Disgraceful treatment!!!!

I am really seeking some advice, I have sailed with SB on a few occasions and never been disappointed. Recently, the opportunity arose for me to take a cruise to athens in august on the Odyssey, I have previously travelled only on the triplets, and it was a birthday celebration so, I took the plunge and booked the cruise at a very good price.

Obviously I was very excited and paid for the cruise in full a couple of weeks ago, i have checked in my details on the SB website and was waiting for the tickets. Today, however I recieve an urgent phonecall from my travel agent saying that SB had made a mistake in advertising their prices for this cruise, they have charged/quoted me and several other passengers wrongly, and i have one of 3 options, 1 to pay another £1400:eek:, 2 to cancel, I have already booked a hotel and train tickets i cannot get a refund on!, or 3 rebook a different cruise!!!!!!

Apparently, even though my ta checked several times with SB on these prices, and was told they were correct, SB refuse to do anything about the situation, and have thus far taken a very uncaring attitude.

I believed that if the travel company have a contract with you then under uk law they have to honour it, I booked and paid in full for this cruise and it is now going to cost me to cancel it, as i have non refundable train tickets and a hotel for the airport, through no fault of my own or my travel agents, just SB's mistake.

I am astounded at SB's stinky attitude to this as this is not what I expect from them, I am disgusted and very upset it has ruined my birthday plans and a holiday.

I rang SB this afternoon, as I was so incensed and was told that there were now even more bookings involved with this advertisement glitch than first thought, and that I would have to wait for a word from Seattle.

I am just stunned, no apologies, no letter, or explanation, not even an offer of a discount/OBC for future.

IS BACKWARDS THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING FOR SEABOURN????????????

I am so sorry this happened to you. I'm sure there is some sort of fine print somewhere that deals with this mistake, however, this a very bad business practice not to honor the price that was agreed upon.

Host Dan

Thanks Dan, I thought that too, it does not bode well for SB and looks very unproffesional, notwithstanding how their customer service looks!!! If this is how they treat people there are plenty of competitors to visit!!!!!

This recently happened to me on Princess. Price should have been $6,000 pp, we were charged $3,500 because of a Princess Group Rate mistake. Princess is honoring the price admitting it's their mistake. This is pretty crappy on Seabourn's part.

The used to always rectify situations like this. Not sure what's going on. I'd hang tough with them though. Plus you might have to change your CC handle.

Thanks, thats very interesting! I also would have thought they would honour their advertising mistake, but by the sounds of it there are going to be alot of people angry and disappointed on this outcome, which is very poor.

The used to always rectify situations like this. Not sure what's going on. I'd hang tough with them though. Plus you might have to change your CC handle.

My thoughts exactly, not given up yet, Mr Meadows is my next call!!!!

Here are my 3 thoughts about your predicament:

1- Be calm and wait for whatever it is that Seattle will decide it can do for you. And prepare your paperwork to send to them detailing your out of pocket expenses which, through no fault of your own, will be wasted if you don't take that rail journey and check into the hotel. (That would include copies of your tickets and confirmation respectively showing they are non-refundable).

2- Related to the above, prepare to send a letter to Customer Relations asking for their reimbursement of these expenses if you are not happy with the offer of another Seabourn cruise at a fare that is low enough to offset these out of pocket expenses.

Now, we all know that contracts say the provider can under circumstances be liable for direct expenses (eg your refund of the cruise fare in this case) but not indirect, special or consequential costs such as your rail and hotel. While I have not read the Seabourn contract I think it would be bad form for them to deny your claim.

3- But if they do deny your claim you may try to claim on your travel insurance. It would be up to them to view Seabourn as cancelling your trip, an event obviously out of your control, as airlines cancel due to problems that they have occasionally. I hope you won't have to claim because of Seabourn's negligence, partly because the insurer might well deny your claim.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Cheers, will do!!

Tilly,

On another cruise site I have just read, this was around 20th June, that Seabourn made a mistake on a particular sailing. The TA had put on the site that the cruise was £799 plus flights. They (Seabourn) realised their mistake and the TA pulled the advert.

They said that they had made a booking for two people and that Seabourn were honoring the £799 plus flights as it was their mistake.

