The advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint against Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, ruling that an advert for its early bookings guarantee was misleading.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed with the complainant that Fred Olsen had not made clear the “significant limitations” of the offer by saying that it excluded the cheaper inside cabins.
A direct mailing for the company’s cruises stated: “Book 2013 now and you’ll get the best deal – guaranteed.”
It continued: “This fantastic new pledge means you can book a 2013 sailing now – and rest assured that you won’t lose out if the cruise price should fall. We’ll offer you benefits or a refund to the same value.”
Offer terms and conditions were stated on the back of the mailing and included “early booking guarantee applies to like-for-like Fred. Olsen packages and cannot be applied retrospectively. Excludes: inside cabins…”
The ASA said that the exclusion of inside cabins, which were usually cheaper, was a significant condition that was likely to affect a consumers’ decision to take advantage of the offer, and that it “therefore needed to be made clear in the headline claim”, rather than just on the back page.
In response, Fred Olsen said it “believed the most important restrictions on the early booking guarantee were that it only applied to departures from 6 April 2013 onwards and that, if the guarantee was activated, the refund could be paid either in cash or through benefits to the same value.”
According to the ASA, the cruise line said “this information was stated clearly within the body copy of the ad. They also said the asterisk after the headline claim directed readers to the full terms and conditions that were clearly printed on the back of the letter in the same size font as the copy on the front”.
The ASA ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form, and that Fred Olsen had to make clear in the headline claim the exclusion of inside cabins in any “best deal guaranteed” offers in future.