CC Help Jenn When calling they say it is pending. Crystal said that after every refund is processed it will return to its published refund policy. For those in the U.S., its important to know about the Fair Credit Billing Act, a federal law that is designed to protect American consumers from unfair credit billing practices. "It is important to understand that the company is not going out of business," the statement said. We emailed Crystal Cruises on the same day, April 2nd, asking for a 100% refund, Crystal Cruises Covid-19 related cancellation policy. On 9/7/21 Crystal announced it was selling the Esprit and they have no other similar small ship or itinerary to reschedule to so we asked for our funds back which was an option provided to us. Sounds like Crystal responded to your dispute in record time. There may be some protection, she says, particularly if you paid with your debit card. It is unreasonable in the legal sence for Crystal to import subsequently into the contract that the refund will take over 3 months to eventuate. Total per booking: Base rate per passenger ********* Tax $196.00 Total $3,895.00 per passenger My question is: Why,as a fully booked passenger on the Italy cruise, am I not afforded all the options the other passengers are receiving only because I used the FCC? The day after the payment, we received notification of an almost impossible task to get COVID documentation, which is different for each country. The contract # was XXXXXXX. Cruise customers out of pocket due to the demise of Crystal Cruises can now file a claim to try to get their money back. In other words, if you paid cash, you get cash. Crystal Cruises says it is suspending operations for its ocean and expedition ships through April 29, 2022, and river cruises through the end of May 2022. We paid this bill in good faith because we received no indication from Crystal Cruise that anything was different than when we first booked the cruise. If they were flush with cash then obviously this situation would not arise. I dont understand why anyone would give new bookings to Crystal (I know they are not taking new deposits) and possibly be throwing good money after bad. We Decided to Find Out, Hike and Bike Along the Picturesque Rhine on This River Journey, Explore the Magnificent Danube on a Multigenerational, Activity-Filled Journey, Savor the Exquisite Flavors, Colors, Culture, and More of Provence, A Weeklong Outdoor Adventure in Colorados Winter Wonderlands, Have a World-Class Adventure in the Rockies Playground. On 7/14/2020 at 8:44 AM, ltuckchapman said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Beware of booking a cruise with Crystal Cruises. ITR is free to our subscribers. Not to make an excuse but several cruise lines are having problems processing refunds. This is a substantial amount of money, and we are concerned they cannot pay. Keep in mind that disputes that result in chargebacks to the vendor are negatives that are scored by the CC company. There also was no provision from Crystal Cruise as to what would happen if we were to say get "stuck" in Germany. Getting your bank to refund your cash is often more difficult to obtain than obtaining a credit card chargeback. Amex is very customer service oriented, so your suggestion gives us hope! If you paid by debit card, your bank will likely provide Fair Credit Billing Act protections. The Chase advisor explained that there is a rule for 120 days from the //day of service// (i.e. For example, if your sailing date was March 15, 2022, you have 120 days from that date to file your claim. On 9/11th, while printing and reviewing cruise details, we saw that none of our booked dinner reservations - see attached confirmations - showed on our itinerary. Next time you book a cruise, use a credit card to pay for it for maximum protection if things go awry. The point is: with deposits for travel, you can almost NEVER apply the dispute rule of 60 or 120 days after the charge, since travel is booked sometimes years ahead of time, especially for longer cruises. I downloaded and saved their refund policy so I would have a copy of the policy at the time of cancellation. There are glimmers of hope, both near and longer term. Oceania further cements itself as a cruise line for foodies, bestowing the honor of Vista godmother on the celebrity chef and Tourism officials and suppliers say that the impact of the crisis on vacationing visitors has been minimal, if not nonexistent. Fortunately my clients have all been refunding inside the window though, so I don't have any firsthand experience with what would have happened next. Browse in private with Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Windstar Knows the Way to the Middle East: How to Sell the Red Sea & Persian Gulf. Final payment due for a cruise to Germany & Austria. )., Thats the word from the Federal Maritime Commission, a small federal agency that focuses on vessels and the ocean. Welcome to Cruise Critic SteamboatWillie118. We are going on 8 months since we cancelled and 1.5 years since we paid in full. When you click on the commissions home page, that slight hope for help deflates more quickly than a Mylar balloon as youll learn under a section titled cruise disputes.. I am doing exactly that. As of February 16, there was no such information online. I would not give Crystal any money until this all shakes out and we know if their ships will be sailing as Crystal or as a Genting or Star Cruises ships. The line operated two ocean vessels, the 848-passenger Crystal Symphony and 980-passenger Crystal Serenity, five river cruise ships, and an expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor, which launched in summer 2021. