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I booked a Carnival cruise through American Airlines Cruises travel agency in February for a July sailing. I paid $3,738 upfront, plus $342 for trip insurance.<\/strong><\/p>\n When we canceled in mid-March, the travel agent said Carnival would refund $3,300 but withhold a $500 penalty for a \u201cnonrefundable promotion rate.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Nobody mentioned this fee when we booked. The travel agent told us to take it up with Carnival, and Carnival told us to contact the agent. The insurance company also refused to cover the $500.<\/strong><\/p>\n When I asked Carnival to explain the \u201cpromotion rate,\u201d they redirected me to the agent, who claimed they couldn\u2019t access fare details. I\u2019m stuck in a loop. How can I get my $500 back?\u00a0\u2014 Cory Belkov, Virginia Beach, Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Carnival and your travel agent had a duty to clearly disclose cancellation terms before you booked. Federal Trade Commission rules prohibit unfair or deceptive practices, including burying fees in fine print. If your rate was nonrefundable, that should have been prominently stated in your confirmation \u2014 not revealed retroactively.<\/p>\n Carnival\u2019s \u201cSuper Saver\u201d fares often carry strict terms, and consumers deserve to know exactly what they\u2019re trading for a discount. The terms aren’t exactly spelled out on Carnival’s website. It only says, “A nonrefundable and nontransferable deposit is required at the time of booking,” but it doesn’t say how much. Your travel agent, American Airlines Cruises, should have disclosed that to you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Agencies have a legal obligation under state consumer protection laws (like Virginia\u2019s Consumer Protection Act) to accurately explain booking terms. Passing you between Carnival and the agent is a breach of that duty.<\/p>\n Your travel adviser should have also acted as your advocate when you raised questions about Carnival’s $500 fee. Based on the correspondence you showed me of the back-and-forth between you and the agent, it appears that didn’t happen.<\/p>\n I notice that most of your communication between you, your agent and the cruise line happened by phone. Certainly, a phone call can be helpful if you need immediate action to resolve something\u00a0\u2014 like a cancellation or rebooking. But when it comes to a refund request, you need something in writing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There’s an important lesson for all of us here. Always scrutinize the terms of your purchase before booking. The confirmation you received did not mention a $500 cancellation fee. When front-line reps stonewall you, contact an executive. I publish Carnival\u2019s leadership contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org<\/a>. That’s sometimes enough to break the logjam.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Carnival\u2019s ticket contract suggests cancellation penalties must be outlined at the time of booking. If yours wasn\u2019t, you\u2019ve got some leverage.<\/p>\n Companies love blaming each other, but consumers shouldn\u2019t pay for their chaos. I contacted American Airlines Cruises on your behalf. The company refunded the $500 as a \u201cgoodwill gesture.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n