Capital Jazz cruise cancellation case advances toward hearing
Maryland authorities reported 157 consumer complaints tied to Capital Jazz as they examine refunds and an alleged breach of an earlier settlement.
Capital Jazz owner Clifford Hunte and the company’s legal team did not attend settlement and prehearing conferences concerning the latest canceled Super Jazz Cruise, according to information presented during the proceedings.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office said it had received 157 consumer complaints involving Capital Jazz and planned to present 12 witnesses at an upcoming hearing. The office alleges the company violated a prior settlement agreement arising from an earlier canceled cruise.
State officials are also reviewing the latest cancellation, described in the proceedings as the third Super Jazz Cruise cancellation in five years, along with customers’ efforts to recover payments. About 1,700 passengers had been booked. Some customers pursued refunds through their credit card companies, while others said they still had not been reimbursed.
At an earlier virtual hearing, Hunte told an administrative law judge that Capital Jazz was paused and its employees had been furloughed. He also said he believed most customers had recovered their money through credit-card chargebacks. The case was moving toward a hearing later in the month.