CANCELLATION DUE TO ZIKA Full refunds should not be this hard

Posted on 05/06/2016

At Christmas, Christina Matassini, of Tampa, received tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise from her parents for herself, her husband and two children to join a group for a family cruise. When she found out she was pregnant soon after; her doctor provided a note saying she couldn’t travel to the Caribbean in light of the WHO advisory warning pregnant women to avoid areas with Zika cases, as is the Caribbean. Matassini tried to get a refund, but that didn’t turn out to be as easy as she had hoped.

When Matassini first approached the cruise line she was told that there would not be a problem issuing her a refund, but they offered her a travel voucher instead. She didn’t accept it, saying she didn’t want to go at a later date if she was missing the cruise with her extended family. 

She went to News Channel 8 On Your Side who reached out to the cruise line and received this response, “Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is committed to the safety and health of our guests and crew. We are closely monitoring the Zika virus situation and are aware that the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a travel alert for certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. 

“Royal Caribbean will assist any pregnant women who do not feel comfortable sailing to countries affected with the Zika virus by providing alternate itinerary options. This may include guests with a future cruise credit valid for two years so that they may re-schedule their voyage for a later date, with no penalty. Guests seeking additional information on the Zika virus are encouraged to contact their primary care physician or visit the CDC’s and/or WHO’s websites.” 

The news channel broadcast the story after which Royal Caribbean responded in an email saying they have given Mattasini a refund of taxes and fees, plus the cost of the cruise, minus a cancellation fee as well as a voucher toward a future cruise. 

Mattasini is still not happy, saying she wants all of the funds returned.