Cunard's Coronavirus Cancellations/Refunds (Merged threads)

[IB2]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

Have I missed something? I thought the don't cruise if you are over 70 was simply advice and not mandatory?  Once this has cleared up DH and I fully intend to restart cruising.  We are 75 and 71 respectively.

Travelling against an FCO advisory, you wouldn’t have any travel insurance.  If you are happy to cover any costs yourselves (which in the event of medical evacuation could reach six figures) then it’s your choice.  But academic while the whole industry remains shut down.

[T5LHR]

2 hours ago, Canuker said:

 

It's a gamble
 

In this situation, T5LHR, a bird in the hand might be worth 1.25 in the bush.
To betting man, that's odds of 4:1 on.
So, what it comes down to is do you think the odds on Carnival being able to honour their offer are better or worse than 4:1 on?
And all this assumes, of course, that the price of a future cruise is roughly the same as now.
There's a lot of variables.
And finally, let's not forget the golden rule of gambling: never bet more than you can afford to lose.

 

Yeah, its a gamble... 

 

I am swaying towards the FCC. They money was saved specifically for a voyage, and it would still be for that even if I got it back. The bonus being that, if the gable pays off, I get 25% more of it to spend. As it stands at the moment, the almost identical back to back crossing next year is identical in price bar a few quid, and would still leave me a decent lump towards another voyage, maybe a short trip around Europe to try out another Queen at some point. 

 

I will let my brain stew for the next few days. Or, at least till I get some more information. 

 

Thanks for the reply! 🙂

 

 

[babs135]

51 minutes ago, IB2 said:

Travelling against an FCO advisory, you wouldn’t have any travel insurance.  If you are happy to cover any costs yourselves (which in the event of medical evacuation could reach six figures) then it’s your choice.  But academic while the whole industry remains shut down.

Obviously I somehow missed this clause.  Is this just for the length of the crisis?  I did assume that even when we got back to normal the insurance companies would exclude cover for any potential flare up of the virus, etc.  And what about our two weeks in Spain?  Would we be unable to get any travel insurance?

[IB2]

10 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Obviously I somehow missed this clause.  Is this just for the length of the crisis?  I did assume that even when we got back to normal the insurance companies would exclude cover for any potential flare up of the virus, etc.  And what about our two weeks in Spain?  Would we be unable to get any travel insurance?

Two separate issues.  If you travel against an FCO advisory, your insurance is always invalid, since there will be a clause in the small print of your policy saying as much.

 

Separately, travel insurance companies are amending their policies so that any bookings (including amending bookings to new dates) made after a certain date - typically a week to ten days ago in mid-March - aren't covered for any issues (medical or cancellation) arising from Coronavirus, since this is now a "known event".  This makes it very difficult to book any new holiday while the pandemic is underway.  One would hope that, whenever things return to "normal" (my bet isn't until 2021), this clause would be removed - but a suspicious person might imagine that the insurance companies wont be rushing to do this.

Edited March 30, 2020 by IB2

[babs135]

3 minutes ago, IB2 said:

Two separate issues.  If you travel against an FCO advisory, your insurance is always invalid, since there will be a clause in the small print of your policy saying as much.

 

Separately, travel insurance companies are amending their policies so that any bookings (including amending bookings to new dates) made after a certain date - typically a week to ten days ago in mid-March - aren't covered for any issues (medical or cancellation) arising from Coronavirus, since this is now a "known event".  This makes it very difficult to book any new holiday while the pandemic is underway.  One would hope that, whenever things return to "normal" (my bet isn't until 2021), this clause would be removed - but a suspicious person might imagine that the insurance companies wont be rushing to do this.

Thanks.  The balance for our October cruise is due in mid-June and we keep changing our minds as to what to do.  The itinerary is repeated in September 2021 and one thought had been to transfer the booking to this one but just not sure.  Its such a mess.

