Any UK Advice on Swapping PAX Please?

[Chunky2219]

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of swapping a booking to other passengers.

 

DW and I have a QE cruise later this year. We are past final payment and all paid up. It is QG, so had to be booked as a Cunard Fare rather than Early Saver or any other restricted booking. We're already less than 90 days so are into a 50% cancellation charge if we want to pull out.

 

I have a teeny, tiny medical problem, which is a continuation of an urgent hospital admission earlier this year. I booked the cruise after I thought things were okay (having been given the all-clear by one arm of the system) , but before the outpatient appointment last week (with another department) to get finally cleared. To my horror, I discovered that to prevent a re-occurrence I might have to have an operation, which involves someone drilling a few holes in my head as a "preventative measure". (!!!) :o The consultant couldn't make his mind up so I'm waiting to see the boss man doctor so he can decide whether to give me the okay or else get the drill out. Obviously, my present travel insurance isn't going to cover it.

 

So, the options are:

1. I'm all clear - no issue, , no drilling, forget I asked. :)

2. I need an op, he advises low risk for sailing and I'm able to get travel insurance for the unlikely event that I end up in intensive care again, this time in foreign parts. :)

3. He says, "Oh, dear, oh no, don't risk going on a ship until I've sorted you out. :(

 

In the event of option 3 my best bet might just be to give the cruise to a couple of friends, complete with the $940 of OBC. If, of course, Cunard will allow such jiggery pokery. Is this possible in the UK? If so how does it work, are there costs and any pitfalls?

 

I'm going to ask my (excellent) TA, but I thought checking if anyone had been there, done it and survived would be a good idea too.

 

Many thanks

[Chunky2219]

Please ignore the question. TA says no chance to transfer names, so it looks like I'm potentially stuffed.

 

Sorry.

 

.

[edwardh1]

there are several insurance companies that will waive pre existing conditions if u buy the insurance within 2 weeks of the first deposit on the trip

 

why not call cunard direct?

Edited August 4, 2015 by edwardh1

[Host Hattie]

There was a recent thread about changing 1 name on a booking. I seem to remember that was possible but you can't change both names.

[PORT ROYAL]

There was a recent thread about changing 1 name on a booking. I seem to remember that was possible but you can't change both names.

 

Some time ago, we had a medical concern, but spoke to the Line and allowed to move the Cruise. Could be the way forward ;)

[Salacia]

Chunky, sorry about your medical issues. Wishing you all the best,

Salacia

[balf]

In certain circumstances and subject to conditions, we will allow a complete transfer of a booking to other passengers. Please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 0843 374 0000 (Calls cost 3p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge) to discuss this further.

 

Not sure exactly how this works. I understand that it is possible to allocate the whole cruise to other people, but it's not clear if they have to be all new passengers.

 

As always it's probably worth asking.

 

David

[Solent Richard]

Please ignore the question. TA says no chance to transfer names, so it looks like I'm potentially stuffed.

 

Sorry.

 

.

 

Hi. Sorry to hear of your predicament but surely you had insurance cover in place prior to making the reservation.

 

Therefore my personal inclination would be to 'hold' until the final moment possible.

 

Better to pay whatever the excess on the policy than lose 50% of the fare.

[Chunky2219]

Salacia, Balf, Richard,

 

Thanks for the good wishes and for the information. I have to say that my TA has been magnificent with this and did some very prompt work. With the time window for decisions literally closing yesterday, Cunard have been very understanding and accommodating as well.

 

I had an option to transfer to another cruise so long as it was same price or more expensive but the only one that hit the spot was going to be slightly over 12 months away, which Cunard were happy to accommodate, given the unusual circumstances. The only cost would have been a £100 fee, which looked like good value for money.

 

However, the news is better than that. I was able to get a very short notice private appointment with the professor who deals with this specialised area and saw him yesterday evening. I'm a big fan of the NHS and normally would eschew private medicine but in this instance I just wanted advice, not to be jumping the queue. My GP had sent me with a very comprehensive set of documentation including radiologist evaluations of my CT and MRI. So even without needing to go back and look at the scans his conclusion was that although there are never any guarantees, I am very low risk for a re-occurance.

 

Providing we're not going to the Caribbean (or otherwise being more than a couple of days from land and in the worst possible case, helicopter evacuatable) then no worries. Once I've cleared the NHS system, following a 12 month review with no symptoms then longer voyages will be back on the menu. The possible operation sounded like it would have been a bit of a biggie anyway so it's good to know it's not necessary now or in the future.

 

So it's all systems go. My present holiday insurance is happy with it with no additional charges for risk, but it wouldn't have covered cancellation if I'd jumped ship too soon, so to speak. The only slight remaining problem is my customary one stone in pre-cruise weight loss to make room in my penguin suit for the inevitable effects of fine fare. :rolleyes:

 

The good news for Cunard is that the cruise next year looked good anyway, so we'll probably book that one as well. :cool:

 

.

[cruiseluvva]

Very good news indeed.

[Host Hattie]

That sounds like excellent news all round, have a wonderful time.

Thanks for reporting back, it's always good to hear how things work out.

[Salacia]

Very happy to read your good news, Chunky! Sail on in good health.

Salacia

[balf]

Great result Chunky, very happy for you.

 

David.