Marella Cancellations

[Brummijam]

3 hours ago, Vitalsign said:

Tony1878 - well said 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I've been saying this for weeks but it seems to make no difference

 

On 4/3/2020 at 1:03 PM, Vitalsign said:

Due to the ongoing situation regarding COVID-19, the Foreign Commonwealth Office have advised against all but essential travel. We have therefore been forced to cancel sailings on all of our Marella cruise ships.

If you are due to travel on a Marella Discovery cruise, all sailings up to and including 17th April 2020 have been cancelled.


If you are due to travel on a Marella Discovery 2, Dream, Explorer or Explorer 2 cruise, all sailings up to and including 16th April 2020 have been cancelled.

If you are due to travel on a Marella Celebration cruise, all sailings up to and including 30th April 2020 have been cancelled.

We are contacting customers directly to offer a range of flexible options, prioritising those with the most immediate sailings.

The advice page we read that I mention in my post has been updated sorry and doesn't say what a previous update said BUT

Ring this no tel:02036361931

 

The above  is the latest update on Marella page dated 17th March As soon as the FCO before this date said that no one over 70 etc should travel we contacted TUI about our April 12th cruise This was Monday 16th March the day after my 70th Birthday and after I had rung my travel insurers to ask if I could still cruise (my hubbie is 70) and they said we would not be insured. At that point TUI had not cancelled the cruise On contacting them we were immediately given a refund and the money was back on our credit card by Thursday 19th March

We also had a cruise booked for 23rd June so we discussed this cruise also and we were told we would have to wait until nearer the departure date but we could transfer it to another cruise as they felt the cruise would be cancelled eventually We decided to transfer to another cruise in November at no extra cost We were reassured that if this cruise was cancelled in the future or the FCO advice was still in force for over 70s or people with underlying health problems by November we could get a refund or use the money to pay the balance on our April 2021 cruise.

I have another cruise booked in Sept with a friend who is under 70 and that is still in force currently awaiting news of whether this will be cancelled or the FCO advice is still in force.

I hope this helps Please remember if TUI have cancelled the cruise then you are entitled to a refund. If the FCO advice is you should not travel then you can get a refund

 

 I see that you have received your refund so that would probably explain your reluctance to criticise TUI. Unfortunatly  there are quite a few people that can’t even get them to answer a phone. You must admit that the handling of the situation is very poor. My guess is that they are waiting for government authorisation to give out credit vouchers. If TUI were not so keen to take every penny at every opportunity from their loyal customers i would accept a voucher. As it stands I would like my money refunded.

[Jim The Scot]

Like others, thats our cruise on the 19th May cancelled but to be honest expected it and resigned ourselves to it but good to have it confirmed.There are more pressing and more serious matters going on than our cruise/holiday however

 

We,re in no rush to do anything regards refund,rebooking or whatever but we are booked not directly through TUI but through a local independant who like other businesses are closed.Will just have to wait till nearer the time to see if they contact us,if not will call need to call their  office and see if theres a message left with alternative contact details

 

 

Looking at TUI website it would appear theres no longer the £200 per person off another booking that was previously being offered to earlier cancellations

Edited April 8, 2020 by Jim The Scot

[zap99]

20 hours ago, Brummijam said:

 

 I see that you have received your refund so that would probably explain your reluctance to criticise TUI. Unfortunatly  there are quite a few people that can’t even get them to answer a phone. You must admit that the handling of the situation is very poor. My guess is that they are waiting for government authorisation to give out credit vouchers. If TUI were not so keen to take every penny at every opportunity from their loyal customers i would accept a voucher. As it stands I would like my money refunded.

If you look on some other sites you will find many, many people have been promised refunds, but nobody had actually received one. Rubbish customer service.

[Pensioncruiser]

The worry now is that the Tui shops have closed and you have to wait for them to contact you as they are working from home. We had a promise, in writing, for a BACS transfer for last Monday, not happend. 🙄

[solostar]

I have read on Facebook about cruises that were cancelled in March and people still haven,t had a phone call from Tui. I know they are busy and they have a massive problem to deal with but are we really supposed to sit tight and wait. It doesnt seem right to me, I am really worried.

[Vitalsign]

Taken from TUI Cruises Website tonight

 

Terms and Conditions 

Our Agreement for package holidays booked from 17/03/20 to 31/05/20 - Please refer below for Marella Cruise and TUI River Cruise Bookings.

