Refund/upgrade to compensate new QM2 Fares

[tandemtourer]

We were wondering if anyone else is dealing with the following situation.

 

We are sailing on the June 3 crossing in a B6 cabin. Final payment was due on March 3. On March 5 we received the e-mail from Cunard with the promo codes for new pricing on all transatlantics through September. Our travel agent responded to my query regarding a refund by saying that Cunard had told him the fares were applicable for new bookings only but that he was trying to obtain an upgrade for us.

 

If we cancel and receive the 25% penalty we could still re-book and come out ahead (but would have a real question about travelling on a Cunard/Carnival ship again.)

 

I contacted Cunard’s reservations on Monday, 3/14, and explained that we had made final payment but wanted to know whether Cunard would honor the new rates. The Cunard agent asked for my sailing date and said that she was sure she could help. She then asked for my booking number.

 

When she found that I had booked with a travel agent instead of directly through Cunard she advised me (correctly) to have my agent contact Cunard again. I provided her with one of the promo codes from the SailMail and asked if it would be applicable to our situation. Her reply was that she couldn’t discuss specific fares but that it was a good code for my agent to use on our behalf.

 

Waiting to hear from TA. Will update the group of any developments.

[cunardqueen]

Hi good luck with getting an upgrade!! cunard wont refund any money, l know l booked QE2 last year and then after paying final payment they discounted the cruise by a thousand pounds, spoke with my UK travel agent who is one of cunards top agents and l was told tough !!! its like buying a suit if it goes on sale later do you go back and ask for a refund! l did comment that a £2500 cruise is not like a suit, l did eventually get my 1st upgrade in 9 cruises on QE2 but it did leave a bad taste, the upgrade system is so unfair, but l guess thats another story!!! anyway either way l hope you have a nice crossing. will be interesting to find out how you get on!!

cheers

Myles

[YvonneE]

I wonder if it would have made a difference if you hadn't already made full payments? In theory then, you were still a new order....

 

This makes you NOT want to book early, but wait for cheaper rates as the cruise date approaches; of course, this takes away from the dignity of booking and planning ahead for the cruise.

 

Not good ...

 

YvonneE

[Jimsgirl]

I paid my deposit on QE2, then about a month later was sent another brochure (which I almost threw away) it reduced the price of my cruise by over $1000 Contacted my TA who had NOT received the brochure, so faxed her the relevant pages, she then called Cunard who promptly gave me the reduced rate.

 

I feel so lucky, even though I have a cat MI cabin of 82 sq.ft.

[cruiservictor]

We had a very similar situation last fall when we booked the 4/2/05 QM2 NYC-Caribbean cruise. Just 2 or 3 days after we booked and paid our deposit, we got a flyer in the mail about discounts for new bookings only. Since the new fare would save us $3300, I decided it was at least worth a visit to our travel agent. She called Cunard who told her to send in the certificate and they would honor the new fare. A week or 2 later came the confirmation from Cunard. I was very pleased with the way it worked out.

[Chuck & Phyllis]

There are many things involved here. One mistake Cunard makes is to email their specials to all who have signed up without knowing who booked what. Not that that makes any difference about their new rates, but they seem to invite these problems. Generally, many cruise lines will offer lower rates after final payment is due for new bookings. Very often, these offers are made well before that time and when done, they have no choice but to adjust the rates because the passenger can just say, OK cancel and I'll rebook. RCCL has gotten around this by creating new categories at lower rates after final payment. You would have to accept a penalty with a cancellation and rebook. NCL does it before final payment by using a GTY rate where you would have to give up that choice cabin you reserved to rebook not knowing where you'll be assigned. I study all this crap as a hobby:D . We've gottened burned a few times ourselves. In this case, it seems as though if the OP had booked directly with Cunard, they would have taken favorable action. I think, in the end, we buy something at a price agreed upon when purchased and have to live with it. On our upcoming cruise, they dropped the price about $1,400 on the cruises prior to ours, but not "our Cruise". The only one that the special low rates didn't affect. Same cruise too. That's life and we're not going to let that spoil anything. Then we're really losing. We have to learn our lessons and become better shoppers. One good deal cancels out a bad one. We made a killing on our next cruise in September and it more than evens things out for us. Advice for the OP? Kepp bugging them and something should come from it in a positive way for you. Next time, wait for that Sailmail. Chuck

 

Victor, I heard about that Promo for Past Passengers. That was a nice deal! We couldn't get that one.

