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Cunard's Cancellations/Refunds Update 23rd April 2020


rog747
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I have found this thread most interesting, particularly the information about Refund Credit notes.

Our TA has told us that they will be issuing a RCN for our May cruise which is unlikely to be paid until October at the earliest. That is when they say they will start the process of refunding. So even that date could be later.

We have questioned them repeatedly about the validity of RCNs and they trot out the ‘fact’ that they are ATOL protected, which as has been shown is not strictly true.

Who knows if our TA will still be in business by October so it’s very worrying?

We have started a CC claim, although we only part paid in CC, but are not sure if they will say if you are issued with a RCN then we don’t have to pay out.

Like others, if we ever DO book another cruise we will definitely use a CC for the whole amount. What it has also shown is the difference in the way the CC companies have handled our claims - we used both CC and debit cards to pay for the complete package, flights hotel etc.

American Express were absolutely superb. One phone call and the money (part of the payment of the holiday) was back in my husband’s account immediately with no evidence needed as they simply pulled up the info on the original payment.

Barclay are, on the other hand were appalling. A wait of an hour and a half to even get through to someone, then lots of excuses about their Indian call centre being shut, and a huge rigmarole to go through with a pathetically bad online form to fill in. For example, it said if you couldn’t upload documentation to write in a small box why you couldn’t. But there was such a small limit on the number of words you could write that it was impossible to explain anything - the form would not accept my documentation so it wasn’t our fault. With no documentation the form simply wouldn’t upload. Eventually discovered that it would accept photos of the documents, but they cannot confirm receipt of them.

So we wait and hope to eventually see our money returned but we are very wary of these RCNs as they are a complete unknown, and no guarantee of them being protected.

Good luck everyone!




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1 hour ago, Edithclara said:

Ozbrian, Cunard said 60 days, I have it in my diary to email the TA just after the 60 days to see if they've received anything from Cunard. 

 

 

Don't hold your breath, I'm at day 65 (orginal quote  45 days) direct Cunard booking. Rang yesterday not processed yet , but promised things should speed up. I was going to go to Credit card, but will give them a bit longer,  glad to hear above Amex are efficient .

 

1 hour ago, ellie1145 said:

part of the payment of the holiday) was back in my husband’s account immediately with no evidence needed as they simply pulled up the info on the original payment.

 

Ellie1145 , did you go chargeback or section 75 with Amex

 

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OK - another development to think about and which I would assume Cunard would have to take cognizance of very soon.

 

UK government are planning to impose a 14 day quarantine on anyone returning to the UK from abroad (apart from Eire and Channel Islands I understand). Travellers will have to give addresses of their quarantine (mostly home I presume) and stay indoors for 14 days. The police will be given powers to check up and prosecute on anyone venturing out of quarantine. Let's just leave the political ethics of all this to one side for now but it has to make you think that no one in the right mind is going to travel outside British waters if enforced quarantine is to be the result on return. How could Cunard continue to operate ex Southampton/return or on the Transatlantic run with those provisos?

 

I am hoping that Cunard will make a further statement VERY SOON concerning September cruises (of which I have two booked on deposit and with full payment due middle of June).

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This palaver about refunds makes me wonder why we tolerate paying long in advance for travel services.  Yes, I know, that’s just the way it is and we really have no choice, but it was not always thus.

 

Thinking back to my early days of travelling in the 1970s it was not customary to make full payment so long in advance. For my first Cunard booking we paid a small $50 pp deposit and the balance was due 60 days before the crossing. Airline bookings were made without deposit. I can’t recall when payment was made, but I do recall changes and cancellations were usually available at no charge up to a point.

 

Until about 10 years ago, in Canada train reservations – even for expensive compartments on cross-country trips – were made without deposit and an “option date” was given when payment was to be made. Now, it is like booking a flight with full payment due immediately. (In fairness, VIA Rail cancellation penalties are very small compared to airlines.)

 

Fortunately there are still some aspects of travel - other than very high full air fares - that do not require advance payment. With the rarest exception, I have not paid in advance for a hotel stay any more than I would pay for a chesterfield until it was delivered.

 

When I am next able to travel on one of our favourite ships we may book close to the sailing date. I’m well aware of the benefits of booking early and we usually do so eight months to year or more in advance.
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1 hour ago, Roger Ackroyd said:

OK - another development to think about and which I would assume Cunard would have to take cognizance of very soon.

