My complaint:
We booked a cruise through an agency about eight months ago for the 80th birthday of my mother-in-law we followed all the procedures and as they lived in the UK we took them for PCR test the day before. Unfortunately on the day of checking in they received positive results. Now this isn’t the problem, we fully understand this procedure for COVID and how serious it is. Your team at the cruise terminal are excellent and very sympathetic, unfortunately they did leave us waiting outside for two hours but this was just due to how busy they all were. Eventually a very helpful guy come and explained the situation to us and told us that as we haven’t caught the virus on board the ship so it was not their responsibility. He did offer to find us accommodation for the quarantine period but as 2 of us are residents here in Spain we didn’t need it.
After a lot of tears, disappointment and the general terror that my in-laws were feeling after finding out they were positive we returned home.
The following day I proceeded with the insurance claim. I have supplied the necessary paper work all invoices etc. We are in quarantine for 10 days my mother in law is terrified by the fact that she has COVID and we are trying to keep a distance so we don’t catch it either.
I called the Travel agency with whom we booked and they were excellent. They asked about our health and well being. They sympathised with the fact that my mother in law had missed her birthday present etc.
Then I had to ring MSC to obtain invoices for the extras we had booked direct. This is where things went wrong.
After asking for my booking reference I was asked ‘Why are you calling this number when you are on the cruise already?’
I explained the situation and what had happened.
She did not have one bit of interest. No offer of sympathy or help. Didn’t even ask if we were ok after I told her we were in confinement. I then asked her for the invoices she told me I have them already by email and I should of kept them. I said I had mislaid them so could she resend them. ‘No you need to go to your account online and get them’
‘I have tried already and it won’t accept my booking number’, I told her. Then you need to try again she said.
With that I ended the call and called Vayacruceros again.
They have said they will contact MSC and get us the correct papers.
The idea was that if the insurance company pay us compensation we would rebook the same cruise next for June 2022 but I now have some serious reservations as to whether I should or not.
I know there is probably nothing that can be done now but I just thought this should be brought to your attention.
Again I repeat the team at the terminal were all so nice and helpful.
Suggested solution:
Compensate me
