"At home, he needs round-the-clock care from a rota of eight carers, so we made extra bookings for three to accompany him. Because the care team has other commitments, I couldn't confirm their names at the time of booking and was told to do so by this April, when the balance had to be paid. I duly did so, and was told that I needed to pay a 75 fee for each name change, and that the care team would each lose the $325 (239) onboard credit that was part of the original booking."
"I then received a notice informing me that the wheelchair-accessible riverboat excursion I had booked for us all was non-transferable, so would be cancelled and refunded for the three care workers. Since the riverboat trip is no longer listed, I can't rebook them. I have complained to no avail. We wouldn't have this problem if he didn't have a disability, so it seems highly discriminatory."
"You are right: this potentially falls foul of the Equality Act, which outlaws policies or practices that disadvantage people with a disability. Royal Caribbean reacted with speed when I pointed this out. Within 20 hours, it contacted you to confirm that the name-change fees would be cancelled, the onboard credit reinstated, and the river trip rebooked."
A cruise was booked in advance to secure an accessible cabin for a severely disabled son requiring round-the-clock care from eight carers. Three additional carers were added, but their names could not be confirmed immediately due to other commitments. The balance payment deadline required name confirmation by April, with a 75 fee charged for each name change and a loss of 325 onboard credit for each care worker. A notice then cancelled and refunded a wheelchair-accessible riverboat excursion for the three carers because it was non-transferable. After a complaint, Equality Act discrimination concerns were raised, and Royal Caribbean responded quickly by cancelling the name-change fees, reinstating onboard credit, and rebooking the river trip.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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