Cunard's Cancellations/Refunds Update 23rd April 2020

[babs135]

Whilst we mull over what to do I 'nipped' over to another website and found some figures which rather caught me by surprise.  Apparently bookings for next year are up by 244% of which 65% are new customers and the Grills suites are almost all sold out!!

 

Suspect that if we forfeit the deposit and hope to book something for next year we might be disappointed.

[alc13]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

Whilst we mull over what to do I 'nipped' over to another website and found some figures which rather caught me by surprise.  Apparently bookings for next year are up by 244% of which 65% are new customers and the Grills suites are almost all sold out!!

 

Suspect that if we forfeit the deposit and hope to book something for next year we might be disappointed.

Well that is very interesting!  We haven't decided what to do with our FCC yet.  Where did  you find the information?

[babs135]

1 hour ago, alc13 said:

Well that is very interesting!  We haven't decided what to do with our FCC yet.  Where did  you find the information?

A closed group on another well known site.  

[bazzaw]

On 4/30/2020 at 3:16 AM, majortom10 said:

Refunds are coming there was a man on Cunard's Facebook page yesterday thanking them for his refund.

Ha!!  I have seen posts like this - but am thinking that all they have received from Cunard is a "promise" , no actual cash!!! The only people who sees to have had some refunds have been those who paid direct to Cunard by Credit Card.? 

[resordanis]

3 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

Ha!!  I have seen posts like this - but am thinking that all they have received from Cunard is a "promise" , no actual cash!!! The only people who sees to have had some refunds have been those who paid direct to Cunard by Credit Card.? 

Still no communication for us from our 15th March cancelled cruise!😩😩😩

[Crafty_Yearnings]

After jumping up and down a bit, we received confirmation our refund is in the "queue" with the standard 60 days quoted, plus the proviso of possible further delays. We are just pleased to have received a personal email from an individual (not automated) that confirms that. Another helpful lady has confirmed our expenses refund is now in progress. I am happy (-ish) to wait now that I have heard from them directly. Never underestimate the impact of real, personalised communication.

[Edithclara]

4 hours ago, Crafty_Yearnings said:

After jumping up and down a bit, we received confirmation our refund is in the "queue" with the standard 60 days quoted, plus the proviso of possible further delays. We are just pleased to have received a personal email from an individual (not automated) that confirms that. Another helpful lady has confirmed our expenses refund is now in progress. I am happy (-ish) to wait now that I have heard from them directly. Never underestimate the impact of real, personalised communication.

I emailed Cunard Australia on 20/4 and received an automated reply saying "our reply time on emails are currently around 10-14 working days". To my surprise, yesterday, 30/4 (8 working days after sending the email), I was surprised to receive an email from them asking for clarification. I replied 30/4, so I perhaps I wait another 10-14 working days for the next chapter...

[Crafty_Yearnings]

Its so amazing when a real person gets back in touch with you. It made such a difference to my personal stress levels. And yes, this was after a few unsatisfactory back and forths with the requisite delay while my emails each hit the bottom of the inbox.

[pollywaffle]

On 4/25/2020 at 7:39 AM, Edithclara said:

Hello pollywaffle. How disappointing. All packed and ready to go. Lucky you didn't have far to travel home. I read about another cruiseline that cancelled a cruise after passengers were all onbi

Oard ready to depart. What a letdown...

We almost booked on the QE Fremantle to Sydney embarking 18 February. Fortunately we didn't as I recently read that anyone who'd been through Singapore was denied boarding. We went through Singapore on 12 February, so....

Even though Cunard called you, just wondering if you still needed to complete the Cunard online refund request form.

Stay safe..

 

[pollywaffle]

Still no communication from Cunard. I would have thought a cruise cancelled on 14th March would have been dealt with by now.......

[Edithclara]

6 hours ago, pollywaffle said:

Still no communication from Cunard. I would have thought a cruise cancelled on 14th March would have been dealt with by now.......

Further to my previous post....I'd emailed cunard.aspac@carnivalaustralia.com

When we submitted our refund request on 31/3, Cunard said refunds may take up to 60 days.

So, maybe you'll be refunded very soon. Lucky you!

Might be worth emailing them?

Our concerns: 

1. Cunard pays the TA not the guest

2. Cunard said refunds may take up to 60 days, TA now says Cruise Lines are taking 6-9 months to refund to the TA. No advice from the TA about how long after the 6-9 months we will see our money....

 

 

[majortom10]

Clearly states the following on Cunard UK website-We will be issuing all refunds directly to our guests. If your payment was made to us directly by credit or debit card than we will refund that, otherwise we will issue cheques.

 

I had a response from Cunard on their Facebook page yesterday and they confirmed they had received my request for a cash refund, the amount and it will take up to 60 days to receive payment.

[Host Hattie]

But not all posters are based in the UK so there may be different arrangements in different countries.

[si_boy]

Has anyone else been made aware of flight cancellation fees if looking to transfer a cruise after August 2020 to next year?
Booked direct with Cunard for a cruise with return flights and wanted to transfer to 2021 when things will have hopefully settled dow around the world.

No Cunard fee for transferring the cruise, but steep flight cancellation fees.

 

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

But not all posters are based in the UK so there may be different arrangements in different countries.

 

Yes, indeed, the stated process for refunds of canceled voyages booked through travel agents is different in Australia. The FAQ on the Cunard Australia website reads as follows.

