The ASA upheld a complaint against an advertisement placed by Gill’s Cruise Centre in a national newspaper that offered a “half-price” world cruise with P&O.

The ASA ruled that the pre-discounted price of £14,651 per person quoted in the Gill’s advertisement was calculated by taking the full brochure price and adding a fuel surcharge.

However, Gill’s could not prove that the full brochure price had ever been charged. The ruling also noted that the new discounted price of £7,389 offered in the advertisement did not include a fuel surcharge, which would have added nearly £500 to the cost.

“It is vital that customers are given the correct information and know exactly what they are paying for,” said an ASA spokeswoman.

Steve Philippou, managing director of Gill’s, said the ruling would have no impact in the way the company advertised.

Should Gill’s be found to mislead consumers again, the ASA has the power to “blacklist” the company, preventing it from advertising in the media, or to refer it to the Office of Fair Trading.