A British traveller is suing Thomson Cruises and booking agent Thomas Cook after claiming his cruise was ruined by a 3.30am wake-up call one morning.
Passenger David Bookbinder, an ex-Derbyshire County Council leader, is taking legal action against the two holiday companies over the “distress” of the early-morning rise, which he says was caused by the cruise line wanting to sell excursions.
However, Thomson Cruises has refuted his claims, explaining that the 3.30am call was because of Israel’s strict immigration policy which required passengers to be interviewed by officials before being allowed into the country.
A spokeswoman for Thomson Cruises said the company was sorry to hear that “Mr Bookbinder was unhappy with the way the immigration process in Israel was handled”.
“We’d like to reassure Mr Bookbinder that the early start had nothing to do with excursion sales,” said Thomson Cruises. “Israel has very strict immigration procedures and the authorities board the ship to interview all customers in crew.
“We warn our guests in advance that they’ll be required to make a very early start. This immigration process is common practice for all ships visiting Israeli ports.”
Bookbinder, 71, who was on a cruise on the Celebration ship around the Mediterranean Sea in February with his 86-year-old brother, told the Derby Telegraph that staff asked all the passengers to be ready by 5am on the morning the ship stopped at Israel’s Eilat port, which he said “ruined” their holiday.
He told the newspaper that his wheelchair-bound brother was “jittery” after getting up at 3.30am, and is asking Thomson Cruises and Thomas Cook to refund the entire cost of the seven-day cruise of £1,532, saying that the immigration procedures could have been held at a “more acceptable” time.