Queen Victoria - Adriatic Discovery departing 3 October 2012 has been CANCELED

[Garybem]

Remember what happened with QM2 a few years back when she smacked a pod in Florida and ended up bypassing the entire Caribbean (no bad thing IMHO), went straight to Rio and ended up with the Commodore being taken a virtual hostage and getting summarily fleeced by every ambulance chasing lawyer on the planet over what was a misfortunate whoopsie?

 

It is, of course, terrible for people affected when a technical issue means cancellation of a cruise, flight etc. But the real key is how the company handles it. P&O (which is also part of the same company set up out of Southampton) did a very good job when the had to cancel a World Cruise on Aurora as passengers were/ had embarked in Southampton. They communicated well to them and the media, were very generous in looking after and compensating passengers. The media was full of them congratulating P&O - despite lifetime dreams and years of planning being affected.... It feels like Cunard are doing the legal/ corporate thing versus factoring in also the publicity positives and story that could turn a bad event into a showcase of care and super service.....?

[pepperrn]

Hi seasidegal,

 

Thank you for your very kind post :o. You’re right, I do love being on board Cunard’s ships esp. Queen Mary 2. Part of that esteem is the high level of service that I have almost always received from the crew. Every one of them on board, from cleaners removing fingerprints from glass in the Grand Lobby to the Commodore, seem genuinely to wish to enhance my time on the ship. With a smile, a greeting or that little extra touch of great service that I remember long after the voyage is over.

But they are let down, undermined, by the bean-counters and senior management who inhabit Carnival House in Southampton. There they seem not to understand, or don’t care about, the damage they do with ill-thought-out decisions. These bosses created “White-Star Service”, and then failed to measure up to the standards they set their employees when presented with a chance to turn an unfortunate incident into an opportunity to excel, and carry their customers with them.

The contrast, that you’ve pointed out, with RCCL is a telling one.

No-one is blaming Cunard for the problem with Queen Victoria’s pods, these things happen. It is the way that Peter Shanks & Co have handled this unfortunate situation that is the issue, an issue they themselves have created by their short-sighted, indifferent-to-their-passengers, action.

If Mr. Shanks was to care half as much about standards, professionalism, and his passengers, as that glass-cleaner in the Grand Lobby, then we would be praising Cunard today, instead of denigrating them.

It has often been pointed out that the ships and shore-side are like two separate organisations, the former knowing all about ships and customers/passengers, the latter not having a clue. Never was that truer than today.

 

As for your final paragraph, what can I say but “thank you”. Before my first voyage people were kind enough to help me. I was first “wowed” by Cunard as a child in Southampton harbour, seeing the Queen Elizabeth. In 2006 I boarded the Queen Mary 2 for the first time, and fell in love with her and the whole experience of being on board a great ocean liner. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat, I didn’t stop smiling during the whole crossing. I want others to enjoy, to share that amazing feeling I get as I step on board.

Mr. Shanks has managed to wipe that smile off my face today.

Thank you again, I am genuinely embarrassed with your very kind words :o .

With all good wishes for your voyage, I hope the magic works for you as it did for me :) :) .

[pepperrn]

Pepper you are quite right. My husband is a marine engineer and I have just shown the photo to him and he confirms what you say. Not the posters fault, of course, but, sadly, on this occasion, the photo found on the Internet is incorrect and is not off the Queen Victoria.

 

Thank you Happyboating, as you say, not the poster's fault. I am pleased that someone who knows about such things, your husband, a marine engineer, can help me in my confusion with azzipods and the like! :) .

Thank you, and all good wishes to you both :) .

[pepperrn]

Seasidegal, I appreciate your post in it's entirety, but I quoted this part because you expressed so well what I was also thinking. Cheers, -S.

 

Thank you :o !

[langfoa1]

Pretty bad news about this cruise as my parents were booked on for it. They have decided to cancel and have booked on Celebrity Eclipse 14nt Canaries & Azores sailing departing 13th October.

