Cunard's Cancellations/Refunds Update 23rd April 2020

[Sopwith]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Problem is that they are dealing with thousands and thousands of simple queries and that times 30 seconds for every one takes time.

Yes, it takes time to look after the clients.  But if they can charge my card within seconds when I book a cruise it shouldn’t take weeks and months to process a refund. 
 

I’m afraid I’m one of those dinosaurs who demands respect when I spend many thousands of dollars on a service provider.  When you ignore me it equates to intentional disrespect. I don’t forget.

[exlondoner]

9 hours ago, Sopwith said:

Yes, it takes time to look after the clients.  But if they can charge my card within seconds when I book a cruise it shouldn’t take weeks and months to process a refund. 
 

 

But clearly the two situations are not remotely comparable.

[Trevor33]

On booking a cruise your deposit flies out of your bank via your debit card and immediately into the account of the Travel Agent or Cruise Line. The cruise is cancelled as it is unsafe and the  Foreign Office advice regarding travel for pleasure purposes is now likely to be an age away post Vaccine. The cruise line knows what money it has received from who and when that payment was received. Cunard could easily maintain its "Customer FirstPersona" by employing more staff on a temporary basis and reversing these payments much more urgently than it is doing(6 months and over....Really???). When cruising eventually resumes then guess what? Cunard and other cruise lines will be looking for people to book their new concept Social Distancing Cruises and pay the deposits again. Perhaps Cunard will be taking up to 6 months to draw down the new deposit monies from our bank accounts? Hmmmmmmm I don't think so. I understand there is administration involved but the "There there poor Cunard" attitude by some is absolutely staggering. QUESTION ..... Applying the same logic ...Is it likely that Cunard will in future allow you to pay them 6months or more after you have returned from the cruise . Hmmmmmmm I am not sure they will do this so why should they be taking so long to return our monies now?

[exlondoner]

37 minutes ago, Trevor33 said:

On booking a cruise your deposit flies out of your bank via your debit card and immediately into the account of the Travel Agent or Cruise Line. The cruise is cancelled as it is unsafe and the  Foreign Office advice regarding travel for pleasure purposes is now likely to be an age away post Vaccine. The cruise line knows what money it has received from who and when that payment was received. Cunard could easily maintain its "Customer FirstPersona" by employing more staff on a temporary basis and reversing these payments much more urgently than it is doing(6 months and over....Really???). When cruising eventually resumes then guess what? Cunard and other cruise lines will be looking for people to book their new concept Social Distancing Cruises and pay the deposits again. Perhaps Cunard will be taking up to 6 months to draw down the new deposit monies from our bank accounts? Hmmmmmmm I don't think so. I understand there is administration involved but the "There there poor Cunard" attitude by some is absolutely staggering. QUESTION ..... Applying the same logic ...Is it likely that Cunard will in future allow you to pay them 6months or more after you have returned from the cruise . Hmmmmmmm I am not sure they will do this so why should they be taking so long to return our monies now?

 

Let us be accurate. It certainly doesn't fly out of my bank via a debit card. It goes on my credit card bill for me to pay in due course. 

[Sopwith]

5 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

But clearly the two situations are not remotely comparable.

I canceled my flight at the same time. I had the points and cash refunded immediately.  That’s the comparator.

 

But in any event, it’s not relevant. What is relevant is what kind of mood Cunard wants me to be in the next time I select a cruise line. Its that simple.  Their move.

[Liberal_Baggie]

I'm a little surprised at people on this board expecting quick return of cruise payment money. It will be several weeks as Cunard needs your cash to fund its operations and they will have strict guidelines to how much money they can afford to pay back per week. Some of you may never have run a business but when things are tight you get the cash in and hold onto it for as long as possible. No matter how much a customer moans, you are just in a line there are thousands of people in front of you. I doubt many on this board are in need of urgent cash in anycase. Cunard needs your money more than you do Fact.

[seacruise9]

15 hours ago, safarigal said:

Thank you both 🙂

 

Unfortunately the My Cunard site no longer works for this voyage, but the link to the form did work. Yay! Hopefully there will be a refund in the not too distant future!

 

Hi,

 

On March 30 (the day that I received notice that my cruise was cancelled), I submitted separate refund requests for my cruise fare and for my prepaid shore excursions for my Queen Victoria cruise that was scheduled to depart on April 26. I haven't received notice concerning either refund.

 

Chuck 

[exlondoner]

25 minutes ago, Sopwith said:

I canceled my flight at the same time. I had the points and cash refunded immediately.  That’s the comparator.

 

But in any event, it’s not relevant. What is relevant is what kind of mood Cunard wants me to be in the next time I select a cruise line. Its that simple.  Their move.

 

Perhaps you have been lucky once in the case of the airline, as your experience certainly does not seem to be that of many airline passengers. 

