Cunard's Cancellations/Refunds Update 23rd April 2020

[si_boy]

Some guests may have paid in full for cruises up to 15 October of course, but i suspect most it will be deposit only.  

Balance of payments are due soon for cruises after 1 August, if Cunard follow suit this will hopefully avoid similar pain for guests and administration for the cruise company

[majortom10]

On 6/1/2020 at 1:20 PM, majortom10 said:

Having been told by Cunard via their Facebook page, as stated in my previous post #421 on Friday, that as I had paid for my cruise by credit card that I would have my refund returned to the same card and would take 5-10 days I have today received a cheque from Carnival UK for my refund in full. Today is day 63 and it is laughable but honestly not really funny in the incompetence of Carnival UK in knowing what they are doing and how with regards to refunds.

Would you believe but after receiving a cheque yesterday for full refund of my May cruise after being told on Friday it would be refunded to my credit card account within 5-10 days I have now received full refund to my credit card so now been paid twice. They are that incompetent it beggars belief.

[sogne]

received a cheque from Cunard yesterday for £100 mystified I phoned them one of my cancelled cruises was a transfer from last Oct and the cheque was refund for the fee charged for the transfer which of course was the booking condition in place at the time of transfer something I was not expecting to get  they have also allowed me to extend the FCD used for one of the cancelled cruises  until Dec 21

 

I will also say I have not phoned daily either them or my TA or threatened  this or that 

my refunds came 72 and 75 days after cancellation

Edited June 2, 2020 by sogne

[sogne]

7 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Would you believe but after receiving a cheque yesterday for full refund of my May cruise after being told on Friday it would be refunded to my credit card account within 5-10 days I have now received full refund to my credit card so now been paid twice. They are that incompetent it beggars belief.

not incompetent just trying their best and making the odd mistake perhaps which suggests they are human

what are you doing about the over refund?

[Dahani]

2 minutes ago, sogne said:

not incompetent just trying their best and making the odd mistake perhaps which suggests they are human

what are you doing about the over refund?

I think I would be inclined to stick it in the bank, wait for them to ask for it back and then tell them it'll be about 60 days. 😂

[LadyL1]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Let's hope these new cancellations don't impact on people waiting from the last lot

Still waiting from the “last lot”, and will now have more to wait for, if Cunard follow P&O!🤔 

[Essiesmom]

57 minutes ago, Dahani said:

I think I would be inclined to stick it in the bank, wait for them to ask for it back and then tell them it'll be about 60 days. 😂

And at 60 days say sorry, it will be 90 days...  EM

[Trevor33]

When a cruise has been cancelled how do they return the money for the excursions that have been booked prior to proposed departure date? Regarding paying the final balance on a booked cruise Cunard seem to be on a win win because if you cancel the cruise before final payment date we would lose the deposit and if we pay the final balance and cruise is later cancelled then it is such a long wait to get your own money back! It would appear that Cunard will shortly follow P&O and cancel up until 15 October.

[Neuhoftraveler]

2 hours ago, Trevor33 said:

if you cancel the cruise before final payment date we would lose the deposit

My understanding is that  those who cancelled because of the pandemic before Cunard pulled the plug are getting their deposits and any other payments refunded.  I haven't been tabulating the posts here or on the predecessor thread, but has anyone cancelling since the official pandemic declaration been denied (I don't mean delayed) a full refund?

 

At my request, my TA managed to get through to Cunard (US) today.  She was told that the promised 60 days will be up to 90 days.  For those keeping score, our sailings were to be May 13 and May  31.  Cunard cancelled the first on March 30, and on April 3 I cancelled the second, after Cunard promised me a full refund.

 

 

[Crafty_Yearnings]

Aus refund update: interstate travel expenses for QE cruise 15/3 cancelled by Cunard 14/3.

After some original to-ing and fro-ing, we were advised our expenses were approved around 24/4, and received refund to c/c today (looks like it took 5 days to show up so probably refunded last week), so between 5 and 6 weeks. Interestingly we were originally advised the generic 60 days, and that it would be cheque.

Our cruise refund count will reach 60 calendar days next week (from form submission - we originally emailed as our cruise predated the form). 

I note some others here from same cruise have had some refunds recently, so maybe the Aus Cunard team is working on that cruise at the moment?