[QM2Cruiser]

I also sympathise with the people that have looked forward to this cruise and had it cancelled by Cunard. It must be heartbreaking, especially when it was booked for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary celebration which is date specific.

 

However, what I say next will probably make me pretty unpopular.

 

The Cunard UK Terms & Conditions in the back of the brochure (Sec 40 & 41) do state the conpensation policy should Cunard need to cancel the trip, and indeed, in this case, it is a refund plus 15% Voyage credit.

 

I'm sure if one of us needed to cancel a cruise for any reason, we would ensure that Cunard stick to the Ts&Cs, so why shouldn't they?

 

Any other travel company or cruise company would do the same.

[The Real PM]

Hi The Real PM. That's the way I read the offer too. But if I was booked on that cruise, I would have already purchased round-trip airfare from NY to London, made hotel reservations, tour arrangements, and purchased a few new snazzy outfits in addition to making all the other necessary scheduling arrangements. So all that, in addition to having paid my fare in full months ago, means I'd be in the hole for a substantial amount of money. Like you, I'd be very disappointed - but I wouldn't accept the offer as it has been related by previous posters. I think it's just too little, too late. -S

 

Hi Salacia,

 

You know, that never entered my head, I guess because I don't fly and a cruise for me has always been a train and cab fare away. But airfare is certainly something to consider and I would think that would be the responsibility of the cruise line. I haven't read that they were going to reinburse for airfare. Is that what all the talk about insurance is all about? I would think that seeing the cancellation is in no way the fault of the passenger, that Cunard should certainly be responsilbe for compensation for airfare without a doubt.

 

Gail

[Olliesmum]

I also sympathise with the people that have looked forward to this cruise and had it cancelled by Cunard. It must be heartbreaking, especially when it was booked for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary celebration which is date specific.

 

However, what I say next will probably make me pretty unpopular.

 

The Cunard UK Terms & Conditions in the back of the brochure (Sec 40 & 41) do state the conpensation policy should Cunard need to cancel the trip, and indeed, in this case, it is a refund plus 15% Voyage credit.

 

I'm sure if one of us needed to cancel a cruise for any reason, we would ensure that Cunard stick to the Ts&Cs, so why shouldn't they?

 

Any other travel company or cruise company would do the same.

 

No they wouldn't, unless they want to commit business suicide.

 

See previous posts about customer retention.

 

If I decided to cancel a trip three weeks before I go, I wouldn't expect Cunard to do anything else but stick to the T &Cs, it's a completely different thing.

[The Real PM]

I also sympathise with the people that have looked forward to this cruise and had it cancelled by Cunard. It must be heartbreaking, especially when it was booked for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary celebration which is date specific.

 

However, what I say next will probably make me pretty unpopular.

 

The Cunard UK Terms & Conditions in the back of the brochure (Sec 40 & 41) do state the conpensation policy should Cunard need to cancel the trip, and indeed, in this case, it is a refund plus 15% Voyage credit.

 

I'm sure if one of us needed to cancel a cruise for any reason, we would ensure that Cunard stick to the Ts&Cs, so why shouldn't they?

 

Any other travel company or cruise company would do the same.

Yes, you are correct in what you say.

 

But what I wonder is how long has there been awareness of this propulsion problem. I can't imagine that it suddenly happened and is an emergency because if that is the case why are they heading out on a 20 day cruise today? It seems to me that chances are this is the sort of thing that should have been found and fixed on a regular maintenance schedule--or don't they do that any more?

[QM2Cruiser]

I agree that Customer retention is very important, but we take that small element of risk every time we book a cruise. If Cunard carried on with this voyage and had to miss out ports of call, they would have even more complaints and demands for compensation. Whatever the situation, Cunard can't win!

 

Do you actually think that Cunard would cancel a cruise unless it really felt the need to do so? Think of the huge amount of lost revenue on board for a start off.

