balf

On this thread, see Post #5 (Brit affected) and post #27 (European affected). If you google "Bed bugs in Britain", you will find further evidence that Brits are indeed affected by bed bugs, as are many people around the world, unfortunately.

Yeh, but the difference is they don't bite us so we don't know they're there.

When a Yank comes along though.....

David.

Could you keep the truffles?

David

I remember one stop in Lisbon when as sail time approached the "will Mr and Mrs.......contact reception" messages started. Looking over the dock side with all but one of the gangways stowed, engines running and angry looking officers looking along the dock, about 40 minutes after sail time along came a couple in no apparent hurry. Let's put it this way, they didn't get much White Star Service as they were rushed aboard. And yes, they had taken themselves on a trip to Sintra, shuttle bus, train and bus, missed the bus from the mountain top and missed the train that would have got them back on time.

There are many disadvantages of organised trips but peace of mind is worth a lot.

David

Alternatively they could refuse to accept payment by credit card.

David.

I agree, but if all 4 guests have their own account upon check in as I outlined in my post #23 then Trevor's friend would be charging the casino chips to his own account and not Trevor's or indeed the other 2 travelling companions.

Don't you need to register a card to open an account?. Didn't to OP say that the friend did not have one?.

David.

I think Trevor's concern is that Trevor's friend may obtain casino chips by charging them to his room and, therefore, Trevor's credit card.

Well, as they say "that's what friends are for"

David.

Good Evening Richard,

Once again, thank you for giving a clear and comprehensive answer. I realise that both yourself and Bell Boy can't see any good reason for wanting to deposit cash, rather than use a card.

Well I can tell you my reasoning. One of our party (we are a party of four in same room) has a bit of a passion for the casino, and as I am the lead, and would be using my Card, I didn't want to run the risk of breaching my or indeed the cards limit. This particular person does not posses a card of their own, so I figured the cash option would be better.

Your friend wants cash to use in the casino, so simply take the cash and put it in the cabin safe. That way Cunard won't get its hands anywhere near it, and hopefully you will leave with more than you brought.

David.

Good morning.

 

You are correct, no surcharge when booking onboard.

 

It is also a known fact that a number of TAs in the UK pass the credit card through to the cruise line for payment to be taken.

 

This particularly is the case with Celebrity. I caught one large UK online agent abusing this system and attempting to levy its customers a charge.

 

One other point. Have you considered that, from next January it will be illegal to charge a fee for a credit card payment, no mention has been made of the possibility of offering some form of a discount/ additional OBC for a debit card payment.

 

Food for thought 'eh what'. :evilsmile:

Why would they do that.

David

If there's OBC from Cunard, TA or self bought after you leave the ship it's lost.

David

Good morning Pennbank.

 

I would normally agree however, as you are aware, the system was abused and well you know it.

 

And who was affected really?

 

The genuine passengers who saw this a s genuine Cunard offer, spent all their OBC and a few dollars more.

If you have given OBC and other OBC that you have self financed how does reception know the difference if you haven't spent it all. They lump all OBC together. I seem to remember a post from someone who got a county court judgment to get his cash refunded.

David.

Nothing wrong in using the companies system to your advantage as long as its legal.

The other good one was last year or year before , Pre Purchasing dollars at the £ to the $ rate determined by Cunard prior to the fall in the exchange rate . Cunard allowed it for a month or two then stopped it. Now you can only by obc at the exchange rate of the Card issuer you use.

Many, on these and other forums achieved an exceptional rate.

At one time you could also use the Casino to get your obc back in your own pocket without gambling.

Yes I remember that deal being posted on CC and Cunard got overwhelmed and quickly axed it. Not before I took advantage, though I made sure I spent it before disembarkation.

David.

"With fluid pricing a feature of the travel industry in general not just Carnival UK, l don't see immediately how this can be policed. Will they just lump on an increase to fares which will cover those paying by credit card or otherwise?"

 

Easy to navigate around surely.

 

Get your quote, preferably sent by email, go back to TA and confirm quote still valid, pay with credit card.

Yes but when you pay the TA will tell you there is extra to pay for using cc. It would be interesting to hear from any poster here who has paid for a cruise with Cunard and paid the surcharge. Of course if the charge is waived there is no problem, but it's another big chunk out of their profits.

David.

