Travel Agent vs Cunard

[babs135]

We are struggling to get through to our travel agent to transfer our booking to next year: Do you think contacting Cunard direct will have any effect?  We're due to pay the balance in June for an October cruise and don't want to give Cunard any more money at the moment. 

Thanks for any advice.

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

We are struggling to get through to our travel agent to transfer our booking to next year: Do you think contacting Cunard direct will have any effect?  We're due to pay the balance in June for an October cruise and don't want to give Cunard any more money at the moment. 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Your booking is with the TA, therefore contractually obliged.

Send  the TA an Email confirming that they failed to return your call, you're not happy, and confirming/instructing what you wish them to specifically do, with a CC to Cunard Customer Services.

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, babs135 said:

We are struggling to get through to our travel agent to transfer our booking to next year: Do you think contacting Cunard direct will have any effect?  We're due to pay the balance in June for an October cruise and don't want to give Cunard any more money at the moment. 

Thanks for any advice.

babs,

I think since you started with a travel agent that you stated is "ours" you should continue with them since you are familiar with them. 

We have in the past called Cunard with questions about a certain sailing but not to alter the contents of the contracted booking.

BTW.....We have used Cunard Agents in the past besides private TA's and they have always been extremely cooperative and helpful in booking.

 

We too have postponed our July 4th QM2 sailing this year till next year and also had a hard time when we were trying to reach our pvt TA. She was very busy with all her rearranging other bookings.

 

 

 

[Balticdream]

You may find that just before that payment is due they magically find themselves able to get in contact.  You should be able to transfer the payment then.  

[babs135]

10 hours ago, Balticdream said:

You may find that just before that payment is due they magically find themselves able to get in contact.  You should be able to transfer the payment then.  

Who knows anything any more?  The agent has just got back to us...……with a reminder that our balance is due to be paid by mid-June!!!  No acknowledgement of our request to amend the booking, etc.   They have switched the phones off and all communication is on-line.  As has been suggested, we will email them and see what, if any, response I get.

 

(As mentioned in a previous post there is an online form for us to ask to amend our booking but that's all it is.  There is no option to state how we want to amend it) 

[longton]

We have sometimes booked with a travel agent and sometimes directly with Cunard.

 

Since there is almost no difference in price we have decided that from now on we will only book directly with Cunard. It cuts out an extra layer of admin.

 

When we used our FCC to book a cruise in November 2021 I found the Cunard agent to be helpful, patient and knowledgeable.

[Balticdream]

The difference is that you are facilitating employment  by using an agent.

[Ray66]

51 minutes ago, longton said:

Since there is almost no difference in price

 

I know of a couple of agents who undercut Cunard by quite a bit.

[majortom10]

21 minutes ago, Ray66 said:

 

I know of a couple of agents who undercut Cunard by quite a bit.

Me also and would never book direct even if its on £20-30pp cheaper it is better in my pocket than Cunard's and will pay for a drink or two just about lol.

[longton]

7 hours ago, Balticdream said:

The difference is that you are facilitating employment  by using an agent.

 

I am also facilitating employment by using Cunard.

[Balticdream]

I meant in your local area.  And every person in employment is using other services and businesses.

 

That aside, do Cunard employ more people to deal with direct bookings than they do to take them from agents?

[PORT ROYAL]

10 hours ago, Balticdream said:

I meant in your local area.  And every person in employment is using other services and businesses.

 

That aside, do Cunard employ more people to deal with direct bookings than they do to take them from agents?

 

Think Travel Agents book online directly into Cunard's booking system.

 

[resistk]

Travel agents can be very helpful, Cunard's customer service is just OK.  The most helpful person though is the concierge in the Grill Lounge, they can do just about everything.

[Bigmike911]

I booked directly with Cunard until the agent I used left them. After a bungled crossing with a new agent I switched to a Travel Agent and she is great. I have booked eleven crossing with her and never had a problem, and I get terrific OBC. 

[babs135]

10 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

I booked directly with Cunard until the agent I used left them. After a bungled crossing with a new agent I switched to a Travel Agent and she is great. I have booked eleven crossing with her and never had a problem, and I get terrific OBC. 

But can you speak directly with her right now?  This lack of direct communication is what is causing us (and almost certainly countless others) a giant headache.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

But can you speak directly with her right now?  This lack of direct communication is what is causing us (and almost certainly countless others) a giant headache.

My specialist cruise TA has been available since the beginning of the lockdown to ask advice. Granted I would not book with a general TA in the High Street but always book with a TA who specialises in cruises.

[babs135]

14 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

My specialist cruise TA has been available since the beginning of the lockdown to ask advice. Granted I would not book with a general TA in the High Street but always book with a TA who specialises in cruises.

Our travel agent specialises solely in cruises!!  That's why we are getting frustrated at lack of direct contact.  Switching the phones off denies us the right of direct communication.  I realise that they are concerned about being swamped with calls, but surely careful screening could help.  

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, babs135 said:

Our travel agent specialises solely in cruises!!  That's why we are getting frustrated at lack of direct contact.  Switching the phones off denies us the right of direct communication.  I realise that they are concerned about being swamped with calls, but surely careful screening could help.  

Well ours has always been available and have never switched phones off to my knowledge so been very lucky. If I am guessing right I think I know your TA and if I am right we used them once and had  issues and would never use them again.

[Bigmike911]

5 hours ago, babs135 said:

But can you speak directly with her right now?  This lack of direct communication is what is causing us (and almost certainly countless others) a giant headache.

Yes, I spoke to her day before yesterday. If she is on the line, I can leave a message and she gets right back to me. She is a gem. 

[babs135]

29 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Well ours has always been available and have never switched phones off to my knowledge so been very lucky. If I am guessing right I think I know your TA and if I am right we used them once and had  issues and would never use them again.

Where we live they are the only High street cruise specialist and up to now we've never had a problem with them.  Once, armed with a price for a TA crossing and 4 nights in New York we decided to see if we could get a better price from a couple of well known travel agents.  Thomas Cook quoted us £400 EACH more and couldn't give us a reason as to such a big difference in price. The other firm, who own their own cruise line so should know better couldn't even find the QM2 on the date we gave them!!!!!  The agent asked if we meant the Majesty of the Seas 😱

[exlondoner]

25 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Where we live they are the only High street cruise specialist and up to now we've never had a problem with them.  Once, armed with a price for a TA crossing and 4 nights in New York we decided to see if we could get a better price from a couple of well known travel agents.  Thomas Cook quoted us £400 EACH more and couldn't give us a reason as to such a big difference in price. The other firm, who own their own cruise line so should know better couldn't even find the QM2 on the date we gave them!!!!!  The agent asked if we meant the Majesty of the Seas 😱

 

Um, why should you say QM2, if you meant Majesty of the Seas???

[babs135]

14 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Um, why should you say QM2, if you meant Majesty of the Seas???

Precisely.  We simply did not know how to answer without being perceived to be rude but we did ask to speak to a supervisor who was unavailable so with a feeling that even if they 'found' the QM2 we had no faith in them and we simply walked out.  This whole incident lasted over 15 minutes and we had kept asking if there was a problem.  Perhaps they should stick to selling their own cruises (assuming that they can find them) and sending people to Ibiza 🤣