Telephone problems

Cunard need to do some serious "quality control" for those patrons in the USA who actually use that old fashioned system called the telephone .

 

I wished to obtain a 2915 brochure (for cruises after April 2015). I dialed the Cunard number a pleasant voice thanked me for calling Cunard and went through the usual "pres s 1 Press 3 , etc" I followed her instructions, and then after 3 rings phone was disconnected.

 

So dialed again, same voice same instructions followed, finally made contact, asked for the 2015 Cunard full brochure, to be told very rudely "This is Princess cruises we are not Cunard, you dialed the wrong number" So I apologized but said I had followed the instructions as given, only to be met with more rudeness, re the fact that obviously I had not followed instructions. She then gave me a totally different number which she said was Cunard. I dialed that , of course it was not Cunard!

 

I then dialed the World Club desk, very helpful but had to transfer me to brochure dept. Finally got a pleasant staffer named Louise, who regretted she could not help me as the brochures would not be available until "Summer" but that the cruises would be going on sale until April 8th.

 

Wish someone at Cunard would explain how they hope to sell cruises starting April 8th when no brochures will be available until around June .

 

How do they hope to achieve Customer satisfaction when callers find they are reaching Princess staff who are so rude as the one I encountered this a.m.

 

Cunard need to have their own staff , their own phone lines, and more than anything else need to actually have brochures readily available ON TIME and BEFORE selling date (April 8th)

 

As of this moment I feel Cunard could not find their way out of a paper bag, if it was held open for them!!!!

 

Yes I know cruises are listed on the Web, but there are those who do not have computers, or who like myself wish to sit comfortably in a recliner with a glass of suitable beverage, mulling over which cruises to take and when, the process can take a while.

ironic we get more brochures than we want from cunard :eek:. to down load OR order brochures. cunard.com/brochure. or 1 800 728 6273.the latest one we have is good until april.

... Yes I know cruises are listed on the Web, but there are those who do not have computers, or who like myself wish to sit comfortably in a recliner with a glass of suitable beverage, mulling over which cruises to take and when, the process can take a while.

Hi Jimsgirl,

 

I don't think it will be long before brochures are just a memory with all holiday companies and cruise lines. Everything will be "on-line only". If you want to read something with a suitable beverage, then best get a really good printer and lots of paper, 'cus I think in a few years this will be the only option if we don't wish to stare at a computer screen.

 

(My parents recently purchased new mobile (cell) 'phones, the latest "smart" ones. My father "cannot understand how they can provide something so complex without an instruction book". I explained that it was available to view and print via the company website. He wasn't convinced and returned to the shop to demand one, they just laughed, told him "they are dead easy to understand" and gave him... the website address "where you can print it yourself...")

 

Sorry to bring the bad news, but this is the world we live in... and think of the number of trees we're all going to save in the future :rolleyes:

Best wishes and happy sailings :)

Edited March 27, 2014 by pepperrn

We had 20 years to make ourselves familiar with modern ways of obtaining information.

 

I can't se why we cannot sit with a notebook pc, a glass of claret and a log fire studying Cunards offers.

 

Actually, this describes exactly what I am doing right now at 9.15 pm local time.

I had to look up a postal code for a friend the other day who does not have a computer. The post office had told her she could do it online.

It's also the same with the "smartphones" where you take a picture of the icon to get more info. My cellphone sits in the bottom of my purse and doesn't have that capability so I belong somewhat to that untechie world.

By not sending out brochures and having far fewer available they are saving their money on paper, etc. Basically they are saying everybody should be high tech whether you want to be or not.

Cunard need to do some serious "quality control" for those patrons in the USA who actually use that old fashioned system called the telephone . ...

I don't doubt your report but I don't understand it because I just phoned (800)7Cunard (pressed 5 for brochures) and a pleasant speaking lady told me that the 2015 World Voyage brochures are available now and the rest would be available in a few weeks. Are we calling the same number?

