I couldn't dispute the whole amount because the rather large deposit had been made too long previously. If Crystal is insolvent then it is illegal for them to trade. i strongly believe that filing a dispute with acredit company is the only way to get a refund from Crystal now. For other methods of payment, obtaining a refund for your Crystal tickets may be more difficult. Help Ukrainian Families in Need: World Central Kitchen Donation Match. 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. i waited for100+days before filing my dispute. You should do tests on private browsing mode. Started August 27, 2021, By I am being told that because I used FCC to book the Italycruise that I only have until 12/22 to use the FCC. But if you have a problem with a cruise, you have a problem. 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. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. I did that after waiting 120 days and my representative at AE. Here Goes: We were scheduled for a 3/29 Sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore. A spokesperson for Crystal Cruises, Susan Robison, said recently that "we have cancelled hundreds of cruises and provided tens of millions of dollars of refund. Travelers Unitedis a nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. What Credit Cards Provide the Best Travel Insurance? In mid 2019 we put up a large deposit to secure a reservation for 2 on the Crystal Esprit for Spring 2020 cruise (I believe the original confirmation number was XXXXXXX and the subsequent confirmation code on the rescheduled trip was XXXXXXX). There is no clear pathway that we can set a consumer on who has a voucher.. Book now from $515! The site was set up by Florida-based liquidator Mark Healy who is managing the affairs of Crystal Cruises LLC, Crystal AirCruises LLC and Crystal Holdings U.S. LLC. Any thoughts on this matter? Fortunately, when merchants declare bankruptcy, credit card companies generally extend the dispute filing deadline. Crystal is not the only one having problems. In other words, if you paid cash, you get cash. The credit card companies service agents handling the disputes are aware of deadlines built into their dispute rules. Name: ***** & Ulisese **** and Alexander & Siaosi **** The agent very nicely says she has no date, but eventually we will get our money. We had disputed the charge with Chase, and they will cont. CRYSTAL CRUISES REFUSES TO REFUND DEPOSITS - SOME ADVICE. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. I suspect they are solvent --but hey--this is free money to them.I paid for my cruise over a year ago. 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. So now that Crystal's official policy is "we are now projecting a minimum of 90 days," does that get them off the hook forever? These changes arent a done deal because this is, after all, the federal government. Share. Your post probably should have been added to one already in existence. That doesnt have anything to do with how much I love or hate the merchant, that just has to do with who had which job. It is now mid September and we're told they are waiting for someone to hit the send button. Normally this means 120 days from the expected date of the service for which the payment was made. Would you settle for a credit instead of a full refund? I downloaded and saved their refund policy so I would have a copy of the policy at the time of cancellation. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry. None of us agreed to 90+ day wait for our refunds when we made our deposits. It was more like they were treating you like family., Now, he says of the lines quick demise, Its like a grieving process. If they were flush with cash then obviously this situation would not arise. BBB is here to help. Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives, Creation of the DOT Consumer Advocate to focus on aviation consumer protections, Full Fare Act Advertised airfares now include all mandatory taxes and fees, Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,800. Crystal relented and processed the refund for that amount days after the dispute from Chase was sent to Crystal. Push for your refund and name the Fair Billing Act, and the date of expected service, not when the charge appeared.. Not to make an excuse but several cruise lines are having problems processing refunds. 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. I pay for every travel purchase, as well as my purchases of goods and services generally, by credit card. CADRS staff will not render a decision or require a party or parties to take specific action, its website noted. READ ALSO: Crystals Refund Policy says they will process A 100% refund of cruise fare, port charges, taxes and fees paid Refunds are processed in up to 90 days. The cruise line now says it expects that by the end of April, 95% of customer refunds will be complete. Website launched for Crystal Cruises refund claims. Processing disputedrefunds take priority over other refunds for Crystal. Catharine Hamm is the former Travel editor for the Los Angeles Times and became a special contributor in June 2020. HoweverGenting have overlooked the integrity of Crystal Cruisers- we are decent people who dont like being taken for a ride. The state's lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency rather than criticizing the resort fees. 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. Best wishes. It said it continued to issue refunds. Rather disappointed in their response to the credit card company but still hopeful that in the end I will prevail. