Uniworld refunds

[Nursecruisers couple]

Lets track Uniworld responsiveness.  I will start.

 

Cruise date- June 14th

Cruise cancellation- April 23rd by Uniworld

Refund request date- NA? Uniworld offered  3 options/  None of which are 100% refund, despite our TOC at time of final payment stating we are entitled to it. After TA escalation and no other offers, Credit card dispute filed May 6th.

Resolution- To be determined 

[TikiIslandGirl]

Cruise Date-March 31 

 

Cruise Cancellation  March 11 by Uniworld

 

Refund request date-Uniworld initially offered a FCC when all this started before they "officially" cancelled cruise.  I took a FCC on 3/9 minus the $450 airline penalty.  They cancelled on 3/11 and on 3/13 read here on cc that they were giving refunds.  So I went ahead and called on 3/14 and to see if I could switch from FCC to refund and they said yes-and refunding the $450 plus cost of the insurance.  

 

Resolution-I was told 4 different time frames for refunds (called/emailed several times) I was always told it's in the queue but couldn't tell me anything else.  Uniworld sent the refund on 4/30 to cc and it posted to my account 6 days later on 5/6 (just today I found out about the refund).  It was 100% refund with no airline penalties. 

 

[bubbulz]

Throwing my experience in here although our cancellation was not due to COVID-19.

 

Cruise date - November 15

 

Cruise cancellation - April 28 by us

 

Refund request date - April 28

 

Resolution - TBD. We were told to expect a full refund minus the $200 per person cancellation penalty that could be applied to a future cruise. (Instead, we have applied for the refund of the penalty amount under our travel insurance since the cancellation was due to a covered medical reason.) Uniworld told us to expect the credit from them to take 6-8 weeks. I have asked that it be expedited but they obviously want to keep our money for as long as possible. Not impressed. We booked a Grand Suite and paid in full back in September so it is a sizable amount of money.

[bubbulz]

On 5/7/2020 at 10:43 AM, bubbulz said:

Throwing my experience in here although our cancellation was not due to COVID-19.

 

Cruise date - November 15

 

Cruise cancellation - April 28 by us

 

Refund request date - April 28

 

Resolution - TBD. We were told to expect a full refund minus the $200 per person cancellation penalty that could be applied to a future cruise. (Instead, we have applied for the refund of the penalty amount under our travel insurance since the cancellation was due to a covered medical reason.) Uniworld told us to expect the credit from them to take 6-8 weeks. I have asked that it be expedited but they obviously want to keep our money for as long as possible. Not impressed. We booked a Grand Suite and paid in full back in September so it is a sizable amount of money.

 

Update: Refund received 6/6. Refund for the penalty and our airfare already was received from Allianz on May 13. The only silver lining of my husband's illness is that it allowed for us to cancel without losing anything out of pocket, except for the original cost of the insurance.

[Nursecruisers couple]

We found out, April 23rd, by looking online that our cruise for June 14 was cancelled. 

Uniworld never contacted us or our TA. our TA called several times and even tried to escalate it.  No full refund option. 
So we disputed the changes May 6. 
We sent Citibank and uniworld copies of our agreement and to expedite.  
every week I sent updates letting Citibank know that you know world was still MIA. I would CC these emails to you in a world as well. Last week, I get a call from my travel agent and Uniworld is asking me, “to do them a favor” and cancel the dispute and they’ll give me my money in 45 days.

what a joke. A week from now I should’ve been on a cruise instead I will have no cruise and no money they have got to be smoking crack!

 

[bubbulz]

I understand the frustration, as I have been there as well. That said, I do know that the volume that all of these companies are having to deal with all at once has to be astronomical. Not sure there is any good answer as so many are dealing with situations we never could have imagined just a few months ago.

[MileHighBill]

We booked Egypt on Uniworld last December for 3/6/21 and paid in full (over $11K).  We cancelled due to Covid19 travel concerns on 6/14.  A month later I contacted Uniworld to find out what was going on. Their response was that it could take up to 90 days and they were keeping $400 out that could be used in the future.  I responded that if they were going to take that long, I'd like a full refund, to which they responded "Unfortunately, a full refund is not something that we can accommodate. The $200 per person penalty is well within the expectations set forth by the 2020 terms and conditions."  To translate, I think that means too bad, we are keeping your money as long as possible and as much as possible.  90 days has come and gone and no refund yet.  We picked Uniworld over Viking because we thought a smaller company might be more responsive - guess that was a bad assumption.

