BALTIMORE — Attorney General Anthony Brown announced charges filed against Capital Jazz, a local promoter of music-themed events including annual Jazz SuperCruises.
Charges were also filed against the company's owner, Clifford Hunte.
It is alleged that Capital Jazz and Hunte canceled a SuperCruise scheduled to depart for the Carribean in March 2026 and has failed to pay refunds.
According to the charges, this violated an earlier settlement reached with Capital Jazz.
In 2025, the Maryland Attorney General's Office settled enabling customer refunds year after the fact for previously canceled SuperCruises. These trips were canceled in 2021 and 2022.
This settlement secured $60,000 from Capital Jazz in owed refunds that were never issued.
They deny any wrongdoing and they claim to have already fully refunded customers impacted by the first cruise cancellation.
Capital Jazz said they also refunded $2.2 million in tickets purchased for the second cruise.
RELATED: Maryland Attorney General settles with Capital Jazz over SuperCruise refunds
WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii reported on these delays back in 2022 and has heard from a handful of customers who have yet to receive those refunds.
Repeat customers booked the Capital Jazz SuperCruise thinking they were in for another memorable trip but a week before the sail date in January 2022, they were notified it’d been canceled due to COVID-19 and a CDC alert to avoid cruise travel.
“They gave us the option of either going to the next year or asking for a refund. Her and I, we asked for a refund, an immediate refund,” Gwen Scott and Alma Richards told Sofastaii in November 2022.
As stated in the charges, at least 103 consumers are allegedly owed refunds totaling at least $642,240 for the canceled 2026 SuperCruise.
Royal Caribbean Cruises also reportedly helped with ticket sales on behalf of Capital Jazz, which is based out of Maryland.
According to the State Attorney General's Office, this left the cruise giant financially responsible.
Royal Caribbean denied those claims insisting they never directly received traveler payments.
They instead placed blame on Capital Jazz, suggesting they're responsible for issuing refunds.
Ultimately, Royal Caribbean agreed to a settlement that includes $1.3 million in refunds to impacted customers.
The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division alleges Capital Jazz not only violated the Consumer Protection Act by canceling the cruise, but also by failing to pay restitution and penalties owed under its prior settlement.
The charges are scheduled to be heard before the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings on July 21.
Anyone who may believe they are owed refunds can call 410-528-8662.
