Hy-Line Cruises Customer Service Complaint…read more
My experience with Hy-Line Cruises on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, raises several legitimate customer-service concerns. The biggest issue is not simply that I misunderstood the departure location; rather, it is that the staff failed to communicate clearly, failed to proactively notify us of the cancellation, and then charged us an additional $11 without adequately explaining the change in service.
I want to make clear that I am not complaining simply because the original cruise was unavailable. I understand that circumstances, including weather, can affect scheduled cruises. My concern is with the manner in which the situation was handled by the ticket-booth staff.
I would like to address the following:
Website confusion: I purchased two tickets online for what I believed was the two-hour Cape Cod Canal Cruise departing from Hyannis. Based on the information presented on the website, I reasonably believed I had selected Hyannis as the departure location. The website was not sufficiently clear or user-friendly to prevent this confusion.
Poor communication at the ticket booth: When I arrived at the Hyannis ticket booth, the male agent asked whether I was there for the 4:15 p.m. cruise. I explained that I was there for the 4:00 p.m. cruise and showed him my booking on my phone. He then told me that I was in the wrong place. When I asked where I needed to go, the conversation became confusing, with the agent repeatedly referring to "the other end" without providing clear directions.
Inappropriate and unhelpful information: I was eventually told by the female agent that I needed to go to Onset. When I asked where Onset was because I was not from the area, I was told, "Boston," followed by the statement that unless I could fly, I would not make it. This was an extremely unhelpful response to a customer who was simply trying to determine where the cruise departed.
No proactive communication about the available alternative: I was eventually told that there was an ice-cream cruise departing from Hyannis at 4:15 p.m. The female agent stated that she would have to ask the captain whether my companion and I could go on the cruise. I agreed to wait.
I had to approach the booth for an update: At approximately 4:16 p.m., I noticed that nobody was boarding the vessel. Since no one had provided us with an update, I returned to the ticket booth and asked whether the captain had approved our boarding. Only then was I told that we could go on the cruise.
Unexpected additional $11 charge: I was then told there would be an additional $11 charge for the two of us. This was never adequately explained. I had originally purchased tickets for a two-hour Cape Cod Canal Cruise, and I was now being placed on a one-hour Hyannis harbor cruise that served ice cream. I do not understand why I was required to pay an additional $11 for a substantially different and shorter cruise. I believe I am entitled to an explanation of how the $11 additional charge was calculated.
Failure to inform us of the cancellation: After being given the new tickets, my companion and I walked toward the boarding platform. There was a rope across the walkway, preventing us from boarding. At that point, my companion approached the ticket booth because I did not want to deal with the two employees again. She was then informed that the 4:15 p.m. cruise had been cancelled because of high winds and that we had been moved to the 7:00 p.m. cruise.
We were never notified: This is perhaps the most troubling part of the experience. Had I not returned to the booth at approximately 4:16 p.m. to ask whether the captain had approved our boarding, and had my companion not subsequently approached the booth after seeing the rope across the walkway, we apparently would have continued standing there without knowing what was happening. At no point did either employee proactively tell us that the 4:15 p.m. cruise had been cancelled.
Last-minute change to our plans: We were ultimately moved to the 7:00 p.m. cruise, which substantially changed the experience and timing of what we had originally purchased. I understand that high winds can necessitate a cancellation, and I am not blaming Hy-Line Cruises for the weather. However, passengers should be promptly and clearly informed when their cruise is cancelled or rescheduled.
Overall Concern
The entire experience at the Hyannis ticket booth was unprofessional and unnecessarily confusing. The initial problem may have originated with my misunderstanding of the online booking information, but the situation was made considerably worse by the manner in which the employees communicated--or, more accurately, failed to communicate--with us.
At no point did the employees provide a clear explanation of what had happened with my original reservation, clearly explain our alternatives, explain the additional $11 charge, or proactively inform us that the 4:15 p.m. cruise had been cancelled.
