Airport Closures & Stranded Travelers: What Should the Cruise Lines Do?

[cruiseco]

 

Hopefully you are not suggesting the UK abandons its IMO better way of handling holiday insurance and adopts the free for all, devil take the hindmost US model.

 

Actually, I'm not suggesting the UK abandon their system. You guys can do anything you want -- it's no concern of mine. What I am suggesting is that it's not necessarily a superior system. Here's how it breaks down:

 

Group #!: Those UK-based cruisers who booked a cruise/air package through a tour company and paid the mandatory insurance premium and any US-based cruises (no matter how booked) that purchased optional insurance. All are covered so no difference there.

 

Group #2: Those US-based cruisers no matter how booked and those UK-based cruisers that made independent arrangements who chose not to purchase insurance: They're rational adults who weighed the risks against the costs and decided not to purchase a policy. It's not a decision I would have made but who am I to tell someone else that they have to buy a product that many feel is overpriced for the value it gives. They rolled the dice and lost. All lost so no difference there.

 

But there's a third group -- those UK-based cruisers who booked independently and did everything exactly right (weighed the risks and elected to purchase insurance) and are getting screwed by the UK travel insurance industry.

 

So I'm failing to see how the UK system is coming out of this looking any better than the "devil may care" system here.

[Donray]

 

Guests Who Purchased Air through Royal Caribbean

 

Those guests traveling on cruises departing April 17, 18 or 19, who were unable to travel to the ship due to airport closures, and who purchased air arrangements through Royal Caribbean, will be provided a refund of their air fare and a 100 percent Future Cruise Certificate in the amount of the cruise fare paid.

 

Guests Who Purchased Air Independently

 

Guests who have purchased their own air travel are asked to contact their airlines directly for assistance. For these guests, our normal cancellation policy applies. If cruise-only guests are unable to sail, we recommend they contact their travel coverage provider for additional information.

 

 

 

Let's hear from all those that say NEVER buy air from the cruise line since they do nothing for you.

[smeyer418]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/22/volcano.travel.compensation/index.html?hpt=T2

[CruisenLexie]

We always buy insurance because you never know what might happen although being stranded in another country for weeks or not being able to fly in due to volcanic ash would not have been on my radar screen. Of course there is aways that fine print and difference of intrepretation that can muddy the waters if a claim actually has to be made.

 

I will however pay attention to which cruise lines show compassion to stranded travelers and those who cannot fly in to departure points. A little compassion goes a long way and telling a passenger "too bad" may cost the cruise line far more when that person books all their future cruises with OTHER cruise lines.

[greatam]

Let's hear from all those that say NEVER buy air from the cruise line since they do nothing for you.

 

RCCL HAD to make this offer. Their air tickets CANNOT be rerouted and are non endorsable to other carriers. So in essence their passengers are STUCK wherever they are. RCCL can't move their passengers, so they essentially had to make the offer.

 

With self booked, published fare tickets, rerouting is possible. Another airline is definitely possible. Passengers had about a 60% chance of making cruises this week IF they were willing to reroute into an open airport AND take trains/buses/rental cars/ferries to their cruise departure point. Cruise air passengers WERE NOT given this option due to the nature of cruise air tickets.

 

With third party travel insurance, IF for some reason, all your airline options are null and void, you would be made whole. ALL your money back to spend as you choose. You aren't stuck with a future cruise credit, spending YOUR money the way the cruise line chooses to spend your money.

[greatam]

I agree. Insurance. I will make it a part of all my future plans.

 

That is not the argument though. The argument is that a cruise line has chosen to group their passengers into different classes. Those who booked through them and utilized all the services they offer, and those who went about it through travel agencies or on their own.

 

The lesson they are sending is clear. If you book directly through us and use our Air/Sea packages, we will take care of you! If, you choose to go it alone or through outside TA's, then you will not receive the level of service that we offer. They are rightfully trying to funnel people to book directly with them so they can recoup their investments in ChoiceAir, CruiseCare protection, and other high profit margin products that they offer.

 

They have made believers out of those they compensated, and they have made those that they didn't compensate....former passengers. My guess is that some bean counter figured this was a viable solution.

