Disney Cruise Line has begun to notify guests with unused Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) related to pandemic shutdown cruise cancelations that the expiration date for those credits is fast approaching.
Guests who do not use their FCCs will instead receive refunds, but will lose the bonus credit offered during the industry-wide cruise shutdown.
Credits Expire September 30
When Disney Cruise Line was forced to cancel sailings during the shutdown, guests were offered the option of either receiving a full refund, or else choosing a future cruise credit worth 125% of the cruise fare paid.
While mandatory taxes and fees, as well as specialty add-ons, were still refunded, this bonus offer tempted many prospective guests to stay invested in a cruise vacation, even as the pandemic continued and cruise ships remained inactive.
Those credits, however, are now set to expire. According to the terms of the FCCs, they must be redeemed for a Disney cruise setting sail no later than September 30, 2022.
Disney Cruise Line has sent email notifications to guests who have not used any of their FCCs to remind them of the deadline.
“We are reaching out with important information about the cruise credit you were previously provided,” the email reads. “This is a reminder, that your future cruise credit can only be used for sailings that depart by September 30, 2022.“
Disney Dream was the first of the cruise line’s ships to restart guest operations, sailing from Port Canaveral for the first time after the shutdown on August 9, 2021. The remaining Disney ships all began sailing within a few weeks, and Disney Wonder, the last ship in the fleet, set sail from San Diego on October 1, 2021.
More recently, Disney Wish debuted on July 14, 2022, as the first of the Triton-class vessels and the first new ship to join Disney Cruise Line in more than 10 years.
Guests booking a cruise using their FCCs need to be especially aware – the cruise they book must set sail no later than September 30, 2022 – less than two months away – or else the credit will not be able to be applied, and the 25% bonus will be forfeited instead.
Guests should also note that not everyone will be receiving the notification email. Only guests who have used none of their FCCs will be notified, while guests who have used some, but not all, of their credits will not be contacted. The same expiration deadline applies to all guests with pandemic-related credits.
Other Options for FCCs
With just a few weeks remaining before the FCCs expire, eager Disney Cruise Line guests may be unable to fully redeem their special offers. They will not necessarily lose all the credit, however.
If guests have sizeable future cruise credits but book a cruise for less than the amount of the credit, the remaining credit balance will be applied to the account for that cruise as a non-refundable onboard credit.
That onboard credit, then, can be used for a variety of shipboard purchases on their upcoming cruise, such as specialty makeovers, spa reservations, souvenir photographs, specialty dining, souvenirs, and more.
Guests who are unable to cruise prior to September 30, 2022, will forfeit the bonus amount of the future cruise credit, but will instead be refunded the full original fare cost. This refund will be returned to the original form of payment after September 30, but may take up to two billing cycles – one billing cycle is typically a month – to be processed.
Refunds for unused FCCs will be processed automatically and guests do not need to reach out to the cruise line.
If guests who are unable to use their future cruise credits no longer have the credit card the original cruise (canceled during the pandemic) was booked with, however, they should either reach out to their credit card company or associated bank or contact Disney Cruise Line for assistance.
