kyleshawney
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Posts posted by kyleshawney
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Michael O'Leary of Ryan air said when interviewed on the BBC last week, that in their (Ryan Air's) opinion there would be large discounting across the board way into next year by the whole travel industry.
He further said it could take to the end of the year to complete the last of all the cash refunds.
However It is all speculation, but we will err on the side of caution.
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What also could to be considered in approaching handling any TUI re-booking option is that when travel is globally freely possible, there will be a wave of heavy mass discounting amongst holiday companies, airlines, hotels, tours, restaurants etc in a rush to try and get some sort of share of the obviously reduced amount of people travelling.
Amending a TUI booking NOW to one currently offered on their web site will I am sure lock in the holiday AND I understand, ITS PRICE!
Better value may be possible to wait for the actual cash back, or book much much later (if TUI allows one to do so, and does not limit the validity of the re-booking & discount codes for only a few months but to something like the travel option date to October 2021), as one will have to obviously wait for both!
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Maybe a reminder of the thread : Marella Cancellations - Customer Service up to scratch?
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"tidespring", if you are a customer who has physically got your refund in actual cash, that's awesome for you, well done, we are jealous.
There are lots of paper credit notes and their ilk being issued with varying degrees of conditions attached by many travel organisations, which may or may not prove acceptable to customers.
However as the print/tv media are consistently reporting none of us have seen any actual concrete evidence to understand "refunds are happening" (suggesting the CASH refund taps have now opened) in any way, to the contrary in fact, communication with TUI specifically, is getting worse.
We have however unfortunately seen a lot of TUI & others (paid or incentivised) supporters on various online sites trying to steer the critical narrative away into a false positive for their own personal agenda.
It is understood some prominent investigative journalists are currently working on the plethora of "fake news" propagators out there, across various industries with the culprits, quite rightly, to be publicly exposed and hopefully in some extreme cases if possible fined or prosecuted.
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Here is an excerpt of a communication between a Marella customer and Gwyn Topham of the Guardian newspaper addressed to TUI of their recent Tui experience.
“22nd April 2020
RE: Marella Booking for June sailing
You have repeatedly asked me in three separate emails, to go online to my online booking account and amend my booking. This FUNCTION in not working properly for MARELLA CRUISES, and has not for several weeks now!
So to conform I have (as there is no other clarifying advice ANYWHERE of what to do when your Marella online amendment system is not functioning properly) reluctantly tried to call (as specifically directed on my booking page) on multiple occasions on multiple published telephone numbers with sadly no answer .......... ever.
Over this past weekend Saturday (18th) and Sunday (19th) all calls were eventually after several interventions and prompts diverted to a message informing whoever called that it was now out of hours, the company was closed and that the caller should call back during opening hours of Mon to Fri 09:00 to 19:00, Sat 09 to 18:00, and Sun 09: to 17:00.
ALL THESE CALLS WERE MADE AROUND MIDDAY ON BOTH DAYS.
Called again around 13:00, on Monday 19th & after persevering for 2 hours and 17 minutes, listing to continuous messages of how wonderful "TUI" is in looking after the customer, the call was eventually answered by a member of a call centre in South Africa.
A polite lady by the name of Samantha, listened to my issue and after around 5/6 minutes of trying to clarify that it was not possible to simply go online and amend a booking.
She then agreed to go online with me and together walk me through the procedure of doing an online amendment (jointly on my online account), to also discover that it did not work.
After several unsuccessful attempts she apologised and said she would need to seek help/advice and asked me to “bare-with-her” & proceeded to put me on hold.
I listened to recorded music while waiting for her to return.
After around 6/7 min wait the music stopped (expecting her return) however.... there was just silence........ I continued to wait as I had already invested approaching 3 hours by now in this call.
The silence continued for around another 8/9 minutes when inexplicably the call was terminated by the call centre.
You cannot imagine my utter frustration at this point ……….
To compound the insult there was no return call from Samantha who at that stage fully understood the problem, clearly my situation of being an elderly customer in a vulnerable category, my polite patients & total helpless frustration, and ….. HAD ALL MY RECONFIRMED DETAILS INCLUDING MY PHONE NUMBER.
Then the crowning glory came 10 minutes later when I received an automated telephone call from TUI asking me to rate the service I just had received.
The ULTIMATE INSULT?
This all coming from the world’s number one integrated tourism group operating in around 180 destinations worldwide, consequently with vast amounts of technical resources at their disposal, to at least deliver reasonable levels of service, notwithstanding that its now months after covid19’s first appearance and further in receipt of an initial €1.6 billion repayable loan from commercial and state owned banks which has been guaranteed by the German government. ……… with Marella consisting of only 5 or 6 functioning ships
Crossing the “T’s”, dotting the “I’s” & putting “U” in the middle ………… “
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2 hours ago, Jayneykul said:
We were supposed to sail in March on Explorer. We received an email for the refund 5 weeks later still waiting! There are lots of comments on the situation in the newspapers running stories about it. It seems most TUI staff have been furloughed so they don’t have enough staff left to cope. Well that’s fine and dandy isn’t it have the Government pay your staff salary, get a loan from Germany and hold onto your customers money! We have booked with Celebrity for December (fingers crossed) sunset verandah balcony on the Edge, premium drinks package, gratuities, internet plus we get a lot of loyalty incentives. Cost with the flight and transfers £1200 pp same ish cruise on Explorer 2 £1706! People will not forget how they have been treated!
