Iglu Cruise refusing Credit Card payment?

FFH099

We booked a Royal Caribbean cruise for August around Italy through Iglu Cruise last year and the balance is due before tomorrow. I wanted to pay the balance by credit card given the nature of things at the moment but Iglu are now refusing any form of card payments. My only option is to pay via bank transfer or cheque! 
I don't have the funds to pay the full balance this way and if I don't pay on time they can potentially cancel my holiday and keep what I've paid already which is just over £1600!
Their FAQ's page still says you can pay by credit card but when I called they said I can't, and they stopped 3 weeks ago, but may start taking card payments again in a few weeks?!
At the time of booking paying the balance by CC was an option so how can they change this now with no notification or advice to say so?
Can anyone offer any advice please?

Thanks

Browntoa

Perhaps because their card provider has suspended their account ? 

Nebulous2

Credit card companies are extremely concerned about their liability to section 75 claims and some of them are keeping money they receive via card payments to cover that. I posted an article a couple of weeks ago about Barclaycard withholding payment to an unnamed travel agent and asking for a £10 million bond. So it is possible Iglu wouldn’t get any money you paid by card. 

FFH099

So if that was the case how do I stand legally? I need to pay by tomorrow and do not have the cash funds. I budgeted to pay by CC as was an option at the time of booking. Its not that I'm not willing to make payment I just can't pay how they want me to! 

Aylesbury_Duck

I am not a lawyer but I think you're on sticky grounds.  You are contracted to pay the money and they can reasonably refuse any method of payment they wish.  If they have good reason to refuse CC payment (or perhaps simply can't accept CC payments) then you have to pay by other means.

I'd work with them and see if you're able to pay the balance in instalments, or delay the payment until you have the money available.

Life__Goes__On

Deleted my last post as my info was out of date

Life__Goes__On

I don' t know the answer had hopefully someone who does will give you a full answer.

I can take a guess  and think you could get a refund as will use and example.

If I went to buy a  car and was told that it was £10,000  and I needed to put down a non-refundable deposit of £1000 and was told I could pay the balance by credit card.
If I then went back to pay with my credit card and they refused but kept my £1000, this would be unfair as it wasn't what we agreed too.

When you took out the contract there was an agreement that you could paid via credit card, (whatever reason this has changed), then the terms of that contract has changed, and you would need to agree with that change  or get a refund of money paid.

Aylesbury_Duck

Life__Goes__On said:

I don' t know the answer had hopefully someone who does will give you a full answer.

I can take a guess  and think you could get a refund as will use and example.

If I went to buy a  car and was told that it was £10,000  and I needed to put down a non-refundable deposit of £1000 and was told I could pay the balance by credit card.
If I then went back to pay with my credit card and they refused but kept my £1000, this would be unfair as it wasn't what we agreed too.

When you took out the contract there was an agreement that you could paid via credit card, (whatever reason this has changed), then the terms of that contract has changed, and you would need to agree with that change  or get a refund of money paid.

I think that's partly it, but like you I'm only speculating.  If payment by credit card was something you specifically requested as a condition of booking, then they should honour that.  If it wasn't, and you chose to pay by credit card then I think you're out of luck.

Life__Goes__On

I would certainly be taking a screen-print of the  page below as can only help.
https://help.iglucruise.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360009193240-How-can-I-pay-my-balance-

How can I pay my balance?

Debit/Credit Card

Thrugelmir

Draw the cash down from your credit card account. 

astraya

Hello,
i have just had this happen to me today, I went to pay the balance of the holiday not going until September and the credit card option is gone, I have always used a credit card for holiday payments and do not want to take their options of bank transfer or cheque. Did Iglu end up sorting yours out for you? I have tried to call them but after a couple of hours on hold it cut off and said they were closed.