 

Let's hope that Cunard get the problems sorted with this one "downtime" and don't have to cancel more future voyages on Queen Victoria. One cruise had to suffer; sadly it was this one.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm not entirely clear on what Cunard will pay for, and it seems Cunard isn't sure about it, either. IF they will reimburse for nonrefundable out-of-pocket expenses like airfare, trainfare, prepaid pre/post-cruise hotels, then I think the 15% "bonus" is reasonable. I'm not sure if they should be expected to pay for insurance if you bought it independently as opposed to Cuanrdcare. (Sorry, shoppers, they'll never agree to pay for posh frocks bought in anticipation of the cruise.)

 

The post that astonishes me is the one from the passenger whose large OBC wasn't transferred to the new booking. Cunard is definitely in the wrong there, and I hope this poster can make them see that.

 

I see that several posters have taken their refund and spent it with another line. I suggest that you write to Cunard and tell them this. As someone else has said, things can go wrong and it's how the line handles the situation that really counts. They probably think they've done well with a nice letter and a "generous" refund + 15%. If you think they haven't done well by you, let them know.

[david,Mississauga]

Sorry about your misfortune David. It's interesting that all these years later, you still remember how you were treated by Cunard - and it's not a happy memory.

Thirty six years later, things have changed: now there are stronger consumer protection laws. The cruise industry has grown to a point where competition is fierce. With more ships being built, competition will increase, making passenger loyalty even more important than ever. Many more holiday/travel options are available now to fit various budgets, and the Internet provides ready access to research those options. So while I agree with you that some small form of compensation is better than the nothing you received, it doesn't float well in the current market. Regards, -S.

 

Indeed, my reason for posting this problem from 1976 was to show that passengers' expectations today are different. Because the balance of the QE2 1976 season - both transatlantic and cruises - was completely changed, many thousands of passengers were incovenienced and I'm sure a lot of them lost money on other arrangements that were made involving their voyage. An apology and the offer of a refund was all they got. That wouldn't pass muster these days. But it did not put me off Cunard; we have made several crossings since then. By that time, all other major steamship lines (e.g. French Line, Canadian Pacific, Holland America) had abandoned the traditional Atlantic crossing and that left only the QE2 out of New York and two small liners (Russian and Polish) out of Montreal.

[Olliesmum]

I agree that Customer retention is very important, but we take that small element of risk every time we book a cruise. If Cunard carried on with this voyage and had to miss out ports of call, they would have even more complaints and demands for compensation. Whatever the situation, Cunard can't win!

 

Do you actually think that Cunard would cancel a cruise unless it really felt the need to do so? Think of the huge amount of lost revenue on board for a start off.

 

Let's hope that Cunard get the problems sorted with this one "downtime" and don't have to cancel more future voyages on Queen Victoria. One cruise had to suffer; sadly it was this one.

 

When I opened my letter on Monday evening, I wasn't annoyed and fully understanding that these things happen ( I lost a trip to the Galapogos due to the ash cloud) I even felt symapthatic to Cunard about the situation they found themsleves in.

 

However, all that evaporated on Tuesday by the rude and offhand manner of the call centre staff. When I asked for a small amount of OBC as a goodwill gesture, the response of the staff member was as if she had caught me stealing from her purse.

 

And of course insurance bought from company should be refunded.

[seasidegal]

Hi seasidegal,

 

Thank you for your very kind post :o. You’re right, I do love being on board Cunard’s ships esp. Queen Mary 2. Part of that esteem is the high level of service that I have almost always received from the crew. Every one of them on board, from cleaners removing fingerprints from glass in the Grand Lobby to the Commodore, seem genuinely to wish to enhance my time on the ship. With a smile, a greeting or that little extra touch of great service that I remember long after the voyage is over.

