They might come in handy in the future. After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Name: ***** & Ulisese **** and Alexander & Siaosi **** See details. 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.. 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. I was able to get the portion that I had disputed with the credit card company back as a credit on my chase statement 2 months after I filed the dispute, which was the day that Crystal cancelled the cruise. Discover the worldin comforton Viking ocean cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or around https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-says-it-has-repaid-80-percent-of-2020-refunds. Crystal has changed since the Japanese consortium sold a few years ago to the current parent company. 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. I am a financial creditor--because they owe me money. For other methods of payment, obtaining a refund for your Crystal tickets may be more difficult. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. 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. There are lessons for all cruise travelers in the story of Crystals collapse. Here are 64 ways to enjoy L.A.s beloved getaway. We gave them the wire details and we're told it would be sent. Today is Day 104, still no refund. Too many result in more funds being held by the CC company. As it relates to refunds, we continue working through our queue to address each guest's claim in the order it is received. It has been a year since I was told this and still have not received a refund. I did not cancel. We booked an expedition cruise with crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in January 2021. Next time you book a cruise, use a credit card to pay for it for maximum protection if things go awry. 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 owner of Cheema's Travel recently launched a travel coaching business. That was one week ago. 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. 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. FIngers crossed for you. We waited patiently until the end of Aug, past the 90 Day mark. But I'm feeling very optimistic about everything as are our clients.". It was set to sail 8/9/2020 but was cancelled by Crystal on 5/14/2020 due to COVID. So the net funds Crystal took was $35,356. I had to fight that as they originally said I only had until 12/21. Still other travelers money was held hostage by the cruise lines precarious finances. Families flying together act passed by Congress that requires family members 13 years of age and younger to sit with other family members at no additional cost. The rule in the act says consumers have 60 days from the date the charge appears on their credit card to file dispute. Former Crystal president Jack Anderson said that Visa, Mastercard, and American Express were aggregately holding funds in excess of $100 million in trust for Crystal ticket refunds for their credit card customers. 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. The merchant actually pays for that service through their fees, so theyre doing their part to protect me even when they fail. USD is a significant amount of money, and like the rest of the world we have lots of financial pressure because of the pandemic. The agent very nicely says she has no date, but eventually we will get our money. Seasoned travelers know that if they have a problem with an airline, they can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation. "We are pleased to say that during the past month, we have been able to open new channels of access to available collateral that have allowed us to process additional refunds," the line said in a statement. Crystal will not refund our deposit despite canceling 4 months in advance and for very valid reasons. And when asked as to a time frame as to when the money would be refunded. On 19-AUG-2021 Crystal submitted a final bill for $15,188.02. By SteamboatWillie118, March 9, 2021 in Crystal Cruises. Theres also no direct transfer requirement the banks must fulfill. Share. If I don't cruise before 12/21 I forfeit the 25% bonus and need to cruise by 12/22 when all other passengers have the ability to use both until 12/23. Windstars 2023/24 Middle East program kicks off in November. -There is some uncertainty over the financial health of Crystal/Genting HK, so it makes more sense to secure your refund sooner than later. We had already paid in full, so were relieved that Crystal Cruises promised customers a 100% refund within 90 days. Cancelled cruise: "7-night Legendary Rhine River Cruise" was to depart 9/6/2021 Some consumers who have contacted us have $20,000 in future cruise vouchers. Since all their cruises were canceled,Crystal gave us a written promise of refund, however, stalled us thereafter for over 5 months. The remaining assetssuch as customer and travel agent databases, computers, and office equipmentdo not include the ships, which are owned by secured creditors. We heard nothing from Crystal Cruises regarding COVID in the European Union. Crystal processedmyrefund onlyafter I filed a dispute with my credit card company. This complaint is against Crystal Cruise Line. 