She notes that under the Fair Credit Billing Act, when a merchant doesn't provide services as promised, consumers who used a credit card to pay for that service can file a dispute and get their money back, whether a voyage is simply cancelled, or even if the company goes bankrupt.
"If the company goes out of business, your credit card will get your money back for you," she says, warning that a debit card, while it may look like a credit card, does not offer the same layer of protections.