MaritimeR&R Posted February 16, 2021 #1 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) RCG has now published a new cruise contract. I am aware that under the old contract the Line has the right to change an itinerary, etc., but I don't believe it entitled them to forgo any and all financial responsibility for Covid related illness/deaths, or entitles them to require that passengers adhere to new protocols that were not in place at the time of the initial booking, etc. Are people who previously booked NRD cruises entitled by law to request their full deposit back (and not have to wait for RCG to cancel) as RCG has changed the terms of their contract to include exclusions that were not in place at the time of the "good faith" booking? Edited February 16, 2021 by MaritimeR&R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DCGuy64 Posted February 16, 2021 #2 Share Posted February 16, 2021 13 minutes ago, MaritimeR&R said: RCG has now published a new cruise contract. I am aware that under the old contract he Line has the right to change an itinerary, etc., but I don't believe it entitles them to forgo any and all financial responsibility for Covid related illness/deaths, or to require that passengers adhere to new protocols that were not in place at the time of the initial booking, etc. Are people who previously booked NRD cruises entitled by law to request their full deposit back (and not have to wait for RCG to cancel) as RCG has changed the terms of their contract to include exclusions that were not in place at the time of the "good faith" booking? What does the contract say? It's all in the fine print. I would be quite surprised if Royal didn't have language in the old contracts allowing them to adjust the terms and conditions to account for things like an unprecedented health emergency like COVID. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klfrodo Posted February 16, 2021 #3 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Are you asking for true legal advice for free? Or, are you looking for a knuckleheads (like me) opinion? 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeR&R Posted February 16, 2021 Author #4 Share Posted February 16, 2021 1 minute ago, klfrodo said: Are you asking for true legal advice for free? Or, are you looking for a knuckleheads (like me) opinion? I have friends that are lawyers, so I am not really looking for a "freebee." I just thought there might be someone on this board that had knowledge specific to contracts, esp. as they apply to cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeR&R Posted February 16, 2021 Author #5 Share Posted February 16, 2021 This is the link to the new contract - it has language about this one superseding all others, much like is found in a will. There are other statements that I find bothersome. U.S. Cruise Ticket Contract | Royal Caribbean Cruises- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted February 16, 2021 #6 Share Posted February 16, 2021 1 hour ago, MaritimeR&R said: RCG has now published a new cruise contract. I am aware that under the old contract the Line has the right to change an itinerary, etc., but I don't believe it entitled them to forgo any and all financial responsibility for Covid related illness/deaths, or entitles them to require that passengers adhere to new protocols that were not in place at the time of the initial booking, etc. Are people who previously booked NRD cruises entitled by law to request their full deposit back (and not have to wait for RCG to cancel) as RCG has changed the terms of their contract to include exclusions that were not in place at the time of the "good faith" booking? I would say that this is pretty standard for a maritime contract of carriage (though certainly not an admiralty lawyer). It sets the "duty of care" parameters, including mentioning requirements set by government agencies, etc. Then, if the carrier is shown to have met the "duty of care" or "standard of care" (as set by government), they cannot be found to be liable. As far as requiring passengers to adhere to new protocols, I'm certain there was language to the effect, and it is still there that passenger agrees to abide by all laws, and rules, policies and regulations of the carrier, without specifically calling those out (so the new covid requirements could have been lumped into this clause, without specific mention, but they broke them out to highlight them. As for getting refunds, that is something else, and I'm not sure of the consumer protections covering this situation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merion_Mom Posted February 16, 2021 #7 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I believe that you don't actually SIGN a contract until you are filling out the online check-in, which has been available 90 days before embarkation date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamcruzin Posted February 16, 2021 #8 Share Posted February 16, 2021 1 hour ago, klfrodo said: Are you asking for true legal advice for free? Or, are you looking for a knuckleheads (like me) opinion? I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. 8 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamcruzin Posted February 16, 2021 #9 Share Posted February 16, 2021 5 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said: I believe that you don't actually SIGN a contract until you are filling out the online check-in, which has been available 90 days before embarkation date. That's what I thought as well. You need to check the boxes and agree to give up your first born child before you can print or save your boarding pass. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mek Posted February 16, 2021 #10 Share Posted February 16, 2021 25 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said: That's what I thought as well. You need to check the boxes and agree to give up your first born child before you can print or save your boarding pass. Pretty much the same as we have always done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipeeinthepool Posted February 16, 2021 #11 Share Posted February 16, 2021 2 hours ago, klfrodo said: Are you asking for true legal advice for free? Or, are you looking for a knuckleheads (like me) opinion? I hope you realize that it is possible for someone to be a lawyer and a Knucklehead. 