READ ALSO: By That cruise was cancelled due to the pandemic. 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. Crystal thencancelled that cruise. They cancelled the cruise. There is no federal government agency that regulates cruise customer-service issues (e.g. Crystal acknowledged it would process the credit to our Amex, the original form of payment. Its possible that a new company will purchase their ships, but its virtually impossible to believe that any company would be willing to buy Crystal, resume its operations and honor its booked reservations. 2022. It has been almost one year. LauraS If you took the deal with Crystal, what you have now is a useless voucher. -The 90 day "guideline" is something Crystal just decided on their own. 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. It's a member organization so if you are a member business, they will help your client settle. Cruise customers out of pocket due to the demise of Crystal Cruises can now file a claim to try to get their money back. Call Us; Text Us; Live Chat; Specials; How It Works; Groups; About; Travel Mole Newsletter is a subscriber only travel trade news publication. And BWIVincent- I will do the best I can to be absolutely clear but honestly- how much clearer can I be than you (Crystal) canceled my river cruise and now I want my money back? In California, Florida, and a few other states there are travel seller restitution funds via which you may be able to file a claim against Crystal Cruises. 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. *Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. Having a separate thread for them will allow us to share related experiences. The Federal Trade Commission is the place to explain your problem. Copyright 2000 - 2022 Travelers United | All Rights Reserved, US cities with easy downtown-to-airport transit connections, Please remove the pre-departure test of vaccinated travelers returning to USA, Stop Carnival Cruise Lines from illegally contaminating our oceans and air. Guests who had their cruises canceled due to the. It took them only 5 days after I filed. Please call American Express and a dispute can be filed. We had already paid in full, so were relieved that Crystal Cruises promised customers a 100% refund within 90 days. Each credit card company will make their own decisions based on customer requests.. 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. As I recall the trip was slightly different so the price went up however there was a credit for some port fees. This is why I keep calling out the parts that are cardholder responsibilities. Heres why experts say not to worry, How a Cucamonga Peak hiker survived a 200-foot fall from an icy trail, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. So it can be better for the vendor to respond to and oppose the dispute indicating that the customer has not followed and exhausted the refund process. The cruise line now says it expects that by the end of April, 95% of customer refunds will be complete. The other card was through a credit union. Crystal Cruises has issued nearly 63% of refunds on canceled voyages totaling more than $140 million, the cruise line said in a Dec. 9 update to travel advisors, and will be processing refunds on . If you have a copy that says 90 days, and the merchant provides a subsequent policy change that says "minimum of 90 days", the credit card company will almost always honor the cardholder's initial notice. BBB is here to help. 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. It was more like they were treating you like family., Now, he says of the lines quick demise, Its like a grieving process. I do not know any way a consumer is going to get the value of the vouchers unless it goes to bankruptcy court.. According to a filing with Florida's Dept. Beloved for their 6-star, personalized service, their comfort and the sophisticated atmosphere, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony will continue to operate under the " Crystal Cruises " brand. Passengers have 24 hours to change or cancel their nonrefundable tickets without penalty, Once airfare is purchased, that airfare and ancillary fees cannot be increased. And when asked as to a time frame as to when the money would be refunded. Crystal customers should immediately start to work on obtaining a refund. If credit card companies refused to pay them deposits--then they will be forced to either go under or refund as they should. Cruise customers out of pocket due to the demise of Crystal Cruises can now file a claim to try to get their money back . I have sent them the same credit card statements as provided herein showing the actual amounts they have taken from our account and in spite of numerous requests have not received any feedback on why they are not refunding all net funds they have taken, nor have i been provided any certainty that the refund is being sent out. It is simply a matter of contract. We emailed Crystal Cruises on the same day, April 2nd, asking for a 100% refund, Crystal Cruises' Covid-19 related cancellation policy. Crystal know this --they rely on passionate cruisers.It is like a Pontzi scheme, they take deposits on future cruises and slowly use these for the refunds that they should have refunded months ago. Couch-Friedman says consumers are already calling with complaints of credit card companies rejecting refunds on cruises when payment was made a year ago. Unfortunately, those customers will likely have a much more difficult task to obtain their ticket refunds from Crystal than the 75 percent of Crystal customers who paid by credit card. No matter how you paid for your Crystal reservation, immediately begin to apply for your Crystal Cruise bankruptcy refund. 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. Sorry, but its not a big fat check. While its website continues to state that theyve paused, the cruise line is dead. It's not QUITE true that the refund period means nothing. Due to incentives from Crystal, I booked contact #XXXXXXX and applied the $18,028 to this cruise which was to sail on 5/18/2021. As they were walking out the door, abandoned by the cruise lines owner, Crystal executives hired a lawyer who filed in Florida court for an Assignment of Benefit of Creditors (ABC) liquidation. The dispute resolution isnt necessarily going to be automatic. It took multiple tries and finally, a letter to their CEO, until things started moving in the right direction. Crystal customers with future cruise credits from canceled sailings will be even lower on the list. Booking number #XXXXXXX In the names of ****** and ********* ******. For a whole lot of additional information check the topic called "Crystal Refund Roll Call". We are now at day 98, with no idea if and when well get our refund. What Credit Cards Provide the Best Travel Insurance? CC Help Jenn Mr. Anderson said that Genting effectively washed their hands of Crystal. As a result, Crystal soon had a bank account of zero, followed by a U.S. court ordering the seizure of the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity due to unpaid fuel bills. Very sad. Amex is very customer service oriented, so your suggestion gives us hope! Here are 64 ways to enjoy L.A.s beloved getaway. File a claim if it does. Our booking number is BK XXXXXXX. Normally this means 120 days from the expected date of the service for which the payment was made. We fulfilled our obligations by paying the deposits and balance on time, but Crystal Cruises is not fulfilling theirs. See what's sprouting for Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Norse Atlantic adds four U.S.-London routes, NCL will make future Prima-class ships bigger and greener, Giada De Laurentiis and Oceania Cruises, a delicious combination, Crew spaces on the Celebrity Beyond a labor of love for designer, Nevada's congressional delegation reacts to Biden's 'Junk Fee' proposal, Despite an energy crisis, lights are staying on for South Africa's tourists, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Florida Gov. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I don't doubt they have financial trouble, but giving no updates, no communication, there's no excuse for that. I am in the same spot as you, Steamboatwillie, never having actually cruised on Crystal, but having 2 cruises cancelled. If Crystal is insolvent then it is illegal for them to trade. Windstars 2023/24 Middle East program kicks off in November. We waited patiently until the end of Aug, past the 90 Day mark. That said, dont push the time limits. Take a look at the findings of the report (bit.ly/cruisecomments); send your comments to secretary@fmc.gov. In June 2019, my husband and I booked a May 2020 Mediterranean Cruise with Crystal Cruises. I will stick with Regent, Oceania, and Silversea, who do actually give refunds in a timely manner. Followers 1. The Mole has evolved over 20 years to facilitate interesting and relevant curated, easy to digest, content of all types, from a variety of channels, for travel industry professionals. Final payment due for a cruise to Germany & Austria. Thank you. Always where shes going next. Department of Homeland Security changed the deadline for REAL ID? These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies. 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