Cruise Holiday Complaints

A cruise package — where transport, accommodation, and on-board meals are sold together — is almost always a package under the PTRs 2018. This means the cruise line or tour operator is responsible for the performance of all elements, including:

• Shore excursions booked through the cruise line (though not those booked independently in port)
• On-board accommodation and catering
• The published itinerary

If the organiser makes a significant alteration before departure (e.g., replacing a major destination with a lesser one), you have the right to cancel for a full refund or accept an alternative package. During the cruise, missed ports or short visits may give rise to price reduction claims if they represent a material failure of the contracted holiday.

Cruise lines sometimes deviate from the published itinerary due to weather, technical issues, or commercial decisions. Your entitlements depend on the reason:

• Weather or safety (extraordinary circumstances): The cruise line may avoid liability for compensation but must still fulfil its duty of care and make reasonable alternative arrangements.
• Commercial or operational decisions: If a port is missed for non-extraordinary reasons (e.g., scheduling changes, commercial port arrangements), you may be entitled to a price reduction proportionate to the value of that port to the overall package.

Document any missed ports, shortened stops, or substituted destinations. Review the cruise line's terms and conditions carefully — many contain broad "itinerary change" clauses, but these cannot override PTRs 2018 rights in the UK.

If you suffer personal injury or illness on a cruise ship, your legal position depends on the cause:

• On-board illness from poor hygiene (e.g., norovirus outbreak): You may have a negligence claim against the cruise line if you can show the outbreak was caused or worsened by inadequate hygiene measures. Keep medical records and report all illness to the ship's medical centre.
• Accidents on board: The Athens Convention 2002, implemented in UK law, limits the cruise line's liability for death or personal injury to around SDR 400,000 (approximately £450,000). This limit is higher if the cruise line is found to be at fault.
• Shore excursion accidents: If booked through the cruise line, the line is liable under the PTRs 2018. If booked independently, you must claim directly against the local operator.

Steps for pursuing a cruise complaint:

1. Report on board: Raise issues with the ship's guest relations team immediately. Obtain written confirmation of any complaint and any response or offer made.
2. Write formally within 28 days of returning home to the cruise line's UK customer service team, including all evidence.
3. ABTA ADR: Most major cruise lines are ABTA members. If your complaint is unresolved after 8 weeks, use ABTA's Alternative Dispute Resolution service.
4. CLIA: The Cruise Lines International Association also has a member code of conduct and can apply pressure in egregious cases.
5. County court: Personal injury and other significant claims may ultimately require litigation. A specialist travel law solicitor can advise on merits and funding.

Beyond the PTRs 2018 and the Athens Convention, cruise passengers can use mainstream consumer law tools to strengthen their claims — particularly when the cruise line is slow to respond or disputes liability.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974

If you paid for your cruise by credit card and the total transaction was between £100 and £30,000, Section 75 makes your card issuer jointly liable with the cruise operator for any breach of contract or misrepresentation. This is valuable in several scenarios:

• The cruise line collapses before or during the voyage and cannot provide or refund.
• The cruise line disputes liability for on-board illness but your credit card provider accepts the evidence of breach.
• The line refuses a PTRs 2018 refund for a cancelled or significantly altered package.

Submit a Section 75 claim in writing to your card issuer's disputes team, supported by your booking confirmation, ATOL certificate (if applicable), and evidence of the breach (medical records, photographs, written complaints made on board).

Consumer Rights Act 2015: services on board

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA 2015) applies to all services delivered on the cruise — including catering, entertainment, excursions, and on-board retail. Each service must be delivered with reasonable skill and care. If, for example, a shore excursion booked through the line was conducted negligently (unsafe equipment, unqualified guides), this is a CRA 2015 service failure that the line is liable for under both the CRA 2015 and the PTRs 2018.

Unfair terms in cruise contracts

Cruise contracts commonly include sweeping "itinerary change" clauses, liability cap provisions, and exclusions for on-board services. Under the CRA 2015, terms are unfair and unenforceable if they create a significant imbalance to the consumer's detriment contrary to the requirement of good faith. A term that purports to remove all liability for a missed itinerary port due to "operational reasons" — which are not extraordinary circumstances — is potentially unfair and can be challenged. The CMA has published guidance on unfair terms in holiday contracts and can take enforcement action against operators using systematically unfair terms.