How to Cancel Your Princess Cruise Booking & Get a Refund?
Have you reluctantly come to the difficult decision that you need to cancel your upcoming Princess cruise? Whether due to unexpected life events, financial changes, or simply a shift in plans, canceling a cruise can be an intimidating and confusing process.
You likely have concerns around Princess Cruises’ cancellation policies, navigating the cancellation process, figuring out what refund you may be eligible for, and more.
The good news is with the right information and preparation, canceling your Princess cruise booking does not have to be painful. By understanding Princess’ cancellation fee rules, gathering the right details, and carefully following the proper steps to cancel, you can make the process much smoother.
In this complete guide, we will explore everything you need to know about:
- Princess Cruises’ standard cancellation policy and associated refund terms
- Step-by-step guidance on how to officially cancel your Princess cruise reservation
- What to expect in terms of refund eligibility, amounts and timeframes
- Special case exceptions or rebooking options that may apply
- Tips for stress-free Princess cruise cancellations
After reading this guide, you will feel empowered to handle your Princess cruise cancellation properly for the best possible outcome.
So let’s start by getting clear on Princess’ cancellation and refund policies based on cruise length and timing.
Reviewing Princess Cruise Cancellation Policies and Refund Terms
As with most cruise lines, Princess Cruises has formal cancellation policies and associated refund terms that come into play should you need to cancel your cruise. It’s crucial to understand these rules before initiating any cancellation with Princess.
Key factors that impact Princess Cruises’ cancellation penalties and refund eligibility include:
- Length of cruise itinerary – rules differ for short, medium and long sailings
- Timing of cancellation – the closer to departure date, the stricter policies become
- Type of fare purchased – restrictive promotional fares have exceptions
Reviewing the standard Princess cruise cancellation policies based on these factors will provide needed context before you cancel so you know exactly what to expect.
When is the Final Payment Due for My Princess Cruise?
Before getting into cancellation fee specifics, it’s helpful to understand when your cruise fare transitions from refundable deposit to non-refundable payment.
The final payment due date varies based on length of sailing:
- Cruises 1-5 nights or less: Full payment due 75 days before departure
- Cruises 6-9 nights: Full payment due 90 days before departure
- Cruises 10 nights or more: Full payment due 120 days before departure
On the final payment date, any deposits paid become non-refundable and fall under the standard cancellation fee structure outlined in the next section.
What Are the Standard Princess Cruise Cancellation Policies?
Princess Cruises outlines standard cancellation penalties and refund eligibility windows based on three cruise length categories:
Short Sailings (5 Nights or Less)
- Cancel 75 days before departure – Full refund
- 74-45 days before departure – Loss of deposit amount
- 44-29 days before departure – 50% cancellation fee
- 28-15 days before departure – 75% cancellation fee
- 14 days or less before departure – 100% cancellation fee (no refund)
Medium Sailings (6-24 Nights)
- Cancel 90 days before departure – Full refund
- 89-57 days before departure – Loss of deposit amount
- 56-29 days before departure – 50% cancellation fee
- 28-15 days before departure – 75% cancellation fee
- 14 days or less before departure – 100% cancellation fee (no refund)
Long Sailings (25+ Nights)
- Cancel 120 days before departure – Full refund
- 119-90 days before departure – Loss of deposit amount
- 89-64 days before departure – 50% cancellation fee
- 63-43 days before departure – 75% cancellation fee
- 42 days or less before departure – 100% cancellation fee (no refund)
Are There Exceptions to the Princess Cruise Cancellation Policy?
While Princess’ standard cancellation terms apply for most cruise bookings, there are exceptions when it comes to certain restricted promotional fares.
Some Princess Cruises sailings are offered at a reduced cost with the deposit and cruise fare being 100% non-refundable from the time of booking.
There also may be other special cancellation policy exceptions based on the exact terms of the fare promotion.
Key takeaway: always verify the specific cancellation terms for your exact fare before canceling. Understanding any applicable exceptions is crucial.
Now that you’re well-versed in Princess Cruises’ standard cancellation policy and associated refund rules, let’s walk through the step-by-step process to officially cancel your booking.
Step-by-Step Process for Canceling a Princess Cruise Reservation
Once you’ve confirmed the cancellation timing aligns properly with Princess’ policy for your cruise length and fare type, it’s go time!
Follow these clear steps for smooth sailing as you navigate the Princess cruise cancellation process:
Step 1: Determine Who Will Handle the Cancellation Request
- If you booked your Princess cruise through a travel agent or advisor, you must initiate cancellation through them rather than directly with Princess. They will take care of everything on your behalf.
- For Princess cruise reservations booked directly online via the Princess website, you will need to handle cancelling directly with Princess Cruises’ customer service team.
