[Help] Calling any Travel Agents

[Balders]

I thought about checking a couple of ports to see if any news that they had barred ships till dd/mm but couldn't see anything. Knew about the buffet which puts more pressure on dining areas. I also saw that they might be forced to run at something less than 50% capacity to maintain some sort of social distancing. That being the case I would also think it wouldn't be worth it as I assume the fixed overhead would wipe out the revenue from a less than half full ship.

But I'll wave the white flag on this now and toss a coin in a couple of weeks time and hope it lands the right way up.

Re you refund comment we booked through Touchdown (I was with BA for several years) and I have no worry about them although I couldn't get an ITK stuff from them unfortunately

Yeah we're all doing things "blind" for upcoming travel, a good proportion of my punters have cancelled for loss of deposit. I do a lot of family hols to Ikos Resorts for the Summer Holidays and most of those have cancelled - £60pp deposit for a family of four, so £240 total deposit and balances due between £10k and £15k - no brainer really!! Good old Touchdown, brilliant for Cruising, never found them any cheaper nett on Flight/Hotel.......

 

[Birdie Boy]

How much is the deposit?

I booked a family of 7 holiday to Orlando for September with a £240 deposit with BA. Full amount due 3 weeks before flight. I do not plan on going, for various reasons, so losing £240 is not that big a deal. If they cancel with more than 3 weeks to go, great.

 

[Rugrat]

How much is the deposit?

I booked a family of 7 holiday to Orlando for September with a £240 deposit with BA. Full amount due 3 weeks before flight. I do not plan on going, for various reasons, so losing £240 is not that big a deal. If they cancel with more than 3 weeks to go, great.

£500 with another £2000 to go ... + flights which are non refundable although Insurance may cover if it's cancelled (but only if I pay the balance of booking I suspect)

 

[Rugrat]

Good old Touchdown, brilliant for Cruising, never found them any cheaper nett on Flight/Hotel.......

They look pretty good for Caribbean All Inc too but as it's not my thing (unlike most airline staff) have never bothered

 

[Balders]

£500 with another £2000 to go ... + flights which are non refundable although Insurance may cover if it's cancelled (but only if I pay the balance of booking I suspect)

If they've sold you a "Flight Inclusive Package" (if you have an ATOL Certificate and it says Package in the bottom right hand corner) then if it is cancelled, they will have to refund 100% including the flights. Travel Insurer won't touch this if they know that a Principal sold you a Package. Obviously this is only if they cancel it and you've paid the o/s balance.

If you pay the balance and want to cancel, this would be disinclination to Travel unless your Travel Insurer will cough up for a "genuine" reason for cancellation that is covered under the policy.

I suspect the flights are quite "lumpy" so you are caught between a rock and a hard place....

The start point is what you have purchased i.e is it a Package?

 

[Rugrat]

If they've sold you a "Flight Inclusive Package" (if you have an ATOL Certificate and it says Package in the bottom right hand corner) then if it is cancelled, they will have to refund 100% including the flights. Travel Insurer won't touch this if they know that a Principal sold you a Package. Obviously this is only if they cancel it and you've paid the o/s balance.

If you pay the balance and want to cancel, this would be disinclination to Travel unless your Travel Insurer will cough up for a "genuine" reason for cancellation that is covered under the policy.

I suspect the flights are quite "lumpy" so you are caught between a rock and a hard place....

The start point is what you have purchased i.e is it a Package?

No, the flights were purchased separately through BA Staff travel. But I've written them off anyway.

The only reason I'd pay the balance is to get the deposit (+balance) back if/when they cancel. If I did pay and they don't cancel I'd have take the future cruise credit but a) I don't want to go in 2021 and b) I can't go in 2021 due to a string of other commitments. I might see if they'll extend the voucher into 2022 but unlikely

 

[Weststander]

In other words you are in effect considering another bet to chase a loss.

You have 'lost a bet' in the deposit.

In order to get it back, you are considering another bet with the paying the balance.


It all depends on how much the lost bet was, how much the loss chase bet will cost, and what the odds of the loss chase bet are.

You are after advice on what those odds are... and no one really knows - you can only look at 'the form' ie what similar cruise companies are doing.

But the bets aren’t lost. [MENTION=18774]Rugrat[/MENTION] has the full weight of consumer law to get his deposit and balance back, if, the cruise doesn’t proceed. It almost certainly won’t .... so many worried punters will cancel, with the staff, fuel and catering costs of running the cruise astronomical.

 

[Rugrat]

But the bets aren’t lost. [MENTION=18774]Rugrat[/MENTION] has the full weight of consumer law to get his deposit and balance back, if, the cruise doesn’t proceed. It almost certainly won’t .... so many worried punters will cancel, with the staff, fuel and catering costs of running the cruise astronomical.

I may have misunderstood what [MENTION=529]sparkie[/MENTION] was saying, but I agree that I definitely won't lose the deposit + balance if they cancel. The 'gamble' for me is that I pay the balance and they somehow get the cruise away ... then I lose (well in the context that I can get a future cruise credit but don't want it)

 

[Weststander]

I may have misunderstood what [MENTION=529]sparkie[/MENTION] was saying, but I agree that I definitely won't lose the deposit + balance if they cancel. The 'gamble' for me is that I pay the balance and they somehow get the cruise away ... then I lose (well in the context that I can get a future cruise credit but don't want it)

I under your reticence, that’s a large chunk of money for the balance.

 

[sparkie]

But the bets aren’t lost. [MENTION=18774]Rugrat[/MENTION] has the full weight of consumer law to get his deposit and balance back, if, the cruise doesn’t proceed. It almost certainly won’t .... so many worried punters will cancel, with the staff, fuel and catering costs of running the cruise astronomical.

The bet is lost if the cruise sails but Rugrat decides not to go.

I think that is the issue.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

How much is the deposit?

I booked a family of 7 holiday to Orlando for September with a £240 deposit with BA. Full amount due 3 weeks before flight. I do not plan on going, for various reasons, so losing £240 is not that big a deal. If they cancel with more than 3 weeks to go, great.

Rather than lose the deposit, I think you still have the option to convert that into flight vouchers which are valid until April 2022. I had a BA holiday to Portugal booked for end of July and Mrs DCH doesn't want to go so I took the vouchers. I'll either use them towards a holiday next year or maybe for a European city break once things get back to more normal. There is a risk with some airlines around vouchers but I think the IAG group is big enough to survive this.

 

[Uter]

Royal Caribbean suspends cruising until Sept 16th

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

 

[Rugrat]

Royal Caribbean suspends cruising until Sept 16th

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

Yes, been notified but thanks for the nudge