[Crafty_Yearnings]

11 hours ago, Trevor33 said:

When a cruise has been cancelled how do they return the money for the excursions that have been booked prior to proposed departure date? 

 

In our case (Aus) we received an automated email not long after cancellation was announced that advised the money would be automatically refunded to however we paid (in our case travel card).  Ours turned up 9 weeks from that email (and 6 weeks from completing the online excursion refund form which we did on call centre advice).

[Clagmeister]

18 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Would you believe but after receiving a cheque yesterday for full refund of my May cruise after being told on Friday it would be refunded to my credit card account within 5-10 days I have now received full refund to my credit card so now been paid twice. They are that incompetent it beggars belief.

Perhaps you have my refund too. 81 days and still hanging in there 😕

[Clagmeister]

22 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Clagmeister, have you asked them to escalate,  last Thursday I rang them up said enough was enough, said if I didn't hear from some one by this time next week (this Thursday 4th ) would go credit card route. Confirmed this by email,  low and behold get email to say it's been processed.

I emailed Cunard yesterday saying that I believed my claim was being overlooked despite being told 10 days ago 'I am confident your refund will be with you very soon' 😕

[tigernut]

18 hours ago, sogne said:

received a cheque from Cunard yesterday for £100 mystified I phoned them one of my cancelled cruises was a transfer from last Oct and the cheque was refund for the fee charged for the transfer which of course was the booking condition in place at the time of transfer something I was not expecting to get  they have also allowed me to extend the FCD used for one of the cancelled cruises  until Dec 21

 

I will also say I have not phoned daily either them or my TA or threatened  this or that 

my refunds came 72 and 75 days after cancellation

 

 

Today, after 83 days, I finally received my Cunard refund. My agent had a request from Cunard for my bank details and the payment was made directly to my account.

 

I know of many people who have been waiting an extraordinary amount of time for their refunds, not just with Cunard,  but many other cruise lines. In stark contrast, I received a refund for a cancelled Jet2 holiday, within 7 days. A very efficient service. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Solent Richard]

19 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Would you believe but after receiving a cheque yesterday for full refund of my May cruise after being told on Friday it would be refunded to my credit card account within 5-10 days I have now received full refund to my credit card so now been paid twice. They are that incompetent it beggars belief.

 

Well done you. I'd enjoy the Cunard largesse for as long as it lasts.

[DebbieJCD]

Hello all 

 

I was looking for advice

 

We were originally scheduled to travel on Queen Elizabeth to Japan Early april which got cancelled because of the diamond princess debarcle in the port - they moved the ship to Australia and we went along with the change of plan and was therefore transferred to a 30 day Australia circunavigation trip for very similar dates - this then got cancelled in late march due to covid 19

 

We were due to depart 7th April with flight to Sydney and the Queen Elizabeth trip was due to start 12th April 

 

Trip was booked via Travel Agent for almost 7k and then we also pre-paid all our excursions direct to Cunard for a further 1.5k 

 

But we are just getting nowhere with either Travel Agent or Cunard refunds

Just multiple excuses and continually moving goalposts from both companies 

 

We have had the 60 day letter from Travel Agent a few weeks ago - the 60 days is up in the next day or two - so called them today and have been referred to the mitigation department who are supposed to be calling us in the next 72 hours (I will believe it when I see it) 

The payment for Travel Agent was paid in multiple payments - 1/2 on credit card and half on debit - so it seemed compilicated to try and claim a section 75 from Travel Agent - although not impossible - as yet we have not gone down that route with them

 

 

In relationship to Cunard - My call today was 1 hour 45 minutes most of which was waiting listening to music.

The girl checked and said we have completed the wrong online form. As far as I can remember there was only one form available online which covered both onboard purchases and excursions  - She said we had filled out the form for onboard expenses not the one for excursions - our claim was rejected by the finance department on this basis.

She is supposed to be ringing us back in the next day or two after she tries to sort it out.

We did raise a section 75 on our credit card two weeks ago for the Cunard money - but the card company are taking 6 weeks to process claims - so thats just mid way through 

 

I just want my money back - I understand all the difficulties with the Covid sitation but this has now been going on 2 months since our trip was cancelled and the way these companies are behaving is just awful 

 

Is there anything i am missing here I can also do 

 

Debbie

 

[Trevor33]

Happy Days, now time to relax and let the return to cruising and ports open when they are ready - Have just moved World Cruise booking from 2021 to 2022 before all the cabins go when Simon Palethorpe next appears in his home library to tell us 15th October as the next potential date he has in mind. Did not want to wait and miss out and to be frank there seems to be delays of 60 -80 days for a refund. FCC no use if the cruise you want is booked up. Peace of mind is a happier thing than worry.

