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Unfair


Hoveto
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Is it fair to us UK customers that if we cancel before the balance due date that we lose all of our deposit money whereas, I understand, if you live in the USA it is refunded. How are cruise lines allowed to get away with this anomaly. It is grossly unfair.

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I agree. I and others have been mentioning it for years. Especially as it happened to me a few years ago when the price dropped dramatically at balance due date time. We lost our deposit and free parking and re-booked.

 

It may be to do with US laws which don't apply in the UK. It probably suits Cunard this way as well I think.

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The reason might be that Cunard is registered in the UK as a PLC (Public Limited Company).

 

Is it not possible for UK nationals to book cruises via a TA in the US?

If there is no website access, there are still other ways of communication.

 

Good luck!

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We in the U.S. do not get our money refunded if we cancel after final payment. However, if we purchase a cancellatio waiver policy, we can get up to 75% of our non-refundable deposit credited toward another Cunard cruise. The cruise must take place within four years.

 

HAL, OTOH, actually does refund up to 90% of the non-refundable deposit if such protection is purchased by final payment. I don't know if this applies to U.K. residents.

 

Are you in the U.K. not allowed to purchase such a policy with Cunard? It must be purchased by the time of final payment.

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This is why we are planning on either booking with an American TA or going last minute.

 

It is just so unfair that the price goes down and you are "trapped".

 

With last minute you know the price will not, normally, change much.

 

We have booked a cruise for May and although the price seems to be about the same or more expensive, other lines are very much cheaper. Me being tight, I am annoyed.

 

Not Cunard I hasten to add.

 

Our Cunard cruise was last minute and we were upgraded.

 

Thank you Cunard.

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Is it fair to us UK customers that if we cancel before the balance due date that we lose all of our deposit money whereas, I understand, if you live in the USA it is refunded. How are cruise lines allowed to get away with this anomaly. It is grossly unfair.

 

Because UK laws let them do so and US laws do not? This has always surprise me since the UK and EU generally have such strong consumer protection laws. The only way it can change is to lobby your MPs to make it illegal for cruise lines to continue this practice.

 

UK fares however also typically include flights, so it may have something to do with contractual agreements and deposits paid to airlines. US fares are generally voyage only since there are so many possible air connections involved instead of just JFK and Heathrow.

 

In the US there are occasionally some promotional fare deposits - which can be 100% of the fare - that are non-refundable.

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I'm not too bothered about differences in fare prices. What bothers me is they should treat all their customers the same. No matter which country they are booking from.

 

It's the same with future cruise deposits. The UK pay £50 and have to book a cruise within one year. They don't get it refunded if unused. In the US they pay $300 have 4 years in which to use it and if they don't use it, they do get it refunded.

 

What's that all about?!

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Had this discussion with our travel agent yesterday. It is not the government. The "protections" we enjoy are only available if we buy comprehensive travel insurance. Ask anyone who has tried to claim compensation. Travel companies will fight tooth and nail to avoid paying out. The chances of Carnival Corporation or any other major travel provider going bust is fairly remote and that is what the protection is for.

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We in the U.S. do not get our money refunded if we cancel after final payment.
The OP is referring to the loss of deposit if the booking is cancelled before final payment. This is the norm in the UK; it's atypical in the US but certain fares are non-cancelable upon booking so its probably a practice rather than a law.
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It's not just cruise lines, I'm not aware of any holiday companies who will refund your deposit.

We can cancel PRINCESS CRUISES bookings without the lose of deposit. On a 75 day booking we have just made no loss up to 181 days from sailing.

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We can cancel PRINCESS CRUISES bookings without the lose of deposit. On a 75 day booking we have just made no loss up to 181 days from sailing.

 

I think Hattie was referring to the UK where almost any holiday company including PRINCESS CRUISES expect some form of deposit which is forfeited in the event of cancellation. UK holiday insurance provides cover in the event of illness being a reason.

 

That is the business model in the UK and it would mean the whole industry changing and not just cruise companies if, say, the USA system was adopted. But then the UK might lose other benefits contained in Consumer Protection Legislation. Swings and roundabouts really as I doubt if customers would be allowed to pick the best bits from the various systems.

 

So in response to the OP it cannot be said to be grossly unfair without looking at the full package of consumer rights in each country.

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I think Hattie was referring to the UK where almost any holiday company including PRINCESS CRUISES expect some form of deposit which is forfeited in the event of cancellation. UK holiday insurance provides cover in the event of illness being a reason.

 

That is the business model in the UK and it would mean the whole industry changing and not just cruise companies if, say, the USA system was adopted. But then the UK might lose other benefits contained in Consumer Protection Legislation. Swings and roundabouts really as I doubt if customers would be allowed to pick the best bits from the various systems.

 

So in response to the OP it cannot be said to be grossly unfair without looking at the full package of consumer rights in each country.

 

I think you have rose coloured glasses on. You are still customers we also have full cover under our law should they go belly up. We also do not pay auto tipping on Princess. Try taking Cunard on their advice is it is to quote " the business model" does that ring a bell. So much for a world market

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Travel companies are not necessarily permitted to keep all the deposit:

 

According to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which provides the most up-to-date regulation on the subject, if a customer cancels a trip, holiday firms are entitled to retain some of the deposit or other payment, but only as much as is needed to cover its reasonable costs and losses caused by cancellation.

 

In addition, the holiday firm must take all reasonable steps to keep its costs and losses to a minimum.

 

The OFT’s guidance implies that if customers are too ill to travel, or no longer want to, the firm that sold the holiday should provide a breakdown of the costs it has incurred and refund the difference between that amount and the deposit.

Edited by AnnieC
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If that's the case, how come that the cruise companies can get away with making you forfeit ALL of the deposit money. A few years ago I had to cancel a half world cruise 9 months prior to departure due to my sister being terminally ill. If I wanted to transfer to another cruise it would have to be within 6 months of my original departure and be of higher cost. I explained that it was an 8 week holiday and I was travelling solo there wasn't a cruise available. I was told I could book a suite for myself at, of course, a 100% supplement ie pay for a second passenger. I didn't want to spend thousands of pounds to go to the Med for a couple of weeks in a suite, so despite much pleading lost all of my deposit.

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Weren't you able to claim on your insurance?

 

With most insurance policies, not if the relative had an existing condition and/or had been given a terminal prognosis.

 

Hoveto, unfortunately just about every travel company ignores the regulations and, somehow or other, gets away with it. I can't explain why but imagine, if pushed, they comply. This was the case when I worked in travel donkey's years ago: we were in the minority that complied with the regs.

Edited by AnnieC
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The reason might be that Cunard is registered in the UK as a PLC (Public Limited Company).

 

Is it not possible for UK nationals to book cruises via a TA in the US?

If there is no website access, there are still other ways of communication.

 

Good luck!

 

If people are successful in doing that, I don't know how they do it. Every time I attempt a booking, it specifically requires a designation of "U.S. or Canada" residency. I suppose if one has a friend or relative in the U.S., that address might go through.

 

Please clarify for me: There is part of the initial deposit that is refundable, regardless of whether the time for final payment has not passed? In other words, it is imperative for UK travelers to have insurance in case of unexpected illness or change of plans? If so, this is a real bummer. The insurance companies have a captive audience.

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