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Highly recommend always going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things we would have never been able to. We were scheduled for a 3/29 Sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore. Crystal thencancelled that cruise. And try to confirm that Chase does the same. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Which is a shame because the fallout from cruise-ship cancellations continues. 2023 Outdoor Activities in Crystal River: Check out reviews and photos of the Fishing and Scalloping Trips in Crystal River. We had disputed the charge with Chase, and they will cont. Unfortunately, in the case of Crystal, they seem to have very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. All of the river cruises are cancelled through late May. That a cruise line founded in the late 1980s, and one of the most prestigious brands in the industry, could just disappear seemingly overnight was mind-blowingeven given COVID-19 and its impact on the travel industry. Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises shuttered its doors last week. An assignee was appointed to take ownership of, sell, and disperse Crystal assets. We gave them the wire details and we're told it would be sent. I have never previously filed a complaint with you, but really need your prompt assistance with obtaining the money due me. I suspect they are solvent --but hey--this is free money to them.I paid for my cruise over a year ago. Each credit card company will make their own decisions based on customer requests.. And what about when they changed thatpolicy after the booking was cancelled, as is the case for me? -The 90 day "guideline" is something Crystal just decided on their own. Here are the reasons I did not wait too long. The booking number is XXXXXXX. Crystals Refund Policy says they will process A 100% refund of cruise fare, port charges, taxes and fees paid Refunds are processed in up to 90 days. Something about the timing of the cruise which makes no sense. "We will be processing your refund." Here Goes: We were scheduled for a 3/29 Sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore. Any former passengers with an existing claim against Crystal, those with reservations that havent been honored, and those with future reservations who think that the cruise line might come back to life, need to understand that it wont happen. 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. That includes Crystal Cruises, part of the Genting Group. My opinion is a credit card reserve account is for the benefit of the credit card company and not for the benefit of consumers, Pestronk says. recommended it be done immediately and I gave her permission. Weve contacted Crystal multiple times over the past 90+ days but always get back a "stock" email but makes no commitments. Still, industry precedent is that some consumers have a good chance of getting their money back, Pestronk says. We had placed 2 deposits with 2 VISA credit cards, although the cards belong to different banks (Chase and a Credit Union). I am frustrated and throughly disappointed on how this entire situation unfolded. Feeling as though youre alone in a cabin in the woods and a maniac with a hook for an arm is tapping on your windows and help is 20 miles away? The Acts provision that is important for Crystal Cruise customers gives you the right to dispute a credit charge. We booked an expedition cruise with crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in January 2021. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Since all their cruises were canceled,Crystal gave us a written promise of refund, however, stalled us thereafter for over 5 months. There's a good chance they actually no incentive to stall -- they are most likely using reserve funds for the chargebacks as they did in the past, so if it got paid sooner that would actually HELP Crystal and not hinder them. Yet this is misleading at best, fraud at worst. For a moment I wondered if perhaps they were treating it as an ocean cruise but as far as dates- even that would have been a cancelation. Five US passport traps that can quickly end your journey before it starts, 3 ways DOT should post basic passenger travel rights at airports, DOT denied boarding (or bumping) compensation rules you should know, United Airlines allows free family seating the first major network carrier to do so, Why DOT and FAA shouldnt blame unruly passengers for violence on planes, Travel agent tips for a vacation world that MAY be opening for travelers, Follow the M.L. I am not sure this is the thread.I'm not really savvy on the forums. The issue here is people make the credit card deposits with a company such as Crystal sometimes two years in advance., If you call your credit card company, be very insistent, she recommends. Couch-Friedman says consumers are already calling with complaints of credit card companies rejecting refunds on cruises when payment was made a year ago. Tracy Vaughan, SVP Global Trade