[Paul NH]

tandemtourer,

 

We are sailing on June 9 and also paid our final deposit. Can you tell me what the PROMO Code was and what the rate was showing for a D4 Inside? I am already smarting to see that Balconies are going for the same rate I paid for an inside.

 

I signed up for Sailmail (or whatever it's called) with Cunard and never get anything from them. Don't understand that at all how some get the emails, and others don't.

 

Paul

[tandemtourer]

Thanks to all who replied to my original post. I can't complain when a ship is not full and the remaining cabins go to a discounter after the final payment deadline. I am presently experiencing the same thing with a different trip.

 

However, when the price drop is not tied to a specific sailing but an entire season I think the cruise line is creating disgruntled passengers by penalizing those who book and pay early.

 

Now, it's true, that Captaintandemtourer and I have enjoyed planning our trip, knowing that we had secured a ticket. However, the next time we might just plan the trip first and see what offers become available closer to sailing. With smaller capacity ships and popular itineraries the prices sometimes rise as supply does not meet demand. The QM2 transatlantic appears to have the opposite problem e.g. too many cabins available.

 

Paul, we signed up for SailMail several times before we received it with any regularity. I am away from home at the moment and don't have access to the new price for a D4. The Promo codes are RGWUO5, RGXUO5,RGYUO5 and RGZUO5. Good luck, it might work our for us both. I have renewed hope after reading the experiences of Jimsgirl and cruiservictor. The latest from my TA is that the agency is negotiating with Cunard reservations.

 

Tandemtourer

[samkmm]

We had a similar experience with the sailing tomorrow, March 17th QM2 to the Caribbean. We booked an inside room and then through the board here found out about the discounts. We went back and forth between the company that booked the trip and Cunard. Bottom line we ended up with an obstructed balcony for the price of and inside. We are primarily RCCL cruisers and when we received a flyer from Cundard for the QM2 we thought we would give this type of cruising a try.

[Paul NH]

We are disadvantaged in trying to negotiate a fair deal when the discounts come out, because we are four-to-a-cabin. I learned over the last several weeks that since there are virtually (if not literally) no four-berth balcony cabins, there's not much I can do when I find out that balcony cabins are running the same as what we are paying for the inside.

 

It is annoying that I am looking at those discounted balcony fares which are now equal to my inside fare for my sailing, and cannot do anything about it. I toyed with the idea of upgrading to two separate balcony cabins, but because I am already getting the 3rd/4th person reduced rate, the promotional rate for two balconies quickly raises me up by almost a couple grand.

 

I have seen posts on other topics complain about the lack of single cabins. Close behind that valid complaint is the limited cabin choice for a family of four who want to travel on the QM2 - especially when they start discounting. We're stuck where we are while watching others get better deals. Seems like some kind of discount should be provided but the Cunard office wasn't budging. Booking passage on this ship feels like buying a used car from a dealer.

[ciaobella]

Thank you to all who are alerting us about reduced fares on QM2. I have signed up for SAILMAIL several times and have received no e-mails. We are on the 7/11 crossing, and I have forwarded your information to our TA. We have traveled on Radisson several times and if there is a fare reduction or incentive offered after you have booked, they offer it to you with pleasure! We saved $2000 last summer on a Fjord cruise! Plus, Radisson offers in room two bottles of spirits and bar set-ups, and free cocktails and wine with dinner + after dinner drinks at the table. Cunard should do the same!

[geopa]

Ciaobella, we also are on the july 11 crossing, booked an inside D4 (a balcony was way too expensive for us), the very next day we get a flyer in the mail- book a D4--get upgraded to a B6 balcony cabin. Yes, I know its an obstructed view but its still a balcony for a lot less than what they were asking for before. Called our TA, she checked with Cunard--no problems, now we have a B6 for the inside price. All in all a great deal.

[ciaobella]

Sounds like you got a great deal! Our TA called Cunard - we didn't move cabins but did receive a lower price than when we initially booked. That's SPA money!!!!

