Cancellation policy if booked thru Travel Agent

[sanjaybabur]

Hi Folks.

 

We booked a family cruise, around 6 cabins around September last year and paid $250 deposit per person for a 21 July Alaska Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.

 

I'm unable to travel due to work reasons, but our travel agent is saying that the deposits are not refundable !!

 

I checked RCL's cancellation policy it says upto 70 days before the cruise full refund can be given.

 

- Do travel agents have their own cancellation policies ? This one does not have anything on their website !!

 

- This travel agent is CLIA member, do I have some recourse there ?

 

I would really appreciate your help on this.

 

Regards,

 

Sanjay

[RichardK]

The Serenade is a 7-day cruise so final payment is due 75 days prior.

 

That would mean you should get 100% of your deposit back. If the travel agency has a cancellation fee (and they could), it would have to be specified either on their website or the initial confirmation you received. If they are legitimately going to hold some of your money, they both need to let you know how much and under what circumstances. And yes, it can be spelled out in the “fine print” somewhere. Ask where their cancellation policy may be found?

 

Sure CLIA, but the Better Business Bureau in their "town" might be a better bet if you continue to have trouble.

 

Good luck!

[isujim]

Agree with Richard.......some TA's do have a cancellation policy and might charge a fee.......but have never heard of one keeping the entire deposit. Ask to see this policy in writing.........and if that doesn't work.....call their bluff.........and keep us posted.........I would like to know how this one turns out.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have also read many times on various boards about some TA's charging a cancellation fee. As mentioned, check to see what the policy is with your company and do let us know what happens.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

It's not unusual for a TA to charge a cancellation fee, but they have to advise you of it. We booked our last cruise through a TA, and she made it very clear both when I was in her office and in a letter (with the cancellation policy highlighted). The cancellation policy must be in writing, so take a look at any paperwork your TA has given you--if it's not there, I'd certainly fight it.

 

$250 per person seems really high for a cancellation fee--I've used a couple of TAs that charged $75 per person.

 

Cheers!

Jayne

 

:)

[LHT28]

I agree with the others ...if the agent has a cancellation policy they must tell you before you sign up with them ...$250. pp is too high in any case

I would also send a written letter of cancellation to the cruiseline just to make sure you do get the cruise canceled in time.

If you paid by CC the cruiseline will put the refund on your card.

 

Phone and ask the TA if they have a cancellation fee. ..pretend to be another client checking them out;)

[sultan_sfo]

BIL booked 2 cabins (on-line) and DW booked 2 cabins (land based). The whole trip (all 4 cabins) had to be cancelled. While Princess deposit was refundable, the TAs had a cancellation fee of $50 per cabin. Our TA waives any cancellation fees because we have other bookings with her. Both TAs have the cancellation fee stated on their website. Often, the TA will apply the cancellation fee to another booking. /Sultan

[greatam]

Hi Folks.

 

We booked a family cruise, around 6 cabins around September last year and paid $250 deposit per person for a 21 July Alaska Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.

 

I'm unable to travel due to work reasons, but our travel agent is saying that the deposits are not refundable !!

 

I checked RCL's cancellation policy it says upto 70 days before the cruise full refund can be given.

 

- Do travel agents have their own cancellation policies ? This one does not have anything on their website !!

 

- This travel agent is CLIA member, do I have some recourse there ?

 

I would really appreciate your help on this.

 

Regards,

 

Sanjay

 

I notice you are from Dubai. Did you by chance book with an "local" meaning out of the US agent?? If so, different rules may apply.

 

If you booked with a US agent off a US website and are a foreign national, you may have put yourself in jeopardy. Quite a few US online travel agents do NOT have the authority necessary to sell tickets to foreign nationals. If this is the case, the TA may be balking at giving back the deposit, with or without cancellation fee, due to their error. They don't want to get in trouble.

 

However, is you are a USA or Canada citizen or booked the cruise as a USA resident/citizen, call the TA immediately and demand the refund up to $250.00 per person, depending upon cancellation fee.

 

Also, call RCI and notify them that you WILL NOT be taking the cruise, have asked for a refund and please note your reservation.

 

Last, call your credit card company and notify them that the TA is NOT returning the refund if this is the case. You will have to fill out a dispute resolution form, but they will contact the TA to find out what is what.

 

You will need to do all this very rapidly. Time is running out for refunds.

[sanjaybabur]

thanks very much for the input.

 

We booked a family cruise from the US based travel agent, and the entire payment was made by my cousin who is a US Resident.

 

I checked the RCL website which says 70 days for cancellation. So my request to cancel was sent out in time.

 

I'm going to try to call them today and try to sort this out...but your information helps a lot.

 

I couldn't seem to trace my confirmation to check, but I even sent the TA an email requesting a copy of the confirmation on 24th Jan, but she did not provide any response.

 

Infact, it I reminded her that pyament is due for our family cruise !!!

 

Will keep you folks posted !!!

 

Thanks,

 

Sanjay

[cruiseco]

Was the deposit made by credit card and was the amount charged by the cruise line or by the TA?

 

If you paid by credit card and the cruise line made the charge then once you cancel the cruise the full amount will be credited back to your account. This leaves the problem (from the TA's point of view) of how they are going to collect the agency's additional cancellation amount. It soulnds like we're talking about maybe $3000 here (12 X $250). But the TA will have the card number and can run the cancellation charge through on their own merchant account.

 

Before I'd pay that outrageous amount I'd:

 

1) Call the issuing bank and tell them the credit card was lost. They'll issue a new card and not accept any new charges on the old one.

 

2) Cancel the cruise -- the cruise line will issue a refund on the cancelled card and the issuing bank will send you a check.

 

3) Laugh like crazy when the TA calls and asks for another credit card number as the old one doesn't seem to work any more.

[sanjaybabur]

I spoke to customer service at the TA's main office, and funnily enough...he agreed to adjust the deposit straight away !!!

 

Having said that, I sent him an email documenting our agreement and he has not sent me a confirmation back !!

 

The Lady who was handling our cruise did not even bother to check with the main office, she simply kept on refusing. Not going to use this TA every again !!

 

Thanks for all the help and moral support !!!

 

PS. Loved the changing the credit card idea !!

[Bettyboop66]

I guess now I understand why my husband always buys the insurance directly from the cruise line and not our travel agent. It just kills me to know that he was right again.LOL