When a liveaboard trip is cancelled the day you arrive....

[kelemvor]

It's a sad story. Unfortunately, it's all too common with the Aggressor "fleet". There's numerous horror stories posted to this site alone about Aggressor.

Probably one of the best thing you can do is make every effort to share your story on trip review type sites. Tripadvisor.com undercurrent.org ripoffreport.com and any others you can think of.

It won't help you recover your losses but you might help someone avoid this mess in the future.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Any chance this situation could qualify for "trip interruption" clause reimbursement?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Just because she made some lemonade from the lemons The Oman Aggressor gave her does not mean she should not be compensated for her airfare and out-of-pocket expenses. After all, she did not fly to Oman to make lemonade.

And that is just the argument I would make if I were in the OP's shoes. But it could be argued from the other side that they can't be certain that she hadn't already planned to visit Oman and the UAE and that the Aggressor cruise carried equal weight with those other portions of the trip. Just sayin'. I think airfare compensation will be difficult to argue. On most trips I take, I plan a diving portion and a non-diving portion. Sometimes the diving portion is longer, and sometimes the non-diving portion is longer. Sometimes I find myself looking forward to the non-diving portion just as much as the diving portion. If my liveaboard were to cancel as I got off the plane, I don't think I would have a strong argument they ought to compensate me for the airfare, since I had already booked or at least considered doing some things on land.

I recently took a Red Sea Aggressor trip. I booked a land excursion to see Luxor, etc., through Aggressor's travel arm. If Aggressor had canceled the liveaboard as I stepped off the plane, it seems very unlikely they would reimburse me for the land excursion, airfare or any other costs.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Liveaboards generally have you sign something that says you've purchased trip insurance so that they're relieved of any responsibility for weather or mechanical failure etc. How does that possibly help when they've cancelled on the diver client and haven't even given enough notice.

 

[kelemvor]

Actually, Aggressor is based in Georgia, USA and OP is in Illinois, USA. Taking the matter to court should be very doable.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Aggressor Fleet
209 Hudson Trace
Augusta, GA 30907 USA

Phone: +1 706-993-2531
Toll Free: 1 800-348-2628 (USA/CAN)
Fax: 1 706-737-7690

 

[Erica Watson]

You are correct - but I personally do not prefer this option but several people have told me to do this. I am unclear how the "franchise" part plays in, if at all.

Actually, Aggressor is based in Georgia, USA and OP is in Illinois, USA. Taking the matter to court should be very doable.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Aggressor Fleet
209 Hudson Trace
Augusta, GA 30907 USA

Phone: +1 706-993-2531
Toll Free: 1 800-348-2628 (USA/CAN)
Fax: 1 706-737-7690

 

[Lorenzoid]

Look at the results of previous attempts to hold Aggressor Fleet (Wayne Works Marine LLC) responsible for the actions of its franchisees. You won't necessarily be successful suing McDonald's Corp. because you slipped on a wet floor in a restaurant owned by a franchisee. You'd need some theory by which Aggressor Fleet was involved in the actions of its franchisee.

 

[champ]

I do think consumers are going to need to start pushing back on "terms and conditions" by liveaboards. Requiring travel insurance for things that are in their control just seems like BS. Also the waiver they make you sign that basically says if something happens to you can't sue them even if they are negligent.

I have also noticed a trend of the boats switching to a "flag of convenience" to further protect them legally and also reduce their operating costs and safety requirements.

Flag of convenience - Wikipedia

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . Also the waiver they make you sign that basically says if something happens to you can't sue them even if they are negligent. . . .

Not to get too off-topic, but that's what EVERY waiver you have ever signed said. Every dive operator's waiver. Every ski resort's waiver. Etc. That's what we're waiving every time we sign a waiver for anything: our right to sue for negligence.

 

[Dogbowl]

I do think consumers are going to need to start pushing back on "terms and conditions" by liveaboards. Requiring travel insurance for things that are in their control just seems like BS. Also the waiver they make you sign that basically says if something happens to you can't sue them even if they are negligent.

I have also noticed a trend of the boats switching to a "flag of convenience" to further protect them legally and also reduce their operating costs and safety requirements.

Flag of convenience - Wikipedia

Just because you waive your rights to sue doesn’t mean you can’t sue.