Cruise lines don’t return fares easily

Here’s a look at passenger refunds in 2018

Cruise lines don’t return fares easily. Miami-based Royal Caribbean’s decision to refund customers inconvenienced by wild partying on the Voyager of the Seas in September was one of just a handful of times cruise lines have offered full or partial refunds for cruise problems in 2018. Here are five others:

May 2018: Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line provided full refunds to about 100 guests affected after a water line broke and flooded 50 staterooms during a Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Dream, the Associated Press re- ported.

May 2018: Carnival Cruise Line gave passengers prorated refunds and onboard credit when maintenance issues on the Carnival Miracle kept that ship docked at the Port of Tampa for the first two days of a scheduled seven-day cruise. Carnival also provided free shuttles to guests who wanted to check out area attractions during the unexpected delay, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

April 2018: Norwegian Cruise Line, also based in Miami, gave a 100 percent credit to passengers

who sailed on Norwegian Sun’s last cruise before entering dry dock after passengers complained that the ship was essentially a “construction zone” during a Panama Canal crossing. Photos posted by passengers showed the pool deck ripped apart and other venues closed off during the 15-day voyage, Cruisecritic.com reported.

February 2018: Carnival Cruise Line provided 25 percent refunds to passengers aboard an Australia-based Carnival Legend after numerous brawls broke out during a 10-day South Pacific voyage, the Washington Post reported. Twenty-three people were removed from the ship for fighting. January 2018: Norwegian Cruise Line gave onboard credit equal to one day of passengers’ cruise fares after its Norwegian Breakaway sailed through “Winter Storm Grayson” while returning to New York from the Bahamas, CBS News reported. The rough weather produced 30-foot waves and heavy rain that flooded parts of the ship and traumatized some passengers.

GETTY 2004 Carnival Miracle was delayed at the Port of Tampa in May 2018, prompting Carnival Cruise Line to give prorated refunds to affected customers.