The Windstar cruise line sold us a package and will not follow through

While my husband and I were recently on a Windstar cruise, we made reservations with the onboard cruise coordinator for a seven-night cruise to Costa Rica and Panama next year.

As an incentive to sign up for a future cruise, the coordinator promised an additional $100 per person onboard credit and, at no extra cost, an all-inclusive package that included drinks, internet and staff gratuities.

On the itinerary confirmation, the onboard cruise coordinator wrote that these extras were “on hold.” She advised us to follow up on the reservations when we got home to make sure the arrangements were on file.

I’ve been going back and forth with Windstar over the last few months. Eventually, a representative informed me that the $100 credit per person had been approved but the all-inclusive package had been denied because the onboard cruise consultant’s signature was missing.

I want Windstar to honor their promises or return my $400 deposit immediately. —Tracy Joselson, Baltimore

Windstar should have given you what he promised. But there’s good news: You can get your deposit back now, minus a $50 cancellation fee. At least that’s what Windstar’s terms and conditions say (see the cancellation section for more details).

But wait. Wouldn’t you like to take that Central America cruise next year? This looks like a lot of fun. And looking at the paper trail between you and Windstar, it appears you have written proof that a cruise line employee offered you an all-inclusive package. So why not try?

First, a note about the onboard cruise consultants. These specialists are trained to sell you a future cruise, and the cruise line gives them many tools to do their job. They may offer you discounts, cruise credits, and other incentives for posting a deposit while you’re on board. There’s a reason cruise lines have these consultants on the ship: They’ve cut out the middleman – your travel advisor – which means the cruise line keeps more of your money.

Cruise consultants on board can also be aggressive when trying to close a deal. Not timeshare or used car pushy, but definitely pushy. You were absolutely right to obtain the written note from your salesperson, but I would have insisted on having written confirmation. You shouldn’t have to call Windstar to honor an offer already made.

So what happened? It sounds like you’ve been patient, polite, and persistent with Windstar. But you were also dealing with people who apparently weren’t authorized to follow through on your consultant’s offer. A quick call to one of Windstar’s executives might have helped. I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site.

I have contacted Windstar on your behalf. A representative from the cruise line looked at your reservation and found that they had indeed forgotten something.

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

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their issues. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him on his site.