Marella Cancellations

[helengp]

Hello. I wondered if anyone knows when Marella might update their website re cancellations for May cruises. I can’t get through on phone. It would appear from looking at other companies’ cancellations, that most cruise companies are cancelling through June and some even to end of year. Marella seems to be offering me to change my booking but nothing about what to do if I want a refund. They say that if I have not been contacted yet by email, then the cruise is still going ahead. I find this incredible given the state we are in. It would appear that if I cancel, I will lose my money. Does anyone have any experience of this company and its cancellation policy? Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

Thanks

Heidi

[rickpo]

My cruise is on 22 April, still going ahead according to my account.

Hoping I can get my money back and not have to re-book when they finally cancel it.

I know that we won't be going but I'm very disappointed that they are leaving it so late to tell us officially.

I have not said anything until now but I've lost all confidence in TUI and don't think that I'll be using them again.

 

[WeeCountyMan]

TUI are going strictly "by the book" following the government (Foreign Office) dates which declared no travel before 17th April.

 

Everybody and their dog knows there will be no flights, holidays or cruises for months ahead. When the FO issues its new directive, which must be soon, TUI will formally cancel all packages etc. which fall within these revised dates.

 

Then that delaying tactics policy will continue again.

 

In effect TUI are playing for time, (understandable from their perspective) hoping that clients will cancel a holiday before TUI are obliged to do so. In that scenario the client will lose out because they have abandoned a booking while it was still an active reservation.

 

Under current regulations you are entitled to a full refund within 2 weeks in respect of a booking cancelled by the travel company - well, that's the theory.

 

Simon Calder of The Independent is well worth following, here's the latest I could find.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/coronavirus-holiday-cancelled-abta-package-travel-regulations-a9434756.html

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by WeeCountyMan

[marylizcat]

WeeCountyMan is spot on. 
 

Don’t cancel yourself, let them cancel in due course. Then you don’t lose your money.

 

Don’t waste your time phoning them. You will get nowhere. Just wait patiently till your turn comes and they contact you.

[Vitalsign]

Don't cancel just wait and you'll get a refund when they cancel usually 2 weeks before you're due to sail If you are over 70 or have underlying health problems you can cancel and get a refund Look at the website

[WeeCountyMan]

Going by anecdotal reports online - getting a refund seems to be a problem.

 

Apparently TUI are attempting to persuade clients to opt for a credit voucher for future use,  or amend their reservation to a different holidays or cruises on another date - rather than a refund, which for TUI is the worst case scenario.

 

They are lobbying the government to amend the relevant regulations.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/31/suspend-refund-rules-or-risk-uk-travel-industry-meltdown-warns-abta

 

The travel industry is in meltdown, following soon after the Thomas Cook catastrophe.

 

As Marylizcat and Vitalsign have indicated - do not cancel your booking, take no action, the onus is on TUI to sort this out.

Edited April 1, 2020 by WeeCountyMan

[Longislandtea]

I don't need to pay the final amount until the end of April.  I don't think I will risk paying this and would rather loose the deposit.  I wondered if anyone else felt the same ?

[Pensioncruiser]

Yes we did this last week lose of deposit only, in fact I have received notification that they are returning £100 of the £500 deposit so they are not keeping the full deposit, I was not prepared to risk the other £4400 its just our personal choice everyone has different ideas. 

[lovetoholiday]

I paid the balance of my June 20th cruise knowing full well it will be cancelled but in the hope of a refund.  Now I'm not so sure that a refund will be offered but rather a credit.  My hope now is that they would let me use that credit towards the balance of a cruise I have already booked for June 2021 to the States.  It's just a waiting game now.

[Pensioncruiser]

2 minutes ago, lovetoholiday said:

My hope now is that they would let me use that credit towards the balance of a cruise I have already booked for June 2021 to the States

They have in the past allowed us to pay off an existing cruise with a voucher so you should be OK. 

[lovetoholiday]

28 minutes ago, Pensioncruiser said:

They have in the past allowed us to pay off an existing cruise with a voucher so you should be OK. 

That's good to know. Thanks.

[WeeCountyMan]

5 hours ago, Pensioncruiser said:

Yes we did this last week lose of deposit only, in fact I have received notification that they are returning £100 of the £500 deposit so they are not keeping the full deposit, I was not prepared to risk the other £4400 its just our personal choice everyone has different ideas. 

Absolutely no criticism, your choice is respected, that's a lot of money to gamble with - however customer cancellations of cruises/holidays before the FO advice obliges TUI to cancel the reservation is what they want clients to opt for.

 

As regulations stand, clients are entitled to a refund within two weeks of the cruise or holiday being cancelled by TUI, so please don't feel under any obligation to accept a credit note or a future cruise/holiday alternative.

 

How long before these regs are amended is anybody's guess.

[Brummijam]

As regulations stand, clients are entitled to a refund within two weeks of the cruise or holiday being cancelled by TUI, so please don't feel under any obligation to accept a credit note or a future cruise/holiday alternative.

 

This exactly. Would TUI accept a voucher or credit note from me as payment for my holiday?

Do the right thing TUI pay the refunds that are due, Stop playing for time.😤

[mike x ftc]

Our cruise is due to go on April 17th (in just over two 2 weeks..)  and we have heard nothing, on their facebook page they are still saying cruises after the 16th are going ahead - really??  Where is exactly will they be going??  We're not supposed to leave the house let alone go on a cruise!!   Their lack of communication is very poor.  We need to know what is happening!