OBC is normally regarded as given to the cruiser to spend on board, i.e. spend it on board or lose it which is fair enough. Cunard, being Cunard seems to ignore the difference between given and deposited and the contract makes no distinction between the two. So if you buy OBC and don't spend it during the cruise it's confiscated. There is a word for this but I won't use it here and possibly the contract has been changed since I last looked, but I would never deposit cash with Cunard. Caviat Emptor as Franky Howard probably said.

David

I don't think it's likely that many people booking a Cunard cruise have actually paid the rip off 1.5% charge. Most would pay by debit card when they realised the extra cost. In fact Cunard have ignored the directive which has been in force for some time that traders are only permitted to apply the actual cost to them of processing the charge, in reality pennys.

It will be interesting to see if they obey this time.

David.

Our last two return crossings, in August 2015 and November 2016 were well under $100 a day. The first one was 20 nights, including 5 nights in New York whilst the ship went up to Boston and elsewhere. £1099 each including the hotel and transfers which is around $71 a day at current rates. The more recent one was a simple 15 night return crossing which was £729 each or around $63 a day.

 

 

We also did a 60 night world cruise segment on the QM2 in 2016, plus 5 nights in Sydney at the end. Total price for the trip, including the hotel and flights back, though not transfers, was £4449 each, around $89 a night.

 

I've seen recent one way crossings at £599 including outbound or return flights which is not far off $100 a night, depending on the crossing length.

 

$500 a day certainly possible if you booked the Grills, but usually less.

Where's the profit though. Cunard cannot possibly even break even at $89 pp. OK someone down the line is going to pay much more to compensate but is it any wonder that standards are in decline.

David.

20 odd hours in the air or 11 odd hours and a TA, no brainier I would say. And if you don't want formal, we'll forget what you read here, it's not compulsory. Many would not agree but fine dining (which it isn't anyway) is a small part of a TA for many.

Nowadays it's not the only way to cross....but it's the only way.

David

Last week on our cruise we only booked 1 ship's excursion (and not at cheap one at $170 each). And it got canceled. Thanks for that. Maybe that's another reason I was not overly happy about the cruise in general.

Very likely cancelled because not enough passengers booked, because it cost so much.

Good result for you though, probably.

David

or alternatively cruise with someone else.

I already do.

David.

Cunard Dress Codes and Tipping. Two emotive subjects.T'was ever thus!

 

 

Time CC banned these threads :D Although if they did, what would we talk about ;p

Dress codes, which would be even more boring.

David.

To be fair to Carnival (Why? I hear you all cry!), without them there would probably be no Cunard. Cunard's financial position at acquisition was, I think, precarious to say the least? And, I think I'm right, there would certainly have been no QM2 which was Micky Arison's pet project? I am sure Solent Richard will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

You are correct. But as is said, that was then and this is now. We sailed with Cunard before the take over/rescue and when QM2 was up and running many of the crew transferred to the new ship bringing with them the service and tradition of the old Cunard. QM2 was a very different experience then as we found the last time we took a voyage two years ago. We thought the food was poor then but Toad's review shows things have gone even worse now.

Racing to the bottom was never a good idea for Cunard.

David.

Even MPs don't have to wear ties now. Times they are a changing and hey, you would be stretching it a bit to describe P&O as a classy cruise line.

Let's vote for comfort.

David.

Well, until Cunard changes their position, if you keep the tips, then you ARE screwing the staff. Simple as that. Yes, I'd like to see the gratuity as an no removable "service charge". Until that time however, my feelings stand.

You know, your attitude has given me an idea. I'll stop paying the auto tips and you can pay them for me. That way there will be no loss to the staff and you won't get annoyed any more.

I'll let you know.

David.

The moment Cunard or any other cruise line is the first to adopt this "all in" pricing policy they immediately look more expensive than their competitors. And they immediately lose business to those competitors.

 

 

You said you worked in the service industry as a non-tipped employee and knew that when you took the job. But your job must pay very well as your signature indicates that you are sailing on Queen Victoria this November.

I've heard this before and I don't believe it. The cruising public would be pretty stupid if they could not work out the difference in value between a no tips cruise and one where tips were extra. The only ones to lose out would be the passengers who don't pay tips. The ones who are, under the present system stiffing the rest of us.

David

Oh and I forgot the tips are all included, a big advantage for me, and Trevor Walford, Saga long standing M D probably the finest I've known.

David.

You won't have any problem. I use the geriatric test. If I can lift them unaided into the car boot the porters will have no trouble at the port.

David