How to cancel a cruise and what you'll get back

The refund you receive depends on when you cancel and which cruise line you booked with. Most cruise lines have a tiered cancellation policy: cancel far in advance and you lose a small deposit, cancel closer to departure and you lose more, cancel within days of sailing and you lose everything. Some lines offer full refunds if you cancel more than 75 days before departure; others start charging penalties at 60 days. A few cruise lines have moved to non-refundable fares with onboard credit as the only option, so check your booking confirmation to see which policy applies to your ticket.

The fastest way to cancel is to call the cruise line directly using the phone number on your booking confirmation. Have your reservation number ready. The agent will tell you the exact refund amount based on your cancellation date and fare type. If you booked through a travel agent, you can cancel through them instead, though the cruise line still processes the refund—it just takes longer because it passes through an extra step.

Refunds typically take 7 to 14 business days to appear in your original payment method after the cruise line processes the cancellation. If you paid by credit card, the refund goes back to that card. If you paid by check or bank transfer, the timeline can stretch to three weeks.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancellation refunds are based on how many days before departure you cancel, with most cruise lines charging steeper penalties the closer you get to your sail date.
  • Call the cruise line directly with your reservation number to cancel and learn your exact refund amount—do not rely on estimates from websites.
  • Some cruise lines offer onboard credit instead of cash refunds for cancellations within certain windows, so confirm what your booking allows.
  • Refunds take 7 to 14 business days to process after cancellation, longer if you paid by check or bank transfer.
  • Travel insurance purchased at booking time may cover cancellation costs if you cancel for a covered reason like illness or job loss.

Cancellation policies vary widely by cruise line and booking date

Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney Cruise Line all publish their cancellation schedules on their websites, but the windows and penalties differ. Carnival typically refunds your full deposit if you cancel 75 or more days out, then charges a percentage of the cruise fare for cancellations 74 to 8 days before departure, and charges the full fare if you cancel within 7 days. Royal Caribbean uses a similar structure but with different day thresholds. Disney's policy is stricter: cancellations more than 75 days out lose the deposit, and anything closer loses the full amount.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises offer slightly more generous windows in some cases, but again the specifics depend on your fare type and booking date. Budget cruise lines and last-minute deals often come with non-refundable terms from the start, meaning you get nothing back no matter when you cancel.

The fare type you purchased also matters. A standard cruise fare has one cancellation schedule; a "free cancellation" fare has a longer window before penalties kick in; a non-refundable or "wave" fare may offer onboard credit instead of a refund. Check your booking confirmation email—it should state which type you have and the exact cancellation important date.

What to do if you're cancelling because of illness or emergency

If you're cancelling because you or a family member is sick, lost a job, or faced another hardship, contact the cruise line and explain the situation. Some lines have compassion policies that waive or reduce penalties for documented medical emergencies or deaths in the family. You'll typically need to provide proof—a doctor's note, death certificate, or termination letter—but it's worth asking before accepting a partial refund.

Travel insurance is the other route. If you purchased cruise insurance at the time of booking, check your policy documents to see what cancellations it covers. Most policies cover illness, injury, and death of a family member, but not job loss or financial hardship unless you bought a specific rider. File a claim with the insurance company, not the cruise line, and provide the required documentation. Insurance claims take longer to process than cruise line refunds—often 30 to 60 days—but you may recover more of your money.

Do not cancel and then ask for an exception. The cruise line's system processes the cancellation when ready and applies the standard penalty. Once that happens, reversing it is much harder than asking for consideration before you cancel.

Cancelling through a travel agent versus calling the cruise line

If a travel agent booked your cruise, you can cancel through them or directly with the cruise line—both routes end at the same place, but the timeline differs. Cancelling through the agent means they submit the request to the cruise line, which can add 2 to 5 business days before the refund is processed. Calling the cruise line directly and providing your reservation number gets you an when ready cancellation and a refund timeline that starts right away.

Some travel agents charge a cancellation fee on top of the cruise line's penalty, so ask before you proceed. If the agent charges a fee and you cancel directly with the cruise line, you may still owe that fee to the agent depending on your agreement with them. Check your booking paperwork or call the agent to clarify before you cancel.