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. My opinion is a credit card reserve account is for the benefit of the credit card company and not for the benefit of consumers, Pestronk says. For some reason I couldn't post the link. Amex is very customer service oriented, so your suggestion gives us hope! CC Help Jenn I hope that Chase let's me see the actual response from Crystal- that might give me a clue as to what the problem is. Im in the same boat as you ( excuse the pun) - its an old trick- dont pay until the Bailiffs are at the door. It said it continued to issue refunds. Normally this means 120 days from the expected date of the service for which the payment was made. Last month I was involved in several disputes on behalf of clients where the cardholder was trying to jump a 90-day refundwindow, and all we had to do was provide the card issuer with a copy of the notice the cardholder was given showing the 90 day window and the chargeback was declined. 5waldos, January 31, 2022 in Crystal Cruises. On 7/14/2020 at 8:44 AM, ltuckchapman said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Beware of booking a cruise with Crystal Cruises. 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. Crystal customers should immediately start to work on obtaining a refund. We booked a fall 2021 Crystal cruise on 6/20/20. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Great. We were told it would be 90 days to get a refund. Powered by Invision Community. I dont understand why anyone would give new bookings to Crystal (I know they are not taking new deposits) and possibly be throwing good money after bad. READ ALSO: I recently posted an FCC problem in the Guam to Singapore thread, subsequently realizing that a variety of FCC concerns are likely to occur over the coming months. The booking number is XXXXXXX. One area couple was notified six months after requesting a refund for a voyage they could not take that they would receive a refund of their nearly $10,000, minus $3,000 for an administrative fee. We depart on 9/12/21 from Boston to Bermuda. I have reached out to our sales associate and always get the same information as the website. I am in the same spot as you, Steamboatwillie, never having actually cruised on Crystal, but having 2 cruises cancelled. The best guide in Arizona to getaways, concerts and the dining scene. "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. I am at approx 150 days with another line. The Crystal Cruise bankruptcy is real. Crystal relented and processed the refund for that amount days after the dispute from Chase was sent to Crystal. Weve contacted Crystal multiple times over the past 90+ days but always get back a "stock" email but makes no commitments. Friday, 10 Mar, 2022 0. It may be necessary to go to your local bank branch to ask a branch office for assistance. Decided that it was also time to formally dispute the charges for our August cruise deposit. recommended it be done immediately and I gave her permission. Highly recommend always going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things we would have never been able to. That cascaded into a financial disaster from which Genting cant recover. 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. Perhaps the host can move this to one of the other threads regarding Crystal not refunding guests in a timely manner. If Crystal is insolvent then it is illegal for them to trade. Whether Crystal Cruises customers will get refunds remains clouded by uncertainty. It may take several days from the time Crystal actioned it to see the credit posted to your credit card. Nothing about refunding after months , and at their discretion. Here are 10 you cant miss, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, L.A. County residents without power since Friday ask why the city cant do better, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A record 6,542 guns were intercepted at U.S. airports in 2022, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rachel Bloom, More than 2,000 flights canceled amid workers strike at seven German airports, U.S. State Department warns to avoid parts of Mexico over ongoing violence, kidnappings, Its the best time to visit Palm Springs. That triggered a debt default of $2.78 billion. I followed all the guidelines they set in place for the cancelled Asia cruise. ltuckchapman, July 14, 2020 in Crystal Cruises. I have never previously filed a complaint with you, but really need your prompt assistance with obtaining the money due me. That includes Crystal Cruises, part of the Genting Group. CRYSTAL CRUISES REFUSES TO REFUND DEPOSITS - SOME ADVICE. Travel advisors this week expressed relief and concurred, saying that Crystal had recently accelerated the pace at which it is issuing refunds to their clients as well as commission to agencies. Any thoughts on this matter? Crystal had already published a Covid-19 related cancellation policy on their website, offering a 100% refund in "up to 90 days" or a 125% FCC. Our goal is to maximize the recovery of assets and provide a claims process to creditors that allows them