Cruises to Mexico: Refunds or Rescheduled Ports?

(MoneyWatch)  Cruise ships are scrambling to change their Mexican ports of call, including canceling all stops or substituting American destinations like San Diego and Catalina Island. Cruise companies like Carnival Cruise Lines, are offering alternate destinations or refund credits for future cruises for all trips through May 4. Royal Caribbean International is offering some kind of refund or compensation for guests, but still no word on refunds or credits from Norwegian Cruise Line or Holland America Line (other than rescheduling a lot more days at sea.)

Personally, I'm glad to hear that at least some of the cruise lines are offering credit to customers who bought Mexican Riviera cruises and are now inconveniently being sent to San Diego, only a two-hour drive south of the Port of Los Angeles. Not very exotic.

While I understand that the swine flu outbreak is a circumstance out of the cruise companies' control, their business also relies on the goodwill of their customers. By allowing customers to rebook or plan a future cruise with the company, it can only benefit the company. Who wants to be on a cruise full of cranky people who didn't get what they paid for?

So unless cruise lines can offer a comparable deal -- like a cruise to Belize instead of Cozumel -- they should allow customers to book another cruise to some place they can enjoy.