Radisson cancelled my cruise to Tahiti

[candj]

Has anyone ever had this happen? I was booked (and paid) since last year to sail on Radisson's Paul Gauguin on Aug 6th 2005 in French polynesia with a 4 day pre-package on Moorea and air from LAX to Tahiti included in cruise package. My travel agent called today to say that Radisson has bumped all passangers booked on this week to let a charter company have the ship. This was to be a trip of a life time, with my sister and husband, who would be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary the week we were at sea. I am shocked at Radisson, they have not been at all helpful or nice. They offered a cabin upgrade of one catagory on another sailing, but then were unable to give us any of the alternative dates that we requested. They did offer a full refund of the price of the cruise. (Not what I wanted at all!) I am very upset, and concerned about the non-refundable costs that Radisson has incurred to me: 4 first class airline ticket I booked to LAX, the hotel at LAX, the limo, not to mention the scheduling, time, effort and now the huge disappointment. In doing research on Radisson today, I found out that the Paul Gauguin ship has been sold and may not be in French polynesia much longer. Perhaps this is why rebooking with Radisson seems impossible. Does anyone have any advice or comments about the way Radisson treats their customers? Do I have any other options?

Has anyone ever had this happen? I was booked (and paid) since last year to sail on Radisson's Paul Gauguin on Aug 6th 2005 in French polynesia with a 4 day pre-package on Moorea and air from LAX to Tahiti included in cruise package. My travel agent called today to say that Radisson has bumped all passangers booked on this week to let a charter company have the ship. This was to be a trip of a life time, with my sister and husband, who would be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary the week we were at sea. I am shocked at Radisson, they have not been at all helpful or nice. They offered a cabin upgrade of one catagory on another sailing, but then were unable to give us any of the alternative dates that we requested. They did offer a full refund of the price of the cruise. (Not what I wanted at all!) I am very upset, and concerned about the non-refundable costs that Radisson has incurred to me: 4 first class airline ticket I booked to LAX, the hotel at LAX, the limo, not to mention the scheduling, time, effort and now the huge disappointment. In doing research on Radisson today, I found out that the Paul Gauguin ship has been sold and may not be in French polynesia much longer. Perhaps this is why rebooking with Radisson seems impossible. Does anyone have any advice or comments about the way Radisson treats their customers? Do I have any other options?

:confused:

[Call me Ishmael]

I've had a cruise cancelled (not Radisson) a week before the cruise, so I know how disappointing and frustrating that can be (ours was also for an anniversary).

 

Obviously, your complaint needs to be directed to someone higher up in Radisson and your agent ought to be doing it.

 

One thing I don't understand is why your travel agent isn't taking care of the air tickets and hotel. I didn't know there were non-refundable first class air tickets, but even non-refundables have exceptions that travel agents can invoke. Hotels too are generally not non-refundable and even then your agent may be able to get a dispensation.

 

Are you sure about the non-refundable part of the first class tickets?

[candj]

Thank you for your help!

 

I did speak with the airline today- we had booked the east coast to LAX leg ourselves with saved air miles- they are transferable (with a fee) until the beginning of Feb. 2006. We also booked our 1 night at LAX ourselves, but I didn't check on that yet. I was waiting to see if I could just change the date. We started with Radisson at LAX, not from our home airport (mistake??).

 

Our travel agent has been trying with Radisson, but apparently has been given very few options,so we are speaking with Radisson directly now. The problem is the Paul Gauguin in 2005 seems very booked and/or sold out. Radisson does not have a 2006 schedule, and seems vague about what will be happening then. We will continue to try to find a resolution, but it seems certain that the dates we needed are out. Our travel agent did investigate the Tahitian Princess as a substitute (at our request).

 

Sorry about the duplication above- I'm new!

[Suite Travels]

Check out Crystal. They will not cancel a week before your cruise for a charter.

