P and O change/Cancellation policy

[Mysticalmother]

Thanks for posting that Kentish lass..very helpful to know. Riviera certainly get very good write ups, and know a couple of people who have been on various holidays with them, always sing their praises.

[yamanid]

Yes, good idea about maybe selling it on, the english lady.

 

I would have been able to do it recently had I been able to find someone. It may depend on where in the booking process you are or what the reasons and circumstances are, but I would say it is definitely worth a phone call.

 

Not 100% certain about this but I am sure that I have read somewhere that you cannot transfer your Cruise over to someone else now?? i.e. sell it on to someone else :)

[Cruise Puss]

If it was me, I'd go straight to the top.

 

Email Mr. Edgington outlining your problem, saying you wouldn't bother him, but you don't want to have to change to a different cruise line, etc, etc....

 

We emailed him late afternoon yesterday regarding something, and had a response by mid-evening!

 

Good luck.

[Sunshine Boy]

If you do not have any luck with a full refund could you try to book two cruises which would amount to the same value but with time in between which may assist the financial problem I. Which you have found yourself

 

 

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[annieuk]

In the original posting the OP says that there has been a change in P&O's Cancellation Policy. As far as I can see there's been no change. It's always been the case that if you want to cancel a cruise you can either lose your deposit or transfer to a different cruise which must be of equal or more value than the original one booked. We have had to cancel a cruise twice and had a cruise cancelled by the company once.

 

My daughter announced she was going to have a baby just as we were due to go on a P&O cruise. So we changed to a different cruise a few months later - it was a higher cost than the original one booked so we swapped with no problem and yes we did have to pay £100 admin fee. The second time a year or so later we had booked a short 5 night cruise on Queen Victoria, paid the final balance and then I broke my ankle about 5 weeks before we were due to go. We tried to postpone the cruise until the next year but as it was so near the sailing date and we'd paid the balance Cunard wouldn't allow it. So we had to cancel and claim everything back from our Insurance Company - we got everything back including the car parking with CPS that we'd paid for.

 

The third time P&O cancelled our cruise on Adonia - we were due to go on the Transatlantic cruise from the Caribbean back to Southampton but when all the things about "fathom" happened P&O didn't want Adonia back in Southampton so our cruise was cancelled. We got all our deposit back plus £100 each towards another cruise which we did use.

 

The Ts&Cs may seem draconian but they are what they are. The trouble P&O would be in if they let people just change their minds is that some people would book a cruise thinking they might like it then decide later on no we'll do a different one. P&O would find they had cruises cancelled when they could have sold them at the price they were when the brochures came out - if you see what I mean. This way it makes people really think before they book - or it should do. It's a commitment, it can be expensive so we really have to make sure it's the cruise we want. If things happen, like my broken ankle then insurance will cover it - just make sure it's in place from the moment of booking. I do have sympathy for the OP but it's the chance we take when we book a cruise. If P&O made an exception for them they would find that other people would want the same exception for just as valid reasons.

[davenew]

am writing to you regarding a recent problem I had with P and O cruises recently, which I feel may need to be highlighted to other cruisers.

 

My husband, myself and my daughter were booked to go to on a Caribbean cruise this December (2016) and had booked and paid a £900 deposit some months ago. Due to unforeseen circumstances we were unable to afford this cruise anymore and wanted to change it to another cruise.

It seems that P and O have rather Draconian policies on changing cruises and insisted that we could only change the cruise to another of the same value (before our loyalty discount) which would have meant us spending over £7000 or losing the deposit. This was despite me letting them know nearly 12 months in advance.

 

There was also a £100 admin fee that would have incurred. My question to P and O is this.. how can we afford £7000 on another cruise when this was the reason for changing it initally. You are forcing our hand into cancelling and then you will make £900. And why can you not let us change it to another cruise or a lesser value? They will then still be ensuring our custom.

We have travelled with P and O on numerous occasions and expect some loyalty.I think this policy is a clause that most customers will not be aware of and should think of before patronising this company.

I understand the £100 admin fee but I think the changing policy is very harsh and should be investigated.

 

Do you have travel insurance, even through your bank?

If yes, what does the cancellation policy cover you for.

Just a thought.

[Adammara]

Just to point out that the date on the first post is Jan 31st!

[daiB]

Just to point out that the date on the first post is Jan 31st!

 

 

I wondered when someone would notice that. I think things have possibly been sorted by now.

 

 

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[Cruise Puss]

Just to point out that the date on the first post is Jan 31st!

 

Shows how unobservant we all are!

 

I would, however, like to know why someone suddenly decided to post after all these months?!? :confused:

[P&O SUE]

MM, have you posted your river cruise review??

 

 

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[joe grumble]

hi katie, i can sympathise with you on this one. same happened to us with our november 2015 britannia cruise . the other half was made redundant and we coudnt really afford the £3500. we`d paid £500 deposit so we swapped to this november instead. they charged us the extra £100 admin and on top we were paying £100 each flight supplements from manchester. a very costly cruise but thankfully weve had a great time. just a shame they cannot accept your/our deposits against future cruises of any value. advise to anyone about this is to double check the wording in the booking terms from ANY of the cruise lines before paying a deposit.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

No but what it is down to is that P&O and many other British companies ( less than there used to be) have grossly one sided T&C's. I wonder what P&O would give in compensation if they had to 'pull' a cruise a year in advance?

