Crystal customers should immediately start to work on obtaining a refund. Washington, D.C.-based travel lawyer Mark Pestronk says it isnt quite that cut and dried. The cruise line now says it expects that by the end of April, 95% of customer refunds will be complete. ", "I always knew that they'd do the right thing," she said. Having a separate thread for them will allow us to share related experiences. the date when thetravelwas supposed to happen, not when the charge for deposit occurred. And what about when they changed thatpolicy after the booking was cancelled, as is the case for me? The state's lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency rather than criticizing the resort fees. Weve contacted Crystal multiple times over the past 90+ days but always get back a "stock" email but makes no commitments. 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. 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. Nothing about refunding after months , and at their discretion. by Ned S. Levi | Feb 21, 2022 | Getting there. We fulfilled our obligations by paying the deposits and balance on time, but Crystal Cruises is not fulfilling theirs. It is simply a matter of contract. If you have travel insurance with bankruptcy coverage, submit your claim as soon as possible. "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. That said, dont push the time limits. 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. Unfortunately, in the case of Crystal, they seem to have very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills. Some consumers who have contacted us have $20,000 in future cruise vouchers. 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. Catharine Hamm is the former Travel editor for the Los Angeles Times and became a special contributor in June 2020. (Complaints about individual cruises go to complaints@FMC.gov.). I will do my best to cross every T and dot every i. I am not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make our final payment (or how. Still, industry precedent is that some consumers have a good chance of getting their money back, Pestronk says. Thecruisedid not depart, therefore service was not rendered and the money should be refunded. They are not members of the BBB. And if so- how long did it take? Friday, 10 Mar, 2022 0. But I'm feeling very optimistic about everything as are our clients.". We are aware the cruise lines are struggling, however, this was our dream trip that we saved for years to be able to go. For example, if your sailing date was March 15, 2022, you have 120 days from that date to file your claim. Your best course of action is to file a credit card dispute. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? 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! 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. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. We were caught in a vortex and feel as if we are being penalized for it. Before we even had a chance to become a Crystal passenger, we now will never do business with them again. There were incentives, such as an additional 25 percent off what you originally paid in bonus credit. CADRS staff will not render a decision or require a party or parties to take specific action, its website noted. Seasoned travelers know that if they have a problem with an airline, they can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. 19.2 FLIGHTS. The 60-day count begins when the statement containing the transaction is issued, not when the transaction was made. Bookings Detail: 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. When calling they say it is pending. Airlines Refunds: DOT enforcement notice that all airline tickets canceled by the airlines must be repaid to include all airfare, taxes and added fees with cash not airline credits. Some cruise lines were (and are) overwhelmed with refund requests. The line said it has refunded a. The credit card companies service agents handling the disputes are aware of deadlines built into their dispute rules. Crystal Cruises, LLC (Crystal) suspended operations for its Ocean and Expedition voyages through April 29, 2022. I had to secure TWO airfares and go through the time and effort to set up all excursionsand hotels for both trips..for them both to be cancelled. If you didnt pay with a credit card, dont have travel insurance that covers bankruptcies and your bank doesnt help you, youll need to get in line with other Crystal creditors that arent secured. That triggered a debt default of $2.78 billion. Crystal extended its no-money down deposit window that it implemented in July 2020 as well as relaxed final payment policies. I had to fight that as they originally said I only had until 12/21. Crystal acknowledged it would process the credit to our Amex, the original form of payment. One year ago our cruise was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. 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. Did you finally get your refund? In order to display the B2B travel content that meets your business needs, we need to know who are and what are your business needs. Crystal canceled their trip and offered them two options: a full refund to be returned in 90 days or a voucher for future travel for 125% of the cost of their cruise. Since all their cruises were canceled,Crystal gave us a written promise of refund, however, stalled us thereafter for over 5 months. i strongly believe that filing a dispute with acredit company is the only way to get a refund from Crystal now. 