Complaints or Inquiries From Prospective or Actual Cruise Vessel Passengers

The FMC has limited jurisdiction over cruise vessels and operators. Primarily, the Commission ensures that cruise line operators who are embarking passengers from a United States port have evidence of financial responsibility to indemnify passengers in the event of nonperformance or casualty. Passengers are not covered by the Commission's financial responsibility program if they did not embark from a United States port. Relations between the cruise lines and their customers, however, are contractual matters governed by the terms of the passenger ticket. It is recommended that the cruise passenger read that ticket contract carefully prior to sailing, as it delineates passenger rights and provides the answers to many typical questions. For example, passengers sometime attempt to recover fares remitted prior to an emergency cancellation. Readers of the ticket contract can expect to find a schedule of cancellation penalties. Unless cancellation insurance is purchased, the likelihood of additional recovery is very slight. Nevertheless, disputes that arise between cruise operators and their customers may leave room for discussion and negotiation. In some cases, the FMC can help to obtain for the patron some form of relief.