[Trevor33]

1 hour ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I'm a little surprised at people on this board expecting quick return of cruise payment money. It will be several weeks as Cunard needs your cash to fund its operations and they will have strict guidelines to how much money they can afford to pay back per week. Some of you may never have run a business but when things are tight you get the cash in and hold onto it for as long as possible. No matter how much a customer moans, you are just in a line there are thousands of people in front of you. I doubt many on this board are in need of urgent cash in anycase. Cunard needs your money more than you do Fact.

Surely it is the "There there poor Cunard" that makes matters worse. They just hocked their ships to borrow millions in cash. As you say "I doubt many on this board are in need of urgent cash" therefore Cunard we understand the delay and do not mind when we get it back. Having successfully run a large business I am sure you are correct with the ethics as you say

[latserrof]

2 hours ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I'm a little surprised at people on this board expecting quick return of cruise payment money. It will be several weeks as Cunard needs your cash to fund its operations and they will have strict guidelines to how much money they can afford to pay back per week. Some of you may never have run a business but when things are tight you get the cash in and hold onto it for as long as possible....  I doubt many on this board are in need of urgent cash in anycase. Cunard needs your money more than you do Fact.

I'm always surprised at people who say, "well, that's how business is done,' as if, because it's "business," anything goes -- if it's business, it's OK.

You say "Cunard needs your money more than you do."   There may (or may not) be lots of people who need my money more than I do, but that doesn't give them the right to steal it. The point is, IT IS MY MONEY!!!  Cunard cancelled the cruise, so give me back my money. Funding Cunard's operations is Cunard's problem, not mine. And "business" is no excuse.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by latserrof

[Trevor33]

5 minutes ago, latserrof said:

I'm always surprised at people who say, "well, that's how business is done,' as if, because it's "business," anything goes -- if it's business, it's OK.

You say "Cunard needs your money more than you do."   There may (or may not) be lots of people who need my money more than I do, but that doesn't give them the right to steal it. The point is, IT IS MY MONEY!!!  Cunard cancelled the cruise, so give me back my money. Funding Cunard's operations is Cunard's problem, not mine. And "business" is no excuse.

 

Exactly it is NOT Cunard's money so give it back , STOP making excuses poor Cunard ....there there.....

[norm2002]

3 hours ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I'm a little surprised at people on this board expecting quick return of cruise payment money. It will be several weeks as Cunard needs your cash to fund its operations and they will have strict guidelines to how much money they can afford to pay back per week. Some of you may never have run a business but when things are tight you get the cash in and hold onto it for as long as possible. No matter how much a customer moans, you are just in a line there are thousands of people in front of you. I doubt many on this board are in need of urgent cash in anycase. Cunard needs your money more than you do Fact.

 

You've hit the nail on the head. I can understand that there is a tremendous backlog of refund requests now but, if the contributors to this forum are anything to go by, they haven't even started to refund fares. Why haven't the people on the first cancelled cruises received refunds yet? At the beginning there were not so many refunds to be made so why should it take 60 days plus to refund those?

 

I know it won't happen but, for me, the solution in future would be for cruise lines not to be allowed to use deposits and pre-paid fares for running their business. All payments should be put in a trust account and only taken when the service is actually being provided.

[oskidunker]

Also they don't pay travel agents until the the cruise happens. So they even keep all the money until then. 

[Neuhoftraveler]

It seems to me that both of the points made above are correct -- paying current expenses out of current cash flow is the way business often if not usually or always is done, but that doesn't make it morally OK.  If what Cunard was promising in return for the current cash flow was using future cash flow to pay future "investment profits" rather than future cruise operating expenses, it would be called a Ponzi scheme.

 

As to trust accounts or escrow accounts, the only businesses I know of that use them (much less required by law to use them) to hold customer prepayments for future services are lawyers and real estate brokers.

 

 

[sydgal]

Cruise on QE cancelled 14 March. Refund requested 16 March by TA. Received reply from Cunard in Australia that the refund for out of pocket expenses  and airfares was being processed and to expect wait of 60 days for refund cheque. They also requested that the TA fill in another claim form for voyage refund. Delay tactics I think.

[resordanis]

43 minutes ago, sydgal said:

Cruise on QE cancelled 14 March. Refund requested 16 March by TA. Received reply from Cunard in Australia that the refund for out of pocket expenses  and airfares was being processed and to expect wait of 60 days for refund cheque. They also requested that the TA fill in another claim form for voyage refund. Delay tactics I think.

We were on the same cruise. We also requested full refund 16/3. We have had no correspondence from our TA since about 23/3. I was going to wait a couple more weeks, but far from happy with Cunards lack of contact. In the email that they sent to say the cruise was canceled, they also stated that they would be in contact with us that evening to talk to us about our travel arrangements to get home and also pay up to 4 nights accommodation. No communication at all, and this is something that the TA has no control over either. I am not claiming any of this compensation for this cruise, but annoyed they did not make contact at all.

[sydgal]

Resordanis, claim every thing you can. I travelled from rural Queensland for the cruise and got to Sydney to find cancellation email on phone. I tried for hours that night to contact Cunard as they promised some one would contact me and hotel had been arranged for that night. Tried to contact Virgin also and on hold for hours without success in being answered. Rang TA on Sunday and she had same problem so she booked new flights home that afternoon. I am still waiting for that call from Cunard about hotel room ,lol. 

