Passengers in £1m legal f ight after dream cruise turned into nightmare
CRUISE passengers forced to fly home only days into their dream holiday are set to launch legal action against travel firm TUI – with refunds and compensation expected to total more than £1 million.
A leading London firm of lawyers is to act on behalf of furious passengers whose Caribbean cruise was cut short after just five days and three stops.
Notes were slid under cabin doors in the dead of night citing problems with catering equipment. With no further explanation from officials, passengers say their experience was ‘traumatic’.
The legal action involves customers from all over the UK, including at least 35 groups from north of the Border and 80 families from England.
In an exhausting and uncomfortable 26-hour journey home, Dawn Clarke and her husband Ian, from Balloch, Dunbartonshire, were flown to Manchester and
‘A note under the door said it was cancelled’
bussed to Glasgow. Mrs Clarke said: ‘I paid extra for premier seats on our flight because I have a bad back. By the time I got off the plane and on to a bus for another six and a half hours to Glasgow, I was crippled. I live 30 minutes from Glasgow Airport.’
Passengers boarded the Marella Cruises Discovery 2 on January 24 at Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a two-week voyage. The ship was expected to stop at the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Mexico and then return to Jamaica before sailing to Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.
On average, couples had paid between £6,000 and £9,000.
Mrs Clarke, 53, who booked a £7,000 two-week holiday, said: ‘We woke up to a note under the door saying the cruise was cancelled and we were going home.
‘I was devastated. There was only the young girl at reception to speak to – there were no senior staff. The captain made an announcement but he was nowhere to be seen.’
Confused and upset, they were flown back to Manchester.
On their return they were partially refunded, receiving money for the days of the luxury trip they were unable to enjoy.
TUI also offered them £400 each in vouchers to spend with them but the firm later changed its proposal to cash – which was rejected.
This newspaper understands passengers have been offered varying amounts of vouchers by way of compensation.
Faith Scott, 50, and 60-year-old Andrew Coull from Dalkeith, Midlothian, were celebrating milestone birthdays when they flew from Glasgow and boarded the ship at Montego Bay.
They, too, are fighting to have all of their holiday refunded. Ms Scott said: ‘We were gutted. We were looking forward to the second week in particular. Everyone we met had been on several cruises and this was our first. They said they had never heard of anything like it.’
The passengers are part of the group which has instructed David Greene of lawyers Edwin Coe to take action against TUI.
Mr Greene, senior partner at the firm, said: ‘The blame lies squarely with TUI. It’s a disgrace that those affected have not had all their money refunded plus compensation, which TUI should pay. It is time for TUI to hold its hands up, accept the wrong and pay these people back their money.’
A TUI spokesman said: ‘We understand how frustrating the cancellation of the Pride of Panama cruise on Marella Discovery 2 has been for customers.
‘The cancellation was due to a technical issue with our catering facilities. As this is now a legal matter, we can’t comment further.’