When cruisers book their vacation, they often look forward to specific ports of call, even choosing the exact sailing date and itinerary to be sure they can explore new destinations or revisit their favorite places to cruise.
It is understandably disappointing, then, when they learn – whether before sailing or while en route – they will not be visiting those ports after all.
Unfortunately, there is a growing trend among some cruise passengers that believe they should be “owed” generous compensation when a port of call is cancelled. Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald has now firmly addressed that issue so there can be no confusion.
“I’ve had a few people … who have been on ships that have missed ports,” Heald explained during a recent live broadcast on his popular Facebook page. “Not missed homeports, missed outer ports, whether it be Grand Cayman or Cozumel or Progreso, etc., and who are demanding compensation.”
“I just want to be really clear and transparent. We have given you the port charges and taxes and fees back, but I’m afraid we are not going to be giving you onboard credit, or a full day’s refund, or a full refund as somebody mentioned.”
Heald acknowledges that the weather can create choppy weather and less-than-smooth sailing, but does note that ship captains always keep safety as the first priority and sail their vessels into calmer water as much as possible.
A storm as large and powerful as a hurricane, however, can create rough seas hundreds of miles from its center. While this can be uncomfortable for passengers, the ships are well equipped to handle the ocean’s activity without danger.
“To say that the captain purposely sailed you into a storm, which a few people have done, is absolutely 100% totally not true,” Heald said.
“I do apologize, and I mean this most sincerely, if some of you didn’t feel very well with the extra motion of the ship, but I know the captains would have done everything they could. Always trust the captain, always trust the crew, but we will not be giving any compensation for a missed port.”
Ultimately, Heald makes it clear that “we don’t control the weather” – a sentiment that is true for every cruise line.
This clarification comes after Carnival Cruise Line has had a great deal of itinerary changes, missed ports, and even cancelled sailings due to Hurricane Milton. Every ship and every situation is different, but travelers should not expect credit, refunds, or bonuses when a port of call is missed for any reason.
Carnival Cruise Line does spell out this policy in its Cruise Ticket Contract, Section 8(d), which states:
“Carnival may change the duration and/or itinerary of the cruise at any time,” which includes the right to “omit or change any or all port calls, arrival or departure times, with or without notice, for any reason whatsoever.”
Poor weather, hurricanes, and tornadoes are all listed as possible reasons for such deviations, all of which are possible when a storm develops.
Carnival Cruise Ship Entering Port Canaveral (Photo Credit: Peter Titmuss)
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
With respect to refunds or other compensation after such changes, the contract goes on to state:
“Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages in such circumstances for any change in itinerary, ports of call, ports of embarkation and debarkation, and/or duration of the cruise.”
The only exception to this policy is for a mechanical failure of the ship, which is not the case with weather-related itinerary adjustments.
But Other Cruisers Got Compensation!
Disgruntled guests often tell Heald that they received such compensation from other cruise lines or at other times. Heald does not comment on the policies of other lines, nor are such claims confirmed.
It is true that if a cruise is dramatically altered – such as Carnival Elation‘s now 2-night cruise-to-nowhere rather than the originally planned 4-night, 2-port itinerary – Carnival Cruise Line will often offer a partial refund and onboard credit.
This is done as a gesture of goodwill for very dramatic changes and is not required – and nor should it be expected.
Guests who claim to “always” get refunds for missed ports of call may be exaggerating or may be confusing the refund of port fees and taxes – which has always been firm policy – with extra onboard credit.
Do you think cruise lines should offer extra bonuses when sailings are disrupted? Why or why not? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
