Travel Agent Leaves Carnival Cruise Passengers Without Refunds After Port Cancellation

A group of Carnival Cruise Line passengers had to postpone a third-party Greenland excursion when their cruise ship canceled its port visit. Though the proprietor promised refunds, many are still awaiting them.

Jill Reiter and her family booked a 14-day Greenland and Canada Cruise on Carnival Legend last year. After learning that the cruise line wasn’t booking shore excursions on the island, fellow passenger Sandra O’Leary offered to make arrangements for Reiter and other guests at $424 per head.

“Sandra created a Facebook group for all the Carnival passengers going to Greenland on our cruise. We all joined, and she directed us to her business, Sandra’s Cruise Tours. I was pleased to be able to leave the shore excursion planning to someone else,” Reiter told the advocacy organization Consumer Rescue.

Around 800 passengers accepted and paid the fee in full.

Greenland Canceled

Four days into their cruise, the captain informed them that the vessel would no longer be going to Greenland because of Hurricane Idalia and another low-pressure system. 

O’Leary quickly assured the group that they would be issued refunds. “I expect I will receive the funds by Friday of this week,” she posted on their Facebook group. 

Reiter said, “Sandra got off the cruise in Canada at the first stop. Packed her bags and ran! We sat in the lobby and watched her leave. Didn’t realize at the time what she was doing until someone mentioned it later that she bailed.”

Passengers Still haven’t Received their Money Back

After the incident, O’Leary claimed that the fees were non-refundable, changing the terms of their agreement on the fly. Guests who signed up for her tour negotiated with their credit companies, tried to reach out to O’Leary, and engaged the services of a consumer advocacy group.

Reiter provided Consumer Rescue with screenshots of communication with O’Leary, showing that she had initially promised refunds if the ship missed the port. Investigations revealed that O’Leary had no registration as a travel agent, and the local tour operators in Greenland do not require a 100% penalty for cancellations made before the tour date.

Most are still waiting for reimbursements for a tour that never happened. Some guests, including Deborah Hill, succeeded only by working with their credit card providers, not through O’Leary.

“Through my friend, Gayle Schuster’s tenacity, with multiple go arounds with her credit card company, refuting the lies of this tour operator, we were able to get our money back on excursions,” Hill shared on Facebook.   “We are all getting word out to never ever book a tour with Sandra O’Leary, Sandras Cruisetours or whatever new name she’ll come up with,” she cautioned.

Cruise Radio has contacted the tour seller but hasn’t received a response.

How to Protect Your Shore Tours

To ensure refunds if a cruise ship misses a port of call, travelers should book shore excursions directly through the cruise line or reputable travel agents with positive reviews.

It is also wise to:

• Document Terms: Take screenshots or printouts of the terms and conditions when booking.
• Check Reviews: Look for online reviews of the tour company or agent.
• Understand Policies: Familiarize yourself with the cancellation and refund policies.
• Consider Insurance: Travel insurance can reimburse missed tours depending on the policy terms.