Cruise lines behind the times - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Cruise Travel, March-April, 2002 by Joseph Lillis

It is time for cruise lines to come into the 21st century. As thousands of berths are added to inventory each year, new cruisers must be found.

I suggest that adopting airline-style tickets and cancellation policies is one way to attract first-timers who don't want to tie up their money in advance (not to mention seasoned cruisers). Wouldn't you rather pay a $100 change fee than deal with costly and complicated cancellation insurance?

Unfortunately, I led a group that booked more than 50 cabins, almost exclusively first-time cruisers, which sailed soon after September 11. As it was after the line's cancellation deadline, it refused to consider our request for a postponement for some of them.

Future cruise credit (with a modest service charge) would have cost the line nothing at the bottom line. Not only are there dozens of future passengers lost to this line, they are probably turned off to the industry as a whole.

Joseph Lillis, Sausalito, CA