 

But they are let down, undermined, by the bean-counters and senior management who inhabit Carnival House in Southampton. There they seem not to understand, or don’t care about, the damage they do with ill-thought-out decisions. These bosses created “White-Star Service”, and then failed to measure up to the standards they set their employees when presented with a chance to turn an unfortunate incident into an opportunity to excel, and carry their customers with them.

 

The contrast, that you’ve pointed out, with RCCL is a telling one.

No-one is blaming Cunard for the problem with Queen Victoria’s pods, these things happen. It is the way that Peter Shanks & Co have handled this unfortunate situation that is the issue, an issue they themselves have created by their short-sighted, indifferent-to-their-passengers, action.

If Mr. Shanks was to care half as much about standards, professionalism, and his passengers, as that glass-cleaner in the Grand Lobby, then we would be praising Cunard today, instead of denigrating them.

It has often been pointed out that the ships and shore-side are like two separate organisations, the former knowing all about ships and customers/passengers, the latter not having a clue. Never was that truer than today.

 

.

 

Pepperrn:

 

I ]was only going to highlight a bit of your post but I finally gave up and just re-posted as it is because it is spot on!

 

People have mentioned the wording of the contract but RCCL has almost the same language regarding their cancellations due to ship problems, weather, etc. and that company made a decision that at the time it was more important to insure good will and help ease people's discomfort than do the least that their contract would allow. The Allure had a far larger passenger base to be taken care of and it appears they took care of each one.

 

If a mass market cruise line can do this, why cannot Cunard who is suppose to be the 'high standard'? In the very least, why did they not even muster an attitude of 'we care' when people were calling? From reading posts here from those who contacted the company, it appears that they were treated very poorly at that point of contact. It cost Cunard nothing to treat people with digny, respect and to toss in a bit of understanding about the disappointment and stress involved by the change in their plans. That is the least Cunard could have done, and it appears from what was written here, they didn't even do the least. I felt (feel) so badly for those who encouraged such an attitude when their plans had just been thrown into disarray and they were trying to make 'sense' of it all.

 

Cunard's ships are beautiful - they have the finest liner on the seas in the Queen Mary 2 - and it is just such a shame that, as you call them, the 'bean counters' do not live up to the guardianship that such ships deserve and those that sail on them should be able to expect.

 

Repeating two comments of yours again:

 

'No-one is blaming Cunard for the problem with Queen Victoria’s pods, these things happen."

 

and:

 

Every one of them on board, from cleaners removing fingerprints from glass in the Grand Lobby to the Commodore, seem genuinely to wish to enhance my time on the ship. With a smile, a greeting or that little extra touch of great service that I remember long after the voyage is over.

 

I have appreciated all the ships I've been so privileged to travel upon and those who have made those trips possible with their hard work and service, however, the Queen Mary 2 produces 'awe inspiring moments' from the first step aboard till you gather your belongings to bid farewell.

 

Have a good day, Pepperrn........and may you have many more happy sailing days in your future!

 

 

Olliesmum,

 

However, all that evaporated on Tuesday by the rude and offhand manner of the call centre staff.

 

I'm so sorry. :(

[The Real PM]

When I opened my letter on Monday evening, I wasn't annoyed and fully understanding that these things happen ( I lost a trip to the Galapogos due to the ash cloud) I even felt symapthatic to Cunard about the situation they found themsleves in.

 

However, all that evaporated on Tuesday by the rude and offhand manner of the call centre staff. When I asked for a small amount of OBC as a goodwill gesture, the response of the staff member was as if she had caught me stealing from her purse.

 

And of course insurance bought from company should be refunded.

 

I have heard this over and over again from those of you from the UK when talking about the "call center staff" and their rude manner. Perhaps they should take some manner lessons from their American counterparts.

