7:57p.m. 23rd January 2008

| By Jane Gardner

A Perth family was left stranded in Noosa after P&O Cruises kicked them off a seven-day Brisbane to Vanuatu holiday because the company “overbooked”.

Jody Syme, her husband Eric and their boys Max, 7, and Lewis, 4, pictured, flew from Perth to the Gold Coast on January 15. They spent two days on the Gold Coast before heading to Noosa on Sunday.

They planned to drive to Brisbane on Saturday to board the cruise.

The return airfares cost them about $2500 and they had pre-paid $2500 for the cruise last September after saving every spare penny.

On Monday, their Sydney-based travel agent, Breakaway Travel, called to inform the family they would not be allowed on the cruise because P&O had given their cabin to someone else. “They said they had cancelled other people as well and, even though I could have a full refund, they wouldn’t tell me when I would get it,” Mrs Syme said.

“I cried when the travel agent told me that news.

“At this stage we are trying to find something to do for seven days. We didn’t even know if we could get an early flight home anyway.”

After the Daily contacted P&O a public relations spokesman said the Symes had been offered an all expenses week-long holiday to Vanuatu from January 26, airfares and accommodation included, worth far more than their initial $2500 cruise.

Mrs Syme was ecstatic about the news.