 

A few years ago they cancelled my cruise on Oriana and redeployed her to the Caribbean. I had about8 months notice. I was offered £50 obc compensation if I booked another cruise instead. BIG DEAL!!!

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

I wondered when someone would notice that. I think things have possibly been sorted by now.

 

 

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Thank you Captain Mainwaring.:D

[crosby99]

A few years ago they cancelled my cruise on Oriana and redeployed her to the Caribbean. I had about8 months notice. I was offered £50 obc compensation if I booked another cruise instead. BIG DEAL!!!

 

I know this is an old thread BUT not sure sure is just a UK issue.

The was somebody complaining on RCL page other week that they were ill and they would not allow a rebooking 1 day before...+ of course they had no insurance(a very none British thing).

You would think in the case of a deposit that Brand Loyalty would count and unofficially cruise lines would be more accommodating. After all when our position changes we might not be so loyal

[Mysticalmother]

MM, have you posted your river cruise review??

 

 

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Noooooo! Sorry....I wondered which thread I had promised this on!

I will try and remember to do this in next few days. We had a great time, although weather was rubbish. Could not fault Riviera Travel as a company, or their organisation. Not certain river cruising will be my first choice of cruise, as although the daytime excursions were excellent, the evenings were just too quiet for me.

[P&O SUE]

Noooooo! Sorry....I wondered which thread I had promised this on!

I will try and remember to do this in next few days. We had a great time, although weather was rubbish. Could not fault Riviera Travel as a company, or their organisation. Not certain river cruising will be my first choice of cruise, as although the daytime excursions were excellent, the evenings were just too quiet for me.

 

Thank you for responding! I've often wondered what river cruising is like so would be interested to read your thoughts when you get the time :)

[happy v]

Me too.:)

[Mysticalmother]

Thank you for responding! I've often wondered what river cruising is like so would be interested to read your thoughts when you get the time :)

 

Have just submitted a review...presumably it will take a few days to get authorised. Tried to copy and paste it but my ipad wouldnt let me, so I will just come back and post a link when it is published!

[happy v]

Thank you.

[P&O SUE]

Thanks MM [emoji4]

 

 

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[jake 26]

The Daily Telegraph has highlighted this practice of excessive cancellation deposits in the Telegraph Money section earlier this year.

There is far more protection for consumers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Many T&Cs are unfair under the act because they are unbalanced and that very much applies to holiday contracts.

If you have paid a deposit and then cancel, the supplier has no right to withhold the full amount without declaring what costs he/she has incurred by that cancellation. It is unlawful for the supplier to gain from the cancellation. They only have a right to redeem their losses

In the case of a holiday the supplier is expected to take reasonable steps to resell the holiday thus reducing the loss. That is part of the Unfair Package Holiday Contract T&C s Act 2004.

In such a case as the OP s it is likely that the withheld deposit could be regarded as excessive and unfair. The company should have justified their action.

Apparently the fairly new Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) are warning holiday companies about their one sided policies. There have been some recent cases where the companies have lost the action or settled out of court.

It's a pity that the OP's case is last January.

[the english lady]

Do people not read any of the t and c before ticking to say they have read them.

We do not book a cruise unless we are sure we are going to do it. Having said that we have twice booked with canard and twice changed that to pando, and have to change to a later cruise same price etc.

I did not post saying unfair unfair. We book with the understanding if we cancel we lose the deposit.

Out of all the holidays we have been on cruising is the only one that gave us the option of moving booking rather than losing the deposit.

I really cannot agree that pando is doing anything wrong. They stuck to their part of the contract. It is the customer not sticking to their part.

[jake 26]

I'm sure nobody books a cruise expecting to cancel.

 

It is the law that says some T&Cs are unfair, and it is contract law that terms must be clear.

 

Surely if events dictate that a buyer cancels they must be entitled to fairness, whether it be buying a cruise or a household item.

 

Consumer law is there for both sides of a contract. The OP cancelled a year in advance. No longer has P&O got the right to withhold the full deposit without explanation of their costs. I suggest P&O made a profit in this case, which is totally against the law, and morally very wrong.

[yamanid]

I'm sure nobody books a cruise expecting to cancel.

 

It is the law that says some T&Cs are unfair, and it is contract law that terms must be clear.

 

Surely if events dictate that a buyer cancels they must be entitled to fairness, whether it be buying a cruise or a household item.

 

Consumer law is there for both sides of a contract. The OP cancelled a year in advance. No longer has P&O got the right to withhold the full deposit without explanation of their costs. I suggest P&O made a profit in this case, which is totally against the law, and morally very wrong.

 

Totally agree with you - no one expects to have to cancel, unfortunately circumstances arise and if you cannot go at another time then they need to be fair to loyal passengers - they certainly are making huge profits if people cancel and cannot re book for another time

[WpgCruise]

Let's follow this concept of "Fairness" through with a hypothetical.

 

I book a cruise January 2016 for $7,000 putting down a $900 deposit, the cruise leaves January 2017

 

In November 2016 I cancel due to financial hardship, or some other reason not covered by insurance. The cruise line re sells my stateroom for $4,500 as this close to sailing it's the best they can get.

 

Should I be responsible to pay the cruise line an additional $1,600 to cover their loss?

 

After all if we demand "Fairness" from one side, shouldn't it be fair for both ?