I have claimed car travel 500 Ks at taxation rate. Road tolls and parking at Brisbane airport. Meals at Sydney airport and on way home stopping for a break. Return airfares from Brisbane and one way home to Brisbane.

The Cunard email dated 22 nd April said claim had been sent for cheque payment

Sydgal

[resordanis]

1 hour ago, sydgal said:

Resordanis, claim every thing you can. I travelled from rural Queensland for the cruise and got to Sydney to find cancellation email on phone. I tried for hours that night to contact Cunard as they promised some one would contact me and hotel had been arranged for that night. Tried to contact Virgin also and on hold for hours without success in being answered. Rang TA on Sunday and she had same problem so she booked new flights home that afternoon. I am still waiting for that call from Cunard about hotel room ,lol. 

I have claimed car travel 500 Ks at taxation rate. Road tolls and parking at Brisbane airport. Meals at Sydney airport and on way home stopping for a break. Return airfares from Brisbane and one way home to Brisbane.

The Cunard email dated 22 nd April said claim had been sent for cheque payment

Sydgal

Thanks I might. In this instance we didn’t fly but drove and stayed with my father, but  is over 800 kilometres return plus meals etc.

[sydgal]

2 minutes ago, resordanis said:

Thanks I might. In this instance we didn’t fly but drove and stayed with my father, but  is over 800 kilometres return plus meals etc.

Taxation rate for car use is 68 cents a kilometre. $25 pp for meals, soon adds up.

$544 for car use , $50 for meals x 3,claim Sat dinner, Sun breakfast and lunch.

They were offering 4nights hotel with full board so this a cheaper option from them.

Get your TA to submit a claim for out of pocket expenses. Mine did with no problems.

Sydgal

[Lakesregion]

Between the seven pages here and the 50 plus pages on the previous thread concerning refunds etc. one thing is apparent. very few people have a clue as to how the real world of business works but they are learning just as they have learned that vegetables do not grow in the back room of their supermarket. OPM (other people's money) is what makes the world go round and when the entire world stops due to panic induced lock downs it tends to unravel. Maybe we should return to the gold standard which would shrink the world economy by about 80% but at least you would know your refund was coming in gold.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Lakesregion
spelling

[sydgal]

1 minute ago, Lakesregion said:

Between the seven pages here and the 50 plus pages on the previous thread concerning refunds etc. one thing is apparnet. very few people have a clue as to how the real world of business works but they are learning just as they have learned that vegetables do not grow in the back room of their supermarket. OPM (other people's money) is what makes the world go round and when the entire world stops due to panic induced lock downs it tends to unravel. Maybe we should return to the gold standard which would shrink the world economy by about 80% but at least you would know your refund was coming in gold.

As a pensioner, I saved for ages to afford a cruise and associated costs. I am out $6,000 and want it back. Cunard has other people's money and we want it back.

[Lakesregion]

2 minutes ago, sydgal said:

As a pensioner, I saved for ages to afford a cruise and associated costs. I am out $6,000 and want it back. Cunard has other people's money and we want it back.

No doubt and were I in your position (Thankfully not cruising until my present locked down business can reopen and begin to toss off a profit again) I would be a bit put out also. However, facts are facts and you got caught in the switches. Always remember Life is not fair and Never ever see yourself as a victim.

[MelbTone]

18 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Between the seven pages here and the 50 plus pages on the previous thread concerning refunds etc. one thing is apparent. very few people have a clue as to how the real world of business works but they are learning just as they have learned that vegetables do not grow in the back room of their supermarket. OPM (other people's money) is what makes the world go round and when the entire world stops due to panic induced lock downs it tends to unravel.

In lots of business areas money paid up front for something to be delivered at a later date (e.g. OTP apartment) would go into a trust account or would otherwise be ringfenced. If this isn't the case re cruise deposits I would expect the auditors to be taking a keen interest.

[sydgal]

6 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

No doubt and were I in your position (Thankfully not cruising until my present locked down business can reopen and begin to toss off a profit again) I would be a bit put out also. However, facts are facts and you got caught in the switches. Always remember Life is not fair and Never ever see yourself as a victim.

I am very sorry for all business owners in this lock down. Australia has been very fortunate in having so few die from this pandemic , last count 95 ,and that's because we were locked down hard from early March. It is being reported here that America faces 2 years before this virus is cleared. Don't see cruising resuming for a long time, especially QM2 over the Atlantic

[Lakesregion]

25 minutes ago, MelbTone said:

In lots of business areas money paid up front for something to be delivered at a later date (e.g. OTP apartment) would go into a trust account or would otherwise be ringfenced. If this isn't the case re cruise deposits I would expect the auditors to be taking a keen interest.

Can only speak to the US but Real Estate deposits. Lawyer fees and auction house monies due to consignors (depending on the state) are put into escrow . I am not aware of any other place where business segregates income streams into definitive uses. Everything is fair game and in bankruptcy it is not only the shareholders that take a haircut.