 

(Q) I booked with a travel agent and now my voyage has been cancelled due to Covid-19. How will I receive my refund?

 

(A) As your contract is with your travel agent, we do need to issue your refund direct to the agency to then manage. If however you have concerns, we would recommend following up with the travel agency directly to discuss this through. Alternatively, instead of a refund, you can choose to take a Future Cruise Credit to use on a future holiday with Cunard. This credit is issued by Cunard and linked directly to your individual Cunard World Club number.

[Edithclara]

2 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

Yes, indeed, the stated process for refunds of canceled voyages booked through travel agents is different in Australia. The FAQ on the Cunard Australia website reads as follows.

 

(Q) I booked with a travel agent and now my voyage has been cancelled due to Covid-19. How will I receive my refund?

 

(A) As your contract is with your travel agent, we do need to issue your refund direct to the agency to then manage. If however you have concerns, we would recommend following up with the travel agency directly to discuss this through. Alternatively, instead of a refund, you can choose to take a Future Cruise Credit to use on a future holiday with Cunard. This credit is issued by Cunard and linked directly to your individual Cunard World Club number.

Thanks. I hadn't read that. 

[babs135]

We have decided to fill in the 'amend my cruise' form and see what if anything happens.  Balance is due the 18th June so we've given them nearly six weeks to get back to us.  If they don't then we'll simply cancel.  

I do understand why they disconnected the phones but it really would have been so much easier if we could actually speak to a human being.

[Neuhoftraveler]

1 hour ago, si_boy said:

No Cunard fee for transferring the cruise, but steep flight cancellation fees.

My understanding has been that Cunard do not actually ticket return flights until 45 days prior to cruise departure (if not flight departure).  So I'm puzzled by the idea of air cancellation fees for return flights following an August 2020 cruise.

 

FWIW, my own cancellation notification from Cunard for a late May cruise, which I cancelled more than 45 days prior to scheduled sailing (shortly before Cunard cancelled the cruise), shows no cancellation fees of any kind.

[si_boy]

5 minutes ago, Neuhoftraveler said:

My understanding has been that Cunard do not actually ticket return flights until 45 days prior to cruise departure (if not flight departure).  So I'm puzzled by the idea of air cancellation fees for return flights following an August 2020 cruise.

 

FWIW, my own cancellation notification from Cunard for a late May cruise, which I cancelled more than 45 days prior to scheduled sailing (shortly before Cunard cancelled the cruise), shows no cancellation fees of any kind.

The issue is that the tickets for the flight have been issued which to be fair I seem to remember being told a few months ago. I had no idea then where we would be now.
I guess the cancellation fees are outside of the control of Cunard if it is a scheduled flight. 

 

[Sopwith]

Cancelled our Aug 21 cruise on ~April 7 via travel agent who booked it.  I've sent two emails to Cunard asking them to confirm when the refund will be processed.  I have heard four fifths of nothing in response.

 

We've done about 25 cruises. This was our first booking on Cunard.  It doesn't bode well for a future relationship if they can't take 30 seconds to respond to a simple query.

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, Sopwith said:

Cancelled our Aug 21 cruise on ~April 7 via travel agent who booked it.  I've sent two emails to Cunard asking them to confirm when the refund will be processed.  I have heard four fifths of nothing in response.

 

We've done about 25 cruises. This was our first booking on Cunard.  It doesn't bode well for a future relationship if they can't take 30 seconds to respond to a simple query.

Problem is that they are dealing with thousands and thousands of simple queries and that times 30 seconds for every one takes time.

[safarigal]

I tried to complete the refund request form for our cancelled tour we booked through our Voyage Personaliser, but the link on the US Cunard page goes to the general request for a refund of a cruise, and there is nowhere to indicate that you are just wanting a refund for a cancelled tour. Does anyone have a US link that gets you to the tour cancellation refund and not the cruise cancellation refund?

[bluemarble]

49 minutes ago, safarigal said:

I tried to complete the refund request form for our cancelled tour we booked through our Voyage Personaliser, but the link on the US Cunard page goes to the general request for a refund of a cruise, and there is nowhere to indicate that you are just wanting a refund for a cancelled tour. Does anyone have a US link that gets you to the tour cancellation refund and not the cruise cancellation refund?

 

I think this is the form you are looking for (on Cunard's US website).

 

Refunds for pre-cruise purchases.

[charlesspinney]

1 hour ago, safarigal said:

I tried to complete the refund request form for our cancelled tour we booked through our Voyage Personaliser, but the link on the US Cunard page goes to the general request for a refund of a cruise, and there is nowhere to indicate that you are just wanting a refund for a cancelled tour. Does anyone have a US link that gets you to the tour cancellation refund and not the cruise cancellation refund?

I cancelled my excursions on the mycunard site and immediately got an email back from Cunard with the form. Cancel  from "my orders".  This form goes to the California office and is processed.  Our Cunard agent told us it will be refunded far quicker than your cruise.  It's processed in the UK and can take up the 60 days.

[safarigal]

31 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

I think this is the form you are looking for (on Cunard's US website).

 

Refunds for pre-cruise purchases.

Thank you both :)

 

Unfortunately the My Cunard site no longer works for this voyage, but the link to the form did work. Yay! Hopefully there will be a refund in the not too distant future!