Non-Refundable Concerns with Cruise Ship Accidents

Cruise tickets are frequently non-refundable, especially once the ship has set sail. Though not something travelers are happy about, most people understand that the cruise line company has to make a profit, and so long as it was the person’s own fault that something went wrong and they missed their trip, people accept not getting their money back.

But when a person has no control over events, and tickets are still considered non-refundable, people become upset. A terrible tragedy on a Norwegian Cruise Line vacation occurred on November 12th when a woman was killed after falling or jumping overboard. The woman left behind a six year old child. An investigation is still taking place, though the Coast Guard has given up its search.

Due to this tragedy, the passengers on the cruise never made it to their destination in Mexico. Granted, their inconvenience is nothing compared to the suffering of the family of the deceased, but the cruise line has handled the situation terribly. How they handled things is a textbook example of how not to keep customers happy, and included:

• Promising refunds to unhappy travelers (which was the one thing they did right)
• Refunding only 57.47 of the initial thousand dollar cost
• Insisting that non-refundable is non-refundable
• Insisting that 57.47 was all that was left after port fees and other costs

The cruise line is trying to paint themselves as a victim here, but they are actually profiting off of this terrible tragedy by keeping the other passengers’ money (and one can only wonder if they refunded the cost of the accident victim’s trip to her family). This type of behavior is not surprising. Cruise lines have a long history of neglecting the safety of their passengers.

If you or someone you love has suffered due to a cruise chip accident, it is clear the cruise line has no interest in your suffering. Please, retain an experienced lawyer who can help you force them to take responsibility for their actions.