Are you entitled to cancel if a ferry operator changes the boat?

brian.nif2

Hi, I read these forums a lot but this is my first post.

I'm traveling from Northern Ireland to Scotland in the next few weeks and today P&O have informed me the conventional ferry will be out of service and will be replaced with a freight boat. In their e-mail they also state you should bring something to occupy the kids as there are no play areas on the boat. Is that sufficient reason for me to ask for a full refund?
It's seems petty I know, but I'm traveling with a 20 month toddler for the first time and at the cost of crossing the Irish sea I don't think I should be palmed off with a "that'll do" solution at a still full summer sailing price.
The complications are that I booked the budget option with no changes, paid for mostly with Tesco clubcard scheme vouchers, obviously I chose P&O from the off so those were the vouchers I got, but ideally I'd now like to be travelling with Stena who have a similar crossing on a proper passenger ferry.


Many thanks in advance if anyone can guide me through the rough seas on this, pardon the bad pun.

daveyjp

People fly with 20 months olds for hours on end. A short ferry trip is easy.

To occupy a 20 month old you need a rucksack with some paper, chunky crayons, a few Duplo blocks, toy cars and books.

POPPYOSCAR

Have you asked for a refund?

Missmarie

Is this a 2 hour crossing you are asking about?

Nick_C

You could try looking at the terms and conditions that you agreed to when you entered into the contract, but the likelihood is that P&O have contracted to get you and your vehicle from point A to point B, they are committed to doing that, so there seems little ground for them to offer you a refund if you now decline to travel.

You could ask them if they would be willing to offer you a refund on a discretionary basis.

suki1964

Seriously have you seen the play area on the P&O ferry? Its nothing to write home about. Its a tiny area with some soft mats and soft climbing things and tbh its usually full of 3/4 year olds running around , not the place for a 20month old. Even the food on ferries isn't what I would call suitable to a 20month

You will be on the ferry for all of 3 hours. Take a bag of favourite toys for your child and their favourite snacks

brian.nif2

To cover a lot of the points, yes it's a short crossing, yes you couldn't swing a cat in the p&o play area, and yes I've asked for a refund (which I'm still awaiting a response on) on the sailing which would allow me to switch to Stena who have a conventional ferry at similar times.



This is as much about why should you pay a premium price for a summer crossing on an already extremely expensive stretch of water to cross and be palmed off with anything short of the service you paid for. In principle a fishing boat would make the crossing, but I've paid to be on a passenger ferry with passenger ferry services.

suki1964

Well I’m on the stena ferry right this minute and the facilities are worse then the P&O ones

brian.nif2

Update, just to bring closure. I've been told I'm eligible for a refund but have switched to an earlier ferry with no admin fee for changing, so issue now resolved.