Travel Tips

Travel Tip: What to Do if Your Cruise is Canceled

cruiseI’ve talked before about the draconian rules of cruise lines: your rights are few and far between if you have to cancel your trip. But what if the cruise line is the one to cancel?

If the ship hasn’t set out and the cruise is canceled for mechanical or technical reasons, you’ll most likely get a refund.

But that’s not in the cruise lines’ best interest. They make money off people spending money onboard, not just from the cost of the cabin.

So, they usually offer incentives to get you to rebook, like upgrades or additional credit.

If there are weather concerns, the cruise lines will often preemptively reroute the ships or skip ports…which takes us back to point of you having very little say in the matter.

Still, a well-worded letter to the corporate office might get you a credit or discount on a future cruise.

Now here’s the really tricky part: what happens to your flight if your cruise is canceled?

If you booked a package through an agent, you usually have some recourse. But if you booked the flight yourself, separately, it’s up to the airline’s discretion.

For more information, visit the Cruise Travel Archives.

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