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Excellent service from Cunard phone rep


bluemarble
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I just called the US Cunard customer service phone line to request a price drop I noticed for an upcoming voyage that I had booked myself through Cunard's web site. As expected, the price drop was for new bookings only which meant we had to cancel my existing booking and create a new one. Complicating matters was that I had a series of linked bookings for three consecutive 7-day voyages all carefully worked out to be in the same cabin. Also, the booking to be recreated had some "past passenger" OBC that took extra work to get transferred to my new booking. The phone rep I worked with went above and beyond to make sure I was able to get the price drop, stay in the same cabin, and keep that original OBC which technically did not apply now to the terms of a new booking.

 

We often hear about poor customer service from Cunard phone reps on this forum (and rightly so it seems). But I felt it would be good to acknowledge here this case of excellent customer service from Cunard that I just received.

 

Regards, John

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I agree that often, even usually, their telephone customer service leaves much to be desired. But sometimes, you get a telephone rep that really tries their very best to assist, and yes, goes right beyond their call of duty to ensure things “work” for the us, the customer.

 

Very right and proper to acknowledge this. And great news that you managed to achieve what you hoped for.

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That is great to hear, we got the usual talking up from Cunard's UK phone rep recently when we booked our last QM2 Caribbean hol . We went last November. We booked an A2 and were told "you will be upgraded to an A1 or PG cabin if an A1 isn't available" not a maybe. Of course it never happened. Assuming these calls are recorded I'm surprised they make these rash claims.

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I get the sense, that CUNARD phone representatives / service in the US is very different from that in the UK ? Which is odd, isn't it.? I have NEVER had anything but kind and helpful and gracious persons to assist me, when I call the US #. And this is over a span of a number of years.

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They are normally, though not always polite, but they have often given us totally incorrect information.

 

Many have never set foot on a ship, certainly not actually cruised on one, and what they claim, bears no resemblence to what actually happens on board.

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I haven't had cause to call very often but when I have they have always been very helpful and dealt with my query there and then.

 

 

 

You’re very lucky then Hattie. In my experience the customer service personnel are expected to deal with all manner of queries and are not trained to do so or have the proper systems in place. An example of this is that I received a computer generated email confirming a wait list excursion was available and I should dial a number given on the email to book it. My TA dialled the number and discovered it was customer services. She had to wait 5 hours for the call to be answered and the staff member was unable to assist. Needless to say I lost the excursion.

 

 

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I had a personal cruise consultant for several years and found her to be extremely helpful. Unfortunately, she left and every time I called Cunard for help I received misinformation from the person at the other end. On one occasion the woman looked at a future booking of mine, which wasn't the reason for my call, and dropped off my deposit. She fixed it but knocked off some onboard credit on my account for that booking. I had to argue with a supervisor to put it back on my account. I could enumerate the various occasions I dealt with the misinformed Cunard consultants but I won't. I no longer call Cunard directly for help. I deal with an outside agency who has been more than wonderful.

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They are normally, though not always polite, but they have often given us totally incorrect information.

 

Many have never set foot on a ship, certainly not actually cruised on one, and what they claim, bears no resemblence to what actually happens on board.

 

Then you need to get your self a 'Cunard Personal cruise Agent' ( which is surprising, considering you remind us you often travel in the Grills)

 

As a solo traveller I've never had a problem ( 35 voyages plus) and always have had extremely good service with personal attention, both pre and post cruise.

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Then you need to get your self a 'Cunard Personal cruise Agent' ( which is surprising, considering you remind us you often travel in the Grills)

 

As a solo traveller I've never had a problem ( 35 voyages plus) and always have had extremely good service with personal attention, both pre and post cruise.

Thank you for your suggestion.

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I just called the US Cunard customer service phone line to request a price drop I noticed for an upcoming voyage that I had booked myself through Cunard's web site. As expected, the price drop was for new bookings only which meant we had to cancel my existing booking and create a new one. Complicating matters was that I had a series of linked bookings for three consecutive 7-day voyages all carefully worked out to be in the same cabin. Also, the booking to be recreated had some "past passenger" OBC that took extra work to get transferred to my new booking. The phone rep I worked with went above and beyond to make sure I was able to get the price drop, stay in the same cabin, and keep that original OBC which technically did not apply now to the terms of a new booking.

