Two cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, are both offering passengers compensation for cruise itineraries that need to be changed due to the projected path of Tropical Storm Florence.
Royal Caribbean changed Grandeur of the Seas sailing from a trip to Bermuda to a cruise with a two day stop in Nassau, Bahamas. As a result, the cruise line is adding to a 50% refundable onboard credit (of their cruise fare) to passenger’s accounts. Any amount they do not spend will be credited towards their credit card on file. In addition, they will also receive a 50% credit towards a future cruise for cruises booked in the next year.
If a guest wishes not to sail on this modified itinerary, they will receive a 100% credit towards a future cruise. Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to leave Baltimore on September 8. 2018 for a five day cruise to the Bahamas.
Carnival Cruise Line is also offering guests compensation for a cruise that needed to be altered due to weather concerns. Carnival Pride was scheduled for a seven night cruise to Bermuda from Baltimore departing on Sunday. The itinerary has been changed and the new port stops will be Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Freeport.
As a goodwill gesture, Carnival is giving all passengers on this sailing a 25% future cruise credit for any cruise taking place before March 7, 2020.
Both cruise lines stated that the reason for the change in itineraries was done for the safety of the guests and crew. All credits will be based on the cruise fare that each passenger paid.
Read: What happens if there is a hurricane during my cruise?
Cruise lines are not required to offer compensation for missed or altered cruise ports due to weather. However, it is nice seeing cruise lines reach out to guests knowing that they will no longer be stopping at the original destinations that they had booked.
For a list of cruises that have been altered so far due to Tropical Storm Florence, you can see that here. This list may change over the weekend as the projected path of the tropical storm/hurricane becomes better known.
I don’t think I’d trust a carnival promise. We were never offered anything after hurricane Irma altered our cruises last year. Of course, as you point out, they aren’t required to offer anything.
We booked back to back, and they offered for everyone on board to sail the next (shortened) itinerary for free (only paying taxes and fees…). However, since we had already paid for the second leg, while everyone else cruised free, we had to pay (despite the fact that we have the letter they sent us with the offer, and a video of an employee telling us we’d get a full refund). So I don’t trust carnival’s word…
Big difference between Bermuda and the Bahamas. I’m glad the cruise lines are giving some kind of compensation.
Is this offer available to past cruises that were altered due to a hurricane?