I couldn't help but smile at the story this week about the Thomson Celebration passengers who had a cruise to, well nowhere.
I don't think they saw the funny side. The ship was due to set off on a three-day cruise to Ireland when bad weather struck. The captain could have battled his way through the storms or settled for a couple days in Liverpool.
Very sensibly he chose the latter. Who on earth wants to spend three days being sick on the Irish Sea? But then, who wants to spend three days tied up at Liverpool docks?
Quite a few people, apparently. Everyone was free to go home - and incidentally would still get the 80% refund, offered in the form of vouchers to use against another Thomson cruise - but many decided to stay on board and eat, drink, enjoy the entertainment, even have a free bus trip into the city. In fact they had everything but Ireland and the seasickness.
Some have now cried foul because they are not getting a full refund. Thomson cited terms and conditions, said it was an insurance issue and that it was not obliged to give any refund at all. All to do with small print and why we are all urged to have travel insurance.
Mr and Mrs Scott, quoted in the Liverpool Echo, said it was "scandalous", especially as ferries were making the crossing and they were in a ship. Yes, but Thomson Celebration is not a very big ship. History doesn't relate if they stayed on board and enjoyed the hospitality anyway - or indeed whether they had any travel insurance to cover the £279 they had each splashed out on the break.
Personally I prefer the attitude of the couple from Crewe quoted by Cruise Critic.
"We are disappointed, but we know it couldn't be helped and at least there is good food, good entertainment and people were having fun."
Kelly Ranson, Cruise Critic's UK editor, just happened to be on the ship and wrote:
This seemed to sum up the attitude of the majority -- and although everyone was disappointed that they were not visit Cork or Dublin, the facilities and the attitude of the staff on the ship helped to make a good weekend away.
The interesting question is whether any will use their refund vouchers and have another go on Thomson cruise. Or is once enough? We'll never know.
Jane Archer
Comments (2)
Thomson Celebration is a lot bigger than the Irish Sea ferries that were plying to and fro across the Irish Sea whilst she was going nowhere. We also noted that on the Friday, the highly weather susceptible fast craft were operating between the Isle of Man and Liverpool and Dublin and Holyhead. The weather then was sunny with not much wind. It seems that there may have been more than just the weather that was keeping us pinned to the scrap yard wall.
We do not go on a ship for entertainment, we go on one to travel. If we want Butlins, we will go there - and the views would be better than in Langton Dock.
We stayed the weekend on board because we had flights home booked for the Sunday that could not be readily or cheaply amended. Others were similarly "trapped" by their travel bookings.
It seems to have suited Thomson to keep everyone on board - they were going straight to dry dock after this "cruise". The catering crew was in post until Sunday, and the food stores if not used for the "prisoners" would otherwise have gone to waste.
And as for the free trip to Albert Dock - what use was that to someone who lived in the apartments there, or to the many people from the Liverpool area?
We have no plans to attempt another trip with Thomson.
Look in a dictionary at the word cruise - travel is implicit.
Jenny
Posted by Jenny Williamson | November 3, 2008 2:43 PM
Posted on November 3, 2008 14:43
In full agreement with your comments on the 'non cruise'. We however are not going to be fobbed off with 80% off another cruise. We have now lodged papers with the small claims court and are going for a full refund.
The conditions laid down by Thomsons on the refund are too strict to allow us to take up the office, and the mere fact that they have not had the courtesy to reply to any of our letters has put us into fighting mode!
Posted by Barbara James | February 13, 2009 3:31 PM
Posted on February 13, 2009 15:31