What would you do?

[towny44]

Quite right, Moby. Cancellation email sent to Hays.
Loss of deposit - painful.
Relief - priceless!

If Fred follow the same terms that P&O offer, then you should find that if Fred do eventually cancel the cruise, your "lost' deposit will become a FCC.

[anneed]

Well, Hays have persuaded me to hold fire! Apparently Fred Olsen have now 'paused' all their cruises up to August 27 so there is a chance they may extend this to cover the period of my trip before my balance is due. I queried whether the deposit would be repaid in cash or as a credit note and Hays say I can have cash. I made it clear I would not be paying the balance come what may and have been assured they will cancel if Fred don't extend in time.
Guess I might as well put up with it for a bit longer.

[Gill W]

Well, Hays have persuaded me to hold fire! Apparently Fred Olsen have now 'paused' all their cruises up to August 27 so there is a chance they may extend this to cover the period of my trip before my balance is due. I queried whether the deposit would be repaid in cash or as a credit note and Hays say I can have cash. I made it clear I would not be paying the balance come what may and have been assured they will cancel if Fred don't extend in time.
Guess I might as well put up with it for a bit longer.

That's good news. You haven't lost anything yet, and if you hang on and they eventually cancel your cruise you can get a refund of your deposit.

Fred Olsen did offer enhanced FCC for the cruises they cancelled, similar to P&O, but I opted for a cash refund, as I was fully booked for cruises up until Jan 22, have no real desire to book anymore cruises in the current environment.

[Whynd1]

Mr and Mrs Hays being interviewed on the beeb this morning about the surge in package holiday bookings.

[Onelife]

Call me Mr Cynic but I think all this "surge in package holidays " is fake news!.....its just promotional talk to make prospective customers feel that everything is now back to normal.

[Manoverboard]

Call me Mr Cynic but I think all this "surge in package holidays " is fake news!.....its just promotional talk to make prospective customers feel that everything is now back to normal.

Misery Guts more like

[kaymar]

Well, Hays have persuaded me to hold fire! Apparently Fred Olsen have now 'paused' all their cruises up to August 27 so there is a chance they may extend this to cover the period of my trip before my balance is due. I queried whether the deposit would be repaid in cash or as a credit note and Hays say I can have cash. I made it clear I would not be paying the balance come what may and have been assured they will cancel if Fred don't extend in time.
Guess I might as well put up with it for a bit longer.

Good decision, anneed. The important thing was not to part with any more cash for a cruise you wouldn't want to go on anyway and which Olsen will very likely cancel in due course. Disappointing that Hays tried to bully you into paying the balance earlier than you needed to, though - the excuse of needing time to transfer money to the operator is just nonsense. At worst now there may still be an outside chance that you will lose your deposit but even that is unlikely and, as you have said, stress levels are much lower now that you have made your decision.

For what it is worth, we are in a similar position, waiting for a promised refund of deposit from P&O as well as a refund of a "cancellation fee" after cancelling an earlier cruise just a couple of days before they did. Mentally, we had more or less written off both of these payments so anything we eventually get back, we shall view as a bonus. The overridingly important thing is, we will not be stuck on a cruise ship in the middle of a pandemic.

[Onelife]

Call me Mr Cynic but I think all this "surge in package holidays " is fake news!.....its just promotional talk to make prospective customers feel that everything is now back to normal.

Misery Guts more like

I would have hoped you'd have your own personal opinion of me and not be taken along with what everybody else thinks of me

[Stephen]

Call me Mr Cynic but I think all this "surge in package holidays " is fake news!.....its just promotional talk to make prospective customers feel that everything is now back to normal.

Misery Guts more like

I would have hoped you'd have your own personal opinion of me and not be taken along with what everybody else thinks of me

You mean a dip stick

[towny44]

Call me Mr Cynic but I think all this "surge in package holidays " is fake news!.....its just promotional talk to make prospective customers feel that everything is now back to normal.

Misery Guts more like

I would have hoped you'd have your own personal opinion of me and not be taken along with what everybody else thinks of me

I think you're just a contrarian Keefy, you'll be waltzing round with another opinion in a minute or two.

[Onelife]

My soul goal on this forum is to keep it boyant. ... making personal sacrifices is something to be admired

[Onelife]

Misery Guts more like

I would have hoped you'd have your own personal opinion of me and not be taken along with what everybody else thinks of me

You mean a dip stick

You've spent too much time under your bonnet......now go and wash your mouth out

[anneed]

Hurrah, my cruise has been cancelled by Fred Olsen. I've submitted a claim form to get my deposit back and they say it should take no more than eight weeks. What a relief and I must credit Hays for advising me to hold on and not cancel. I hope to sail again some day but for now it's staycations for me!

[Stephen]

[Manoverboard]

Hurrah, my cruise has been cancelled by Fred Olsen. I've submitted a claim form to get my deposit back and they say it should take no more than eight weeks. What a relief and I must credit Hays for advising me to hold on and not cancel. I hope to sail again some day but for now it's staycations for me!

Half each for you and me I reckon

[Gill W]

Hurrah, my cruise has been cancelled by Fred Olsen. I've submitted a claim form to get my deposit back and they say it should take no more than eight weeks. What a relief and I must credit Hays for advising me to hold on and not cancel. I hope to sail again some day but for now it's staycations for me!

It's a sign of the times when a cancelled cruise results in joy !

Fred Olsen were pretty good with my refund, it took about 7 weeks. Although I'm still waiting for my last £100 which was the deposit paid onboard. They are supposed to be paying it straight into my back account. On Tuesday, they told me it would be paid by 'the end of the week'. We shall see !