ABD just cancelled my Portugal trip that's been sold out practically since opening day

[sayhello]

So I guess the title says most of it. But the really s***y part is, I literally *JUST* purchased my airfare a DAY AND A HALF AGO!! It's now 15 hours past me being able to get it 100% refunded. I'm not sure what I want to do at this point. Switch to another departure? Switch to a different trip altogether? Cancel? I have no clue. Plus, I have a non-refundable $400 deposit down on a Douro River Cruise that was following the trip. I'm just a bit rattled, as the timing really is ridiculous. Plus, of course, no explanation for why it's being cancelled this far out. My wonderful TA is calling them, and will let me know what all my options are, but I'm a bit frazzled and not a very happy camper right now.

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

OMGosh what an awful thing to do. I sure hope that you get a refund on the Douro River cruise deposit and they offer to do something about the airfare that you booked. Please let us know if they give your TA a reason for the cancellation. What is happening to ABD? They used to be so amazing, but since COVID they seem to have gone steadily downhill. Such a shame.

 

[sayhello]

OMGosh what an awful thing to do. I sure hope that you get a refund on the Douro River cruise deposit and they offer to do something about the airfare that you booked. Please let us know if they give your TA a reason for the cancellation. What is happening to ABD? They used to be so amazing, but since COVID they seem to have gone steadily downhill. Such a shame.

I don't know if it's new leadership or what, but it's really killing me. To have them do this while I'm still pretty fresh off the high of my New England trip is SUCH a letdown. I'm still kind of in shock.

Sayhello

 

[Narcoossee11]

ABD trips are cxl'd every year. It is strongly worded in the paper work.
Could be a dozen reasons . Most likely something Disney could not control/ avoid. Health, politics, staffing, etc.

Your TA will be given the options you have. New date , new trip.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

ABD trips are cxl'd every year. It is strongly worded in the paper work.
Could be a dozen reasons . Most likely something Disney could not control/ avoid. Health, politics, staffing, etc.

Your TA will be given the options you have. New date , new trip.

Just because they have the contractual right to cancel a trip, it doesn't mean that they can or should exercise that option, especially when the trip is just a few months away. Heck if everyone read the t&cs of their contract I'd guess they wouldn't book a trip with them, or any travel operator for that matter.

It's not as simple as @sayhello selecting another date for the trip; it would have to align perfectly with a Douro river cruise, for which she had already paid a deposit (and perhaps even booked one of only a few single occupancy cabins, which FTR book up very quickly). So heck yeah, they better do something special for her and compensate her for any loss that she incurs for the airfare. Especially since she is a long-time customer.

 

[Rapunzellover]

ABD trips are cxl'd every year. It is strongly worded in the paper work.
Could be a dozen reasons . Most likely something Disney could not control/ avoid. Health, politics, staffing, etc.

Your TA will be given the options you have. New date , new trip.

I think you're missing the point that this isn't about ABD canceling. It's about ABD not providing reasons for cancelation or providing proper compensation so clients lose as little as possible due to cancelations beyond their control.

There's zero reason for them not explaining the reason for the cancelation. Or for not making sure Sayhello gets her money back.

 

[AquaDame]

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! That timing takes the cake... I'm not even sure travel insurance could kick in but have you checked that already? Was your TA able to get any further info from them..?

 

[sayhello]

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! That timing takes the cake... I'm not even sure travel insurance could kick in but have you checked that already? Was your TA able to get any further info from them..?

Thanks. "Takes the cake" is putting it mildly! I will definitely check with my travel insurance, but most times they will not cover provider cancellations. They presume the provider will make good on everything. I think they'd have to declare bankruptcy for the insurance to kick in. But again, I *will* check!

They told my TA it was due to lack of people, but it just sounds so odd for a trip that was sold out. For enough people to cancel to make it not worth ABD doing it, it would have had to have been a HUGE group. Who knows?

Sayhello

 

[Grifdog22]

Thanks. "Takes the cake" is putting it mildly! I will definitely check with my travel insurance, but most times they will not cover provider cancellations. They presume the provider will make good on everything. I think they'd have to declare bankruptcy for the insurance to kick in. But again, I *will* check!

