'P&O cancelled my cruise and banned me for life after I raised safety concerns'
A British holidaymaker and regular customer of P&O has had his cruise cancelled and been banned for life from using the firm again after he claims he raised safety concerns.
The company, however, say the drastic action was only taken after efforts to reach a reconciliation with Steve Kidd failed and he'd become involved in social media campaigning which used "incorrect information" and made his own threats to cancel future bookings.
Retiree and dad-of-two Steve, from Syderstone, Norfolk, had a two-week Caribbean cruise booked for later this month but took issue with having to fly out via Maleth Aero. As revealed by the Mirror, a chartered flight of the airline's in December flew through 'freak turbulence', allegedly without pre-warning, resulting in one passenger breaking her neck.
Steve, 66, says he and his wife Elaine, 62, were only told their flights to Antigua - due on January 27 from Gatwick - were to be chartered through Maleth after they'd paid the full total of their £2,994 holiday. The couple have joined various Facebook groups detailing safety concerns and other alleged problems regarding the airline, which P&O began using in November last year.
Steve and Elaine are keen travellers - and frequently with P&O (Steve Kidd)Some claim there are what cabin crew describe as maintenance 'holes' in the footwells which eject fumes throughout flights and toilets are used for storage, while flights are routinely delayed due to technical issues. In an email from P&O - seen by the Mirror - the firm informs Steve "it is thus no longer appropriate for you to travel with us", before telling him he will receive a refund for his booked cruise and any future bookings will be barred.
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P&O says Steve had already threatened to cancel and not book future cruises, as well as organising a "mass deputation" at the firm's head office to protest against the contract with Maleth, if he didn't "receive the remedy" he was seeking. It also accused him of peddling "incorrect information" seen on social media, and said it was "unfair" for staff to have to deal with him.
Steve and Elaine were booked on P&O Cruises new ship, Arvia (PA)The granddad-of-four reckons he and his wife have spent nearly £10,000 over five years of happy holidays with P&O but now he has been told he is no longer welcome on any of the company's trips.
He told the Mirror: "I did bombard them with a lot of screenshots from what people were saying on Facebook and said 'is this acceptable? Comments please'. I’ve done nothing malicious, I have suggested P&O should hold their heads in shame the way they’re treating people and that they’re a disgrace to the travel industry, but I've made no malicious threats to anybody to do with P&O and Maleth. I’ve basically conveyed to them what people are thinking about and relaying my own concerns about the safety for this airline that they were going to put me on."
While Steve's been banned Elaine is still welcome on board P&O cruises (Steve Kidd)Steve and Elaine were regular users of P&O, achieving Atlantic Tier status, having racked up more than 500 points during seven cruises to Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece and the Canary Islands. The last cruise they went on was in August last year. Steve said largely their experiences "have been fantastic and the ships are really lovely". In fact, they were both looking forward to boarding Arvia, the fleet's newest and biggest vessel, later this month.
"It was just the flights we had an issue with, but they're just not listening, they aren't taking anything on board," Steve continued. "I did say to them can we at least get P&O to admit they’ve made a grave error in signing up with Maleth? If they were to put a statement to that effect out, possibly that could allay a lot of people’s concerns. It may restore some confidence in them again.
Steve was told his booking was being cancelled and he was banned (P&O)"They have completely dismissed the whole thing...they can’t just sit there and take the compliments, they have to take the criticisms as well. They’re not listening to people. There’s a lot of frightened people out there who are petrified," he added. Steve believes the fact that he has become a bit of a 'ringleader' for complaints on group Arvia Caribbean Maleth means "they've really made an example of me".
"At the end of the day, I’m not too fussed...I’m done with them," he said. "I wouldn’t go with them if they offered me a free cruise. In one respect, I’m relieved that I don’t have to go on the flights anymore. There are other cruise lines out there equally as good, I can go with them. It’s just this trip we were really looking forward to with our friends. We’ll pick ourselves up and get over it, but it’s the principle of it. There’s a lot of people out there who are still absolutely crapping themselves about going on these Maleth flights.
The couple on a previous holiday (Steve Kidd)"My take on it, P&O have got no thoughts on the welfare and safety of their customers," he added. "I’ve been singled out because I’ve put myself forward to champion everyone’s complaints and concerns. I’m a rural Norfolk boy, usually easy going until someone upsets me. If something’s not right I’ll speak out. P&O can salvage all this and do the right thing. Put your hands up and say we’ve made a grave error."
An email sent to Steve from P&O on January 12 said in his correspondence with the company he had made "direct threats to cancel, threats of not booking any future cruises, and more recently 'a mass deputation' to our head office to protest about our contract with one of our airline partners, if you did not receive the remedy you were/are seeking".
They said such threats had "taken the form of requests for full apologies, compensations, changes to one of our airline partners, as well as statements of admission for alleged failings and mistakes on the part of P&O Cruises". They said many of his complaints were linked to social media posts "containing factually incorrect information" and despite being "fully explained...on several occasions" he has "continued to repeat the same assertions".
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Steve and Elaine were regular users of P&O, achieving Atlantic Tier status
The granddad-of-four reckons he and his wife have spent nearly £10,000 over five years of happy holidays with P&O (Steve Kidd)The email went on to say P&O has "taken great steps to reach an accommodation with you", reassuring him "of the relevant and applicable legislation and guidelines that this airline partner stringently adheres to", but the firm has decided his behaviour "clearly demonstrates we cannot cater for you" and it is "unfair" for staff to have to continue to "deal with your issues".
It concluded: "It is thus no longer appropriate for you to travel with us, or any of the Carnival group brands. This includes Cunard, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises. We will now make arrangements to cancel any bookings you have and to return any monies held in respect of the same to you, either directly or via a Travel Agent, dependent on how the booking was made. These will be actioned today and will be with you within 5 working days dependent on your bank.
"In the event that you seek to make any future booking with any Carnival brand notwithstanding the terms of this letter, then even if it is initially accepted (either directly or indirectly) we will cancel the booking. This decision does not apply to your wife, who is free to re-book any of the cancelled bookings she was a named passenger upon, should she wish to do so."
A P&O Cruises spokesperson told the Mirror: "This matter relates to the conduct of a potential customer where P&O Cruises took the view that the relationship had irretrievably broken down between the parties. We therefore cancelled the booking and issued a full refund.”
The Mirror has contacted Maleth for comment.
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