Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On December 4, 2023, I made a deposit payment of $579.90 to Windstar Cruises for a cruise to the ************* in August 2025 (booking ID *********. Unfortunately, my friend who was going on the cruise with me became ill and we have had to cancel our reservation. On May 18, 2024, I requested a refund of our deposit minus $50 per person cancellation fee and was told that the deposit would be returned to my debit card within 7 to 10 business days. When I did not receive the refund within that time period, I called Windstar and was told it would take up to 3 weeks or 15 business days. I called Windstar again on 06/14/2024 and was told they had a new system and to call again in one week. I have called again on 06/21 and was told their new system was still causing delays and to call back in a week. I still have not received the refund. Can you help us to receive the refund as specified in their cancellation policy?

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I booked a trip through Windstar Cruises including *****, ****** and ******. They cancelled the pre-trip portion of the trip to ****** and then eliminated the ****** portion of the cruise. This turned into a trip I did not sign up for, They could not provide the trip I contracted and refuse to refund my money.

• Initial Complaint

  12/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  First day of Windstar cruise, my Apple iPad arrived at our cabin with the screen cracked and bottom edge broken. Our Cruise number: ***** ******** 11/10/23. Please note the date. Purchased travel insurance through Windstar. This should mean something, right?During the cruise the front desk attempted to help, but didn't know what to do. At the end of the cruise the Guest Relations person gave us a form to file a claim. When I called their number, I was directed to third-party insurance carrier - ****************************. I filled out their paperwork and continue to receive the same generated email. Today I was asked to have the laptop repairs ($200.00) taken care of by my home insurance.I did everything Windstar and Aon asked - documentation, estimate for repair and nothing. It's a very small amount and I have received no support from Windstar or Aon. What can be done to resolve this claim?

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  The Windstar cruise line is absolutely pulling a bait and switch. This is marketed as a luxury cruise line and it is nothing of the sort. Boat is terrible, food is awful, and communication with guests about their complaints/concerns is basically non-existent.

• Initial Complaint

  04/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So we went on a Windstar cruise for the first time in February. Our itinerary included *********, **********, ST ******, ************, ***************** The seas were a little iffy so we were unable to dock at ********** and St ******. Needless to say we were sorely disappointed but they have no control over the weather. But by this point we were anxious to get to Virgin Gorda to get off the ship. We had not booked a tour on ************ because we wanted to walk around and go to the restaurant at the top of the hill. When we got to VG, we took the tender in; however they dropped ** off at this little cay called Pickle Pear Island which had nothing on it other than the lunch the ship set up. they sectioned ** off on a little beach. We hadnt even worn our swimsuits because we were supposed to go in to VG. When we inquired how we would get over to VG we were told oh no, if you didnt purchase a tour in VG, this is what you get. I paid for a cruise which included VG and we were told we dont get to go to VG? What if I had purchased a tour outside of Windstar? I contacted Windstar on the ship and was told thank you for your feedback. This was not feedback. It was a complaint. I contacted Windstar directly by email and was told to wait ***** business days for a reply. I waited the 20 days. Guess what? No reply. Big surprise. I feel we should be compensated for not allowing us to go into Virgin Gorda, even though it was part of the itinerary we paid for. Nowhere at no time were we told we had to purchase a tour to get into ******************* (and we shouldn't have to!).

  Business response

  04/25/2023

  Hello ************************* & Mr. **************************** We appreciate your patience in our response as we reviewed your post-cruise feedback. We sincerely apologize for the delayed response, as we are currently working through a higher-than-normal volume of inquiries.
  
  While we make every effort to visit each port on our itinerary,there may be times in which we are unable to do so. Our first attempt will always be to stay on course and visit the ports as planned. If challenges arise that prevent ** from doing so, our second option will be to find a replacement port. Unfortunately, this may not be possible if the weather conditions in surrounding areas are also affected. Due to the distance and time it takes to get to the next port of call, it may require additional day(s) at sea, such as the case with your adjusted cruise itinerary. Unfortunately, the inclement weather was not safe for the Star Pride to operate to our original port of call in **********, ********** and ************, ***********.
  
  The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew are of our utmost importance. While we did our best to maintain the original itinerary,this was no longer a safe option. If necessary, it is common practice in the industry to change routes to assure the safety of passage. In these instances,compensation of any sort is not usually provided. We sympathize that these unavoidable changes resulted in some understandable dissatisfaction.
  
  We regret to hear that you did not enjoy your time on Prickly Pear Island. Please be advised that the published itinerary states that the Star Pride was scheduled to visit Virgin Gorda / Prickly Pear, ************** Islands (***). This is noted on the Itinerary (non-financial) that was provided to your Travel Advisor.