So keep going if they can do it for one booking then they can do it for yours.

Thanks for that, considering that we paid double than that each I would hope that they should honour this. Would you mind telling me what website this was on. Many thanks

was your trip booked and paid for in full?

Hi, yes it was. I had also checked in on SB's website, so they clearly had our details and had uploaded them also,thanks

Mistakes happen however I'm astonished they will not honour a contract with you. :mad:

Would make me very wary of booking with them if they will not fulfill what was signed for, I wish you luck but quite frankly you shouldn't have to be fighting for this.

Interesting, I too booked a last minute cruise 'at a very good price', on the Odyssey, in August, FROM Athens. From what you say it sounds as if we paid about the same price. I haven't received a call yet, thank goodness. You are welcome to email me if you think it might help to know the $ details of other passengers.

Tiily,

Do not give up. A few years ago we had an issue with Seabourn's "Between Friends" promotion. They tried to tell us that because our price was so good we did not qualify for the Between Friends credit. We told then that their ad did not list any disclaimers and that they had to honor the ad. Sailor Boy and I tag teamed them for two months -- him on the phone working his way up the chain of command and me on Emails. Finally Pamela Conover agreed to split the difference-- which we agreed to. Don't know if we simply wore them down and they were tired of hearing from us( certainly they exhausted a significant amount of their manpower ) or if they realized that they were wrong.

Another thought, since your TA booked the trip isn't she responsible at all?

Tilly,

"""On another cruise site I have just read, this was around 20th June, that Seabourn made a mistake on a particular sailing. The TA had put on the site that the cruise was £799 plus flights. They (Seabourn) realised their mistake and the TA pulled the advert.

They said that they had made a booking for two people and that Seabourn were honoring the £799 plus flights as it was their mistake.""""

 

 

Never came across one day Seabourn cruises, but perhaps this brilliant Travel "professional" thought so. Duh ?

Hi, yes it was. I had also checked in on SB's website, so they clearly had our details and had uploaded them also,thanks

I believe you have a strong legal case. Your contract was entered into in England and should therefore be subject to English law. If you made an offer to purchase at a price, Seabourn accepted, and have now accepted your payment they have to honour the contract.

Speak to your local Trading Standards department (phone number usually under local/district council) and either a solicitor or Citizens Advice. Also, for unbiased advice contact Which? - the consumers' association www.which.co.uk

Seabourn operates in the UK - they have a UK office and are part of Carnival Corporation and plc - which has a UK registered entity.

You can contact Meadows at rmeadows@seabourn.com.

Go for it - and let us know how you fare.

It never ceases to amaze me that SB can spend as much as it does on advertising and free trips for TA's, then pull a trick like this on a repeat customer. This board is full of nickel and dime instances of SB promising a discount or credit then coming up with a reason why they won't honor it. But this one takes the cake.

Thankyou all for your very kind and helpful responses. I am going to email Mr Meadows about this ridiculous situation, and rest assured I will keep you all up to date!

I even wondered if they were overbooked on this cruise and were trying to get rid of some passengers, or maybe thats too cynical of me!!!!!

Tiily,

 

Another thought, since your TA booked the trip isn't she responsible at all?

Well I too thought this, but apparently they claim they have done everything they could by double checking prices with SB and taking legal advice on the matter.:cool:

Tilly - all very strange. I cannot imagine any Seabourn cruise of 7 days being priced at £799, and I look at all the adverts. I guess from what you say you paid about double that - but was this for one week or two weeks? If for one week it sounds about right, and I cannot see why SB should do this to you; if it is for two then obviously it was cheaper than is normally possible.

Very upsetting for you, and hopefully illegal on their behalf. Sending you good vibes for good luck, from the neighbouring county! Keep us all posted.

Thanks very much, yes lincs lady I paid what I thought was a bargain, but not ridiculously cheap price for a week in a window suite, which is not normally what i go for, as i like a balcony, but what the heck it was last minute at a great price!! I too would have seriously questioned any SB pricing at under any sub £1400 price point for a weeks holiday.

A point not mentioned here is that the UK office is not what it used to be after some rearranging from Carnival/HAL

Avoid at all costs.

Any complaints,deal directly with Seattle.

Thanks for that info Lord of the seas x