Cancelled sailings.

[harz99]

We have/had a booking for a previously advertised sailing from Singapore departing 4th Dec 2010 for a 14 night Far East cruise on Costa Romantica.

 

Just been informed by TA that this trip has been cancelled and Costa are offering to transfer us to either the same trip 4 weeks earlier or a diffferent sailing HK to SIN 2 weeks earlier. Trouble is neither fits in with our arrangements after the original cruise, which were to go visit family in Australia, and then on to North America. Their website has no sailings anywhere after November 2010.

 

Does anyone have an insight into why Costa is cancelling - are they pulling out of the Far East, is the ship being withdrawn, or are they simply rationalising their sailings?

[G.M.T.]

We have/had a booking for a previously advertised sailing from Singapore departing 4th Dec 2010 for a 14 night Far East cruise on Costa Romantica.

 

Just been informed by TA that this trip has been cancelled and Costa are offering to transfer us to either the same trip 4 weeks earlier or a diffferent sailing HK to SIN 2 weeks earlier. Trouble is neither fits in with our arrangements after the original cruise, which were to go visit family in Australia, and then on to North America. Their website has no sailings anywhere after November 2010.

 

Does anyone have an insight into why Costa is cancelling - are they pulling out of the Far East, is the ship being withdrawn, or are they simply rationalising their sailings?

Sorry to hear about your cancelled cruise, why not look for a cruise out of Australia if you are already planning to go there.

 

I do not think Costa will be pulling out of the Far East as it is one of their fastest growing markets, they repositioning the Allegra next April and her place is being taken by the Romantica.

 

One reason why a cruise can be cancelled is if the ship has to go into drydock, but then this is at very short notice days / weeks mainly due to mechanical or electrical problems. Also when a ship has planned drydock maintenance then this is fiited in between scedule cruises.

 

Costa is one of the last cruise lines to issue there catalogue, at present Costa only has cruises upto November 2010, they 2011 cruises will be out in mid February.

 

I think the most likely cause of the cancellation is that an organisation has chartered the whole ship when you were intending to cruise.

 

Ron

[harz99]

Sorry to hear about your cancelled cruise, why not look for a cruise out of Australia if you are already planning to go there.

 

I do not think Costa will be pulling out of the Far East as it is one of their fastest growing markets, they repositioning the Allegra next April and her place is being taken by the Romantica.

 

One reason why a cruise can be cancelled is if the ship has to go into drydock, but then this is at very short notice days / weeks mainly due to mechanical or electrical problems. Also when a ship has planned drydock maintenance then this is fiited in between scedule cruises.

 

Costa is one of the last cruise lines to issue there catalogue, at present Costa only has cruises upto November 2010, they 2011 cruises will be out in mid February.

 

I think the most likely cause of the cancellation is that an organisation has chartered the whole ship when you were intending to cruise.

 

Ron

 

Hello Ron and thanks for the response; we did look at cruises ex Australia. but there is only one 17 day trip that does not cover ports/places we have already been too. That would mean leaving home a week earlier than planned, and as the P&O Au ship involved has such comprehensively poor reviews I don't feel inclined to go there.

 

I guess you have a point about the possibility of the ship being chartered though.

 

I have asked the TA to check if Costa will wait until they have decided their following seasons plans, and then offer us the same opportunity to transfer our booking if something suitable in December becomes available - we live in hope!

 

Best wishes for a happy Christmas, Doug.

[G.M.T.]

Hi Doug,

 

At least you have a year to find some alternatives. Talking of alternatives, here are some ideas

 

a. Another cruise line from Singapore of Hong Kong, Royal Caribbean, NCL

b. Doing a cruise from Dubai (Costa always 2 to 3 ships there during our winter), then fly on to Australia.

c. Repositioning cruise from Italy to Dubai

 

Anyway I hope everything turns out OK for you.

 

Merry Christmas and good cruising in 2010.

 

Ron