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Expert Q&A

	By Bonnie Ramirez Cruise Expert Marketing Director for PleazurCruises

I am thinking of buying my parents tickets for a cruise for Christmas. Can I buy tickets with a non-specific date so they can decide when to go, or do I have to pick a date? Are the tickets refundable?

Yes, you do have to pick a specific date so that you can find out exactly how much the trip will cost you. You can, however, ask the travel agent or cruise line when are they having special deals so you can plan to go at that time.

Regarding tickets being refundable, that depends -- you can hold a room for up to 14 days before you have to pay down a deposit. The deposits are never refundable. You should buy insurance for the trip in case of medical reasons or losing luggage, etc. The insurance will allow you to get a refund on the cruise tickets, minus airfare and deposit only if you cancel around 50-70 days before the actual trip, only if it's for a medical reason. If you cancel at the very last minute, under 45 days, you may not get any of your money back unless it happens to be a medical condition.

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