Trevor33

Jeronimos Monastery Lisbon with the River Tagus in the distance

We are doing the whole trip and while everyone will have their own opinion I would say that whether you are doing all 108 nights or only part makes absolutely no difference. When you think about it there are a lot of segments of this trip that overlap, some may be doing larger segments and again see new faces arrive part way through their holiday. To be honest I think new faces are important it brings new conversations and interest to all. Once the cruise lines get back to continual cruising year round without a days break then all anyone is doing is a segment of the overall itinerary anyway. So segment or otherwise there is no difference, a new conversation, a new face is always important.

On 8/11/2020 at 1:39 PM, Summer hols said:

Now that P & O has just announced its cancellation of Arcadia world cruise and Aurora South American Adventure cruise

how long before Cunard follow suit. 

There have several people I know who have already jumped ship and moved to 2022.

I can imagine there will be a scramble to get on 2022 cruises, but looking at availability, there seems to be very little accommodation 

left and prices have increased. 

Luckily we are on 2022 QV world cruise after being on 2020 QM2 world cruise that was terminated in Freemantle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are on the 2022 QV full World Cruise. We decided to move to this cruise as we felt the 2021 world voyage had little chance of sailing and if it did the chance of missing out so many ports and strict restrictions would be a waste of time. It is looking like this was a good move. Fingers crossed all will be much much better by then. We look forward to hopefully seeing you onboard without too many new rules... let us hope a vaccine has been passed by then

Feeling SO MUCH BETTER having moved January 2021 world cruise to January 2022, by then lets hope the world is back to normal. I could not see QV doing much of a world cruise this coming year as no ports are open. From what the avid ship tracking fans are saving QV is at see backwards and forwards from Southampton to Weymouth .... I cannot see a world wide itinerary anytime soon. 

Whilst many say that they would like to cruise as soon as possible I personally  am finding that sentiment very difficult to understand......Why would anyone want to go on holiday where there are so many restrictions and limits imposed from understandable social distancing to wearing face masks on holiday ??????Why not wait a while, hope for a vaccine or for the virus to subside hopefully completely. Each to their own put thinking about how many face masks to pack is not my idea of a holiday

Cruisers seem to be the MOST PATIENT people in the world? It does not really seem to bother most how long they wait for a refund...... Yes they may talk about it on this website but so many seem so understanding and forgiving of Cunard and the poor cruise lines with a "There there poor Cunard attitude"- Could this possibly be why Cunard and others are hanging on to most peoples money that does not belong to them for months and months .................I seem to remember putting my debit card in the card machine and pressing 4 digits and my money was gone VERY quickly. Different rules obviously?

Everyone will have a particular preference. On Queen Victoria we will always try and book a P2 cabin.Personally we think overall on QV that the overall P2 cabins are in a better position than many of the P1 category. The last 3 cruises we have had a P2 cabin and have just booked full world cruise 2022 in the same cabin. The P1 category I think are on a higher deck but also mid ships but on a long cruise a deck beneath and central makes a slightly more stable journey and saves a few pounds and the rack of lamb in the Princess Grill is still the same!!

18 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

 

Miki_moto, we are still on that cruise (V105) for January of 2021 but if we get to final payment date and it appears that a vaccine will not be ready in time, we will also transfer to 2022. After all the commotion this year with the World Cruises and C-19, I can't imagine that Cunard would start another one without a readily available vaccine and/or effective treatment. However, at this point, I doubt if even they know what they are going to do. On the bright side, my wife has learned how to make an excellent scone, so we will survive until this is all sorted out. 

Jack

We have today moved our 2021 world cruise to 2022. Am glad we did as places are going fast for obvious reasons. We do not want to spend good money on a cruise which could well have lots of restrictions limitation of itinerary. We hope you have no problems.

Tooooo much grief and stress is not good for us! Have today moved our 2021 world cruise booking to 2022. FCC is no use if the cruise you want to do is booked up. Places for next year have been going fast so as we do not want to go cruising with all the risks and restrictions shortly after a potential return to sailing later this year onwards. Ports need to be open and waiting for Simon Palethorpe to make his next announcement is not for us. Amazingly I will be quite happy should the next world cruise sail as believe there will be too many changes to make it a relaxing holiday.

Happy Days, now time to relax and let the return to cruising and ports open when they are ready - Have just moved World Cruise booking from 2021 to 2022 before all the cabins go when Simon Palethorpe next appears in his home library to tell us 15th October as the next potential date he has in mind. Did not want to wait and miss out and to be frank there seems to be delays of 60 -80 days for a refund. FCC no use if the cruise you want is booked up. Peace of mind is a happier thing than worry.

How relaxed will the holiday be just after resumption of cruising? How will social distancing work? How many can sit around the pool and go for a swim? Face masks - can you feel relaxed and on holiday wearing one? Lifts can only be used by one person? What happens the  someone on a cruise ship somewhere is diagnosed with coronavirus? What will that do to cruising? There has to be a vaccine first. Yes people enjoy cruising but when and what ports will be open and welcoming when passengers go ashore? Ask the people of Sydney, Australia ?