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Brummijam said:

As regulations stand, clients are entitled to a refund within two weeks of the cruise or holiday being cancelled by TUI, so please don't feel under any obligation to accept a credit note or a future cruise/holiday alternative.

 

This exactly. Would TUI accept a voucher or credit note from me as payment for my holiday?

Do the right thing TUI pay the refunds that are due, Stop playing for time.😤

ABTA are trying to get the government in the guise of Department for Transport to change the rule to permit refunds. Big business v consumers. Guess who will win. I think my refund will be by voucher.

 

No thought for customers finances.

Edited April 2, 2020 by zap99
Spell check error

[skioncruises]

52 minutes ago, mike x ftc said:

Our cruise is due to go on April 17th (in just over two 2 weeks..)  and we have heard nothing, on their facebook page they are still saying cruises after the 16th are going ahead - really??  Where is exactly will they be going??  We're not supposed to leave the house let alone go on a cruise!!   Their lack of communication is very poor.  We need to know what is happening!

 

We're waiting to see if they contact us tomorrow telling us to Check In and print our Boarding Cards being as it will be 14 days until departure.  If they do there will then be the long wait and running up of phone bills to get through to them which, in my case for almost 3 weeks now, has been impossible.

 

Sadly the staff are only doing what those above are telling them and it will be very difficult not to vent my frustation on whoever answers.  However, having the experience of being in Customer Services in the utilities industry I will try remember my training on focus days and not succumb. hooked.   

 

 

[Pensioncruiser]

Fingers crossed for you please keep us updated. 

[Vitalsign]

The expert today on the BBC 5pm version of the news explicitly said not to cancel your holidays/cruises and wait for the company to cancel thereby giving you a refund If balances are due she said to pay them by credit card and when the cruise is cancelled your card will receive the refund If the company goes bust the credit card will give you the refund.

please note if the money is refunded to your credit card and you want it in your bank instead the card company will take whatever you owe on your card and return the balance to your bank account

[Brummijam]

7 hours ago, lovetoholiday said:

I paid the balance of my June 20th cruise knowing full well it will be cancelled but in the hope of a refund.  Now I'm not so sure that a refund will be offered but rather a credit.  My hope now is that they would let me use that credit towards the balance of a cruise I have already booked for June 2021 to the States.  It's just a waiting game now.

Why are they still asking customers to pay the balance on cruises that they know will be cancelled?

The cynic in me thinks that they are hoping that people will cancel and therefore lose deposits rather than Pay out more and have to worry about getting a refund.

[Vitalsign]

Because they don't know when they will be cancelled and as I've said before they are dealing with refunds 2 weeks before departure date 

[Brummijam]

10 minutes ago, Vitalsign said:

Because they don't know when they will be cancelled and as I've said before they are dealing with refunds 2 weeks before departure date 

 

Do you/they really think that the June 20th sailing that is mentioned above will go ahead?

[lovetoholiday]

16 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

 

Do you/they really think that the June 20th sailing that is mentioned above will go ahead?

I don't for a minute think it will go ahead. Sadly as I was really looking forward to it.

[skioncruises]

2 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

 

Do you/they really think that the June 20th sailing that is mentioned above will go ahead?

 

Doubt it.  Before the final balance was due I called and asked for an extension on paying the balance for 20 June.  Expecting to be given the 14 days which I have had previously, usually we were out of the country when it was due, I was given until the 16 April.  Coincidence that a few days later they were only going to deal with cruises until 16 April.  ??? 

 

A few days after being given the extension we decided to cancel and lose our deposit.  To date I have been unable to get anyone to answer by phone or email and on 24 March they announced they were closing all their retail stores and call centre teams.  I persevered anyway but eventually gave up trying at the beginning of the week and will let them contact me.

 

So, as well as my earlier post about 17 April, I also have 20 June booked but will not be paying the balance.

[WeeCountyMan]

47 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

 

Do you/they really think that the June 20th sailing that is mentioned above will go ahead?

 

TUI are going strictly by Foreign Office advice not to travel - at the present time that period extends to 17th April, so there will be no further cancellations until that advice is updated because that is TUI's temporary  convenient "Get Out Of Jail" card to prevent them being obliged to offer a refund in the short term - essentially playing for time, hoping the regulations on refunds will be relaxed soon.

 

In the real world however there is no chance of cruises or holidays taking place for many months, unless there is a miracle of biblical proportions.

Edited April 2, 2020 by WeeCountyMan

[Vitalsign]

Brummijam - no I don't  We have moved our cruise 23rd June to November and we got a good discount

i was just saying do not cancel and carry on as if you were going and you'll get your money back 

People must have the money available to pay balances or they would have lost their cruise through default so what's the difference if you get it back nearer to the time of your cruise departure? I just don't understand They can't pay everybody back at once and I wouldn't want them to go bust TUI will be insured in case they can't sail but won't be able to claim unless the Government advice says so

Their website now says if you book a cruise you will not have to pay the balance until 4 weeks before sailing so that they don't have a problem with refunds They are not trying to hold on to everyone's money they are trying to deal with it chronologically and people cancelling before the cruise is cancelled aren't helping

PS anyone over the age of 70 or wth underlying health problems can cancel with a full refund if their cruise sails before the end of June - its on the website but nobody seems to read it

Edited April 2, 2020 by Vitalsign