Tag Archives: Banned

Celebrity Xpedition banned from Galapagos National Park

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Celebrity Xpedition banned from Galapagos National Park

Celebrity Cruises is in trouble with local authorities from the Galapagos Islands for transporting frozen lobster tails out of season.

As a result, the Celebrity Xpedition has had its licence revoked for entering Galapagos National Park, something that has resulted in the cancellation of a June 2nd cruise to the destination.

While the suspension is temporary, reports suggest that Celebrity does not yet know if its June 9th sailing will be allowed to go ahead.

Affected passengers have been provided with a full refund, as well as a 50 per cent discount for future Xpedition cruises and reimbursements for airline change fees.

It is thought that 12kg of frozen lobster tails are at the centre of the dispute. Celebrity says that the seafood was purchased legally during season from Park-certified fishermen.

Although the cruise line says that National Park officials confirmed this, the regulations suggest that all such produce must be consumed within five days of the end of season.

Celebrity says that it was not aware of this recent change to regulations, which it says was not publicised until after the company had already been cited. As well as the suspension, Celebrity was fined $2,000 (£1,311).

Nisha at Sea

Thomas Cook TV ad banned after consumer complaints

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Thomas Cook TV ad banned after consumer complaints

Thomas Cook TV ad banned after consumer complaintsThomas Cook TV advert has been banned after viewers claimed it could cause harmful copy-cat behaviour among children.

More than 100 complaints were made against the ad which showed a holidaymaker remove a valve from a wheel of one of the company’s coaches with a pair of pliers to cause a flat tyre in an apparent bid to avoid returning home from a sunny destination.

The advertising watchdog ruled that the Thomas Cook campaign was “irresponsible” after it received 118 objections.

The Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints which suggested children could emulate the potentially dangerous scene.

The ASA ruled: “Although we were satisfied that adults would not view the ad as condoning the act of removing the tyre valve, we considered that children, including teenagers, were unlikely to identify the fantastical nature of the story.

“We also noted that the scene in which the tyre valve was removed was central to the ad’s narrative and, because of the risks to children in emulating that action, considered that the ad unreasonably featured that behaviour.

“We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible.”

Cook argued that the “horrified and outraged” reaction of the other holidaymakers in the ad indicated that the behaviour of the man letting down the tyre was not condoned.

The company said it did not consider that the ad was irresponsible because it clearly showed a comical scene and the man’s actions were immediately challenged as being wrong.