Beware if you must cancel for any reason including surgery if you don't pay them the 7-9% cancellation plan charge! They won't let you reschedule either. It's a "cancellation" and it will cost you! This needs to be changed by the cruise lines. The airlines allow full credit for us ewithin 12 months!

Roger, I'm sorry to hear you need surgery, and hope all goes well with the healing process.

Regarding cancellation penalties, there's a lot more to a cruise than just a seat from point A to point B. Cruise lines have had this type of cancellation policy for many, many years, and tour companies have similar ones. That is why all decent travel agents urge you to buy travel insurance, to cover you in just such a situation.

By the way, airlines only allow that credit for up to 12 months from the time you bought the ticket, not necessarily 12 months from the time you planned to fly. And you have to pay cancellation/change fees to them as well, usually $100 or so per ticket.

Not only do you have to pay the $100 change fee to airlines, but any difference in the fare if it has gone up. Also with Northwest the ticket is good for 12months, but you have to have dates for new travel plans within 90 days of cancelling or you lose the ticket.