Inaugural cruise cancellation refund

[uktog]

Starting a new thread as others requested though this is a latest news from Explora Or should I say lack of if. 

Whilst it’s lovely to read that travel agents had such fun last week on short cruises put on for them, the first paying passengers are onboard today and the ship looks lovely it’s leaving a sour taste in our mouth. 

Over three weeks ago we were notified of the very last minute cancellation of our 17 July cruise. Promises of immediate refunds and an albeit rather poor “compensation” offer compared to what was given to those with notification of 2024 cancellations a few weeks earlier were given. 

Our agent immediately provided information requested including my bank details. We rushed booked and paid for something else expecting this refund to be immediate as promised. 

Three weeks on, no refund has been received and the Explora account manager at my agent (a major UK agency) appears to be getting nowhere with Explora to chase it along. 

So be aware the back office of this new venture doesn’t match its PR. 

In the UK we pay our travel agents so raising a card dispute now, tempting though it is, only hits the travel agency though they understand if I do not have the funds soon (it’s a five figure sum)  I will have to go down that route. 
 

Unfortunately we have two more cruises booked and fully paid with Explora. 

[CB BOARDER]

I hate it for you but I'm optimistic things will work out.....they typically do in these situations. Those 2 booked cruises are going to be epic (once you get this crap behind you).

[Host Jazzbeau]

So sorry to hear that your issues are still not resolved.  Yes the ships look lovely, but at this level the service much match.  I hope they have gotten their act together by the time of your next Explora cruise.

[ajouni]

Ann, I’m so sorry this is happening to you and Charles. I would have expected quicker action on their part to make sure you’re well taken care of and at least satisfied with the outcome. 
 

[flossie009]

12 hours ago, uktog said:

In the UK we pay our travel agents so raising a card dispute now, tempting though it is, only hits the travel agency though they understand if I do not have the funds soon (it’s a five figure sum)  I will have to go down that route. 

Not all U.K. TAs operate in that way.

With ours, although we ring our TA to process payments, the credit card entry is shown as direct to the cruise line.

This makes it simpler & quicker when refunds are due (evidenced during the pandemic)

In the case of a dispute it can be difficult to make a successful credit card claim if payment was made via a third party.

 

Hope you get your refund soon and that you are successful in claiming any extra expenses you incurred as a result of the late cancellation.

Have you contacted the cruise line direct, with a formal complaint & claim, rather than just through your TA?

I am somewhat confused as to why anyone needed your bank details if your payment was made by credit card?

 

Hope that your experience doesn’t indicate evidence of “style over substance” with Explora.

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by flossie009

[Mr Luxury]

Very strange.

My UK TA takes the booking and my card is debited directly with the cruise line.

Why would it be done any other way?

 

[uktog]

4 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Very strange.

My UK TA takes the booking and my card is debited directly with the cruise line.

Why would it be done any other way?

 

I can’t name agents here but over the years I have used three of the largest UK agencies to book cruises - in every case the card debit is to the agency. They are as the name suggests agents on behalf of the provider so the financial relationship is with them (and protected by ABTA). 
 

I do not doubt in time I will see my money I just feel Explora are dragging their heels on this one and are only focusing on the ra ra of their current sailing and not doing the right thing for the few non travel agent guests in the UK they cancelled on last month. As Flossie009 rightly says it certainly feels like style over substance right now. 

[English Tim]

When I paid for my upcoming Explora cruise, I was surprised that the gross payment was going direct to the cruise line, and was told that my commission would be returned by the TA after the end of the cruise, rather than paying the net amount now.

[flossie009]

16 hours ago, uktog said:

and protected by ABTA

Explora, and their owner MSC, are both registered with ABTA and ATOL (as are most cruise companies); so no less protection if the credit card payment is processed by the cruise line rather than a third party

 

17 hours ago, uktog said:

They are as the name suggests agents on behalf of the provider so the financial relationship is with them

If your TA took your credit card payment and has not yet provided you with the refund that is overdue, I am not sure why you are reluctant to raise a credit card chargeback or section 75 claim.

How & when your TA recovers the money from Explora is not your problem.

 

[flossie009]

8 hours ago, English Tim said:

When I paid for my upcoming Explora cruise, I was surprised that the gross payment was going direct to the cruise line, and was told that my commission would be returned by the TA after the end of the cruise, rather than paying the net amount now.

Are you saying that your TA discounted the cruise fare but has told you that you cannot have that discount until after the cruise?

If so it sounds like a very odd arrangement 🤔

[Critically Cruising]

4 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

Are you saying that your TA discounted the cruise fare but has told you that you cannot have that discount until after the cruise?

If so it sounds like a very odd arrangement 🤔

 

Nope - sounds like the "discount" is not a discount flowing from the operating company, but rather a form of rebate being given by the agent.  Those rebates would be coming from the commission earned on the cruise, which would be credited to the agency after the cruise.

 

Where cruiselines enforce pricing discipline through either cabin pricing minimums and/or restrictions on shipboard credits, agencies will often work around that with "rebates aka discounts" that don't show up on any cruiseline accounting.

 

 

 

 

[flossie009]

@Critically Cruising, What you describe regarding rebates is I understand a normal arrangement for cruises booked in North America.

