Anyone else frustrated with Cunard website and Customer Service?

[MadamedelaMer]

So frustrated. Just booked on Cunard (QM2, TA in July) online but having difficulty getting ANYONE on the phone to adjust items on my booking. For example, I am trying to book the same table for dinner as my folks, who are already booked on the crossing.  I would also like to add a transfer from London Victoria to the Southampton terminal but the only thing available when I booked my trip was described as 'airport to terminal'. Why don't they offer a way to add these changes/requests on the website? They offer to book all sorts of 'extras' but not the things that are actually of importance (to me at least). 

 

Hold times to call are in the 45min range. 

 

What gives? Sheesh. It was never this bad before... 

 

 

[Lakesregion]

Reading all the horror stories about being bumped off the ships due to the need for additional quarantine cabins, No real customer service, bad website functions. One gets the impression that the wheels are coming off the entire company. Definitely want to have travel insurance so as to not get the Thomas Cook or that cruise line that went out of business news.. Sad for a company that is trying to celebrate 100 years of world cruises when they can't run a decent cruise of 8 days these days.

[penlady]

I for one am-once I rebooked my cruise after the previous one being cancelled my planner completely ignores my phone calls and emails. I was even told by someone at Cunard this individual would be told to phone me- nothing!! I recently contacted Cunard via phone on a couple of occasions to ask permission that being as during the time of my travel the 20th, anniversary of my mother's death will come round. My mother sailed many, many times transatlantic with Cunard and loved it so I wanted to request permission to from the privacy of my balcony throw some flowers into the water and I was told the Captain would have to give me permission to throw the flowers and was given an email address to write to-no response after that one more time or twice to another email address I was given I wrote to this day no response. Well, for what it is worth with or without permission those flowers are going overboard. I tried to do it the proper way and was not respected for my effects. Shame on you Cunard when someone has a sensible request such as this and you ignore it yet truth be know each time I sail with you take my money fast enough...

[moses0]

2 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Reading all the horror stories about being bumped off the ships due to the need for additional quarantine cabins, No real customer service, bad website functions. One gets the impression that the wheels are coming off the entire company. Definitely want to have travel insurance so as to not get the Thomas Cook or that cruise line that went out of business news.. Sad for a company that is trying to celebrate 100 years of world cruises when they can't run a decent cruise of 8 days these days.

Wheels absolutly coming off. I thought it was all due to Covid but customer service stinks.   My TA has spent hours trying to get an answer on a cancelation for a friend. Told she had to put it in writing. That was 3 weeks ago and still no word. 

On our last cruise this March/April I got the impression that many of the crew (especially pursers office) were new to Cunard. They certainly were not as accommodating as previous trips. I wondered if they were really short staffed as the ship did not seem as clean as I have experienced in the past. Very sad as we love QM2. I even have a lovely model of her in my office. We have reccomended Cunard to several of our friends and we have had wonderful cruises together. Don't feel confident in doing that anymore.  We are due for a 28 day Cruise in July wish we could get out of it. Hoping things  improve.

[bluemarble]

@MadamedelaMer, you've mentioned one of my pet peeves with the Cunard US website regarding adding transfers to a booking. If memory serves, this has been broken for about two years now. I agree you'd think they would want to fix this issue to encourage customers to add transfers to their bookings.

 

Actually, I think it would have been possible for you to add a transfer from Victoria Coach Station to the ship when you were making your booking, but it would have required a leap of faith to so so. I shall explain. For those of you not in the US, here is what the page looks like when you ask to add a pre-voyage transfer to a booking for a westbound crossing on the Cunard US website. By the way, the prices shown here are the totals for two passengers, not per person.

 

 

Even though the heading on this page says "Airport to ship" those unlabeled options are not all airport transfers. By looking behind the scenes at this page's source code, it is possible to discern a few things about the various transfer options from their radio button IDs. For example, I think we can deduce the fourth option is a transfer from Heathrow airport since the radio button ID for that option is "B0MLHRSOUA/P" (possible translation: "Heathrow to Southampton, Airport to Port").

 

Using similar analysis, we may be able to deduce the fifth option (which I've selected) is for the transfer from Victoria Coach Station. That option's radio button ID is "B0MLONSOUV/P" (possible translation: "London to Southampton, Victoria to Port"). But as I say, it would take a leap of faith to rely on that sort of analysis to actually book that transfer.

 

Now, after the fact, it would seem reasonable to expect you could add a Cunard transfer to an existing booking via the US version of "My Cunard". No, that functionality doesn't exist even in a buggy form. The last time I looked there was just a link to an external site to arrange your own non-Cunard transfers.

