Send As SMS

CRUISE LINKS (with Gary Bembridge)

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Troubled QM2's voyages cancelled

 
Cruise liner Queen Mary 2, which saw passengers up-in-arms during a troubled trip last month, has sailed into further difficulties.
Owner Cunard has cancelled two future voyages so the propeller pod problem, which led to a threatened passenger sit-in, can be sorted out.
Passengers on the Southampton-based ship were furious when stops on a Latin American cruise were scrapped.
The company offered passengers a refund to ward off the threatened sit-in.
Payments made
Cunard said on Tuesday that the vessel would have to go into dry dock for repairs in May and then again in November.
A 12-day Mediterranean cruise in May has been cancelled and replaced with a six-day Norwegian fjords voyage.
A seven-night Caribbean cruise in November has also been cancelled and replaced with a seven-night Southampton to Fort Lauderdale transatlantic sailing, which has been put back one week.
The problem has also led to alterations to other schedules.
Passenger Liz Plevey, from Coventry, who is booked on a Rio de Janeiro to New York cruise in April, said: "I sought assurances from Cunard that my cruise would proceed as scheduled, and was told there were no problems. I made my final payment last week.
"I now find that visits to Salvador in Brazil and Fort Lauderdale (in Florida) have been cancelled, and St Thomas in the Virgin Islands substituted. I used to live there, so it won't be very exciting for me."

Yahoo! Photos – NEW, now offering a quality print service from just 8p a photo.

posted by Gary B at 2/16/2006 09:45:49 PM