Don’t fall ill or you’ll lose your cruise deposit

PETER and Jane Rimmer, from Kent, lost £1,769 when they had to pull out of a Mediterranean cruise.

The Rimmers (pictured) were to fly to Rome to board the ship on June 22. But in May, Peter was diagnosed with a heart condition and had to go into hospital.

When he asked for a refund on his holiday, he was told he would get just 25pc of the total £2,358 cost of the cruise — £590.

Peter tried to arrange for another couple to take their place, but the holiday company Cruise1st said they’d have to buy new tickets. Retired newsagent Peter, 73, says: ‘It’s so unfair. They have sold the holiday twice, which is immoral. We were so unlucky as we’d changed travel insurers and this happened in the twoweek gap when we weren’t covered.’

A spokeswoman for Cruise1st says: ‘On this occasion it was not possible to transfer the booking. We always refund our customers the appropriate costs due as stated on our website and on documentation sent out.

‘We are truly sorry about Mr Rimmer’s medical condition and wish him a speedy recovery.’

It says airlines, cruise lines and

hotels have their own terms and conditions on changes to tickets. The cheapest fares are usually non-

refundable and can't be changed.

In the Rimmer's case, Cruise1st says the air fare and hotel were non-

refundable, so the 25pc refund it gave came out of its own pocket.

If the couple had change just one of the names on the cruise tickets, it

wouldn’t be a problem, the company says. But two changes counted as a cancellation.

Cruise1st says it always reminds people to take out travel insurance to cover you in this instance.