Cruise Cancelled Already Abroad

[CruiserWithoutAShip]

Hello,

So, I’m looking for advice. I know responses will have to be general answers, but I can’t find any advice on the web at all really.

 

I live in the UK.

We have booked a cruise from Sydney, leaving weekend after next

We flew to Sydney last weekend, with a layover in Singapore. We had to get off the plane for about an hour while they cleaned it. But didn’t leave the departure gate, never mind go through security (You can see where this is going). The idea being that if we were coming anyway then we may as well make the most of it and do a few more things.

So... Flights To Sydney, flights Sydney to Cairns, cruise, hotel in Sydney we’re booked through one travel operator. Hotel in Cairns we booked ourselves later.

The choice to go via Singapore was made by the Agent, not us.

 

Now Princess have decided that if you’ve been to Singapore, in the last 14 (or 20) days (they are a bit unclear) then you can’t get on their ships. It’s been cancelled, although the Travel Agent and Princess are both claiming the other one did it.

 

We have agreed with the Travel Agent that instead of returning to Sydney, doing a few days there, and then getting on the ship; we’ll do the few days and fly home instead.

Princess have said they’ll refund the cruise - annoyingly not quick enough to use the money doing something else in Australia.

 

Given that...

• we are only here because of the cruise. 
• we wouldn’t have spent the money for what is now essentially 2 weeks in Australia.

Does anyone know roughly what we’re entitled to claim back?

Obviously not the cruise, as that’s getting refunded.

Can we claim for flights, hotels, other expenditure that we wouldn’t have spent, if we had known the cruise was going to be cancelled?

Has anyone experienced a similar situation?

 

Thanks for any info you provide,

Tired and annoyed in Aus.

 

- As a footnote...Princess (at the time of writing) haven’t updated their website with the gem of information. We found out via the Agent, and confirmed it by ringing Princess enough times that we could take an average of the answers and get something consistent. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by CruiserWithoutAShip

[Bob++]

This is all unknown territory and everyone is making it up as they go along. Have you asked your insurance Co about making a claim for the out-of-pocket costs?

 

It could be argued that since Singapore was listed as a high risk country, allowing your TA to route you through there was a risk. 

 

I suspect that you will get your money back - eventually, but you need to persist. If it was your TA who booked the flights, then they are responsible.

[CruiserWithoutAShip]

Thanks for replying.

should probably point out that the holiday was booked about a year ago, before Covid-19 was floating around.

 

Were slowly hitting the various avenues but are also still abroad, so not easy. 
 

mainly trying to get a gauge of what our level of expectation should be. 

[MicCanberra]

Welcome to cruise critic,

What a terrible situation you are in. I would follow up with both the TA and with Princess, they should have some compensation in regards to your out of pocket expenses.

The airlines should be providing vouchers for future use.

[wowzz]

My own, totally personal view, is that the cruise being cancelled has no bearing on the other elements of your holiday. If the flights were still operating, hotels still accepting guests, etc, insurance companies would take the view that you could still have used those elements of your holiday.  

However, in the scale of things, it probably more important for you to get back to the UK - I hope by now you are back.