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating. There's a good chance they actually no incentive to stall -- they are most likely using reserve funds for the chargebacks as they did in the past, so if it got paid sooner that would actually HELP Crystal and not hinder them. We are now at day 98, with no idea if and when well get our refund. Here are 64 ways to enjoy L.A.s beloved getaway. Question about refund - Crystal Cruises - Cruise Critic Community. 5waldos, January 31, 2022 in Crystal Cruises. The report I issued earlier this summer has a number of recommendations that strike the right balance between providing consumers more protections but not proposing new requirements that are so difficult or expensive to implement., Refunds should be provided within 60 days if boarding is delayed by a day or more. That hasnt been independently confirmed. This was not part of the contract when we put our deposit down. "We will be processing your refund." With a considerable balance in trust to repay Crystal customers for canceled cruises, as stated by Mr. Anderson, at least initially its unlikely that Moecher, acting on behalf of Crystals creditors, will fight the credit card chargebacks. After all assets are liquidated, court approval is required to reimburse customers if there are funds left. Which is basically what some are doing by going the their cc instead of making the request first with Crystal. Take a look at the findings of the report (bit.ly/cruisecomments); send your comments to secretary@fmc.gov. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. However, due to the uncertainty of Covid, we decided to cancel the cruise in May 2021 well within the cancellation period. We remain optimistic. When I purchase travel insurance, I only purchase a policy with bankruptcy protection. Our cruise consultant was not able to provide any satisfactory answers so we requested cancellation for $15,188.02. Couch-Friedman says consumers are already calling with complaints of credit card companies rejecting refunds on cruises when payment was made a year ago. All of its employees were laid off, there are some crew still on ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills, and there is no cash in the bank. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. The financial problems of Crystal Cruises primarily came from the financial struggles of Crystal's parent company, Genting Hong Kong. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Former executives are saying the money will be returned to consumers who paid via credit cards. Theres typically even less protection, if any, if you paid Crystal by check. Unfortunately, in the case of Crystal, they seem to have very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills. The 60-day limit for protection by a card company generally starts when the charge is made, but not every card company counts that in quite the same way. Ditto if you purchased travel insurance through a third-party travel insurance company. Looking forward to your help with this. We we unable to reschedule in 2021 as the ship was fully booked so we were told we had to reschedule to 2022 which we did. Please remove the pre-departure test of vaccinated travelers returning to USA We booked a cruise with Crystal Cruise in April to tour Europe. I am not predicting what will happen of Crystal/Genting, but from what I can gather, their liquidity problem is unlikely to get better anytime soon. The contract # was XXXXXXX. It is sad for our entire industry as all boats rise with the tide, says Judy Perl, founder of New Yorkbased Judy Perl Travel, a bespoke cruise and land travel consultancy, and a member of the AFAR Travel Advisory Council. In my case, I was able to successfully dispute the "final payment' (deposited in January 2020) for the September 2020 cruise, which was cancelled recently. Travel Mole Newsletter is a subscriber only travel trade news publication. Windstar Knows the Way to the Middle East: How to Sell the Red Sea & Persian Gulf. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site. 2023 AFAR Media, ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills. The Chase advisor explained that there is a rule for 120 days from the //day of service// (i.e. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some cruise lines were (and are) overwhelmed with refund requests. At the very least, they can be honest with us about when we can receive it with a drop dead date. Canceled on may 27, 2021. "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. The financial problems of Crystal Cruises primarily came from the financial struggles of Crystals parent company, Genting Hong Kong. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. State Department issued a DO NOT TRAVEL warning for Austria as well as Austria locking down due to COVID variant. We emailed Crystal Cruises on the same day, April 2nd, asking for a 100% refund, Crystal Cruises' Covid-19 related cancellation policy. All Rights Reserved. "It is important to understand that the company is not going out of business," the statement said. of Economic Opportunity, Crystal Cruises said that all 238 employees at Crystal's Miami headquarters had been let go, with the last employees leaving Feb. 9. Companies generally extend the dispute from Chase was sent to Crystal reimburse customers there! Locking down due to the uncertainty of Covid, we decided to cancel the in..., 2022 in Crystal Cruises REFUSES to refund DEPOSITS - some ADVICE booked a cruise you. All complaints filed with BBB any product, service or business travel Newsletter... Was made a year ago already calling with complaints of credit card their dispute rules travelers returning USA... 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