Victoria2

Alternatively, you haven't found one of the truly excellent Cruise Agents 'out there' in various countries. Ours is a true diamond. He represents his clients with the utmost dedication and is totally up the the minute with any policy changes and basically, anything which affects his clients involving which ever the cruise line involved. He will most certainly not be alone in being such a fabulous agent.

Having stayed in 7171 the snug, as we called it can be a completely separate bedroom with a sofa bed, but whether it's a sofa bed for one or two, I have no idea. The sofa in the sitting room is very comfortable but no idea if it's a sofa bed.

We used The Baggage Handling Company to send bags home [S'ton to UK address] a couple of times. Couldn't fault the service at all.

Your three month roving the US is slightly different from a six week holiday land and sea. After our one and only agent booked hotel decades ago when we were booked 'run of house' which translated into a broom cupboard of a room, we learnt our lesson and took cheapest hotels on offer, then booked our own direct. Costs the binned hotel room but we get something to our own spec.

I too doubt a package would include car rentals or Air B&B but flights hotels and cruise could be packaged by an agent, or at least it can be in the UK.

IF the monies weren't paid on time it is purely the agent's problem and on a full ship, I wouldn't expect any existing passengers to be moved as it wouldn't be Cunard or their existing paid up passengers' fault. Personally, I would now be by passing agents and demanding access to the CEO/boss with the threat of legal proceedings if no one is prepared to have a detailed conversation on what happened and what the company intends to do about it. If no cabins ae forthcoming on the booked cruise, I would be expecting all monies paid out for the whole trip, to be paid and icing on the cake would be compensation but that might be an ask too far. Either way, it does re-enforce the idea of a whole packaged trip rather than self and agent bookings.

Awww bless. What a kind nature you have. Always thinking of others! 😄

I realise that but bookings can be consolidated by an agent with the add ons of flights and/or hotels and it then becomes becomes a 'self-made' package under one booking reference. We have done that in the past although to be fair, it was flight, land and hotel, cruise then flight, all under one Cunard booking reference and it became 'a package'. I don't see any difference when adding a couple of cruises rather than just one.

So [here in the UK ] you find yourself an excellent agent who will do all the legwork in collaboration with the passenger and have cruises, any flights and hotels booked and rolled into a package under one Cunard booking reference.

and then being persistent, otherwise known as 'being a pain in the rear' until you get the individual who either has clout or can sort things.

Never ever used a pool on a Cunard ship. Apart from any chemicals involve [severe eczema and all that], they've never looked very inviting.

I think I mentioned dashing for a lift when in a wheelchair/disabled especially when on the wrong side of the lobby was akin to a Paralympic sport but obviously, not hurdling!! 😄

As I as back in #37, in order to see 'who messed up' and therefore who where the snafu lie, the next step is to find out when the monies were handed over to Cunard and as the margin between you paying and Cunard payment due date seem to be fine so something has happened big style, be it computer or human glitch and at which point. Cunard don't usually talk to a client if a TA has made the arrangements but in this case, I think you'd be perfectly entitled to push for an answer from Cunard itself if your agent won't help.

If the mess up was at Cunard's end then yes, a livid TA would be a huge asset. If the mess up was with the TA then it has nothing to do with Cunard and I would be livid with the TA. At the moment, all we know is there's been a mess up but at what point, none of us know so hopefully Nm hehappysailing will find out and we'll know who to be livid with. Either way, a decent resolution is needed and hopefully will ensue one way or another.

Sorry. I have no idea as we have never let Cunard dictate our flights. We have always looked into flights, airlines, scheduling and class of travel ourselves with our agent and once decided, he books it with Cunard on the same booking reference

I will wait and see what the OP's answer is as to when the payment was paid. If it is a TA tardiness in paying issue then I completely agree with you but I would add if there's any upgrade of cabin available, then that should be given in compensation.

Specifically cruise bookings? It seems not all cruise agents/agencies process bookings in the same way.

but it still involves third party paying which isn't as instantaneous as directly paying Cunard.

You really have to have a discussion with your agent. All payment reminders come from him, well in advance of date required and if we ever got very near, another reminder would be sent. Thats what agents are for. They are the go-between and do all the leg work for you...or should do.

Right. Ask to see date proof of passing on the payment to Cunard, just to make sure it was passed on in time.

Keep on at your agent too, on the hour every waking hour. Something has gone wrong here. When you paid the deposit, or the June final amount, did your statement show Cunard or the agent as the payee?

When you pay via an agent, in my case the pay by period is generally earlier than final Cunard pay date. The difference for us though is although the agent takes all the cc details when final payment is due [and of course on initial booking, the payment goes direct to Cunard and not into our agent's banking system. The reverse was true when we got a part payment back from Cunard. It was from the company and not our agent. Some agents might bank the money and then pay out of their account which could account for any delay. Choose your agent very carefully.

I will try desperately not to show any envy or jealousy! 🙁 Enjoy, she's very special.

Thank you. I'm sure we will continue to enjoy our holidays, however many children there will be onboard. They and their parents bring the average age down and as I said, it's a delight to see Cunard's next generation. Suits us. 🙂

It was interesting to see how busy the Queens Room was on QA. Maybe the appeal of a busy area attractive to non ball room dancers just might be a bit of an incentive to add evenings 'for all', as well as dancers, to the nightly programme. We certainly enjoyed the live music on a couple of occasions last week and the week before.