Windstar promised an all-inclusive package on my Central America cruise. Now it's refusing!

Tracy Joselson and her husband booked a Windstar cruise with a promised all-inclusive package. But then the cruise line takes away the package. Can they cancel their cruise?

While my husband and I were on a recent Windstar cruise, we made reservations with the onboard cruise coordinator for a seven-night cruise to Costa Rica and Panama next year.

As an incentive to sign up for a future cruise, the coordinator promised an additional shipboard credit of $100 per person, and at no extra cost, an all-inclusive package to include drinks, Internet, and staff gratuities.

On the itinerary confirmation, the onboard cruise coordinator wrote that these extras were "pending" She advised us to follow up with reservations when we returned home to make sure the arrangements were reflected on our record.

I've been back and forth with Windstar for the last few months. Finally, a representative informed me that the $100 per person credit had been approved but that the all-inclusive package had been denied because it was missing a signature from the onboard cruise consultant.

I want Windstar to either honor its promises or return my $400 deposit immediately.

Tracy Joselson, Baltimore

Windstar should have given you what it promised. But there's some good news: You can get your deposit back right now, minus a $50 cancellation fee. At least, that's what Windstar's terms and conditions say (see the section on cancellation for details).

But wait. Wouldn't you like to take that Central America cruise next year? It looks like a lot of fun. As I review the paper trail between you and Windstar, it appears you have written proof that a cruise line employee offered you an all-inclusive package. So why not try?

First, a note about onboard cruise consultants. These specialists are trained to sell you on a future cruise, and the cruise line gives them a lot of tools to accomplish their job. They can offer you discounts, cruise credits, and other incentives to put down a deposit while you are onboard. There's a reason cruise lines have these consultants on the ship: They cut out the middleman -- your travel advisor -- which means the cruise line keeps more of your money.

Onboard cruise consultants can also be aggressive when they try to close a deal. Not timeshare aggressive or used-car aggressive, but certainly insistent. You were correct to get your saleswoman's note in writing, but I would have insisted on having a written confirmation. You shouldn't have to call Windstar to get it to honor an offer it already made.

So what happened? It looks like you were patient, polite, and persistent with Windstar. But you were also dealing with people who were not authorized to make good on your consultant's offer. A brief appeal to one of Windstar's executives might have helped. I list their names, numbers, and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site.

I contacted Windstar on your behalf. A cruise line representative reviewed your reservation and found that it had indeed overlooked something.

"We've added the complimentary All In package and $100 per person shipboard credits to the future cruise booking as promised," a representative told me. "As an apology, Windstar is adding $150 per person shipboard credit. This issue highlighted areas of improvement for us regarding the onboard booking process."

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him on his site.

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