Emerald canceled our tour dates, what recourse do we have?

Shorten your Spain time, take the changed cruise, then tour Netherlands, Belgium, or France for the days until your flight leaves. See if you can negotiate the amount they were willing to pay for change fees for incidental costs due to all of the changes. Lots of ways you can spend the time after the cruise dates in touring a number of places.

Another good idea.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will let you know what the outcome is when the final decision is made. I am expecting a call from their Customer Service Manager today.

European airlines have regional jets flying (often under different names) intra-Europe the same way American companies do - we've been on a few and they're fine....

I too enjoy trains, but I'm with caviargal -I have an upper limit. And Spain to Amsterdam would be over mine at this point:D

There seem to be lots of good ideas here - I hope OP is able to figure out something wonderful & fun & make lemonade out of fiery burning lemons;)

Hi, I don't like the way you are being treated by Emerald. I suggest you get your deposit refunded and rebook on either Uniworld or Viking. I've traveled on Uniworld with much good luck and great experiences - the cabins are much nicer, the food is good to outstanding. They have a Rhine cruise on the same original date as your Emerald Cruise so it should not mess up your travel plans at all. Or consider Viking - one of my best friends has said on them several times with none of the problems you have experience with Emerald. There are too many river cruise lines that do a better job for you to just accept this poor level of service from Emerald.

Add German Wings and Air Berlin to the cheap list.

How many other companies have had an almost completed ship burnt out before it was launched. I would wait to castigate them until others had faced the same problem and seen how they dealt with it. Why not ask Emerald if there is any other cruise on those dates they could help you with regardless of company. Or are you working with a TA?

CA

How many other companies have had an almost completed ship burnt out before it was launched. I would wait to castigate them until others had faced the same problem and seen how they dealt with it. Why not ask Emerald if there is any other cruise on those dates they could help you with regardless of company. Or are you working with a TA?

CA

Good point, since Emerald is owned by Scenic.

Emerald has already indicated to the OP that they don't have anything on her dates and at any rate, any other tour would mess up her airfare. The most sensible thing to do is for the OP to cancel with Emerald and get the the total refund and rebook with another river cruise line for the same itinerary on the same dates. This way the airfare is not messed up and her trip will go as scheduled. She might see what booking a similar itinerary on other dates with several other river cruise lines would cost. Hopefully the costs will be almost identical to what she has paid and with the full-reimbursement Emerald is offering her, she can change to a different company and have essentially the same vacation or better losing none of her own money.

Add German Wings and Air Berlin to the cheap list.

I think German Wings might be Lufthansa...I've seen Air Berlin planes on the tarmac at Frankfurt.

A couple of different ideas -

If you paid with a credit card, you may have trip insurance and do not realize it. Check with your credit card company.

Also - I have easily gotten out of plane tickets when they change their arrival/departure times. Once I had booked plane tickets and decided not to go on the cruise. The time changed about 15 minutes. I called the airline and told them the timing did not work and they agreed to refund the money for the tickets, no argument.

I think a land trip in Europe sounds like a good solution to the problem.

Just FYI according to a Dutch online newspaper the repairs of the Emerald Belle will last for at least 3 months.

steamboats

I would suggest Barcelona to Lyon by train. Nice length and Lyon is supposed to be a nice foodies town. An overnight stay and then take the TGV to perhaps Strassbourg, cutting out Basel. Couple of days in Strassbourg, then from Strassbourg (or Kehl in Germany just across the river) by train to Rüdesheim via Frankfurt. Overnight stay in Rüdesheim for the experience of "good old Germany". In the morning take the Köln Düsseldorfer boat (they have English commentaries, but check beforehand) for a half-day cruise to Koblenz - the famous castles -, roam around Koblenz and take the train to Cologne. Arrive early evening. Two nights in Cologne with another boat ride or make your way to Brussels for another overnight stay and then head to Amsterdam.

None of these train journeys take more than six hours.

I hope I have given you a couple of ideas.

notamermaid

We also were booked on a Emerald Belle cruise that was cancelled. After some negotiating we were provided with an alternative cruise, upgraded cabin, current promotions and air change fees. While initially we were frustrated with Emerald, we are now satisfied. You can only imagine loosing an entire season of cruises and trying to rebook pax on alternative cruises, many of which are substantially booked for 2016.

PS, we've had friends who cruised on Viking and Uniworld and they also had problems. We've been on about 20 ocean cruises and sometimes things happen!

I would suggest Barcelona to Lyon by train. Nice length and Lyon is supposed to be a nice foodies town. An overnight stay and then take the TGV to perhaps Strassbourg, cutting out Basel. Couple of days in Strassbourg, then from Strassbourg (or Kehl in Germany just across the river) by train to Rüdesheim via Frankfurt. Overnight stay in Rüdesheim for the experience of "good old Germany". In the morning take the Köln Düsseldorfer boat (they have English commentaries, but check beforehand) for a half-day cruise to Koblenz - the famous castles -, roam around Koblenz and take the train to Cologne. Arrive early evening. Two nights in Cologne with another boat ride or make your way to Brussels for another overnight stay and then head to Amsterdam.