 

You miss the point. Cruise air tickets are NOT reroutable nor are they good on another airline. Your own self booked, published fare tickets have a lot of options (space available). RCCL's passengers were essentially stuck wherever they were. There were NO options due to the nature of the cruise air tickets.

 

Good third party travel insurance and self booked, published fare airline tickets gives you FAR more options than almost any cruise lines air/sea package.

[MakeMyJay]

I booked cruise only, as they do not offer an air/cruise package here. I also took out travel insurance, as I am cautious and it only cost $110.

 

$110 vs the airfare of $1950 - no brainer!

 

But I would not be compensated from the cruise line if I hadn't had insurance, and would have SOL anyway because I CAN'T buy an air/cruise package, it is not offered! So roll me both ways! :mad:

[dtwtraveler]

In the wake of Iceland's volcanic eruption and widespread airport closures in the U.K. and Europe, cruise lines have taken a variety of actions. Celebrity has canceled a preview cruise to bring stranded holidaymakers from Spain back to Europe. Thomson Cruises is altering Island Escape's itinerary to drop British guests off in Falmouth. Cunard is offering future cruise credit for passengers who can't make its April 22 transatlantic crossing, while NCL and Royal Caribbean are holding cruise-only guests to standard cancellation penalties.

 

We want to know: How do you think cruise lines should be accommodating passengers who can't make their cruises because of airport closures or who are stranded because they can't fly home?[/quote

 

These situations are the reasons why we must buy third-party insurance! If not, we're at the mercy of the cruise lines, airlines and hotels.

[David&Heather]

You miss the point. Cruise air tickets are NOT reroutable nor are they good on another airline. Your own self booked, published fare tickets have a lot of options (space available). RCCL's passengers were essentially stuck wherever they were. There were NO options due to the nature of the cruise air tickets.

 

Good third party travel insurance and self booked, published fare airline tickets gives you FAR more options than almost any cruise lines air/sea package.

 

Having just had our cruise package cancelled and had an alternative cruise arranged and booked via our TA the following day I would never now consider booking independantly, the thought of separately dealing with Insurance, cruise line, airline(s), hotel(s) etc makes me shudder, add to that the time taken to sort out the logistics of arranging it all in the first place makes the decision to continue booking via our TA an easy decision.

[greatam]

Having just had our cruise package cancelled and had an alternative cruise arranged and booked via our TA the following day I would never now consider booking independantly, the thought of separately dealing with Insurance, cruise line, airline(s), hotel(s) etc makes me shudder, add to that the time taken to sort out the logistics of arranging it all in the first place makes the decision to continue booking via our TA an easy decision.

 

UK cruise packages are handled ENTIRELY different than US cruise/air packages. You MUST buy insurance. US passengers are not required to purchase insurance. Per the UK/EU rules, airlines MUST accommodate on different carriers or reroute the tickets OR package sellers must make alternative travel arrangements OR full refunds/cruise credit/alternative cruise must be offered.

 

NOT so in the USA. Cruise air tickets issued to US passengers are essentially NO GOOD on other carriers. They generally cannot be rerouted without paying LARGE change fees. Cruise lines are not on the hook to re-accommodate, reimburse or otherwise help passengers. It is in the US cruise contracts.

[David&Heather]

We can only comment from the UK perspective but any thoughts we have previously had regarding booking cruise and flights independantly will not be put into practice. It is the independant travellers who have lost out in this situation with either no insurance or insurance that does not provide cover in this case.

[kamalani80]

So let me make sure I get this. The cruise lines and others offer travel insurance. The cruise lines recommend you take it. They make clear that they will not refund your money after a given date. You pass on the insurance and now expect the cruise line to refund your money?

 

Insurance is marketed as for those times when YOU have to cancel a trip or YOU have issues (medical, work, family, etc). Most people not choosing to buy insurance have accepted those risks. People affected by the flight stoppages to/from Europe DID NOT choose to cancel their cruises. I suspect that if they were like me, they were trying every possible flight alteration possible to get to their cruise departure point. It just wasn't possible. Yes, SOME insurance policies covered SOME people.

 

I DONT expect any refund, I never asked for a refund. We are asking for the money that the cruise line has from us, be applied toward a future cruise in the form of a future cruise credit which they gave to anyone who booked directly with them (who may have or may not have purchased travel protection policies). That is all. Equal treatment for all their passengers.