[bluemarble]

Maybe someone already pointed this out, but I just noticed there is now a "Refunds for pre-cruise purchases" page within the "Keeping you updated" section of the Cunard websites. They are offering 110% On Board Credit on a future voyage as an alternative to refunding pre-voyage purchases for voyages departing through August 31, 2020. There's now a form to submit to request a refund of pre-voyages purchases rather than taking the 110% OBC. Here's the text from that page on the US website.

 

Refunds for pre-cruise purchases.

For voyages departing before August 31, 2020.

If you had already lined up extra experiences and treatments on board there’s no need to contact us. We will create an Onboard Credit (to be used the next time you sail with us, or indeed, rolled over from one voyage to the next) to the value of 110% for any purchases you may have made through My Cunard or our customer contact center.

 

Those guests who would prefer a 100% cash refund should fill out this web form and we ask that you refrain from calling the customer contact center. Due to the extraordinary circumstances associated with COVID-19 and the associated impact to our customer contact center team and wider business, refunds may take up to 60 days to be processed.

[majortom10]

34 minutes ago, T5LHR said:

 

Yeah, its a gamble... 

 

I am swaying towards the FCC. They money was saved specifically for a voyage, and it would still be for that even if I got it back. The bonus being that, if the gable pays off, I get 25% more of it to spend. As it stands at the moment, the almost identical back to back crossing next year is identical in price bar a few quid, and would still leave me a decent lump towards another voyage, maybe a short trip around Europe to try out another Queen at some point. 

 

I will let my brain stew for the next few days. Or, at least till I get some more information. 

 

Thanks for the reply! 🙂

 

 

I have gone for cash refund because we already have a cruise booked in October with Cunard and 3 in 2021, 1 with Cunard so was struggling to make another new booking. The only option I had was QM2 March 2022 to Northern Lights but at over £1800 for a 12nt cruise in inside cabin is very expensive and I am sure has increased considerably since it first went on sale negating the extra 25% so therefore no gain to me. We also are seriously considering after doing the cruises we currently have booked whether to go on anymore cruises.

[T5LHR]

13 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I have gone for cash refund because we already have a cruise booked in October with Cunard and 3 in 2021, 1 with Cunard so was struggling to make another new booking. The only option I had was QM2 March 2022 to Northern Lights but at over £1800 for a 12nt cruise in inside cabin is very expensive and I am sure has increased considerably since it first went on sale negating the extra 25% so therefore no gain to me. We also are seriously considering after doing the cruises we currently have booked whether to go on anymore cruises.

 

I don't have anything else booked so its a bit different for me... But, I completely see why your train of thought is what it is. Its hard to try and cram it all in, time is limited. 

 

 

[Colin_Cameron]

Had a call from our travel agent a couple of hours ago. They had a call from Cunard about our 14th March QM2 voyage from Fremantle to Southampton that was cancelled on 14th March (perhaps still 13th March in the UK)

 

Cunard informed them that the refund would be paid direct to our credit card. Only after the call ended the travel agent realised that would difficult as Cunard didn’t have our cc info. We paid the TA and they paid Cunard.. They called back and the response was along the lines of ‘Ah! ... Yes ... Umm. ... We’ll send them a cheque.’

 

So it looks like no matter what, refunds will go direct to the customer. And even if not to an ideal timetable, things are progressing.

[KetoCruiser]

3 hours ago, Canuker said:

The form referred to in the red-type hotlink above applies not only to bookings directly with Cunard but those via TAs as well. This seems to be a departure from a fundamental tenet of Cunard and most other cruise lines.
If the FCC option is selected and funds are credited to the customer's 'guest account' at Cunard, I wonder if this means that the ensuing future booking(s) must be made directly with Cunard also and not through a TA.

Can anyone in the know clarify, please?

We had FCC with Princess and once we chose the cruise we wanted, our TA contacted Princess to apply the FCC. I think it works similar to a future cruise you buy on the ship, you can still book it through your own travel agent.