 

UK government are planning to impose a 14 day quarantine on anyone returning to the UK from abroad (apart from Eire and Channel Islands I understand). Travellers will have to give addresses of their quarantine (mostly home I presume) and stay indoors for 14 days. The police will be given powers to check up and prosecute on anyone venturing out of quarantine. Let's just leave the political ethics of all this to one side for now but it has to make you think that no one in the right mind is going to travel outside British waters if enforced quarantine is to be the result on return. How could Cunard continue to operate ex Southampton/return or on the Transatlantic run with those provisos?

 

I am hoping that Cunard will make a further statement VERY SOON concerning September cruises (of which I have two booked on deposit and with full payment due middle of June).

 

I suppose it depends how long they think the blanket quarantine rules are going to last. Or you can always say you are going to pick fruit on arrival.

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8 hours ago, Edithclara said:

Clagmeister, I've been trying to get confirmation that my refund request has been received. Which email address did you contact for confirmation? Thanks.

Edithclara customerservices@cunard.co.uk is the one that I have been using.

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2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

I suppose it depends how long they think the blanket quarantine rules are going to last. Or you can always say you are going to pick fruit on arrival.

The US ban on incoming travellers has now been extended to June 21st, two weeks after our full payment is due for the Oct 9 QM2 cruise.

 

Decisions. decisions !!

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7 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

I have found this thread most interesting, particularly the information about Refund Credit notes.

Our TA has told us that they will be issuing a RCN for our May cruise which is unlikely to be paid until October at the earliest. That is when they say they will start the process of refunding. So even that date could be later.

We have questioned them repeatedly about the validity of RCNs and they trot out the ‘fact’ that they are ATOL protected, which as has been shown is not strictly true.

Who knows if our TA will still be in business by October so it’s very worrying?

We have started a CC claim, although we only part paid in CC, but are not sure if they will say if you are issued with a RCN then we don’t have to pay out.

Like others, if we ever DO book another cruise we will definitely use a CC for the whole amount. What it has also shown is the difference in the way the CC companies have handled our claims - we used both CC and debit cards to pay for the complete package, flights hotel etc.

American Express were absolutely superb. One phone call and the money (part of the payment of the holiday) was back in my husband’s account immediately with no evidence needed as they simply pulled up the info on the original payment.

Barclay are, on the other hand were appalling. A wait of an hour and a half to even get through to someone, then lots of excuses about their Indian call centre being shut, and a huge rigmarole to go through with a pathetically bad online form to fill in. For example, it said if you couldn’t upload documentation to write in a small box why you couldn’t. But there was such a small limit on the number of words you could write that it was impossible to explain anything - the form would not accept my documentation so it wasn’t our fault. With no documentation the form simply wouldn’t upload. Eventually discovered that it would accept photos of the documents, but they cannot confirm receipt of them.

So we wait and hope to eventually see our money returned but we are very wary of these RCNs as they are a complete unknown, and no guarantee of them being protected.

Good luck everyone!




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Hi Ellie.

 

Pleased to know you have a partial result so far.

 

May I ask to whom the 'claim' was made against please.

 

That is, when you used a Travel Agent, did they take your money or did they auto transfer it to Cunard?

 

In other words,  what was the company name on your credit and debit card statements.

 

Thank you in anticipation.

 

Richard.

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1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Hi Ellie.

 

Pleased to know you have a partial result so far.

 

May I ask to whom the 'claim' was made against please.

 

That is, when you used a Travel Agent, did they take your money or did they auto transfer it to Cunard?

 

In other words,  what was the company name on your credit and debit card statements.

 

Thank you in anticipation.

 

Richard.

 The payment went to the TA but under a different name.

 

it was actually a Princess cruise - just got drawn in to this thread as it was so interesting. Thank you everyone.

 

Edited by ellie1145
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6 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

Don't hold your breath, I'm at day 65 (orginal quote  45 days) direct Cunard booking. Rang yesterday not processed yet , but promised things should speed up. I was going to go to Credit card, but will give them a bit longer,  glad to hear above Amex are efficient .

 

 

Ellie1145 , did you go chargeback or section 75 with Amex

 


I believe it was under section 75.

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On 5/16/2020 at 7:31 PM, MarkBearSF said:

Cancelled 10 March. Received FCC last Wed 11 May. Still awaiting refund on CC. US Booking with TA.

...Not upset or worried - simply adding a data point for those following the progress of the process. For what it's worth cancelled QM2 RT crossing at end of May. Applied FCC to existing booking of same for mid-May '21.

