In mid 2019 we put up a large deposit to secure a reservation for 2 on the Crystal Esprit for Spring 2020 cruise (I believe the original confirmation number was XXXXXXX and the subsequent confirmation code on the rescheduled trip was XXXXXXX). We waited until Crystal cancelled our cruise (2 April 2020). Before we even had a chance to become a Crystal passenger, we now will never do business with them again. Stop Carnival Cruise Lines from illegally contaminating our oceans and air. Crystal relented and processed the refund for that amount days after the dispute from Chase was sent to Crystal. Ten days later, Crystal cancelled the cruise. Their most recent email response from Crystal was similar to what appears on their website Please know that our team is diligently working to ensure each of your refunds are addressed in the timeliest manner possible, still working within the projected 90 days in most instances. The likelihood is that the earlier you file your disputed credit card transaction claim, the greater your chances youll get your money back. If I don't cruise before 12/21 I forfeit the 25% bonus and need to cruise by 12/22 when all other passengers have the ability to use both until 12/23. Here are the reasons I did not wait too long. Nothing about refunding after months , and at their discretion. It was about the crew, Ross says. Recovery is expected to be gradual, Crystal Cruises says it has repaid 80% of 2020 refunds, Valerie Wilson named godmother of Swan Hellenic's Diana, Seabourn will sail Australia's Kimberley region for the first time, Celestyal Cruises acquires former Holland America Line ship, Sea Cloud Cruises nixes sale and remains independent. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. They are not honoring their refund policy. 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? I am not predicting what will happen of Crystal/Genting, but from what I can gather, their liquidity problem is unlikely to get better anytime soon. Catharine Hamm is the former Travel editor for the Los Angeles Times and became a special contributor in June 2020. Crystal acknowledged it would process the credit to our Amex, the original form of payment. I gave Crystal 3 weeks and then I contacted the credit card company. Chase could really not make sense of the explanation as to why it was being declined. Im singularly unimpressed. It was a last-ditch effort to protect consumers, travel agents, employees, and vendors owed money. I did not cancel. They are not members of the BBB. Ten days later, Crystal cancelled the cruise. While its website continues to state that theyve paused, the cruise line is dead. The contract # was XXXXXXX. Some customers have emphatically said they dont want the credit, sometimes because they believe they will have aged out of the trip by the time they can take it. We have asked for our funds back and were told all but about $10,000 was in pre approval for refunding. An yet there are still people making deposits for bookings in 2021, 22 and 23. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? Started August 27, 2021, By After reading both of these posts, I opened a new CC topic to discuss FCC problems. Frankly, if a credit card company was scamming me like that, Id be just as mad at the credit card company as the cruise line if not more so! By "Unfortunately, it's taken a lot longer than we would have liked. Crystal extended its no-money down deposit window that it implemented in July 2020 as well as relaxed final payment policies. If you took the deal with Crystal, what you have now is a useless voucher. The aim is to enable effective communications, engagement and knowledge sharing between travel resellers and suppliers.. Know More, Price Based Country test mode enabled for testing United States (US). Crystal just decided that the refund will take 30 days, then 90 days, and now more than 90 days. There is a limited trust pool of money at the credit card companies. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. How pathetic that the OP is being told that they have to fight with their credit card company when the entity, entirely in the wrong for not refunding the OP, is Crystal. Visit Neds Photography Blog and Galleries. And if so- how long did it take? They cancelled the cruise. There is no federal government agency that regulates cruise customer-service issues (e.g. Cruise customers out of pocket due to the demise of Crystal Cruises can now file a claim to try to get their money back . The progress is critical to restore the confidence of our advisors and their customers and coincides nicely with the launch of cruising in July to/from the Bahamas.". 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. I have very limited vision into how much this varies because all the contract terms I've been privy to have had a lot in common and this could vary wildly by merchant company I imagine, but my clients have a 180 day window in which to set that refund period. Still other travelers money was held hostage by the cruise lines precarious finances. Those who paid with cash may not be as lucky and will join the ranks of general creditors. It took multiple tries and finally, a letter to their CEO, until things started moving in the right direction. 