Celebrity Cruises has reached out to booked guests to let them know of a cancelation for Celebrity Eclipse. Due to deployment changes, the ship’s 16-night South America repositioning cruise, scheduled to set sail on April 7, 2024, will no longer take place.
Guests are being offered rebooking and other compensation options, or may choose a full refund if no other cruise plans are suitable.
Celebrity Eclipse Cruise Canceled
The Solstice-class Celebrity Eclipse was scheduled to sail a repositioning itinerary between Valparaiso, Chile and Los Angeles, California in April 2024. The 16-night cruise was to have visited ports of call in Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Now, guests and travel partners have been notified via email that this sailing has been canceled. Few details have been provided to explain the cancelation, only that the change is “to accommodate the upcoming 2024/2025 deployment for Celebrity Eclipse” according to the email.
That new deployment has not been revealed, but it seems the ship will no longer be offering cruises from Los Angeles in the spring and summer of 2024. It is likely the vessel will be moved to Caribbean itineraries, or may be repositioned elsewhere away from the West Coast. Guests with reservations for the now-canceled sailing have several options.
Replacement Sailing Available
If guests are keenly interested in a similar itinerary and their travel plans are flexible, they can rebook aboard Celebrity Eclipse repositioning sailing departing on December 7, 2023. That voyage, however, operates in the opposite direction, from Los Angeles to Valparaiso.
All the same ports of call are included on the December itinerary with one exception – rather than calling in Puerto Vallarta as on the now-canceled April 2024 cruise, the ship will instead visit Cabo San Lucas on the December 2023 itinerary.
The rest of the port visits – Pisco, Peru; Lima, Peru; Manta, Ecuador; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Huatulco, Mexico – remain the same, though the times in port vary somewhat. If guests choose to rebook on this very similar sailing, their fare rate will be protected in a similar cabin.
If guests prefer to rebook on this or any other Celebrity Cruises’ ship or itinerary, they will receive an onboard credit of $200 per stateroom ($400 per suite). Applicable promotions related to the original booking will also be protected.
If impacted guests prefer not to rebook either on Celebrity Eclipse or another Celebrity Cruises’ ship, they will receive a full refund of all monies paid, processed back to the original form of payment.
Rebookings must be made within a specified window, or else guests will automatically receive the refund. No future cruise credits (FCCs) will be offered for the additional compensation unless guests rebook on a new sailing.
Celebrity Cruises is not offering refunds or reimbursement for airfare or hotel accommodations. Guests should contact their travel agent, airline, or hotel for options if applicable.
Why the Change?
While guests booked on this unique cruise will understandably be upset by the cancelation, such changes are not unusual so far from sailing dates.
As this cruise does not depart for nearly 17 months, booked guests have plenty of time to reconsider or change their plans, including any pre- or post-cruise arrangements.
Cruise lines often shift deployment plans for a number of reasons. Cruises may change as new ships join the fleet or older vessels may be retired, or if cruise ports plan extensive construction projects that will impact docking capabilities.
In the short term, more localized factors such as an increase in crime rates, poor weather, or strict health protocols can all cause cruise lines to adjust itineraries or cancel cruises.
Travel insurance can help mitigate change costs for adjusting or canceling travel plans, though many travel providers – airlines, hotels, rental cars, tour operators, etc. – will have refund policies this far from the travel date.
Cruise travelers should always stay in contact with their cruise line for updates on travel plans and itineraries, even for cruises far in the future, and always consider travel insurance in case of unexpected changes, no matter what the situation.
