Booked a cruise to Bermuda, but got Canada instead. Are you entitled to a refund?

For most travelers, the destination is the reason they book a cruise. That was true for Carlyn Burton of North Philadelphia, who had her sights set on a trip to Bermuda.

Burton said she had been looking forward to the trip for months. Then, the night before her Carnival cruise was scheduled to depart, she received a notification that changed everything.

Instead of sailing to Bermuda, the ship would head to Canada because of weather concerns.

"I was really disappointed and upset," Burton said.

Burton decided not to go on the trip and expected to receive a full refund.

Instead, she said Carnival offered half of the cruise fare in the form of a future cruise credit.

"I put out $800. So why should I settle for half of my money to have to use their cruise line?" she said.

That's when she contacted CBS News Philadelphia's In Your Corner for help.

What Carnival says

When CBS News Philadelphia contacted Carnival, the company confirmed weather was the reason for the itinerary change.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. Due to weather conditions associated with Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, Carnival Venezia's October 1, 2025 sailing was unable to safely operate its scheduled Bermuda itinerary and was modified to a Canada voyage. Guests were notified of the change prior to departure and were provided compensation options in recognition of the impact to their vacation plans. As with all cruise lines, itineraries may be modified due to weather and other operational considerations as outlined in the ticket contract."

CBS News Philadelphia also asked Carnival whether it would reconsider and provide Burton a goodwill refund.

The company declined, saying, "We understand the guest's disappointment. However, guests were notified of the itinerary change prior to departure, and as outlined in our ticket contract, itineraries may be modified due to weather and other operational considerations."

Why cruise lines often don't owe refunds

According to AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell, Burton's experience is one of the most common misunderstandings among cruise passengers.

"This is standard operating procedure across the cruise industry," she said.

Tidwell said cruise contracts generally give cruise lines the right to change itineraries because of weather, safety concerns and other circumstances.

"When we say to read the fine print, we really do mean read the fine print," Tidwell told CBS News Philadelphia. "Cruise lines do try to do the best they can so that the passengers are happy, but they don't owe that refund for a change in itinerary due to safety factors."

What travelers should know before booking

Experts say the lesson is especially important during hurricane season, when weather-related itinerary changes become more likely.

Before booking, travelers should understand that cruise destinations are subject to change and review the cruise line's contract carefully.

There is some good news: Passengers are typically entitled to refunds for prepaid shore excursions and port activities that become unavailable because of an itinerary change.

For Burton, though, the experience was a frustrating reminder that the destination on a cruise itinerary is not always guaranteed.

And for anyone planning a cruise, experts say it's a reminder to read the fine print before setting sail.

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