Janet and Joe Sherwood’s bucket list trip became a burden.
The couple booked a Nov. 29 cruise from Istanbul to Dubai with Oceania Cruises, but in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, the cruise line – like many others – adjusted its plans, altering the itinerary dramatically. The roughly three-week sailing aboard the Riviera ship, set to visit Haifa, Luxor, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, only retains about half of its original ports, including the start and end points.
After calling Oceania last week, the Hoschton, Georgia, couple said the line told Joe that they also could apply the more than $20,000 they spent to another cruise as long as they rebooked by Nov. 30. But two days later, after Janet heard from another passenger that the offer had been rescinded, Joe called back and was told the same thing.
Oceania Cruises declined USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The couple is among several Oceania guests who have struggled to get refunds or compensation in the wake of drastic changes to planned sailings. Multiple guests said they felt locked into cruises they wouldn’t have chosen to take.
After appealing their case, the line’s Vice President, Global Guest Services, Carlos Ortega told the Sherwoods Oceania would not issue any compensation or future cruise credits for canceled reservations.
“As all of our itinerary changes were carefully evaluated with the guest experience in mind, the revised voyages feature culturally rich and historically significant ports across…