[Trevor33]

Tooooo much grief and stress is not good for us! Have today moved our 2021 world cruise booking to 2022. FCC is no use if the cruise you want to do is booked up. Places for next year have been going fast so as we do not want to go cruising with all the risks and restrictions shortly after a potential return to sailing later this year onwards. Ports need to be open and waiting for Simon Palethorpe to make his next announcement is not for us. Amazingly I will be quite happy should the next world cruise sail as believe there will be too many changes to make it a relaxing holiday.

[bazzaw]

On 6/2/2020 at 9:23 AM, sydgal said:

Cunard said in their last email to my TA that refund cheque will be sent direct to passengers and not TA.

That is interesting as I see that you are in Australia. I have been thinking that maybe this situation was only for UK. However I will only beleive it when I see/hear of the first one. I know of nobody in Australia who has received a refund of their fare from Cunard

[bazzaw]

On 6/2/2020 at 11:14 AM, sydgal said:

The email from Cunard to TA said that Cunard would send cheque directly to passenger.

My TA always sends all emails from Cunard to me for my information. I did nothing special to get a direct cheque.

But who did you pay your fare to? and in what format? 

[macsford]

Very disillusioned with Cunard.

Our final payment due 6 June for Canada/New England.

It won't happen, Canada won't allow it, but if we don't pay we are deemed to have cancelled and lose our money paid so far.

Other lines have cancelled their Canada cruises, why not Cunard?

Why can't they do the decent thing and cancel with all that entails?

 

[resordanis]

3 hours ago, bazzaw said:

That is interesting as I see that you are in Australia. I have been thinking that maybe this situation was only for UK. However I will only beleive it when I see/hear of the first one. I know of nobody in Australia who has received a refund of their fare from Cunard

Bazzaw Still nothing for us and I have been  chasing up this week. TA said they have had no news from Cunard whatsoever and difficult to contact. They did ask for our bank details even though we paid by CC.  Just  As a token, I would think. Incidental expenses Cunard said they would send a cheque in the next 60 days. I did email Cunard yesterday and the reply was that it will be 10 - 14 days to reply to email.

So still no joy for us unfortunately.

[sydgal]

5 hours ago, bazzaw said:

That is interesting as I see that you are in Australia. I have been thinking that maybe this situation was only for UK. However I will only beleive it when I see/hear of the first one. I know of nobody in Australia who has received a refund of their fare from Cunard

I used TA and paid by debit card and paid $400 for upgrade by credit card a few days later. TA requested refund of fare and out of pocket expenses on Monday 16 March. On 21 st April Cunard requested that we file a claim with insurance first and then requested we lodge the online refund form for the fare. TA informed them by email that insurance would not cover pandemic and they agreed to pay claim. Cheque received for out of pocket expenses on Tuesday. The online form was not relevant to our voyage as it stated that it was for 16 March onwards voyages. TA filled it in anyway and submitted it.

No refund yet for fare.

[bazzaw]

I have finally received some info from my TA about the timing of refunds for my three cruises - sailing dates early May and early June. ( even though  cancellations by Cunard ranged for 12 Feb  onwards)  They have advised --  "The wait time of 12 to 18 weeks started on the day we requested with the cruiseline for a refund which was on the 28th of April 2020."   So  maybe I will get a Birthday present in November? 

[Captn Poldark]

13 hours ago, macsford said:

Very disillusioned with Cunard.

Our final payment due 6 June for Canada/New England.

It won't happen, Canada won't allow it, but if we don't pay we are deemed to have cancelled and lose our money paid so far.

Other lines have cancelled their Canada cruises, why not Cunard?

Why can't they do the decent thing and cancel with all that entails?

 

Sorry to hear that, our son & daughter In law are in same position with NCL they have decided to pay final amount by credit card and when NCL finally formally cancel either get full refund, go down credit card route or in worst case use abta. The problem with them was the deposit was quite substantial so they are chasing money already spent. Hope this helps good luck. We have Cunard cruise cancelled this month, contacted Cunard by phone yesterday and they confirmed full refund is due to be actioned. Good luck