PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — As the cruise industry in the United States remains shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many passengers are still trying to get refunds from cruises canceled months ago.
What You Need To Know
- Rachael Frank had been planning "dream vacation" for a year
- Health, financial concerns prompted her to cancel 4 days before the trip
- Royal Caribbean sent an email confirming refund would come
- She was told moths later that she would receive a credit instead
Rachael Frank spent the past year saving for what she called a “dream vacation” with a deeply personal mission. She and her son were booked on a 14-day cruise to the Polynesian Islands — including Tonga. Her son, who is Tongan, has never visited the island.
“I wanted him to be able to experience the whole Tonga experience and be there,” Frank explained.
The cruise was supposed to depart on April 1. Frank said she canceled the trip four days before the cruise line did because of health and financial concerns — a devastating blow to her son.
“He was heartbroken because we had been planning for over a year,” Frank said.
The total cost of the trip? $4,520.
According to an email Frank provided us dated March 15, Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD stated, “We will go ahead and inactivate your Future Cruise Certificate and provide you with a refund instead. You can expect to see your refund within 30 days from your request date.”
More than 6 months later, Frank said she has yet to receive a full refund and was told she would be receiving cruise credit instead.
“We are already out of our dream vacation, and now we have to deal with this,” Frank said. “It’s ongoing. It should have been solved a long time ago.”
Travel attorney James Lavigne said his office has received hundreds of calls from frustrated people still waiting to receive compensation from their cruise lines.
“You must be noisy! The squeaky wheel gets greased,” Lavigne said. “If you used a travel agent, work with your travel agent to get the refund. If you booked directly, then go directly to the cruise line.”
According to the Federal Maritime Commission website, while the agency receives cruise customer complaints, “There is no federal government agency that regulates cruise customer service issues,” including passenger cancellations.
A request for the number of complaints filed since March 1 has not been answered yet.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office has received more than 860 consumer contacts about cruises, since April 1, officials said. It has obtained agreements from a number of cruise companies to issues refunds totaling more than $330,000, officials in the attorney general’s office indicated.
According to cruise line websites, most guests can receive a full refund.
As for Frank, she said she still hopes to visit Tonga with her son, but after months of limbo with Royal Caribbean, they will take a plane instead.
Celebrity Cruises and its parent company, Royal Caribbean, did not respond to several requests for information about Frank’s concerns.