Norwegian Cruise Line Refund Policies, Explained
(1:42 p.m. EDT) -- Navigating the various refund policies cruise lines have in place can be a challenging obstacle, particularly as the global coronavirus pandemic wears on.
No two cruise lines offer the same refund and cancellation policies, and even within a single line, different policies may be in place depending on when your cruise was booked or when it is expected to set sail.
Cruise Critic took a look at refund policies for Norwegian Cruise Line to break down everything cruisers need to know about their upcoming voyage.
Cruises Already Suspended by Norwegian
In its last operational update on July 29, 2020, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the cancellation of all sailings up to and including October 31, 2020.
For cruisers who have had their active reservation cancelled by Norwegian, the company will automatically provide a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) equivalent to 125 percent of the total fare paid.
Passengers wanting a full monetary refund of 100 percent of all fares paid had to request this directly from Norwegian. Otherwise, the default refund amount is 125 percent as an FCC.
The FCC given by Norwegian must be used one year from the date of issue and can be applied to any Norwegian Cruise Line voyage embarking through 2022. It cannot, however, be transferred to any other Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brand, like Oceania or Regent Seven Seas.
Sailings Not Yet Suspended
For those passengers with active bookings that have not yet been cancelled by Norwegian Cruise Line, the company's new "Peace of Mind" program provides a number of options for cancelling or postponing your voyage, though these depend largely on your sail date.
Cruises Departing in the Remainder of 2020. Passengers with voyages scheduled to depart in November or December of 2020 are able to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to scheduled departure. Cancelled voyages will receive a 100 percent Future Cruise Credit valid for any other Norwegian sailing through 2022.
Cruises Departing Between January and October 2021. Passengers with sailings booked on Norwegian Cruise Line between January 1 and October 31, 2021 are able to voluntarily cancel their cruise vacation with no penalty up to 15 days prior to the start of the cruise.
Voluntarily cancelled cruises will receive a 100 percent Future Cruise Credit valid for any departure through 2022.
All Cruises Departing Through March 31, 2021. In addition to the above policies, all Norwegian Cruise Line voyages departing through March 31, 2021 can be cancelled up to two months in advance in order to receive a full refund under Norwegian Cruise Line's amended cancellation policy.
This temporary policy returns to "normal" for voyages departing from April 1, 2021 and beyond. At that point, no penalty is assessed for voyages cancelled at least 120 days prior to sailing. Penalties will then apply, in varying amounts and depending on sailing length, for voyages cancelled after that time.
Could These Policies Still Change?
Absolutely. There is the potential for voyages departing beyond November 1, 2020 to be suspended by Norwegian as a result of the ongoing global health crisis, and for booking and cancellation policies and incentives to be updated or revised as the situation unfolds.
For the most up-to-date information, it is always a good idea to contact your travel agent about your booking, or to keep an eye on Norwegian Cruise Line's own website, which lists cancellation fee schedules and penalties, along with sailing and operational updates, on its homepage.
Cruise Critic will also update this page as new information becomes available.