The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) says consumers and travel agents impacted by the Crystal Cruises failure should file claims both in Canada and the U.S.
TICO notes that on February 11, Crystal Cruises commenced an 'Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors,' an alternative to formal bankruptcy proceedings, in a Florida court.
The 'ABC Case' confirms that all future Crystal cruises have been cancelled and none will be rescheduled.
TICO informs that all cruises departing from a U.S. port with accommodations for more than 50 passengers are required, by U.S. law, to have secured financial coverage to reimburse passengers in the event of a failure.
The consumer claim form can be found at this link and more information about the ABC Case process can be found here.The deadline to apply for a claim through the ABC Case is June 11.
TICO is also recommending that those affected file a claim with the Ontario Travel Compensation Fund at the same time, as it is not known how long the ABC Case consumer claims process will take or what the level of reimbursement may be. The claim filing date for the Compensation Fund is August 12, 2022.
Travel agents may also be eligible to recover commission payments from Crystal Cruises through the ABC Case claims process.
Agents who sold Crystal Cruises and were owed commissions as per Crystal Cruises' suspended sailings policies, click here for more information. The claim would be under the General/Vendor Claim Form option. If necessary, TICO advises to download the claim form and submit the supporting documentation to the address listed on the form by no later than June 11.
Following is information on potential eligibility and details for filing a claim against the Ontario Travel Compensation Fund.
-- Consumers who purchased their Crystal Cruises travel services from a registered Ontario travel agency or website are eligible to file a claim.
-- Consumers who purchased Crystal Cruises travel services from an Ontario registered travel agency or website and did not receive their travel services due to the closure of the cruise line, may file a claim from the Compensation Fund for reimbursement.
-- Consumers who have a future travel credit/voucher issued by Crystal Cruises that has not been redeemed are not so lucky. UNREDEEMED future travel credits, vouchers or similar documents issued by a cruise line for future travel are not eligible for reimbursement from the Compensation Fund. Those in that situation may wish to contact Mark C. Healy of Michael Moecker & Associates, Inc. to determine if they have eligibility as part of the ABC Case.
-- Consumers who purchased other travel services (e.g., airfare to/from cruise port, hotel before/after cruise, etc.) from a registered Ontario travel agency or website should note that payments for travel services such as air fare, ground transportation, hotel expenses, or other travel services that are still available to be received are not eligible for reimbursement from the Compensation Fund.
Consumers may request a claim form by contacting TICO at 1-888-451-8426 or tico@tico.ca.
For more information about the Compensation Fund, click here.
Topics From This Article to Explore