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. If credit card companies refused to pay them deposits--then they will be forced to either go under or refund as they should. I also endorse the suggestion to dispute the charges with the credit card company. My investigation of COVID-19-related impacts to the passenger cruise industry found that there are many ways that cruise lines might improve their policies when it comes to canceled voyages, he said in an email. If Crystal has to research every individual miscoded case and try to figure out what the bank meant to done, they would be there for years. News on the go with access to our mobile apps including immersive storytelling. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. Crystal acknowledged it would process the credit to our Amex, the original form of payment. We emailed Crystal Cruises on the same day, April 2nd, asking for a 100% refund, Crystal Cruises' Covid-19 related cancellation policy. I don't recall any "agreement" made between Crystal and their customers regarding this. The cruise in question must have more than 50 beds and must have originated from a U.S. port, which would include Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. I am now being told it could take months to receive the refund. I am doing exactly that. King Day of Service with a great tour of civil rights landmarks. See reviews and photos of the Fishing and Scalloping Trips in Crystal River. ", "I always knew that they'd do the right thing," she said. In the unlikely event of the Company's insolvency, appropriate measures shall be taken to refund any money the Customer has paid to the Company. Looking back I wish I would do it much sooner. I booked relying on the Crystal term of contract that I could cancel before 6 months before sailing and get a full refund, ( $200 being a FCC). In the other thread there are people waiting almost a year. (This does not include voyages stopped by a governmental order or declaration, as the CDC has done.). None of us agreed to 90+ day wait for our refunds when we made our deposits. Having paid more than $20,000 . 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. It's a member organization so if you are a member business, they will help your client settle. Very sad. Take a look at the findings of the report (bit.ly/cruisecomments); send your comments to secretary@fmc.gov. 19.2 FLIGHTS. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. All of the river cruises are cancelled through late May. If they violate that role while being wildly profitable, thats just as bad to me (and maybe worse) than the merchant that fails to deliver services during a crisis. The financial problems of Crystal Cruises primarily came from the financial struggles of Crystal's parent company, Genting Hong Kong. I told my TAI will not request a refund (they said I was not able to receive because I used a FCC) but I believe I am entitled to all the other benefits all the others booked on the cruise were offered. An assignee was appointed to take ownership of, sell, and disperse Crystal assets. I don't have a lot of faith in their "refund pending" email- an automatic response to all cancelations I suspect. 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. All of its employees were laid off, there are some crew still on ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills, and there is no cash in the bank. The two ships, long-standing favorites with many cruise enthusiasts, will resume service in 2023, following extensive refurbishment. If you paid with a card, the money goes back to the card. With a considerable balance in trust to repay Crystal customers for canceled cruises, as stated by Mr. Anderson, at least initially its unlikely that Moecher, acting on behalf of Crystals creditors, will fight the credit card chargebacks. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. Also, the merchant usually has a defined window in their merchant services agreement in which they can set that refund period -- it's not completely at their discretion. Mary Jean Tully, CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, Crystal's top producing agency for 25 years, also said that Crystal was "refunding more outstanding clients and travel agents, as well. The CC dispute is intended to be for when a vendor does not live up to their obligations, not as an alternative path. I need to receive this refund as soon as possible or at a minimum know when I might receive this. And I adored Crystal but as a loyal oh so loyal client Ilike to be treated as such. Your post probably should have been added to one already in existence. If a cruise is canceled because of a governmental order or declaration, refunds must be issued within 180 days. But dont get too excited. Travelers Unitedis a nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Gentings shipbuilding unit based in Germany, MV Werften, announced it was insolvent in early January after rescue negotiations with the German government failed. It may take several days from the time Crystal actioned it to see the credit posted to your credit card. It may be lost money. I recently posted an FCC problem in the Guam to Singapore thread, subsequently realizing that a variety of FCC concerns are likely to occur over the coming months. 