The phone number quoted is the one I dialed . The female voice that gave the menu stated "thank you for calling Cunard" then I pressed the number for brochures and got Princess

 

I then dialed the number Princess said was Cunard, it wasn't.

 

When I dialed the World Club number , she connected me to Cunard Brochure dept, yes World Voyage brochure is available but that only covers next years World Cruise which ends in April. I wanted the cruise that are for the rest of the year , and cover all the cruises on all three ships up to December.

 

These are going on sail April 8th according to the brochure dept, which is really strange as I know cruisers who have already booked for May, and I have a 14 day QM2 and QV cruise East and West Transatlantic for April/May 2015. It was for a further cruise that I wanted the Brochure.

 

I am a very old fuddy duddy, I need to study, to compare, consider, flights distances, airports and of course PRICE of such items. I cannot do this just by looking at this infernal machine, I would be sitting here for hours.

 

I do not have a smart phone, I- pad , or any other techy things, just do not understand them.

 

Perhaps the brochure will be available on board when I do my next cruise , QM2 the Grand Voyage leaving NY July 6th 2014. If there is anyone reading this that is travelling July 6th until July 28th, please post on the roll call , (these dates cover three cruises )

I've been reading Celebrity messages, because we will be trying that cruise line for the first time… Many posting about impossible phone service (being disconnected, not getting through at all, etc etc). Not dissimilar to the experience you described. Except maybe worse.

 

The world is becoming a large Target store, where there is no one in the back of the store to direct or help you.

 

It IS a frustration!

 

You are neither fuddy nor duddy to be put off!

 

Cunard, I admit, can be lacking in good customer service skills. It is no longer an expectation I have. Nonetheless, I do like traveling on their ships.

I hope their customer service improves in the future, because it IS important.

 

Happy Sailing to you, Jim'sGirl.

Yesterday may have been the worst day to call Cunard without a booking request. On Facebook they said they were having computer problems affecting call-in and Internet booking throughout the morning. I expect the call center was swamped for most of the day which might have triggered a rollover of new calls to the Princess booking agents, whether the Princess agents were aware of it or not.

For Jimsgirl...

I can feel your pain...gone are the days when we could telephone a company and actually be connected to a living, breathing person who answers the phone! DH and I are on the borderland between tech and no tech. We don't go out and buy the newest, fastest, high-powered gadgets when they come out in the market. Our adage is, if it's not broke, we don't need to replace it! Consequently, our "tech" items are quite outdated, being ten to fifteen years behind the times!

 

Like you, we prefer to mull over the now "antiquated" paper brochures and compare all the apples & oranges to find the best cruise for our annual week-long vacation. This is hard to do on a computer screen, even when you have several sites running at once. We love to study the deck plans in the paper brochures...the pages that show ALL the ship decks simultaneously...to make our cabin/category selections. This is very hard to do on the cruise line internet sites where only one deck is visible at a time.

 

I'm sorry that you had such a difficult time getting through to Cunard, but don't let what happens on land, cloud your opinion of a cruise line. In our experience, we've often found out that "corporate" offices and their internet websites ARE NOT the best indicators of a ship, cruise line, or onboard experience. It often is quite the contrary. I've gotten more answers to my never-ending questions right here, on these Cruise Critic Message Boards, from the past passengers who have actually been on the ship and/or to the Ports-Of-Call. Unfortunately, the Cruise Critic Members can't help you by mailing out the brochure you request.

 

I also know that some Cruise Lines monitor these Message Boards, so hopefully your concerns will be read by someone at Cunard (owned by Carnival Corporation), and be duly noted. AND...while on the subject, I'll share that I'm not in love with Cunard's website...it isn't as "user friendly" as other cruise lines that we've been involved with. I'm not sure why this is. We had a terrible time researching pre-cruise hotels and transfers that Cunard offered for our upcoming voyage...the website was very contradictory. And, even though we had a paper brochure...we learned when comparing information between the brochure and the website regarding passenger cabins...there were inconsistencies. So, Cunard...if you are reading this, please make note! Fortunately, there were other ways to obtain the information we needed before we "booked" everything...either via another website, through a phone call to our T.A., or our favorite source of information-right here on Cruise Critic!

