Cruise travelers face higher costs after Spirit Airlines shuts down
Many cruise travelers trying to make it to and home from their cruises this week are facing major hassles following the sudden shutdown of Spirit Airlines. On May 2, the low-cost carrier canceled all flights effective immediately, advising passengers not to go to the airport.
Although the airline promised to automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit, it offered no help with rebooking flights with other airlines or additional costs like emergency hotel stays or higher-priced replacement flights.
"Spirit is unfortunately not able to reimburse guests for incidental travel costs associated with cancelled trips. If you purchased travel insurance, check with your carrier to see if these expenses may be covered under your plan," Spirit advises on its website.
This unexpected travel disruption serves as a reminder of the value of purchasing travel insurance with trip delay and cancellation coverage for a cruise since cruise passengers who were booked on Spirit flights are now facing not just last-minute rebooking hassles, but higher costs to get to and home from their cruises this week.
Doug Parker shared more details on the high costs and difficulty cruise travelers are facing, and more cruise news, on the May 4 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Cruise travelers scrambling following Spirit Airlines' sudden shutdown
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday May 4th.
The fallout continues to unfold from Spirit Airlines' sudden shutdown over the weekend with cruise passengers still scrambling to make it to and home from their sailings. The airline canceled all flights immediately over the weekend leaving passengers without support or rebooking options.
Related: Why cruisers need travel insurance
Now, other carriers are offering limited discounted fares but many are still paying high last-minute costs to either drive to the port or to get home. An outbound cruise passenger told Cruise News Today that they had to pay over $3,300 to get their family home from the ship to Detroit.
Cruise lines do not typically provide refunds for missed sailings due to flight issues. The shutdown comes just as the busy summer cruise season is getting underway. A good reminder to always consider travel insurance.
Accident closes popular Alaska cruise attraction in Juneau
And an accident at a popular Alaska cruise attraction has left two workers injured just as the summer cruise season is getting underway. Officials say a tram at Juneau's Goldbelt Tram came into the station a little faster than expected sending two employees to the hospital. One was unconscious at the scene but both were treated at the hospital and eventually released.
Now, no cruise passengers were involved here. The company says five employees were also aboard the tram when it happened and three others were involved on the ground but not hurt.
The tram is located beside Juneau's downtown cruise dock and it will remain closed for several days while the manufacturer and state safety officials review the incident.
Vancouver cruise port expecting record cruise season
And Vancouver is gearing up for what could be its busiest cruise season ever. Canada Place is marking its 40 years of cruise operations with about 1.4 million passengers expected this year.
Officials say traffic will surge during the Alaska season with ships arriving nearly every day and up to 50,000 passengers moving through the terminal on busy weekends. One of the peak days is expected in September with nearly 20,000 passengers passing through in a single day.
Related: Port of Seattle kicks off historic Alaska cruise season
And cruise stocks were mixed on Friday. Carnival Corporation: up slightly, 26.66. Royal Caribbean: up 1%, 265.55, Norwegian: up 3.5%, 18.81, and Viking: down a half, 81.50.
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Here in beautiful San Diego - the weather is amazing. When I docked this morning, the Volendam, the Holland America ship I got off of about a month ago, was in the harbor here and now it's sailing away into the sunset. Pretty cool to see.
I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Monday.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 8:47 AM.