NEED A FAIR REFUND POLICY DUE TO VIRUS

[Teach2618]

46 minutes ago, samiam1 said:

 

Exceedingly curious, I received no mention of French law but this:

 

Guests booked on cancelled sailings will receive a future cruise credit of 120% to transfer to another PONANT cruise within 18 months of the original date of sailing. Guests wishing to cancel and not take advantage of the Cruise Credit, will be subject to standard cancelation policies/penalties. All policies are subject to change.

However, they also claim they will be open for operations April 20 which we know is not happening.  But since my cruise is in the last part of April I am left hanging even though the cruise  appears on Ponant's own cancelled list.  It appears they just sort of make this stuff up as they go along.  But they will let new bookings cancel without penalty up to 30 days before departure under the new "Worry Free" policy. 

Anyone booked with Ponant should worry.

We were offered 100% FCC not even the 120% and I got no response to my letter. Our cruise is canceled but we’re to sail April 24. Very frustrated

[Zeddog]

Have been watching this forum with interest.

 

I have three back to back cruises with Ponant which were due to sail out of Lisbon in early April and conclude in Dublin 3 weeks later.  I have been offered (and accepted) the 120% credit and my Travel Agent is trying to put together a new package for me for the same time next year.  I am looking at it in the light of trying to keep this company (as well as my travel agent and airline) afloat (did you see what I did there) in this time of global emergency.  Ponant also say they are committed to keeping their employees from the poor house until cruising can re-commence.  
 

What use will getting the money back if 80% of us are brought low by the virus and a good proportion of us oldies actually killed by it?  I am taking a gamble on the company and hope that the world recovers by this time in 2021.  
 

That said, I understand some travellers need to recover their money to care for themselves or their families in this uncertain time.

 

This is just my viewpoint from someone who can afford to take a risk on the future looking brighter.

[samiam1]

29 minutes ago, Zeddog said:

That said, I understand some travellers need to recover their money to care for themselves or their families in this uncertain time.

 

This is just my viewpoint from someone who can afford to take a risk on the future looking brighter.

 

Ponant's stakeholder Pinault won't go hungry that's for sure , but I am effectively out of work till this blows over and need back my 10K.  What really bothers me, is that if a passenger violates a contractual term, the cruise lines usually show no mercy but somehow the cruise line can do as it pleases once it has your money.

[Seabiscuit68]

14 hours ago, samiam1 said:

 

Ponant's stakeholder Pinault won't go hungry that's for sure , but I am effectively out of work till this blows over and need back my 10K.  What really bothers me, is that if a passenger violates a contractual term, the cruise lines usually show no mercy but somehow the cruise line can do as it pleases once it has your money.

 

I agree!  I need my $15k back.  We self-employed and business owners.  In Canada, they are talking about restrictions being in place for months, not weeks.   We're not going to be taking a cruise within 18 months.  If we're shut down for months, it will take time to earn back what we lost and replace savings that were used to get us through the crisis. 

 

[Teach2618]

I too agree but what options are there. Ponant not responding to my letters. TA saying that’s what they offer...

[DSmith91]

I'm watching this post closely.  We have paid our deposit for a cruise in Western Australia and due to pay the balance in May.  With Australia closing it's borders indefinitely, but possibly for six months I am reluctant to pay my balance without the reassurance that I will be refunded rather than a FCC.

Can they really get out of their T&C's which state that in event of the cruise cancellation by Ponant, one of our options is a full refund?

 

[ozzicruiser]

15 minutes ago, DSmith91 said:

I'm watching this post closely.  We have paid our deposit for a cruise in Western Australia and due to pay the balance in May.  With Australia closing it's borders indefinitely, but possibly for six months I am reluctant to pay my balance without the reassurance that I will be refunded rather than a FCC.

Can they really get out of their T&C's which state that in event of the cruise cancellation by Ponant, one of our options is a full refund?

 

I'm in the same boat (pardon the pun) I don't t want to pay the balance if its going to be given as a FCC and not a refund better to lose the deposit. 

Ponant is a terrible company to give us this extra worry on top of everything else that is happening. 

 

I for one will NEVER book with them again. 

 

[samiam1]

24 minutes ago, DSmith91 said:

I'm watching this post closely.  We have paid our deposit for a cruise in Western Australia and due to pay the balance in May.  With Australia closing it's borders indefinitely, but possibly for six months I am reluctant to pay my balance without the reassurance that I will be refunded rather than a FCC.

Can they really get out of their T&C's which state that in event of the cruise cancellation by Ponant, one of our options is a full refund?

 

 

If you look over on the MSC Board, MSC is telling non USA cruisers they will get cash refunds after December 2021. I think these lines are so highly leveraged, they will shortly run out of cash.  Ponant has/had to repatriate about 1000 people and I doubt their new "worry free" booking campaing is yielding much in the way of cash flow.

[DSmith91]

We will be travelling from the UK and the cruise is part of a 2 month trip.  We have invested a lot of money in this trip.  A lot of our accommodation is Airbnb which we have been told can be cancelled FOC.  30% deposit of a £10k cruise is a lot of money to lose but Ponant's T&C's state that if we cancel the cruise any less than 120 days before the cruise we will forfeit 50% of the cruise price.  Not long to decide what to do.

As others have pointed out, with only 18 months to book a cruise with a FCC voucher, most of the 30% bonus has gone and prices have gone up anyway.  We'd still be out of pocket.  If they offered a replacement cruise that would be a better alternative, but they won't.

[Teach2618]

48 minutes ago, ozzicruiser said:

I'm in the same boat (pardon the pun) I don't t want to pay the balance if its going to be given as a FCC and not a refund better to lose the deposit. 

Ponant is a terrible company to give us this extra worry on top of everything else that is happening. 