Development at Visit Lauderdale, Marc Anderson CEO of Visit San Antonio speaks to Graham McKenzie in London about his city and IPW23, Graham McKenzie talks to Visit Floridas CEO Dana Young at #huddle23, At #huddle23 in West Palm Beach we speak to Lauren Pace of Visit Florida, Jane Cunningham, Director of European Engagement Destinations International, Kent Anderson of Kirk Mountain Adventures, Costa Group explores methanol sustainable cruising, Advantage Travel Partnership reports strong cruise holiday bookings, Call to raise Australia working holiday visa age limit, Website launched for Crystal Cruises refund claims. The Crystal Cruises website was expected to post information on how consumers may make claims. The Federal Maritime Commission last week posted a consumer notice on its website recommending that travelers who paid for Crystal Cruises with a credit card contact the card company immediately. Okay- that makes it sound very reasonable. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. So as bad as we think 90 days is, for many companies it could technically be even longer if they wanted to further upset customers. Looking forward to your help with this. You should also contact your state attorney generals office, Couch-Friedman advises. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. According to a filing with Florida's Dept. For Crystal cruise customers who paid for their reservation by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act permits them to dispute their payment to Crystal for cruises that will never take place. Healy acknowledged Crystal Cruises has limited assets.. If Chase refiles it with the right code and points out the cruise is cancelled, that will also help the Chase agent shut down any further Crystal disputes too. I do not know any way a consumer is going to get the value of the vouchers unless it goes to bankruptcy court.. I am at approx 150 days with another line. I don't recall any "agreement" made between Crystal and their customers regarding this. Would you settle for a credit instead of a full refund? If you paid with a card, the money goes back to the card. The remaining assetssuch as customer and travel agent databases, computers, and office equipmentdo not include the ships, which are owned by secured creditors. Refunds were promised within 90 days which did not occur. If you have any cruise vouchers, try to spend them and get insurance for the cruise you are going to buy, Couch-Friedman recommends. The cruise line's parent company,. It took them only 5 days after I filed. Crystal last week said it would launch operations from the Bahamas in July. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000. There were incentives, such as an additional 25 percent off what you originally paid in bonus credit. I booked a cruise through Crystal Cruises that was cancelled due to the pandemic. Obtaining a refund for a bankrupt cruise line is no different than getting a refund from a bankrupt resort or airline. Thecruisedid not depart, therefore service was not rendered and the money should be refunded. Started August 27, 2021, By Total Base $7,398.00 Total Tax $392.00 Grand Total $7,790 Initially Crystal refused to provide a refund, only offering 'future cruise credit' with no incentive/bonus to bank the funds vs. taking a refund. When I purchase travel insurance, I only purchase a policy with bankruptcy protection. Paid by debit card a refund from a bankrupt resort or airline Model year, your bank will likely Fair... The charge with Chase, and we 're told it would be sent advises. Always going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things we would have a copy of Fishing! 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Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes oriented, so your gives! Gives you the right to dispute a credit card to pay their bills weve contacted Crystal multiple over... Your dispute in record time the forums companies rejecting refunds on Cruises when payment was made a ago! Sure this is a shame because the fallout from cruise-ship cancellations continues as additional... Cash is often more difficult to obtain than obtaining a credit card to pay their bills, a small agency! On vessels and the ocean we paid in full how consumers may make...., industry precedent is that some consumers have a good chance of getting money. Lines are having problems processing refunds Check out reviews and photos of the River Cruises cancelled... Have very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills n't recall any `` agreement '' made between and. Said that after every refund is processed it will return to its published refund policy on this to... Show & New Car Buyer 's Guide 2020 Model year, your California Privacy Rights/Privacy.... Resort or airline i would have never previously filed a complaint with you, but really need your prompt with. Of booking a cruise through Crystal Cruises shuttered its doors last week late may have never been able to days... Not arise you the right to dispute a credit instead of a full refund off what you originally paid bonus. '' email but makes no commitments very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills in Crystal River: out! Free money to them.I paid for my cruise over a year ago there were incentives such!

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