Our Agreement for Marella Cruise and TUI River Cruise holidays booked from 17/03/20 to 31/05/20

If We Cancel Your Holiday 
If we cancel your holiday, except where it’s because you haven’t paid or you have been disruptive, you can have a refund or accept a replacement holiday from us of a similar standard and price if we can offer you one. We’ll also pay the compensation shown below (unless we have cancelled because of one of the reasons listed in ‘Events Beyond Our Control’ or where you haven’t paid) and we’ll refund the difference if the replacement holiday is of a lower price.

So when you do get through to them or they contact you you can demand a refund as cruises up to 31/05/20 have been cancelled by them You are not entitled to compensation as well as the cancellation is due to events beyond their control

[dronnygirl]

BBC news this morning was interviewing person from ABTA. He advised travel companies in difficulties as no bookings being made so they are having difficulty refunding people. Companies like TUI would prefer people to take a credit towards a future booking but will give a refund if that's what you want. However they did ask people to be patient and could take up to 4 months due to so many refunds being made.

 

[solostar]

Hopefully in 4 months the Tui shops will re-open and at least I will be able to go in and speak to someone.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, solostar said:

Hopefully in 4 months the Tui shops will re-open and at least I will be able to go in and speak to someone.

Hopefully not one of the someone's that have been lying to their customers all through this. Cheques in the post.😠

[Brummijam]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

Hopefully not one of the someone's that have been lying to their customers all through this. Cheques in the post.😠

You have actually managed to speak to someone at TUI?😳

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

You have actually managed to speak to someone at TUI?😳

No yet. Twitter reminded of the phrase " give up hope all ye who enter here". I will try and phone in a few days. I don't mind a voucher too much, but am still waiting to see if they contact me. I will ask for a refund, but don't expect to get one.I did email the CEO, but the reply basically said , don't call us we'll call you.

[howmuch!]

There are lots of people on TUI Facebook page, saying their holiday date has passed in March, and  still TUI haven't contacted them.

Its going to be a VERY long wait for everyone, and personally, I wouldn't waste my time phoning them.

 

My daughter has a fully paid up (£3900) hotel holiday booked with TUI for Spring Bank week (just beyond the current cancellation period), so she is more worried that the lockdown in Spain is relaxed and she has to go or cancel.

 

She can rebook without fees, but currently Spring Bank 2021, same hotel etc is another £500 on top of whats already an expensive holiday for 1 week, 2 adults, one child!

[Jim The Scot]

With our cruise now on 19th May  confirmed as cancelled myself an Mrs JTS were discussing after a few sherbets whilst sitting in the Summer House,instead of asking/waiting on a refund booking the same cruise/ itinerary but adding on a 4 night stay in Palma Nova in August but now deliberating whether things will be back to anything like normality here never mind in Spain etc...Decisions,decisions

[howmuch!]

Jim, from a personal view point,  August would be too early for me to risk holidaying in Spain, especially on a cruise ship. I think every cruiser recognised that nova virus was a possible hazard when cruising, but what has happened when coronavirus has been detected on board (difficulty being accepted at ports, causing the outbreak to spread on board), makes me think that this year, cruising is a step too far.

[Vitalsign]

Important information for Nationwide members

• Coronavirus COVID-19
• FlyBe

Coronavirus and travel

These are unprecedented times for all of us, and we appreciate your understanding as we find the best ways to protect and assist our members.

Are you covered for coronavirus related travel insurance claims?

Insurance is there to help with unknown or unforeseeable events. Cover is not available for holidays in the UK or abroad since coronavirus became a known event. This will affect your cover differently depending on when you opened your current account.

If you opened your FlexPlus account on or after 18 March

Your travel insurance will not provide cover for any claim for trips in the UK or abroad caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This is because it is now a known event.

If you opened your account before 18 March

For trips booked on or after 18 March

Your travel insurance with your FlexPlus or FlexAccount will not cover you for trips in the UK or abroad booked on or after 18 March, now that the risks of coronavirus are known. This also applies to any new upgrades you may be purchasing for trips booked before 18 March 2020.

For trips booked before 18 March

If you booked a trip before the 18 March, cover is available for coronavirus related claims for trips in the UK or abroad. This is because you could not have known of the risks when you booked. 

