If you’re booked with or considering booking with Seabourn Cruise Line, you may be wondering: “Is Seabourn currently allowing cancellations?” The short answer: yes, you can cancel a Seabourn cruise, but like many luxury cruise lines the cancellation policy comes with a detailed tier-system of fees, credits and conditions. In this article I’ll walk you through what the cancellation policy is, how it works in practice, what special rules may apply (including for COVID-19 or special promotions), and what you should keep in mind when considering canceling your booking.
Seabourn’s published policy clearly states that guests may cancel their cruise reservation prior to embarkation — but cancellation does not equal a full refund in every case. Rather, depending on when you cancel relative to the departure date, you will incur a cancellation fee.
For example:
For cruises of 21 days or less: if you cancel until 121 days before departure, there is a small fee (for example, US $100 per guest) which may be refunded as a future cruise credit.
If you cancel 90-61 days prior, the fee rises (e.g., 50% of full cruise charges).
If you cancel 45 days or less before departure (or simply fail to show), you may forfeit 100% of your cruise fare.
These time frames shift if the cruise is longer (e.g., 70+ days) — the “early window” where cancellation fees are lower extends further out.
The contract language emphasises that the cancellation fee schedule applies “regardless of whether Your space is resold.”
So yes — you can cancel. But what you’ll receive in return depends heavily on when, and under what terms, you cancel.
Yes. There have been special “Book With Confidence” or “Worry Free” style policies that allowed greater cancellation flexibility under certain bookings, particularly during the pandemic. For example, Seabourn’s “Worry Free Promise” allowed bookings made by December 31 2021 for sailings departing by April 30 2022 to cancel up to 30 days prior and receive a 100% future cruise credit.
Also, Seabourn’s “Refund & Cancellation Policy for COVID-19” lays out that if your sailing was cancelled for reasons of the pandemic, you may receive a full refund or future cruise credit — though the actual eligibility and timing varies.
However: these special policies tend to be time-limited (apply to specific booking dates/departure windows). The standard cancellation schedule appears to apply for “normal” bookings now.
In short: if your booking was made under a promotional or pandemic-era policy, you may have greater flexibility. If not, you’ll be subject to the standard fee schedule.
Here’s how to interpret this information if you’re considering cancellation now:
You are allowed to cancel: There is no blanket prohibition preventing cancellations. Seabourn’s contract even states the carrier has the right to cancel a cruise, and you have the right to cancel under their schedule.
When you cancel matters a lot: The further ahead of departure you cancel, the lower the fee. If you cancel very close to departure you may lose almost the full fare.
You may receive a Future Cruise Credit (FCC): In some cases the fee may be issued as a credit toward a future voyage rather than a cash refund. For example, earlier policy had the $100 fee refunded as a future cruise credit.
Special terms apply for long cruises, promotions, and pandemic events: If your voyage is long (70+ days), or booked under special promotional terms, or affected by COVID-19 cancellation, you may have a different fee schedule.
Non-cruise components are treated separately: If you booked air or land packages via Seabourn, cancellation of the cruise may trigger cancellation of those components — and you’ll be responsible for any fees from airlines or hotels.
Booking deposit timing and final payment matter: Reservations must be paid in full by certain days out (90 or 120 days depending on cruise length) or risk cancellation.
Hence “yes, Seabourn allows cancellations” but the outcome depends on multiple variables (booking date, departure date, type of voyage, any special promo, how you cancel, and when).
To give you a clearer view, here are some of the published schedules (always confirm your booking’s specific terms as they may vary by region or promotion):
For cruises of 21 days or less: Until 121 days before: US$100 per guest (refunded as future cruise credit). 120-91 days: 15% of cruise charges. 90-61 days: 50%. 60-46 days: 75%. 45 days or less: 100%.
For cruises of 22-69 days: Until 151 days: $250 per guest (refunded as future cruise credit). 150-121 days: 15%. 120-91 days: 50%. 90-76 days: 75%. 75 days or less: 100%.
For cruises of 70 days or more: Until 181 days: $500 per guest (refunded as FCC). 180-151 days: 15%. 150-121 days: 50%. 120-91 days: 75%. 90 days or less: 100%.
Another example: The “Cruises of 25 days or less” cut-off: 121-91 days: 15% of fare. 90-46 days: 50%. 45-31 days: 75%. 30 days or less: 100%. Cruise Critic+1
These examples show that if you cancel very late, the cost is essentially forfeiture of full fare.
If you’re thinking of canceling a Seabourn cruise, here are some practical tips to help you navigate the process and minimise loss:
Act as early as possible. The earlier you cancel, the smaller the penalty. Even moving from “50%” to “15%” of fare saved can be significant.
Check your specific contract. Your booking confirmation will detail the exact cancellation tier for your voyage. Special promotions may change the terms.
Ask about whether the fee is cash refund or FCC. Some fees are refunded as Future Cruise Credit instead of cash — meaning you’ll have to re-book with Seabourn to utilise it.
Review non-cruise components. If you booked flights, hotels, transfers via Seabourn (or through your own travel advisor), those may carry independent cancellation fees.
