Tui want to cancel my holiday!

Sarah_Capper · 15 May 2018 at 2:27PM

In October last year I lost by father to a sudden heart attack with no obvious wanring signs. The family was left devastated and have since become a lot stronger and do a lot more together.
To aid our bereavement we booked a family holiday - one that which my mother was looking forward to the most - as she now suffers anxiety in the aftermath of dad's death and essentially doesnt get out much without the aid of myself or my sister.

I took her to our local Tui branch in March this year and we booked a well-deserved holiday on board a cruise ship. Five adults, one child and one infant who at the time of travel (August this year) will be 3.5 months old. The system accepted the data without challenge and we successfully booked a holiday on a family-friendly cruise with Tui, no further questions asked.

Fast forward two months, knee deep in purchasing new swimwear and holiday clothes, fully spent on off-shore excursions, signed up to holiday insurance with extra cover and cost applied, and the family cat pre-booked into our local cattery... I receive a phonecall yesterday afternoon (May 14th) to tell me that we have to cancel.
Their reason?

I'm told that as of this week, infants under 6 months of age cannot travel on cruise ships at all, so I was presented with several options:

1. Go as soon as the baby turns 6 months old in November this year .... when it will be cold but at no extra cost to us with £300 onboard credit (for an already 'All Inclusive' holiday? you spoil me!)
2. Same cruise next year but with no admin charge, yet we have to pay the difference of any cost ... plus the irrelevant £300 onboard credit
3. Book a later cruise next year and if cheaper then we recieve a refund plus the £300 credit.... still not very useful for an all inclusive package!
4. Amend to a beach holiday and pay the difference if more expensive, plus £300 holiday vouchers - mildly more useful but doesnt compare to the cruise that we chose to go on.
5. Full cancellation free of charge and rebook elsewhere with £300 holiday vouchers... who says we want to go with them again?!
6. Leave half the party at home and just take mum.- no thanks! all of us or nothing!
7. Half the party cruise and half the party stay in Majorca - meeting at the start and end port, where the boat itinerary loops from each week - no thanks! again, all of us or nothing!

I completely understand if we cannot change the rule to suit ourselves as I 100% appreciate that the world doesn't owe anybody a favour... but I find the £300 onboard credit insulting as we aren't the kind of family to spend more if already purchased all inclusive.

Similarly, although the second option is the preferred option, why should we have to pay the difference when it wasn't our fault or choice to change the dates?
We are the ones being inconvenienced and having to rearrange time off work and cancel cattery bookings etc.
Furthermore, does the deposit act as a form of contract?
Should they not at least try to honour what they have agreed to?

Am I pushing my luck in agreeing to rearrange but demanding to not pay anymore and to receive cash rather than credit? or at least a deduction from the overall price?

Any advice greatly appreciated... I want justice for my disappointed family!

Sandy75 · 15 May 2018 at 3:27PM

What outcome do you want? It looks like TUI have bent over backwards to help in what looks like circumstances beyond their control.

Sarah_Capper · 15 May 2018 at 3:57PM

I'm not denying that they have given us options.
We are getting over the disappointment and are happy to rebook the holiday identically for next year. We understand that rules are rules and that it cant be changed, but we do not want to pay the extra money that it would possibly incur.The price is bound to increase with inflation next year and we will be restricted to school holidays as my sister is a teacher and will be going back to work in January following her maternity leave.

As it isn't our fault that a change has to be made, I would not expect to pay any increase in price.
I don't see how they can justify charging us more to change it if the error wasn't on our part. I could be wrong and naive though. We were transparent with them from the start - the baby had not yet been born - and they assisted us to book it in branch without concern.

The £300 would be much more appreciated as either a reduction in cost to the holiday or a cash return, rather than receiving onboard credit. We don't tend to spend extra cash in the shops or restaurants when onboard and we now have to pay cancellation fees for other preparations put in place for whilst we were going to be away.

It was supposed to be a holiday in celebration of my dad's life, repeating a holiday style and itinerary that he personally loved, with a company he repeatedly used and therefore spending family time together on the anniversary of his death.
Perhaps I am more annoyed than someone would be who isn't in my specific circumstances, but it is the primary driving force behind my frustration. I'm not ungratfeul, I just want the best for my family.

lincroft1710 · 15 May 2018 at 4:19PM

Just politely ask them for your preferred option and say you are not prepared to pay any extra, but will forego the £300 onboard spend.

One thing you haven't explained is that, is the 6 month rule legislation or cruise line policy and was it in existence at the time of your booking

BoGoF · 15 May 2018 at 4:26PM

The only thing they are obliged to do is refund the cost of the holiday. Anything else is a goodwill gesture.

Sarah_Capper · 15 May 2018 at 4:28PM

Agreed. I think that will be my next move.
Having turned to researching the policy on google, it appears to have been in place 'across most itineraries' since September 2017. Though it is not specific about companies or itineraries themselves. It states that children under 1 year cannot travel on transatlantic cruises whatsoever, yet this isn't applicable to my situation as we were only booked on a Mediterranean break.

At the time of our booking, the 6 month rule was not in place at Tui.
The system accepted the age that was inputted and so we declared that the child would be three months old at the time of travel.We did it in a Tui branch with an agent and even called to reserve the cabin during the same meeting, highlighting the age of the child and the need for a cot.

Sarah_Capper · 15 May 2018 at 4:29PM

Thank you BoGoF - I better not overstep my mark!

gettingtheresometime · 15 May 2018 at 4:36PM

I'm guessing the £300 on board credit could be used to purchase excursions.

I have to admit I've just looked at their T&Cs and I can't see anywhere where it states children under 6 months can't travel on a cruise - in fact the only people I could see that wouldn't be able to travel is females who are more than 24 weeks pregnant.

The trouble is that whilst the offers TUI are making are fair, you (understandably) are attaching emotion to the holiday.

If going away is important to you & your family, why not consider seeing if a different firm would accept the baby as a passenger?

DCFC79 · 15 May 2018 at 5:51PM

Could you not ring up and ask if an infant who at the time of travel (August this year) would be 3.5 months old.

giraffe69 · 15 May 2018 at 7:18PM

TUI cancelled a holiday (not a cruise) on me some years ago. They claimed it was because of illness in the hotel but that wasn't what the hotel said and bookings were available with other companies. They offered alternatives but at extra cost. In the end it was getting hold of the right person (not always easy) who moved us to what was a better hotel but at the original cost. Be persistent but not too rude!

Caz3121 · 15 May 2018 at 7:53PM

I have just tested a booking
infants will fall into the "child 0-17 on return date"
it then asks you to enter the ages, it does not take decimal places so the choice would be 1 or 0...entering 1, no issues, entering 0 it displays "Just so you know, infants under six months old can't sail with us"

Tui want to cancel my holiday!

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