Please help advise needed!!!!

[wiggins]

Please help.
My parents booked a cruise on 30th june 2006 which was due to leave on 2nd sept.
Since then my mum has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and told not to travel.
The holiday was nearly £2000 and the company have said pretty much" sorry to hear about that but because the trip was to be cancelled so late they would only receive around 5% of their money back, which equates to about £95.

We only received the diagnosis letter last thursday 17/08/06.

Any advise on what we can do ????

[AndyE]

Sorry to hear about your mum. Any travel insurance in place? Try also to find out what the cruise firms generaly cancellation policy is. Contractually you might not have any recourse, but nice pleading letters to senior management may help.

[Brick Driver]

Very unfortunate about your mother. However, most decent travel insurance companies should pay out if the illness was diagnosed after booking but before travel.

[wiggins]

well we received a cheque today for £92.47. nice to see they care..

[Brick Driver]

If the holiday was paid in full you should be entitled to all of the money back including the deposit.

[wiggins]

Never even paid a deposit, the trip was paid in full at the time of booking.

[Bookworm]

You haven't answered the question: Did your parents take holiday insurance or not?

There are different routes to take depending on the answer, so please tell us first.

[wiggins]

they had insurance yes but it was part of the lloyds platinum account.

[Brick Driver]

Then claim off the insurance. If the illness was diagnosed after the time of booking they will pay out the full cost of the holiday.