Cunard QM2 10th-14th Jan 2022 - advice/thoughts

[VitaminseaUk]

Just called Cunard - They said they are unaware of it being cancelled and he checked with his supervisor...

[aday10]

I have contacted TA again and they were made aware at 2pm that this cruise has been cancelled, I’d love for them to be wrong, but I don’t think they are, frustrating people are being told different things 

[8611202]

Sorry to be forensic but did your TA say who exactly in Cunard told them of the cancellation? I see it is no longer being advertised for sale, although it was this morning. Could it have been that any further bookings have been cancelled rather than existing bookings?

I don’t expect they would have mentioned that to you, I think my brain is on overload trying to work out what is going on 🙂. 

[P2l]

Next QM2 voyage available to book is 11th Feb. Ominous. Guessing these boards will soon be aflurry if the Transatlantics are also cancelled. No further bookings is a possibility (or at least a hope to cling to) if they want to keep the percentage occupancy down.

[8611202]

Just had the cancellation email from Cunard 😢

[P2l]

"Following the disruption to the operation caused by changes of itinerary on the previous sailing, Queen Mary 2 will require additional time in Southampton following her arrival on 10 January.  As a result, we are so sorry but your short voyage M203P departing 10 January 2022, will be cancelled.

We are so sorry for the disappointment this news will cause. Please see below for more information regarding the options available to you.

We hope that we can welcome you on board in the future. In the meantime, please take care and stay safe and well.

Your Cunard team."

 

:(

[aday10]

13 minutes ago, 8611202 said:

Sorry to be forensic but did your TA say who exactly in Cunard told them of the cancellation? I see it is no longer being advertised for sale, although it was this morning. Could it have been that any further bookings have been cancelled rather than existing bookings?

I don’t expect they would have mentioned that to you, I think my brain is on overload trying to work out what is going on 🙂. 

they said Cunard had called them. I can still log on online but I am assuming that it hasn’t been cancelled on there yet. 

[Se1lad]

Official email received from Cunard... cancelled with 125% FCC.

 

Following the disruption to the operation caused by changes of itinerary on the previous sailing, Queen Mary 2 will require additional time in Southampton following her arrival on 10 January.  As a result, we are so sorry but your short voyage M203P departing 10 January 2022, will be cancelled.

We are so sorry for the disappointment this news will cause. Please see below for more information regarding the options available to you.

We hope that we can welcome you on board in the future. In the meantime, please take care and stay safe and well.

Your Cunard team.

What does this mean for me?
As your voyage will no longer operate, you are entitled to a full refund or a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) worth 125% of monies paid

[P2l]

How long does it typically take for FCC to be applied?

[Host Hattie]

What a shame, I'm so sorry it's been cancelled.

 

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, Se1lad said:

Official email received from Cunard... cancelled with 125% FCC.

 

Following the disruption to the operation caused by changes of itinerary on the previous sailing, Queen Mary 2 will require additional time in Southampton following her arrival on 10 January.  As a result, we are so sorry but your short voyage M203P departing 10 January 2022, will be cancelled....

 

Bold and italic above is my alteration.

 

The choice of wording here is awful....using the word 'short' as if that ought to make it more palatable! There was no need to describe the length of voyage in the announcement, it is irrelevant.

[8611202]

I know it is dreadful. To keep telling direct booked customers the voyage was still going ahead up to 4.5 hours after they informed travel agents is awful. I loved Cunard but going to take refund as I really can’t see how they can continue with customer loyalty so far down in their priorities. 

[P2l]

Well, I'm obviously disappointed - I mean, why couldn't QM2's Captain have just pressed his right foot down a bit harder to get to So'ton sooner, he had several more knots at his disposal 😉 - but I'm not writing Cunard off yet. It's been a pretty dismal start to 2022 for all the lines.

 

Having booked a QM2 sailing, I now want to do a QM2 sailing. I scanned other lines and they did not have the same appeal as the cruise I'd psyched myself up for. I'd rebook on the February 4 nighter if it were feasible (other holiday plans + family birthdays preclude). It was noticeable that the PG suites which were available on the 5 nighter in March when I first looked were gone half an hour later. Not sure whether to wait for the FCC to be credited, or see if cabin prices change (they seem considerably more expensive now, but that could change for the better or worse). Will sleep on it.

[jimbo1683]

2 hours ago, 8611202 said:

I know it is dreadful. To keep telling direct booked customers the voyage was still going ahead up to 4.5 hours after they informed travel agents is awful. I loved Cunard but going to take refund as I really can’t see how they can continue with customer loyalty so far down in their priorities. 

I think at times like these it's very easy to forget that behind the brand name and the logo is just a bunch of individuals working hard, most likely from their spare bedrooms using a substandard laptop and less than perfect wifi, trying to get the right information to you as quickly as possible. I guarantee that the agent who gave the wrong information on the phone had missed one message in amongst many which they were expected to keep track of through the day whilst taking calls, or one person who's job it is to upload the message hadn't tagged it correctly. The person who inadvertantly wrote the word 'short' in the communication did their best and wrote a message which they thought was empathic and helpful to you. The people who pulled the data from Cunard's data base pulled the TA data and checked it and approved it to be sent out ahead of doing the same for direct customer bookings.