[Nursecruisers couple]

We did a dispute with our credit card. 
I sent copies of the contract, TOC and every correspondence with uniworld to both my credit card company and uniworld. 
uniworld kept ignoring us, UNTIL the dispute! 
then uniworld asked us to drop the dispute and we’d get our full refund in 90 days. I said, no way- we’d already waited and would have been back from our cruise!

got full refund from CC company. 
 

I have heard that companies get a surcharge when they have disputes. I didn’t care- we wanted out money. It wasn’t easy but we finally did

[Cheekyrn1]

We received a full refund ONLY because of credit card dispute...while I understand the difficult situation every single travel company is in right now, some are treating their customers better than others...uniworld is not one of the better ones

[iMarco46]

Previously posted in another thread, but Uniworld did eventually did provide a full  refund.

[skinnylegs]

A couple that we were supposed to cruise with in late August  just received their refund from Uniworld.  Since they cancelled on their own, I believe they received a 60% refund and credit for the remainder.  It took about 4 months to process and several follow ups but they seem satisfied.  We rescheduled our cruise for 2021.

[Ritabob]

We did not want to risk travelling during uncertain times so we backed out of our end of October cruise a few weeks before the balance $ was due.  That was in June.  Half of our deposit is our FCC, good for 5 years.  The other half was refunded by cheque in early September.   When we cancelled we were told it could take 12 weeks.  It did.

On past trips with Uniworld we never hesitated to pay the whole amount if it was a significant savings.  For whatever reason we did not this time, so the amount of money we have invested in this FCC is minimal.  We have enjoyed all of our cruises with this company,  but do agree in the last few years something was 'off'. I have faith the next time we cruise with them it will be back to what we expect of them.

RB

[Ride-The-Waves]

We have been UNIWORLD customers for over 12 years to include many sailings in Europe and one across China.  Nearly two years ago booked "Grand France" for June 2020 as the culmination of our love for Europe and my experienced growing up in Geneva on the French  border in the 1950s.  Total cost not including airfare over $18,000.  We are both well over 75 years old, an age that CLIA (UNIWORLD is a member) and competent medical professionals state we should NOT be traveling during the pandemic (many say no travel - period).  As France became "closed" foreign travel and COVID-19 was rampant in the areas of the 14-day river cruise it became readily apparent that our June cruise, which was cancelled by UNIWORLD, was a non starter.  We had booked air separately as it was less expensive then booking through UNIWORLD and American Airlines refunded the fare in two weeks.  However, UNIWORLD has given us the "bum's rush" and refused to work with us via our TA on a refund.  The booking contract refund policy was full refund less $200.  UNIWORLD is using the term "suspended" instead of cancelled, "offering" the same cruise with a worse cabin in May 2021 as FCC.  We cannot use FCC as now pre-existing medical challenges coupled with COVID-19 absolutely prevent us from traveling at our ages.  Three months ago we initiated a charge back for the credit card.  UNIWORLD keeps pushing back claiming that FFC is the best way (for them), oblivious to our ages and CLIA and medical guidance.  They have abrogated the contract and want us to assumed liability.  UNBELIEVABLE!  UNIWORLD keeps asking the CC for additional details which restarts the clock, in their perspective, on refunding our monies.  We are not wealthy like the family owning UNIWORLD and its 40 sister travel companies.  I am a retired uniformed veteran on a fixed income.  UNIWORLD is taking advantage of us keeping what amounts to an interest-free "loan."  It unconscionable behavior from what was a good company.

Edited October 21, 2020 by Ride-The-Waves

[bubbulz]

If you have a medical condition that prevents future travel, you should be able to file a claim under your trip insurance. We were in your same situation and it was resolved relatively quickly with our insurer. 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Good news!  We have "won" our chargeback request for the final payment!  Now will start working to get refund for the down payment.  Hopefully will not take another year!

[Ride-The-Waves]

Santa Claus (Kris Kringle, St Nicholas) is real.  Today received the remainder of monies Uniworld was withholding from our cancelled June 2020 "Grand France" cruise.  Took both a chargeback and 11 months, but the check arrived today!

[Coral]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Santa Claus (Kris Kringle, St Nicholas) is real.  Today received the remainder of monies Uniworld was withholding from our cancelled June 2020 "Grand France" cruise.  Took both a chargeback and 11 months, but the check arrived today!

Congrats!