Cunard's Coronavirus Cancellations/Refunds (Merged threads)

[ClipperinSFO]

1 hour ago, Roger Ackroyd said:

And we'd be hard pushed to spend $1200 OBS in 10 days (but I'd have a pretty good go with the wine list!).

 

In reading the fine print, I think the OBC is per cabin, not per guest (sadly).  Still, a nice subsidy to apply to evening beverages.

[bluemarble]

I assume this is a mistake in the posted cancellation schedule (highlighting mine). No reason they would make an exception to "you may now cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure." for those who booked Saver Fares and allow them to cancel up to the date of departure or be no-shows and still receive the 100% FCC.

 

Saver Fare.

Period before departure within which notice of cancellation is received by Cunard	Original cancellation charges Percentage of total fare charged	New Temporary Policy (assuming voyage paid for in full by required date) Percentage of total fare refunded and FCC applied
From the date of booking until departure, including failure to embark	100% of fare	100% FCC

[D&N]

3 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

I assume this is a mistake in the posted cancellation schedule (highlighting mine). No reason they would make an exception to "you may now cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure." for those who booked Saver Fares and allow them to cancel up to the date of departure or be no-shows and still receive the 100% FCC.

 

Saver Fare.

Period before departure within which notice of cancellation is received by Cunard	Original cancellation charges Percentage of total fare charged	New Temporary Policy (assuming voyage paid for in full by required date) Percentage of total fare refunded and FCC applied
From the date of booking until departure, including failure to embark	100% of fare	100% FCC

My email says following: (hopefully this formats ok on the post).

Saver Fare: Period before departure within which notice of cancellation is received by Cunard		Original cancellation charges % charged		New Temporary Policy (assuming voyage paid for in full on due date) % refunded and % FCC applied
From the date of booking until departure, including failure to embark.		100% of fare		Refund 0%. FCC 0%

[bluemarble]

1 minute ago, D&N said:

My email says following: (hopefully this formats ok on the post).

Saver Fare: Period before departure within which notice of cancellation is received by Cunard		Original cancellation charges % charged		New Temporary Policy (assuming voyage paid for in full on due date) % refunded and % FCC applied
From the date of booking until departure, including failure to embark.		100% of fare		Refund 0%. FCC 0%

 

So the email is saying those who booked Saver Fares are not entitled to any FCC if they cancel? Hopefully that's a mistake as well.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Meanwhile, on this side of The Pond, the website has the same old "we're monitoring the situation" text.

 

And while UK passengers were receiving emails explaining the long-overdue cancellation policy, I received an email "Counting down to your Cunard voyage" touting the idea of taking Cunard excursions. For a transatlantic?????  sometimes I wonder if Cunard could plan a Sunday School picnic.

 

[ATLJC]

28 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

Thank you, Hattie, for giving us the link. I realise that as Canadians who booked through the US site this doesn't apply to us, but I expect something similar will appear imminently for this side of the pond.

Wouldn't it be a blanket-wide policy on sailings regardless of where booked?  I only say that because the values of OBC are quoted in Dollars ($) and not Pounds.  We all know the failings of the IT department in regards to Cunard's hopeless website, which could possibly be attributed to the lack of notice of the new policy on the US site. 

[mcloaked]

3 hours ago, Mapmuppet said:

Any ideas if the additional on board spending applies if you have already been issued OBC by Cunard at the time of the original booking ?

 

Any OBC applying to the original booking won't apply to a transferred voyage and any OBC on the new voyage will only be what is being offered to anyone booking at the time.  So any OBC you got for the original one such as special extra OBC by booking on board a previous voyage will be gone. However it is certainly a better deal than losing the entire investment!

[Peggy Tuten]

Has anyone in the US received this email?  I'm scheduled to depart on Queen Victoria next Tuesday - have received nothing and the US website doesn't have this info.

[ace2542]

45 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Meanwhile, on this side of The Pond, the website has the same old "we're monitoring the situation" text.

