What happens if you don't sign the cruise contract?

[stanjj111]

Having a discussion with my friend and needed some input. What happens if you make your final payment, show up at the dock and refuse to sign the cruise contract?

[AlanAllyn]

You will be denied boarding with no refund.

[stanjj111]

You will be denied boarding with no refund.

 

Interesting. However, is not signing a document that cannot be modified by you considered something like a sign in a resturant that says eg. "not responsible for checked items"? In this case I believe that it is difficult to enforce (in certain states).

[New Hampshire]

Accepting the contract is done before you are able to print your Xpress pass to board the ship. I assume without having that you cannot board. I'm sure there is wording in whatever you signed when you booked that will back that up.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Accepting the contract is done before you are able to print your Xpress pass to board the ship. I assume without having that you cannot board. I'm sure there is wording in whatever you signed when you booked that will back that up.

 

Hi Stanjj111,

 

My recollection is the same as NEW HAMPSHIRE's somewhere in the process on-line you click ACCEPT, then the documents can be printed (X-PRESS PASS & E-DOCS) ... you HAVE to sign the X-PRESS PASS before you board because it has your financial info on it (how you intend to pay your ONBOARD expenses)

 

Don't sign that... don't think you'll be allowed aboard... Period !!

 

As for your Contractual Obligations to Celebrity, they were long ago committed by that point in time, both when you ACCEPTED those E-DOCS (but also back in the fine-print when you first booked ... that is when you commit to their Refund Policy etc... and what you are entitled to and not to after FINAL PAYMENT)

 

So infact it really is like 2 transactions... one that you sign to pay for the cruise itself, and another that you sign to pay for all other expenses.

 

Cheers!

[Ephraim]

You don't sign the contract, you don't sail and they legally get to keep your money, since you are beyond your cancellation date.

 

And incidentally, signing can be electronic, like the box you tick to agree to terms when you print your airline boarding.

[WpgCruise]

I think you're going to get opinions here, not facts.

 

If you really want to know ask Celebrity. It's their contract, their ships, and their game.

[juju2454]

The contract is also covering the fact that you accept that the Captain is in charge and maritime law is in effect after you are in open waters...... The contract was made when you booked the cruise, you had the chance to change it then or not go.... but when you sign in for a hotel you sign a contract and you don't get to change a thing....

I agree it is conjecture on many peoples part here but I am betting in court you would lose your money and pay a lawyer for it as well...

 

My bigger question would be why would you not sign it after all you are entering their facility.....:rolleyes:

 

 

Just found this:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2011/06/articles/passenger-rights/top-10-shocking-clauses-in-your-cruise-contract/

 

When you use the ticket you are considered signed...

[stanjj111]

As I said, just a conversation with my friend.

[Lsimon]

You will be denied boarding with no refund.

 

Interesting. However, is not signing a document that cannot be modified by you considered something like a sign in a restaurant that says eg. "not responsible for checked items"? In this case I believe that it is difficult to enforce (in certain states).

I don't know if anyone has ever tried doing this but I'd suspect that the result would be denied boarding as AlanAllyn said.

 

As to whether or not the contract would be enforceable, well that is the stuff lawsuits are made of.

[Denny01]

juju2425 provided a maritime law thread where it states that the following was in cruise contracts:

 

“Purchase or use of this Ticket Contract, whether or not signed by the Passenger, shall constitute the agreement by Passenger, on behalf of himself and all other persons traveling under this Ticket Contract (including any accompanying minors or other persons for whom the Ticket Contract was purchased), to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Ticket Contract.”

 

and

 

“This agreement requires the use of arbitration for certain disputes and waives any right to trial by jury to resolve those disputes.”

 

Not sure if these are in the Celebrity contracts, but from other postings, I think there is similar wording. If so, it appears to negate the signing/not signing the contract because you are 'accepting' the contract by executing the ticket, and the second item negates the lawsuit business, especially since you are stepping onto a ship that is registered somewhere else then the US and is under international maritime law, not US/State laws.