Well done guys, good for you. Hope you have a stunning holiday and never, (as will we) never, book anything with TUI or any of their associated companies ever again.
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Absolutely, one million percent agree with howmuch!
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Totally agree with Brummijam,
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Sure have, but the customer service that TUI / Marella are providing, with regards to effective communication specifically, is beyond appalling.
In my case I am trying to HELP the situation (not sitting on the side lines just throwing hand grenades) by getting Tui/Marella to AMEND my booking to a later date possibly next year ......... which is proving impossible.
THEY REFUSE TO ENGAGE with anybody directly. Frustratingly even for folk who are in the vulnerable category.
Including those specifically trying to AMEND bookings ....... NOTHING to do with asking for any refund.
Their online AMENDING systems are not, and have not for over 3 weeks now, functioned properly.
You don't have to be a genius to wonder why an international company the size of Tui with with all their resources and expertise would not IMMEDIATELY move heaven and earth to prioritise and commit to a functioning system that will speedily and seamlessly allow bookings to be amended online, thus avoiding all the engagement, work. hassle and frustration associated with refunding money.
Tui/Marella UK by their inaction point blankly refuse to do so, so the question needs to be asked ... WHY?
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Have I lost my marbles or is the essence and heading of this thread not
Marella Cancellations - Customer Service up to scratch?
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There are two separate issues here.
1. The cancellation and refund issue
2. The ability to amend a holiday/flight/cruise etc
MARELLA are making it near impossible to amend a booking .........
Logically you would imagine this would be their priority as they would legally retain all the monies paid and have a secured future deliverable.
Not for locked in UK cruise customers .....
I have been trying for over 2 weeks now to AMEND a booking with no success ..........
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As with loads of companies the world over it is unbelievably awful for all the staff concerned who are, and will be affected by this terrible pandemic.
In spite of this unprecedented event most companies owners/directors/managers, with or without financial assistance, still conduct themselves in a proud responsible manner, as this situation will at some stage, come to an end and the world will get to travel (maybe differently & certainly more cautiously) again.
However I would be massively concerned if I was a TUI employee hoping to have the same/similar job into the future.
As TUI's current shocking ineffective disrespectful irresponsible communicative behaviour will without doubt leave a bitter taste in the minds of the existing customer base, therefore driving future & repeat custom deserving away, leaving the company (if they survive) a lot lot weaker, definitely much smaller and totally disrespected, into the challenging times the travel industry will find its self in, for many years to come.
Maybe the German side of the business is being looked after & run responsibly and the UK (soon to be out of the legal EU framework) the sacrificial lamb.
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2 hours ago, WeeCountyMan said:
It sure shines a light on the cruise industries moral behaviour.
Maybe it will take legal action to get them to adjust ...... Suggest ALL cruise companies be forced to place one of their directors / owners together with their entire immediate family (Mom, Dad, Kids, Grand kids etc) on each of their next first sailings (for at least 7 days) when ever they choose to start functioning again.
That will concentrate their attention ......
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1 hour ago, bishop84 said:
To avoid any confusion it is a repayable loan from commercial and state owned banks which has been guaranteed by the German government rather than a bail out or just being given the money. TUI will have to repay it to the lenders on the terms it has agreed with them.
If the loan is real, then the treatment they are serving up is even more inexplicable, inexcusable & diabolical.
A company which we will never support into the future ... even if they, on the back of existing locked in customers, survive.
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If the €1.6billion is true (loads of fake news going around) .............
Cannot believe any large long standing company would wanting behave in such a despicable and irresponsible way.
Why ???
Why??
Why?
..... obviously something going on!!
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Marella / Tui are clearly not offering anywhere near the customer service levels that a large established company should.
This needs to be seen in the context of MARELLA having 6 ships with sizes ranging from 631 to 962 cabins each.
Hardly a significant amount of bookings to handle considering the size of the company & occupancy cruise booking levels.
The Covid 19 issue has been a travel problem for many many weeks now.
I have been trying to AMEND my online booked cruise online (as they have repeatedly suggested), which is not available/possible and being told instead to call them to amend.
Of the myriad of phone numbers listed everywhere, not one is ever answered)
I have tried holding on for almost 2 hours on several occasions over the past 3 weeks.
Yesterday (sat) and today (sun) in calling (around 13:15 pm) the various phones are answered, all with the same message "sorry our offices are closed now and to call in opening hours - stating the opening hours to be:- mon - fri 09:00 to 19:00, sat 09:00 to 19:00 and sun 10:00 to 17:00)
Not only are they contemptuous of their customer base, ineffective functional communication, but won't even simply change their answering machine message to reflect reality.
Make you think with all this ducking and diving that the inevitable is about to happen .......... GOING BUST ......... along with our money .............
Favorite cruise port you would like to visit again?
in Ask a Cruise Question
Posted
Have not travelled to Japan, so would absolutely love to visit a few of their ports with a "stay over" or two, to really enjoy what the country & culture has to offer. (being a pensioner has its challenges, so cruises are an obvious "way to go" .... when safe of course)