Journey Troubleshooter: Windstar promised an all-inclusive bundle. Now it’s refusing!

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: Whereas my husband and I have been on a latest Windstar cruise, we made reservations with the onboard cruise coordinator for a seven-night cruise to Costa Rica and Panama within the subsequent yr.Christopher Elliott, the Journey Troubleshooter 

As an incentive to join a future cruise, the coordinator promised an extra shipboard credit score of $100 per particular person and — at no additional value — an all-inclusive bundle that features drinks, Wi-Fi and employees gratuities.

On the itinerary affirmation, the onboard cruise coordinator wrote that these extras have been “pending.” She suggested us to observe up once we returned dwelling to make it possible for the preparations have been mirrored on our file. However I’ve been forwards and backwards with Windstar for the previous few months.

Lastly, a consultant knowledgeable me that the $100-per-person credit score had been accepted, however the all-inclusive bundle had been denied as a result of it was lacking a signature from the onboard cruise marketing consultant.

I would like Windstar to both honor its guarantees or return my $400 deposit instantly.

— Tracy Joselson, Baltimore

However wait — wouldn’t you prefer to take that Central American cruise subsequent yr? It seems to be like plenty of enjoyable. And as I overview the paper path between you and Windstar, it seems you might have written proof {that a} cruise line worker supplied you an all-inclusive bundle. So, why not strive?

First, a notice about onboard cruise consultants: These specialists are skilled to promote you on a future cruise, and the cruise line provides them plenty of instruments to perform their job. They will give you reductions, cruise credit and different incentives if you are onboard to place down a deposit.

There’s a motive cruise strains have these consultants on the ship: They reduce out the intermediary (aka your journey advisor), which implies that the cruise line will get to maintain extra of your cash.

Onboard cruise consultants can be aggressive after they attempt to shut a deal. Not “timeshare aggressive” or “used-car-salesman aggressive,” however actually insistent. You have been completely appropriate to get your saleswoman’s notice in writing, however I might have insisted on a written affirmation. You shouldn’t must name Windstar to get it to honor a proposal that it already made.

I contacted Windstar in your behalf. A cruise line consultant reviewed your reservation and located that it had certainly ignored one thing.

“We’ve added the complimentary All-In package and $100-per-person shipboard credits to the future cruise booking, as promised,” a consultant instructed me. “As an apology, Windstar is adding an additional $150-per-person shipboard credit. This issue highlighted areas of improvement for us regarding the onboard booking process.”

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Initially Printed: September 23, 2024 at 4:15 a.m.