Travel Agent’s Cancellation Charge

[Bin man]

The one I use is always 4% less then p and so usually is about £160 less on a £4000 spend or you can have OBC should want that instead .Does require balance a month earlier then P and O but on request once extended that for another 14 days 

[terrierjohn]

25 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Does yours expect final payment 90 days in advance, or 4 months like some of them? 

Nope, only 7 days earlier than P&O  but even that can be flexible if you want to wait a few days until your CC statement date has passed.

[majortom10]

Would never book direct with P&O will stick to my TA that have used many times.

[holidaydebbie]

On 1/19/2024 at 5:51 PM, amajaa said:

Wow I think you need to book with a new travel agent another time. 

 

Unfortunately if you book a Saver Fare that is the risk you take. I very much doubt insurance will pay out because something else had come up but would be really interested to know the outcome of that one. 

I am not trying to claim it through travel insurance.

 

On 1/19/2024 at 6:10 PM, Cathygh said:

You might be able to sell your cabin, there is a page on an another site that had P&O cabins for sale. I believe that P&O charge £20pp for a name change.

Great idea, thanks for the tip. I might try this. Could you give me a clue as to how/which site to sell it on?

 

On 1/19/2024 at 7:28 PM, tring said:

If it is stated in T&C's say a £50 payment is due in this case then it is perfectly legal.  If you do not pay, the agent could sue you, though whether they would bother is perhaps debatable.   However, you would be in default of that payment which may get you a bad reputation of non payment.  They may tell other travel agents or maybe some way this can be shared with other businesses, though I have no idea how this sort of thing works.  Hardly seems worth getting into that situation for the sake of £50 imo though.

 

If it is an agent we have used in the past, (when an amount was kept back from a payment due to us after a cruise line cancelled a cruise).  If so, that agent let us make another fresh cruise booking and that lost payment was considered as part of the new cruise cost.  What they wanted was a cruise booked with them, so they got a commission from the new cruise.  Would not get you the P&O deposit back, but you would not loose a further £50.  We did not use that agent again.

 

The alternative, as someone suggested, is to sell the cruise booking which may be viable if you booked at a good price.  P&O allow that to be done, but wondering if the agent would be prepared to go with that as well, if so they may lop on an admin charge. 

 

I would owe them an extra £100 not £50. I stated in my explanation that cancellation/admin charge from TA is £50 per person. But you make some interesting points about getting a bad name for not paying up.

 

I might ask the TA if I can book an alternative cruise through them. I do want to go on another cruise and had originally asked if P & O would let me swap to the same itinerary but different date.

 

If both parties agreed to me selling the cabin, I would not mind a £100 admin fee as this would mean I kept my £413 deposit.

 

On 1/20/2024 at 1:15 AM, roomba920 said:

I thought they allow a one time date change request? I have an early saver reservation, and we were able to move it from June to May without losing our deposit, or paying any fee.

I would be interested to know more about this. Mine is an early saver but I’ve been told I can’t make a change of date.

[roomba920]

7 hours ago, holidaydebbie said:

I would be interested to know more about this. Mine is an early saver but I’ve been told I can’t make a change of date.

I was allowed to based on my husband needing to serve in the military reserve during our original date. We just had to re-book at the same price or greater.

[bobstheboy]

My TA works from home as an agent for a national company. She is available through Messenger, social media and telephone and gives a good discount.  Saved me £1200 when I cancelled a cruise and rebooked whilst onboard Arvia, all done in 30 minutes before 0830 whilst in Cadiz. 

[Cathygh]

22 hours ago, holidaydebbie said:

 

Great idea, thanks for the tip. I might try this. Could you give me a clue as to how/which site to sell it on?

 

P&O cabins for sale is on facecloth. There are instructions on there that tell you how to sell. I hope that helps. 

[holidaydebbie]

23 hours ago, Cathygh said:

P&O cabins for sale is on facecloth. There are instructions on there that tell you how to sell. I hope that helps. 

