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Complaints and evidence after a cruise

If a promised service is unavailable on a cruise or differs from what was agreed, keeping a factual record can help clarify what happened later. Two questions are important: What was booked, and what actually happened? The appropriate contact and any applicable rights depend, among other things, on whether the service was part of a package holiday or booked separately.

Keep records and document what happened

• Keep the booking confirmation, service description, invoice and any changes together.
• Make a note of the date, time, place and sequence of events: What service was expected, what was cancelled or differed, and whom did you speak to on site?
• Keep messages and written confirmations from the provider, and document any additional expenses with receipts.
• If something differed from what was agreed, record what alternative was offered or actually used.

A brief timeline helps put individual records in context: it links the booking documents, messages and personal expenses in the order they occurred. The documentation makes it possible to follow what happened, but on its own it does not determine whether you are entitled to anything.

Find the right contact

The EU overview distinguishes package holidays from separately booked travel services and linked travel arrangements. For a package holiday, the organiser is responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included—even when individual services are provided by other companies. By contrast, separately booked services may involve a direct contract with a local provider. That is why the booking confirmation matters: it shows who sold the service and which components are included in the package.

For an EU package holiday, complaints can also be submitted through the retailer from whom the trip was purchased. The European Commission also identifies the names and contact details of the organiser and, where applicable, the retailer, as well as the complaints procedure, as important information to provide before booking. These rules apply to the relevant EU package travel contract; they do not automatically apply to every service booked separately or every trip outside this framework.

Keep deadlines and entitlements distinct

Rights and deadlines depend on the contract, the type of trip, the provider and the applicable law. Gathering the documents may help resolve the matter later, but it is no substitute for reviewing the specific contract. General information about package holidays also cannot determine whether a refund or other remedy is owed in a particular case.

The EU overview of package holidays and linked travel arrangements explains the EU regulatory framework and the responsibilities and complaints information set out in it.

Photo: Alesia Belaya