a future cruise and get 125% of the current voucher credited to the new cruise cost.

If you did not use the voucher by a certain date in the future (usually 1-2 years), then the cruise company would refund the original amount of the voucher.

So it is like you were giving the company a interest free loan for a specific time, with the enticement of being able to increase the amount lent by 25% if you purchased a new cruise. The hook in this offer was that there was no guarantee that the cost of the new replacement cruise was going to be the same as the cost of the original cruise The company could increase that cost by whatever they wished.

So the opinion of many (myself included) was that I would take the money now and consider my options going forward without being beholden to any specific cruise line.

I have booked two--one for 2021 and one for 2022. However, both are with no money down, and tons of time to decide to cancel

If I do decide to pay a deposit, I will be sure to get third party travel insurance that covers financial distress or bankruptcy of the cruise line, for exactly this reason,

Why not wait? What insurance covers your deposit for when cruising just isn't any fun because the onboard restrictions are too great?

True, but if one is going to go on a cruise, one needs to pay for it, whether the price goes up or not. To me, the big risk is if the cruise line reorganizes or otherwise finds a way to void the credit. Anyway, I was just asking because I had not heard of the cash refund aspect if the credit is not used. I had thought the credit would expire, and (to me) that would be a huge risk, since there is no telling when it will be safe to cruise again.

[MENTION=790755]serpens[/MENTION] - I suspect that depends on the exact cruise line. I checked the big 3 mass market and FCC language states they expire within the next two years or so. I don't see any which allow it to be transferred to a third party, either (selling it) but haven't looked too closely.

Carnival: https://unitedcruises.cruisehelp.com...3-July-31-2020
RCL: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/q...20is%20further).
NCL: https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwe...usiness%20days.

In pre-COVID times, many of the mass market Caribbean sailings were kind of "close enough" to pick one with the best deal, especially if booking after final payment for non-peak sailing, departing within a few weeks of each other. They just about all left Friday-Sunday anyhow. Cash allows that possibility and can re-cancel without losing credit validity, plus gain any perks for new booking. I've cruised both ways - booking years in advance for rare routes and that same month for more common routes.

It depends if you paid a refundable or nonrefundable deposit. With refundable deposits, you get it back from the cruise line as long as you cancel before their fist cancellation date. (the date when full payment is required). This is typically about three months out from the cruise date, but there are all sorts of variations out there now. No insurance involved.

My main point is that one should be very aware, if they are booking, what they are signing up for. Because of the pandemic, many cruise lines have relaxed or changed their practices and policies.

My NCL cruise next $250 credit expires tomorrow that I bought in 2016 in the Haven. Haven't sailed them since, not a fan not paying the huge price increase for the heaven, was a lot different in 2016.
I decided to make a deposit on a 9/2022 cruise where the deposit was the $250 credit nothing else needed with final payment 5/2022.
I can move the cruise earlier to any itinerary pay price difference etc but have to do it thru the cruise line. If I cancel then the $250 goes away.
Will I go? Ask me now and it is a no. I'm not out the $250 since you paid that but got some OBC which I used toward the $250 anyway.

Who knows what 2022 will bring to cruising, I do miss it. Thank goodness we did three cruises in 2019 but it is causing a heck of a withdrawal.