Couple Finally Gets Refunded Two Years After Cancelled Cruise

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Sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be – which was the case for Pam and Kenny Dickenson’s Jazz-themed cruise two years in a row.

The couple, who hail from Schenectady, New York, finally received a $5,000 check in the mail from Royal Caribbean after their Capital Jazz SuperCruise was cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Capital Jazz is a charter client of Royal Caribbean Cruises that hosts themed music festivals at sea.

The original sailing was supposed to embark on an unspecified Royal Caribbean ship on January 16, 2021, but was cancelled, as cruising had not yet resumed in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

When the Dickenson’s first cruise was cancelled, they were given the option to receive a refund or to reschedule and embark on the same cruise on January 14, 2022.

The couple chose the second option, only to have their sailing be cancelled once again due to the rise of the contagious Omicron variant. At this point, the couple just wanted their refund – which was now long overdue.

Their refund finally came after the Maryland District Attorney’s office learned of around 300 passengers, like the Dickensons, who had not yet received their promised refund. Through their investigation, they found that Capital Jazz refunded some passengers, but not others.

According to a 10-page settlement released by the law office, Royal Caribbean was financially responsible if Capital Jazz’s SuperCruises did not take place – and that the cruise line could have transferred liability to Capital Jazz but did not do so, leaving them on the hook for nearly $1.3 million.

“Consumers deserve a refund when a business fails to deliver, even in unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown in a press release.

All impacted guests should have already received their refunds in the mail via check as of the time of publication.

What is a Capital Jazz SuperCruise?

Like many of the other mainstream cruise lines, Royal Caribbean will allow outside clients to charter its cruise ships – meaning they rent out the ship for a full sailing – to host themed voyages.

The themed cruises can celebrate pretty much anything the clients can imagine – ranging from the 80s era to Taylor Swift music, cooking, art, and ComicCon and Star Trek conventions held at sea.

As the name implies, Capital Jazz hosts an annual cruise that is dedicated to jazz music, along with soul music, gospel music, and old-school hip-hop.

Music Performance on Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Ally Lee)

The special entertainment onboard includes themed parties, jam sessions, karaoke, open mic events, and workshops and performances with music industry legends.