P&O Ferries has temporarily cancelled its services amid an ongoing staffing crisis – but what does it mean if you were waiting to board one of the boats?
The cancellations mean boats are stuck in ports for the “next few days” and plenty of Brits are wondering if they’ll be able to get a refund for their ferry ticket.
1
This morning P&O made the announcement that all 800 members of its staff would be axed with almost immediate effect.
The decision to cull all the workers was to plug a £100million black hole.
But it meant customers and passengers have been left in limbo with the loss of their transport service.
They were booted off ferries and told to await “further instructions” this morning – but what does it mean next?
Can I get a refund or compensation if my trip doesn’t go ahead?
If your cruise has been cancelled the operator should offer you the choice of either an alternative trip or a refund.
Unlike EU regulations that protect passengers from airline cancellations, there is no fixed amount of compensation owed to you in these kinds of situation.
You may be entitled to compensation through the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Act 2018.
You’ll only be able to claim the cash if the tour operator was unable to put the trip right again.
And you won’t get a payout if the cruise was cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances.
Will I get a refund if I cancel it?
Typically if you cancel your trip then you wouldn’t be able to claim compensation and you may have to pay a cancellation fee.
In any normal circumstance you might be able to claim on your travel insurance too, depending on the policy, so it’s always worth checking the small print before you set off.
Most read in Money
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team?
