Planning a vacation aboard American Cruise Lines (ACL) is exciting, but life doesn’t always go according to plan. Whether a work obligation, family event, or unexpected situation forces you to change your cruise date, knowing the cost of that change ahead of time can save stress and money. Unlike airline tickets where change fees have been dramatically reduced in recent years, cruise changes — especially with premium cruise lines like American Cruise Lines — involve both fees and possible fare differences. If you’re asking “how much does it cost to change a cruise date with American Cruise Lines?” then this deep dive helps you understand exactly what to expect so you can make informed decisions about your travel plans.
Changing the date on an American Cruise Lines reservation is essentially treated as a modification to your original booking. ACL allows cruise date changes up to 91 days before your scheduled sailing. After that window (within 90 days of departure), cruise changes are generally not permitted — meaning you cannot change your cruise date at all once you’re inside the final 90-day window before departure. If you do want to make changes earlier, the cruise line imposes an administrative fee and may also require you to pay the difference if the new sailing is more expensive or subject to fare increases.
So what does this mean from a cost perspective? Let’s break it down.
For travelers looking to change their sailing date 91 days or more prior to departure, American Cruise Lines applies a standard administrative fee of $125 per person for the processing of a date change. This is the baseline cost you can expect when requesting a new departure date for your cruise — but it is not the only factor in the total cost of changing dates.
Here’s a scenario to illustrate:
Jane booked an ACL cruise departing July 15.
She wants to change her departure date to August 10.
Because this request is made more than 91 days before the original departure date, ACL charges $125 per person to process the change.
This administrative fee is separate from any difference in cruise fare that may result from selecting a new sailing date. Cruise prices can fluctuate significantly based on demand, season, and cabin category. If the new cruise you choose costs more than your original cruise, you’ll owe the fare difference in addition to the $125 per person date change fee.
The administrative fee for the date change is fixed — but the fare difference can vary widely, and it is often the larger portion of the cost of changing a cruise date.
Cruise fares change based on how full a sailing is, how close it is to departure, and the overall demand for a particular itinerary. In many cases:
Earlier sailings may be cheaper.
Peak season departures (like holidays or summer months) are more expensive.
Lower demand sailings might be on sale or discounted.
When you choose a new date, American Cruise Lines recalculates the price of the cruise based on current availability and fare structure. If the new date’s fare is higher than your original cruise fare, you must pay the difference. If the new cruise is cheaper (less common), you may not receive a refund of the fare difference — this depends on ACL’s internal pricing rules and fare type booked.
For example:
Original cruise price: $2,500 per person.
New cruise price: $2,900 per person.
Fare difference: $400 per person.
ACL date change fee: $125 per person.
Total cost to change: $525 per person.
As you can see, the fare difference can be the most significant part of changing your cruise date — even more than the official change fee itself.
American Cruise Lines’ policy strictly prohibits date changes within 90 days of the scheduled departure date. Once you're inside that period, you cannot request a new departure date — meaning changing your cruise is no longer an option unless you cancel and rebook (which involves cancellation charges).
This rule means:
If you try to change your cruise 85 days before departure, the system or cruise specialist is likely to tell you that date changes are unavailable.
You would then need to consider cancelling your existing booking and making a new reservation — but this triggers cancellation fees and potential loss of fare.
This is a major factor in the cost of changing a cruise date because cancellation penalties can be far more expensive than the standard $125 administrative fee.
If you cannot change your cruise date because you're too close to departure, you may need to cancel and rebook. ACL’s cancellation policy leverages a tiered structure where penalties increase the closer you are to your cruise date. Here’s a general idea of how cancellation charges can impact your ability to rebook a new cruise:
More than 91 days prior: You may receive a refund of your cruise fare (less any applicable cancellation admin charge).
Between 90 and 46 days: Some portion of your fare may be refunded.
45 days or less: You may not receive any refund at all.
In addition, most cancellation refunds have a non-refundable administrative cost (for example, $250 per person for cancellations). If you cancel rather than change, you risk losing more money — especially if the cancellation happens in the window where refunds are reduced or eliminated entirely.
