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Will Cruise Lines Refund my Money if the Cruise is Canceled Because of Weather?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Given the incidence of hurricanes and other natural weather formations over the last few years, many travelers wonder what would happen if a scheduled cruise were canceled due to possibly dangerous weather conditions. Specifically, potential passengers often wonder if they will get a refund for their tickets. In order to find out whether or not a refund is possible, you should consult the terms of the passage contract that is part of the transaction. Most will include a section that specifically outlines what takes place if the cruise is canceled because of weather.

In some cases, a canceled cruise is subject to a partial or complete refund. Conditions vary from one cruise line to another, however, so there is no hard and fast answer that will apply to all canceled cruises.

Many people book cruises through travel agents, who offer refund policies.
Many people book cruises through travel agents, who offer refund policies.

Many cruise lines will offer a full refund if the cruise is canceled because of bad weather, providing the cruise has not already gotten underway. Generally, the full refund is given by processing a credit to whatever credit card was used to book the cruise, or by refunding the full amount via a check within 60 to 90 days of the canceled cruise. The cruise line may also offer incentives to use the refund to book another cruise for a future date. In this instance, there may be complimentary upgrades that go with the rebooking, such as a larger room or some sort of credit that can be used at one of the onboard stores. Getting passengers to use cruise refunds to book future trips helps to retain a client, makes it unnecessary to process credits, and eliminates the need to process and cut a check.

If the cruise is canceled because of weather after the trip has already begun, many cruise lines will offer partial credits. This is often based on the number of ports of call that were scheduled for the cruise, but could not be completed due to the weather. It should be noted that, in most passage contracts, the cruise line does not make a firm commitment to do this. Often, the cruise line uses wording that allows it to issue credits as it sees fit after a weather-related cancellation. For example, if the trip was planned with five ports of call and three were completed, the line may opt to not issue any credits and still be well within the terms of the passage contract.

The bottom line is that passengers should read the terms of the contract before ever booking a cruise. While it is possible to get a refund, this is not a universal standard among cruise lines. Make sure you understand what the line will and will not commit to in terms of refunds, and then you can make an informed decision of whether or not you want to do business with that particular cruise line.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseTour, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseTour, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Animandel

I don't always read the entire contract, so I guess I am at the cruise line's mercy. How can a company stay in business if it cancels a cruise and then does not refund the passengers? Surely, that is not good for word-of-mouth business.

Sporkasia

Whether or not full refunds are given when cruises are canceled can depend on the particular cruise deals as much as on the company. That's another reason you should always read the contracts. Special offers often have different rules.

The good news is that weather has to be really bad for a cruise to be canceled. Most ships will alter their routes or departure times a bit and do whatever is possible to get the voyage completed.

Drentel

Like the article said, read the contract! Everything should be spelled out there. The problem is a lot of people don't bother to read the small print.

Don't just assume that the cruise companies are going to do the "right thing." Remember, they are in business to make money and the last thing they want to do is give refunds to everyone on the ship. That's a lot of money.

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    • Many people book cruises through travel agents, who offer refund policies.
      By: Riccardo Arata
      Many people book cruises through travel agents, who offer refund policies.