Bookings not a casualty of Costa sinking
In the wake of the capsizing of the Costa Concordia, many within the industry have been debating whether or not the incident will harm bookings. The answer, according to CLIA, is no.
"From the travel agent community and our members we have not seen any significant reduction in activity," said Christine Duffy, president and chief executive of Cruise Lines International Association.
In other developments related to the cruise:
—Costa Cruises cleared up some confusion over what it was offering survivors of the trip. They will get full refunds for the entire cost, either directly or though the passengers travel agency, owner Carnival Cruise Lines said in a prepared statement..
The company will reimburse all travel expenses incurred both reaching the port of embarkation and on the homeward journey, including any independent arrangements made for transfers.
Any on-board expenses will also be refunded and any credit card charges will be credited to the account and any cash deposits will be refunded.
—Costa Cruises indicated that it will also reimburse any medical expenses incurred as a result of the accident.
—The cruise company said as well that every effort will be made to return the valuables left in the cabin safe. Information on the return of personal belongings and other forms of compensation will be communicated.
—And it noted that the 30 percent future cruise discount, in addition to a full refund, is intended for guests scheduled to sail on Costa Concordia from Jan. 14 onward.
In still another development, more than 100 passengers have joined a class action suit, a joint effort between two US law firms, reported the Telegraph. Mitchell Proner, a lawyer with Proner & Proner, one of the US firms involved in the suit, said papers would be filed anytime. The minimum claim would be $160,000 but some would be seeking up to 1.55 million, he said.
By David Wilkening
David
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