This article was last updated on February 28, 2021.
There are two types of canceled cruises: those canceled by your cruise line and those you cancel yourself, either of which might happen for a number of reasons.
If you're wondering about your refund in either circumstance -- what your options are and how much you can expect to get back and when -- we've done the research for you for the eight largest oceangoing cruise lines.
If Your Cruise Line Cancels
Cruise lines cancel sailings for a number of reasons: maintenance issues, unexpected weather, unrest in areas vessels are scheduled to visit, the repositioning of ships or major global events.
As lines prepare to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's conditional sail framework to the letter, many have pushed back their sailing resumption dates to at least the end of February 2021 in order to allow for more time to prepare.
These additional delays have resulted in more canceled sailings, leaving passengers wondering what to expect.
Carnival
Carnival Cruise Line has suspended all departures through May 31, 2021.
The line will be issuing passengers booked on affected sailings a future cruise credit equal to the fares they paid, plus $300 onboard credit per stateroom for sailings of five days or fewer and $600 per stateroom for sailings of six nights or longer. Onboard credit can be applied to new bookings made by May 31, 2021, for sailings departing on or before April 30, 2023.
Passengers can also fill out an online form to request a refund to the original form of payment instead of a future cruise credit. This request must be made before May 31, 2021.
Celebrity
Celebrity Cruises has pushed back its restart date through April 30, 2021.
Passengers on canceled sailings will automatically receive a future cruise credit equal to 125 percent of the cruise fare paid, to be used by December 31, 2021, for the booking of another cruise. Passengers wishing to request a refund instead of a FCC can do so on Celebrity's website through December 31, 2021.
Passengers on those canceled voyages are also able to receive a 100 percent refund or 125 percent FCC for any shore excursions or drink, dining or internet packages purchased through the cruise line. Cruisers should indicate their preference by filling out the appropriate form on the Celebrity website.
Disney
Disney Cruise Line has pushed back its restart date through May 31, 2021, with Disney Magic voyages canceled into August.
Passengers booked on sailings canceled by the line will have the choice of a full refund or a future cruise credit if they're paid in full. Anyone with a booking that hasn't yet reached final payment will see any money paid automatically refunded to the original form of payment.
Holland America
Holland America Line has pushed back its restart date for all ships through April 30, 2021, with sailings to select regions on select ships canceled into August. All sailings that depart from or return to Canadian ports have also been canceled.
Passengers booked on canceled sailings who have paid in full will receive a future cruise credit equal to 125 percent of the cruise fare paid. Those who have only made partial payments will receive a future cruise credit worth double the amount of their deposit. Passengers can also request full refunds by filling out a form on the Holland America website.
MSC
MSC Cruises has suspended its North America sailings through April 30, 2021.
Travelers booked on affected sailings have the choice of a future cruise credit worth 125 percent of the fare paid or a full refund. Cruisers choosing the FCC must claim it on the cruise line's website; those opting for the refund must contact MSC by phone.
Norwegian
Norwegian Cruise Line has pushed back its restart date through May 31, 2021.
Passengers booked on sailings slated to depart through May each will receive a full refund, plus a coupon good for 10 percent off a future sailing departing through 2022. Refunds will be issued by March 23, 2021.
Passengers on canceled April sailings were scheduled to receive full refunds to their original forms of payment by February 22, 2021, along with a coupon for 10 percent off a future sailing departing through 2022.
Princess
Princess Cruises has pushed back its restart date through May 14, 2021. All voyages departing from or returning to Canadian ports have also been canceled.
Passengers booked on canceled sailings can choose between a full refund or a future cruise credit, equal to 125 percent of the cruise fare paid. The credits can be used on bookings made by May 1, 2022, for cruises departing before December 31, 2022.
Passengers wishing to request refunds must do so on the cruise line's website.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean has suspended sailings through April 30, 2021.
Cruisers on canceled sailings will automatically be given a future cruise credit worth 125 percent of the cruise fare paid, to be used to book a voyage departing on or before April 30, 2022.
FCC must be redeemed by December 31, 2021, for passengers whose sailing were canceled before December 2, 2020. For those whose sailings were canceled on or after December 2, 2020, FCC must be redeemed by April 30, 2022.
Affected passengers can also choose a full refund to the original form of payment by filling out a form on the cruise line's website. The date by which cruisers must request their refunds varies based on original sailing date; see Royal Caribbean's website for more information. Refunds will be processed and issued within 45 days.
If You Want to Cancel
So, if you're asking yourself "How can I cancel my cruise without penalty?" you'll want to read on. Most cruise lines have enacted extremely fair and lenient refund policies for the time being. In many cases, you can cancel on your own and get most, if not all, of your money back -- but with caveats.
Learn what to expect if you decide to cancel your booked sailing, rather than waiting to see if your cruise line cancels it. Simply click on the name of your cruise line below to get the details.
Ashley Kosciolek
Ashley boarded her first cruise more than a decade ago and never looked back. Since then, she has written thousands of expert cruise tip features; ship, port and shore excursion reviews; and industry news articles. Her work has appeared on Cruise Critic, USA Today, the Associated Press, NBC News, the Miami Herald and Huffington Post.
