A couple who forked out more than £3,000 for a cruise getaway have been left devastated after their holiday was cancelled just a month before they were due to go - because their cabin is to be used as a Covid-19 isolation room instead.
Devastated couple Claire Bromley, 58, who uses a wheelchair, and husband Keith, 62, booked the two-week P&O cruise across the Canaries last year. The disappointed pair will now be heading for a break in Blackpool instead, which they admitted was a "bit of a step down" from what they had planned.
P&O Cruises blamed 'Covid protocols' for the cancellation, with the couple's disabled cabin set to be used as an isolation room. The company apologised to the Bromleys after being contacted by StokeonTrentLive.
Although the couple, from Silverdale in Staffordshire, were refunded the money they paid for the cruise by P&O, Claire says she has lost around £500 she had paid in insurance due to health issues. Claire suffers with muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition which causes muscles to weaken over time.
The livid pair say P&O have let them down after they had used the company for a "long time". They are now refusing to ever book a trip with the cruise line again.
Claire said: "We thought it was a joke. I asked why and they said it’s because they want to use my disabled cabin as an isolation cabin - we were really disappointed about that.
“I asked if they could offer me another cabin and they said all the others are full. I am really disgusted.
“A disabled cabin is bigger to take the wheelchair and it’s got a walk in shower. It’s not fair.
“If we are on the 15th deck and someone has got it (Covid) on the 12th you’re not going to move them to the 15th because they will contaminate the ship, if you get Covid you should stay in your own cabin not move.”
P&O Cruises refunded the couple the cost of the trip but told StokeonTrentLive they were working to resolve the issue. However, Claire and Keith have since booked a break to Blackpool instead.
Claire added: "We were excited because we had been trying to book a cruise for over three years. When we knew we were on this one, we were really happy.
“From going on a cruise to going to Blackpool is a bit of a step down. We’ve used them for a long time and they’ve let us down.
“I asked for compensation and they said we can have £400 each but have got to spend it on a P&O ship. We didn’t take it because we didn’t want to go with P&O again.
“I wouldn’t recommend them to anybody. It feels like they’ve kicked us in the teeth.
“They waited for it to be three weeks before boarding before deciding they wanted it for an isolation cabin. We are so mad we want everybody to know about it.”
A spokeswoman for P&O Cruises said: “We are so sorry that Mrs Bromley had this experience which was due to our Covid protocols. We are working with her travel agent to resolve this and ensure she has the holiday she planned.”
