Cancellation!

Stan · 07-11-2008, 04:58 PM

Apparently the engine problems got too bad and our Elderhostel cruise was cancelled 3 days before we were to fly to London, boarding at Harwich on 13 July. Elderhostel offered full refund, and Discovery would pay any nonrefundable transportation fees. Alternatively Discovery would issue vouchers for $1000 each, applicable to a future Discovery cruise. Bingo! We are booked on their Black Sea cruise in October out of Istanbul. It is costing them a bundle to take the ship out of service in high season, but obviously they couldn't limp along any longer. It was nice to have Elderhostel behind us. There were only 35-40 Elderhostellers booked, but they have leverage others do not heve .

**middy** · 07-11-2008, 05:08 PM

Hi Stan. Welcome aboard CruisingTalk.

Thanks for the information,

Did they say if it was going in for repair?
Had to google Elderhostel, I'm enlightened now.

**Ally** · 07-12-2008, 04:08 AM

Welcome to the family Stan

Granted its annoying that your cruise was pulled...but having said that, it has to be said that VoD have probably been forced to take Discovery out of service as there have been a vast number of complaints regarding the messing up of cruise itineraries etc.

VoD handled the entire situation wrong from the start when the ship lost a crankshaft seal back in March. They might have rued the decision to continue come what may.

**Ally** · 07-12-2008, 05:01 AM

On the VoD website the cruise is listed, but with 'this cruise is no longer available' on the top...

Fjords, Faroes, Fire & Ice II Scandinavia, the Baltics, Russia & Iceland - Cruise

I hope they can get the repair done in the 12 days that they have before the next cruise, otherwise they will be in difficulties. Taking a ship out in high season is a high risk but with the number of people who have cancelled or were cancelled due to the problems, VoD were stuck tween a rock and a hard place. That does not change, however, the fact that the company did not handle this in a correct and open fashion. They have managed to alienate alot of their repeat cruisers and upset many first timers with them too and that will inevitably damage them in the longterm.

**Ally** · 07-12-2008, 08:59 AM

Seems another engine went on Discovery, hence the cancellation of this cruise.

Bad move on VoD's part as they should have expected the remaining engine might have problems with the extra load piled onto it.

**Ally** · 09-03-2008, 08:27 AM

I wonder if Brian has been following our main thread...especially as the ship has not been fixed yet