 

On the subject of linking bookings (to facilitate sharing a table), I don't think Cunard has ever attempted to provide that functionality, unlike other lines. Another missed opportunity to provide functionality that could improve customer satisfaction and reduce the burden on call center staff.

[MadamedelaMer]

Thanks Blue, Moses, Pen, and Lakes. 

 

I am both heartened and disheartened to learn I am not alone. The last time I booked on QM2 was five years ago, for my mom's 70th. It was literally and figuratively smooth sailing. I was able to easily book online--including the Victoria/Southampton transfer--and then reach someone by phone to request the family members all be seated at the same table for dinners. 

 

This time around, for her 75th, it's been aggravating from the get-go. There were problems with the website for several days, in which time I wasn't able to book the cabin grade I'd wanted. Finally was able to complete a transaction for a lesser grade. But now the irritation re: these extra addendi, which should be easy to square away, has me feeling less than excited for the upcoming experience. 

 

As someone who has traveled extensively on TA crossings with my family throughout my life (including Cunard and the venerable old Italian Lines), I am sad to see things slipping like this. 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by MadamedelaMer

[Victoria2]

Time to get an agent and let them do all the legwork for you.

[majortom10]

I along with many others, except for the ones that will not have a bad word said against Cunard whatever they do, are absolutely shocked at what is happening at Cunard. I think it is total nonsense to keep on blaming Covid for the reason as Customer Service and the infamous website have been very poor for a long time way before pandemic hit the world. I honestly believe that senior management arrogantly believe that people will continue to be loyal to Cunard however they are treated but I think they are in for one hell of a shock.

[Victoria2]

37 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I along with many others, except for the ones that will not have a bad word said against Cunard whatever they do, are absolutely shocked at what is happening at Cunard. I think it is total nonsense to keep on blaming Covid for the reason as Customer Service and the infamous website have been very poor for a long time way before pandemic hit the world. I honestly believe that senior management arrogantly believe that people will continue to be loyal to Cunard however they are treated but I think they are in for one hell of a shock.

Judging by the posts, I can understand frustration when trying to communicate with Cunard HQ for many, but the reason I have no quibble with Cunard is because I have little or no  communication with them, well apart from yesterday but that's a story for later.

 

I had had one  major H&S issue with them on a world cruise segment years ago and it was dealt with  direct, quickly and in a most helpful way.

Other than that, any problems and there have been some over the years, I pick up the phone or email my agent and he sorts it.

 

I  cannot understand why folk don't use a well connected and very professional agent when booking a Cunard cruise. I wish I could splash my agent's name all over for the Fed Up From Tunbridge Wells members, but I can't. 

There are many equally excellent agents out there. Don't put up with trying to do things yourselves. Get an agent to do it for you and that includes anything to do with the Cunard website.

[exlondoner]

This is all excellent advice, but it does leave the mystery of why Cunard, and the website in particular, can't achieve at least passable competence. I suspect the phone problems are due to Covid, because they got rid of quite a few staff then, whom I doubt they have reemployed.

[Annabel50]

I would not even consider using an agent in such turbulent times, many small businesses including agents are collapsing, likely unfortunately to be the same situation for next couple of years.

[Tonopah]

I have an agent who specializes in Cunard voyages. Maybe she is even a Cunard contractor, I’m not exactly sure. She answers every query within 24 hours. Yesterday I noticed our emergency contact was wrong. After trying unsuccessfully to edit the info on the website, I contacted her. She updated the info within 15 minutes. 

 

I agree that the website is not individual-use friendly, but I’m well satisfied with my TA who has all the inside knowledge. 

 

I’m still pretty appalled at the way folks have gotten their voyages cancelled so abruptly. I understand why it happened, but I just think it could have been dealt with more sensitively.

[Victoria2]

33 minutes ago, Annabel50 said:

I would not even consider using an agent in such turbulent times, many small businesses including agents are collapsing, likely unfortunately to be the same situation for next couple of years.

I wouldn't dream of not using an agent. When you find a superb one such as ours and others, it's easy to see why many use an agent to cut through to the nub of any matter.

[majortom10]

5 hours ago, Annabel50 said:

I would not even consider using an agent in such turbulent times, many small businesses including agents are collapsing, likely unfortunately to be the same situation for next couple of years.

But as long as ABTA bonded your money is safe and all that would happen is the cruise line would tske over the booking as I and many others will know with the collapse of Gill's.