194 total complaints in the last 3 years. Also, I see no reason to wait 90 days or even 60 days to do so. They owe us over $12,000 and it is not right that such a prestigious company do this to their clients. "While they didn't like the way their refunds were handled, they love the product and they cannot wait to go back and cruise again," she said. Ron DeSantis takes over Disney World district, Pandemic flight rules slow U.S.-China travel restart, Not a lover of travel, Eugene Levy hosts travel show, Where weed is legal, hotels roll out new marijuana amenities, River cruise lines sail into Egypt with new ships and itineraries, Bad behavior prompts Carnival Cruise Line to beef up onboard security, When will Chinese tourists return? Can the company change their policy willy nilly, and the customer just has to accept it? Details per Confirmation # (Complaints about individual cruises go to complaints@FMC.gov.). According to a filing with Florida's Dept. Depressed now? Other cruise passengers have been dismayed by the ponderous pace of refunds, the inability to contact a live human being or the complete silence in the tsunami that ensued when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued no-sail orders, recently extended until Oct. 31. Some cruise lines were (and are) overwhelmed with refund requests. We were caught in a vortex and feel as if we are being penalized for it. Award-winning investigations and consumer reporting that helps Arizonans recover hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. I am now on day 120--and still no refund. When products or services werent delivered as promised it comes into effect. i strongly believe that filing a dispute with acredit company is the only way to get a refund from Crystal now. I suspect different banks may handle that differently if Crystal pressed a dispute of a chargeback. I was told I would likely receive a refund within 90 days. -Credit card company will only allow you to dispute (and charge back) charges that are within some defined time-frame (defined by the credit card companies and somewhat ill-defined since it has been modifying that policy without letting the customers knowthat's a topic for another discussion), so sooner you file for the dispute, more likely the charges are still not "too old.". So, hopefully, I will get the deposit part refunded sometime. The other card was through a credit union. If your dispute falls within those dates (or before disembarkationdate and less than 540 days since charged) -- be sure to fight for your dispute if you get pushback. Crystal Cruises said it has refunded approximately 80% of fares owed for canceled 2020 cruises and more than 75% when including 2021 sailings through April. Her varied media career has taken her from McPherson, Kan., to Kansas City, Mo., San Bernardino, Salinas and L.A. Hamm has twice received individual Lowell Thomas Awards, and the Travel section has been recognized seven times during her tenure as editor. File a claim if it does. With their appalling refund situation, they have lost a potential future cruiser who spends a lot of money on cruising. Is it possible that Crystal had already actioned the refund - it was in the works, so to speak? Started August 27, 2021, By There is no clear pathway that we can set a consumer on who has a voucher.. We were only offered FCC. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. "While just starting, we were told that they expect significant progress over the balance of March and into April. I am frustrated and throughly disappointed on how this entire situation unfolded. Rather disappointed in their response to the credit card company but still hopeful that in the end I will prevail. 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. 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. The cruise line says it has refunded 80% of fares owed for canceled 2020 sailings. Okay- that makes it sound very reasonable. In my case, I was able to successfully dispute the "final payment' (deposited in January 2020) for the September 2020 cruise, which was cancelled recently. Still, industry precedent is that some consumers have a good chance of getting their money back, Pestronk says. Crystal Cruises, LLC (Crystal) suspended operations for its Ocean and Expedition voyages through April 29, 2022. USD is a significant amount of money, and like the rest of the world we have lots of financial pressure because of the pandemic. Sometimes it is even better than insurance. On record-keeping, why do airlines play dumb with Congress? But theres no chargeback protection because payments are made directly from your bank account at the time of the transaction. But if you have a problem with a cruise, you have a problem. Some cruise lines were (and are) overwhelmed with refund requests. 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