The Cruise Booking That Went Wrong
A family of four books a seven-night South Pacific cruise through your travel agency. The package includes flights, a pre-cruise hotel night, and the cruise. The total price is $9,800. Two weeks before departure, the cruise line changes the itinerary, removing one port and adding a sea day. The family is upset because the removed port was the main reason for the trip. The airline has also changed the flight time, making the connection in Sydney only 55 minutes. The family asks for a full refund. Your agency's terms say deposits are non-refundable and itinerary changes are outside your control. The cruise line offers a $200 onboard credit per cabin.
1. Explain the consumer law and contract issues raised by the itinerary change and the flight connection, and advise the family of their options.
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The agency must be accurate and not misleading about what it can control. The cruise line's itinerary change is likely permitted by its terms, but the agency should check the specific conditions and whether the change is significant. Under Australian Consumer Law, services must be fit for purpose and delivered with due care, and terms that attempt to exclude all liability may be unfair. The 55-minute connection is a real risk: if the flights were booked as one ticket, the airline is responsible for rebooking; if separate tickets, the family bears the risk. The agency should explain this clearly, document the advice, and offer options: accept the change and the onboard credit, request a goodwill gesture, or cancel subject to the supplier's cancellation fees. A full refund is unlikely because the suppliers' terms apply, but the agency should not simply hide behind the terms; it should advocate for the family and explain the reasoning.
2. What would you document and communicate, and how would you handle the family's request for a full refund?
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Document the original itinerary, the change notice, the date and time of communication, the family's response, and the options offered. Put advice in writing, including the connection risk and the supplier terms. Acknowledge the disappointment and explain what is and is not within the agency's control. Offer the onboard credit, ask the cruise line for a goodwill gesture, and check whether travel insurance covers itinerary changes. If the family cancels, calculate the cancellation fees and explain them before acting. Do not promise a refund you cannot deliver. Escalate to a supervisor if needed and keep a record of the complaint and resolution.