The failure of Gill’s Cruise Centre will cost leading cruise lines several million pounds.
Travel Weekly understands Gill’s had significant forward bookings and the bill will run well into seven figures.
None of the cruise companies would disclose the cost of honouring the bookings, but they confirmed all customers’ holidays are safe.
Gill’s was one of the UK’s biggest cruise agents. It ceased trading on Friday, July 15, after being put on stop-sale by the major cruise companies.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival UK and Fred Olsen Cruise Line had insisted on taking payments direct from customers for some days in advance of this.
Carnival UK sales and customer services director Giles Hawke described the cost of the failure as “a substantial sum of money”.
Royal Caribbean associate vice-president and general manager Jo Rzymowska confirmed: “We have some exposure.”
Abta issued a statement saying all cruises booked through Gill’s were fully protected.
The association said “a tiny number” of customers who had booked a cruise under Gill’s Cruise Centre own Atol licence (Atol 10178) should contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Gill’s announced in March this year that it planned to increase sales of cruises it packaged itself. However, the CAA said it was aware of only three outstanding bookings on the company’s Atol licence. These customers will be refunded by the Air Travel Trust fund.