Blue Lagoon Cruises boat switch - paid 5 star for 4 star service Nadi Internet

The 4-day Blue Lagoon Cruise in Fiji is deceptively advertised as 5-star. BE WARNED!

http://www.bluelagooncruises.com/faq.aspx

We took the cruise in December 2007 but the number of bookings on the (5-star) Mystique (advertised as a millionaire's yacht!) was too few. The "normal" procedure we were told is to be switched to a 4-star catamaran (the Fiji Princess). The following table from the cruise operator's FAQ sheet clearly shows the 4 day/3 night cruise as 5 star. The price difference is clear too:

Hotel 4* -average BLC 7 day / 6 night 4* BLC 4 day / 3 night 5*

TOTAL F$455 F$275 F$350


The switch means:

1. For the 5 star price you paid - you get 4-star service on a 4-star catamaran.

2. The catamaran takes 7 days to get you to the outer island and back. If you are switched to this cat, you are only on it for 4 days and so never reach your paid for destination!

3. After 3 nights you are transferred to a 5 hour ferry boat back to the mainland. Horrendous - and even dangerous in cyclone season!

4. The Mystique you never get to see, but is hired out for private charter.

5. All attempts to get recompensed are in vain. Blue Lagoon Cruises insists the switch is from a 4-star to a 4-star ship. Obviously they cannot read their own advertising.

QUOTE from Blue Lagoon Cruises in reply to our complaint:

The Fiji Princess is actually the youngest ship in the fleet and the latest addition. This vessel is the second of our two Gold club vessels that we interchange where required and are exactly the same 4 star standard.


6. Flight Centre Australia (the largest travel agency in Australia) is complicit in the scam (feel like trusting your holiday to this crowd? Read on...), backing up the cruise line by refusing to accept that the FAQ page is even part of the advertising!

QUOTE from Flight Centre's Customer Service:

The reference you quote from Blue Lagoons website is from the question and answer section and is not part of the advertising.
The comment printed there that vessels vary from an equivalent 3 star all the way up to a 5 star is vague and refers to no vessel in particular. It does not state that the Mystique is a 5 star vessel.
We deny that there has been any false or misleading advertising in this instance.


7. There is no other vessel that could be 5 star but the Mystique; the cabins are largest of the four ships they own (6 square metres larger). If it is not 5-star, why do they claim that "costs, vary from an equivalent 3 star all the way up to 5 star." ? The highest star category has to belong to at least one vessel. Which is it?

Google "5 star mystique fiji" and you get the idea...

8. You can see the actual costs from the rates page: http://www.bluelagooncruises.com/rates.aspx
Clearly, the 4-day cruise costs around the same price as the 7-day cruise. Of course, it does - it is supposed to be a 5-star cruise, except you pay for it and never get it!

9. Complaints made to the Dept. of Fair Trading in Australia are a waste of time because Flight Centre has no trouble lying to a government department. As usual, the victim pays for the scam.


IF YOU MUST TAKE THE CRUISE (and FIJI IS LOVELY - even the crew was nice), THEN TAKE THE 7 DAY CRUISE and pay 4-star prices instead.

Terry
Marrickville
Australia