Cruise cancellation

robertsk24

We booked a package holiday through our local travel agent in August 2019. The package holiday includes cruise, flights and hotel accommodation, departing the UK in September 2020 to The Caribbean. Last week the cruise operator Celebrity advised us that the cruise on 04/09/2020 was now cancelled.  We paid part of the package cost in January 2019, i.e. the BA flights, which were then ticketed to enable us to book our seats on the flight, the outstanding balance of the package was paid in May 2020.  The travel agent is now saying that we may not get a refund for the flights as they had been paid for and ticketed even though the full balance has now been paid and the flights would’ve been ticketed anyway. What are our rights if part of the package has been cancelled, are we entitled to a full refund, including flights?
Kim 

macman

If the booking was a package, yes. Your ATOL certificate will say so if it was. 
I presume you mean that you part-paid in Jan 2020, not Jan 2019?

robertsk24

Yes we paid for the flight part of the package in January 2020, to enable us to book our seats.
Travel agent is now saying that because we the paid flights in January it falls outwith BA’s covid19 cancellation policy so we have to:
 (a) Wait and see if BA extend their covid19 cancellation Policy (which at the moment is up to 31st August, we fly 1st September)
 or
 (b) Hope that BA allow us to change the flights to another date.
Currently they are not offering a refund for the flights.

missile

It is not clear, were these two separate bookings? If so then you may not be entitled to refund unless both are cancelled.

robertsk24

This was one booking. We wanted to book our seats, in order to do this the Travel Agent said we would have to pay for the flights before the final balance. That way they would ticket the flight and then we could book the seats. We now seem to be penalised for doing this as they now saying ref above last message.

eskbanker

The Package Travel Regulations 2018 oblige the travel agent, as the package organiser, to refund you in full within 14 days of the package cancellation, which in turn is triggered as soon as any significant part of it is cancelled.  Any discussion about refunds between the agent and their suppliers are no concern of yours, the agent is mandated to refund you regardless - however, that's the legal situation and trying to enforce it in current conditions is easier said than done, but you do have the law on your side.

robertsk24

Thanks very helpful response

karenjh

robertsk24 said:

This was one booking. We wanted to book our seats, in order to do this the Travel Agent said we would have to pay for the flights before the final balance. That way they would ticket the flight and then we could book the seats. We now seem to be penalised for doing this as they now saying ref above last message.

We have the same issue with cruise and flight booked with planet cruise. We booked and paid for flights in full when cruise was booked so we could book seats on flight