Should cruise lines offer compensation for missed Mexico ports?

[mercedes]

Major lines such as Carnival and Royal Caribbean scrambled Wednesday to find alternative ports for ships scheduled to visit Mexico in the coming days, and by all accounts they did a masterful job. In less than 24 hours, they reworked the itineraries of nearly three dozen vessels, securing last-minute berth slots in destinations as far-flung as Victoria, British Columbia.

Still, not everyone is happy about the changes. Passengers on the handful of ships that sail from the West Coast to Mexico, in particular, face the prospect of a warm-weather vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas suddenly turning into a chilly ride northward to the Pacific Northwest and Canada -- about the only other option available.

One vessel sailing out of Los Angeles, the Sapphire Princess, barely is making it out of its home port with new stops that include nearby Santa Barbara and San Diego.

Should passengers on the disrupted cruises be compensated for the switch and/or allowed to cancel or postpone without penalty?

While industry giant Carnival is generously waiving its cancellation policies and offering a full refund in the form of a future cruise credit (and, in some cases, cash), Princess is taking a harder stand, offering no compensation.

Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, is taking a middle road, encouraging passengers on its most affected ship, the West Coast-based Mariner of the Seas (which is heading to San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria, B.C., in lieu of Mexico), to call a dedicated help line to discuss compensation and rebooking options.

Cruise lines, of course, had little choice but to cancel calls to Mexico in the wake of the U.S. government's warning on non-essential travel to the country.

[JoeyandDavid]

If embarkation is less than 30 days... I would offer an of 50% refund and take the cruise or 100% refund... if you are more than 30 days out I think change to another booking same cabin categories same price different itinerary.. and if you are more than last payment out then.. sorry just option to cancel.

[JoeyandDavid]

well maybe give them a $50 obc just in principal...

[coloradocruisers]

I guess it might depend on how much the line is saving, if anything, on the modified itenerary (i.e., port fees, etc.) They're struggling enough already, wouldn't want to see them take too big of a financial hit.

[DebbieandJerry]

Don't the cruise lines have the written clause that protects them: "at the discretion of the ship, may not stop at all ports"?

Yes, I agree that it sucks if you were planning on going to Cabo and ended up in San Diego. But I'm not sure that all of the ships could afford to offer you your money back if you backed out at the last minute.

Jerry and I had an option when we were booked on the Sensation to go Eastern Caribbean and there was a hurricane. They offered full cruise refund if we chose not to sail Western. However, they would not refund airline. Their philosophy was they were sailing (with or without us). We sailed.

So I guess it also means: do you go home and stew because you planned a vacation and didn't get one or do you have something to talk about after being on a vacation?

[TheSkipper]

Looks like we are going to Key West instead of Cozumel. Thanks, Carnival. And, you don't owe us a thing. The cruise lines did not create or cause Swine Flu, but they are doing the smart thing, at least Carnival is. If we were sailing from the West Coast, I'd take the full credit and sail later.

[JoeyandDavid]

But there is still the "cost of Doing Business" it would i think behoove them to handle this well.. go too far make the share holders unhappy don't provide something for the inconvenience run the risk of alienating your cruise base...

[rogue]

If embarkation is less than 30 days... I would offer an of 50% refund and take the cruise or 100% refund... if you are more than 30 days out I think change to another booking same cabin categories same price different itinerary.. and if you are more than last payment out then.. sorry just option to cancel.

I think that a 50 % return is quite drastic. This is a true act of God, and these people are still getting a full cruise. No one should expect to get all the ports signed up for. It's amazing that an overwhelming number of cruises do get to where they say they were going as it is. Cabin credit of some sort would be nice, but even that can be very expensive to a cruiseline.

[JoeyandDavid]

If . No one should expect to get all the ports signed up for.

Howard they are talking about a different climate entirely.. case in point.. lets take our own Joe and Joan.. we know how they dislike the Caribbean.. so they book a new england fall cruise something happens and the itinerary switches to Bermuda.. ..and lest say Joe and Joan have to fly to their port of embarkation and the airlines refuse to refund.. so either use the tickets or lose that as well..now with that being said .. and as this discussion continues..

Has anyone else realized that this is another perfect example why you need travel insurance!

[JoeyandDavid]

the other reason i said fifty percent is because thats how they have priced the cabins on the west coast run. for the first 2 cruises 849 for a jr suite