Ponant & PG's New Cancellation Policy

[resistk]

4 hours ago, Emdee said:

Sorry but PG mostly travels from FP....no US Ports.

 

I think FMC will still take the case because they do business in the USA ad are a member of CLIA.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

They still have an office in the States I assume.  And Ponant uses U.S. ports, even if the PG doesn't.

[MrRandal]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

They still have an office in the States I assume.  And Ponant uses U.S. ports, even if the PG doesn't.

 

Both Paul Gauguin and Ponant have offices in the U.S., Paul Gauguin in Bellevue, WA, and Ponant has an office in Miami, FL. Ponant sails from both the East and West coast of the U.S.

[GreatPyrs]

We paid for a PG charter cruise along with a fully booked cruise due to sail May 20th, 2020. With Bali restricting travel, all other ports not allowing entry,  PONANT refuses to even cancel the cruise, or even talk with the travel agency. We've been on this wonderful ship before and truly felt as a VIP. Now PONANT has made us feel just the opposite. Ponant has made a number one cruise ship among the lowest rated ships of all time.     I'll book on the SS Minnow next time instead...

 

[Dolebludger]

This is the saddest think I have read today, and it had some strong competition in that regard. Even though we have no current bookings on the PG, it is sad. We too have had about 60 nights on the PG between 2002 and 2014. While we don’t cruise as much as we used to due to airline hassles and our age, we were hoping to return to the PG sometime in 2021 — if the pandemic is over. But not after reading this thread!  The original poster rightfully recommends that we continue to enjoy FP but not on the PG. But how do we do that? Land accommodations are not that great and they are EXPENSIVE! Even more so than the PG! And Princess used to cruise in FP (don’t know if it still does). But that is not my kind of cruise line anyway. For a booking in 2021, it appears I would be harmed primarily be the draconian deposit and cancelation penalties. But of more importance, I just don’t do business with a company that breaches its own contracts! 

[FlightMedic555]

I was booked on the June 17 cruise.  I wanted to change to one in 2021 and PG was willing to make the change but it would be $1000 more per person as we took advantage of a good sale when we originally booked. While my TA could not fix this I called PG and after they looked into this further they agreed to allow the change for the same itinerary at the same fare.  While I jumped through some hoops I am satisfied with the resolution 

[Hutchinj]

Hopefully the 

3 minutes ago, FlightMedic555 said:

I was booked on the June 17 cruise.  I wanted to change to one in 2021 and PG was willing to make the change but it would be $1000 more per person as we took advantage of a good sale when we originally booked. While my TA could not fix this I called PG and after they looked into this further they agreed to allow the change for the same itinerary at the same fare.  While I jumped through some hoops I am satisfied with the resolution 

Hopefully the PG will still be cruising next year. Based on Ponant’s contract manipulation and mistreatment of customers, the bad press they so rightfully deserve may prove otherwise.

 

Good luck to you in any event.

 

We have until 31 days prior to our 4 July cruise to cancel for “only” a 10% penalty and a FCC (no refund). If we cancel 30 days or less then it’s a 100% forfeiture.

 

Interestingly, Ponant says they will let us know if THEY cancel the cruise within *30* days of sail date. So they force us to decide to cancel first.

[Dolebludger]

In reading about all cruise lines that I like (or think that I might like) here on CC, there is a lot of dissatisfaction about their handling of problems created by the pandemic, closed ports, canceled flights, and such. But what I have read on this thread about PG has to be the worst of it all. It seems that PG is forcing those booked for cruises in the fairly near future to play "Russian roulette" with the moneys they have already paid. Of course, many of us would be cautious about taking an FCC because it is clear that cruise lines are in danger of financial failure, even if they were treating those booked in a helpful way. But PG instead has gone the other way and made it more difficult for those who have to make hard decisions. 

 

We are not booked on any future PG cruise. There are only two reasons I care about this matter. The first is we wanted to book a PG cruise as soon as the pandemic is over, and not before, which would probably be sometime in 2021. We will not do that now! The second is that back in the earlier 2000's I posted very complementary comments about the PG right here on CC. Some of those who read my posts are still posting on CC. And to them I say, "I retract every good thing I ever said about the PG!".

