Royal Caribbean and Hurtigruten have faced scrutiny from the UK’s advertising standards for misleading advertisements.
- Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Expedition Cruise discount was deemed misleading due to an IT error, citing an incorrect price comparison.
- The Advertising Standards Agency ruled ads should not mislead consumers with inaccurate crossed-out pricing.
- Royal Caribbean was criticised for its port location descriptions, misleadingly suggesting departures directly from Venice.
- Both cruise lines have been instructed to rectify misleading advertising practices.
Royal Caribbean and Hurtigruten, two major players in the cruise industry, have come under scrutiny after the UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) found discrepancies in their advertising practices. Both companies have been accused of misleading consumers through inaccurate representations in their promotional materials.
Hurtigruten was specifically criticised for an error on its website related to the pricing of its Northern Lights Expedition Cruise from London. The advertised savings, which suggested a significant price drop from £4,932 to £1,994, were found to be inaccurate. A complainant challenged this, having never seen the cruise priced at the higher amount. Hurtigruten attributed this to an IT glitch, yet the ASA upheld the complaint, stating consumers would reasonably perceive the crossed-out price as the usual selling price. Consequently, they directed Hurtigruten to ensure future savings claims are accurate and not misleading.
Concurrently, Royal Caribbean faced criticism for its portrayal of cruise departure points. The advertisement in question suggested departures from ‘Venice (Ravenna)’, leading consumers to believe the cruise would embark from Venice itself. In actuality, the departure was from Ravenna, which is over two hours away by car. The ASA concluded that such representations could lead consumers to misunderstand the actual departure point, subsequently ruling that Royal Caribbean must amend its advertisements to reflect accurate departure information.
The ASA’s decision underscores the importance of accurate advertising in consumer protection, a principle both companies must now abide by to avoid further censure.
The ASA has mandated corrective actions from both cruise lines to prevent consumer deception in future advertisements.
