Happily surprised with refund

[carlo7]

After leaving Regatta on 11/30 after 10 days in the Caribbean I phoned my T/A on 12/1 to cancel our reservation on Marina next April. The reasons for cancellation involve both our Regatta experience and my assessment of Europe as a vacation destination in the coming months. Anyway I wanted to publicly express my appreciation for the swift refund of our deposit from OC. Although my T/A said she would process the request on 12/1 she also said credit cards credits were only processed once a week (by whom I do not know). I expected to wait at least 9 days to see the credit. As I checked my cc balance today I was surprised to see the credit already applied to my account. To see it today meant it was processed last night, only 4 days after my call. While OC did not meet our expectations in some ways, this last interaction with the line speaks well for their customer service efforts. Since we have cancelled Marina can someone tell me how to remove it from my countdown clock list?

[candbgirl]

I think you just go into your signature and remove it. On the bar above click on USER CP. Then click on Edit signature. This is where you'd make the changes.

[carlo7]

Thanks for the instructions. They worked and now I feel better.

[Relaxing Rita]

Alas the refund issue continues here in Australia & New Zealand... friends cancelled their cruise on Marina next year and were charge $600!!

 

We don't like it at all but there seems nothing we can do about it except book with an American Travel Agent.

[JimandStan]

Alas the refund issue continues here in Australia & New Zealand... friends cancelled their cruise on Marina next year and were charge $600!!

 

We don't like it at all but there seems nothing we can do about it except book with an American Travel Agent.

 

Let's be fair, that $600 went to the Australian Cruise Consolidator which has such a stranglehold on the "Down Under" market that they may literally charge whatever they please. :mad:

 

Now, the Consolidator has a good thing going and they obviously intend to run with it, but what seems odd to an American looking in is:

 

A) Why do the Governments of Australia and New Zealand permit this to continue? :confused: By manipulating the marketplace, this nameless consolidator is holding cruising Australians hostage. Don't you have consumer watchdog agencies?

 

B) Why hasn't another, more benevolent Consolidator in your market sprung up to compete with the evil giant?

 

C) Where is the anger? Why are there no "write in campaigns", petitions, or boycotts? Why is the Consolidator not so swamped with complaints that they cannot transact business ?

[ORV]

After leaving Regatta on 11/30 after 10 days in the Caribbean I phoned my T/A on 12/1 to cancel our reservation on Marina next April. The reasons for cancellation involve both our Regatta experience and my assessment of Europe as a vacation destination in the coming months. Anyway I wanted to publicly express my appreciation for the swift refund of our deposit from OC. Although my T/A said she would process the request on 12/1 she also said credit cards credits were only processed once a week (by whom I do not know). I expected to wait at least 9 days to see the credit. As I checked my cc balance today I was surprised to see the credit already applied to my account. To see it today meant it was processed last night, only 4 days after my call. While OC did not meet our expectations in some ways, this last interaction with the line speaks well for their customer service efforts. Since we have cancelled Marina can someone tell me how to remove it from my countdown clock list?

 

Care to share your assessment of Europe as a vacation destination in the coming months? We are thinking of taking a TA but staying a few days in Rome and also stopping at 3 or 4 European ports. Any insight in big changes there would be appreciated. Thanks.

[orchestrapal]

Care to share your assessment of Europe as a vacation destination in the coming months? We are thinking of taking a TA but staying a few days in Rome and also stopping at 3 or 4 European ports. Any insight in big changes there would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

My crystal ball is currently in use! Don't you have one?-;)

 

Don't think anyone knows but personally we have a 5 week land trip planned for May and are not worried about anything except staying well.:)

[Mura]

And we will be traveling through France for much of April. Final payment is due next week and we will make that payment.

 

Mura

[Relaxing Rita]

Good points JimandStan!

Will look at your suggestions and see what we can achieve as a group.

[carlo7]

ORV,

This is only my opinion but two flags have been raised recently and I do not see anything on the horizon that will change things by April when we were scheduled to cruise the Med.

1. When I cancelled Marina with my T/A she reported that her nephew had recently returned from a honeymoon in Paris and said about half the stores were closed. Although the Marina cruise did not have Paris as a port it seems to me Europeans are less driven by profit and will strike whenever they feel abused. Where and when is anybody's guess. We experienced this in 1998 when visiting Paris and the metro and museums were shut down for a few days. Strangely enough everything that was being struck continued to operate on erratic schedules without any fares or entrances fees being charged.

 

2. Given the economic problems facing Greece and now Italy cruising the Med seems risky to me right now. Maybe in a year or two things will change. The sights will still be there so why chance a problematic vacation?

 

3. Finally (and this has nothing to do with Europe) our flights from Seattle to Miami and back were the usual awful experience. Trying to imagine sitting in the aluminum tube for 11 hours to Europe with a 2 year old crying all the way makes me shudder. Luckily we live in Seattle and can drive to many fine vacation spots up and down the West Coast in comfort and quiet.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Mexfolkart]

We are still set for the Med leaving Athens May 14 on the Nautica. We did have Oceania book airfare so IF they change embarkation ports we will get changed, too!

Looking forward to it!!

Sherry & Kimber

[ORV]

ORV,

This is only my opinion but two flags have been raised recently and I do not see anything on the horizon that will change things by April when we were scheduled to cruise the Med.

1. When I cancelled Marina with my T/A she reported that her nephew had recently returned from a honeymoon in Paris and said about half the stores were closed. Although the Marina cruise did not have Paris as a port it seems to me Europeans are less driven by profit and will strike whenever they feel abused. Where and when is anybody's guess. We experienced this in 1998 when visiting Paris and the metro and museums were shut down for a few days. Strangely enough everything that was being struck continued to operate on erratic schedules without any fares or entrances fees being charged.

 

2. Given the economic problems facing Greece and now Italy cruising the Med seems risky to me right now. Maybe in a year or two things will change. The sights will still be there so why chance a problematic vacation?

 

3. Finally (and this has nothing to do with Europe) our flights from Seattle to Miami and back were the usual awful experience. Trying to imagine sitting in the aluminum tube for 11 hours to Europe with a 2 year old crying all the way makes me shudder. Luckily we live in Seattle and can drive to many fine vacation spots up and down the West Coast in comfort and quiet.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Thanks for sharing your insight and reasoning.

[carlo7]

Thanks for the kind words. Hope you enjoy al tour future adventures.

[rhohea]

[quote=Relaxing Rita;31577223]Alas the refund issue continues here in Australia & New Zealand... friends cancelled their cruise on Marina next year and were charge $600!!

Rita, One thing that we were advised to do was only book & pay the deposit for 1 person. This way you are only risking 1/2 the normal deposit (or for those worry about the interest on their money - you only loose 1/2).

We have done this with our last 4 Oceania cruises & have had no problem adding a 2nd person to the booking at final payment time. We just request a new final invoice about 3-4 weeks before final payment and the additional gratuitities & taxes are just added to the balance.

I confirmed with Oceania International Reservations in Miami that there would be no issues at final payment time adding the 2nd person and they confirmed that it is not a problem. And we have had no problems so far.

I have just had to cancel a cruise on Rivieria for 2012 and the deposit was transferred to another cruise with no fees etc. No problems at all.:)

Rhonda

rhohea23@yahoo.com.au