Edited April 27, 2020 by Dolebludger

[MrRandal]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

In reading about all cruise lines that I like (or think that I might like) here on CC, there is a lot of dissatisfaction about their handling of problems created by the pandemic, closed ports, canceled flights, and such. But what I have read on this thread about PG has to be the worst of it all. It seems that PG is forcing those booked for cruises in the fairly near future to play "Russian roulette" with the moneys they have already paid. Of course, many of us would be cautious about taking an FCC because it is clear that cruise lines are in danger of financial failure, even if they were treating those booked in a helpful way. But PG instead has gone the other way and made it more difficult for those who have to make hard decisions. 

 

We are not booked on any future PG cruise. There are only two reasons I care about this matter. The first is we wanted to book a PG cruise as soon as the pandemic is over, and not before, which would probably be sometime in 2021. We will not do that now! The second is that back in the earlier 2000's I posted very complementary comments about the PG right here on CC. Some of those who read my posts are still posting on CC. And to them I say, "I retract every good thing I ever said about the PG!".

 

Dolebludger, please understand that Ponant has acquired the Paul Gauguin, and is now steering her down this reckless path. This is the same ship and, same crew as she was in the past, only with a new, mean, ugly stepmother controlling her. You can find similar disdain over on the Ponant Board.

[SWFLAOK]

23 hours ago, GreatPyrs said:

We paid for a PG charter cruise along with a fully booked cruise due to sail May 20th, 2020. With Bali restricting travel, all other ports not allowing entry,  PONANT refuses to even cancel the cruise, or even talk with the travel agency. We've been on this wonderful ship before and truly felt as a VIP. Now PONANT has made us feel just the opposite. Ponant has made a number one cruise ship among the lowest rated ships of all time.     I'll book on the SS Minnow next time instead...

 

Because you booked through a charter, you will have a harder time getting anything back from PG cruises (which is still a US based subsidiary), and Ponant (who wants nothing to do with PG cruises at this point). Since the drydock was cancelled, you still have a chance that your cruise could go.  You need to track where the PG is, and if it isn't heading to Bali in time to make it to your May 20th sailing, then they need to refund something to your charter company. It will be painful to wait, but we were only offered a 10 percent cash refund for our Fiji to Bali cruise and decided to take a chance and go if it wasn't cancelled. Our cruise was cancelled shortly after that, and we got a 125 percent FCC and we rebooked for a cruise that we have done before, but it's better than nothing. Since you're going through a charter, you need to keep the pressure on them to make sure they get the best compensation possible from PG.

On our PG cruise that didn't happen, we rebooked our flights back to the US several months ago to avoid Hong Kong since we knew that was unlikely to happen. We were reimbursed at the time by PG for our original flights. We were just reimbursed  for the rebooked flights by Qantas which made us very happy since they had at first only offered us future flight credits that would have been hard for us to use.

Hope you can get something out of this, and I encourage you to keep working on it. I don't expect to ever do the Fiji to Bali trip in the future, and it makes me sad. But if we can salvage anything out of it for a future trip that will still be enjoyable, it's something to still something to look forward to.

[GreatPyrs]

On 4/26/2020 at 4:03 PM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

They still have an office in the States I assume.  And Ponant uses U.S. ports, even if the PG doesn't.

Ponant has 18cruises + Alaskan cruise and 26+ North American (Mostly US) scheduled. So they have a US presence for sure. Ponant owns PG now. Thanks for the info . 

[Emdee]

3 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

In reading about all cruise lines that I like (or think that I might like) here on CC, there is a lot of dissatisfaction about their handling of problems created by the pandemic, closed ports, canceled flights, and such. But what I have read on this thread about PG has to be the worst of it all. It seems that PG is forcing those booked for cruises in the fairly near future to play "Russian roulette" with the moneys they have already paid. Of course, many of us would be cautious about taking an FCC because it is clear that cruise lines are in danger of financial failure, even if they were treating those booked in a helpful way. But PG instead has gone the other way and made it more difficult for those who have to make hard decisions. 

