in this case
- Michael Cawley and his wife booked a six-day Rhine River cruise with CroisiEurope as a relaxing start to a longer trip. Instead they got a string of mechanical problems from the first night on.
- After the ship struck something near midnight and passengers were roused at 1:30 a.m., the cruise was canceled the next morning over a bad motor. The couple quickly booked nonrefundable train and hotel travel to make their onward connection.
- CroisiEurope refunded the cruise fare but treated the roughly $1,400 in extra travel costs differently, which turns on a European passenger-rights regulation and exactly when an operator must step in to help.
Michael Cawley and his wife book a Rhine River cruise that’s cut short after mechanical failure forces their ship to dock two days early. CroisiEurope refunds the cruise fare but offers a credit, not cash, for the couple’s nonrefundable train and hotel expenses. Can it do that?
Question
My wife and I have been looking forward to our six-day Rhine River cruise with CroisiEurope. It was supposed to be a relaxing trip before we continued on to Dublin. What we got instead was a series of mechanical problems — and a lot of anxiety.
The trouble began almost immediately. On the first night, the ship stopped cruising early. The next morning, scuba divers worked under the hull. We departed late, and a scheduled excursion to Heidelberg was canceled.
That night, around midnight, the ship hit something. The hull shook. At 1:30 a.m., all passengers were woken up and sent to the lounge. This lasted for an hour before we were allowed to go back to our staterooms.
The final announcement came the next morning: the cruise was canceled because of a bad motor.
Our original disembarkation was Amsterdam, and we had nonrefundable travel booked from there to Dublin. My wife and I did not want to risk further delays. We immediately booked noncancelable train travel to Amsterdam, plus two nonrefundable nights at the Hotel des Arts. Later that afternoon, a CroisiEurope representative advised that some guests would continue by bus, but by then, we had already made firm commitments and could not join that alternative trip.
CroisiEurope refunded the original cruise fare of $4,792, but we have additional expenses of about $1,400. Can you help us get a refund? — Michael Cawley, West Chester, Pa.
Answer
I think CroisiEurope should have reimbursed you for all of your expenses.
Mechanical failures, an interrupted night’s sleep after the ship struck something — these are not minor inconveniences.
Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, a European consumer protection law, passengers on inland waterway journeys are entitled to reimbursement in cases of cancellation because of technical faults, which includes meals and, if an overnight stay becomes necessary, reasonable accommodations.
But the regulation for inland waterways is a little tricky. Once an event like yours happens, the operator must offer two options: either rerouting you to the final destination free of charge or providing a full refund of the ticket price.
CroisiEurope offered a bus reroute after you had already committed to the nonrefundable train and hotel to Amsterdam. This timing is important. You were forced to make arrangements because the company did not provide the necessary assistance immediately. The offer of a bus came too late.
What could you have done differently? The moment the cruise was officially canceled, you should have contacted a manager at CroisiEurope and ask that it book and pay for your rerouting, which the regulation implies it should do. Booking nonrefundable tickets on your own, especially without a clear paper trail confirming CroisiEurope’s refused assistance, makes recovering that money harder.
Since CroisiEurope has already issued the full cruise refund, your dispute is over the out-of-pocket expenses. After we contacted the company, CroisiEurope offered you a $1,400 credit for a future cruise.
“Per our legal analysis, the Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010 does not apply to Mr. Cawley’s case, as this law concerns a package travel contract and not merely a river transport service,” a representative told us.
That’s not the resolution you were hoping for — and frankly, it wasn’t for me, either.
A mechanical breakdown cut a cruise short and left a couple covering their own way to the next destination. The case raises broader questions about what a cruise line owes you when its ship cannot finish the trip.
Your voice matters
What you need to know about canceled river cruises and your rights
When a river cruise is cut short by a breakdown, your rights depend on the law that applies and how quickly the operator helps. Here is what travelers should understand.
Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, passengers on inland waterway journeys can be entitled to assistance when a trip is canceled for technical faults, which can include meals and, if an overnight stay becomes necessary, reasonable accommodation. The operator generally must offer either free rerouting to your destination or a full refund of the ticket price. The regulation implies the operator should arrange and pay for rerouting to your destination. That is why the timing matters: if the company does not provide that assistance promptly and you are forced to book your own travel, recovering the cost later can become much harder. Contact a manager right away and ask the company to book and pay for your rerouting before you arrange anything yourself. If you must book your own train or hotel, first get written confirmation that the company refused to help, so you have a clear paper trail. Companies sometimes offer a future-trip credit rather than a cash reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs. Whether that is acceptable is often the heart of the dispute, since a credit only has value if you take another trip with the same company and does not return money you actually spent. The applicable law can hinge on how the trip is classified. A company may argue that a given regulation applies only to a package travel contract and not to a standalone transport service, or the reverse. That classification can change what reimbursement, if any, you are owed. Be cautious. Committing to noncancelable train or hotel reservations before giving the operator a chance to offer an alternative can leave you paying twice, especially if the company later proposes its own rerouting. Get the operator’s plan, or its refusal, in writing first. Document the breakdown and timeline, keep all receipts and correspondence, and make your case in writing to the company, escalating to an executive if needed. A clear record of what failed, what you asked for, and what the company refused is your strongest tool. For help with a specific dispute, see how the Travel Troubleshooter helps consumers.What are my rights if a river cruise is canceled for mechanical reasons?
Does the cruise line have to arrange my onward travel?
What should I do the moment my cruise is canceled?
Can a company give me a credit instead of cash for my expenses?
Why does it matter whether my trip was a “package”?
Should I book nonrefundable onward travel right away?
How do I dispute an inadequate offer?
