River cruise doubts over coronavirus

bgclare39

A group of us are booked to go on a 7-night river cruise of Netherlands/Flanders leaving Easter Sunday. It seems that several cruise lines have simply cancelled their cruises until the end of April (Viking, Emerald etc.) but our company, Riviera, have not offered this up to now. Several factors are now in play: all of us are over 70, some with underlying health issues and, Matt Hancock has advised such people to stay at home in isolation. In addition, the Netherlands has closed many museums, cafes etc and large gatherings. One venue we were due to visit, Kukenhof Gardens has delayed its opening. It would seem to me that the cruise we were offered cannot now be provided and, as such, we should be offered a refund. However, Riviera are pushing for us to accept a credit note and defer our holiday up to end of November. What are our rights in this?

Aylesbury_Duck

Your rights?  Accept the credit note offered or accept the refund if the cruise is cancelled.

Keep_pedalling

From their Website

We have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations of our river and ocean vessels embarking from March 12 to April 30, 2020 – at which time we believe Viking will be in a better place to provide the experiences our guests expect and deserve. This is a decision we made with a heavy heart, but with present circumstances what they are, we are unable to deliver the high-quality Viking experience for which we are known.

For those guests whose cruise falls within this window of suspended operations, we are offering the choice of a Future Cruise Voucher valued at 125% of all monies paid to Viking or a refund equal to the amount paid. Guests will have 24 months to use their Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. For additional flexibility, if you are unable to use your voucher, we will automatically send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking after the voucher expires. These Future Cruise Vouchers will also be fully transferable.

So it seems you can have a refund or a voucher to spend within 2 years.

bgclare39

Yes, as I said, that is what a Viking are offering BUT, so far, Riviera are pushing hard for a credit voucher. 

What they do not seem to recognise is that a spring cruise to include the Kukenhof gardens, with its spring bulbs, cannot be replicated in the summer or Autumn. Also, if a large number of booked guests accept the voucher, just how will they all be accommodated their chosen cabins on a cruise, which may already be partly booked. Today’s news also talks of the effect of the virus persisting for over a year, not just six months. Viking and Emerald have done the sensible thing, Riviera should follow suit.

peachyprice

Keep_pedalling said:

From their Website

We have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations of our river and ocean vessels embarking from March 12 to April 30, 2020 – at which time we believe Viking will be in a better place to provide the experiences our guests expect and deserve. This is a decision we made with a heavy heart, but with present circumstances what they are, we are unable to deliver the high-quality Viking experience for which we are known.

For those guests whose cruise falls within this window of suspended operations, we are offering the choice of a Future Cruise Voucher valued at 125% of all monies paid to Viking or a refund equal to the amount paid. Guests will have 24 months to use their Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. For additional flexibility, if you are unable to use your voucher, we will automatically send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking after the voucher expires. These Future Cruise Vouchers will also be fully transferable.

So it seems you can have a refund or a voucher to spend within 2 years.

But that is not Riviera, who op is booked with.  Riviera are only offering a voucher or change of date

Rest assured this was not a decision we took lightly, but your wellbeing and that of our team overseas is our number one priority. We are very sorry for the hassle and inconvenience that this will cause, but we are pleased to be able to offer customers due to travel with us during that time the following options:

• You can transfer your holiday to any alternative date in 2020 or 2021.
• Receive a credit for future travel.

A member of our team will be contacting you directly to discuss your options, but if you do need to get in touch you can call 01283 742300 or email us at info@rivieratravel.co.uk.

Alan_Bowen

The law says you are entitled to a refund if your holiday is cancelled and the alternative option offered is not acceptable. The problem is the reluctance of many operators to comply with the law, which ABTA has seemingly asked the government to change so that no refunds can be claimed. I doubt the law will be changed, but I also doubt that some companies can afford to offer refunds at the moment. I am honestly not sure where we are going at the moment, I have never seen an industry in such pain, and I have been advising it for 32 years