HOLIDAY PLANS SHIP WRECKED..
A TOTAL of 20,000 holidaymakers will be affected by Irish Ferries cancellations, with all summer sailings on a new ship scrapped.
The WB Yeats was to set sail between Ireland and France on July 30 but due to building delays, 6,000 bookings have been cancelled.
The company said the cancellation was due to “extraordinary circumstances beyond its control” caused by a delay in building the ship by German company Flensburger Schiffbau-gesellschaft & Co KG.
Customers are being offered alternative travel routes, including journeys on the Oscar Wilde or by sailing to the UK and then on to France.
Passengers who choose the land-bridge option will also be reimbursed the cost of their fuel requirements from the port of arrival in the UK to the port of arrival in France.
If alternative travel arrangements do not suit, customers will be entitled to a full and immediate refund.
It is the second time that delivery of the new ship has been delayed, following an announcement in April that saw July’s sailings cancelled.
Some 2,500 bookings were hit by the earlier cancellation but 95% of those affected chose to switch to Irish Ferries’ other cruise ferry, the Oscar Wilde.
In a statement yesterday, a company spokesman said: “Because of the uncertainty caused by this additional delay, Irish Ferries has no option but to cancel all the planned sailings to France for WB Yeats this summer.”
It is now expected the WB Yeats will commence sailing in September, going from Dublin to Holyhead.
However, the company has offered alternatives and compensation for all those affected. The spokesman added: “Irish Ferries very much regrets the inconvenience these cancellations cause our customers and hopes that as many as possible will choose to be accommodated via the company’s alternative arrangements and continue with their holiday plans.”
The Irish Travel Agents Association last night expressed its disappointment at the announcement.
President John Spollen said: “Families have accommodation booked for set dates that may be difficult to change to accommodate new travel dates. This will lead to Irish visitors incurring extra costs and disruption to their holiday plans.”