 


Here's a US response...
I just received my refund on my Amex credit card today. (11 days after FCC)

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2 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:


Here's a US response...
I just received my refund on my Amex credit card today. (11 days after FCC)

Since the message function is not working, I wanted to tell you that I am thinking of you on your voyage with the big C. I hope you are making good progress, and feeling well. Best wishes to you for your recovery. Mike

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1 minute ago, Bigmike911 said:

Since the message function is not working, I wanted to tell you that I am thinking of you on your voyage with the big C. I hope you are making good progress, and feeling well. Best wishes to you for your recovery. Mike

 

Thanks for asking, Mike. My current chemo is going well and fingers crossed for next May!

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Clagmeister, thanks for that email address. I don't think they'll be able to help because although Cunard UK on Twitter and Messenger have been very prompt in answering my tweets/DMs etc, they haven't been able to help because I have a Cunard Australia booking which they say they can't access. But you never know..it's worth a shot. Not much love from Cunard Australia. The reason I want confirmation is that as soon as I received the cancellation email from Cunard, I submitted the online refund form on 31/3 and sent a copy to my TA. Then on 21/4 received an email from the TA saying that they'd just submitted my refund request. So perhaps I have to add another 21 days to my timeline...... 

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Great news Fishgirl01.

 

Could you tell us which cruise? When you or Cunard cancelled it? Etc. etc. You said the money was back in your account so that sounds like you booked direct, not through a TA?

 

Those of us who are passed the 70 day mark are curious.

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Hi, the cruise was booked for the 3 May directly with Cunard. The cruise was cancelled on 30th March by them and as we already had other cruises booked we asked for a refund.  This is the 3rd time we have tried to visit the fiords and what with one thing and another haven’t made it.  Maybe 4th time lucky.

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I got a call from my TA last evening advising that Cunard have now agreed to transfer our deposit from the October 9th QM2 sailing to any other Cunard sailing departing before 31st December 2021. We just need to pick the new sailing before the payment due date on the original one.

This is a change from the policy advised by Cunard a few days ago, which stated the deposit was non transferable.

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40 minutes ago, phbr said:

I got a call from my TA last evening advising that Cunard have now agreed to transfer our deposit from the October 9th QM2 sailing to any other Cunard sailing departing before 31st December 2021. We just need to pick the new sailing before the payment due date on the original one.

This is a change from the policy advised by Cunard a few days ago, which stated the deposit was non transferable.

Dont know who has given you that information but with regards to Cunard UK it states if you have a cruise booked after 31st August you can transfer it free of charge to any up to March 2022 as long as done before 31st August. This  is not a new offer as we have a cruise booked 2nd Oct on QM2 for 28 nts and balance due end of June and I will not be paying the balance and cannot book any for 2021 because we already have 3 booked so been looking at March 2022 on QM2. This has been available since there last lot of cancellations because I am hoping before my balance due they will announce cancellations for October so I can request a cash refund.

 

Transferring your booking.

If you are sailing after 31 August 2020 then you can take advantage of our new flexible transfer policy (in place until 31 August 2020), but we will require notice prior to the balance due date.

This means that guests, who have a booking on a Cunard Fare or Early Saver fare, sailing after 31 August 2020, can now:

  • Transfer your booking to any Cunard voyage currently on sale (and not just to those within the next 12 months).
  • Transfer your booking to a voyage of higher or lower value (and not just of a higher value, as is usually the case).
  • Transfer your booking an unlimited number of times (and not just once).
  • Transfer your bookings free of charge, as we will waive the current £100 administration charge for each transfer made.
Edited by majortom10
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Still waiting for a refund for our March 26th QE cruise, we filled the refund form in on the 17th March. If people are getting refunds for May cruises Cunard cannot be issuing them in date order.

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2 hours ago, Fishgirl01 said:

Hi, the cruise was booked for the 3 May directly with Cunard. The cruise was cancelled on 30th March by them ...

Well that answers the question somebody asked a few days ago, “Why can they not tell us what date they are up to with refunds?”

 

Because, despite what some people have been told, they’re not working chronologically. Not by cruise date, cancellation date or refund claim date.

 

Wonder what criteria they ARE using?

 

edit: Sorry jland, didn’t see your post until my screen refreshed after posting.

Edited by Colin_Cameron
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5 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Well that answers the question somebody asked a few days ago, “Why can they not tell us what date they are up to with refunds?”

 

Because, despite what some people have been told, they’re not working chronologically. Not by cruise date, cancellation date or refund claim date.

 

Wonder what criteria they ARE using?

 

Just a thought... Could be?

1st - VIP (Unofficial) Diamond (Big Revenue Bookers)

2nd - Diamond

Then so on....

 

 

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