Brief cases: money back on a disappointing ‘dream’ holiday

Why does Which? not name the company??. Does it deserve the protection of anonymity?

Yes, we were on a holiday to Madeira when the plane could not land there because of tropical storms. We were accommodated overnight on another island less affected by the weather and then returned to the UK. The travel operator compensated us satisfactorily with another holiday in Cyprus to the same standard as the one that was abandoned. The weather was also much better.

Natural disasters and weather events are normally covered in the small print. There are other force majeure matters which is why you have travel insurance.

There is an immediacy question as to how far removed can the incident be from the time you are effected. Also could the operator have made reasonable efforts to reduce the effects.

I have an outstanding case which when I have time to pursue involving Fred Olsen. The ship was delayed an extra day in Singapore for food and other supplies that were being shipped from Europe. The container ship was delayed by rough weather in the Atlantic.

Now rough weather in early spring the Atlantic is not news.
That container ships run tight schedules is not news.
That the ship would be delayed must have been apparent at least two days before docking.
Does Fred Olsen carry an insurance or have penalty clauses for late delivery? You might think so.

so what was done

Passengers were advised about 4-5 p.m. after staggering back after a second hard day being a tourist in a humid tropical country. Knocking yourself out to make the most of the last day ahead of a sea day.
Stop in the Andaman Islands was cancelled
A new group of speakers boarded in Singapore but rather than deliver the talks on the scheduled sea day that was now in a stay in port day nothing at all was arranged.
No refund for the missed island call
The weather on the third day was very murky and started with a lightning and thunder storm than ran for several hours. Being entertained by talks or a film would not have gone amiss.

Incidentally it was a good cruise in terms of place gone to but in the small ship arena FO’s entertainment side is not very good at all compared to CMV where they make decisions on-board and are flexible.

in 2016 my wife and I were on a SAGA holiday to Uzbekistan, along with some 33 other mainly elderly customers. The flights out and back were very poor, long flights in very vcramped conditions poor food and surly stewardesses. The first stop was in the far NW of the country (Khiva) wher the first breakfast was served open-buffet style with hundreds of flies. for the next ten days EVERY customer suffered vomiting and Diarrhoea with only evr 20-25 of the 35 even able toleave their rooms on the tour, and one lady hospitalised for 3 days in Bukhara. It was truly a nightmare holiday.
I completed the feedback response to SAGA (as did the others) but it was met with silence. I e-mailed subsequently asking what compensation would be made, but again no response.
The only action SAGA took was to re-advertise this trip (with an unchanged itinerary) as “an adventure holiday” (where “some Hardship”) might be experienced.
I have NEVER booked another SAGA holiday despite the usual deluge of brochures, and will not do so, and have shared this experience widely with friends. BEWARE SAGA HOLIDAYS !!!
Am I now too late to take legal action against SAGA for the loss of at least 2 days in full due to the illness suffered along with others and the discomfort throughout the wholetrip ??