[Edithclara]

6 hours ago, Clagmeister said:

Everything is now passed into law and no one is going anywhere. However, when the UK government curtailed cruising by 70+, earlier this month we immediately received an email from Cunard offering options for our QV 16 Apr cruise that included cancellation and a full refund. We took up the full refund on 16 Mar and  await payment in due course. 

We UK cruisers have always been lead to believe that out T&Cs are better - ABTA / ATOL protection being examples . This is usually deployed as justification for cruise deposit being non-refundable should a UK cruiser cancel. We shall see if all this extra protection works in these troubled times.

So, you've received your full refund for your March 16 cancel/refund request for your April16 cruise?

Edited March 30, 2020 by Edithclara
Sorry, just re-read your post that you had hotel and cruise port parking, money paid back.

[Vogatrice]

has anyone heard rumours about the QM2's drydock dates changing? There are TA voyages selling on their website for September. Have they postponed or maybe accelerated drydock to try to earn some revenue back? I don't know where to search for that kind of information, insights appreciated.

[bluemarble]

5 minutes ago, Vogatrice said:

has anyone heard rumours about the QM2's drydock dates changing? There are TA voyages selling on their website for September. Have they postponed or maybe accelerated drydock to try to earn some revenue back? I don't know where to search for that kind of information, insights appreciated.

 

Haven't heard anything yet about delays to the drydock schedule. The original schedule for QM2's 2020 refit is November 6-28, 2020.

[Aspidestra99]

Today, Simon Palethorpe posted on Cunard's YouTube channel that the pause in Cunard's operations has been extended until May 15th.

Edited March 30, 2020 by Aspidestra99

[oskidunker]

35 minutes ago, Vogatrice said:

has anyone heard rumours about the QM2's drydock dates changing? There are TA voyages selling on their website for September. Have they postponed or maybe accelerated drydock to try to earn some revenue back? I don't know where to search for that kind of information, insights appreciated.

Assuming dock workers would work. 

[Vogatrice]

right, sorry, don't know how I got September stuck in my head. Of course it's November. I'm trying to rebook my cancelled May cruise and I got my circuits crossed. Thanks all

[Clagmeister]

2 hours ago, Edithclara said:

So, you've received your full refund for your March 16 cancel/refund request for your April16 cruise?

I have been promised it by Cunard but still waiting for the cash.

[Coathanger]

2 hours ago, Clagmeister said:

I have been promised it by Cunard but still waiting for the cash.

 

I'd imagine they'll keep you waiting for almost the full 45 days to manage their cashflow.

[Edithclara]

45 days? Their website says "refunds may take up to 60 days to be processed." As long as we receive it!

[Coathanger]

On 3/17/2020 at 4:38 AM, Windsurfboy said:

Thanks for the link to the form.

 

Filled in

 

Response says your refund will be processed in 45 days , unacceptably slow. When I get back to UK will get on the phone

 

19 minutes ago, Edithclara said:

45 days? Their website says "refunds may take up to 60 days to be processed." As long as we receive it!

 

45 days was for the first round of cancellations until 11 April. 60 days is the current waiting period since the second round of cancellations until mid-May were announced yesterday. 

Edited March 31, 2020 by Coathanger

[Edithclara]

The plot thickens....

[Clagmeister]

5 hours ago, Coathanger said:

 

I'd imagine they'll keep you waiting for almost the full 45 days to manage their cashflow.

Yes they originally said 7 to 10 days but with things being as they are it will be a waiting game.

[T5LHR]

Already had notice of my cancelation by email this morning. 

 

Informing me I will get a further cancelation email and to disregard any cancelation fees on the email to follow as they are not applied. 

[Windsurfboy]

 

1 hour ago, T5LHR said:

Already had notice of my cancelation by email this morning. 

 

Informing me I will get a further cancelation email and to disregard any cancelation fees on the email to follow as they are not applied. 

 

 

When did you apply for the cancellation 

[speedwell]

QM2 still at anchor off Durban