Cruise cancellations in the last nine months have skyrocketed, leaving many passengers navigating complex credit redemption procedures.

A future cruise credit is a voucher provided by the cruise line. Think of it like a gift voucher. Most lines allow guests to redeem these online or over the phone if they have booked directly – otherwise, speak to a travel provider.

Lines made some pretty cool offers while cancelling cruises -with many offering 125% of value to keep passengers loyal and ready to choose an alternative itinerary.

Here is a line by line break down of how to use your credit:

Azamara

Guests scheduled to sail on a cancelled Azamara voyage will receive a future cruise credit for 125% of the amount paid. This option is automatic and will default as your selection if neither of the other options of moving to an alternate sailing or best price guarantee are selected. Guests who are have paid a deposit only, will receive a 125% future cruise credit based on the amount paid.

Carnival Cruise Line

The Carnival Cruise Line future cruise credit, if chosen will be automatically applied to your profile. The additional on board credit is also added to your online profile, ready to be used when next on board. Carnival offers either 100% cruise credit and on board credit or a 100% refund. You can redeem credit online or over the phone.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises offers the option to use cruise credit on both new bookings and bookings previously made. For those who already have a booking, simply retrieve the booking online and enter the credit certification code. When booking a new cruise, there will be a tick box at the bottom of the guest information form to say ‘I have been issued future cruise credit’. You will also be asked to enter the certification code. In both instances, credit will be applied within 48 hours.

Coral Expeditions

Guests affected by Coral Expeditions cancellations will be emailed a 100% future cruise credit voucher. You do not need to contact Coral Expeditions for the voucher. The voucher can then be redeemed when making a new booking.

Costa Cruises

If Costa Cruises cancels a cruise, guests will receive a 150% or 125% future cruise credit voucher depending on the sailing. The voucher is emailed to the primary contact on the booking. The voucher will then need to be manually applied when booking a new cruise.

Crystal Cruises

Credit from Crystal Cruises will be applied to a guests profile automatically and can be used to book cruises from there.

Cunard Line

Future cruise credit with Cunard is linked to a guest’s Cunard World Club membership and will be automatically applied when you make a booking using this number.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line (HAL) has devised a simple three-step process to claim credit. Guests simply need to log in to their HAL account with mariner id or email address, select their next cruise and select ‘Cruise Credit’ in the cost summary.

Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten is offering free rebooking to future Hurtigruten cruises, credited as a future cruise voucher. The voucher will be 125% of what you have paid. Guests who rebook will receive a 10% discount, which is also applied automatically.

MSC Cruises

Guests affected by MSC cancellations will receive future cruise credit. The credit will be emailed directly to you or your travel agent. The MSC website hosts a form used for rebooking using future cruise credit. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the MSC contact centre.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

Future cruise credit will be applied to the passengers Latitudes number. Communications will be sent to you or your travel agent once the FCC has been added. The credit can then be used for new bookings. Contact the Norwegian team over the phone or via email to use your credit.

Oceania

Guests seeking to use Oceania future cruise credit can contact Oceania via phone or email. The Oceania credits can be used toward the cruise fare portion of the new booking excluding government fees and taxes, ancillary items, shipboard credits, or other onboard amenities and will be applied by the reservations team. Credits may also be applied toward an existing booking outside of final payment.

P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises will issue a ‘Cruiseling’ code with your Future Cruise Credit amount attached. You must use this code to log in when making a new booking and the credit will be automatically applied to the new booking. You may also call the P&O contact centre.

Ponant

All guests will automatically receive an e-mail with their future cruise credit details if they were scheduled to sail on a Ponant cancelled cruise. Guests will also need to advise their previous booking when using their future cruise credit. Ponant will then apply the future cruise credit to the booking.You can redeem credit via e-mail at [email protected] live chat on the Ponant website or via phone.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises future cruise credits are automatically applied to your next booking and are held in your ‘My Princess’ profile. The credit may take up to 60 days to appear and you will receive a notification once it has landed.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean cruise credits can be redeemed online, over the phone or by your travel agent.

To redeem credit on a new sailing, book as normal and then add your future cruise credit number(s) at the payment page. If you are booking multiple cabins, you can enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s) for each room.

To redeem travel credit on an existing booking the process is as follows:

Visit the Royal Caribbean Redemption page.
Enter your booking information.
Enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s).
Click “submit.”
You will receive an email letting you know if your credit was valid.

Any remaining balance of your Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be reissued to you as a new FCC after you complete your cruise.

Regent Seven Seas

The Regent Seven Seas future cruise credits are held in the guest profile in Regent’s Reservation system. To use your credit, call the Regent contact centre and inform them you have a future cruise credit voucher you would like to use. Regent credits may also be applied toward an existing booking outside of final payment.

Seabourn

Future cruise credit is applied to a passengers Seabourn Club Number. The credit is then automatically applied to the next booking.

Scenic

In order to make a booking using travel credit from Scenic, you must call the Scenic contact centre or your travel advisor to discuss and decide on an option.

Viking Cruises

The Viking future cruise credit voucher is emailed to guests and then applied at the time of booking when your deposit is being paid. You do not need to manually add the credit number, it is applied automatically. You will need to call the Viking contact centre.