 

I for one will NEVER book with them again. 

I too will Never book with them but now have to cruise or lose all my money as well as paying more for a different cruise. This stinks

 

[DSmith91]

2 minutes ago, Teach2618 said:

 

I know exactly what you mean.  I think I'll raise this on Facebook and Twitter as companies don't like seeing bad press on there.  I have never used Twitter but if some of this dissatisfaction gets through it might be worth it.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I understand the outrage – I'm also dealing with a cruise Ponant cancelled [that I would have been on right now].  I've gone through Denial, Anger, Bargaining [they said no], skipped Depression and now am at Acceptance.

 

I just want to say that Ponant are not alone in this approach.  More and more cruise lines are switching to FCC-only and refusing cash.  AmaWaterways, one of the better river cruise lines, just did that.  Carnival Corp just drew down their entire bank credit line – when the cash is gone, it's gone.  Just because Ponant has a rich guy as its major shareholder doesn't mean they can just tap his bank accounts.  So I advise patience, and cut Ponant a little slack.  Maybe we'll meet on our Ponant FCC make-up cruises and have good stories to share at the open bar. 

[DSmith91]

9 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I understand the outrage – I'm also dealing with a cruise Ponant cancelled [that I would have been on right now].  I've gone through Denial, Anger, Bargaining [they said no], skipped Depression and now am at Acceptance.

 

I just want to say that Ponant are not alone in this approach.  More and more cruise lines are switching to FCC-only and refusing cash.  AmaWaterways, one of the better river cruise lines, just did that.  Carnival Corp just drew down their entire bank credit line – when the cash is gone, it's gone.  Just because Ponant has a rich guy as its major shareholder doesn't mean they can just tap his bank accounts.  So I advise patience, and cut Ponant a little slack.  Maybe we'll meet on our Ponant FCC make-up cruises and have good stories to share at the open bar. 

But it still means that we are paying considerably more for exactly the same cruise a year or so later.  If they gave an identical replacement cruise that wouldn't be so bad but as it stands it will be more expensive.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, DSmith91 said:

But it still means that we are paying considerably more for exactly the same cruise a year or so later.  If they gave an identical replacement cruise that wouldn't be so bad but as it stands it will be more expensive.

 

120% will more than cover the cost of the 2021 version of my cancelled cruise.  Same itinerary, same number of nights, price increase less than 20%.

[DSmith91]

3 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

120% will more than cover the cost of the 2021 version of my cancelled cruise.  Same itinerary, same number of nights, price increase less than 20%.

Oh, sorry.  I thought it was just a 100% FCC.  120% is much fairer.

[Teach2618]

53 minutes ago, DSmith91 said:

Oh, sorry.  I thought it was just a 100% FCC.  120% is much fairer.

I only got 100% not 120% through my TAand they are not offering same cruise next year

[DSmith91]

3 minutes ago, Teach2618 said:

I only got 100% not 120% through my TAand they are not offering same cruise next year

It seems to vary then.  I'm already panicking about this when I should maybe wait till everything hits the fan and deal with it then.

[Seabiscuit68]

I know, I have had no response at all from Ponant.  I have sent several emails. Short of finding a lawyer and trying to figure out French law we seem screwed by Ponant.   I've reached out to a consumer reporter in Florida who said he would contact Ponant but I haven't heard back.  Ponant owner Pinault is married to Salma Hayek so next options may be to start blitzing on social media. 

[samiam1]

1 hour ago, Seabiscuit68 said:

I know, I have had no response at all from Ponant.  I have sent several emails. Short of finding a lawyer and trying to figure out French law we seem screwed by Ponant.

 

The French law clause will likely not hold up in the USA.  Ponant has repudiated its own contract and unilaterally changed it.  Additionally, I doubt very much there is any French law that allows a seller of travel to ditch its own agreements just because they do not feel like honoring it.  Ponant is in default but so apparently are several other cruise lines.  It is an industry wide scandal.

[MrRandal]

Ponant is displaying typical French arrogance in this matter. Pinault is basically saying "Let them eat cake". 

[samiam1]

7 hours ago, MrRandal said:

Ponant is displaying typical French arrogance in this matter. Pinault is basically saying "Let them eat cake". 

 

Sadly, I have had the "pleasure" of having Paris hotels dishonor fully paid reservations.  Apparently, Ponant is reverting true to French form in a crisis by doing the wrong thing and relying on "French law."

[ozzicruiser]

14 hours ago, MrRandal said:

Ponant is displaying typical French arrogance in this matter. Pinault is basically saying "Let them eat cake". 

Let's boycott Ponant and spread the word of the treatment we are receiving and Pinault might join us in eating cake in a couple of years. 

[ozzicruiser]

Well I've bitten the bullet and have decided to cancel my cruises. 

A loss of 10% is better than a FCC. 

But I have to wait 3 months to get my refund. Ponant you stink. 

[samiam1]

7 hours ago, ozzicruiser said:

Well I've bitten the bullet and have decided to cancel my cruises. 

A loss of 10% is better than a FCC. 

But I have to wait 3 months to get my refund. Ponant you stink. 

 

You really think they will pay in 90 days?  Where will the money come from given they have no cash flow and only expenses?

[ozzicruiser]

59 minutes ago, samiam1 said:

 

You really think they will pay in 90 days?  Where will the money come from given they have no cash flow and only expenses?

That doesn't surprise me at all. 

Alarm bells set off when my TA forwarded a long winded letter from Ponant saying.... They have extended the balance to 30days before the cruise if the cruise is cancelled they will give me a FCC to use within 18mths...if I don't use it within 18mths ponant will then give me a refund..... Yeah sure they will have gone under by then and I will have blown the full amount.