They told my TA it was due to lack of people, but it just sounds so odd for a trip that was sold out. For enough people to cancel to make it not worth ABD doing it, it would have had to have been a HUGE group. Who knows?

Sayhello

We are moving to Tauck. I've written shareholder letters to Disney with no response over the crap management is pulling. I've helped convince an investment bank to remove them from a recommended investment stock, and they've divested almost all the stock in their holdings over the last four months. Disney stock is down from $200/share to $100/share and making good money - for now. But savvy investors know the current mid and upper management hasn't a clue and is ruining the goodwill that took decades to build. A company that used to surprise and delight now kicks its customers in the teeth and charges for it. I've kept our investment holdings so I can press and demand the board fix the middle and upper management problems, or risk getting voted out. Sorry Tobi - this is a sinking ship, time to move on. The guides are great, but the rest of it is a fiasco.

Am I the only one that actually reads the releases that ABD makes you sign, often after you've made final payment? Um, it really does say that you'll indemnify them (i.e. you pay them) and pay their attorney fees in one section.

Like so much in our world, good things come to an end.

 

[Rapunzellover]

We are moving to Tauck. I've written shareholder letters to Disney with no response over the crap management is pulling. I've helped convince an investment bank to remove them from a recommended investment stock, and they've divested almost all the stock in their holdings over the last four months. Disney stock is down from $200/share to $100/share and making good money - for now. But savvy investors know the current mid and upper management hasn't a clue and is ruining the goodwill that took decades to build. A company that used to surprise and delight now kicks its customers in the teeth and charges for it. I've kept our investment holdings so I can press and demand the board fix the middle and upper management problems, or risk getting voted out. Sorry Tobi - this is a sinking ship, time to move on. The guides are great, but the rest of it is a fiasco.

Am I the only one that actually reads the releases that ABD makes you sign, often after you've made final payment? Um, it really does say that you'll indemnify them (i.e. you pay them) and pay their attorney fees in one section.

Like so much in our world, good things come to an end.

I really want to do the Portugal ABD since it dropped. I had ressies for 2020, 2021, and 2022, all changed due to COVID and an unexpected work issue, I but can't even get on a date that works for 2023 because the dates that worked best were never opened because some corporate group booked it, and I'm on a waitlist. No info as when it will be determined if the group which booked the date will actually go. No idea if I'll ever get off the waitlist. Meanwhile, I'm making plans with Tauck, who always answers my questions and tells me what I want to know, and when they can't tell me what I want to know, gives me clear reasons why. I'm never guessing with them. And my trips with them were fabulous.

 

[sayhello]

We are moving to Tauck. I've written shareholder letters to Disney with no response over the crap management is pulling. I've helped convince an investment bank to remove them from a recommended investment stock, and they've divested almost all the stock in their holdings over the last four months. Disney stock is down from $200/share to $100/share and making good money - for now. But savvy investors know the current mid and upper management hasn't a clue and is ruining the goodwill that took decades to build. A company that used to surprise and delight now kicks its customers in the teeth and charges for it. I've kept our investment holdings so I can press and demand the board fix the middle and upper management problems, or risk getting voted out. Sorry Tobi - this is a sinking ship, time to move on. The guides are great, but the rest of it is a fiasco.

Am I the only one that actually reads the releases that ABD makes you sign, often after you've made final payment? Um, it really does say that you'll indemnify them (i.e. you pay them) and pay their attorney fees in one section.

Like so much in our world, good things come to an end.

I really do read the releases... I read EVERYTHING I sign, which pisses off a lot of people (like the woman with the paperwork to close my refinancing!).

I know the folks at the top that run this company don't care, and it's killing me, because the middle-folks and the Adventure Guides really *do* care. I just came back from my New England trip, and was so euphoric, and I guess I just got kicked in the teeth by reality. Sigh.

I will look at Tauck. But probably not for a while. I'm just exhausted.

