Deferrment of final payment

Beck54

We booked a package last year which included BA flights,hotels and a 14 day cruise from Chile to Buenos Aires from 27-10-2020 to 17-11-2020.We are members of cruise critic and the information on the roll call for our cruise indicates that travel agents worldwide inc the UK are deferring final payments until late July as the cruise will probably not go ahead.Our travel agents , ROL are insisting that the balance has to be paid by the 9th June as it is on our contract with them.We have annual travel insurance with Explorer which was taken out last year , I have medical issues which makes me very concerned at the safety of undertaking a flight of over 14 hours.We are worried that should we pay the balance - the total amount is over £11,500 will we get our money back.If I get a doctors note regarding my health issues  will my insurance company reimburse the deposit?Will ATOL cover us if the package is cancelled and will we receive the full amount back if we pay the total amount owing on the 9th June . ROL have said that we can transfer our booking as long as it is with the same cruise company(Holland America) but with the current coronavirus situation we shall not be going on cruises or flying until a vaccine is found.

[Deleted User]

Hi Beck54, lots of questions and I think you need to break it down a little.   

So, you agreed to pay the balance by 9th June to ROL?   Whilst most holiday operators are deferring payment of the final balance I am thinking if ROL are not doing then there isn't much you can do about that.   Have they said if you do not pay then you will be voluntarily cancelling your holiday with the loss of deposit?    How much is the deposit and is the loss of that preferable to paying the balance?

You will need to read the terms and conditions of your booking AND the insurance cover you took out.   Did you declare your underlying health conditions for instance?    Insurance varies so much it is almost impossible for anyone to give you a definite answer on that one.   

If the whole holiday is cancelled then yes you should be able to get a refund but that obviously would mean you having to have paid for the whole holiday and in the event it does go ahead  then you probably wouldn't get a refund (only through insurance if you are covered for whatever the doctor declares).    Personally, I think if a cruise does go ahead then things will have to change drastically as they couldn't risk people spreading the virus on board a ship again but that is just my opinion.   It is a lot of money so I don't envy you the decision you have to make.

Beck54

I informed them that  I would discuss the final payment with my wife.We have paid a deposit of £3299 with a further £8297 due on the 9th.The medical conditions are on my policy,the premium was doubled due to cover this.I was told I would lose the deposit if I chose to cancel the holiday,the option of using the deposit for a cruise next year is not for us.All the cruises with Holland America involve flights as they do not operate from the UK , at the moment I cannot think of anything less desirable and we are going to take our future holidays in the UK.

The practicalities of cruising with the current restrictions are almost impossible.How do you segregate diners on tables of 10 people,how do you get ashore on tender ports,how do you facilitate shore excursions.With this cruise we would not be allowed to embark in Chile and when we arrived in Argentina we would be held in a 2 week quarantine before flying home to another 2 week quarantine.This seems like a dream holiday!

[Deleted User]

Beck54 said:

The practicalities of cruising with the current restrictions are almost impossible.How do you segregate diners on tables of 10 people,how do you get ashore on tender ports,how do you facilitate shore excursions.With this cruise we would not be allowed to embark in Chile and when we arrived in Argentina we would be held in a 2 week quarantine before flying home to another 2 week quarantine.This seems like a dream holiday!

Exactly that is why I am doubtful your October cruise will go ahead.  However as have also said things could change dramatically between now and then too.  Nobody actually knows.

Unfortunately it is a gamble for you.   I can't see any way you can get round cancelling now and losing your deposit.  Sorry.  It is a huge amount I know but I can't see them offering to give you your deposit back.    You could try your insurance company as you say on the grounds of a doctors note but I have the feeling unless the reasons are uncorona related the insurance company too will say you cancelled voluntarily as nobody knows what the situation will be like in October. (no harm in trying)

Claiming deposit money back I fear won't work for the same reasons as the holiday hasn't been cancelled, you are choosing not to go.(their way of thinking not mine)

Asking people what they would do wouldn't help you because if I was comfortably off enough to pay it, which you may be, then I would pay it and see what happens in October but ...I would accept I would be going if the cruise is going ahead.   If I was paying on the sole basis of wanting (hoping) it cancelled with no intention of going no matter what, then you may have to consider losing your deposit?     I would remind you that am not a legal expert and there may be loopholes.  (this is assuming your insurance deny your claim on health grounds)      There is a discussion on here somewhere about unreasonable non refundable deposits but I don't think there was any clear cut answer.   Unprecedented situation.

Good luck with it all though am very sympathetic and only trying to be realistic.      

Beck54

Having spoke to our travel agent we have the option to transfer our booking to another cruise next year,this appears to  be the solution to our dilemma of losing our deposit.Hopefully the coronavirus will soon be controlled and we can all return to some sense of normality.

mattyprice4004

Beck54 said:

Having spoke to our travel agent we have the option to transfer our booking to another cruise next year,this appears to  be the solution to our dilemma of losing our deposit.Hopefully the coronavirus will soon be controlled and we can all return to some sense of normality.

Fingers crossed, that'd be lovely. 
I think you've found the value of using a proper travel agent - they're prepared for when things go wrong, and have ways to mitigate it (moving a deposit to another cruise etc) whereas the cheap online 'travel agents' (using the term loosely) don't seem to be doing much to help.

Enjoy your cruise - I reckon this time next year we'll be much closer to normal. 

[Deleted User]

Good news Beck.  So pleased you have come to an amicable solution.   Here's to a great cruise 2021.

harz99

Beck54 said:

Having spoke to our travel agent we have the option to transfer our booking to another cruise next year,this appears to  be the solution to our dilemma of losing our deposit.Hopefully the coronavirus will soon be controlled and we can all return to some sense of normality.

Just a bit of info for you, HAL do have sailings from Amsterdam which is accessible by overnight Ferry UK to Rotterdam and a local rail connection or by Eurostar and rail connections from Brussels, or a few sailings from Rotterdam itself, so flying could be taken out of the equation if required.