Dear Tripped Up,
I booked a Cunard Line transatlantic cruise in May 2021. The reservation was made with credit for a trip in April that was canceled due to Covid-19. Because I canceled my reservation a week before Cunard canceled browsing, I did not have a chance to get a refund.
But I am almost 80 years old and I feel it is unfair that I am forced to travel next spring when I am so afraid of the coronavirus. I feel like I’ve been penalized for canceling a trip that was canceled anyway. Based on what you know about the cruise industry and its response to the pandemic, what should I do? Susan
Dear Susan,
I have received emails from several Times readers who share their concerns about cruises. Given the rates of coronavirus infections on ships and all the challenges with health and safety measures, some travelers are not feeling so well with the idea of boarding a ship any time soon.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows an especially grim picture: From March 1 to July 10, the coronavirus affected 80 percent of ships in the agency’s jurisdiction. Since March 14, CDC has dedicated more than 38,000 hours to cruise outbreak management.
Although certain small ships have resumed operations this summer, most oceangoing ships sailing to or from United States ports are suspended through Sept. 30, according to the CDC’s extended sailing ban order. Still, many cruise lines are delaying their relaunch date even further. Cunard is on hiatus until November. Carnival Cruise Line has already canceled some trips in 2021.
So yeah, because the cruise is a mess right now, it’s not totally irrational to be anxious about what next spring will be like.
To regain consumer confidence, maintain cash flow, and ensure the safety of future passengers and crew members, the cruise industry needs to take massive action. Companies say they are developing health protocols and testing updates like ultraviolet technologies and HVAC systems. Meanwhile, docked ships and blank passenger manifests have created a contraction in revenue, and certain lines are downsizing their fleets accordingly. Hours continue to change; As a result, customer service channels are swirling in overdrive.
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“We have seen lines cancel their departures in small batches, usually a couple of months at a time, in an effort to process fewer cancellations at a time, but they are still dealing with far more reserve adjustments than they used to. mass, “said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a leading cruise planning website.
Perhaps suited to an industry that is so constantly changing, reader complaints about cruise credits and refunds have felt especially bizarre. A cruise line customer service representative told a woman that to get a refund, she would have to stop posting complaints about the company on Twitter. (It didn’t; that’s how I found it.) Another was asked to prepay a cruise 33 months in advance, something very unusual for a system that works with deposits and final payments. (A cruise editor friend, upon hearing these anecdotes, considered them a good “industry alarm” on how customer service representatives are trained.)
One of the biggest, and most consumer-friendly, changes on the cruise can be seen in the cancellation policies. While details vary by cruise line, in general, the possibility of a refund decreases (or disappears) as the departure date approaches. Pre-pandemic, most lines allowed changes and cancellations up to 90 days in advance; many now allow them to be close to a day or two before departure.
However, the problem is exactly the question your scenario asked: If you cancel a cruise reservation before the cruise line cancels navigation, can you get your money back? Or are you obligated, as you were, to accept a credit for a future cruise?
Another Times reader, Minhgiao, ran into this problem when her 70-year-old parents canceled their Viking Cruises reservation just before the cruise line canceled navigation in early March. So close to the departure date, they were not offered a refund (although customer service eventually agreed to give them a coupon).
“Not only was this not sympathetic to the global pandemic situation, it was also unethical,” Minhgiao wrote. “Our parents are old and a lot could happen in a year, so the possibility of them actually using travel vouchers is unknown.”
I contacted Viking and was able to help Minhgiao’s parents get their cash back ($ 11,594 total). But in recent months, when the pandemic increased, Viking eased its cancellation policy anyway. Now, guests booking in late July can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a cash refund or coupon (minus the $ 100 standard cancellation fee). With August close, the window for risk-free reserves is likely to expand further.
Much more typical, Ms. McDaniel said, is what she found with Cunard.
“For most cruises that are canceled by the line, cruises can receive refunds,” he said. “But for travelers who cancel on their own, most lines only offer compensation in terms of future cruise credit.”
Flexible booking terms and the likelihood of more canceled departures in the future are two reasons why most cruise experts I know now recommend waiting as long as possible to cancel a reservation. There is no magic number, so that means it depends on the line you navigate with, when you book, the length of the itinerary, the final payment terms and other factors. Individual reservation and cancellation policies will continue to change as we get closer to fall.
That said, May feels like an especially long time to have to wait and see, all the more so when you’re not expecting the ride. The last thing anyone needs more now is fear. Fortunately, you’re off the hook – that ship may end up sailing after all, but, when contacted by email, Cunard agreed to turn her cruise credit into a refund.
Sarah Firshein is a writer based in Brooklyn. If you need advice on the best travel plan that went wrong, send an email to [email protected].
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