 

We are not booked on any future PG cruise. There are only two reasons I care about this matter. The first is we wanted to book a PG cruise as soon as the pandemic is over, and not before, which would probably be sometime in 2021. We will not do that now! The second is that back in the earlier 2000's I posted very complementary comments about the PG right here on CC. Some of those who read my posts are still posting on CC. And to them I say, "I retract every good thing I ever said about the PG!".

We read your posts and were attracted to the PG...13 cruises later we are torn between the goodwill we feel for the wonderful PG folk who like us are victims of circumstance and the desire to get out when the going is good. Since Ponant has revealed itself without it’s designer cloak I am close to joining the band in favour of credit card restitution. If it needs to extricate itself who better to offer as a sacrifice than the new kid with the old ship. 
 

And Richard....don’t buy your wife that Gucci purse!

[Dolebludger]

Emdee, my old PG friend,

 

I must say that when back in 2007 my wife had recovered from MS, finished her  college degree at Oklahoma University, and had run for political office  (but on the ”wrong:party” but almost won) in Oklahoma, I asked her what I could giver her for her accomplishments. She didn’t say a Gucci purse or a huge diamond. Instead she wanted a Mercedes-Benz roadster. I said “let’s go drive some” and we did. And she, being practical, wanted a small one (an SLK 280). well I bought her one, and now, all these years later, it is in our garage with 34K miles on it!  I was out in my own M-B today in our little city and saw her driving her SLK 280. She was as beautiful as back in the 80s. She would never want an overpriced purse.

 

Now, what does this have to do with PG cruises? Well, she loved them, and I would book another, except for the fact that Ponat seems to be making it more difficult to book (in light of the pandemic) when cruise lines need to make it easier, if they want to survive. We don’t know how long the pandemic will last, how long ports will be closed, or how long air will be impossible to fly from certain areas to others. We wanted to do another PG cruise in 2021, but are afraid to do so, due to the new cancelation policies. 

 

Since we last met on the PG, we have moved from Oklahoma to a place in the Colorado Rocky Mountains at 7400’  altitude with a Great view of 14,000’ tall mountains. I suppose the move was partially motivated by the prediction that taking cruises to places like FP might become more difficult and much more expensive. I guess we were right, though I wish we weren’t . To summarize it, the new policies of PG aren’t acceptable to us. We wish they were. But a company that wiill not honor contracts that it drafted, and forced customers to accept, will not get any business from us.

 

i hope that the matters with Ponat resolve themselves, so we can consider a future PG cruise. But if they don’t, we won’t.

[Dolebludger]

4 hours ago, MrRandal said:

and

Dolebludger, please understand that Ponant has acquired the Paul Gauguin, and is now steering her down this reckless path. This is the same ship and, same crew as she was in the past, only with a new, mean, ugly stepmother controlling her. You can find similar disdain over on the Ponant Board.

 

Yes, I understand what has happened. Ponant is trying to recover losses from the pandemic from its customers who are already booked on cruises that will never go. Please forgive me for fearing that a company that will breach its own contract will do so again, and in different ways. And so the “contract” requires that any legal action be in the courts of FP? Ponant seems to have no presence there. And all PG guests we have ever encountered live in the US. A suit brought in FP would probably be thrown out, for lack of connection with FP, under their law. And I understand that Ponant has ruined my favorite cruise. I will dis them as many times as I can. And if Ponant doesn’t like that, it can send some people here to Durango Colorado to talk with me. We will have a “discussion behind the barn”.  And it is strange that my wife and I were discussing Ponant for a possible future cruise a few days before I read this thread. Well, that question has certainly been answered , in the negative!

[Dolebludger]

And for further reply, in times when the US was not in a medical crisis, I would be contacting a friend  who happens to be a US Senator about what could be done to revoke Ponant’s ability to dock in the US for fraudulent behavior. The only reason I won’t Is that he has greater problems now than this one. But the time will come when his “plate” is not so full. I shall contact him then. Ponant has ruined our favorite cruise, and nothing is forgotten.
 