  Please be advised that the attached PDF document Itinerary (non-financial) is the Windstar document that was sent to your Travel Advisor several times throughout the booking process (along with the booking invoice whenever changes were made to your reservation). As you can see, the Itinerary does mention the Star Prides visit to Prickly Pear for March 3rd.
  
  The photo you have provided is not a Windstar document, but a document generated by the ************* you booked this cruise through.Windstar does not accept any responsibility for false or incomplete information on documents that do not come directly from Windstar Cruises. Again, the itinerary and other documents that we provided to your Travel Advisor were accurate. We recommend that you contact *************** to express your frustration with the information that was provided in their documents. We will forward the photo with this itinerary discrepancy to our ***************** so that they may address the matter appropriately. 

  We apologize if the voyage plan for this date was not made more clear. *********************** always explains the options available for our guests during their daily Port Talks. They would also explain the tours that are available our guests at each location. Shore excursions are not mandatory,and guests may choose the options that make the most sense for their stye of travel. While we recommend our tours, which have been vetted by our Destination Team, guests are always welcome to arrange independent tours or arrangements for locations we visit on each voyage.
  
  Please know that we take no pleasure in cancelling ports and adjusting cruise itineraries. We have reviewed your request in full, but we are unable to provide any additional compensation at this time.
  
  We apologize for the disruption of your cruise vacation, but we hope to have the opportunity to sail with you again in the future.
  
  Best Regards,

  Guest Relations Team

  Customer response

  04/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 19915471
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  my complaint is about not allowing ** on one of the islands that they ship docked at and instead took ** to a small cay with nothing to do on it. We paid to go to Virgin Gorda, not to Prickley Pear Island and were not given the option of going over to Virgin Gorda because we did not purchase an excursion.  Where does it say it's mandatory to purchase an excursion to get onto the island.  This is unacceptable.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  05/03/2023

  Hello *************************,
  
  Thank you for your response. Please be advised that the attached PDF document Itinerary (non-financial) is the official Windstar document that was sent to your Travel Advisor several times throughout the booking process (along with the booking invoice whenever changes were made to your reservation). As you can see, the Itinerary does clearly mention the Star Prides visit to Prickly Pear for March 3rd. 

  We apologize if the voyage plan for this date was not made more clear. *********************** always explains the options available for our guests during their daily Port Talks. They would also explain the tours that are available our guests at each location. Shore excursions are not mandatory, and guests may choose the options that make the most sense for their style of travel. While we recommend our tours, which have been vetted by our Destination Team, guests are always welcome to arrange independent tours or arrangements for locations we visit on each voyage.

  The photo you have previously provided is not a Windstar document, but a document generated by the ************* you booked this cruise through.Windstar does not accept any responsibility for false or incomplete information on documents that do not come directly from Windstar Cruises. Again, the itinerary and other documents that we provided to your Travel Advisor were accurate. We recommend that you contact the ************* that you booked this cruise through to express your frustration with the information that was provided in their documents.
  
  Best Regards,

  Guest Relations Team

  Customer response

  05/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 19915471
  
  I am rejecting this response because: So instead of working it out with your agent, *****************, you leave it to me to deal with them?  They have ignored all emails since this incident.  It is your cruise line, your agent and you should deal with them rather than leaving it for me to do.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Guests on a Windstar cruise, *****, ****** to **********, March ****, 2023 in cabin 107, a/k/a Owner's Suite. This is a premium room (greater expense--only one on the ship). On March 5 a leak behind a wall soaked an area of carpet in the room, approximately 6 feet by 2 feet. Reported to staff who place towels over the area but did not address the leak. Next day, 3/6 wet carpet spread--an area of 12 feet by 4 feet. More towels and effort to locate leak. Large fan brought in to attempt drying--very noisy. Was on overnight, disturbing sleep. Late on 3/6 leak repaired--fan remained. 3/7 carpet is mostly dry but seems to have a musty sour odor. Seems slightly better with deodorizer. Ship has offered $1000 credit which is only 6% of the cost of this trip. Rejected by us, as not reasonable given the impact of problem for 2.5 days of a 7 day cruise...have photos and letters back/forth with guest relations on board but can't attach from the ship's computer.

  Business response

  04/21/2023

   Mr. ***** *********************** were aboard the Wind Star from March 4 -11, 2023. Unfortunately, there was a leak in their suite, which soaked a portion of the carpet. The crew were able to stop the leak and worked to dry the wet carpet as quickly as possible. Despite the crew members efforts, the carpet could not be completely dried for about three days. The Hotel General Manager initially offered $1,000 total in refundable shipboard credit, though ********************** did not feel that this was fair compensation. It was at this point that the complaint to the Better Business Bureau was filed.

