Costa Cruises has confirmed its response to an upsetting situation for guests whose sailing aboard Costa Serena was severely altered and ultimately cut short due to Typhoon Gaemi.
While the cruise line does not specifically address guests’ refusal to leave the ship and the rowdy crowd chanting onboard, the explanation does clarify the cruise line’s actions.
The 114,147-gross-ton, Concordia-class Costa Serena was sailing a 5-night cruise from Keelung, Taiwan that departed on Sunday, July 21, 2024 with destinations planned in Japan.
From the beginning, however, the itinerary had to be altered due to the poor weather from the approaching storm. The sailing was forced to end a day early and in Kaohsiung, 374 kilometers (232 miles) away from Keelung.
“To preserve the safety Costa Serena shortened her current sailing (reduced by one day) to conclude her cruise trip and return to safely berth in Kaohsiung port earlier on Jul 24, instead of July 25 in Keelung, at 8am morning [local time],” Costa Cruises stated to Cruise Hive.
The cruise line offered all travelers compensation for the shortened sailing, which was to be processed through their respective travel agents.
At the same time, Costa Cruises arranged transportation for all guests from Kaohsiung to different bus and railway stations to help with their onward travel after debarking the cruise ship.
“We regret this situation is determined by the weather conditions, but we must keep in mind that safety comes first,” the cruise line said.
Cruise lines keep the safety of guests and crew members at the forefront with all itinerary changes. It is not unusual for severe storms to cause itinerary changes, including cancelled or adjusted ports of call.
While completely shortening a sailing does not happen frequently, it can be an option when necessary to keep everyone safe and ensure the ship has a safe harbor or is able to move away from the storm.
Next Cruise Also Cancelled
To further preserve safety, the continuing impact of Typhoon Gaemi made it necessary for the following Costa Serena sailing, a 3-night itinerary, to be cancelled.
“According to such unsafe and unfavorable conditions, which are also expected all along the ship’s originally planned route and at originally scheduled ports of her scheduled itinerary, it is with utmost regret that we are forced to cancel the cruise originally scheduled from 25th to 28th July 2024 due to force-majeure,” the cruise line explained to Cruise Hive.
Costa Cruises has offered passengers on the now-cancelled sailing two options. If it works for their travel plans, they may rebook their cruise on a future Costa Serena sailing from Keelung departing from July 28 through September 5, 2024. Rebookings are price-protected so guests will not need to pay any additional fees or fare increases.
If an alternate sailing is not suitable or guests do not feel comfortable rebooking, they will receive a full refund for their cancelled fare and all associated fees, taxes, and charges.
These types of options are commonly offered to passengers when a sailing must be cancelled, though cruise lines will usually offer a broader window for when travelers may rebook a sailing. Because Costa Serena is chartered to a different travel company at the moment, however, it is possible that comparable sailings may not be widely available.
It can be very disappointing for travelers to have their cruise vacation plans so dramatically impacted, as has happened with Costa Serena, but safety always comes first.
While cruise ships are able to move away from strong storms, when the storm impacts the ship’s homeport—as was the case in this situation—options become more limited.
Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
Cruise travelers should always stay apprised of weather patterns near their sailing regions, particularly as their sailing dates approach. Staying in close communication with the cruise line is essential, as this will allow travelers to be updated immediately in case of any itinerary changes, delays, or cancellations, as well as what options may be available.