 

Whenever I have called the Cunard center based here in California they have been nothing but lovely. They are informative and patient in every situation I have encountered. One of the last times I dealt with them it was about seeing if I could get the reduced price that Cunard was offering late comers for the same cruise I had booked several months before. It was even within the last 30 day time period. They immediately said of course until they realized that I had booked through a TA. They told me that the reduction would have to be completed through the TA. And the Cunard staff even helped me and called the TA when the TA was reluctant. In the end I received the entire difference between my fare and the reduced price. :)

[The Real PM]

After all the speculation about what might be wrong with the Queen Victoria, I have found the answer straight from the QV's Captain during today's muster drill. She said that one pod is suffering excessive wear and because of that the ship is running slower than normal or at about 20 knots.

[Dajo5601]

Hey langfoa1, we've done the same as your Mum & Dad. Cruise cancelled by Cunard, so what, these things happen. Got a great deal from Celebrity on the Eclipse, got upgraded to an Aqua stateroom, £650 less than the cancelled QV cruise, so got some spare cash (this will help the on board account) and the 15% represents £750 off our next QV cruise booked for next May and I have already received an amended invoice from Cunard showing that reduction.

 

Hey "always look on the bright side"..........................

[Salacia]

Hey langfoa1, we've done the same as your Mum & Dad. Cruise cancelled by Cunard, so what, these things happen. Got a great deal from Celebrity on the Eclipse, got upgraded to an Aqua stateroom, £650 less than the cancelled QV cruise, so got some spare cash (this will help the on board account) and the 15% represents £750 off our next QV cruise booked for next May and I have already received an amended invoice from Cunard showing that reduction.

 

Hey "always look on the bright side"..........................

 

Happy things worked out for you Dajo.

 

Sure you can always look on the bright side, or you can consider that for others who booked that QV cruise, the side is not so bright. Had Cunard done better, you would not have had to shop for another cruise line. But I wish you all the best on your Celebrity cruise. Bon voyage, -S.

[jay888]

Happy things worked out for you Dajo.

 

Sure you can always look on the bright side, or you can consider that for others who booked that QV cruise, the side is not so bright. Had Cunard done better, you would not have had to shop for another cruise line. But I wish you all the best on your Celebrity cruise. Bon voyage, -S.

 

I too was lucky enough to be able to transfer to another cruise. P&O Azura 24 night Caribbean cruise in luxury balcony for the same price. Whereas, Cunard want £1700 more for an outside cabin and rising. Do not say the prices are because of supply and demand, the reason for the demand was the cancelled cruise. IMO Cunard was taking the P out of the passengers trying to transfer to the other cruise. I think Cunard handled the situation very poorly, I found out the cruise was cancelled by reading it on the roll call. Its not the fact that they cancelled the cruise, which was hard enough to deal with, it's the way they did it and the lack of customer care afterwards. I hope everyone else booked on this cruise has manage to find something else suitable. Janice

[jay888]

Interesting fact concerning Cunard pricing, Monday night an inside cabin went up to £2600 for the 19 Oct now sailing for £1400. Make your own minds up if Cunard took advantage of the situation. IMO Cunard unhelpful and P&O were very helpful and could not do enough for us. Strange when they are both the same company working in the same office in Southampton. I expect. Cunard staff had a very stressful day that day as well, Janice

[retafcruiser]

The cruise industry has grown to a point where competition is fierce. With more ships being built, competition will increase, making passenger loyalty even more important than ever.

Perhaps, but how much do you think it matters to Carnival to lose 2000 Cunard customers? It sounds a lot, but let's do some math ... 3 Cunard ships, about 40 cruises/ship/year, 2000 people per cruise (very conservative). It equates to 2000/240,000 or 0.83%. Now if you spread the discontented 2000 over the entire Carnival realm, the passenger loss is insignificant. Bottom line - they don't care.:eek:

[Mapu]

Interesting fact concerning Cunard pricing, Monday night an inside cabin went up to £2600 for the 19 Oct now sailing for £1400. Make your own minds up if Cunard took advantage of the situation. IMO Cunard unhelpful and P&O were very helpful and could not do enough for us. Strange when they are both the same company working in the same office in Southampton. I expect. Cunard staff had a very stressful day that day as well, Janice

 

Pricing significantly increased for the Oct. 12 Queen Elizabeth sailing. Prior to the cancelation of the Queen Victoria cruise pricing on the Queen Elizabeth cruise was a bargain. Pricing significantly increased Monday afternoon. We will see what happens September 19 when the rebooking window closes for the cancelled cruise.

