What Happens If A Cruise Is Canceled?

GinaMax

GinaMax

Member
I don't know if you heard about the cruise ship that sailed into a bad storm instead of canceling the crew. Now they are under investigation for making that decision. I think that will keep cruise lines aware that there is a time when a cruise might need to be canceled. It is understandable, but what happens to the passengers who already booked their cruise? Do they just give all your money back? New tickets? What if you can't move your days off?
 
Wouldn't it depend on the country the cruise company is registered in? If there is an organizing body that they are a member of there may be protection that way too. Paying with a credit card would be another way to get some protection.

I'm pretty sure that cruise companies don't want to cancel and lose cash by giving refunds, but they must have insurance to over such a possibility, as of course should every passenger.
 
It seems like I have heard some pretty bad horror stories when it comes to the cruise industry lately, so I really hope that they have their affairs in order when it comes to things being cancelled. I would assume that everyone gets their money back in full because they would get nothing from the company, but then again I can see the consumer paying some price so I would not be too surprised to learn something like that.
 
I know that if that company is UK based then if they're reputable then they'll be part of an organization called ABTA. They're the ones that will offer the guarantee to you the customer that the travel.provider will treat you fairly, and they'll make sure that refunds are made available and any complaints are dealt with to your satisfaction.

As far as other countries are concerned I'm not sure, but I'd definitely say it's worth checking the policies and the terms and conditions before you decide on booking with a particular company.
 
Sometimes I think the storm is only something that comes to light when the cruise is already at sea (depending on the cruise length, of course) so sometimes it can be inevitable that you go through bad weather. I've been on a cruise that was through Vanuatu and New Caledonia and we hit some bad weather, but the captain tried his best to both avoid it as much as possible, and keep us informed of what was happening. I think if its something where the cruise operators are aware of the issue ahead of time then they'll usually re-route or cancel, and I imagine that they'd refund it. Also if you have travel insurance I'm sure you could claim through them, but honestly I think if it was a flat out cancelation then the cruise company would organize something.
 
If cruises are cancelled due to bad weather, it's important to check the small print because a lot of travel insurance won't refund in full as they'll call it an act of God. Something that isn't the fault of anybody so they'll only refund a certain percentage.

It's up to the tour operator then to come up with a suitable alternative but they don't necessarily have to, so while the bigger companies usually do try and keep the customer happy as they have a reputation to maintain, a lot of the smaller ones won't be so forthcoming.
 
pwarbi said:
If cruises are cancelled due to bad weather, it's important to check the small print because a lot of travel insurance won't refund in full as they'll call it an act of God. Something that isn't the fault of anybody so they'll only refund a certain percentage.

It's up to the tour operator then to come up with a suitable alternative but they don't necessarily have to, so while the bigger companies usually do try and keep the customer happy as they have a reputation to maintain, a lot of the smaller ones won't be so forthcoming.
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Good to know! Kind of makes me laugh though that they call it an act of God and say it's no ones fault - they could theoretically do that about anything and just avoid paying out on any insurance claim ;)

Part of why it's always important to read your policy and know what it covers like you said!
 
Insurance companies are well known to try and get out of paying, for any reason that they can. That's why I think that most people these days will always have travel insurance from a reputable firm, as at least then you know that they have a history behind them.

When travelling to places like India, that's even more important. Not because India is a dangerous place, far from it, but because it's a totally different culture than what the west is used to, so they may not be prepared for some of the issues that might crop up.
 
Yes, it may be something as simple as getting a stomach bug that sees you have to cancel flights or arrangements (happened to me in Korea!) and it was just because I wasn't used to the food there, or maybe I accidentally drank some water that I shouldn't have...simple things like that really emphasise the need to have insurance because without it you can really be out of pocket for things!
 
amelia88 said:
Yes, it may be something as simple as getting a stomach bug that sees you have to cancel flights or arrangements (happened to me in Korea!) and it was just because I wasn't used to the food there, or maybe I accidentally drank some water that I shouldn't have...simple things like that really emphasise the need to have insurance because without it you can really be out of pocket for things!
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Haha! I do find this whole "we can't pay because of X/Y/X." In other news, apparently a new act of God is insurance companies opening their wallets to pay out for what we pay them for!

On a serious note, cruise companies will never refund in full for bad weather, although some will reschedule for a later date. However, you can make your your travel insurance has a solid cancellation policy. Or, you could go for a more aggressive route and try to report the company to the consumer watchdog of that country.

Or, just buy on a credit card and not have to worry about all that faff! That is, if you have a high enough credit limit.
 
The exact policy will depend on the cruise line and probably the ticket class or package. Many packages have their own refund policy. Generally, when secured through an agent, they have some other protections. It might even be the agent giving you a refund or rescheduling your trip. But cheap tickets are less prone to protection. It is possible that the bargain ones will not be refunded. So, before you buy, if this is a worry, please check carefully to make sure you are covered.
 
These are certainly things to think about when planning a trip. I guess you have to do your homework and go through reputable companies. But I should think that when a cruise is cancelled because of the weather or something like that, then the company should try to reimburse everyone or change the dates. It must be in the terms and conditions.
 
I think everyone gets compensated or they get a new date. Even if it's an act of God then the companies have insurance. It would never fall upon the traveler to cough up when a cruise is cancelled. I would do my research before booking,, though. These are all just speculations.
 
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