Is it case of ‘you cruise, you lose’?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

We had to cancel a trip and are not happy with the firm’s response (Getty/iStock)

Q We paid a deposit of £690 to a cruise travel agent for a two-week cruise, due to sail January 2020. Unfortunately we cannot go now due to unforeseen circumstances. I contacted the firm to see if we could rebook on one of their cheaper cruises instead. They declined, saying we must rebook on an equivalent-priced cruise. This is not possible for us, so given that we have given 12 months notice, I requested a part refund.

We were then told that we must forfeit the whole deposit and pay a further cancellation fee of £50. Failing that they say they will be billing us for the entire cruise whether we go or not.

What do you advise?