Facecloth! 😂 I think I might have found the relevant page, but not sure I would be able to change names on booking. Due to the fact I’ve booked an early saver fare. Might be worth a try though. Thanks again.

[Presto2]

We've cancelled cruises twice with a TA and never had to pay them anything .. that's a national company as well.

[tring]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:18 PM, holidaydebbie said:

Facecloth! 😂 I think I might have found the relevant page, but not sure I would be able to change names on booking. Due to the fact I’ve booked an early saver fare. Might be worth a try though. Thanks again.

 

I think P&O will let you change if on a saver fare, but they do charge a fee, which I do not think is charged for a select fare booking.  I would also be wary of your agent - suspect they would lop a cost on to do that as well.  Also, unless you booked at a good price, or it is a popular cruise which has sold out, there would not be any incentive for someone to buy the cruise from you instead of through the normal channels, unless you sold it at a reduced price.  That would rather defeat the point, given the amount of your deposit and admin fee loss otherwise.  If you did book at a good price,then perhaps worth a call to your agent who should be able to tell you how selling a cruise on would work (if they are prepared to allow that) and see if they can get permission from P&O for the cruise to be sold.  P&O do not usually talk to customers directly about a booking made through an agent.

 

Overall there are a lot of advantages in booking a select fare which are well worth considering before you make any bookings another time.   Booking a saver may give a price advantage at times, but otherwise there will likely be occasions when you just have to accept any loss incurred in doing so, hence you need to factor in that potential loss as well.

 

Edited February 2 by tring

[holidaydebbie]

5 hours ago, tring said:

Overall there are a lot of advantages in booking a select fare which are well worth considering before you make any bookings another time.   Booking a saver may give a price advantage at times, but otherwise there will likely be occasions when you just have to accept any loss incurred in doing so, hence you need to factor in that potential loss as well.

There wasn’t any advantage to booking a select fare imo; it was hundreds of pounds more and even the TA, who I might add tried to sell me a saver fare, had to admit there was a big difference and I got a fab price on the saver.

And I have accepted the loss from P & O, my point is an objection and query of the extra charges from the TA (buried in TA’s small print).

[holidaydebbie]

I forgot to add that even if I booked a Select fare, the TA would still be charging me extra for the change/cancellation of the cruise!

 

[tring]

2 hours ago, holidaydebbie said:

There wasn’t any advantage to booking a select fare imo; it was hundreds of pounds more and even the TA, who I might add tried to sell me a saver fare, had to admit there was a big difference and I got a fab price on the saver.

And I have accepted the loss from P & O, my point is an objection and query of the extra charges from the TA (buried in TA’s small print).

 

Yes the difference in price does vary along with the benefits.  All a case of deciding at the time, but taking into account all risks which is the point I was making.  With select you would have been able to change the booking, so the charge to the agent for cancellation would not have bern an issue, though TBH that was not a major amount considering the full price of a cruise.

 

Prices and perks vary whilst a cruise is on sale, with the net differences between fare types varying considerably.  Sometimes the obc and and perhaps parking or transport cost actually make a select fare better value before taking into account other advantages such as choosing dining type, cabin and other perks. 

 

All personal choice though as you say and can depend on price difference at the time of booking.  It is always worth taking time to read the T&C's though, whatever you book or buying goods.  

 

 

Edited February 2 by tring

[Flash harriet]

Just picked up this thread…ex travel agent here.

if all else fails and you cant get a refund, i would just leave the booking as it is, and just not cancel it.  P and O will cancel it automatically when you fail to pay in full. And you never know… circumstances may by some miracle change, and you end up going, so your cabin will still be there…and if circumstances dont change, well, you havent had to pay the £50.

i have retired now, but often when I cruise, I make the booking direct with the cruise line, and then, if the cruise line allows it, I hand the booking over to my friendly travel agent. The agent doesn’t have to do anything, and gives me a discount worth half the commission. Win win, and then when I DO  need help with stuff, they treat me well because of the commissions they earn from me with minimal work.