   

  However, the Hotel General Manager discussed the situation with ********************** and reached out to our **************** for further evaluation of this event and the guests request for additional compensation. After further review, the compensation offer was increased to $3,500 total, which was provided as refundable shipboard credit. This amount exceeded 50% of the guests daily cruise rate for 4 days that they were impacted. The Hotel General Manager advised that Mr. ***** *********************** accepted the revised offer and were satisfied with the compensation provided. We considered the matter to be resolved before the cruise had ended.

  
  Best Regards,

  *****************************

  Guest Relations Supervisor

   

  The health and well-being of our guests, crew, land-based employees and people in the communities we visit is always a top priority. To Learn more about our new ******************** Program and Measures click here.
  Please check entry requirements for your upcoming cruise here.

   

  Windstar Cruises

  180 from Ordinary

  8400 *****^th St., Suite 520

  *****, ** 33166

  *************************************** | windstarcruises.com

  Phone: ************  |General Reservations: ************ |Fax: ************

  Office Hours: Monday Friday  8:30AM to 3:30PM Pacific Time

   

  XANTERRA TRAVEL COLLECTION
  A WORLD OF UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

  Customer response

  04/26/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  As an aside, the matter was promptly and professionally handled and I commend Windstar Cruises for this good faith resolution.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We paid $400 deposit for a Tahiti cruise for December 2022. Windstar's cancellation pomicy is attached and clearly states a 100% refund less a $50pp fee which should equal $300 refund. They also have a schedule for 75% if cancelled later, then 50% and so on. I cancelled in plenty of time per their rules. I cancelled it in June 2022. I was told on June 23rd the credit would take 4-6 weeks. They should listen to that "recorded" conversation. I checked back almost 8 weeks later. Now I am told I am not getting my $300 back. They need to abide by their written cancellation policy. When can I expect my $300 refunded to my credit card?Thank you

  Business response

  08/31/2022

  Hello ************************,

  
  We regret to hear of your frustration over this billing issue, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

  
  After review, our Operations Team determined that the insurance cost on your booking increased when you upgraded to premium flights.Unfortunately, the cost of the additional insurance was not collected at this time. When the booking was cancelled, the system took the air and insurance penalty out of the funds paid and there wasnt enough funds left on the booking to refund the deposit. Due to this error, an exception was approved, and our Reservations Accounting Lead has issued the $300.00 refund back to your payment card used on booking #********. The total refund of $300 was processed in two separate transactions that were processed on August 23 and August 30. Please be advised that certain banks do take a few business days to receive incoming funds, but we assure you that everything has already been completed on our end.

  
  Best Regards,
  Guest Relations Team

  Customer response

  09/07/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  MADE A DEPOSIT IN DECEMBER FOR A CRUISE IN NOVEMBER. IN MAY I WAS IMFORMED THEY WERE CANCELLING MY CRUISE. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BY MY TRAVEL AGENT AND MYSELF TO GET MY MONEY REFUNDED HAVE BEEN IGNORED. THEY OWE ME $2512.50.BOOKING REFERENCE IS ********

  Business response

  07/26/2022

  Hello Mr. ****************************************** you for reaching out, we appreciate the time you have taken to contact us. Were sorry to hear that your booking was impacted by a cancellation.
  All guests that were impacted by this cancellation were offered a Future Cruise Credit (***). Once the *** certificate is received, guests may follow the instructions and link provided on the certificate(s) to request a refund. We apologize that there was a delay in you receiving your *** certificate. The certificates are emailed to the guest email address on file.Unfortunately, your profiles were not completed properly and there was a blank value for the email in both guest profiles.
  As you have expressed your desire for a refund, we have initiated the refunds back to the original payment source. With that, the ***s are now voided. The refund was issued in two transaction that mirror the two payments we received. One of the refunds ($142.50) has already been processed back to your payment card. The other transaction for $2,370.00 is currently pending, as the payment was made outside of the range that our system stores credit card information. In order to have this refund processed, we will need to re-collect the full card details for your card used to make this payment (AMEX ending in *****).
  Please be advised that only a few of our Operations Agents can securely store credit card information. This will need to be done over the phone, as our system automatically flags any emails with sensitive information.You may call our Operations Line ************** and speak with one of our Operations Agents. Alternatively, you can call our Main Line *************) and any of our Reservations Agents can transfer you to the appropriate team to move forward with this refund. We will also attempt to contact you at the number provided.
  We wish you and your family good health, and we hope to have the opportunity to sail with you in the future.
  
