CruizeMakers Refund Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

Introduction and Overview

CruizeMakers is committed to providing excellent cruise booking support services and ensuring fair treatment of all clients. This Refund Policy explains the circumstances under which refunds may be available for services provided by CruizeMakers, the processes for requesting refunds, and important distinctions between CruizeMakers service fees and cruise fare refunds, which are governed by cruise line policies rather than our policies.

This policy applies to all services purchased from or facilitated through CruizeMakers. By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Refund Policy. We encourage you to review this policy carefully before purchasing any services.

Distinction Between Service Fees and Cruise Fares

Understanding the distinction between different payment components is essential to understanding this Refund Policy:

CruizeMakers Service Fees: These are fees charged by CruizeMakers for our cruise booking support services including consultation time, booking processing, reservation management, changes and modifications, special request handling, and customer support. Service fees are paid to CruizeMakers for our professional services.

Cruise Fares and Travel Costs: These are amounts paid to cruise lines, airlines, hotels, insurance companies, shore excursion operators, and other travel service providers for actual travel services. These payments typically flow through CruizeMakers to the service providers but are governed by the refund and cancellation policies of those providers, not by CruizeMakers’ policies.

This Refund Policy governs only CruizeMakers service fees. Refunds of cruise fares and other travel costs are subject to the policies of the respective service providers, which we will help you navigate but do not control.

CruizeMakers Service Fee Refunds

Consultation Fees: Initial consultation fees paid for cruise planning advice and option exploration are generally non-refundable once consultation services have been provided. If you cancel a scheduled consultation with at least 24 hours advance notice before any consultation services have been rendered, consultation fees will be refunded in full.

Booking Processing Fees: Fees charged for processing cruise bookings are non-refundable once we have completed booking services and your reservation has been confirmed by the cruise line. These fees compensate us for professional time spent researching options, communicating with cruise lines, processing reservations, and managing booking details.

Change and Modification Fees: Fees charged for processing changes to existing reservations, including date changes, cabin upgrades, passenger substitutions, or other modifications, are non-refundable once change processing work has been completed. If a requested change cannot be accommodated due to cruise line policies or availability limitations, we will refund fees charged specifically for that unsuccessful change attempt.

Cancellation Processing Fees: If you cancel a cruise and CruizeMakers charges a fee for processing the cancellation with the cruise line, this fee is non-refundable as it compensates us for time and effort spent managing the cancellation process.

Special Service Fees: Fees for specialized services such as group coordination, custom itinerary planning, or complex multi-destination arrangements are generally non-refundable once services have been provided. Specific refund terms for special services will be disclosed when such services are offered.

Exceptions and Special Circumstances

While our service fees are generally non-refundable as described above, we recognize that exceptional circumstances occasionally warrant consideration of refund requests:

Service Failure: If CruizeMakers fails to provide services that you have paid for due to our error, neglect, or inability to perform, we will refund fees charged for the undelivered services. For example, if we accept payment for booking processing but fail to complete the booking, applicable fees would be refunded.

Misrepresentation: If CruizeMakers materially misrepresents services, pricing, or other information that influences your decision to purchase services, and you discover the misrepresentation before receiving substantial benefit from the services, you may be entitled to a refund upon demonstrating the misrepresentation and its material impact on your decision.

Technical or Processing Errors: If you are incorrectly charged due to technical errors, processing mistakes, or billing errors, we will promptly refund incorrect charges once the error is identified and verified.

Duplicate Charges: If you are inadvertently charged multiple times for the same service, duplicate charges will be refunded promptly.

Discretionary Refunds: CruizeMakers reserves discretion to issue refunds in other circumstances where we determine that a refund is appropriate and fair given the specific situation. Discretionary refunds are evaluated individually based on the unique circumstances of each case.

Cruise Fare and Travel Cost Refunds

Refunds of cruise fares, deposits, and other payments made to cruise lines and travel service providers are governed exclusively by the policies of those providers. CruizeMakers will assist you in understanding and navigating these policies but cannot override or modify them.

Cruise Line Cancellation Policies: Cruise lines establish cancellation policies that typically include escalating penalties as departure dates approach. These policies vary by cruise line, itinerary, cabin category, promotional rates, and other factors. Most cruise bookings become subject to cancellation penalties once initial deposits are paid, with penalties increasing according to published schedules.

