Life – Terror. Ecstasy. Fight. Denial. Flight. Failure. PAIN. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Hope. Love. Peace – Death.
Monday 3rd, a new [heart] appointment, a repeat, CT Angiogram with Calcium Score. Wednesday, 5th arranged to run consecutively 3.00pm the Royal followed by a 4.00pm Radiation session, Clatterbridge, Cancer Hospital, Liverpool (next to the Royal Liverpool Hospital).
Tuesday (4th), early evening, 6.30-7.00pm, just after arriving home from daily radiotherapy (session 7 of 20), a mobile call from “Radiology”, my Wednesday, session 8 appointment was cancelled, “Radiology” I assumed radiotherapy? The schedule has very little wiggle room for us to make our trip on the 24th. A single cancellation is still doable but two, or three?
I asked about the following day & the rest of the schedule, if there was a mechanical issue, with one of the radiation machines, my treatment might be suspended?
Next day, I turned up for my Heart scan [2.00pm] at the Royal, as arranged. It had been cancelled.
I had confused the call the previous day, it was the Royal who had rang, their appointment that was cancelled not Clatterbridge, radiation therapy. As we were actually in the Royal, next door to Clatterbridge, it was possible to complete my radio therapy appointment (early).
Before I left, Heart [Radiology Clinic], The Royal, Liverpool, confirmed a new Cardio Angiogram & Calcium Scoring, CT appointment, 17th March, just prior to our trip!
I was feeling a bit ruff, had been since the night before and again today (Wednesday), ackey back, kidneys, cold, colder than usual, This, appointments mix-up, didn’t help.
5.00pm, Driving home, my mobile rings. Serious voice, “ I have some really important information for you concerning your upcoming Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) cruise”. “please listen to what I have to say, then you can ask questions.” He, (Guy), introduced himself as a representative of NCL, part of an ’emergency crisis team’ assembled to deal with this sudden “crisis”. He was calling us and many other passengers to inform them of what was happening. We had booked the trip via Jetline Cruises, a travel company we had used, satisfactorily, previously.
Guy, “Jetline have not paid for your cruise, we have information that they have ‘filled for administration/bankruptcy’ (4/3/25), in effect, Jetline have gone bust”! Jetline had paid NCL a deposit and owed a substantial balance, the majority of the payment, was overdue.
We had paid Jetline the full amount, not just for the NCL cruise element but also; all flights, our transfers and hotels to the tune of £6k+ Paid, in full. months ago. Guy, told us ‘if we still wanted to book the cruise that we have 48 hours to pay (again) in full’.
Pay again? Or lose all of it, everything.
Guy, advised, “in his experience, when travel companies go bust it usually follows that ALL elements of a booking would be in the same state, in our case not just our Asian cruise but all connecting flights, hotels, transfers etc. All not paid for.”
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!
By the time he had finished we were home, sitting motionless in the car. Both of us feeling, physically, ill. We spoke, I’m not sure what was said….
Guy, advised a priority list;
Airline – check if flights paid for/tickets issued,
Credit Card Company (assuming we had paid by credit card) – See if payments are protected, ‘goods and services’ Act.,
Insurance (Holiday) – cancellation/insolvency protection,
ATOL – UK Travel Agents Customer Protection,
Hotel(s),
Transfers.
Any other extras.
Gail flipped into full on CAB mode, she totally stepped up! Still very much in shock we both managed to get quite a bit sorted between 5.00-6.00pm. As advised, Gail rang Emirates. Due to differences in time zones, I, emailed Jetstar, (Bali Airline).
Remarkably, our flights appeared to be secure, Manchester Dubai – Dubai Singapore. Bali Sydney and Sydney Manchester. We requested confirmations and both obliged sending us confirmations within the hour. Flights possible? A huge chunk of the overall expense, and considering the short deadline to find alternatives, logistically, the most difficult and expensive components to replace (buy again).
Researching via the Jetline Travel invoices I discovered two sub companies they use(d) to book hotel rooms [Beds Online] and Transfers [Hoopa]. 1.00am [Singapore time], I emailed, Furamma Riverside Hotel, Singapore who replied 6.30am (UK Time). From the details I had provided they could not find a booking? I replied with a further Beds Online reference and received confirmation of our booking, by return email.
Our Singapore, two night hotel booking is secure.
Transfers – from Hotel to Cruise ship we have already received a confirmation and travel voucher. From Singapore airport to Hotel, (no voucher). I found some paperwork that identifies the companies concerned. They are companies who exclusively deal with travel agents. They will not respond, correspond with individuals, only the ‘company’ who booked their services (in our case Jetline).
We have an ATOL certificate for the trip.
ATOL Protection should mean that we (or Master Card) have a good chance of refunding some, if not all, of the costs. This can take time….. (approx. 6 months).
However, after terrifyingly checking bank and credit card records, we had paid all (3) payments for the trip via a Halifax Master Card (credit card). Mastercard have to cover any losses for ‘goods or services not received’. Customers can request a ‘chargeback’ from a bank or card provider if you paid: with a debit card under ‘Section 75’. With a debit or credit card through a, Buy Now Pay Later provider. However, until an ‘administration solicitors’ and or the date of travel (goods or services) has past (25/3/25) my provider (Halifax) cannot instigate chargeback.
Insurance – We had a 12 months multi-trip travel insurance policy in place when we booked the trip (December ’24). that had elapsed a week ago. I doubt that would stand up.
As things stand, we have a fighting chance of still making our epic, 2 month, trip.
Cancellation would have had wider implications. There are other elements, outside of the Jetline Cruise, that, not just affect us but also, my sister and her daughter (my niece) families. After Singapore – Malaysia – Thailand – Indonesia cruise we had booked a family villa in Bali for two weeks.
After Bali Gail and I are continuing on to Sydney to spend a month with Perri, our daughter and our Ozzy grandsons. The flights are in situ (confirmed). We had to (re)pay the cruise element (no small change but that’s why they invented credit cards). We may have to pay for new transfers. Possibly even hotels and a few other, forgotten about, expenses, but, and it’s a VERY BIG BUT we should be able to reclaim all/some/most of that back.
We are lucky? In that we have sufficient cash flow that can accommodate the not insubstantial, unexpected, expenses, to cover everything until we, eventually, get it back. I am so fucking happy that we paid for everything via credit card and not by bank transfer!
We will know more as the days unfold.
Thanks for Reading
#Peace
Dying to Live 