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Black Sea cruise change

Dangerwoman21

By Dangerwoman21,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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Dangerwoman21

Dangerwoman21

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi. Just been informed that P&O do not consider that changing Black Sea cruise destinations. (effectively cutting out the Black Sea!) is a substantial change and therefore not eligible for a refund. Any thoughts?

Edited by Dangerwoman21
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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

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Posted
Hi. Just been informed that P&O do not consider that changing Black Sea cruise destinations. (effectively cutting out the Black Sea!) is a substantial change and therefore not eligible for a refund. Any thoughts?

 

A difficult one - as a passenger I would agree with you, hardly a Black Sea cruise and I would share your disappointment. However I feel sure it will be covered by the T&C which relate to destination changes that as a result of civil unrest, war, etc. etc the cruise line are within their rights to make changes (albeit some room for debate about what constitutes 'substantial changes'). In any event I would guess the FO advice at the moment is not to travel there. You would probably have clauses in your personal travel insurance which would render it invalid were you to go into unstable or potentially dangerous places. So it's a tough one. Of course the cruise line have had to make changes but as a result of a situation not of their making. They cannot possibly take you to Odessa, Yalta, Sevastopol or the like.

 

Perhaps they would be sympathetic to you asking for the deposit/moneys paid to be transferred to another cruise rather than a refund. But where the legal responsibilities or rights lie I wouldn't like to guess. But good luck - I hope you have a satisfactory resolution.

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tring

tring

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Actually, the Foriegn and Commonwealth Office are not advising against travel to Odessa at present - they were advising against all but esential travel, (so not holidays), for a very short time after there were problems there in early summer, but that was quite some time ago and as I say short lived. Crimea is out, as has been mentioned.

 

We were booked on a Black Sea cruise with 4 ports in the Ukraine for last month, but the cruise company (not P&O) let us cancel with full refund after they cancelled the 3 Crimean ports. We were looking into our rights prior to that and there is something that says if a venue is the main venue (advertised as a black sea cruise as we would see it) then you should be allowed to cancel. The cruise still visited 2 Russian ports and a number of other ports in The Black Sea, so was still a Black Sea Cruise.

 

I am not sure where my husband found that, (he has an employment history in consumer protection) - I think it was package travel law, but I have not got time to look into it further at present. I would agree that asking for a change of cruise with the deposit transferred, (if that is all you have paid) would put you on a stronger footing. If that is not suitable I suggest you take advice form the consumer advice service, stressing that although there is a low percentage of port changes, it was the main venue of the cruise.

 

I am sure most companies would try to bluff their way out of giving refunds if poss.

 

Good Luck

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silver surfer 2010

silver surfer 2010

Posted
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I don't think I would want to go into a danger zone anyway.

 

No cruise company is going to put it's ships or passengers at risk. My own view is that they shouldn't have been advertising the cruises just now and should have waited to see how things settle down.

 

Are the Egyptian cruises still going?

Are they still visiting Israel?

 

David E

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Koukla-mou

Koukla-mou

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We were booked on a Holy Land cruise last year with P&O and weren't told the changed itinerary until we embarked. We missed Haifa, Ashdod and Alexandria. The alternative ports were Limasol and Rhodes with no compensation or chance to cancel. Our first and last cruise with P&O.

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dsrdsrdsr

dsrdsrdsr

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Thought number 1 was to wonder if you could have made the question any vaguer. If you want any sort of specific answer, let us know the headline the cruise was advertised under, the ports lost, and the replacement ports.

 

I once booked a cruise with Voyages of Discovery, headlined as "Eclipse and Spitzbergen". Due to time constraints, Spitzbergen was dropped from the itinerary, and we had a no-questions-asked refund because it was clearly a significant change. If they'd just changed Longyearbyen for New Alesund, it would have been a harder one to argue.

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Adam Coulter

Adam Coulter

Posted
Posted
Hi. Just been informed that P&O do not consider that changing Black Sea cruise destinations. (effectively cutting out the Black Sea!) is a substantial change and therefore not eligible for a refund. Any thoughts?

