Passengers are being flown home today and are to receive compensation in the form of a 60% fare refund and 50% off another cruise booking.

When compared with the RCI compensation to passengers on the fire damaged ' Grandeur of the Seas ' who received a full fare refund and a free cruise voucher this seems a very poor compensation offer !

Her next cruise was due to depart from the UK port of Portsmouth on the 2nd June 2013..

.

I would suggest these are two entirely different sets of circumstances. With the Grandeur fire, it was a traumatic experience for the guests and many more were terribly inconvenienced when their staterooms and belongings suffered smoke and water damage.

From my understanding of the Voyager situation, there has been no inconvenience in terms of interruption of services onboard as the hotel plant is fully functional. This was simply a mechanical malfunction which forced an additional day in the Irish port before the balance of the cruise was cancelled.

I would say a 60% refund is more than fair. Would a full refund be better? Of course! But I imagine most will be very pleased with the 60% considering they did get to take advantage of 6 days of hospitality, dining, wine and excursions.

I choose to disagree as peoples holidays were ruined as they did not visit the ports they had expected !

The same thing hapened some years ago when the company was operating their other cruise ship, ' Discovery ' , which is now chartered out , and ports were being missed due to a mechanical fault with the ship.

Many passengers were unhappy then with the compensation offered so it will be interesting to see the comments when the passengers get home and go on line .

The next cruise for the ' Voyager ' sailing from the UK port of Portsmouth , on the 2nd June 2013, has now been cancelled and passengers are getting a credit note to the value 140% of the fares paid to use on another cruise on ' Voyager ' or a full refund .!

..

[ 05-31-2013: Message edited by: Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company. ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company.:
I choose to disagree as peoples holidays were ruined as they did not visit the ports they had expected !

---

We they should read their passenger contracts. The ship and line reserves the right to substitute or skip ports for any reason they think necessary.

[ 06-01-2013: Message edited by: lasuvidaboy ]

The fares on this small 15,271 grt ship are on average £100.00p a day for the cheapest cabin so not a cheap holiday to have spoilt !

As I said before it will be interesting to read the passengers reviews.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company.:
In the UK we do have certain laws regarding services and what is provided !

The fares on this small 15,271 grt ship are on average £100.00p a day for the cheapest cabin so not a cheap holiday to have spoilt !

As I said before it will be interesting to read the passengers reviews.

.

---

Neil,

I would imagine their contract of carriage operates within UK consumer protection laws?

From the contract of carriage:

9.3 If under clause 9.1 the Company cancels a cruise after the scheduled departure date, it will return all Passengers as soon as practicable to the UK and make a proportional refund for any unused services, less any insurance premiums paid and any nonrecoverable expenses incurred.

Based on the statement from VOD, I see that it complies with the above andgoes above and beyond it.

It also goes above and beyond CLIA's recently "bill of rights" - clauses 2 and 7 respectively.

Obviously you do not think this is fair, but in reality, it does not matter what you and I think - it's up to the individual guests and their acceptance of the offer.

But there is no denying this is a completely different set of circumstances that the RCCL fire, much different. Guests were never in peril, they were not awoken in the middle of the night, told to don life jackets and stand at their muster stations for 4 hours with lifeboats lowered and at the ready.

Question - how would P&O have handled the situation back in the 70's? I imagine in the same fashion - a pro rata refund, pick up the transport home and give everyone a chit for a future voyage for them to come back. If the crew onboard is happy and helpful and guests feel they are well looked after, they usually are OK with this.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company.:
In the UK we do have certain laws regarding services and what is provided !.

---

We have consumer protection laws in the USA too.

These people had an inconvenience but they also had a portion of their trip and as Tim said they were never in danger, etc.

Having arrived at Portsmouth around lunch time today the ship sailed again about 18.00 hrs and is going to be dry-docked at Bremerhaven. The next cruise she should operate is a charter cruise sailing on the 25th June 2013.

I can not remember one of our steam turbine engined cruising ships having many problems in the 1970's !.

It seems more problems have started since the introduction of cruise ships with diesel engines !

Regarding the compensation offered ' Saga Cruises ' made a far more generous offer when the cruise departing from the UK on ' Saga Ruby ' was cancelled !

.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company.:
[...]
It seems more problems have started since the introduction of cruise ships with diesel engines ! [...]

---

The keyword here is seems. It only seems to be like that while in fact there is no increase in problems since the 1970ies nor a correlation to the application of diesel engines.

[ 06-10-2013: Message edited by: Ernst ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company.:
Tim I can not remember one of our steam turbine engined cruising ships having many problems in the 1970's !..

---

ss ORIANA had a nasty boiler room fire - I am sure there are others.