Oct 13, 2026
Brian Lobaskie and his partner spent over a year planning an 11-day European river cruise, travelling all the way from Amsterdam to Switzerland. They booked excursions and a rail pass around the route. Then, just 24 hours before they were to set sail, the cruise line dropped the news: the trip wasn’t going to happen as planned.
The substitute route through the Netherlands and Belgium wasn’t the trip they’d chosen. “It was not what I had paid for,” Lobaskie told CTV News. When the couple opted out, they didn’t get their $22,000 back. Instead, they got a travel credit.
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It’s an expensive lesson in the difference between a trip that’s been changed and one that’s actually been cancelled. That difference can determine whether your money comes back as cash or as a voucher.
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Why didn’t the couple get a refund?
So why wasn’t the trip refunded in cash? Because the ship sailed. AmaWaterways, a river cruise line operating across Europe, told CTV News that the cruise went ahead with adjustments for extraordinary river conditions, so a refund did not apply.
The company gave them two choices: stick with the altered route and get a 50% future credit, or back out entirely and get a 100% credit toward a future trip.
For Lobaskie, that isn’t the same as cash. He noted that prices for next year have already gone up, so booking the exact same cruise again will be more expensive. There’s also no guarantee river conditions will cooperate next time.
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Why are so many river cruises changing course?
It’s all about the weather. Europe’s summer drought pushed major rivers to historic lows. The Rhine fell to a new record low of 6.1 metres on Sept. 27 at Lobith, where it enters the Netherlands. River cruises have had to cancel trips or cut itineraries short as sections of the water became totally impassable.
Travel expert Loren Christie told CTV News that this year’s heat has made itinerary changes common. He added that river cruise fine print usually includes waivers for these exact situations. Meaning, the moment you book, you’ve essentially agreed that the route can change on short notice.
What do Ontario’s travel rules cover?
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) is the not-for-profit regulator that administers Ontario’s travel industry law. It lays out clear refund rights for anyone booking through an agency or tour operator registered in Ontario. When a supplier fails to deliver services, TICO says customers must be offered their choice of options, including a refund or acceptable comparable services.
The catch is that as long as the travel provider is still delivering the service, you’re still locked into the original terms — penalties and all. Ontario’s regulation also lets registrants delay transportation by 24 hours or more without offering a refund when the cause is weather, among other exceptions.
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This means as long as the cruise actually operates, even with a modified itinerary, it may not trigger the clearest refund protections. Other provinces set their own rules, so check with your provincial consumer protection office.
Is a future cruise credit as good as cash?
Not always. A credit locks your money into a single company, comes with an expiration date and leaves you exposed if prices go up later.
There’s also the question of what backs it. Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund reimburses consumers when a registered agency fails or when a cruise line or airline ceases operations, but only if they booked through an Ontario-registered agent. TICO has also denied a claim tied to a goodwill credit when the original services had been available.
That doesn’t mean every voucher is a bad deal. It just means taking a credit is a gamble on both the company’s future and where prices are headed.
What to do now
- Read the cancellation rules before handing over your credit card, and make sure you know how the cruise line defines a canceled trip versus a modified one
- Ask in writing whether opting out of a revised itinerary earns cash or only credit
- Book through a provincially registered travel agency so you don’t lose out on those local consumer protections
- Review trip cancellation and interruption insurance. The Government of Canada advises checking a policy’s terms, conditions and exclusions before you leave, so confirm whether it covers itinerary changes
- Hold off on non-refundable extras, like specific train passes, that are only good for your original route.
- If you accept a credit, confirm its expiry date and whether it protects you against price increases
A $22,000 trip deserves the same scrutiny as any major purchase. Before you book, make sure to ask what their policy is if the cruise gets cancelled. Also ask what happens if it sails on a route you didn’t choose, and get that answer in writing.
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Amy Tokic is an SEO content editor for Money.ca. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Windsor. Amy is an award-winning author and has been writing professionally for 15 years, publishing articles in the lifestyle and health sectors.