 

None of these train journeys take more than six hours.

 

I hope I have given you a couple of ideas.

 

notamermaid

I really like your plan!! Lyon is definitely a place for foodies....best French food we had was in Lyon...I don't know what they did to those escargot, but I still dream about them! :D And Rudesheim is wonderful in every way. I agree with skipping Basel... How would you take them from Cologne to Amsterdam? I know it's not far, but I've only done it by river boat.

How would you take them from Cologne to Amsterdam? I know it's not far, but I've only done it by river boat.

Did a quick check on db.de (deutsche bahn - the train- VERY easy to navigate website, and easy to switch languages around) and it's about 4 hours and 40-65E for a train Koln- Ams Centraal. Looks like the fewest changes is Koln-Brussels, Brussels- Ams. Not an exhaustive search, just one option out there....

Did a quick check on db.de (deutsche bahn - the train- VERY easy to navigate website, and easy to switch languages around) and it's about 4 hours and 40-65E for a train Koln- Ams Centraal. Looks like the fewest changes is Koln-Brussels, Brussels- Ams. Not an exhaustive search, just one option out there....

We should all be in the travel business. :D

We should all be in the travel business. :D

I'm a researcher by profession and I research & plan travel because I love it ;) But I couldn't do it for a job.

I'm a researcher by profession and I research & plan travel because I love it ;) But I couldn't do it for a job.

I did research as well and like you, I love to research and plan...DH says he thinks I get more fun out of planning than actually going!! But I couldn't do it for a job either.....I'd hate having to deal with people like me!! :D:D

Part of my job is dealing with weary and/or confused travellers. I am a researcher at heart and a train enthusiast so just had to suggest a train journey. :D

By the way, if any of you consider the stretch Cologne to Brussels I would choose the Thalys over the ICE. In my humble opinion the ICE is modern while the Thalys has got style.

https://www.thalys.com/be/en/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalys - the page includes a map with an overview of the high speed rail networks in Europe

When you are in Brussels and do not feel like going to Amsterdam straight away you could also include an overnight stay in London. The journey on the Eurostar is just over two hours only.

notamermaid

I think the 4hr option I found was ICE Koln-Brussels then Thalys Brussels-AMS :D

Personally, I wouldn't go to London for one night - but I would definitely stay in Brussels! (I studied in Belgium in college - have been trying to get my husband to visit with me - sometime in the next few years, fingers crossed!)

I think the 4hr option I found was ICE Koln-Brussels then Thalys Brussels-AMS :D

 

Personally, I wouldn't go to London for one night - but I would definitely stay in Brussels! (I studied in Belgium in college - have been trying to get my husband to visit with me - sometime in the next few years, fingers crossed!)

We have overnighted in London on our last three trips to Europe. We fly Virgin, arrive at 8am, roll over to Sofitel at Gatwick and check into our room. We hop the train to Victoria station and spend the day and evening in the city, usually enjoying the theater and then a walk and dinner. The next morning we are on a very early EasyJet flight to wherever we are headed. For us, it is a great stopover with little effort.

Flying through London would be different (in my opinion) than going from Germany to Belgium to England (for one night) and then back to Amsterdam. I made my statement based on the Germany - Amsterdam discussions we'd been having in the most recent 3 posts....

Part of my job is dealing with weary and/or confused travellers. I am a researcher at heart and a train enthusiast so just had to suggest a train journey. :D

 

By the way, if any of you consider the stretch Cologne to Brussels I would choose the Thalys over the ICE. In my humble opinion the ICE is modern while the Thalys has got style.

 

https://www.thalys.com/be/en/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalys - the page includes a map with an overview of the high speed rail networks in Europe

 

When you are in Brussels and do not feel like going to Amsterdam straight away you could also include an overnight stay in London. The journey on the Eurostar is just over two hours only.

 

notamermaid

Thank you for the links. I will save them for future trips. On this trip, I think I finally got a better offer from Emerald and I am waiting for final details to accept. It will be going on the Scenic Treasures of the Rhine tour from June 22-29. So that will give us 4 nights in Amsterdam before our flight home.

Thank you for the links. I will save them for future trips. On this trip, I think I finally got a better offer from Emerald and I am waiting for final details to accept. It will be going on the Scenic Treasures of the Rhine tour from June 22-29. So that will give us 4 nights in Amsterdam before our flight home.

That's wonderful news - I hope it all works out! There is plenty to do in Amsterdam and the surrounding areas. Make sure you take a canal cruise, and visit the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum (you should get tickets on line in advance for all of those). You might investigate visiting other towns/areas - we liked Leiden, Delft, Kinderkijk (lots of windmills) and also enjoyed a boat tour of Rotterdam Harbor (if you're into that kind of thing).

Flying through London would be different (in my opinion) than going from Germany to Belgium to England (for one night) and then back to Amsterdam. I made my statement based on the Germany - Amsterdam discussions we'd been having in the most recent 3 posts....

Looks like I was skimming again;)