 

And while UK passengers were receiving emails explaining the long-overdue cancellation policy, I received an email "Counting down to your Cunard voyage" touting the idea of taking Cunard excursions. For a transatlantic?????  sometimes I wonder if Cunard could plan a Sunday School picnic.

 

Mad that when you consider goverment advice to avoid cruise ships.

[newcruise]

6 minutes ago, Peggy Tuten said:

Has anyone in the US received this email?  I'm scheduled to depart on Queen Victoria next Tuesday - have received nothing and the US website doesn't have this info.

No. We board QM2 April 1 so we can be a bit more patient.

[Windsurfboy]

Will this sway you.

 

Will the impact depend on cabin category. 

 

Looking at cruise I'm on

 

Britannia inside $900 OBC worth 26% of cost of cruise

Queens Grill $900 OBC worth 5% of cost of cruise

 

No incentive if you cancel or transfer to another cruise

[Victoria2]

Extra obc will have no impact on us other than yet more dosh to spend. I see it as a “thank you for sailing with us” gesture. Category  of stateroom is irrelevant.

 

No amount of extra obc would sway me if we decided to cancel or transfer a booking.

[Eric79DAM]

31 minutes ago, Peggy Tuten said:

Has anyone in the US received this email?  I'm scheduled to depart on Queen Victoria next Tuesday - have received nothing and the US website doesn't have this info.

Nothing in Canada 

[beaveh]

I’m sad to say I’m a new cruiser to Cunard and have been very much looking forward to my QV 31st May departure to Norway... but things have got a bit complicated now. 
 

I’m UK based and booked through a UK travel agent.  I’d still love to do this cruise but realise there is a possibility that if corona is suspected onboard we could get denied entry to Norwegian ports, restricted to our cabins or quarantined onboard for two weeks when we get back to Southampton ! ( self isolation back home is preferable to that ).

 

I’m not in an at risk health group, and not thinking of cancelling as I might catch it onboard. It’s more about the though of going nuts being stuck in a cabin with hubby for two weeks ( bless him 🙂 )

 

Im considering my options at the moment. I’ll see how things go, then maybe take the Cunard offer to transfer to another cruise next year, as I can do that up to 48 hrs before departure.  I realise I would lose my original OBC offer and the enhanced OBC  but if it’s a transfer would I still have ABTA protection? ( if the worst should happen to Cunard) and get a refund?

 

i realise if Cunard cancels, if I’m ill before departure or if I have a temp before boarding and am denied embarkation travel insurance will refund me.

 

so what are the catches to transferring to another cruise? I think I can do that for the full value up to 48hrs before departure?

 

sorry long post 😞

[seacruise9]

41 minutes ago, Peggy Tuten said:

Has anyone in the US received this email?  I'm scheduled to depart on Queen Victoria next Tuesday - have received nothing and the US website doesn't have this info.

 

Hi, 

 

I haven't received anything from Cunard regarding this. I'm booked on the Queen Victoria departing from Southampton on April 26 and the Queen Elizabeth departing from San Francisco on May 30.

 

Chuck

[ace2542]

It i s maybe worth it. But you have to consider that it is impossible to keep the virus off the ships at this point and also you have to consider the availability of ports and also what state places like NYC will be in when you sail.

[oskidunker]

The final pay date on my Sept 11 cruise is still May 14. I will cancel May 1 if the date is not moved forward two months. This is what Princess has done. On board credit, which doesn't apply after sept 1, would not make any difference . Dissapointing as ai I booked Princess Grill. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by oskidunker

[Roger Ackroyd]

42 minutes ago, beaveh said:

I’m sad to say I’m a new cruiser to Cunard and have been very much looking forward to my QV 31st May departure to Norway... but things have got a bit complicated now. 
 

