If your travel plans have changed, you may need to cancel a Celebrity Cruises reservation and determine how much money you can get back. The amount refunded depends mainly on your fare conditions, cruise length, how far in advance you cancel, and whether your booking has a non-refundable deposit or other special terms.
Celebrity Cruises states that cancellations made before sailing can be subject to cancellation charges. The applicable charge depends on the timing of the cancellation and other booking circumstances. Celebrity also notes that policies can differ for certain fares, groups, higher-occupancy bookings, travel-agent reservations, and bookings made outside the United States and Canada.
This guide explains how to cancel a Celebrity Cruises cruise reservation, what happens to your deposit, when a refund may be available, and where the refunded money is generally sent.
The cancellation process depends on how you originally booked your cruise.
If you booked directly with Celebrity Cruises, contact Celebrity's Customer Care team to discuss cancellation of the reservation.
Have your booking information available before contacting the cruise line, including:
Celebrity's cancellation policy states that cancellation notices become effective when received by the operator. This makes the timing of your cancellation important, particularly when you are approaching a cancellation-penalty deadline.
If a travel advisor or agency made your reservation, contact that agency to cancel the booking.
Celebrity's terms explain that policies can differ for travel-advisor or agency bookings. For some booking arrangements, the travel agent must submit the cancellation notice.
Do not assume that contacting Celebrity directly will replace the travel agency's cancellation process.
Celebrity Cruises does not use one single cancellation fee for every cruise.
The cancellation charge can depend on factors such as:
For U.S. and Canadian bookings covered by Celebrity's current published policy, the standard cancellation schedule includes different periods for shorter and longer cruises.
Celebrity's current published policy lists these cancellation charges:
Time before sailingCancellation charge
75 days or moreNo charge, except non-refundable deposit amounts
74–61 days50% of total price
60–31 days75% of total price
30 days or less100% of total price
These terms are subject to the applicable booking conditions and exceptions.
For qualifying cruises of five nights or longer, Celebrity currently lists:
Time before sailingCancellation charge
90 days or moreNo charge, except non-refundable deposit amounts
89–75 days25% of total price
74–61 days50% of total price
60–31 days75% of total price
30 days or less100% of total price
Celebrity's published policy also states that these charges can vary for certain travelers and booking types.
Not always.
Some Celebrity Cruises fare programs require a non-refundable deposit at the time of booking. If you selected one of these fares, the deposit can remain non-refundable even when you cancel sufficiently early to avoid other cancellation charges.
This is why you should check the fare conditions attached to your specific reservation before cancelling.
A booking that appears to qualify for a refund under the standard cancellation schedule may still have a non-refundable deposit.
A full refund is possible in some circumstances, but it is not guaranteed simply because you cancel your reservation.
Your potential refund depends on the applicable cancellation terms.
For example, if your cancellation falls within a period where Celebrity lists no cancellation charge, you may be eligible to receive the refundable portion of your payment. However, a non-refundable deposit or other non-refundable amount may still be retained.
Taxes, fees, and certain other amounts may also be treated differently from the cruise fare under the applicable terms.
Cancelling close to departure can significantly reduce the amount you receive.
Under Celebrity's current published U.S. and Canadian policy, cancellations made 30 days or less before sailing for the covered cruise categories can carry a cancellation charge equal to 100% of the total price.
That means waiting until the last few weeks can result in little or no refundable cruise fare.
For this reason, if you already know that you cannot take the cruise, review your cancellation conditions as soon as possible.
Celebrity's cancellation information states that applicable taxes, fees, or fuel-supplement charges are refundable when a cruise or CruiseTour is cancelled, subject to the applicable terms and deductions.
The exact refund can therefore be different from simply calculating the cruise fare minus a cancellation penalty.
Your final refund should be based on the specific financial details of your reservation.
The original payment method can determine where your refund goes.
Celebrity states that when it received payment by credit card, an applicable refund will be returned to that credit card. When payment was received from a travel agent, the refund is provided back to the travel agent.
If you booked through an agency, therefore, ask the agency how and when the refunded amount will be passed back to you.
There is an important difference between you cancelling the cruise and Celebrity Cruises cancelling the voyage.
If Celebrity cancels a voyage or delays embarkation by three days or more and you choose not to travel on the delayed or substitute voyage offered, Celebrity states that you may be eligible for a refund or future cruise credit.
Celebrity says its practice is generally to issue a future cruise credit automatically in these circumstances, but guests can instead request a refund. Refund requests must be made within six months of the cancellation date or scheduled embarkation date, whichever comes first, under the stated policy.
Different rules can apply to chartered sailings.
Travel protection can be relevant when your reason for cancelling is not covered by the standard cruise cancellation terms.