However, in the U.K. TAs usually offer their discounts up front so the customer receives the full benefit at final payment stage, some months before the cruise.

Maybe I should have said ……. it sounds like an odd arrangement for a U.K. travel agent to offer

 

 

.

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by flossie009

[English Tim]

That would appear to be the arrangement.

[travelberlin]

We had some cruises cancelled with MSC due to COVID. We booked via our travel agent in Germany but the payment was done directly to MSC. We were offered at the moment of the cancellation either a plain refund, or a rebooking option with 20% discount. We decided for the plain refund. It took about one month to come to our credit card. I am telling you about MSC because same parent company and probably similar procedures. Even in those difficult situation we did not get a problem getting our money back from MSC. I cannot say the same about the former Crystal company.
 

I would give Explora a little time to give the refund back. Maybe 60 days. For a claim with your credit card you have some months time and you have to prove that your efforts to get your refund were not successful.

 

If your TA has passed your payments to MSC it  should not be a problem for your refund.

 

Ivi

[uktog]

My point about ABTA is for the non UK board members who do not understand that paying the agent rather than the cruiseline is no more risky unlike in the USA.  
I have every confidence I will get my money back, I have so many options open to me (the cruiseline, the agent via a S75 or even my very comprehensive travel insurance.)

 

My real beef is that the initial words by Explora have been hollow (aka we recognise the high value of our cruises and that guests will want to make alternative arrangements elsewhere so we will be paying immediately etc) Having made those very alternative arrangements using a credit card the card payment date is nearly upon us yet there is no sign of the refund.  

 

 My second beef is how poor the “compensation” is compared to what was paid elsewhere by Explora for much less disruptive cancellations. It is also poor in comparison to other lines including those they are pitching themselves as being “above”. There also seems a lack of transparency as those more closely connected to the travel trade are indicating they got much more than the stated offer. 
 

My travel agency, a major seller of cruises in the UK, is dealing with this at Head Office level.  I too have now separately but in conjunction with the agency submitted my own letter of disappointment.  
 

I just hope the refund is here promptly so I don’t have to break into a savings plan (don’t do credit card debt!) and that Explora can still convince me they are different - in a positive way. 

 

I hope my next post is good news

[flossie009]

I do hope you get your refund (plus suitable compensation) soon.

 

I don't know whether your booking was sold to you by your TA as a "Package" (i.e. including flights or other elements). If so then it may be worth reminding them that legally they are obliged to refund you within 14 days of the cancellation and that your refund should have been provided by them irrespective of whether they had received funds from Explora.

(see Guidance from UK CMA)

 

3 hours ago, uktog said:

My travel agency, a major seller of cruises in the UK, is dealing with this at Head Office level.

As your TA is a major UK travel company they can withstand a delay in receiving funds from Explora much easier than you can.

[uktog]

It was cruise only. 
I am very happy with the efforts being made by the agency at the highest level and believe we will have a resolution soon. The response by Explora is not impressive 

[uktog]

If anyone in the UK is waiting for a refund to arrive it has now come to light that giving Explora your sort code and account number is not enough. Although they never came back on that to my agent it appears that they need your IBAN SWIFT number and the BIC code for your bank account. Your bank will be able to give you that if however you do online banking, you will find it in your bank account details page. 
hopefully now they have my full bank details, including these codes the money will be with me in the next week. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by uktog

[uktog]

Well giving them the code has made no difference 

Four weeks since they cancelled on us and still no refund. 😡

Inexcusable Explora 

[CruiseCrew123]

Has there been any response from them at all ?

[uktog]

7 minutes ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

Has there been any response from them at all ?

Not to me - my agents head office has now had an acknowledgment of our formal complaint which includes a copy of the email attachment detailing my issues that I sent in direct to Explora over a week ago. That email was acknowledged to me over a week ago with the usual “an ambassador will be in touch in the next 24 hours”. But nothing

Theres obviously serious flaws in their communication processes 

I have had absolutely zero direct communication since the cancellation email four weeks ago

Edited August 8, 2023 by uktog

[Ant@sea]

Unfortunately, even though your reservation says “Explora Journeys”, their back office is all “MSC”, and you’re getting MSC’s notoriously bad service, which is one reason they are struggling in the US market, as many agents a have had dreadful experience with MSC’s lack of service. 

[uktog]

23 minutes ago, Ant@sea said:

Unfortunately, even though your reservation says “Explora Journeys”, their back office is all “MSC”, and you’re getting MSC’s notoriously bad service, which is one reason they are struggling in the US market, as many agents a have had dreadful experience with MSC’s lack of service. 

Thanks, it is doing nothing to convince us to sail with them longer term which you would have thought they would have wanted to do - you are correct, the experience is dreadful unless you are a travelling influencer, vlogger or guest travel agent 🙂 .

[FlyerTalker]

48 minutes ago, uktog said:

unless you are a travelling influencer, vlogger or guest travel agent 🙂 .

 

In which case, everything is WONDERFUL.

 

(In my next lifetime, I wonder if I can become an "influencer"?)

 

 

[uktog]

57 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

In which case, everything is WONDERFUL.

 

(In my next lifetime, I wonder if I can become an "influencer"?)

 

 

I believe I’ve been a double influencer in the past

 

 

 

a bad influence on others whilst under the influence