Two Carnival Cruise Line passengers missed their cruise because of a traffic accident on the way to the port. Now they are wondering how to get their full refund.
But are they owed anything?
That’s the question for today.
A Georgia couple pressed their luck by driving to Port Canaveral on the same day their Carnival cruise was set to depart. Their luck ran out in the homestretch when a multi-vehicle accident along I-75 in Florida brought traffic to a standstill. As a result, they showed up at the cruise port 45 minutes after the final boarding of the ship.
To the couple’s shock, although Carnival Glory was still towering in front of them, the cruise terminal was closed. Soon, the ship sailed away to the Bahamas without them, and they headed back home.
Frustrated by the turn of events, they sent an impassioned letter to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald. He shared that letter on his Facebook page earlier.
“Through no fault of our own, we missed the ship [Carnival Glory]. Even though it was 50 minutes before departure, the terminal was closed,” the letter read. “No Carnival representatives were there and no one helped us [to board]. Carnival left us stranded. I’m writing to you to complain and to find out how to get our full refund.”
If you’re a regular reader of Consumer Rescue, you already know the answer.
Here’s what you need to know about what happens if you arrive too late to board — even if the cruise ship hasn’t left the dock.
Cruise lines must provide a final manifest 60 minutes before departure
Although this couple implied in their message to Heald that Carnival had mistakenly abandoned them outside the terminal, that wasn’t the case. Every cruise line must provide a final manifest to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at least 60 minutes prior to departure.
The U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires Carnival Cruise Line to submit a final departure manifest with specific guest information at least 60 minutes prior to departure. All guests are required to provide us with check-in information by completing their Online Check-in and selecting their Arrival Appointment no later than midnight (Eastern time) prior to their sailing date.
Final Boarding: In preparation for departure, all guests must be on board by the Final Boarding time printed on the boarding pass, or they will not be permitted to sail.
[Carnival Cruise Line FAQs]
If your name is not on that list at that time, the cruise line has no choice but to deny you boarding the ship.
Related: Cruise ship passengers beware: No, you don’t have an Enhanced ID!
By the time the couple made their way out of the traffic mess on I-75, there was no way they could make it to the port by the boarding time on their card. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t even make it to Port Canaveral to make the final boarding call. If the terminal was completely closed with no Carnival representatives in sight, it was likely a bit later than their recollection.
However, the fact that Carnival Glory was still in port had misled them to believe someone just needed to open the door and let them in. That was the basis for their complaint to Heald – that Carnival had abandoned them.
The reality is that they missed the 60-minute cut-off before the official departure, and no one at Carnival could have legally allowed them to board the ship.
If you miss your cruise ship’s embarkation, you’re not getting a refund
There was more bad news for these distraught would-be cruise passengers. Heald gently explained that although he sympathized with their situation, the terms and conditions of their contract do not allow for a refund.
Despite the couple’s assertion that “through no fault of their own,” they had missed their cruise, that wasn’t the case.
Of course, the car accident wasn’t their fault, but poor planning was. Heald declined to name the couple for the same reason I often omit the names of the people who contact Consumer Rescue. I do not intend to embarrass anyone or make them feel worse by pointing out their mistakes. Those errors often provide important teaching moments that others can learn from to avoid similar catastrophes.
This couple was cutting it extremely close. Even without the accident, they took a significant risk.
I-75 in Central Florida is a highway fraught with frequent accidents and construction. Traveling the day before would have allowed the couple to navigate that corridor without the threat of mishaps ruining their cruise plans.
Related: These cruise passengers tried to beat the 405 in LA… and lost
Heald told the group that he would respond to the couple’s email personally, but there would be no refund.
He ended with this sage advice, “Remember, we all must be on time.”
As travelers, that’s good advice for us all.
How to avoid losing your cruise dollars if you miss the ship
In the past 10 years, I have responded to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of emails from cruise ship passengers who missed the boat. These rejected travelers want to know how to get refunds for their lost vacations. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of cruisers who miss embarkation, the answer is harsh but straightforward: there is no way. The contract of every major cruise line makes this detail clear.
But the good news is that there are ways to protect yourself from that fate, even if you find yourself in the awful situation that the couple who contacted Heald today did.
Here’s how:
Always plan to arrive at least one day before your cruise sails
Although Heald shared a different number one way to avoid the financial impact of missing your cruise ship, mine has always been to plan to arrive at least one day before you’re scheduled to sail. (See: Here’s why you shouldn’t fly on the same day as your cruise)
Over the years, I’ve reported numerous horror stories of cruise passengers who didn’t factor potential traffic, flight delays, or other time drains into their ETA to the terminal. Those travelers’ stories all ended in tears at the port, as their much-anticipated vacations disappeared over the horizon.
By planning to arrive at least one day before your cruise’s scheduled embarkation, you will almost completely eliminate the chance of getting left behind.
Consider buying the cruise line’s travel protection
Now to Heald’s number one piece of advice for the cruise ship passengers: purchase travel protection from Carnival.
Although I always recommend buying third-party travel insurance, Heald pointed out how, in a case like this, the cruise line’s protection could have prevented these passengers from losing their entire fare. Part A of Carnival’s Vacation Protection allows passengers to cancel for any reason right up to departure and receive a 75 percent future cruise credit. The second part of the plan is a traditional travel insurance policy.
On this point, we can agree. These passengers could have benefited from Carnival’s Vacation Plan’s CFAR benefit. Equally, they could have driven to the port the night before, and they wouldn’t have needed the CFAR because they wouldn’t have missed their cruise.
Related: Here are all the mistakes cruise passengers make (and how to avoid them)
The bottom line
It is always the passenger’s responsibility to be at the cruise port before the ship closes for boarding. If you show up after that deadline, you won’t only miss your much-anticipated cruise, you’ll also lose all the money you spent on it. That awful fate is almost entirely avoidable with just a little pre-planning. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Founder of Consumer Rescue)
Before you go: 2 more cruise ship passengers say they were scammed in Nassau. What’s happening?
