Would-be Ruby Princess cruiser offered less compensation than those who had already boarded
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- We begin with Liliana Amargo and her husband on their way to their long-awaited Alaska Cruise on the Ruby Princess: "As I was approaching the ship I saw your report on my news app and I said to Henry, 'Look at what Channel 7 News says happened to this ship.'"
Things were not looking good for their cruise vacation.
"So I got dock side. They weren't boarding because we were early," Amargo says. "I looked at the vessel, and I saw a big hole in the side of it. So I said to my husband, 'I'm not boarding that thing.'"
She called Princess and the customer service rep had good news.
"'So Princess told me you purchased the platinum insurance from us,' and I said, 'Yes, I did.' And she said, 'That gives you the right to cancel for any reason and get your future cruise credits, you get a hundred percent back,'" Amargo says.
EXCLUSIVE: Marine superintendent describes repairing hole on Ruby Princess cruise ship
Amargo was bummed she was missing her cruise but happy with the insurance... for a while.
"Then through Channel 7," she says, "I find out that the people that boarded the ship and were there for days using the amenities got offered a full refund plus half their fare, 50% of their fare, in credits as a goodwill."
She figured she would be offered the same deal, so she called Princess to find out.
"And she told me, 'No, absolutely not.' And I said, 'Oh, OK.' I said, 'Well, do you have an appeals process that I could apply to?' 'We don't have such a thing.' And I said, 'OK, do you have a manager or an executive I can talk to?' 'No, you're talking to the last person,'" Amargo says.
MORE: Ruby Princess leaves SF for Alaska 4 days after crash at Pier 27, nearly 600 passengers fewer
As it turns out there was someone else to talk to. Amargo told 7 On your Side that buying travel insurance and having a healthy skepticism of a boat with a hole in it cost her.
So 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney asked Amargo, "Had you got on the ship and not bought insurance, you would have got a full refund?"
"I would have gotten a cash refund for my fare," she says, "And this goodwill credit."
Princess backs that up, saying the couple had to board the ship to be eligible for the full cash refund and 50% credit. However, after 7 On Your Side reached out, Princess provided a goodwill future cruise credit of 50%, and we thank them for that.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.
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