[EGG]

You cannot believe how hard this is when it happens to you 3 weeks out. I thought I would be packing this week and we are still trying to decide what we will do for vacation. These are use or lose vacation days for me which I've alrealy surrounded with meetings and a business trip. We had frequent flyer tickets from the U.S. and while they can be redeposited with a fee, I have no idea yet if my insurance will cover that. I am a planner and I spent the last month researching every aspect of the pre-cruise, post-cruise and of course the cruise. Just a few days before the announcement I booked a non-refundable hotel room. So I hope the person at Cunard who waited even one day to make the announcement understands what anguish this is causing.

 

I cannot understand why if this is such an emergency the cruise before this was not cancelled. I would like to know when Cunard really found out about the problem.

 

If any of you would like to use my prepaid hotel room at the Southampton Premier Inn West Quay on Oct 2, please let me know. Just check if it can be transferred.

[3rdGenCunarder]

You cannot believe how hard this is when it happens to you 3 weeks out. I thought I would be packing this week and we are still trying to decide what we will do for vacation. These are use or lose vacation days for me which I've alrealy surrounded with meetings and a business trip. We had frequent flyer tickets from the U.S. and while they can be redeposited with a fee, I have no idea yet if my insurance will cover that. I am a planner and I spent the last month researching every aspect of the pre-cruise, post-cruise and of course the cruise. Just a few days before the announcement I booked a non-refundable hotel room. So I hope the person at Cunard who waited even one day to make the announcement understands what anguish this is causing.

 

I cannot understand why if this is such an emergency the cruise before this was not cancelled. I would like to know when Cunard really found out about the problem.

 

If any of you would like to use my prepaid hotel room at the Southampton Premier Inn West Quay on Oct 2, please let me know. Just check if it can be transferred.

 

I suspect they've known for a while. But this work requires getting into a dry dock, and they weren't in a position to make any announcements until that was scheduled. I know this doesn't make you feel any better. As one of my teachers used to say, it's an EXPLANATION, not an EXCUSE. (He didn't believe in excuses)

 

If you want a cruise, you might be able to snag a last-minute price on something out of Bayonne (I see you're in NJ). I just got an email today from an online agent with insane bargains out of Bayonne. I know the Caribbean isn't the Adriatic, but it's an option that won't involve booking plane tickets on short notice.

 

I'm sorry you and so many passengers were disappointed by this. If it happened to me, Peter Shanks would be able to hear me cursing all the way from NJ to his cushy office in London (or wherever it is).

[adayatsea]

I am gutted! My wife and I were booked on the cruise that Cunard cancelled at short notice. Cunard have offered a 15% credit, but I would welcome your thoughts on a few points:

 

• The 15% credit must be used to "book another cruise no later than 31/12 of the year after the date of the cancelled cruise". Is this 31/12/12 or 31/12/13?
  
• The T&Cs state that "the 15% credit does not exclude the Guest from claiming more if he/she is entitled to do so or from requesting that compensation be provided in a different form". What on earth does this actually mean?
  
• In Cunard's letter to me they state that "we will consider the refund of reasonable expenses incurred as a result of this cancellation". What are reasonable expenses? My wife and I bought a considerable amount of clothes especially for this cruise. I cannot return these and I have no other use for them! Are these reasonable?
  

 

Your opinion, advice and in particular experience (if you were going to be in the same boat, so to speak) would be appreciated!

 

What have you been offered by Cunard?