Travel agents can sometimes negotiate with the cruise line if you're cancelling for a covered reason, so if you have travel insurance or a documented emergency, telling the agent first may help. But for a straightforward cancellation with no special circumstances, calling the cruise line directly is faster.

Onboard credit versus cash refunds

Some cruise lines offer onboard credit (OBC) as an alternative to a cash refund. Onboard credit is a dollar amount you can spend on the ship—drinks, dining packages, shore excursions, spa services, cabin upgrades. It does not carry over to a future cruise and cannot be converted to cash. A few cruise lines allow you to transfer unused OBC to another person's account if they're sailing on the same ship, but most do not.

Onboard credit is usually worth more than a cash refund. If the cruise line would refund you $500 in cash, they might offer $600 or $700 in OBC instead. The trade-off is that you have to spend it on that ship, on that sailing, or lose it. If you're cancelling because you cannot travel, OBC is not useful. If you're cancelling because you want to rebook on a different date, some lines let you explore the OBC to a future cruise instead of the current one.

Ask the cruise line agent whether OBC is an option for your cancellation and what the amount would be. Compare it to the cash refund before you decide. If you think you might rebook later, OBC can be the better deal.

Cancelling a group or family booking

Group bookings—typically 8 or more cabins—have their own cancellation rules, usually stricter than individual bookings. The group organizer (the person who made the reservation) controls the cancellation, and individual members cannot cancel their own cabins without going through the organizer. If the organizer cancels the whole group, everyone gets refunded according to the group rate and cancellation policy, which may be less generous than a standard individual booking.

If you're part of a group and want to cancel your cabin but keep the group sailing, contact the group organizer first. They may be able to release your cabin and rebook it to someone else, or they may require you to stay. If the organizer won't release you, your only option is to contact the cruise line directly and request an individual cancellation, which will likely trigger the standard cancellation penalty plus a group booking fee.

Family bookings (multiple cabins under one name) are easier to modify. You can usually cancel one or more cabins while keeping others, and each cabin's refund is calculated separately based on its cancellation date.

What happens if the cruise line cancels the sailing

If the cruise line cancels the sailing—due to weather, mechanical issues, or low bookings—you have the right to a full refund or a rebooking on another sailing at no extra cost. The cruise line must offer both options; you choose which one you want. A full refund takes the same 7 to 14 business days as a passenger-initiated cancellation. A rebooking happens when ready in the cruise line's system, and you receive a new confirmation number for the future sailing.

Some cruise lines offer onboard credit as a third option if they cancel—for example, $200 in OBC if you rebook on a future cruise. This is optional; you can decline and take the refund instead. If the cruise line cancels very close to departure, they may waive the standard rebooking fee, but confirm this before you rebook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if I cancel less than a week before the cruise?

Most cruise lines charge the full fare if you cancel within 7 days of departure, meaning you get no refund. A few lines offer a small percentage back (10 to 25 percent) even at the last minute, but this is rare. Check your specific cruise line's policy on your booking confirmation. Travel insurance may cover this if you cancel for a covered reason like sudden illness.

What if I paid in full months ago and now want to cancel?

Your refund is based on the cancellation date, not when you paid. If you paid in full six months ago but cancel 30 days before departure, you'll receive whatever the 30-day cancellation penalty allows—likely a partial refund or onboard credit, not your full payment back. The cruise line does not give you more money back because you paid early.

Do I have to cancel online, or can I only call?

Most cruise lines allow cancellations by phone only, not through their website. Call the number on your booking confirmation and have your reservation number ready. Some lines are adding online cancellation options, so check their website first, but phone is the standard and fastest method.

Will I lose my deposit if I cancel and rebook on a different date?

Yes, unless the cruise line waives it. When you cancel, the standard penalty applies. When you rebook, you pay a new deposit for the future cruise. Some lines offer a "rebook credit" that covers part of the new deposit if you cancel and rebook within a certain window, so ask the agent if this applies to you.

What if the cruise line goes out of business after I cancel?

If the cruise line files for bankruptcy after you cancel but before your refund is processed, your refund becomes an unsecured claim in the bankruptcy proceedings. You may recover some or none of your money depending on the company's assets and how many other claims exist. Travel insurance does not cover cruise line bankruptcy. This is rare but possible; it happened to some passengers when Cruise Direct Vacations and other smaller operators closed.