Britannia versus Princess Grill hmmmm - Food once in the Britannia was reasonable , but when it got worse we decided to see what Princess Grill was like and have not looked back. Cabins are better, price is higher but the good personal service makes the difference. Any views on topic are welcome

When a cruise has been cancelled how do they return the money for the excursions that have been booked prior to proposed departure date? Regarding paying the final balance on a booked cruise Cunard seem to be on a win win because if you cancel the cruise before final payment date we would lose the deposit and if we pay the final balance and cruise is later cancelled then it is such a long wait to get your own money back! It would appear that Cunard will shortly follow P&O and cancel up until 15 October.

Cunard & P&O are claiming furlough for its staff hence 80% pay and 80% work. Government have just extended the scheme until later in the year. Making staff redundant is rough medicine considering the amount of money Cunard has just borrowed and also hanging onto millions of passengers money that is not theirs. This has the making of another Thomas Cook scenario.... Seems more likely Cunard will fold

Rumour has it that they are going to paint the hull orange and name the new ship M.S. Donald trump. 

Are there enough potential passengers that would get on a cruise ship along with a couple of thousand other people at this time or within the next year? Seriously? Has the UK not got enough problems with the highest number of deaths and contagion in Europe? I think some believe that by setting sail they think Coronavirus would be left behind? You can have the check before Cunard let you board and all seems great but you can have the virus and not show symptoms - what happens then?. It is great to dream about cruising again but are some thinking everything is okay? I have a 4 month cruise booked and although I dont like the "Floating Petri Dish" comment a cruise at the moment would not be very relaxing. 

Does anyone think it safe to get on a cruise ship with thousands of people before a vaccine has been discovered, mass produced and everyone innoculated?   

2 hours ago, Camgirl said:

Just sitting at home feeling sad that we should be on board Queen Victoria about to go off for muster drill before departing for Norway. I think there are two others posting on this thread that should have been with us.

 

Really hope that they find a way we can all be back on board sometime in the not too distant future and that we get to meet you all.

 

Take care and stay safe, we will get there together.

Yes looking forward to the development of that vaccine, think they are hoping later next year. It will be great peace of mind to be able to go back on a  ship with many others knowing all are vaccinated and there won't be news of another outbreak on a cruise ship.

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.....

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

QM2 is off the coast of Weymouth. With her UK home port of Southampton a short distance away she is simply practising Social Distancing.

Perhaps the ships will have to employ more than one Doctor and a couple of nurses in future and extend the Hospital facilities on board. They may even be required to leave a set number of "Isolation" cabins in case of a second spike of infections that is spoken about. Whilst this all seems doom and gloom it has to be taken seriously. Ships cross oceans and there are certain places where Medivacs off ships cannot be done. No one wants to be anywhere there is an outbreak let alone on a ship in the middle of the ocean with thousands in close proximity. A holiday is about relaxing, and feeling free to do what you would like. It cannot be fun trying to social distance or wearing a face mask on holiday can it?

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?

16 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

But the part of the website I copied above says 

Transfer your booking to a voyage of higher or lower value (and not just of a higher value, as is usually the case).

 

16 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

But the part of the website I copied above says 

Transfer your booking to a voyage of higher or lower value (and not just of a higher value, as is usually the case).

 

Yes you can transfer to a higher or lower value cruise BUT your OVERALL spend MUST be at least equal to your original fare. So we could transfer to say "6" other cruises but the sum total of these "6" other cruises must equal the sum of £65,000. I have had this information from Cunard. The Offer is written very carefully as you would expect but does not focus on the downsides. No disrespect but we booked to do a circumnavigation by sea so not to do this is meaningless. Nor do we want to do a "World" cruise and risk not seeing perhaps major parts of the world. It is a different scenario if let's say someone booked a 2 or 3 week cruise because there will perhaps be many choices of doing that same trip again e.g. Canaries etc. So in all Cunard are happy for you to spend the same or more but as long as you spend the same. You will be aware that brochure prices have increased - in turn this will make the FCC less attractive or perhaps a bit cynical use up the cruise credits faster so new cash can flow sooner into Cunard's coffers.  

8 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

That's different to the advice on their website

 

The problem is that we can transfer up until the 31 August BUT we have booked a full World Cruise in a Grills Suite as we wanted to do a full circumnavigation of the earth in one trip. To explain bit more we originally booked with Thomas Cook, when they finished Cunard took on all their bookings and honoured the discount they gave us which was about £6,000. There is a circumnavigation cruise in 2022 at same price as 2021 BUT it will cost us the £6,000 Thomas Cook gave us as a discount plus we feel that in 2021 the World Cruise is likely to have parts of the world still closed to cruise ships and may not be the circumnavigation that we set out to do. The booking conditions state that we would be entitled to a refund if there is a "Significant Change in Itinerary" - I have asked Cunard for a written explanation as to what "Significant Change" would mean in relation to this 108 night cruise but they having waited 4 months for a promised reply we have heard nothing. We are advised that the excursions for the trip will be released in 2 months time - we estimated a £20,000 spend on these which if same situation applies as now we would be given the £20,000 as an OBC. Problem if we dont pay the balance in October we forfeit the £11,300 deposit already paid. To compound this we have been told by Cunard that any transfer we make then we must spend a total of at least the original fare namely £64,000. As we booked specifically to do a full Circumnavigation cruise we do not want to pay Cunard this amount for a mix of other cruises having first cruised 48 years ago I have been to a lot of the places.