I am now on day 120--and still no refund. The no-money-down deposit window has been extended until April 5. Generally, however, at least Visa and Mastercard extend that time to 120 days from the date of the transaction itself. Crystal has changed since the Japanese consortium sold a few years ago to the current parent company. I am not sure this is the thread.I'm not really savvy on the forums. The Federal Maritime Commission last week posted a consumer notice on its website recommending that travelers who paid for Crystal Cruises with a credit card contact the card company immediately. Crystal is not keeping their word (i.e. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. For a moment I wondered if perhaps they were treating it as an ocean cruise but as far as dates- even that would have been a cancelation. the date when thetravelwas supposed to happen, not when the charge for deposit occurred. ltuckchapman, July 14, 2020 in Crystal Cruises. Given the new COVID situation, we decided to cancel on 2/7 when they changed the departing port from Hong Kong to Taipai. Mary Jean Tully, CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, Crystal's top producing agency for 25 years, also said that Crystal was "refunding more outstanding clients and travel agents, as well. Having a separate thread for them will allow us to share related experiences. Please Read: COVID-related Discussion. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. If you paid with a card, the money goes back to the card. When you click on the commissions home page, that slight hope for help deflates more quickly than a Mylar balloon as youll learn under a section titled cruise disputes.. Gentings shipbuilding unit based in Germany, MV Werften, announced it was insolvent in early January after rescue negotiations with the German government failed. Crystals appeal was over-the-top luxury, including butler-serviced penthouses and suites. Powered by Invision Community. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. In the other thread there are people waiting almost a year. Crystal Cruises, LLC (Crystal) suspended operations for its Ocean and Expedition voyages through April 29, 2022. By Crystals owner, Genting Hong Kong, filed for liquidation in Bermuda courts in January. I received $2,786 refund for taxes and insurance on 5/15/2021. If Crystal is insolvent then it is illegal for them to trade. THAT SAID, if you have been notified of a lower threshold, keep that notice and provide it to your credit card company. Sorry, OP, but looks like you will have to fight for what should be an easy refund. Well see what happens.. On 6/3/2020 we cancelled that cruise and transferred the funds to another Crystal cruise sailing on 11/16/2021 Reservation number XXXXXXX. Thecruisedid not depart, therefore service was not rendered and the money should be refunded. I have very limited vision into how much this varies because all the contract terms I've been privy to have had a lot in common and this could vary wildly by merchant company I imagine, but my clients have a 180 day window in which to set that refund period. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By In order to display the B2B travel content that meets your business needs, we need to know who are and what are your business needs. 2022. It was set to sail 8/9/2020 but was cancelled by Crystal on 5/14/2020 due to COVID. Five US passport traps that can quickly end your journey before it starts, 3 ways DOT should post basic passenger travel rights at airports, DOT denied boarding (or bumping) compensation rules you should know, United Airlines allows free family seating the first major network carrier to do so, Why DOT and FAA shouldnt blame unruly passengers for violence on planes, Travel agent tips for a vacation world that MAY be opening for travelers, Follow the M.L. 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). But yes, I finally did get all money back. Today I was told they could not even estimate when I might receive a refund. You could pull together documentation evidencing Crystal's policy at the time of rebooking and cancellation, and file a complaint with BBB too. Canceled on may 27, 2021. It said it continued to issue refunds. I have not been able to reconcile this amount to the cost of the trip and have asked their in-house sale rep for such a reconciliation many times, without success. Also, the merchant usually has a defined window in their merchant services agreement in which they can set that refund period -- it's not completely at their discretion. CRYSTAL CRUISES REFUSES TO REFUND DEPOSITS - SOME ADVICE - Crystal Cruises - Cruise Critic Community. See what's sprouting for Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Norse Atlantic adds four U.S.-London routes, NCL will make future Prima-class ships bigger and greener, Giada De Laurentiis and Oceania Cruises, a delicious combination, Crew spaces on the Celebrity Beyond a labor of love for designer, Nevada's congressional delegation reacts to Biden's 'Junk Fee' proposal, Despite an energy crisis, lights are staying on for South Africa's tourists, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Florida Gov. Yet this is misleading at best, fraud at worst. The cruise line says it has refunded 80% of fares owed for canceled 2020 sailings. Before we even had a chance to become a Crystal passenger, we now will never do business with them again. We paid Crystal Cruise Lines a net $12,414.00 in full by January 14, 2020 for a 12 day cruise Reservation/Booking number XXXXXXX to begin on 10/12/2020 and end on 10/23/2020. We remain optimistic. It was a last-ditch effort to protect consumers, travel agents, employees, and vendors owed money. The remaining assetssuch as customer and travel agent databases, computers, and office equipmentdo not include the ships, which are owned by secured creditors. CC Help Jenn So the net funds Crystal took was $35,356. Powered by Invision Community. Welcome to Cruise Critic SteamboatWillie118. That was one week ago. All of the river cruises are cancelled through late May. It took them only 5 days after I filed. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. CC Help Jenn I am a financial creditor--because they owe me money. Unfortunately, the Miami-based cruise line never filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which could mean a mess for consumers. Your best course of action is to file a credit card dispute. If you took the deal with Crystal, what you have now is a useless voucher. Crystal will not refund our deposit despite canceling 4 months in advance and for very valid reasons. 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. On 19-AUG-2021 Crystal submitted a final bill for $15,188.02. You should do tests on private browsing mode. I am not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make our final payment (or how. But if Crystal just doesn't have the money, how can they refund you ? 