✉ We booked a 23-night package to South Africa with Imagine Cruising costing nearly £14,000. The first half of the trip comprised short stays in Zambia to see Victoria Falls and at the Pilanesberg National Park for game drives. We enjoyed this, but the second half of our holiday — a 12-night cruise with Azamara departing from Cape Town on January 27 that cost nearly £7,000 — was a calamity. Firstly, we weren’t allowed to explore three of our four ports of call beyond Cape Town unaccompanied because of the threat of violent crime. Instead, we were offered costly shore excursions for game drives or bus rides to soulless out-of-town shopping malls. At the very least Azamara should have made passengers aware of the situation before departure and given us the option to cancel with a full refund.
Additionally, my wife and I fell ill within days of boarding the ship. We later deduced through social-media groups that it had been sailing out of Cape Town on its 12-night rotations up and down the east coast of South Africa with a gastrointestinal condition affecting many passengers and crew. This had been the case for weeks before our departure and continued to be so for weeks after we disembarked. Azamara insists that this was norovirus brought on board by passengers.
We’ve written to Imagine and it has offered us an insulting £200 off our next trip. Can you help?
Paul Whyles
When I contacted Imagine about your trip it was quick to contact you to discuss your complaints. It liaised with Azamara and within a week you had been offered a £2,000 cash compensation settlement. This was “in acknowledgment of the impact these issues had on the enjoyment of Mr Whyles’ travel experience”, according to Imagine. You were tempted to refuse this offer and take your case to Abta, but because there was no guarantee of a higher sum you decided to accept it. An Azamara spokesperson said it constantly monitors safety developments in all the destinations it visits and adjusts ports of call and which excursions it offers as necessary to ensure the safety and security of its guests and crew. While there was a spark in gastro illnesses on board on a number of itineraries over the winter season, tests confirmed there was no norovirus on board, nor was there a problem with the ship’s water supply. It sincerely regrets you didn’t enjoy your trip.
✉ My wife and I booked a trip to the World Women’s Curling Championship, held in the Canadian town of Sidney last month, through Hays Travel. A few days before our departure date we were told by other people planning to go that we needed an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). We applied and received two email replies — my wife’s application was accepted, but we didn’t notice until the evening before we left that border control was asking for more information from me. We supplied what we thought was required, but at the gate for the Air Canada flight we were told that I didn’t have an ETA. My wife took the flight and I spent the next two days in London trying to navigate the problem — it turned out to be a historical driving conviction for which a report from Police Scotland was needed, and this took a further three days to obtain. Air Canada quoted me £1,200 to move my departure date; this situation is not covered under my travel insurance and Hays has washed its hands of me. Is there anything I can do to get my money back?
Hugh Parker
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It’s such a shame that you missed the tournament, but unfortunately I can’t help. It’s the responsibility of travellers to have the correct documents before they travel and airlines check these rigorously — they are fined if they allow passengers to fly without the required authority. Hays insists that passengers are guided through Foreign Office advice at the booking inquiry stage but it’s under no obligation to refund you and no insurance policy covers this situation. I’m sorry that you’ve learnt the hard way that it is essential to check the entry requirements of your destination at gov.uk and apply for visas long before your departure date.
✉ My husband has long wanted to visit the wine-growing area of Tuscany, and Montalcino in particular. I’d like to surprise him with a week’s stay there, with my sister and her husband invited along too. We’d like to travel after mid-September. What can you suggest?
Jane Smith
Il Miraggio in Val d’Orcia Relais & Spa, a revamped 15th-century farmhouse, is about 15 minutes’ drive from Montalcino (you’ll need a car because taxis are ludicrously expensive here). It has gorgeous views of the Unesco-protected Val d’Orcia and you can look out at the vineyards and olive trees while eating breakfast. There’s an outdoor pool, swish spa and excellent dining in the wine-cellar restaurant. Rooms have beamed ceilings and fabulous beds, and a week’s B&B in Caravaggio, one of its superior rooms, costs £2,025, departing on September 16 (ilmiraggioinvaldorcia.com).
Alternatively, stay at Argiano Dimore, one of the most prestigious wine estates in the area, producing Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino, as well as Solengo, the super-Tuscan of Montalcino. The guest rooms here are also in a converted farmhouse, with cool and contemporary decor, and there are beautiful gardens, plus a pool with a view; tours and tastings can be arranged. A week’s B&B in a superior room starts at £3,548 (argianodimore.it). Fly to Perugia or Florence.
✉ I’m a fan of art nouveau and would like to visit Nancy, one of the centres of French art nouveau and glass-making. The nearest airport I’ve been able to find is Luxembourg, then on by train or coach. Are you aware of any alternatives, maybe by train?
David Twells
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Nancy is known as the cradle of art nouveau, full of airy belle époque cafés and gorgeous curved façades. I’d definitely recommend train rather than plane; were you to fly to Luxembourg you’d then have a convoluted trip to Nancy taking several hours, while from London St Pancras the fastest rail journey is just over five hours via Paris (trainline.com). If you’d prefer an organised tour, Travel Editions has three nights’ B&B in October for £1,245pp, including rail travel, lectures and some extra meals; with a single supplement it’s £1,467 (traveleditions.co.uk).
✉ HF Holidays used to run my perfect group holiday, Rambling and Sketching, which was artist-led in a small friendly group. But it seems to have reduced its arty offerings and it’s all studio based and only for beginners (which I’m not). Is there anything else you could suggest?
Rose Duly
HF told me that it has retired its Rambling and Sketching for the moment but it has some new courses for more experienced artists, including Next Step Watercolour in the Peak District and Next Step Drawing in the South Downs. But these are studio based and so you might prefer to head down to Cornwall for the three-day Seascapes and Landscapes course at the Newlyn Art School, led by the coastal painter Paul Lewin. It’s mainly outdoors so you would get the chance to explore some of west Cornwall’s dramatic coves and cliff tops and it costs £450pp (newlynartschool.co.uk). Stay a two-minute walk away at the Panorama Guest House, where B&B rooms start at £68 (panoramaguesthouse.co.uk).
Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk
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