Celebrity offers cruise cancellation protection through CruiseCare for eligible U.S. guests, in partnership with Aon.
Travel protection is separate from Celebrity's standard cancellation policy. Whether a particular cancellation qualifies depends on the protection plan's terms, covered reasons, exclusions, documentation requirements, and other conditions.
Before relying on travel insurance, read the policy carefully and confirm whether your reason for cancelling is covered.
Cancelling the cruise does not necessarily mean that every related purchase follows the same cancellation rules.
Celebrity specifically states that separate terms may apply to:
Each product or service may have its own cancellation deadline and refund conditions.
Review these purchases separately instead of assuming that the cruise cancellation automatically cancels and refunds everything.
Generally, you should not expect a refund if you cancel after the cruise has begun.
Celebrity's terms state that passenger cancellation after the cruise or CruiseTour has started, early disembarkation, or a no-show is generally without refund or compensation.
If you have an emergency during a voyage, contact the ship's staff and your travel-insurance provider if applicable rather than assuming that leaving the ship creates a refund entitlement.
Before you submit a cancellation request, review these points:
Calculate how many days remain before the cruise.
Your cancellation window can directly affect the applicable penalty.
Look for language describing a non-refundable deposit or other non-refundable components.
Determine whether you booked:
If you purchased travel protection, review its terms before cancelling.
You may need to follow a specific claim process.
Review flights, hotels, transfers, excursions, dining, and other prepaid services separately.
After submitting your cancellation, retain the confirmation or other documentation showing when Celebrity or your travel agency received the cancellation request.
The receipt date can matter because Celebrity states that cancellation notices are effective when received by the operator.
The most important step is to act early.
Cancellation penalties can increase as the sailing date approaches. If you already know that you cannot travel, review your booking terms immediately rather than waiting until the departure date is close.
Also check whether your fare includes a non-refundable deposit and whether travel protection may apply.
Finally, ask for the exact cancellation amount before authorizing the cancellation when that information is available. This allows you to understand the financial consequence before the booking is cancelled.
The available cancellation process can depend on how your reservation was made. If you booked through a travel advisor, contact that advisor. For direct bookings, contact Celebrity's Customer Care team for cancellation assistance.
There is no single cancellation fee for every Celebrity cruise. The charge can depend on cruise length, the number of days before sailing, fare conditions, and other booking factors. Celebrity's current published U.S. and Canadian policy includes penalties ranging from no charge, subject to non-refundable amounts, to 100% of the total price for qualifying bookings.
It depends on the fare. Some Celebrity fares require a non-refundable deposit, which is not returned when you cancel under the applicable terms.
Not necessarily. For qualifying cruises covered by Celebrity's current policy, 90 or more days before a cruise of five nights or longer is listed as having no cancellation charge, but non-refundable deposit amounts can still be retained.
For the covered categories in Celebrity's current policy, cancelling 30 days or less before sailing can result in a cancellation charge of 100% of the total price.
Celebrity states that applicable taxes, fees, and fuel-supplement charges are refundable when a cruise or CruiseTour is cancelled, subject to the applicable cancellation terms.
If Celebrity received your payment by credit card, the applicable refund is generally returned to that credit card. If payment was made through a travel agent, Celebrity states that the refund is provided back to the travel agent.
Contact the travel agent that made the reservation. Celebrity notes that travel-agent bookings can have different procedures and policies, and its terms for certain markets require the agency to provide the cancellation notice.
Celebrity states that eligible U.S. guests can purchase CruiseCare cruise cancellation protection through Aon. Coverage depends on the plan's terms and conditions.
If Celebrity cancels a voyage or delays embarkation by three days or more and you decline the delayed or substitute voyage offered, Celebrity states that you may be eligible for a refund or future cruise credit. Specific deadlines and exceptions apply.
Generally, no. Celebrity's terms state that passenger no-shows and cancellations after the cruise has begun are without refund or compensation.
If you need to cancel a Celebrity Cruises reservation, the first thing to determine is the cancellation policy that applies to your particular booking. The potential refund depends on factors such as your cruise length, fare type, non-refundable deposit conditions, how far in advance you cancel, and whether the reservation was made directly or through a travel advisor.
Celebrity's current policy shows that cancellation penalties can increase substantially as the sailing date approaches. Some fares may also have non-refundable deposits even when the standard cancellation charge is otherwise zero.
Before cancelling, check your booking terms, travel-protection coverage, and any separately purchased travel services. If you booked through a travel advisor, contact the advisor about the cancellation. For a direct booking, contact Celebrity's Customer Care team and ask for the cancellation and refund details applicable to your reservation.
Most importantly, submit the cancellation as early as possible and keep confirmation of when your cancellation request was received.
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