In October, Viking Cruises canceled Dianne Zeitler’s trip from Montreal to New York on the Viking Star. Like other cruise lines, Viking offered two options: a full refund or a 125 percent cruise credit. Zeitler, a retired health-care consultant who lives in Ellicott City, Md., was grateful for the opportunity to choose.
“We’re using the goodwill gesture to book a new cruise next year,” she says.
But travelers are confused by the semantics of transactions like Zeitler’s. Is it really a magnanimous act when a company simply abides by the terms of a contract?
A cruise line is legally required to provide refunds if it cancels a sailing. For example, section 6(a) of Viking’s passenger ticket contract says you will get your fare…