I’m UK based and booked through a UK travel agent.  I’d still love to do this cruise but realise there is a possibility that if corona is suspected onboard we could get denied entry to Norwegian ports, restricted to our cabins or quarantined onboard for two weeks when we get back to Southampton ! ( self isolation back home is preferable to that ).

 

 

😞

 

This is the crucial point, isn't it? We cruise because we enjoy the on board lifestyle and probably not that keen on flying BUT we also like to visit and explore places that we wouldn't normally visit. The fjords are a good case in point as they are not easily accessible other than by boat. If ports deny entry or you are confined to your cabins/on board just what is the point of a cruise?

 

On the Southampton quarantine question, logic (!) should prevail and if you have driven down there under your own steam then you should - in theory - be allowed off, pick up your car and head off home for self isolation there. I can't see the point of holding 2000 people on board and allowing them to be infected a la Sapphire Princess, one by one.

[siforest65]

5 hours ago, Roger Ackroyd said:

"Additional" On Board Spending? That word "additional" doesn't appear on our email.  We already have $300 pp ($600 stateroom) OBS. Will we expect $1200? It's not clear.

 

Our cruise, is ex Southampton April 16th.  I am assuming that there will be a good number of potential customers who will take the money and FCC and run which leaves the next question: will Cunard run a cruise with potentially just 50% or fewer on board passengers?

 

And next question: what of excursions in Spain and Portugal (Granada and Seville)? Will those still run and if not because of Spanish crackdown on movement just what is the point of sailing down to Spain only to have to stay on board at the ports? You may as well just stay in Southampton and look at the docks from your balconies.

 

I can see Cunard cancelling all cruises On Queen Victoria between now and September.

 

I'll wait until 3 days beforehand and make a decision then.

we are also on that voyage and have just spoken to Cunard. We currently have $1100 and they confirmed this will rise to $1700. The cancellation terms aren’t too favourable as we have 2 more cruises booked with them and can’t use fcc against either balance.

 

like you we will sit tight and I suspect if the cruise runs we will be on it. Still a lot can happen.

[Roger Ackroyd]

2 minutes ago, siforest65 said:

we are also on that voyage and have just spoken to Cunard. We currently have $1100 and they confirmed this will rise to $1700. The cancellation terms aren’t too favourable as we have 2 more cruises booked with them and can’t use fcc against either balance.

 

like you we will sit tight and I suspect if the cruise runs we will be on it. Still a lot can happen.

Oh, so any FCC can't be used against a cruise that's already booked - but not yet paid for (only deposit?). That seems a bit mean.

I shall follow that up. Thanks for the tip.

[siforest65]

2 minutes ago, Roger Ackroyd said:

Oh, so any FCC can't be used against a cruise that's already booked - but not yet paid for (only deposit?). That seems a bit mean.

I shall follow that up. Thanks for the tip.

yes, they’ve put it in the frequently asked questions 

[Roger Ackroyd]

6 minutes ago, siforest65 said:

yes, they’ve put it in the frequently asked questions 

OK - just seen it.

Hmmmm....

In some ways that puts even more pressure on people to cancel NOW rather than wait until the last 48 hours. Although I can see that Cunard don't want to lose a shedload of monies by transferring FCC to already booked - but not paid for in-full - cruises it feels as if the punter is over a barrel on this one.

And if the cruise is cancelled in that last week may one presume that full refunds would have to be given?

[Bedruthen]

27 minutes ago, siforest65 said:

yes, they’ve put it in the frequently asked questions 

I must be going mad, because I could swear that when I first read through the conditions, it said that FCC COULD be used on existing bookings. Anyone else think that has been amended since this morning? 

[samiam1]

Global Pandemic now declared by WHO:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/who-declares-the-outbreak-of-the-new-coronavirus-is-a-pandemic/ar-BB113atY

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by samiam1

[hypercafe]

I think in a global pandemic the last thing people should do is confine themselves on a cruise ship. Since it's world wide where can these ships go in safety? They should idle their fleet like the airlines do until it's safe to travel.