to realize the highest potential recovery regardless of the size of their claim, Healy said. And, perhaps most important, refunds will be given (again, if applicable) using whatever monetary form you used to pay. The line operated two ocean vessels, the 848-passenger Crystal Symphony and 980-passenger Crystal Serenity, five river cruise ships, and an expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor, which launched in summer 2021. I am now being told it could take months to receive the refund. Technically the merchant DOES have until whatever period they notified the customer of to process the refund, so although either the cardholder's bank may issue a credit or the merchant may give in and process the refund earlier, the credit card company cannot actually enforce a chargeback until the merchant has violated their policy. Have a travel problem, dilemma or question? #1 - 2256286 (myself & spouse) Last month I was involved in several disputes on behalf of clients where the cardholder was trying to jump a 90-day refundwindow, and all we had to do was provide the card issuer with a copy of the notice the cardholder was given showing the 90 day window and the chargeback was declined. The line said it has refunded a total of $164 million to date and said it will complete 80% of outstanding commission payments by the end of April. Thus you may have more time than you thought, Kemmis said, but you dont want to tarry. However, due to the uncertainty of Covid, we decided to cancel the cruise in May 2021 well within the cancellation period. Powered by Invision Community. It is just so sad. I'm sure Crystal is not the only company that is acting like this, but I think it is very unfortunate that Crystal is acting like an insolvent company without taking on the responsibilities of bankruptcy/reorganization proceedings. Share. We emailed Crystal Cruises on the same day, April 2nd, asking for a 100% refund, Crystal Cruises Covid-19 related cancellation policy. Crystals owner, Genting Hong Kong, filed for liquidation in Bermuda courts in January. The service, referred to as alternative dispute resolution, is free. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Initially Crystal refused to provide a refund, only offering 'future cruise credit' with no incentive/bonus to bank the funds vs. taking a refund. Just heard that Crystal is declining the refund on our river cruise due to sail on April 25. No matter how you paid for your Crystal reservation, immediately begin to apply for your Crystal Cruise bankruptcy refund. Write to catharine@catharinehamm.com. Fortunately, when merchants declare bankruptcy, credit card companies generally extend the dispute filing deadline. King Day of Service with a great tour of civil rights landmarks. Unfortunately, those customers will likely have a much more difficult task to obtain their ticket refunds from Crystal than the 75 percent of Crystal customers who paid by credit card. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By 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. It has been almost one year. There may be some protection, she says, particularly if you paid with your debit card. Crystal, as you said, should be issuing the refund. I purchased a cruise from Crystal Cruises in the amount of $18,028. Best wishes. If you purchased a travel insurance policy for your cruise, check to see if it has that covered. There were incentives, such as an additional 25 percent off what you originally paid in bonus credit. A Florida Court has already appointed Michael Moecker & Associates to control whats left of Crystals assets. Canceled on may 27, 2021. I downloaded and saved their refund policy so I would have a copy of the policy at the time of cancellation. This is why I keep calling out the parts that are cardholder responsibilities. The 60-day count begins when the statement containing the transaction is issued, not when the transaction was made. If credit card companies refused to pay them deposits--then they will be forced to either go under or refund as they should. For Crystal cruise customers who paid for their reservation by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act permits them to dispute their payment to Crystal for cruises that will never take place. Crystal will not refund our deposit despite canceling 4 months in advance and for very valid reasons. 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. 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. This x10! Tracy Vaughan, SVP Global Trade Development at Visit Lauderdale, Marc Anderson CEO of Visit San Antonio speaks to Graham McKenzie in London about his city and IPW23, Graham McKenzie talks to Visit Floridas CEO Dana Young at #huddle23, At #huddle23 in West Palm Beach we speak to Lauren Pace of Visit Florida, Jane Cunningham, Director of European Engagement Destinations International, Kent Anderson of Kirk Mountain Adventures, Costa Group explores methanol sustainable cruising, Advantage Travel Partnership reports strong cruise holiday bookings, Call to raise Australia working holiday visa age limit, Website launched for Crystal Cruises refund claims. Refunds will be given ( again, if applicable ) using whatever monetary form used... It to see the credit posted to your credit card to pay for it for maximum protection if go. Booked a fall 2021 Crystal cruise on 6/20/20 your suggestion gives us hope assistance obtaining. Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Independent Traveler, Inc. 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Protection, she says, particularly if you purchase an item featured on our river cruise due to.! Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or around https: //www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-says-it-has-repaid-80-percent-of-2020-refunds but... And always get back a `` stock '' email but makes no commitments Media, ships that have seized! Sail on April 25 banks must fulfill crystal cruises refund problems refund sooner than later transfer the. 2019, for sailing in January 2021 alternative dispute resolution, is free SteamboatWillie118, March 9, in... April 25 it be done immediately and i gave her permission components of the Group! * & Ulisese * * * * * * * * and Alexander Siaosi! The wire details and we 're told it could take months to receive the refund extend the dispute from was... Service through their fees, so theyre doing their part to protect me even when fail! Relieved that Crystal is insolvent then it is illegal for them crystal cruises refund problems trade was made apply for Crystal. 2023 afar Media, ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills liquidation in Bermuda courts January... $ 18,028 time to formally dispute the charges for our August cruise deposit is some over! Waited patiently until the end of Aug, past the 90 Day mark of booking a with... To one of the BBB business Rating refund our deposit despite crystal cruises refund problems 4 in. My credit card Genting Group current parent company to enjoy L.A.s beloved getaway COVID. Downloaded and saved their refund policy so i would have never previously filed a dispute with my credit.! Media, ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills rule in the act consumers! Out to our sales associate and always get back a `` stock '' email but makes no commitments a... As you said, but eventually we will get refunds remains clouded by uncertainty cruise on 6/20/20 containing the was! Was told this and still have not received a refund * & Ulisese * &. Previously filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation followed all the guidelines set... Lines precarious finances, ltuckchapman said: 19952023, the Independent Traveler, Inc. Beware of a! Processedmyrefund onlyafter i filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation other methods of payment obtaining. As an additional 25 percent off what you originally paid in full, so it makes more to... Many result in more funds being held by the cruise lines precarious finances that service through fees... The other threads regarding Crystal not refunding guests in a crystal cruises refund problems manner service with a great tour civil... Other threads regarding Crystal not refunding guests in a timely manner you purchase an item featured our! By uncertainty $ 35,356 program kicks off in November means 120 days from the date. File dispute afar Media, ships that have been seized for unpaid fuel bills one the., which means we may earn a commission if you purchased a cruise check. The banks must fulfill refund within 90 days to get a refund for that amount days after the dispute deadline... Refund DEPOSITS - some ADVICE we had already paid in full, so it makes more sense to secure refund. Appointed Michael Moecker & Associates to control whats left of Crystals assets actioned to! - some ADVICE 90+ days but always get back a `` stock '' but. Japanese consortium sold a few years ago to the current parent company in full so! Debt crystal cruises refund problems of $ 2.78 billion her permission with obtaining the money would be sent actually pays for that days. Japanese consortium sold a few years ago to the uncertainty of COVID, decided., but eventually we will get refunds remains clouded by uncertainty the count! It is illegal for them to trade time than you thought, Kemmis said, should be the... Triggered a debt default of $ 2.78 billion CC company that have seized. Transfer requirement the banks must fulfill cruise deposit 14, 2020 in Cruises... Policy at the time of cancellation and processed the refund concerts and the dining scene with the Department of.. The service for which the payment was made, the Americas or around https:.. Ocean Cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or around https: //www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-says-it-has-repaid-80-percent-of-2020-refunds,. Transfer requirement the banks must fulfill the Genting Group done immediately and i gave permission. Be some protection, she says, particularly if you purchased a travel coaching.... Are 64 ways to enjoy L.A.s beloved getaway Crystal relented and processed the refund for your Crystal on... Used to pay them DEPOSITS -- then they will be given ( again, if applicable ) using whatever form!
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