Promised Cunard Refund Not Made

[camhaven]

My husband and I were booked on a Cunard cruise on th Queen Mart 2, starting in Fremantle on March 14 2020. When we arrived at the port we were told the cruise was cancelled and taken to a Perth hotel. We were also given a letter stating that Cunard would pay for our return trip home. We waited 3 days for Cunard to contact us, then booked our own return trip home. We checked with a Cunard representative to make sure we would receive a refund. We supplied all the necessary documentation to Cunard in early April, but have heard nothing since. Neither has the travel agent. What can we do now?

 

[Host Hattie]

Have you contacted Cunard to ask ? We had quite a busy thread discussing refunds but it went quiet so I'm surprised there are people still waiting from the World Cruise.

The roll call is here if that helps.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2531075-10-january-2020-world-cruise/page/97/?tab=comments#comment-60541805

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Have you contacted Cunard to ask ? We had quite a busy thread discussing refunds but it went quiet so I'm surprised there are people still waiting from the World Cruise.

The roll call is here if that helps.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2531075-10-january-2020-world-cruise/page/97/?tab=comments#comment-60541805

If they booked with an agent surely  it will be upto the agent to  sort it?. Won't Cunard just say speak to the agent?. Would it not be better to speak to the agent and perhaps even threaten legal action?

Edited January 18, 2021 by ace2542

[lissie]

Tell your TA to do their job and chase your refund.  Have you called Cunard?  Given the chaos of March I think you need to start being proactive. 

[Adammara]

I would tell your TA they have 10 to 14 days to sort it out, or go legal. In the UK we have a court small claims system, do you have anything similar? 

[ace2542]

57 minutes ago, Adammara said:

I would tell your TA they have 10 to 14 days to sort it out, or go legal. In the UK we have a court small claims system, do you have anything similar? 

Would possibly also consider involving police. TA may have had that refund money for months for all she knows.

[Colin_Cameron]

Sorry folks, but what does this have to do with the TA?

 

The OP arranged their own flights, agreed with Cunard that they would be reimbursed, and submitted the supporting documentation to Cunard.

 

The TA had zero involvement.

 

@camhavenIt is of absolutely no help to you at all but we were also in Fremantle waiting to board QM2 last March. We were fortunate to be the first (that we were aware of, at the Pan Pacific) to get our flights organised, at about 11pm on the Sunday night. But were the last to leave, about 5pm on the Thursday.

 

I know things were quite chaotic it the following months and Cunard ‘mislaid’ our cruise refund claim, before paying it twice! I suspect they had filed it with our shore excursion refund claims, which they had already paid.

 

You say you have heard nothing, and this might be a daft question, but have you chased it with Cunard?

 

I don’t think it’s your TAs responsibility but if they’re willing to make some calls as well, so much the better. And I do mean as well, not instead of you calling. They’ll probably talk to different people from you and that increases the chance of finding someone that can sort this out.

 

I think that the chance that your TA has received the refund and is “sitting on it” is very slim. All refunds that we heard about on this board (at least in the UK and US, not sure about Australia) were sent direct to the passengers, not through TAs.

 

Good luck, and please let us know how you get on.

[lissie]

55 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Sorry folks, but what does this have to do with the TA?

 

The OP arranged their own flights, agreed with Cunard that they would be reimbursed, and submitted the supporting documentation to Cunard.

 

The TA had zero involvement.

 

 

I must admit  Iwas assuming at least part refund for the cruise as well as the flights 

[LittleFish1976]

21 hours ago, camhaven said:

My husband and I were booked on a Cunard cruise on th Queen Mart 2, starting in Fremantle on March 14 2020. When we arrived at the port we were told the cruise was cancelled and taken to a Perth hotel. We were also given a letter stating that Cunard would pay for our return trip home. We waited 3 days for Cunard to contact us, then booked our own return trip home. We checked with a Cunard representative to make sure we would receive a refund. We supplied all the necessary documentation to Cunard in early April, but have heard nothing since. Neither has the travel agent. What can we do now?

 

 

Contact Cunard again, directly and remind them of their obligation and their promise to reimburse you for your expenses. It could well be that your reimbursement has been overlooked.

 

If you get no satisfaction from Cunard you can always try social media - I used this method to shame Qantas into coughing up refunds for cancelled flights months prior.

 

Or, just look at this page which is relevant to your State; or go directly to relevant ombudsman (I have used the ombudsman for a different industry with miraculous results).

 

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services/buying-services/travel/Travel-agents,-operators-and-airlines

 

 

[Colin_Cameron]

9 hours ago, lissie said:

I must admit  Iwas assuming at least part refund for the cruise as well as the flights 

And you may well be right.🙂

 

From what I remember all refunds, cruise, shore excursions, etc. and reimbursements, flights, hotels, taxis, luggage shipping, etc.  were dealt with separately so it's possible (but we don't know) that the OP has already had their cruise refund while not having received their travel reimbursement. (I also made an assumption when I said flights, but the OP just said 'return trip home'.)

[Windsurfboy]

I was impacted by the same cancellation,  left stranded in South Africa, impossible to get through to Cunard  on phone , they did respond belatedly to daily emails . By which time had sensibly organised and payed for own flights home. However, Cunard eventually  accepted their responsibility, at first said it was insurance responsibility,  but a letter we organised from insurance company explaining it was Cunards legal responsibility not theirs sorted it out. 

 

It took two months and  quite a few emails  but eventually got it before cruise refund. Cunard are your first point of call. Keep emailing them. They respond to pressure.  Why have you been so patient?