Short and not so sweet

[John182]

Unfortunately I am writing this post from my study at home rather than from a cosy cabin on A deck on Spirit of Discovery which is just leaving the Thames Estuary according to cruise mapper. This afternoon we travelled all the way to Tilbury only to have our driver fail his Covid test despite claiming to have passed a test this morning before picking us up. We both tested negative which was to be expected given the extraordinary care we have been taking in the run up to this much awaited cruise. As close contacts we were obviously denied boarding. We shall hear the response concerning or options from Saga tomorrow hopefully. It goes without saying that we are bitterly disappointed. We were going to take this one risk out of the process by driving ourselves to the ship but this option was scuppered by changing the embarkation port to Tilbury and returning to Southampton.

 

I thought Saga handled the communication of the issue quite well. The lead clinician and Saga rep both empathised with our situation and were quick to offer us some food and water for the return journey. That said they might have been better to talk to us before giving the driver advice on isolation procedures. Oh and the box of food offered might have been more palatable if it did not have the words 'Eat and Enjoy' emblazoned upon it !!

 

Probably the biggest learning point for them was the way in which we had to leave the testing area to return to home. Our driver, who was mortified by the way, was directed into the huge queue of vehicles in several lines that were waiting to hand over their negative test cartridges and health questionnaires before continuing on to luggage drop. We had or sit there for twenty minutes watching the ship. It was only when my wife left the car and pleaded with the Saga staff to let us through quickly that we managed to get away. The staff responded quickly to be fair but this cannot have been the first time this situation has occurred so please Saga don't put others through what you put us through. It was mental torture.

 

If by any chance this is read by guests heading towards the Northern Lights on SofD I wish you bon voyage. I hope you hAVE ideal conditions to see the Lights. Enjoy all that the Ship and Itinerary offer.

 

 

[ann141]

So sorry to hear this has happened.So disappointing for you but unfortunately it is possible for someone(the taxi driver) to test negative in the morning and positive later in the day.I remember reading that this happened to someone else on a Saga cruise in January.I think they posted about it on CC so you may be able to find the post.I do hope you get refunded and extra and that you manage to go on a cruise in the near future.Also of course I hope you don't catch covid.Take Care

[LandC]

John 182, so sorry to hear this. As Ann 141 says, There is a thread on this page entitled Update on my cancelled 5 January 2022 cruise.  The passenger had the same experience as you. and Saga gave a full refund, plus a free 7 day cruise.  Please post here again when you have heard from them.  Meanwhile, I hope you keep well.

[Windsurfboy]

As it was a Saga employee (sub contracted by Saga thus Saga have a duty of care) , that caused you to miss your holiday. Saga have a duty not only to give you a full refund but to compensate you. Hence the free holiday mentioned above.

[Holidayfun141]

So sorry John182, I feel for you both.

Thank you for letting saga customers know , we have now decided to drive ourselves to our Saga cruise. 
We know the saga taxi drivers are kept very busy to and from the ships,

In these strange times as you said we need to take extra care  before a cruise who we are in close contact with.

Sad that you were unable to drive yourselves , I hope you both receive the compensation  you deserve.

[Medeba]

So sorry you have missed out on your cruise, John182.  Can't begin to imagine how you felt when your driver tested positive.  I too hope you get a free cruise as well as a refund.

[Windsurfboy]

We will keep a close eye on covid numbers. If Saga policy of not letting you board if driver tests positive,  we will change to self drive at last minute. If like the unfortunate  john182 we end up with 2 ports , I would try to get saga to take us from port 2 to port 1 on return. I would argue it's they who added complication of 2 ports.

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

We will keep a close eye on covid numbers. If Saga policy of not letting you board if driver tests positive,  we will change to self drive at last minute. If like the unfortunate  john182 we end up with 2 ports , I would try to get saga to take us from port 2 to port 1 on return. I would argue it's they who added complication of 2 ports.

Best check the ONS numbers. They’re much more accurate than the ones given daily publicity, but show several times the rate.

[puppycanducruise]

So sorry you didn't get to cruise.  I hope you get fair compensation.

[John182]

Than you from both of us for the very kind words. I rather regret the original post really. I am old enough to know not to post at a time of heightened emotions.

 

We had initial contact from Saga last Monday. They outlined the type of compensation we could expect and we will be talking to them later about the details. So far we both remain negative for Covid.

[Kohima]

I am sure that anyone else in your situation would have done the same. As the ship has turned around without going to the Caribbean but with a better than average chance of getting Covid, you may have had a lucky escape!

[John182]

Waited for the call from Saga to no avail. In the end we called them. Some confusion at their end so we have been promised a call with our detailed options on Monday now. Still testing negative so maybe just maybe we got extremely lucky. Incubation can still be as long as 14 days even with Omicron so we will just wait and see. Anybody want to buy some snow boots 😊😊😊

[Kohima]

Sorry, thought you were supposed to be on the SoA! We were on the SoA Norwegian trip. The ship only called into 4 ports in 17 days (due to rough seas) and on one of those we were in isolation. In another our excursion was cancelled with 45 minutes notice. We too have spare polar gear!

[John182]

Promised telephone call did not materialise. We called again to find out that another department should have been dealing with our issue. We will have to wait a little longer again. It really annoys me when you are promised a call that does not happen. Just manage expectations correctly. Call even if is to say there has been a delay in resolving an issue. 

[John182]

We heard from guest relations today after I had emailed them directly. We still do not know why we have not been contacted after the initial call with the welfare department. We still do not know what our options really are. We have now been told that we are operating within the standard resolution window of 28 days from now. We were told that this is the maximum time and that hopefully it may be within 14 days. I can only compare our circumstances to that of the passengers returning on Spirit of Adventure tomorrow who have been told their refunds were to be processed within 7 days. I realise this whole topic must seem like a bit of a whinge. It really is very unlike us to complain about anything. I think I should stop posting now and quietly await the final resolution.

[LandC]

John 182, can’t understand why Saga haven’t refunded the cost of your cruise, and offered compensation as they did for the other passenger whose driver tested positive.

 

They should have allocated a named person employee  to deal with you.  It’s not good for their image.  I do hope you get a resolution soon.

[Kohima]

John, you are definitely not whinging. In fact you are being remarkably patient given the way you continue to be passed around from pillar to post. This is shocking customer service. Someone in authority from Saga should have been on the phone to you on the very next morning after this happened with copious apologies, an immediate refund and compensation. A bunch of flowers wouldn’t go amiss either. The mark of a good company is how it reacts when things go wrong. Reading your story gives no confidence that this happens.

[Windsurfboy]

As Saga has not done what it promised, time to up the ante

 

John you should ask (demand ) Saga tell you what procedures it puts in place to ensure / check that drivers were testing themselves before they pick you. Somehow someone should be checking that drivers actually do test themselves whether the boss supervises them at base or it's done over a video link.  If there are no procedures,  and they just trust the driver to test themselves,  then that is negligent, and you should point that out.

[John182]

I was quick to berate Saga when their processes were broken so in fairness I am going to be equally quick in letting you know that they have rectified the situation within 24 hours. Once the break in communications was resolved we have been told that our refund has been processed and we have been given the same compensation as the poster in a previous thread who had had the same misfortune with their driver. We also received a full apology and an assurance that the issues we encountered, particularly those at the port, are to be taken on board for future cruises. Thank you Saga and thank you all for your kind words and moral support.

[Kohima]

So pleased to hear your news but sorry that you had a struggle to sort things out. Hopefully you can put this experience behind you and look forward to a lovely trip in future.