Therefore, it’s always cheaper to change your cruise date within ACL’s allowed window than to cancel and rebook entirely.
To give travelers peace of mind, American Cruise Lines offers a Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan. This is an add-on option purchased at the time of booking. It provides enhanced flexibility — but it doesn’t eliminate all costs. Here’s how it works:
The plan may allow you to cancel a cruise and receive a greater refund or cruise credit (even closer to departure).
It does not eliminate ACL’s date change fee for changing the cruise date.
The cost of the protection plan itself is non-refundable.
So, while a travel protection plan can make cancellations less painful financially, it typically doesn’t directly reduce the date change fee. However, if you end up needing to cancel and rebook, having a travel protection plan can reduce the amount you lose — so you might think of it as indirectly valuable if your schedule is very uncertain.
There are several strategies you can use to minimize the cost of changing your cruise date with American Cruise Lines:
1. Modify Early: If you think there's any chance you might need to change your date, make changes as early as possible — ideally more than 90 days prior to your sail date — to avoid losing the ability to make changes entirely.
2. Pay Attention to Final Payment Deadlines: Since ACL typically requires final payment 90 days before departure, you can change your cruise before that date without being locked into rigid cancellation windows. Planning modifications early is key.
3. Book Flexible Fare Types: If ACL offers fare types with more flexible modification policies, consider those fare types — even if they cost slightly more upfront — because they can save money later.
4. Monitor Fare Differences: If you find that the price for your intended new date is significantly higher, it may be worth waiting to see if promotions or sales reduce the fare — provided you’re still within the allowed modification window.
5. Use Travel Agents: Experienced cruise travel agents often know how to navigate fare differences and fee applications. They sometimes can help negotiate fares or understand internal pricing nuances that can reduce overall change costs.
To make the cost implications even clearer, here are a few real-world-style examples:
Scenario 1: Date Change Long in Advance
You booked a spring sailing 12 months ahead.
Six months before departure, you want to change to a fall sailing.
New fall cruise fare is about the same.
Date change fee: $125 per person.
Fare difference: $0.
Total cost to change: $125 per person.
Scenario 2: Moderate Fare Difference
Original cruise booked at $1,800 per person.
New cruise date costs $2,200 per person.
Date change fee: $125 per person.
Fare difference: $400 per person.
Total: $525 per person.
Scenario 3: Not Enough Lead Time
You wait until 85 days before departure to request a date change.
Because you missed the 90-day cutoff, ACL won’t change your date.
You must cancel and rebook — which triggers significant cancellation costs.
This could amount to losing most or all of your cruise fare.
In the third scenario, the cost of missing the date change window can dwarf the simple $125 fee, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Q: Can I change my cruise date after final payment?
Not usually. American Cruise Lines requires changes before the 90-day cutoff, and final payment is typically due on that same timeline. After this deadline passes, date changes are not permitted, forcing cancellation and rebooking if you need a new date.
Q: Is the $125 per person date change fee refundable?
No. The administrative fee for changing your cruise date is non-refundable.
Q: If the new cruise fare is lower, do I get money back?
In most cases, if the new cruise fare is lower, ACL does not refund the difference. This is standard in cruise pricing — you may only receive refund or credit in very specific fare types or promotions.
Q: Does travel insurance cover the date change fee?
Most standard travel insurance policies reimburse you for unforeseen cancellations, but they typically do not reimburse a cruise line’s date change fee. Always read your specific travel insurance policy carefully.
Conclusion — Smart Planning Saves Money
In summary, the cost to change a cruise date with American Cruise Lines is a combination of:
A standard administrative fee (currently around $125 per person), and
Any difference in fare between the original cruise and the new sailing you choose.
The total cost can vary widely depending on timing, seasonality, fare differences, and how far in advance you request the change. Because ACL does not allow changes within 90 days of departure, missing that window can mean far higher costs due to cancellation penalties or complete loss of your cruise fare.
Using flexible fare types, booking early, and paying attention to payment and modification deadlines can help reduce the overall cost impact. With careful planning and an understanding of ACL’s policies, you can make date changes with confidence — and minimal financial stress.
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