Downgraded cruise, much more expensive, no customer service
Our great value 32-night 2022 cruise from Hong Kong via Taiwan around Japan was cancelled, and cruise.co.uk strongly suggested that we leave our deposit with them, as they would find us an equivalent cruise as soon as one was available. Instead, they ultimately (without consultation) put us on a much shorter cruise around JUST southern Japan, with a land-based element, including walking tours of Kyoto and Tokyo, at a much higher price.
When we finally arrived (our flight was delayed by bad weather in Dubai), our walking tours of Kyoto and Tokyo were poor - the guide was charming but useless - and our transfer from Kyoto to Tokyo was abysmal. Although the cruise itself was OK, cruise.co.uk even screwed up our airport transfer at the end of the cruise to the airport.
I've written to them multiple times, including to their CEO. Their first reply failed to even mention most of the points I'd raised. The second time they mentioned most of them, but their response could be best summed up as an admission that things went wrong but with no acceptance that any of it was their fault and no offer of compensation. Since I wrote to their CEO, nearly a month ago, there has been no response whatsoever.
I know that at least one other couple wrote letters of complaint, and everyone we met was very disappointed in the attitude of cruise.co.uk, but they clearly don't seem to care.
AVOID.
ADDITION: The response by cruise.co.uk below OMITS the fact that they ADVISED us to keep the deposit with them. It OMITS the fact that they changed our cruise WITHOUT NOTICE. It OMITS the fact that their local guide in Japan was pretty useless, that the hotel they put us in in Tokyo was completely unfit for purpose, that the transfer from Kyoto to Tokyo was appalling, and that they made a complete mess of the final transfer to Narita airport. And it FALSELY claims that they've offered an appropriate 'goodwill' gesture. Cruise.co.uk has REPEATEDLY failed to address any of our concerns, and an email to the CEO went unanswered.
I wouldn't trust them ever again.
Reply from Cruise.co.uk
Hi Geoff Burnes,
Your original cruise was cancelled by the cruise line in April 2022. We received an email from you and Mrs Burnes on 21st April 2022, advising you were aware of the cancellation and you wanted to speak to your cruise consultant urgently about alternative options. Your cruise consultant spoke with you over the phone on 22nd April 2022 and gave you several options of alternative cruise packages that you could move your deposit to, if you wished. These were also sent over to you by email the same day.
We received an email from you on 23rd April 2022 confirming you wished to move your deposit to a new booking, on one of the alternative options provided. Your cruise consultant then proceeded to make your new booking for you. At that point, you were aware of and agreed to the cost for your new cruise package. Nothing was rebooked without instruction from you and your wife.
Our customer relations team have previously responded to your complaint in full and a gesture of goodwill has been provided.
Kind regards
Customer Support