Can this Trip be saved / Managing your Travel Business / Travel Selling 101
by John Hawks

Can This Trip Be Saved?

(We're introducing this new feature in the "OSSN E-Agent" to give you common-sense answers to everyday travel law issues that you may encounter with your clients.)

Question: Your clients booked a cruise to the Caribbean, specifically choosing the itinerary because it included a port call in the island where they honeymooned many years ago. When they boarded the ship, however, they found in their cabin a "notice of change of schedule" saying that the ship would not be calling at that island after all! Your clients complained vigorously to the ship's personnel, as did many other passengers -- to no avail. The cruise line apologized later in writing to your clients, but they did not receive any credits or compensation for this huge disappointment. What can you do?

Answer: Here's the basic legal principle: Based on maritime law -- as well as the fine print buried in almost every cruise contract in the world -- cruise lines and their captains reserve the absolute right to change itineraries with no advance notice to the passengers (or their travel agents).

Usually, these sudden changes result from unavoidable, unexpected problems -- mechanical problems with the ship, hurricanes and other weather threats, unsafe sea conditions, and even labor strikes at ports. The official reason doesn't matter, though, as the law remains the same.

Many times, however, you can complain to the cruise line on behalf of your clients. Even though the cruise line is within its rights to make these schedule changes, it may give your clients a credit against the cruise (or coupons and category upgrades on future sailings) simply in the name of good customer service.

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