Financial protection

The combination of travel services offered to you by P&O Cruises is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Therefore, you will benefit from all EU rights applying to packages. P&O Cruises will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole. Additionally, as required by law, P&O Cruises has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that it becomes insolvent. 

Please click here for more information on key rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.  You can view a copy of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here.

Consumer Protection Memberships

ATOL

The fly-cruises on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. Our ATOL number is 6294. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. All non-fly cruises sold in the UK are protected by ABTA. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for further information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: http://www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

ABTA

We are a member of ABTA, (membership number V8764) which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. You can use ABTA's approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process if you have a complaint that is not resolved. For more information please see www.abta.com. 

 

Guest rights when travelling by sea

EU Regulation 1177/2010 concerning the right of guests when travelling by sea became effective in the EU on 18th December 2012. It applies to any disabled person or person with reduced mobility booking a cruise where the port of embarkation is in the EU, including guests who book outside the EU but embark in the EU. It also applies to guests affected by delay and cancellation of services (see our Booking Conditions). "Disabled person" or "Person with reduced mobility" means any person whose mobility when using transport is reduced as a result of any physical disability (whether sensory, locomotor, permanent or temporary), intellectual or psychosocial disability or impairment or any other cause of disability or impairment or as a result of age, and whose situation needs appropriate attention and adaptation to his/her particular needs for the services made available to all guests.

Set out below is some general information to help you understand your rights under this Regulation. Please note, however, that this is not intended to be a comprehensive guide. Should you require further information relating to the Regulation please refer to the guidance documents that can be found on the Department for Transport (DfT) website.

For Irish guests

European guests excluding Ireland, UK and Germany

Right to Transport

Your request to travel cannot be refused solely on the grounds of disability or reduced mobility, and you are entitled to travel at no extra cost, under the same conditions that apply to all other guests.

 

Exceptions

Guest need to bear in mind that ships are fundamentally different from other buildings ashore e.g. hotels and, whilst every effort will be made to accept a booking, a request to travel can and may be refused if we cannot carry a guest in a safe and operationally feasible manner, taking into account any issues relating to the design of the ship or port infrastructure and equipment including port terminals which may make it impossible to carry out the embarkation, disembarkation or carriage of a guest and which may have an impact on the guest's safety and comfort. If, for any reason, your travel is refused we shall inform you immediately and you can request that the reason for the refusal is put in writing to you within five working days.

 

Right to assistance in ports and on board

You are entitled to assistance in embarking and disembarking the ship, assistance with baggage and/or any specific medical equipment that you may be carrying, and also assistance in making your way to any public toilet facilities.

 

Notice

You should notify us of the nature of your disability, your need for assistance and of any specific equipment you are intending on bringing as early as possible but in any event at the very least 48 hours before you are due to travel. If you have been unable to provide us with this information with at least 48 hours notice we shall still make all reasonable efforts to provide the assistance that you require to enable you to travel.

 

Accompanying Person

After assessing your specific requirements, we may require that you are accompanied by an individual who can assist you during your cruise if we consider that this is necessary for your safety and comfort. Please note that such an accompanying person is not entitled to travel free of charge.

 

Loss of or damage to Mobility or other Specific Equipment

If any damage is caused to mobility or other specific equipment used by a disabled person or person with reduced mobility as a result of our fault or neglect then, subject to our absolute discretion, we shall either repair or replace the equipment.

 

Complaints Handling

We have our own complaints handling procedure for dealing with any complaints regarding your cruise and you should follow the same procedure for any complaints you may have relating to the complaints regulation (see our Booking Conditions). Any complaints must be made in writing within 1 month from the date on which the service was performed and we we aim to respond to you within 28 days. If you are still not satisfied then you may refer the matter to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Arbitration scheme which can be used for disputes relating to alleged breaches of contract and/or negligence claims or the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Conciliation Scheme which can be used specifically for disputes relating to personal injury and sickness, full details of both may be found at www.abta.com.

Please click the PDF link below for a summary of provisions concerning the rights of passengers travelling by sea:

European Commission summary concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway

Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights

The Members of the Cruise Lines International Association are dedicated to the comfort and care of all guests on oceangoing cruises throughout the world. To fulfil this commitment, our Members have agreed to adopt the following set of guest rights:

1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master’s concern for guest safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
   
   
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is cancelled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
   
   
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
   
   
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
   
   
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
   
   
6. The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
   
   
7. The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the guest’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures. 
   
   
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures. 
   
   
9. The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations. To contact P&O Cruises, please call 0800 368 4885. 
   
   
10. The right to have this Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website.