 

There was an news article about the Costa sinking where the writer suggested not to sign the contract, and that the Line would probably just let you go on the cruise anyway. It didn't read as if the writer actually knew what they were talking about, and from this stuff, sounds like not signing would be an academic exercise anyway.

 

Den

[Orator]

We are all just speculating. One way to get a definitive answer would be for the OP to book and pay for a cruise and then refuse to sign anything . Should just show up,ask to board and see what happens. That should give us a good answer based on personal experience. A video showing what has been experieced would be helpful.

[Lsimon]

....A video showing what has been experieced would be helpful.

It might be a great opportunity to get a nice video of the sail away as viewed from the pier.:eek:

[Charles4515]

Hi Stanjj111,

 

My recollection is the same as NEW HAMPSHIRE's somewhere in the process on-line you click ACCEPT, then the documents can be printed (X-PRESS PASS & E-DOCS) ... you HAVE to sign the X-PRESS PASS before you board because it has your financial info on it (how you intend to pay your ONBOARD expenses)

 

Don't sign that... don't think you'll be allowed aboard... Period !!

 

As for your Contractual Obligations to Celebrity, they were long ago committed by that point in time, both when you ACCEPTED those E-DOCS (but also back in the fine-print when you first booked ... that is when you commit to their Refund Policy etc... and what you are entitled to and not to after FINAL PAYMENT)

 

So infact it really is like 2 transactions... one that you sign to pay for the cruise itself, and another that you sign to pay for all other expenses.

 

Cheers!

 

They have always made everyone sign the contract before boarding. Before electronic documents which a passenger won't be able to print before agreeing to the contract, they had paper documents. Several times I had absent mindedly not signed the paper documents. They made me sign them at registration. Bottom line as they won't let a person onboard without them agreeing to the cruise contract.

[cb at sea]

When you buy the passage, you consent to their terms.

[miched]

Having a discussion with my friend and needed some input. What happens if you make your final payment, show up at the dock and refuse to sign the cruise contract?

 

Probably the same as not signing the papers when being admitted into a hospital for a scheduled operation. :mad:

 

 

 

 

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[Fixit2010]

All a contract is, is an agreement between two parties. Either its accepted or it is not. However Celebrity is a multi million $ entity with the ability to hire top end legal personnel who have created the contract to protect themselves. What is more they can bleed you dry if you were denied boarding and you took legal action, regardless if you won some damages at the end or lost and had to pay costs. It comes down to do you agree to their terms and go or not and don't go.

[Sloop-JohnB]

They have always made everyone sign the contract before boarding. Before electronic documents which a passenger won't be able to print before agreeing to the contract, they had paper documents. Several times I had absent mindedly not signed the paper documents. They made me sign them at registration. Bottom line as they won't let a person onboard without them agreeing to the cruise contract.

 

 

TO CHARLES4515,

Good post, yes I remember the "old days" and travelling... very different from today (tons of paperwork, tickets, etc)

When I received my E-Docs and X-Press Pass from Celebrity (sometime last Fall), I remember reading that it said, SIGN YOUR X-PRESS PASS... if you do not sign this document, you will have to at the time of check in.

As I said earlier in this topic, I don't believe there is any sort of alternative. You don't sign, you don't go.

In this day and age of electronic paperwork... I think that this is truly the ONLY document that I HAD TO SIGN for my cruise PRIOR to arriving at the Cruise Ship Terminal ... before that it was supply a credit card number, and click ACCEPT if you agree to / accept these terms & conditions.

I was soo excited when I did check in, that I don't recall what else we had to sign specifically... but there was certainly something (maybe our Sea Pass Cards ?)

As others have said, Celebrity is a BIG Corporation, and contract law is pretty iron-tight... so there really isn't a way that one could get around this issue... you either sign or you don't go... and if you don't go, then it is YOU who have broken the contract with Celebrity... they would most certainly get to keep the money (clearly laid out everywhere... Website, Brochures, Contract etc what the Penalities are for Cancelling / No Shows). And doubtful that anyone would have a strong case in court... ie... changing your mind, doesn't let one out of a contract.

Cheers!

[stanjj111]

It might be a great opportunity to get a nice video of the sail away as viewed from the pier.:eek:

 

cute