I really want to do the Portugal ABD since it dropped. I had ressies for 2020, 2021, and 2022, all changed due to COVID and an unexpected work issue, I but can't even get on a date that works for 2023 because the dates that worked best were never opened because some corporate group booked it, and I'm on a waitlist. No info as when it will be determined if the group which booked the date will actually go. No idea if I'll ever get off the waitlist. Meanwhile, I'm making plans with Tauck, who always answers my questions and tells me what I want to know, and when they can't tell me what I want to know, gives me clear reasons why. I'm never guessing with them. And my trips with them were fabulous.

Thanks. I need to just get with the program and realize that ABD will probably never be the company that they once were, and go with the much more steady and beloved Tauck. When I feel up to looking at another trip (probably 2024) I'll take a look at Tauck. Thanks!

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

I am so sorry, @sayhello. This kind of defies understanding to cancel so far in advance. I don’t think they cancelled many trips during Covid this far out.

 

[Lewisc]

Research the availability of a tour from a different operator, that works with your dates. Consider an independent tour.

 

[motherof5]

Since you just booked the airfare can you put insurance on trip so that you can cancel for full refund if you can't find a independent tour?

 

[sayhello]

Since you just booked the airfare can you put insurance on trip so that you can cancel for full refund if you can't find a independent tour?

Thanks. I do have travel insurance I already purchased for this trip. But they RARELY will cover provider cancellation. They expect the provider to make good on it. I *will* be checking with them, but I am 99.9% sure that unless the provider declares bankruptcy, travel insurance won't help. Plus, you can't buy travel insurance "after the fact". ABD has already cancelled the trip. If I hadn't already purchased the insurance (which means they already know about the ABD) I guess I could pretend I was buying the insurance just for the flight. But you still can't cancel "because I couldn't find a tour" and get reimbursed for that. I wish insurance worked that way, but unfortunately it doesn't.

Research the availability of a tour from a different operator, that works with your dates. Consider an independent tour.

Thanks. I may do that, but honestly, I'm a bit burnt out right now, and not really up to it. We'll see how this progresses. What do you mean by "an independent tour"? By myself? Privately, with a guide and just me? I can't afford the latter, and the former doesn't appeal to me, especially in a country where I don't speak the language.

Sayhello

 

[motherof5]

Since you just booked the airfare can you put insurance on trip so that you can cancel for full refund if you can't find a independent tour?

With insurance you can't cancel airfare for any reason? I thought you can cancel without a reason.

 

[sayhello]

With insurance you can't cancel airfare for any reason? I thought you can cancel without a reason.

Not unless the policy explicitly includes "Cancel for any reason" coverage, which generally makes the policy *way* more expensive, if it's even available. Generally, if available, it's usually an add-on. And even at that, most "Cancel for any reason" coverage only reimburses you for around 70% of the covered amount.

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Not unless the policy explicitly includes "Cancel for any reason" coverage, which generally makes the policy *way* more expensive, if it's even available. Generally, if available, it's usually an add-on. And even at that, most "Cancel for any reason" coverage only reimburses you for around 70% of the covered amount.

Sayhello

Exactly. I had to pay for CFAR insurance for our trip to Ashford Castle (5 nights) in May, 2023. For some reason the room is non-refundable and I had to PIF (I used points to pay, but I'd still be out-of-pocket a significant amount) when I booked. I immediately bought CFAR insurance (not easy to find) to cover the cost, should we have to cancel. It will cover 80% and must be purchased within 24 hours of booking the trip. It cost me around $750.00 (*way* more than what I usually spend on trip insurance).

 

[Lewisc]

What do you mean by "an independent tour"? By myself?

Yes. You book your own hotel and transfers. You can do everything on your own. Or you can sign up for group tours which cover the attractions which interest you. Trip Advisor is a good resource. You can contact your hotels and get recommendations.

 

[Eastridge]

Sad and disappointed to hear ABD cancelled your Portugal trip. Given the timing, the number of previous ABD trips you have taken, and how active you are on this board, I would hope Disney management would go beyond what they are obligated to do in compensation.