In the past I have taken around half a dozen cruises. I have used Thomson, Virgin and Thomas Cook. I found all of these agencies provide good and efficient service.
This March I booked a cruise and stay holiday in Dubai with Cruiseclubuk. My hotel was the Almanar and my cruise was on the Costa Luminosa. My experience with Cruiseclub went as follows:
1. I booked my flights Etihad Manchester - Abu Dhabi direct. A couple of weeks after booking I received a letter "telling" me that my flights were now with KLM via Amsterdam. This meant "door to door times" had gone from 12 to 24 hours. Times were also very unfriendly. My initial complaints were ignored.
I was then lied to and told that the Etihad flights were fully booked, when Expedia showed this not to be the case.
After several calls and e-mails I eventually contacted an efficient lady called Marcia who arranged direct flights with Etihad on revised dates.
2. On arrival at Abu Dhabi my pre booked transfer did not turn up, leaving me with a £50 taxi bill to Dubai.
3. The Almanar hotel was advertised as a good 4 Star. In my opinion, it is at best an adequate 3 Star with very few facilities. ( No bar, no full restaurant, and a very shabby and ill kept rooftop pool area.)
4. On return from my cruise my transfer turned up to take me to Dubai airport. When I said I was going to Abu Dhabi he informed me he did not have the time. I had to dash around the port at 5AM to change Euros into local to pay for the taxi.
On my return to UK Cruiseclub did eventually refund the taxi fares, but all of my phonecalls and e-mails have been steadfastly ignored.
I have been out of the country on work and leisure about 100 times in the last 10 years using many different agencies. Cruiseclubuk are quite the worst agency for efficiency and customer service I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. Air France come a close second, but that is another story.
Costa Luminosa is a good cruise ship. Top tip, take the X1 drinks package.