Money Moral Dilemma: Who should pay to change the holiday our neighbours encouraged us to book?

Nettsie

Agree with view - do you really want to be around these people?  Very unfortunate situation.  Suggest organisers and chums pay cancellation fee.   If they won't,  take the hit.  No point in going on trip which might be unpleasant.   However, consider distancing yourselves from person who invited you.  

ElleCy

I expect we may not have all the facts on this. If you booked through the trip organiser ask them to reimburse the change. If it is a group trip and you just happened to book in same cruise I personally would move booking and take the loss. Go at another time and meet nee more friendly people.

Pollycat

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

 Our neighbours mentioned that a local group were going on a river cruise and encouraged us to join them, so we booked it. Later, the trip organiser told us others in the group were adamant we shouldn't go because they don't know us. He asked us to either move or cancel our booking, which will cost up to £200. Should we cancel or go on the holiday anyway? If we cancel, should we ask for a contribution from our neighbours and / or the group? We sympathise with the organiser, but why should we be out of pocket when we were encouraged to book?

Maybe because you weren't forced at gunpoint to book...?

However, I certainly wouldn't want to go on a trip with people who don't want to mix with people they don't know.
Far too cliquey.
And up themselves.
Unless of course, the boat is a reasonable size so that you avoid these people.
And assuming this group haven't booked the entire boat, apart from your cabin.

The idea that your neighbours and/or the group should fund your losses is ludicrous.  

JainEm

eskbanker said:

Presumably if it was possible to book independently of the group, it's a publicly-available trip, so the group has no right to interfere, but IMHO the couple should say to the trip organiser that they'll travel unless the organiser (or group collectively) picks up the tab for any mutually agreeable change of plans.  

Have you told the neighbours who suggested you book what the organiser has said? Might they offer a contribution to your cancellation fee? They do sound like a cliquey group and I wouldn't be going under those curcumstances.

WealloveMSE

It depends what kind of river cruise it is I suppose. Do the cliquey group have sole use of the ship? If so, then you have been told that some of the group do not want 'random unknowns' and you'd be best to change the booking. However, if as I imagine they are a group joining a river cruise which has a capacity of (for example) 200 people I would still go and not worry about them too much. It may well be it's just a small number of people within that group being exclusive and unfriendly anyway. They do not have the right to tell you what you can do.
As for the money it may cost to change plans I don't think you can expect anyone to reimburse you but you can certainly point the cost out to the trip organiser and ask them if they think it's fair you have to stump up when you booked in good faith and on the advice of a member of the group.I wouldn't expect much of a response though.

pragmatism

Your actions and response depends on information not given. 

Is this a river cruise where these folk are a group booking so form just a proportion of the number of cruisers? If so and you booked independently the decision is yours and really comes down to whether you want to do that particular cruise or not at that time or not. How you spend your time and with whom on the cruise is entirely up to you as it is your holiday. 

Did you book into a group booking via the organiser - if so some umbrage by group members is understandable as some may have wished to bring strangers into the group but did not get the chance. If this is the case the financial consequences of cancellation are between you and the organiser if they are insisting you are barred. It seems they are duty bound to refund you. 

JayD

I this dilemma real?

From what has been said, it appears this is a trip that is open to the public and you booked independently. In which case, just go!

If not, then you must have booked with the organiser and they would be responsible for cancelling your trip and should issue a full refund. Do not cancel yourself in this case. 

Binnie001

I would go anyway and just have a lovely time. Ignore the others, it’s not up to them who goes and I think it’s very rude in my opinion. 

supergran40

it doesn't say whether this is a uk or foreign cruise. Uk cruise boats are small and so the group may have the whole boat. 

If it is a foreign trip, there will surely be other passengers with whom you may or may not mix, on choice.

I personally would not be pushed out and certainly wouldn't fund the change.

I smell a rat here though, the reason for asking you to cancel may well be masking the real reason that someone they all know now want to join the group and there are no places left. Tough luck imo.

TELLIT01

Friends of ours have been in a similar situation.  They were asked by friends if they wanted to go on holiday with them and one other couple.  They knew and liked both couples so agreed.  Each couple booked their own holiday.  Fast forward a few months and the couple who had invited them casually mentioned that there were now 14 people going!  Our friends discovered that one of the couples were people they couldn't stand but were stuck with the holiday anyway.  They made the best of it and just stayed away from the one couple as much as possible.  They did politely declined future offers from the original couple to go on holiday with them.