[Island Cruiser]

I can understand how very frustrating this is. I would be furious. Mostly at my TA for not mentioning a charter cancellation as a possibility. If you read the terms and conditions fine print, the cruise lines (all of them) reserve the option to cancel for a charter (i.e. a guaranteed full ship), to alter itineraries, etc. etc. They reserve lots of flexibility for themselves. That's just part of the deal you accept in booking a cruise well in advance. We have booked on the Silversea Whisper 11/21/05 for the Western Caribbean. That trip won't get cancelled for a charter because the trip is almost sold out. But we are also booked on the Radisson Mariner 8/30/06 for Alaska. That trip could get whacked. That's just part of the scenario. Unfortunate. But the profit margins in the luxury cruise industry are so small, if the operators can book a full ship, they'll do it and deal with the fallout.

[cruiseluv]

Island cruiser,

 

I wouldn't blame the TA. How was the TA supposed to know that the PG would be chartered that particular week in August 2005?

 

The mass market lines do not usually charter their ships ( since these are so big) but they sometimes drastically change itineraries affecting thousands of passsengers. For example, earlier this year( or late last year) Celebrity decided to pull out the Century out of the caribbean for this coming summer and redeploy it to Europe. Many people had reserved , bought airline tickets, reserved hotels etc. for the caribbean cruises and were, understandably, very upset.

 

IMO, in cases like the PG charter and the Century the cruise lines should reimburse people for reasonable out of pocket expenses, like airline cancelation fees. However, I don't think they're legally obligated to do so.

[JoAnne B]

Princess cancelled a whole season when they sold the Island Princess a few years ago. However, they didn't even offer a refund, even for those fully paid. All passengers were switched to the Pacific doing a similar itinerary, but with different embarkation/disembarkation ports and different departure dates. We sat with a young couple on their honeymoon, who had to rearrange their trip and make their own way from Athens, which was already booked, to Istanbul (at their own expense) to meet the ship. Again, they were refused a refund and given only a $25.00 onboard credit. Not even an upgrade, and of course by that time the better cabins were already booked. Come to think of it, that was my last Princess cruise.

[PaulaJK]

I wouldn't blame the TA either.

 

 

I think that the cruise lines have a responsibility to the pax

whose booking and payment they have accepted. Perhaps akin

to the poster, I have to plan my vacation time far in advance

and frequently have purchased non-refundable air,etc. I would

not only be very disappointed, but angry if I incurred expenses

secondary to their cancellation.

[Dolebludger]

Suite Travels:

 

If you have figured out how to book a cruise that is all -- French Polynesian on Crystal, please let us all know! With Windstar already gone, the Tahitian Princess leaving in '06 and the Paul Gauguin leaving (probably) in '06, the market for such a cruise would be wide open!

 

Thanks,

Richard:) :) :)

[Guest Jancruz]

I suggest you contact Oceania..they are wonderful and have only canceled one cruise and gave a gigantic credit to rebook..

 

Jan:)

*****

[Island Cruiser]

Folks, no TA could know the PG would be chartered in August. Of course. Radisson didn't until it was chartered. But all TAs should know that an advanced booking could fall victim to a charter and tell their clients. They should remind clients non-refundable air and hotel arrangements associated with an advanced cruise booking are at risk. How each line deals with the charter cancellation is a separate question. Same is true for each cancelled client.

 

I am booked on a 8/30/06 Radisson cruise. I KNOW it could get whacked. But I booked at the first moment it was available to get exactly the cabin I want. And I got that cabin for now. It is likely I will enjoy that cabin and that cruise. I am planning on it. But Radisson won't violate our contractual relationship by bumping me for a charter. If they do, they will try to offer me reasonable alternative compensation. They are that kind of company.

[Dolebludger]

Jancruz:

 

See my post above about Crystal. If we could book an all -- French Polynesian cruise on Oceania, yours would be a very good idea about now.

 

 

Thanks,

Richard:) :) :)

[Newdoc2002]

This is one reason I didn't book with SeaDream for our next cruise. They tend to have a lot of chartered cruises (likely has to do with ship size, so that makes PG a target as well). It is really poor of a cruise line to leave their passangers stranded high and dry without just compensation. It'll likely take some media exposure before they will change their ways. In the end, they'll look at the bottom line and if they can charter out a cruise and fill up the rest, they'll do it even if it makes a good number of people mad.

 

What ever happened to doing what is right? Went out with integrity I guess.