We booked a cruise to Bermuda with a scheduled sailing date of Sept. 7 and paid in full. That week we had a hurricane, and cruise ships were being rerouted. Royal Caribbean rerouted our cruise to Canada. I called the cruise line before we went to say we had been to Canada twice and did not want to go again. I said we would wait to go the following week. I was told we had no choice.
I felt that, because we had already been to Canada, the cruise line could have made an adjustment. This would have been good customer relations. I used to work for an airline: If a passenger were traveling to Florida, we would not send you to Canada.
We did take the cruise, and it was terrible. The service was poor, the halls and bathrooms were dirty and we got severe colds. We were out of sorts for three weeks and could not see our grandchildren. What a mess! I called the credit card company and, of course, more than 60 days had passed since the charge, so it couldn't help. I would appreciate any help you can give in obtaining compensation. We want to go to Bermuda. Katherine Rosenbaum
Response: Jaye Hilton, manager of corporate communications for Royal Caribbean International in Miami, said the cruise line did not know until a few days before sailing that a change in itinerary would be necessary. The ship before yours was actually in Bermuda as the hurricane approached and left early to come in.
On Sept. 7, the day you set sail, the Associated Press reported on "the devastation wrought by the most powerful hurricane to hit Bermuda in 50 years: pulverized trees, shorn rooftops and tens of thousands of homes without power." Although danger from the storm itself had passed, Hilton said Bermuda was, at that point, hardly a vacation destination. Thus the decision was made to reroute the cruise to Canada.
If you look at your cruise contract, she said, you will see a list of things that can cause the itinerary to change, with weather being the number one. The first priority of the cruise line is the safety and security of the vessel and its passengers. Since changes beyond its control are always a possibility, Hilton said passengers are always urged to purchase travel insurance. You did not mention having any. With the benefit of hindsight, that's a pity.
Hilton said it's important to pay attention to the cancellation policy when you book a cruise. They are strict for a reason: Reselling a cruise is not generally possible when a cancellation is made shortly before the sailing date. At the time you purchased your cruise, you had the option of purchasing Royal Caribbean's vacation protection plan, CruiseCare. With this plan, passengers are protected by insurance if they cancel for a covered reason such as illness or death in the family. If the cancellation is for a noninsured reason, such as an unacceptable itinerary change, Royal Caribbean International issues a credit of 75 percent of the normally nonrefundable cancellation charges toward a future cruise.
You referred to having worked for an airline and said passengers would never be sent to Canada if their destination was Florida. The analogy is hardly apt, however: Time spent on the ship is as, if not more, important than time spent at ports of call. Air travel, on the other hand, is simply a speedy way of getting from one place to another.
Finally, you remarked on the condition of the ship. We doubt the change in itinerary had anything to do with it. However, the time to complain is when you're on board. In the future, voice your concerns to the purser or ask to speak to the "hotel" manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the ship except sailing it.
One reason it's happy hour
I hope you can clear up something for us. My wife and I have a couple of drinks on weekends at the Martini Bar at BayWalk in downtown St. Petersburg. We started to patronize this bar two months ago and have noticed that you rarely see the same face behind the bar. We usually have two Heineken and two Budweiser beers, and the bill comes to $13.
This was the case on April 9. A week later, on April 18, our bill for the same four beers came to $17. When we questioned the discrepancy, we were told the drinks are more expensive on the weekends. Is this possible? We asked to speak to the manager, but were told he was not available. George Roberts
Response: We received a turn-around response from Jamie McCormick, general manager of the Martini Bar. The reason for the difference on your Friday and Sunday bar tabs is because the Martini Bar has happy hour Wednesday through Friday, but not on the weekends. During the 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour, all drinks are a dollar off. (Thus the $4 difference between the two checks for four drinks.) McCormick said you will be sent some gift certificates for your inconvenience.
-- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, e-mail action@sptimes.com or call your Action number, 727 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.
We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.
We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
