Portuscale cancel Aussie season

Portuscale Cruises have cancelled their 2015 Funchal cruise season ex Australia but hope to make it for 2016.

That is scary considering what happened last year

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The have not closed, as happened with that last lot, but merely cancelled a season due to poor sales I assume, and I have been told passengers will be receiving full refunds.

Interesting. They have just had a largish ad in the Sunday papers in Sydney this last weekend, the first I'd seen. Their prices seemed pretty good too. Bit hard to expect bookings without a fair bit of promotion I think.

Steve.

Portuscale Cruises have cancelled their 2015 Funchal cruise season ex Australia but hope to make it for 2016.

We have friends that were booked on one of the cruises out of Aus - did some reading up a few months ago - and interestingly the general consensus was that Portuscale should stay in the hotel business - that is their forte. This is their first venture into cruising.

When our friends booked their cruise - there wasn't much left to pick from in relation to cabins - and interestingly - they haven't heard anything about a cancellation - and that was five minutes ago. No prizes for guessing what they'll be doing tomorrow :eek: I rang them as soon as I read this post.

That is scary considering what happened last year

They didn't cancel last year.

They didn't cancel last year.

I didn't know they were down here last year - I have attached an item that relates to the inaugural launch/cruise - interesting

http://www.ssmaritime.com/Portuscale-Cruises-Funchal.htm

Beautiful fit out - just wonder if there are on going issues with the actual ship - not the Company.

The have not closed, as happened with that last lot, but merely cancelled a season due to poor sales I assume, and I have been told passengers will be receiving full refunds.

Just hope so as was looking at doing it late next year

Will have to wait and see

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Portuscale Cruises have cancelled their 2015 Funchal cruise season ex Australia but hope to make it for 2016.

How did you find this out - I can't find anything anywhere about it?

How did you find this out - I can't find anything anywhere about it?

I cant find anything about it either. It seems a fairly drastic move as planning would well under way and orders placed . Its only a few months away if its true.

Their web site is still offering cruises in Australia.

The final cruise of the Australian season is the Gallipoli cruise.

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Herself and I were looking at this but I have to say 10,000 tons with 580 on board sounds a bit crowded.

The R Class ships are 680 pax and 30,000 tons.

But I will be keeping a close eye on them.

The cancellation of the Australian Season has ben announced in this weeks issue of Cruise Weekly. Passengers who have booked will be getting a full refund and will be offered a 25% discount on a future Portuscale cruise in 2015.

The cancellation of the Australian Season has ben announced in this weeks issue of Cruise Weekly. Passengers who have booked will be getting a full refund and will be offered a 25% discount on a future Portuscale cruise in 2015.

 

 

Feel for those who have booked flights - the "bargain/sale flights" no refunds etc. Has anyone else noticed that fly/cruise combined don't seem to be as plentiful as they were a few years ago - that way the whole shebang was covered if anything went wrong. :confused:

Feel for those who have booked flights - the "bargain/sale flights" no refunds etc. Has anyone else noticed that fly/cruise combined don't seem to be as plentiful as they were a few years ago - that way the whole shebang was covered if anything went wrong. :confused:

Would travel insurance cover the flight?

Probably not as the flight would still be going even though the cruise is cancelled.

The cancellation of the Australian Season has ben announced in this weeks issue of Cruise Weekly. Passengers who have booked will be getting a full refund and will be offered a 25% discount on a future Portuscale cruise in 2015.

If they ever get here.

Insurance won't generally cover for a cruise ship rescheduling, I lost heaps ($5000) on flights some 7 years ago when Costa cancelled our Costa Atlantica cruise in Canada/New England because of poor sales, they classed it as a ship rescheduling, got our fare back eventually, couple of months, but no compo for flights. Insurance claim success for pre paid flights on this Funchal issue would be dependent on reasons for cancellation of cruise.

Check out the small print on policies as has been said on here many times !!

Good luck to those involved in this drama.

Fine print is a killer in so many ways

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The cancellation of the Australian Season has ben announced in this weeks issue of Cruise Weekly. Passengers who have booked will be getting a full refund and will be offered a 25% discount on a future Portuscale cruise in 2015.

 

 

I didn't get that announcement.

They announced they are cancelling the 2015 cruises... so offer you a discount if you book a 2015 cruise???

Would travel insurance cover the flight?

Probably not as the flight would still be going even though the cruise is cancelled.

 

 

Yes, I said similar in the Century announcement yesterday. And given Air travel costs are often as much as the cruise cost, or even more, that's a big loss to take. (And you'd also lose any prepaid hotel charges for the same reason.)

Yes sadly Funchal's season has been cancelled. Formal anouncement in the press and in online travel press was held back while all passangers were contacted by telephone first. I was booked on one of the cruises, however as noted there is a full refund and reimbursment of costs for flights and accomodation that can not be cancelled.

The cancellation was very last minute as I had only booked a week or so ago. Pity, I was looking forward to sailing on this ship, she has been very extensively refurbished in recent months and I would have welcomed a small ship with so many larger and larger ships coming here. I visited her in Sydney whe she was last based out of Fremantle for Classic International and before her place was taken by Athena, lovely little ship. Let's hope 2016 season goes ahead.

Yes sadly Funchal's season has been cancelled. Formal anouncement in the press and in online travel press was held back while all passangers were contacted by telephone first. I was booked on one of the cruises, however as noted there is a full refund and reimbursment of costs for flights and accomodation that can not be cancelled.

That's a much better and more generous arrangement than Celebrity offered with its similar cancellation. And given most travellers would be international as the Celebrity cruise is one way international, more passengers will be out of pocket and affected than the number of local passengers here.

Good on Portuscale for doing the right thing by their customers - unlike Celebrity.

Seems to be happening more and more with companies disrupting the plans of their clientele for reasons other than nature.:(

Seems to be happening more and more with companies disrupting the plans of their clientele for reasons other than nature.:(

Sadly, the smaller ships need a go - and people are prepared to give them a go - but bringing them down from the Northern Hemisphere to here - doesn't seem viable. I'm not a bean counter - I just suffer from 2 ounces of common sense - (I think :p) Please bring back the fly/cruises/stopover deals. (I reckon they went by the by when cruise ships cancelled and such and TA's had to compensate - not that that would be well known :rolleyes:

Sadly, the smaller ships need a go - and people are prepared to give them a go - but bringing them down from the Northern Hemisphere to here - doesn't seem viable. I'm not a bean counter - I just suffer from 2 ounces of common sense - (I think :p) Please bring back the fly/cruises/stopover deals. (I reckon they went by the by when cruise ships cancelled and such and TA's had to compensate - not that that would be well known :rolleyes:

You may be right, some are still offering the fly cruise packages but most have shied away.