'Do it as soon as possible': What to know about canceling, postponing a cruise

While many travelers book cruises months or even years in advance, plans can change in the time between making a reservation and setting sail.

But canceling or rescheduling a cruise can be different from other kinds of travel. Rob Clabbers, founder and president of Chicago, Illinois-based Q Cruise + Travel, told USA TODAY that “cruise lines generally tend to have much more strict policies in terms of cancellation than, for example, the typical hotel does.”

“So a client would also really need to be aware of those things when they book it,” he said.

Here’s what travelers should know about making changes to their cruise vacations.

What should I do if I need to cancel or postpone my cruise?

If something comes up and you need to call off your trip, act fast. “Try to do it as soon as possible because as you get closer to (departure date), policies become more constrained,” Clabbers said.

He recommended passengers “go back to the source” where they made the booking. That could mean calling your travel advisor for guidance if you worked with one or reaching out to the cruise line directly.

If only one member in a travel party can no longer go, cruise lines may be able to change a name on a reservation so another guest can join instead – though Clabbers said they will only do so for up to one person on a booking. Passengers may also be able to change a two-person booking to a solo trip (though they might not get any money back depending on the line’s policy and available offers).

“If you think, ‘Hey, I'm not 100% sure if this friend is going to come along with me,’ then it may even be better to book it as a single and then add the friend later on if you can,” he said.

Will I get a refund if I cancel or postpone a cruise?

Possibly, but penalties generally increase as a cruise’s departure date gets closer.

“So, for example, it may be if I cancel more than 90 or 120 days – it varies by cruise line and sometimes the duration of the actual trip – I may get all my money back if I cancel,” said Clabbers. “But if I get closer to departure, the percentage of penalty will go up, up to 100% eventually. And so if I cancel two or three days before departure, I may get no money back. If I cancel two months before departure, I may get a certain percentage back.”

For example, passengers booked on Carnival Cruise Line sailings ranging from two to five days long – with the exception of Alaska, Europe, Panama Canal and transatlantic itineraries – will be charged the following for cancellations after the final payment date, according to its cruise ticket contract:

• The amount of their deposit for cancellations between 75 and 56 days before sailing

• The amount of their deposit or 50% of their fare, depending on which is higher, for cancellations between 55 and 30 days before sailing

• The amount of their deposit or 75% of their fare, depending on which is higher, for cancellations between 29 and 15 days before sailing

• The entirety of their fare for cancellations less than 14 days before sailing

The line has a slightly different penalty list for those excluded cruise types and itineraries six days or longer. Royal Caribbean International has a similar policy, as well.

He recommended travelers familiarize themselves with the cruise line’s policies during the booking process. That language can usually be found on the cruise line’s website and in confirmation documents after making a reservation.

Those rules generally apply equally to outright cancellations or rescheduled cruises.

He also noted that fares with nonrefundable deposits can be lower than other rates, but there’s a tradeoff for that attractive price. “So, even if you book it, like, a year or two in advance, they will not give you that money back because, for the privilege of the reduced fare, you give up that flexibility,” said Clabbers.

Cruise travel insurance: Should you buy it through a cruise line? Maybe not, experts say

Does travel insurance cover my cruise if I cancel or postpone?

For cancellations, that depends on the reason.

“On every travel insurance policy, there is a list of ‘covered’ reasons to cancel – and receive reimbursement,” Meghan Walch, Director of Product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. “These are situations the insurance company considers legitimate as factors in making the decision to cancel a trip. Reasons vary by provider and policy, but an example of a covered reason may be that you become ill or injured, and a physician deems you are not able to travel.”

A Cancel for Any Reason option can give policyholders more flexibility, reimbursing between 50% and 75% of prepaid, nonrefundable costs – for reasons that wouldn’t otherwise be “covered” – if they scrap their travel plans with at least 48 hours' notice.

If a passenger wants to push their cruise to a later date, they would need to work it out with the cruise line and other relevant providers like airlines, Walch noted. “If a traveler has travel insurance and postpones their cruise, they can change their policy to cover the new dates during which they are traveling,” she said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will I get a refund if I cancel my cruise? What to know