Consider travel insurance. If you cancel for covered reasons (medical, family/emergency, etc.), you might recover additional cost via your insurer. Seabourn’s policy permits but does not guarantee any refund beyond the stated fees.
Keep documentation when you cancel. Submit your cancellation request in writing, keep copies of correspondence, confirmation numbers, and proof of when the cancellation was received (some schedule tiers assume cancellation notice received by a certain “days prior to departure”).
Check special conditions for pandemic, promotions or long cruises. If your cruise was booked during a special “Book With Confidence” period or has coronavirus-related cancellation terms, you may have more flexible options.
Ask about reselling or transferring your booking. Some lines allow name changes or transfers; if Seabourn supports that, you may be able to reduce loss by transferring your booking.
Consider re-booking. If you get a future cruise credit, evaluate whether rebooking now (even at choice of a later date) gives better value than simply cancelling and losing the fare.
When reading the cancellation policy, don’t assume the following (unless you explicitly verify them):
That cancellation equals full refund: As shown, most cancellations far enough out still carry a fee or credit rather than cash refund.
That the schedule is identical for all voyages: Cruise length, special promotions, region (US vs EU contract), and whether you booked a discounted fare may affect the terms.
That you can cancel without any consequence: The contract emphasises that you agree to pay the cancellation fee “regardless of whether Your space is resold.”
That you’ll automatically get a cash refund if you cancel for any reason: Unless the cancellation falls under a special policy (e.g., COVID-19 cancellation by the cruise line) the standard schedule applies and most often the refund is limited or replaced by a future credit.
That air/land packages will automatically cancel with the cruise without separate fees: Separate components may incur separate cancellation rules.
That the “100% refund” policy applies to new bookings today: Many of the more generous cancellation flex-policies were time-limited and tied to pandemic bookings or specific dates. Those may no longer be broadly available.
It’s worth noting that the cancellation policy also addresses the situation where the carrier cancels or alters the cruise. According to the contract: the carrier reserves the right to cancel the cruise, deviate from route, change port of embarkation/disembarkation, substitute transport or lodging.
In those cases, the guest may be entitled to refund or compensation, but the contract limits liability in many cases (particularly where change is due to governmental orders, health-safety requirements, etc.). So if you cancel because Seabourn cancels or significantly alters the voyage, you should check your booking terms for “cancellation by carrier” vs “cancellation by guest”.
For COVID-19 or public health emergency cancellations, some of the special policies apply which may offer future cruise credits or refunds.
In summary:
Yes, Seabourn allows you to cancel your booking.
However, cancellation triggers a fee schedule which depends on timing, length of cruise, whether special promotional or pandemic policies apply, and whether you booked discounted or standard fare.
The earlier you cancel, the lower the penalty; the later you cancel, the higher the penalty (up to 100%).
Some cancellations may result in a future cruise credit rather than a cash refund.
Special conditions (e.g., pandemic, promotions) may grant increased flexibility, but these are typically time-limited or apply only if certain conditions are met.
If you cancel, or if Seabourn cancels/changes the cruise, review all applicable terms (booking conditions, special provisions, non-cruise components) carefully and consider travel insurance.
If you are booked and considering cancellation (or just want to understand your options), here’s a recommended step-by-step:
Retrieve your booking confirmation and review the terms of your contract: look for the cancellation fee schedule, special promotional terms, booking deposit/final-payment deadlines.
Note the “days prior to departure” thresholds in your specific voyage’s cancellation schedule: find out how far out you currently sit (e.g., 120 days away, or 45 days away) and see what fee applies.
Call Seabourn (or your travel advisor) and ask:
“If I cancel today, what cancellation fee applies in my case?”
“Will the fee be refunded as cash or future cruise credit?”
“Are there any special cancellation-flexibility policies active for my voyage (promotions, pandemic, etc.)?”
Evaluate whether cancelling makes sense or perhaps rebooking/deferring is better: If you’ll lose 100% of the fare, it may be worth discussing with the advisor whether you can move your sailing instead of outright cancelling.
Confirm in writing your cancellation (or rebooking) and secure documentation of the date/time of your cancellation request.
If you have insurance, check whether your reason for cancellation is covered under your policy, which could help recover additional cost beyond what Seabourn reimburses.
If you proceed with cancellation, ask for confirmation of what you will receive: refund amount or future cruise credit, expiry of that credit, conditions of using the credit.
Make sure you cancel or amend any independent arrangements (flights, hotels, transfers) which may not automatically cancel just because the cruise is cancelled.
For travellers, especially when booking a luxury cruise with Seabourn, it’s essential to recognise that the cancellation policy is quite firm. While the brand has offered more flexible terms in pandemic-era times, the standard policy is now quite structured and tiered. If you find yourself with changing plans, knowing how far in advance you are from embarkation and reviewing your specific contract will be key.
If your plans are uncertain, you might consider booking a later sailing date (giving you more lead time) or selecting a fare class with more flexible terms if available. And if the worst happens and you must cancel, being informed will help you minimise lost cost and make the best decisions for future travel.
If you like, I can check the latest operative cancellation policy for your specific route or sailing date with Seabourn (as sometimes terms vary by region or itinerary). Would you like me to check that for you?
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