Sunwing under fire after Cuban resort outbreak

Sunwing under fire after Cuban resort outbreak
By Sean O'Shea

TORONTO — Canadians with confirmed bookings to a Cuban resort where it's
believed norovirus made travellers sick say their tour operator hasn't
allowed them to switch to another resort or wanted to charge them.

"No, I don't want to go there, I don't want to be exposed to that …
everyone's health is at risk; that's not fair," said Kayla Halloran, a
third-year Ryerson nursing student with a ticket to visit the resort
with a friend later this month.

After seeing a Global News story on problems at the Memories Paraiso
Azul Resort in Cayo Santa Maria Cuba, she contacted tour operator
Sunwing Vacations to ask to be switched to another resort.

"They said I could change my resort to somewhere else but I have to pay
a change fee plus a cancellation fee," Halloran said.

Global News received a cascade of complaints from Canadian travellers
who returned from the resort.

They said they had experienced diarrhea and vomiting during most or all
of their vacations.

Some reported seeing feces wash up on the hotel beach, finding feces
beside the swimming pool, and experiencing dirty washrooms with toilets
that didn't work.

Other travellers told Global News they visited the same property in
April and that it was without fresh water for two days.

During that time, Canadians visiting said they had no access to clean
linens or water to flush toilets; they said staff at the hotel had no
means to wash dishes or sanitize food service areas.

But despite the problems, they said the tour operator continued to send
travellers to the resort.

Maria Peragine of Brampton says 11 members of her family, including her
husband and three children were violently ill at the resort when they
visited in late July.

She says the company has not been providing accurate information about
the illness and relied on misinformation about the extent of the illness
from local representatives.

"If someone at your company told you it's fine there, then they are
bold-faced liars," Peragine wrote in an email to Sunwing.

The tour operator criticized extensive news coverage by Global News of
the problems at the resort and how Sunwing handled the situation,
alleging the company's statements were "misrepresented and taken out of
context."

Sunwing has declined since Tuesday to speak on-camera to Global News,
instead releasing short statements late in the day.

In a terse email Thursday, Sunwing marketing vice president Janine
Chapman provided a statement to Global News for its television
broadcast, prefaced with this unusual proviso:

"We will provide you with the below statement for this evening's segment
on the basis that it is read in its entirety, uninterrupted."

As a matter of journalistic policy, Global News does not agree to such
demands.

The television report used relevant excerpts of Sunwing's statement and
the full statement can be read below.

WATCH: Canadian travelers who went to a Cuban vacation destination got
seriously ill last week. As Sean O'Shea reports, the company says it's
investigating what happened.

Marisa Fournier of Belleville, Ont. has a trip planned to the Cuban
resort later this month.

She called Sunwing to ask about being moved to another resort.

"I'm offering to pay more money to move somewhere else; they said no,"
she said.

Late Thursday, Fournier contacted Global News to say Sunwing had
contacted her since our interview and things had changed.

"Sunwing is now letting people change resorts, we have chosen a new
resort. Thanks," she wrote in a text.

The company maintains it is working with clients:

"Sunwing has been offering any concerned customers the option to change
their resort based on applicable rates without levying any
administrative or change fees," said Chapman, the Sunwing marketing vice
president.

Mindy Lee of Toronto called Sunwing Thursday to ask about switching
resorts but says she didn't get a warm reception.

"When I first called, I was told that because I did not purchase their
travel insurance, they wouldn't do anything for me," she said.

Sunwing maintains that the resort is now safe for travellers, but the
Cuba Tourist Board can't confirm that.

Eloy Govea, director for Canada, said he is awaiting the results of an
investigation to be made available.

Maria Peragine says days after returning from Cuba, her family is
starting to feel better.

But she says Sunwing ought to have stopped sending travellers to the
Memories Paraiso Azul when it was clear people were getting sick.

"They knew about it and continued to allow guests to come to the
resort," said Peragine.

"I'm amazed at how they continue to lie."

Source: Sunwing under fire after Cuban resort outbreak | Globalnews.ca -
http://globalnews.ca/news/2152014/update-canadian-travelers-ill-after-cuban-vacation/