Punished by Windstar Cruises for Having Insurance
My experience with Windstar Cruises was deeply disappointing and raises serious concerns about their customer treatment and transparency.Due to war conditions in Venezuela and escalating civil unrest affecting the region of our planned itinerary (Costa Rica and the Panama Canal), we contacted Windstar to request a reasonable accommodation—specifically, the ability to reschedule our cruise rather than cancel outright. Despite the extraordinary and safety-related nature of these circumstances, Windstar refused to offer any flexibility.Instead, Windstar imposed a 50% cancellation penalty, explicitly stating that this was because we had “trip insurance.” This insurance was through a partner company that was never disclosed at the time of booking, leaving us effectively penalized for being insured rather than protected. No meaningful alternatives were offered.This approach feels punitive, opportunistic, and fundamentally misaligned with basic principles of customer care—particularly in situations involving international conflict and traveler safety.A company positioning itself as a premium cruise provider should demonstrate far greater transparency, compassion, and flexibility when circumstances are clearly beyond a traveler’s control.I would strongly caution prospective customers to carefully review Windstar’s cancellation practices and insurance relationships before booking. In our case, loyalty and good faith were met with rigidity and significant financial loss. AGAIN- Be very cautious ! Windstar refused to let us reschedule due to war-related safety concerns and instead charged a 50% cancellation fee, stating it was because we had trip insurance through an undisclosed partner. No flexibility, no transparency—just a policy that protects THEIR revenue over customers. Book with caution.