Penalty Schedules: Typical cruise line cancellation penalty schedules involve progressively higher penalties as departure approaches, often including: minimal penalties when canceling many months before departure, moderate penalties when canceling several months before departure, substantial penalties when canceling weeks before departure, and complete forfeiture of all payments when canceling within a few days of departure or after departure.

Non-Refundable Rates: Some promotional cruise fares are marketed as non-refundable from the moment of booking, meaning no refund is available regardless of cancellation timing except in very limited circumstances such as cruise line-initiated cancellations.

Our Assistance Role: When you need to cancel or modify cruise reservations, CruizeMakers will: explain applicable cancellation policies and penalty amounts, process cancellation requests with cruise lines according to your instructions, pursue maximum refunds available under applicable policies, assist with documentation and communications with cruise lines, and help you understand your options including potential future cruise credits as alternatives to cash refunds.

Travel Insurance and Cancellation Protection

The inherent limitations of cruise line refund policies underscore the critical importance of travel insurance:

Insurance Benefits: Comprehensive travel insurance policies typically include trip cancellation coverage that reimburses non-refundable trip costs when you must cancel for covered reasons such as: illness or injury to you or traveling companions, family emergencies, job loss, natural disasters affecting your destination, and various other specified circumstances.

Coverage Limitations: Travel insurance policies specify covered cancellation reasons and exclude certain circumstances. You should review policy terms carefully to understand what is and is not covered. Most policies exclude cancellations due to: simple change of mind, fear of travel without specific threats, financial circumstances beyond covered job loss, and pre-existing medical conditions unless waived.

CruizeMakers and Insurance: When CruizeMakers facilitates travel insurance purchases, we act only as an intermediary connecting you with licensed insurance providers. Insurance coverage, claims, and refunds are matters between you and the insurance company. We encourage insurance purchase but cannot guarantee what claims will be covered or paid.

Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Coverage: Some insurance policies offer optional Cancel for Any Reason coverage providing partial reimbursement (typically 50-75% of non-refundable costs) when you cancel for reasons not otherwise covered by standard policy terms. CFAR coverage typically must be purchased shortly after initial trip deposit and involves higher premiums than standard coverage.

Refund Request Process

If you believe you are entitled to a refund of CruizeMakers service fees under this policy, please follow this process:

Submit Written Request: Contact CruizeMakers via email at refunds@cruizemakers.com with a detailed explanation of: the services for which you are requesting a refund, the amount paid for those services, the reason you believe a refund is warranted under our policy, any relevant documentation supporting your request, and your preferred refund method.

Review Period: CruizeMakers will review your refund request and respond within 10 business days of receiving your complete request with all necessary information and documentation. Complex requests may require additional review time, and we will communicate estimated timeframes if extended review is needed.

Decision Communication: We will communicate our refund decision in writing, including: approval or denial of your request, if approved, the refund amount, if denied, specific reasons for denial, and information about any appeal or reconsideration process if applicable.

Refund Processing: Approved refunds will be processed within 15 business days of approval using the original payment method when possible. In some cases, alternative refund methods such as checks or account credits may be used. Refund processing times depend partly on banks and payment processors beyond our control.

Disputed Decisions: If you disagree with a refund decision, you may request reconsideration by submitting additional information or arguments to refunds@cruizemakers.com. Reconsideration requests will be reviewed by senior management.

Refund Methods and Timing

Original Payment Method: Refunds are typically issued to the original payment method used for purchase. Credit card refunds appear as credits on your card statement, typically within 5-10 business days after processing depending on your card issuer’s policies.

Alternative Methods: When refunding to the original payment method is not feasible (for example, if a credit card has been closed), we will work with you to arrange an alternative refund method such as checks mailed to your address on file or electronic bank transfers if you provide necessary banking information.

Processing Time: While CruizeMakers processes approved refunds promptly, total time from request to funds appearing in your account includes: our review period, our processing time, and payment system processing time. The complete process typically takes 15-30 business days.

International Transactions: Refunds for international transactions may involve currency conversions subject to prevailing exchange rates, which may differ from rates applied when original payment was made. Currency conversion fees charged by banks or payment processors will be deducted from refund amounts.

Partial Refunds

In some circumstances, partial refunds may be appropriate when: some but not all services have been provided, service quality falls short of expectations but was not a complete failure, or circumstances warrant partial relief but not full refunds.

Partial refund amounts are determined based on: the proportion of services successfully delivered, the nature and severity of any service shortcomings, costs already incurred by CruizeMakers in providing services, and fairness considerations