 

None of that was done to upset you, none of that involved senior management making big decisions about customer loyalty, but all of that work probably took place in a pressurised environment and was probably carried out by undervalued members of staff trying to do their best in order to recieve a miserly bonus and below inflation pay rise at the end of the financial year.

 

No matter your frustration in these ridiculous times, just be kind.

Edited January 6, 2022 by jimbo1683

[navybankerteacher]

Is anyone capable of reading, or otherwise keeping him/herself informed, really surprised?

[johnnylikely]

How frustrating, I think we deserve more than 125% due to the late notice lol.

Thankfully I only have train tickets to cancel but for those with hotels etc booked, it is a nightmare!

[navybankerteacher]

30 minutes ago, johnnylikely said:

How frustrating, I think we deserve more than 125% due to the late notice lol.

Thankfully I only have train tickets to cancel but for those with hotels etc booked, it is a nightmare!

Precisely — the tangential costs of cancelled cruises need to be considered: vacation time set aside, transportation to port, possible hotel bookings, pet and child care arrangements, etc.  all need to be considered - and the closer to embarkation time that the “abort” signal is received, the more likelier it is that unreimbursed costs will have been incurred.

 

Perhaps the wise cruiser should not share the unbridled optimism of the cruise line in making commitments under today’s conditions. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[Craigrlewis]

10 hours ago, hamrag said:

 

Bold and italic above is my alteration.

 

The choice of wording here is awful....using the word 'short' as if that ought to make it more palatable! There was no need to describe the length of voyage in the announcement, it is irrelevant.

Yes concur with that.

Was on the same itinerary with my parents one year and Sally Sagoe kept saying phrases like that and it irked me no end especially when she kept refering “those lucky enough to be staying on….”

 

[Craigrlewis]

 

sorry to all the people  who were going on this 

 

We cancelled ours last week and rebooked for January 2023 on WV.

Funny thing when I called Cunard the helpful lady said “usually you cant cancel or move this late in the day but i think something  changed yesterday and you can let me check with my supervisor” got put on hold and the she came back and said “can move free of charge”

 

So I suspect they knew/suspected last week 

 

Was £300 more though!

[8611202]

Jimbo 1683 - Were you booked on this voyage? And did you have the experience, as I did, of speaking with senior management representing Cunard yesterday in an attempt to discover what was happening? 
 

Edited January 7, 2022 by 8611202

[durante]

Despite this cruise now being cancelled, I was able to log into "My Cunard" just now, no message there to say the cruise is cancelled, and actually noticed the health declaration is now available to be completed! I tested this out and received the "You're Safe to Travel" email from Cunard. This is shocking considering there may be someone booked on this cruise who is still unaware the cruise has been cancelled. 

 

[Victoria2]

It's most unfortunate Cunard's left and right hands don't seem to ne in harmony about the very late cancellation, but  extra travel arrangement costs incurred for the cancelled cruise would be met by the pre event  cancelation clause in my travel insurance. At least, I would imagine they would be as I've never had to invoke the clause.

 

I think I must live in a different world, because a short cruise is, a short cruise! What's the problem in using the word short? I'm no fan of Sally S, in fact I'm  at the back of the fandom queue there but  I would have no issue with her/the announcements, as mentioned here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wonky]

Disappointed but not surprised, have been discussing with the Mrs last week and said if it was my company I’d bin the “short” cruise to give the more profitable 30 odd day Caribbean every chance to go ahead. Timing of the email I thought was a bit annoying. I know a few managers from my past that would send a controversial email just before leaving the office for the day! 
I wonder if they will let the staff off in Southampton, I know last year that was the only place they could get off.

[aday10]

Very disappointed that this is not going ahead 😞 It is my partners first cruise ever and I would have liked his first to be on the QM2 going to hamburg and back, as it was my very first cruise 14 years ago.

 

My TA has now booked us on the QE 30th March in a Q3 grade and we also received a small cash refund, so I cant complain! Although I was really looking forward to the QM2 Queens Grill Restaurant as it looks amazing. 

 

I did ask about the short cruises in February and my TA believes this will also be cancelled due to operational reasons, which is why he offered the 30th March cruise. 

[jimbo1683]

7 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Precisely — the tangential costs of cancelled cruises need to be considered: vacation time set aside, transportation to port, possible hotel bookings, pet and child care arrangements, etc.  all need to be considered - and the closer to embarkation time that the “abort” signal is received, the more likelier it is that unreimbursed costs will have been incurred.

 

Perhaps the wise cruiser should not share the unbridled optimism of the cruise line in making commitments under today’s conditions. 

Its the risk you take. Imagine if every cruise line, every airline and every travel company had to take all of your risky costs into account. There wouldb't be a travel industry left. Suck it up.