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). "We are unable to give you that information.". On 19-AUG-2021 Crystal submitted a final bill for $15,188.02. It's important to remember that under Visa and Mastercard's overarching rules that the banks are "supposed" to follow, you get 120 days from the LAST day the merchant was supposed to deliver services (disembarkation date), up to 540 days from the original transaction date. As they canceled sailings due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, all cruise lines urged customers to take future cruise credits, in lieu of refunds. That includes Crystal Cruises, part. The no-money-down deposit window has been extended until April 5. 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.. There is a limited trust pool of money at the credit card companies. 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? 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. 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. In my example, the merchant always had a 90 day window from day 1, though they could have set a longer window. 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. 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. Crystal is not the only one having problems. Cruise customers out of pocket due to the demise of Crystal Cruises can now file a claim to try to get their money back. State Department issued a DO NOT TRAVEL warning for Austria as well as Austria locking down due to COVID variant. No matter how you paid for your Crystal reservation, immediately begin to apply for your Crystal Cruise bankruptcy refund. So the net funds Crystal took was $35,356. Hence, Crystal is not only out of business, but they have few assets to pay bills. Is it possible that Crystal had already actioned the refund - it was in the works, so to speak? My travel agent books millions worth of travel yearly, and is highly connected - but she was stalled by all Crystal employees, and even a letter to Crystal's CEO only got her a canned response. Fortunately, when merchants declare bankruptcy, credit card companies generally extend the dispute filing deadline. Refunds were promised within 90 days which did not occur. 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. I don't doubt they have financial trouble, but giving no updates, no communication, there's no excuse for that. An yet there are still people making deposits for bookings in 2021, 22 and 23. The management has made a faux pas here. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By But the appeal was so much more than luxury, says Jack Ross, 75, a retiree in Miami who had booked his next Crystal cruise for May 2022. Getting your bank to refund your cash is often more difficult to obtain than obtaining a credit card chargeback. FIngers crossed for you. Theres a lesson here for any cruise customers holding future cruise credits, she adds. This may offer a solution to one of the two problems you have if youre frustrated about getting a refund. Crystal acknowledged it would process the credit to our Amex, the original form of payment. By 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. 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. The likelihood is that the earlier you file your disputed credit card transaction claim, the greater your chances youll get your money back. King Day of Service with a great tour of civil rights landmarks. Book now from $515! By alidor, January 20 in Crystal Cruises. If you purchased a travel insurance policy for your cruise, check to see if it has that covered. Started August 27, 2021, By We were told it would be 90 days to get a refund. 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. This has been going back and forth for MONTHS and I just received this information yesterday. The Miami Herald reported Aug. 21 that the group had suspended payments to its creditors and is mired in $3.4 billion in debt. I am doing exactly that. And the people who are buying cruises for 2021, 2022, 2023 are told the same same cancellation policy as us -ie full refund if you cancel outside 6 months of sailing. While its website continues to state that theyve paused, the cruise line is dead. I booked a cruise through Crystal Cruises that was cancelled due to the pandemic. Crystal thencancelled that cruise. Youll need to file a proof of claim and keep your fingers crossed. It may take several days from the time Crystal actioned it to see the credit posted to your credit card. Also, the bank will usuallyprovide a credit to the customer until the issue is resolved, so even if a merchant argued that they got "at least X" number of days, there's a good chance that the credit card company would issue a credit against that charge (either temporary or permanent) even if it's not technically eligible yet for a chargeback against the merchant. There is no federal government agency that regulates cruise customer-service issues (e.g. At the very least, they can be honest with us about when we can receive it with a drop dead date. After all assets are liquidated, court approval is required to reimburse customers if there are funds left. "Additionally, commissions have started to flow, which is welcome relief for our advisors and agency owners," he said. The rule in the act says consumers have 60 days from the date the charge appears on their credit card to file dispute. Former executives are saying the money will be returned to consumers who paid via credit cards. 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