Andreas D. had imagined his vacation on the TUI Mein Schiff 2 differently Photo: private
Bremerhaven – Corona does not stop, not even on the high seas!
The industry leaders such as AIDA, MSC and TUI Cruises have developed proper hygiene concepts. Nevertheless, tours have to be canceled again and again because the number of passengers or crew testing positive is too dangerous.
Just as in these two cases:
Case 1: The "Mein Schiff 1", which belongs to TUI Cruises (Hamburg), left Bremerhaven on Wednesday evening, heading for the Caribbean, leaving several hundred customers behind. "To protect guests and crew, we will reintroduce stricter load limits on longer voyages," says Friederike Gronemeyer of TUI Cruises. "We know that this is a big disappointment for the guests who were looking forward to their time on board."
Such a beautiful ship, but the TUI Mein Schiff 2 is currently not allowed to depart from Barbados (Caribbean) Photo: private
Case 2: The 939 cruise tourists on the "Mein Schiff 2" were stuck in Barbados (Atlantic Ocean). On the pot there were according to guests already at the embarkation on 14. January Corona cases with crew. "This was concealed from us passengers," says BILD reader Andreas D. (54) from Dortmund, who is now back home again. A TUI spokeswoman: "The trip had to be canceled, because among the infected were important parts of the restaurant crew and so the service to the guest could no longer be guaranteed."
In both cases, BILD naturally asked and TUI Cruises promptly replied:
"In both cases, we will of course pay the travel costs for the services booked via TUI Cruises in full (trip cancellation Mein Schiff 1) or. pro rata (trip cancellation Mein Schiff 2) reimburse. So that guests can make up for the trip, we have given them a 10 percent discount on a cruise of their choice in both cases mentioned as a small reparation (until 31.12.2022) offered. There is no basis for more due to the unpredictable and unavoidable Corona circumstances."
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Cancellation before the cruise
Andreas Bohnes is one of Germany’s best-known cruise experts. The ship’s consultant assures: "If a cancellation of the complete trip occurs before departure, the guest is automatically refunded the full price of the trip." Clear case for Bohnes!
Interesting: guests who have individually booked a journey to the cruise and thus do not fall under the Package Travel Act, so the experience during the entire Corona time, are not left alone. Bohnes says: "Of course the return journey was organized here and was paid also. This is however a voluntary assistance on the part of the organizer, therefore my fundamental recommendation to book absolutely the journey and departure package of the tour operator and to do up-to-date without individual journeys."
Tip from Bohnes: "Guests who want to combine their cruise with a hotel stay should plan the stay EXCLUSIVELY after the cruise, since you can be excluded in principle with a pre-stay at the starting port, for safety reasons and for the protection of all guests and crew, from being taken on the cruise, if the incidence at the starting port is classified as ‘too risky’ by the shipping company."
Cancellation during the voyage
If the tour operator decides to cancel the trip, the tour operator takes obligatory care (here the Package Travel Act applies, d.Red.) to ensure the return journey of the guests on board. Costs incurred in this connection are also obligatory to be covered by the tour operator / shipping company. Bohnes explains, "In such cases, the guest is often also voluntarily offered an attractive discount on the next travel booking. Costs incurred by a guest in advance of a trip (test costs, cab, d.Red.) if a trip had to be canceled, can be sent to the tour operator for reimbursement of costs."
If a trip is terminated prematurely, each guest will be reimbursed the full trip price per day for the days on board not used.
BILD reporter Kai Franzke Jr. (27) already visited a few cruise ships during the Corona period (u.a. TUI, AIDA etc.) and always felt safe on board. Here in conversation with Captain Peter Schade on the AIDAblu Photo: Christian Spreitz
AIDA solves it this way:
Guests will be compensated 50 percent of the trip price per day for days spent on board, and 100 percent of days lost due to trip interruption will be reimbursed.
The exact amount of compensation is calculated based on the price paid for the trip, excluding flight. In addition, the guests receive an on-board credit of 100 (single travelers) or. 200 euros (couples) for a new booking until 31.3.2022.
How to book the right protection:
With HanseMerkur’s special Corona supplementary cover, which guests can take out in addition to their TUI Cruises travel cancellation insurance (or. TUI Cruises premium protection) can take out, the cruise line offers the best possible coverage for a worry-free vacation.
In the event of illness during the voyage, the insured guests are optimally covered by the TUI Cruises international health and emergency cover (already included in the TUI Cruises premium cover), even on site. All medical treatment costs, including those related to COVID-19, are covered by TUI Cruises International Medical and Emergency Protection (resp. TUI Cruises premium protection) covered. For 86 euros per couple – but with a deductible.