I think in years to come there will be enhanced regulations over cruise lines that embark and or disembark here in the US, even though their ships and corporations are “foreign flagged” and to extend to ships they own that don’t visit the US. After all, in all our past PG cruises, we have never met a fellow guest from a country other than the US or Canada. We have never met any guest from FP, for example. If one lives in FP, why cruise there?  Here in the Colorado mountains, there are many tours. But we don’t take them as we live here. And if nobody from North America cruised the PG, “social distancing” would be no problem!

Edited April 28, 2020 by Dolebludger

[Friscorays]

Wife and sister-in-law were booked on a Paul Gauguin cruise that we presume will be effected by the COVID 19 mess. 

 

While we are not particularly happy with how Ponant is handling things, we very much hope that the Paul Gauguin will survive this particular storm as we would still love to have the opportunity to sail on her again.

[Dolebludger]

So would we, but if Ponant is not going to honor its contracts, how can we have any trust at all ?  As a retired lawyer, contractual obligations are somewhat sacred. PG cruises are not cheap! And cruise lines have a habit of including in their fine print a limitation on where suit can be filed to a very inconvenient place for all. In the case of Ponant, it is FP, where it has no office, and neither do I.  This is a “trick” cruise lines all play on us, hoping we don’t read the fine print. But I do. And the matter brings into play some rather complicated legal issues. Now when I book a cruise, I want to have fun, and not get involved in a legal game of “cat and mouse”. So I need to have some trust in the cruise line. After this thread. I have no trust in Ponant.

[Emdee]

5 hours ago, Friscorays said:

Wife and sister-in-law were booked on a Paul Gauguin cruise that we presume will be effected by the COVID 19 mess. 

 

While we are not particularly happy with how Ponant is handling things, we very much hope that the Paul Gauguin will survive this particular storm as we would still love to have the opportunity to sail on her again.

I too am in this bucket...would love to sail again on the PG with our beloved crew. But, then wouldn't we be flowing our $ to a company who breaches contracts and writes arrogant emails.  How to divorce the two? I seesaw each day....nothing muchvelse to do in quarantine.

 

On another note saw your pic of Maupiti a couple of days ago and we have to make it there sometime. Hope you and your wife are doing well!

[Emdee]

8 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Emdee, my old PG friend,

 

I must say that when back in 2007 my wife had recovered from MS, finished her  college degree at Oklahoma University, and had run for political office  (but on the ”wrong:party” but almost won) in Oklahoma, I asked her what I could giver her for her accomplishments. She didn’t say a Gucci purse or a huge diamond. Instead she wanted a Mercedes-Benz roadster. I said “let’s go drive some” and we did. And she, being practical, wanted a small one (an SLK 280). well I bought her one, and now, all these years later, it is in our garage with 34K miles on it!  I was out in my own M-B today in our little city and saw her driving her SLK 280. She was as beautiful as back in the 80s. She would never want an overpriced purse.

 

Now, what does this have to do with PG cruises? Well, she loved them, and I would book another, except for the fact that Ponat seems to be making it more difficult to book (in light of the pandemic) when cruise lines need to make it easier, if they want to survive. We don’t know how long the pandemic will last, how long ports will be closed, or how long air will be impossible to fly from certain areas to others. We wanted to do another PG cruise in 2021, but are afraid to do so, due to the new cancelation policies. 

 

Since we last met on the PG, we have moved from Oklahoma to a place in the Colorado Rocky Mountains at 7400’  altitude with a Great view of 14,000’ tall mountains. I suppose the move was partially motivated by the prediction that taking cruises to places like FP might become more difficult and much more expensive. I guess we were right, though I wish we weren’t . To summarize it, the new policies of PG aren’t acceptable to us. We wish they were. But a company that wiill not honor contracts that it drafted, and forced customers to accept, will not get any business from us.

 

i hope that the matters with Ponat resolve themselves, so we can consider a future PG cruise. But if they don’t, we won’t.