[tandemtourer]

As the OP I wanted to give you an update. Thanks to Chuck and Phyllis I kept in mind that regardless of the outcome it would be the greatest loss to let it impact negatively on the trip. I kept after my travel agent but also made a back-up reservation directly with Cunard. (Even with the cancellation penalty we would save $600 on the booking.)

 

The full payment was due today at 6pm and the TA had said that he would have a decision by today at the latest. I called Cunard reservations this morning and explained the timing situation. They were EXTREMELY helpful.

 

The Cunard reservations agent also telephoned my TA and within 15 minutes we received the promo rate for our original B6 room.

 

At this moment I couldn't be more delighted with Cunard!

 

Sometimes miracles do happen.

Tandemtourer

[slyviag]

Thanks to all of you who replied to the promotion that Cunard was mailing to its customers. We had paid our fare around a week before the brochure came. I thought ....too bad...we've all ready booked.... Because of this message board and the realization that others also experienced this, I called my travel agent who called direct to Cunard and while I was sitting there changed my inside guarentee room to an outside balcony! I kinda knew it would b e impossible to actually get cash back...b ut this upgrade was just fine. Thanks again for everyone who wroe.

 

Slyviag

[slyviag]

Thanks to all of you who replied to the promotion that Cunard was mailing to its customers. We had paid our fare around a week before the brochure came. I thought ....too bad...we've all ready booked.... Because of this message board and the realization that others also experienced this, I called my travel agent who called direct to Cunard and while I was sitting there changed my inside guarentee room to an outside balcony! I kinda knew it would be impossible to actually get cash back...but this upgrade was just fine. Thanks again for everyone who wrote.

 

Slyviag

[westsider]

hi all-i did receive a handsome upgrade after my t.a. went to bat for me with cunard. everyone who booked early should try until satisfied as the west bound 4/28 is not fully booked.someone said they were upgraded to princess grill. is that from britannia? how did that happen? good luck to all. anyone else on this crossing other than the few who previosly responded??

[tandemtourer]

Well done! Would you mind telling us what your original cabin was and what upgrade you received?

 

tandemtourer

[westsider]

from b-5 to b-2:)

[tandemtourer]

Thanks for the info westsider. Your crossing is coming right up! Bon voyage and smooth seas.

 

tandemtourer

[Paul NH]

After seeing yet another, further cut in fares for the June 9 sailing, I could stand it no more and contacted Cunard (again) to try to get a fair deal.

 

I mentioned higher up in the thread that being a party of 4 really limits options since there aren't many cabins that hold that many - so it's harder for them to upgrade us. BUT, for what we paid with EBS for a D4 inside, we could have booked two separate outside cabins if we had waiting until now to book (including airfare). To my disappointment, Cunard is not willing to upgrade us to two cabins and said they did not have any balcony quads available.

 

The woman that I dealt with was very polite and professional, but Cunard does not make it easy to even-up with late announced sales. And most of the early suggestions consisted of me paying even more money! Anyway, it took me almost two hours over several phone calls yesterday (I don't have a T.A., we booked directly with Cunard) to finally get somewhere. We were upgraded from a D4 to a C2 outside (porthole) quad. I still could have booked that quad for thousands less if I waited until now, but at least I got *something* out of Cunard after they slashed their fares.

 

They told me they would put me on a wait list if one of the outside balcony quads opens up. I can only hope at this point.

[westsider]

paul nh--keep the pressure on them.speak to "supervisors".ask nicely at boarding for additional upgrades,too. good luck.would they be willing to give you 2 cabins,connecting???push,push,push!

[jonmar]

The crossings you guys are talking about, are they including the one way air. I have been given a price today for $1451 US for a B6 including one way air. Does this sound reasonable to you guys or am I about to get taken???

[geopa]

Jomar, that's a great deal, its about $300 less per person than what I am paying,I guess that since they are now past final payment they are dropping prices to fill the remaining cabins. My price included one way trans-atlantic air.

[ocngypz]

Jonmar:

 

I'd double check with the agent. Sounds an awful lot like the past passenger promotion NO AIR INCLUDED rate my Cunard rep gave me on Saturday.