5 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare orville99 Posted February 16, 2021 #12 Share Posted February 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said: I hope you realize that it is possible for someone to be a lawyer and a Knucklehead. It’s probably more difficult to find one who’s not.😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Wheels Only Posted February 16, 2021 #13 Share Posted February 16, 2021 10 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said: I hope you realize that it is possible for someone to be a lawyer and a Knucklehead. Obviously. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted February 16, 2021 #14 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I am not a lawyer and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. I did have one of the TA's I've used in the past introduce a new COVID waiver that covers them (not a Royal document). It was a 2 page document that indemnified nearly everyone including them, their suppliers, the clinic that did their last pedicure, bigfoot, snoopy and the abominable snow monster of the North. I requested the cruise I had just transferred to them before they introduced the waiver for signature pulled back to Royal direct. I don't know that there was unreasonable verbiage in the waiver but I don't know what I don't know. I do know my other TA's aren't requiring a waiver (yet) so I am avoiding this particular TA for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph2017China Posted February 16, 2021 #15 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Sounds like a Gorilla Girl question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyinpa Posted February 17, 2021 #16 Share Posted February 17, 2021 they need specific elevator distancing in the contract. there has to be some kind of plan for it, you cannot mandate distancing in an elevator from a practical standpoint with 6000 people on the ship. unless it's one of those rules they really dont intend to enforce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DCGuy64 Posted February 17, 2021 #17 Share Posted February 17, 2021 20 hours ago, Iamcruzin said: I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. Oh, yeah, we all went to to Facebook Medical or Facebook Law School. 😁 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB_NJ Posted February 17, 2021 #18 Share Posted February 17, 2021 It actually takes a lot of work to parse the contract that was in effect when you put down the deposit and compare it to today's contract to see if there really is something new. Also, there was likely something in the original contract about "force majeure" which might cover the pandemic. FYI, most contracts have a choice of law section that covers what jurisdiction the contract language is interpreted under so that is the jurisdiction that covers how the contract is interpreted. All of this goes towards the point that the question is not that easy to answer. In the end it would take several court cases (unless the contract has an arbitration clause, I hate arbitration clauses) to get a final answer as to what everything means. If you really do not like the new contract and really want to cancel and get all of your money back you could call and raise a fuss about the new contract, etc. and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatour Posted February 18, 2021 #19 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 12:15 PM, Merion_Mom said: I believe that you do, don't actually SIGN a contract until you are filling out the online check-in, which has been available 90 days before embarkation date. However, I imagine that there something/somewhere that say by putting down a deposit for a cabin priced at the NRD rate, you may forfeit the deposit if you decide to cancel for any reason. Also, whenever the CDC decides more in-depth policies to the cruiseline, the cruise lines can always point to the Gov't policies and hide behind them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
life is to be happy Posted February 18, 2021 #20 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 5:20 PM, Iamcruzin said: I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. I love it ... made me lol thanks 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodtime Cruizin Posted February 18, 2021 #21 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 11:20 AM, Iamcruzin said: I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. You place these folks in high? Scientists are tax funded thus are for hire to the highest bidder... lawyers are snakes for hire, physicians are difficult to reach, and statisticians slant numbers for effect. Knuckleheads? ...at least you know where they stand! 😆 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisegirl1 Posted February 18, 2021 #22 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 12:20 PM, Iamcruzin said: I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. Ha ha. I’m thinking the same thing. I seem to be in such prestigious company. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted February 18, 2021 #23 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 12:21 PM, Iamcruzin said: That's what I thought as well. You need to check the boxes and agree to give up your first born child before you can print or save your boarding pass. Just a silly question--how many actually read the contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingerwoppy Posted February 19, 2021 #24 Share Posted February 19, 2021 If I correctly recall what I learned in my business laws classes (got A's), negligence is never waivable. Last hotel I stayed in was the Sleep Inn and Suites in Galveston, not quite a Holiday Inn but not bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scpirate Posted February 19, 2021 #25 Share Posted February 19, 2021 On 2/16/2021 at 12:20 PM, Iamcruzin said: I never realized until this year how many scientist, lawyers, physicians and statisticians follow cruise critic. Here I am just looking for a cruise secret or a good deal. Now you know.i came to that confirmation today looking at some comments on a certain other social media site.i m glad I didn't waste money on a university and went to trade school instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now