[bluemarble]

It appears the issue with missing descriptions for transfers on the Cunard US website is being resolved starting with the 2024 voyages. I happened to notice transfer description were displayed while looking at the Queen Anne voyages that went on sale today. Here's what I'm seeing now for pre-voyage transfers to Southampton being offered on 2024 sailings when booking a voyage on the Cunard US website.

 

[2BACRUISER]

I've added to this thread rather than start a new one but I am really peed off with cunard addressing all our correspondence to my partner, even though I booked the cruise and I am lead passenger miss name surname and he is second Mr name surname and its my email address. And i paid on my credit card. 😤 It really gets my goat that in this day and age the man gets precedence 😤😤 especially when he has nothing  to do with booking, making the arrangements he doesn't even do his own packing 😑 rant over 😑 

Edited June 12, 2022 by 2BACRUISER
Typo

[exlondoner]

 

20 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

I've added to this thread rather than start a new one but I am really peed off with cunard addressing all our correspondence to my partner, even though I booked the cruise and I am lead passenger miss name surname and he is second Mr name surname and its my email address. And i paid on my credit card. 😤 It really gets my goat that in this day and age the man gets precedence 😤😤 especially when he has nothing  to do with booking, making the arrangements he doesn't even do his own packing 😑 rant over 😑 

 

Infuriating, but not universal. They communicate with me, never my spouse. So it must be possible to change.

Edited June 12, 2022 by exlondoner

[2BACRUISER]

5 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

 

Infuriating, but not universal. They communicate with me, never my spouse. So it must be possible to change.

I thought it was just a one  off but now had several emails addressed to him 🤔 will go on my cunard and see if can change preferences. Been going on for 38yrs now I have the same probs with mortgage, BT and utilities companies 🙄😤😤

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

I thought it was just a one  off but now had several emails addressed to him 🤔 will go on my cunard and see if can change preferences. Been going on for 38yrs now I have the same probs with mortgage, BT and utilities companies 🙄😤😤

 

If that doesn't work, you might try and get the World Club rep. to do something, when you are on board. I remember when I moved to my current house, I was unmarried, and I was quizzed very fiercely by the man from the waterboard, before he would let me set up and account in my name, in case I was doing it without my (non-existent) husband's permission.

[lissie]

9 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

If that doesn't work, you might try and get the World Club rep. to do something, when you are on board. I remember when I moved to my current house, I was unmarried, and I was quizzed very fiercely by the man from the waterboard, before he would let me set up and account in my name, in case I was doing it without my (non-existent) husband's permission.

I'm really hoping that was last century... 

[Victoria2]

10 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

If that doesn't work, you might try and get the World Club rep. to do something, when you are on board. I remember when I moved to my current house, I was unmarried, and I was quizzed very fiercely by the man from the waterboard, before he would let me set up and account in my name, in case I was doing it without my (non-existent) husband's permission.

I book; my CC occasionally pays; I get all the booking stuff by email and I get occasional snail mail promotionals such as the Q.A box thingy. and any Cunarder bumf.  My husband gets all the regular promotional emails. I have tried to change it but to no avail. He sees the snail mail and he forewords any promotional emails as I do for bookings.

We share our correspondence and I cannot be bothered to get het up about it any more.🙂

[Solent Richard]

I'm often amused by the arguments for and against using agents. Sure there are discounts to be gained but over the last two years its the agents, particularly those in the UK, who have come in for massive criticism for withholding refunds after Covid cancellations and when the cruise lines have refunded them.

 

It's very much like insurance travel policies really. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. 😀😈

[exlondoner]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

I'm really hoping that was last century... 

 

1991, so not by much. 

[ace2542]

Yes I am frustrated that they don't have a contact me or online chat function where you can chat with a customer service agent online.

[2BACRUISER]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

I book; my CC occasionally pays; I get all the booking stuff by email and I get occasional snail mail promotionals such as the Q.A box thingy. and any Cunarder bumf.  My husband gets all the regular promotional emails. I have tried to change it but to no avail. He sees the snail mail and he forewords any promotional emails as I do for bookings.

We share our correspondence and I cannot be bothered to get het up about it any more.🙂

You are lucky my partner doesnt have an email address, uses a mobile for phone calls and texts only, has never used an ATM, would still be paying for everything by cheque and doesn't open mail!! He refuses to move into this century and blames all the evils of the world on the internet, social media and computers!! and believe it or not he runs a business or should i say i do hence why i get het up as i have to do everything online.