 

I wish you the best in choosing your 2015 cruise. Vacations are meant to be anticipated, and much of that anticipation is in the planning. It definitely isn't fun to plan, when you encounter less-than-professional company representatives. Remember, your onboard experience will be the most memorable...it is all about the ship, the endearing staff dedicated to making your vacation special, and the fascinating people you meet onboard along with the vacation destinations themselves! HAPPY CRUISING!

 

Debjo

Edited March 28, 2014 by debjo

 

These are going on sail April 8th according to the brochure dept, which is really strange as I know cruisers who have already booked for May,

 

The bookings for May are for the 175th anniversary cruises which went on sale early.

The bookings for May are for the 175th anniversary cruises which went on sale early.

 

The "sale" of cruises seems to be a movable feast. I have two bookings for 2015 already, Apr 25 Eastbound TA on QV, changing ship in Southampton, and sailing back Westbound on QM2 May 3.

 

Neither of these are anniversary cruises, and I booked them early in March as the result of a small 9 page Special value brochure, reduced deposits, upgrade if you book a balcony cabin (which I have not done), OBC on both cruises with FREE Gratuities.

 

I was looking for additional cruises later in the year , May to December 2015.

 

I realize that I am out of date technically, but Cunard should offer would be passengers a CHOICE , and being honest, a brochure is more than dates, yes it is a publicity blurb but it does show more than just dates, the deck plans for instance, where you can see ALL the decks at once, and decide on your cabin whether it is above or below a public area. You cannot see this on just a web page.

 

My great grandchildren are 100 per cent "technical", so many electronic gadgets, a pity they are unable to function just be using their brains instead of a piece of plastic and wires.

They cannot add , subtract, divide or multiply without a calculator, and have no idea how to spell without a spell check (what ever happened to such mantras as "I before e except after c" etc), they cannot use a dictionary, and as for history, if they cannot find it on the web it did not happen.

BTW they are straight "A" students!!!!!

 

Obviously I should change my CC name to "Dinosaur".

Jimsgirl.....I know this isn't helpful, but I understand exactly. :)

I wish shore side service matched shipboard service.

 

I wish, when I call Cunard in the US (and I know that Princess, Cunard, and, on occasion, Holland America answers the phone) that the person has "Cunard" on the brain.

 

I wish that when I send Cunard evidence of my Carnival stock ownership I would get the courtesy of a confirmation that it was received and my benefit had been applied.

 

I wish that when I send Cunard evidence of my military service I would get the courtesy of a confirmation that it was received and my benefit had been applied.

 

“The older I get the more I admire and crave competence, just simple competence, in any field from adultery to zoology.” - H. L. Mencken

I so agree, Classiccruiser777!

 

You have ticked off some of our poor communication experiences with Cunard land service, while naming your own.

 

People say that Cunard pays attention to what is said on CC messages boards. Do you think that is true? Is so, I would think it would be easy for them to identify deficiencies and make moves to correct them…

 

As Underwatr notes: there can be reasons for a "bad day" ---which would be forgivable, if only Cunard's mediocre phone service in the USA wasn't the best they can do on "good days".

 

Meanwhile, I try to ignore service issues (on land) and just enjoy sailing on Cunard ships.

 

….I do think there has been some improvements on the Cunard website. Can't quite put my finger on "how improved" but finding various subject matter has seemed easier lately. Also, I emailed Cunard a question last month, which they did answer in a timely fashion…

 

 

Anyway seeing improvements on their website, maybe in time, their phone service does have a chance to improve. I hope so.