Please see the frequently asked questions below for details on the cover provided.

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Making a claim

We are only able to process your coronavirus related claim if:

 

• You opened your account and booked your trip before 18 March.
• You have already spoken to your travel provider.
• Your trip is supposed to take place in the next 28 days.

Remember, there is no time limit on making a claim under your travel insurance. So, no matter when you were due to go on your trip, you can contact us to make a claim at any time, even if that’s after your trip was due to start.

Make a claim online

If you were due to travel within 28 days, you can make a claim for cancellation online.

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The claims teams are extremely busy at the moment and are focusing on members who are currently abroad or due to travel in the next 48 hours.

If you do need to speak to someone, the claims department can be reached on 0800 051 0154.

If you’re not due to travel for another 48 hours, please use our online claim form.

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Before your travel date

Stay up to date with the latest travel information and advice

From 17th March 2020, FCO has advised against all but essential travel for all UK citizens to anywhere in the world.

We advise all members who are due to travel to monitor and follow the advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO):

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

Speak to your travel provider

If you need to change your plans as a result of the FCO advice, contact your travel provider. They can provide advice on refunds and amendments to any trips you have booked. They will be able to advise on the options available to you.

Anyone who booked their trip and had insurance in place before 18 March 2020, and is due to travel in the next 28 days, is covered for cancellation. That’s also true for anyone who is currently abroad and needs to cut their trip short.

Travel refunds through your card

If your trip is cancelled because of coronavirus, you may be able to claim a refund for your holiday through your debit or credit card. 

• Request a refund through your Nationwide debit or credit card

Coronavirus (COVID-19) help and support

We’re here to help if you have any worries regarding coronavirus whether it’s money, managing your accounts, getting to branch or fraud.

• Help for members affected by coronavirus

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Important Note: This general advice does not replace the terms and conditions of your Travel Insurance policy and you should read your policy booklet for further information.

 

 

[Jim The Scot]

On 4/11/2020 at 10:07 AM, howmuch! said:

Jim, from a personal view point,  August would be too early for me to risk holidaying in Spain, especially on a cruise ship. I think every cruiser recognised that nova virus was a possible hazard when cruising, but what has happened when coronavirus has been detected on board (difficulty being accepted at ports, causing the outbreak to spread on board), makes me think that this year, cruising is a step too far.

 

Hi H,

 

You might well be right and we are giving it a great deal of thought, however, we can only be guided by the experts and if they deem it safe for flights to be up and running  and cruising then we,d be comfortable going

 

Its no great hardship or loss us moving  from our cancelled cruise to a new date in August

[solostar]

This morning I received an e-mail from Tui containing my E Ticket and confirmation for my forthcoming cruise on May 8th.  Rub it in why don,t you !!!   Obviously it has been cancelled, what a fiasco !  Couldn,t  Tui even cancel those e mails being sent out ? So I presume I just ignore it?

[Brummijam]

Probably delaying tactics, In their eyes the cruise is still on therefore your not even in the queue for refunds until it’s cancelled.🙄

[solostar]

According to their up date on April 9th all cruises up to 31st May are cancelled.

 

[Brummijam]

1 hour ago, solostar said:

According to their up date on April 9th all cruises up to 31st May are cancelled.

 

It’s strange that they still have sent your E-ticket.

[Vitalsign]

They are computer generated - just ignore

[solostar]

👍

[howmuch!]

4 hours ago, Vitalsign said:

They are computer generated - just ignore

 

TUi have a computer that recognises dates, and passenger names, generates an E Ticket automatically, but can't automatically generate an email confirming a refund based on dates and passenger names - 😏

 

[Brummijam]

10 hours ago, Vitalsign said:

They are computer generated - just ignore

 

We have customers trying to communicate with us - just ignore.😳

[WeeCountyMan]

On 4/10/2020 at 5:02 PM, howmuch! said:

My daughter has a fully paid up (£3900) hotel holiday booked with TUI for Spring Bank week (just beyond the current cancellation period), so she is more worried that the lockdown in Spain is relaxed and she has to go or cancel.

 

What Spain (or any other country) does or doesn't do is not the trigger used by our Foreign Office to advise on travel.

 

As long as the FO advice is No Travel then TUI etc. will be obliged to cancel any cruise or holiday within such dates.

 

These restrictions will be in place for the forseeable future.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by WeeCountyMan