A Los Angeles resident has found herself out of thousands of dollars after a fight cancellation led to a missed cruise, according to ABC 7.
Britney Webb of South Central had saved up so that she and her family could enjoy a spring break cruise aboard Royal Caribbean‘s Odyssey of the Seas. However, after numerous delays, their April 9 Florida-bound flight with Delta was ultimately canceled altogether.
A different flight to Florida was also canceled, leaving Webb and her family disappointed and stuck in Los Angeles. The unexpected last-minute cancellation left them unable to make it to the ship.
Delta agreed to issue Webb a full refund and voucher for future travel. However, she will not be able to receive a refund from Royal Caribbean for the missed cruise, aside from the tax and gratuity fees, which only make up a small percentage of the money she had put out.
Having planned to sail with her family of four, Webb paid over $1,000 per person for the cruise tickets, money which she now has no chance of getting back.
“Due to the fact that we don’t have travelers’ insurance, no. They’re not going to give us a refund,” Webb said. “They said, ‘What we will refund you is the gratuity and taxes,’ and that’s basically $800.”
However, Webb refuses to give up. After the stressful and inconvenient ordeal, she persists in trying to get the full refund she feels she is owed for the missed cruise.
“I’ve been stressed since I got off the plane and they told me we weren’t going anywhere,” said Webb. “I’ve been stressed calling this place, that place, trying to get a hold to see who’s going to pay me my money back for this cruise.”
Webb’s story serves as a reminder of the importance of obtaining travel insurance to cover our trips. Now, more than ever, in the COVID-19 age of last-minute changes, airline staff shortages, and cancellations, one can gain much peace of mind by purchasing a protection policy that will prevent the loss of money in the instance of an unexpected issue.
“The purpose of travel insurance is to cover the nonrefundable costs associated with your trip in case of an unforeseen event,” said Nerd Wallet. The finance website recommends knowing exactly what is and is not covered by the policy and shopping around for coverage before purchasing.
Related: 5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Travel Insurance Policies