Step 2: Gather Relevant Princess Cruise Booking Details
Before reaching out to cancel your booking, take a few minutes to gather some key details. Having these handy will allow Princess staff to quickly pull up your reservation and get your cancellation moving smoothly:
- Your official Princess booking reference number
- Full passenger names of all guests linked to the reservation
- Name of the cruise ship
- Specific sailing date for your voyage
- Your current contact information including phone number and email address
Step 3: Contact Princess Cruise Customer Service
Once you’ve prepped your key reservation specifics, it’s time to directly contact Princess Cruises via one of the below channels to inform them you need to cancel your booking:
- By phone – call the Princess Cruises customer service # listed on their website
- Email – send a cancellation request to the provided customer service email address
- Online chat – initiate a live chat session on their website
When you connect with a Princess Cruises representative, provide them the booking details you gathered in Step 2. They will then access your reservation and guide you through the following…
Step 4: Follow Representative’s Guidance to Complete Cancellation
With access to your specific reservation, the knowledgeable Princess Cruises customer service representative will now lead you through completing the formal cancellation process.
Required steps may include:
- Settling any cancellation fees or penalties that apply based on sailing length, timing, and fare type
- Canceling any additional pre-paid services linked to your reservation like shore excursions
- Processing any eligible refunds back to your original form of cruise payment
- Providing confirmation once Princess officially shows your booking as canceled
It is extremely important you carefully follow all guidance from the representative here in order to fully complete your Princess cruise cancellation. Ask clarifying questions if anything is unclear before ending the call.
Now you can breathe a sigh of relief having officially initiated cancellation of your Princess cruise. But what happens next when it comes to refunds?
Understanding Refunds After Canceling a Princess Cruise
Receiving an appropriate refund is often top of mind when needing to cancel a cruise. Here are some key considerations around potential Princess cruise refunds after you cancel:
Refund Eligibility Factors
First, keep factors impacting eligibility to receive refunds in mind:
- If you cancel your Princess cruise within the full refund timeframe based on length of sailing, you are due back 100% of amounts paid minus taxes and fees
- If you cancel closer to departure, applicable cancellation fees will be deducted from any potential refund
- If you booked a special restricted non-refundable promotional fare, no refund is due regardless of when you cancel
Understanding exactly where you stand based on these key factors brings clarity around realistic refund expectations.
Critical Impacts to Final Princess Cruise Refund Amount
Assuming you are eligible for at least a partial Princess Cruise refund, there are a few key factors that influence the ultimate refund amount you’ll receive:
- Any non-refundable deposits or cancellation fees are deducted
- You receive 100% refunds for any prepaid shore excursions, gifts, or special services
- Applicable taxes, fees, and port expenses are refunded
- Potential partial cruise fare refund depends on timing of cancellation
Doing the math on deductions plus any eligible fare refund provides your final Princess Cruise refund amount.
Timeframe for Receiving Princess Cruise Refunds
Knowing when to expect refunds provides peace around the process. In general, once any eligible refunds are processed by Princess Cruises, you can expect funds back:
- Within 4-6 weeks for refunds to original credit card payment method
- Within 2-3 weeks for refund check sent to original travel agent
Do note large cruise cancellation volumes can understandably cause delays. Patience is appreciated if refund timeframe extends a bit longer.
Rebooking a Princess Cruise Under Special Fare Policies
In some cases rather than outright canceling with no option to recover funds, Princess offers a special Book with Confidence flexible policy on certain fares.
This policy allows cancelling before 45 days pre-departure to receive cancellation fee value as a Future Cruise Credit (FCC). This FCC can then be applied toward booking a new Princess Cruise within the designated parameters.
Check with your travel agent or Princess representative on qualification terms for this convenient rebooking option as an alternative to outright cancellation.
Tips for Stress-Free Princess Cruise Cancellations
Following these handy tips will help ensure smooth sailing through your Princess cruise cancellation process:
- Carefully review all cancellation policies, fine print details, deadlines before initiating cancellation request
- If needing to cancel, start the process right away rather than waiting until the last minute
- Consider purchasing travel insurance to allow more flexibility around cancellation terms without financial penalty
- Keep detailed written records of all cancellation confirmations, reference numbers, representative names, etc.
- Follow up in a timely manner if waiting longer than published timeframes to receive due refund
- Ask clarifying questions and lean on customer service – they are there to explain policies and help!
Canceling a Princess Cruise – In Closing
Having to cancel a long-awaited Princess Cruise vacation can certainly be disheartening. However, arming yourself with a complete understanding of applicable cancellation rules, refund policies, rebooking options and the proper cancellation process takes some sting out of the situation.
You now have all the tools you need to handle canceling your Princess Cruise booking smoothly and efficiently. Here’s to sunny skies ahead for booking your next fabulous Princess Cruise!
