The Federal Maritime Commission is amending its regulations governing non-performance by Passenger Vessel Operators (PVO/cruise lines) and establishing new requirements for when cruise passengers should be provided refunds for cancelled or delayed voyages.
The changes define non-performance as cancelling a voyage or delaying a voyage by three or more calendar days if a passenger elects not to embark on delayed or substituted voyage offered by a PVO. The Commission also changed its regulations to allow passengers of delayed or cancelled voyages to make direct claims against financial responsibility instruments, such as bonds, maintained by PVOs, after the passenger’s unsuccessful attempt to receive a refund directly from the PVOs. Finally, the rule allows all fees, including ancillary fees, paid by a passenger to a PVO be eligible for a refund.
The changes become effective 30 days after their publication in the Federal Register and will apply to cruises booked on and after that date.
Proof of Claims for refunds from Crystal Cruises can be filed at https://crystalcruiseclaims.com/.
The deadline for filing a claim is June 11, 2022. Proof of Claim forms can be found at: https://crystalcruiseclaims.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/POC-Crystal-Cruises-Consumer-FinalR1.pdf