Gills Cruise company

Gardening_Girl

McKneff wrote: »

Which cruise company was that with please.
We are thinking about a cruise next year, never done one before but Im getting the impression that is a blumming minefield trying to research and choose one. but yours sounds a bit of a bargain.
Was it good.
Im looking for a no fly one by the way.

It was with P&O on the Ventura. And yes it was an absolute steal and absolutely fantastic!!!!!.
First time we'd cruised and frankly for what we paid there was nothing really they could have done to disappoint me.
I've been looking at cruises again for Christmas but can't really afford it. From my experience looking I think there seems to be a tipping point about 6 weeks before when all the agents get a bit nervous and the prices come down.

Example I saw a reader offer a couple of months ago for the Queen Victoria for a Canaries Christmas Cruise at £3500 for a balcony cabin, everyone is now offering it at £1999 for a balcony. My tip would be to check everywhere regularly including the lovely people on MSE who post bargains and be ready to pounce.

I hope you do go and have a wonderful time it's a brilliant experience and we loved it.

Susan1942

Cunard have quite a few late offers I noted. Victoria for most of them and for T/A on the QM2.
The 7 nights on this was offered for £499 with return flight in the Daily mail. Not many people want to do a T/A in November but I love the Ship and might have been tempted but I am off to Australia for 8 weeks mid November!

getmore4less

McKneff wrote: »

Which cruise company was that with please.
We are thinking about a cruise next year, never done one before but Im getting the impression that is a blumming minefield trying to research and choose one. but yours sounds a bit of a bargain.
Was it good.
Im looking for a no fly one by the way.

When?

There is 18n on Royal Caribbean in Jan for £900 no flying.

jeanlyon

Gills are now in difficulty if not bust. They are not accepting any further bookings and P&O are writing to customers to tell them to send in receipts for bookings.

hansi

They're not taking any new bookings which suggests they are finished!

bowlesbargain

I have just had a letter from P&O to say they have taken over the booking from Gills who are insolvent!. They have given me a price that is £600 more than the price i booked. I have to send all my details to P&O to prove the price they gave me and prove I paid the deposit to Gills.
I suspect more letters are on there way out.

toadhall

we have just had an email from p and o saying gills is insolvent and they havent been paid the full balance which I paid over 8 weeks ago, got to trawl through all bank statements and send them copies to prove I paid :mad:

We go in 5 weeks time and its the holiday of a lifetime for our family before daughter goes to uni,gutted because we have saved up for over a year, worried now.

Backbiter

Message on the Gills website confirms that they aren't taking any new bookings:
http://www.gillscruise.com/
Sad news as they've been around for years and have always given good service. I work less than a mile from their head office in Cardiff.

EDIT - just seen 'breaking news'

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2011/07/15/37665/gills+cruise+centre+ceases+trading.html

http://www.abta.com/consumer-services/travel_information/gills_consumer

bcl999

I have to disagree with you, Backbiter, I've found Gills service & prices to have gone off over the past couple of years with places like iglu and voyana bettering the prices and Gills not even attempting to match. They are supposed to be based in Wales as you say but recently their calls were coming from a London number. Think they might have over-expanded. Also, this past year I never could get a reply to an e-mail without specifically sending it to admin@gills etc rather than via their on-line messaging system.

Just want to add, I hope all those who have an outstanding booking get away OK.

Backbiter

bcl999 wrote: »

I have to disagree with you, Backbiter, I've found Gills service & prices to have gone off over the past couple of years with places like iglu and voyana bettering the prices and Gills not even attempting to match. They are supposed to be based in Wales as you say but recently their calls were coming from a London number. Think they might have over-expanded. Also, this past year I never could get a reply to an e-mail without specifically sending it to admin@gills etc rather than via their on-line messaging system.

Just want to add, I hope all those who have an outstanding booking get away OK.

I'm sure over-expansion must be the issue here. I knew them as a small family firm specialising in cruises, but their adverts have filled the travel pages of the newspapers in recent years, so their turnover must have gone up hugely. It's no surprise when customer service then goes downhill.
And if they couldn't compete with other firms on price then it's no wonder they've been struggling with sales.
Like you, I hope their customers are all fully protected and don't lose out in any way. Must be a worrying time for them.