 

We often hear about poor customer service from Cunard phone reps on this forum (and rightly so it seems). But I felt it would be good to acknowledge here this case of excellent customer service from Cunard that I just received.

 

Regards, John

 

Fully Concur, it's good to hear positive feedback like this.

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Then you need to get your self a 'Cunard Personal cruise Agent' ( which is surprising, considering you remind us you often travel in the Grills)

 

As a solo traveller I've never had a problem ( 35 voyages plus) and always have had extremely good service with personal attention, both pre and post cruise.

 

I love your style Bell Boy: Top Dollar. :evilsmile::evilsmile:

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  • 1 month later...

I went the obvious route of contacting customer relations with Cunard, for the purpose of beginning plans for our family to travel transatlantically this summer. I explained I had travelled many times on the QE2 as a young girl, and was thrilled to now be introducing my family to the majesty of it all. The 1st Rep kindly got my "world Club #" easily, but as she left her position with Cunard, I was transferred to a very unfriendly individual I guess she found me tedious as she couldn't find my # and I had misplaced it. (Somehow the 1st Rep had no issues hunting it down with Family's info etc) I even went so far as to describe our memories of the infamous Dennis on the Queen's Grill Deck, all to no avail. My Parents adored taking us on the QE2, and here, a large young family is delighted to become equally as addicted, but Cunard seems to offer no semblance of a welcome back! I tried Twitter and days later, got the #1-800. Any suggestions as to how to find someone who both knows how best to get a large family the best accommodations/rates/flights etc, with a grace, efficiency and charm one would expect still exists with Cunard?

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Fully Concur, it's good to hear positive feedback like this.
.please advise the best route to finding someone with Cunard, who can assist in navigating the planning of a journey for a family who wish to travel on the Queen’s Grill level? I crossed transatlanticly over 10 times on the QE2 with my family and have a World Club # but need someone who can really get my own family off to a whole new tradition of travel.
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Although the only cruises I book nowadays are for myself and my wife (we're my favourite customers don't you know), I can say with 38 years experience "in the business" that the Cunard reservations centre in the U.S., at least, is as helpful and professional as any in the travel trade. It's the one clear cut improvement since Carnival took over. I had an agent spend a lot of time and effort rebooking us on QE for this August when the price for our Princess Grill cabin went down considerably from that originally booked. She couldn't be more gracious and helpful. You still can't beat having an old fashioned war horse travel agent to work on your behalf but we're kinda thin on the ground by now.

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Time to pay the balance of my cruise today and no one is answering the phone!!*

 

I also have various horror stories of incorrect information and fibs.

 

* I know I can do it online but I don't trust it.

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I get the sense, that CUNARD phone representatives / service in the US is very different from that in the UK ? Which is odd, isn't it.? I have NEVER had anything but kind and helpful and gracious persons to assist me, when I call the US #. And this is over a span of a number of years.

 

I live in the US and I think the calls go to California. I haven't called that often however, except for one time when I wasn't happy with the result they have always been helpful.

 

FYI, the result I was not happy with was when I booked online with a big box travel agent and they didn't tell me the deposit was non-refundable. I had booked over Thanksgiving weekend and it was several hundred dollars cheaper. Cunard was not willing to refund the deposit if I cancelled.

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I live in the US and I think the calls go to California. I haven't called that often however, except for one time when I wasn't happy with the result they have always been helpful.

 

 

 

FYI, the result I was not happy with was when I booked online with a big box travel agent and they didn't tell me the deposit was non-refundable. I had booked over Thanksgiving weekend and it was several hundred dollars cheaper. Cunard was not willing to refund the deposit if I cancelled.

 

 

 

Unfortunately we in the uk never get our deposit refunded under any circumstances.

 

 

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I have been very lucky to work with two agents named Fiona and Barry, just in the last week.

Fiona helped me find my old customer information and book at virtually the last minute. Barry helped arrange a split booking for my husband.

Each was cheerful, without a hint that I was a bother.

Kudos, Cunard!

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