In case you were unaware I mentioned Gucci as the owners of Gucci own Ponant! 

[Jared Purdy]

Interesting development regarding my cancelled cruise on PG.  When I heard about the abrupt change in refund policy form PG, as directed by Ponant, I was livid, and not about to let it rest.  I've made posts on this board and the Ponant board in the past week detailing my story and what I'm doing about it.  I took to Instagram and posted my story and sharp criticism of PG and Ponant on Ponant's and PG's Instagram account, I tagged the Tahiti Tourism ministry and as many Tahiti related #'s as possible.  Yesterday, Ponant sent me a private message on Instagram, apologizing for the "inconvenience" and asked for my contact information.  I gave them my cell number and email.  So far I've heard nothing, but it may just be do to the time difference between Toronto and Paris, and/or who ever is monitoring their social media accounts.  I encourage everyone here to do the same: post furiously to their Instagram accounts, and be sure to include the #'s to other related Instagram accounts.  Instgramers read this stuff.  I'll be sure to keep you posted when and if they contact me and what they have to say to me.  I've been emphatic in my posts: I expect a refund, the one I was promised by my travel agency, who was in turn being directed by PG.

[Hutchinj]

We are not alone. You should check out all the complaints from other cruisers on the Ponant Cruise Line CC Forum.

 

if this long link doesn’t work search for “need a fair refund policy”in the Ponant forum.

 

Now I’m scared that FP may prematurely end their travel ban and our 4 July PG cruise will not cancel. I’ll be out 100% of the full fare if the missus refuses to go for fear of the virus.

 

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=2ahUKEwj-3t3dn4vpAhVtmeAKHYLfCvYQFjAFegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fboards.cruisecritic.com%2Ftopic%2F2740662-need-a-fair-refund-policy-due-to-virus%2Fpage%2F7%2F%3Ftab%3Dcomments%23comment-59872152&usg=AOvVaw1WRWo2Z3gVGnjNi3uXILUJ

[Jared Purdy]

4 minutes ago, Hutchinj said:

We are not alone. You should check out all the complaints from other cruisers on the Ponant Cruise Line CC Forum.

 

if this long link doesn’t work search for “need a fair refund policy”in the Ponant forum.

 

Now I’m scared that FP may prematurely end their travel ban and our 4 July PG cruise will not cancel. I’ll be out 100% of the full fare if the missus refuses to go for fear of the virus.

 

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=2ahUKEwj-3t3dn4vpAhVtmeAKHYLfCvYQFjAFegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fboards.cruisecritic.com%2Ftopic%2F2740662-need-a-fair-refund-policy-due-to-virus%2Fpage%2F7%2F%3Ftab%3Dcomments%23comment-59872152&usg=AOvVaw1WRWo2Z3gVGnjNi3uXILUJ

Well, if FP lifts the travel ban, and PG still flies for our cruise date, me and the Missus will both be going.  However, the prospect of that happening seems remote.  We were set to sail on July 18 for an 11 day cruise.  We'd still love to go, but it's not in our hands.

[Friscorays]

Ponant isn't the only cruise company pissing off a fair number of folks during this unprecedented time when many lines appear to be struggling to avoid bankruptcy so I am willing to cut them some slack.

[Hutchinj]

15 minutes ago, Friscorays said:

Ponant isn't the only cruise company pissing off a fair number of folks during this unprecedented time when many lines appear to be struggling to avoid bankruptcy so I am willing to cut them some slack.

Sorry but any cruise line that changes the terms of their passenger contract after accepting payment deserves NO slack in my book!

Yes, the cruise lines are all suffering but most are at least remaining ethical. Not so for Ponant. 

[DGK]

We put our deposit down June 2019 for a long awaited PG 2021 cruise. Our final payment will be due late Sept. and with all the uncertainty we do not feel comfortable putting more money down in the fall or even waiting out the summer. Our only option is to pursue our credit card company to get our deposit back. Has anyone had success with this option ? We have never had to deal with anything like this prior.