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. Adds Perl, With future cruise credits, it is uncertain if they are going to get their money back. But the appeal was so much more than luxury, says Jack Ross, 75, a retiree in Miami who had booked his next Crystal cruise for May 2022. The Better Business Bureau is a total waste of time and energy. We were only offered FCC. Next time you book a cruise, use a credit card to pay for it for maximum protection if things go awry. We even canceled 4 months in advance. Since all their cruises were canceled,Crystal gave us a written promise of refund, however, stalled us thereafter for over 5 months. By The state's lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency rather than criticizing the resort fees. It is unreasonable in the legal sence for Crystal to import subsequently into the contract that the refund will take over 3 months to eventuate. What Credit Cards Provide the Best Travel Insurance? The other card was through a credit union. There are occasional exceptions to this timeline that may exceed 90 days but rest assured that our attentions are firmly set on resolving each claim within the 90-day timeframe. Surely we are not the only exception. Airlines Refunds: DOT enforcement notice that all airline tickets canceled by the airlines must be repaid to include all airfare, taxes and added fees with cash not airline credits. The management has made a faux pas here. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Started August 27, 2021, By itinerary changes, passenger cancellations, cabin concerns, etc. Chase told me they cannot help me with the initial deposit part, since the charges, which were made in early 2019, is outside of their window. We had disputed the charge with Chase, and they will cont. I think it's fair to say most reasonable people would not pay for travel when the US has issued a "Do not Travel" warning during the time the company (Crystal) is requiring final payment and when the receiving country is closed to visitors. Mr. Anderson said that Genting effectively washed their hands of Crystal. As a result, Crystal soon had a bank account of zero, followed by a U.S. court ordering the seizure of the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity due to unpaid fuel bills. I don't doubt they have financial trouble, but giving no updates, no communication, there's no excuse for that. Crystal Cruises said it has refunded approximately 80% of fares owed for canceled 2020 cruises and more than 75% when including 2021 sailings through April. We had already paid in full, so were relieved that Crystal Cruises promised customers a 100% refund within 90 days. Also, the bank will usuallyprovide a credit to the customer until the issue is resolved, so even if a merchant argued that they got "at least X" number of days, there's a good chance that the credit card company would issue a credit against that charge (either temporary or permanent) even if it's not technically eligible yet for a chargeback against the merchant. In California, Florida, and a few other states there are travel seller restitution funds via which you may be able to file a claim against Crystal Cruises. And when asked as to a time frame as to when the money would be refunded. Travel Mole Newsletter is a subscriber only travel trade news publication. Crystal, as you said, should be issuing the refund. Visit Neds Photography Blog and Galleries. 5waldos, January 31, 2022 in Crystal Cruises. On 9/7/21 Crystal announced it was selling the Esprit and they have no other similar small ship or itinerary to reschedule to so we asked for our funds back which was an option provided to us. Share. We have no obligation to "give them" 90 days for a refund. These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies. It's not QUITE true that the refund period means nothing. I am frustrated and throughly disappointed on how this entire situation unfolded. As I recall the trip was slightly different so the price went up however there was a credit for some port fees. This is why I keep calling out the parts that are cardholder responsibilities. Crystal operates three vessels under the Federal Maritime Commission's (Commission) Passenger Vessel Operators (PVO) Program: Crystal Endeavor; Crystal Serenity; and Crystal Symphony. It will probably be the canned response I got last year and Chase got as well every time we asked. Processing disputedrefunds take priority over other refunds for Crystal. By This cool kids outdoors club will introduce you to L.A.s best asset, Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, its last major COVID restriction, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, $950 round trip from LAX to Darwin, Australia, on Qantas, Cool, hot and close to home: Celebrate Memorial Day in Southern California, The 15 things to do in L.A. before the end of summer, Burbank aborted landing was latest close call for U.S. flights. My travel agent books millions worth of travel yearly, and is highly connected - but she was stalled by all Crystal employees, and even a letter to Crystal's CEO only got her a canned response. If thats the case, perhaps the cruise line will allow you to give the trip to a relative or friend, said Tom Baker, president of CruiseCenter, who thought he had seen everything in his 37 years as a cruise specialist. Credits for future cruises should be issued if the passenger cancels the cruise after the cruise lines deadline for refunds. Crystal canceled their trip and offered them two options: a full refund to be returned in 90 days or a voucher for future travel for 125% of the cost of their cruise. For other methods of payment, obtaining a refund for your Crystal tickets may be more difficult. Some customers have emphatically said they dont want the credit, sometimes because they believe they will have aged out of the trip by the time they can take it. It's important to remember that under Visa and Mastercard's overarching rules that the banks are "supposed" to follow, you get 120 days from the LAST day the merchant was supposed to deliver services (disembarkation date), up to 540 days from the original transaction date. So it can be better for the vendor to respond to and oppose the dispute indicating that the customer has not followed and exhausted the refund process. Its a more difficult situation, says Couch-Friedman. Today is Day 104, still no refund. -Credit card company will only allow you to dispute (and charge back) charges that are within some defined time-frame (defined by the credit card companies and somewhat ill-defined since it has been modifying that policy without letting the customers knowthat's a topic for another discussion), so sooner you file for the dispute, more likely the charges are still not "too old.". Guest killed by freak wave on Antarctic cruise, Hundreds of tourists stranded at Machu Picchu amid Peru protests, UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge winners announced, BA flight makes emergency landing after strange smell reported, TravelMole has over 200,000 registered travel industry members and subscribers throughout the world. We need these funds back. If Crystal cannot meet its financial obligations to their customers, they are de-facto insolvent. 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. 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