Social media, and in some cases the actual media, has been filled with people angry about a change Royal Caribbean has made to recent Symphony of the Seas sailings. The cruise line has swapped out a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico for one at its private destination in Labadee, Haiti.
Many people are simply angry at losing the Puerto Rico stop, while others don't understand how the cruise line can stop in Haiti, for which the United States State Department has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel warning and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned flights to Haiti for at least 30 days.
Related: Why Royal Caribbean is swapping Labadee, Haiti stops for San Juan
Yvette Avila is booked on one Symphony of the Seas Sailing that was going to San Juan and is now going to Labadee.
"In between doing the last minute things, we need to decide are we going to go," she told WPTV, a South Florida television station. "Are we going to go? Are we going to compromise ourselves? Are my kids going to get kidnapped? Is something going to happen on the ship? Other people can take that chance. We just really don’t want to do that."
Avila, in the interview, is clearly upset that if she cancels her cruise, the cruise line will only return her family's port fees and taxes. She's also mad that the last-minute change was made as in addition to being scared about going to Haiti, she's upset about losing Puerto Rico as a stop.
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First, there is nothing to worry about for passengers stopping in Labadee. The fenced-in private destination has a security force, and Royal Caribbean can monitor whether any people or groups try to approach the area. Labadee is a remote part of the island that is nowhere near any fighting.
There is actually a port in the Dominican Republic which is much closer to Port au Prince and the actual fighting. Labadee is Haiti, but kind of in name only and the US State Dept. continues to support Royal Caribbean stopping there.
Second, while it's sad that Avila won't get to visit Puerto Rico, she should have always known that itinerary changes were possible.
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1. Your itinerary may change
In the case of Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean made an itinerary change because the pier in San Juan, which can handle larger ships, is not cleared to accept them at the moment.
In reality, however, the cruise line does not need a reason to make a change. Usually, Royal Caribbean will only change itineraries when forced to. Usually, that means weather.
Sometimes, the cruise line will change its stops in order to sail the ship away from a storm. That can mean anything from visiting the initial ports in a different order to extreme cases where a Caribbean cruise becomes a New England and Canada cruise.
Royal Caribbean will also make changes in the rare case a medical emergency or damage to the ship forces a change in plans.
The cruise line never wants to not give its passengers what they paid for, but it can't control the weather, damaged piers, or other factors that may force a change. That's why your cruise contract, a document few people likely read, clearly gives Royal Caribbean the right to change itineraries for any reason.
2. You won't get a refund unless you buy travel insurance
When you book a cruise, it's generally not refundable after the day the final payment is due. Even before that day, you will generally only get a refund in cruise credit, and there will be a penalty for canceling.
There might be certain cruise fares that offer better terms, but you will generally pay more for the ability to cancel or change your cruise.
With most fares, in the event you are not able to make your sailing — the reason does not matter — you won't get a refund. That's true if your itinerary changes and you don't like the new one, or if your dog dies, your grandmother passes away, or you get a horrifying medical diagnosis.
Royal Caribbean does not offer a refund unless it has to. To protect yourself, it's important to get travel insurance. You can buy insurance from the cruise line or from various third parties.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
When it comes to cruise travel insurance, it's important to know exactly what's covered. Some policies, for example, will pay you back for your missed cruise if you don't make the ship due to a canceled flight while others may not.
The insurance company is only going to pay when something the policy covers occurs. That generally does not include itinerary changes.
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