 

Hi

Thanks for posting – we've made a few enquiries, and it's not just P&O – Cunard has cancelled all its Black Sea stops too: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=6061

 

With best wishes

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tring

tring

Posted
Posted (edited)

It was Voyages of Discovery that we were booked with for Oct, but even though we were allowed to cancel, the cruise still did the Black Sea. I am not sure if they did Odessa in the end, because after we cancelled they had to cancel that because the FO advised against travel for a short time (not sure that they would have reinstated the port at short notice. All replacement ports were in the Black Sea though as far as I know, (Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Northern Turkey) and the two Russian ports were still on the itinerary.

 

I think the big cruise lines are a waste of time if you want somewhere interesting and different to visit now, but they do cost more. Spoke to my husband and he thinks if the cruise was sold as a Black Sea Cruise and they really have pulled out of the entire Black Sea that would be considered a major change so do look into it.

 

It is strange how the OP has not put any more posts on this thread - not even a thank you. I wonder if they got a refund - please tell us what happened if you are reading this Dangerwoman.

Edited by tring
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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

Posted
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Interesting that she has only posted the one post isn't it

David E

 

I'm always so grateful for the help and advice I've received from fellow posters over the years and how much that has aided our holiday planning/enjoyment/anticipation. Not just in regard to this poster but I do think when people have responded to a question and tried to be helpful that it is very unforunate when not even an acknowledgement is forthcoming - let alone a 'Thank you'. And often feedback, as in this case, is of interest to many - not just those who responded.

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Dangerwoman21

Dangerwoman21

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Hi all who took the time to reply. You might have guessed that I am a first timer to this AND the internet chose to be impossible!. My original post was a bit vague I suppose ( still learning about forums) but my gripe is that P&O do not consider removing the Black Sea ports of call and replacing them with Greek islands to be a substantive change to the cruise and therefore not eligible for a refund. Of course we understand that the area is unsafe but if we wanted a Greek island cruise then we would happily have booked on one.

As I said previously, still considering options but very grateful for advice.

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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

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Hi. Yes, cruise was advertised as Black Sea. Am I doing this right?

 

Yes - reading your posts OK DW21. You'll soon get the hang of it and there's loads of good advice and port information to be had on here so even when this issue is resolved, I'm sure you'll find it very helpful being involved. :)

 

You said in your original post that they have effectively cut out the Black Sea. Which ports should you have visited and which if any are they planning to go to now? Disregarding Istanbul which isn't in the BS (fabulous port though - I'd be delighted if I hadn't been before to get an over night there for example) are there any Black Sea ports at all?

 

I do agree if it's still being advertised as a Black Sea cruise with only substituted Greek Islands that is very misleading - perhaps they are reluctant now to change the cruise name as in doing so, it would be an admission of a substantive claim. :rolleyes:

 

I would definitely persevere DW21 either with your TA or P&O - for an alternative cruise if not refund. Good luck.

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davecttr

davecttr

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Posted
Yes - reading your posts OK DW21. You'll soon get the hang of it and there's loads of good advice and port information to be had on here so even when this issue is resolved, I'm sure you'll find it very helpful being involved. :)

 

You said in your original post that they have effectively cut out the Black Sea. Which ports should you have visited and which if any are they planning to go to now? Disregarding Istanbul which isn't in the BS (fabulous port though - I'd be delighted if I hadn't been before to get an over night there for example) are there any Black Sea ports at all?

 

I do agree if it's still being advertised as a Black Sea cruise with only substituted Greek Islands that is very misleading - perhaps they are reluctant now to change the cruise name as in doing so, it would be an admission of a substantive claim. :rolleyes:

 

I would definitely persevere DW21 either with your TA or P&O - for an alternative cruise if not refund. Good luck.

It is still being advertised as Black Sea and the nearest you get to there is Istanbul.

 

Arcadia J513, 25 nights, next August

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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

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Posted
It is still being advertised as Black Sea and the nearest you get to there is Istanbul.

 

Arcadia J513, 25 nights, next August

 

Trades description?????????? :eek: :rolleyes:

 

Of course they may argue that they could (possibly?) take you there by then. Don't see it myself but in any event they ought to be responsive to changing the cruise booking if not a refund. Not good customer relations otherwise.

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