Missed Cruise? While unfortunate, it’s not uncommon for passengers to miss their cruise because of airline and ground transportation delays – even when the flights are purchased through the cruise line as part of an all-inclusive package along with the cruise vacation. 
And while weather can play a role in delays, poorly scheduled flight itineraries can make it almost impossible to make it to the cruise ship on time.
For passengers who missed their cruise, that means they could lose the money they spent on the cruise ship fare, airline fare and other transportation costs. This could easily amount to thousands of dollars.
Passenger Misses Cruise Due to Flight Connection, Not Refunded Money
One such situation, which was publicized at the time, involved a 78 year old woman who booked her whole cruise, including her airfare, with the cruise line. The airplane connections were so close together, she was literally unable to get to the departure port on time and missed the cruise. The cruise line refused to refund her money as she did not cancel within 30 days of the departure date, which of course she couldn’t do. Not only did they refuse to refund her money, but they kept the airline refund as well. Read the full story here at the Washington Post.
While this scenario is not at an epidemic proportion, it happens frequently enough to be a common discussion on online cruise ship posting sites, cruise travel forums and complaint websites. 
Sometimes, passengers are able to get some sort of refund from the cruise line, but not all of the time. Purchasing travel insurance can help, though it generally won’t cover all included costs. Those passengers who are refused a refund by the cruise line are often left frustrated, confused and angry, especially when the failure to make the cruise departure time is not their fault.
We’d Like to Hear From You
If you’ve missed a cruise ship departure and feel that the cruise line may have been to blame, we’d like to speak with you about your complaint. Please contact our cruise ship lawyers at Waks and Barnett, P.A. at 1-800-905-2891. Or please visit our website at www.cruiselawyers.com.