  Best Regards,
  Guest Relations Team

  Customer response

  07/27/2022

   
  Complaint: 17576888
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  A person named ******* called my home and left a message but when I called back the number he gave me it was the general line and I was in the queue with everyone else.  When I got thru to someone they told me their system was down and I would have to call back later.  I did, was on hold for 30 minutes, and finally gave up and selected the call back option.  Several hours later I got a call back from a competent individual and I explained the entire situation including the email you forwarded me.  He said he couldnt issue the credit and the people who could were not available.  He said he would forward all the information and have the right person(s) call me back.  I offered to give him the credit card information they claim to need (even though they clearly had it to issue the small credit) and he said he couldnt take it!!!  No one has called me back.  Windstar is clearly putting up never ending roadblocks to getting this credit issued.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  08/08/2022

  Hello Mr. *************************************** apologize for the challenges you experienced while trying to provide the credit card information needed to process your refund. Were sorry that the call volume was very high at the time you were trying to contact our Operations Team. Unfortunately, this coincided with an issue with our servers that caused disruptions to many systems over the course of multiple days. Please know that this was not an attempt to delay your refund.

  
  There were two payments made on your booking, and the smaller transaction was able to process automatically because the payment was made within the date range that our system stores credit card information. As the earlier payment was made outside of this date range, the card information had to be re-collected to process a refund of this transaction back to the payment source.

  
  It is noted that both you and your Travel Advisor contacted our Operations Team on July 28th and provided the relevant credit card information. The refund was processed in our system on the morning of August 4,2022, and the funds should now be received in your account. Certain banks may take 1 or 2 business days to receive incoming funds, but we assure you that everything has already been completed on our end.

  
  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to process a higher volume of refunds at this time. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.
  

  
  Best Regards,

  Windstar Guest Relations Team

  Customer response

  08/17/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However, the three month delay in issuing credit is very poor and unprofessional business practice.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 22, 2021 I booked a cruise on the Star Breeze, sail date of December 30, 2021 out of Tahiti. IBooking # ********. I booked this cruise through *********************** @ ******************* Passenger names were ******************************************************* (my son).On October 28, 2021 our family suffered the stillbirth of a grandchild. I wrote to ***** to cancel the cruise and to request the credit be refunded entirely in my name since I paid for both myself and my son. I was advised that this would fall under the cruise insurance that I paid for but the insurance company AoN denied the claim because they required a death certificate or obituary to validate the death and pay the claim. However since this was a still birth there is neither a death certificate or an obituary to submit.At this point in time no cruise credit has ever been issued to me even though I have been told by the erx team that WIndstar would cover this under the Cruise Assurance program. Below in this email are the names of who ***** @ Perx spoke to per her last email to me on January 13, 2022. It is now May 2022 and I still have not received any information about the credit back to me. I am due a cruise credit for $2708.40 as prmised to me by WIndstar on January 13, 2022.

  Business response

  05/20/2022

  Hello ****************************,

  
  We apologize that you have not received information about a credit for your cancelled cruise. Your booking was cancelled on November 1, 2021,and you proceeded to file a claim with your travel protection provider (Aon). On December 31, 2021, we were contacted by a representative from Perx that informed us that your claim had been denied by Aon. They advised that your son would not be able to travel in the foreseeable future and they requested that his Future Cruise Credit (FCC) be transferred to you. When Aon denies a claim, they send Windstar a denial report that specifies the amount of FCC the guests are entitled to. We advised the Perx representative that we would be able to transfer your sons FCC to you at the time we received the relevant denial report. However, we never received a denial report that included booking #********.

  
  We have followed up with Aon for clarification on your travel protection claim. They informed us that there was no corresponding denial report for your booking, as your claim was paid on January 13, 2022.They advised that you were paid $610 per person. They mentioned that you had reached out to them to inquire why you did not receive compensation for the entire trip cost.
  At this point, I followed up with our Accounting Team to further analyze why Aon paid $610 per person for your claim. Our Accounting Lead advised that there was an error with the reporting and the cancellation penalty did not accurately show that your Interline booking was subject to 100%Cruise Fare cancellation penalty. This explains why they did not pay the full amount, as the penalty on the booking was reported at a lower amount.

  
  We have now submitted the appropriate documentation to Aon for further review. Based on the updated documentation, they will be issuing an additional payment. They advised that a check will be issued early next week.

  
  We regret that we were not immediately aware of the status of your travel protection claim, so that we could make corrections sooner. We hope that this helps to address your concerns. If you have any additional questions,please do not hesitate to contact us.

  
  We offer our sincere condolences for your familys loss, and we hope to have the opportunity to sail with you in the future.
  
  Best Regards,
  Windstar Guest Relations Team

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