CRUISE REFUND RECEIVED

[Vampiress88]

Part of me can understand why it’s taken so long for the refund 

 

what I don’t understand is the lack of communication. Most customers will understand if you are honest and explained the situation. It’s when you are basically lied to that people get annoyed. 
 

I work for a massive telecommunications company. In the first few weeks we had 4 people in, including me, and usually there is more than 40. Loads were in self isolation etc. I was surprised that we couldn’t just work from home. It took till 2nd May for me to work from home. They first started on 22nd April rolling it out. 
At home I cant take payments. The credits have to be sent off. These things can only be done from the building as it isn’t legal for me to take them so some people have had to stay behind and go into the building. 
we had lots of unforeseen issues. 
these were things that as someone who has worked there for 11 years would never have thought would be issues. 
 

these are the things I understand with other companies but tell the customer. I was and always am straight with mine as people don’t like you to beat about the bush etc. 
 

im glad I have my refund. 
I would and will cruise with p&o again. 
but I have had issues with lots of companies before and I am under no illusions of how they can be. I’m not a fan. I go where the prices are right. 
 

I really hope that now the ball is rolling that it continues but they need to pick up pace. 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Cruising Nomads said:

Refund Received.

Cruise R006

Phoned 19/03/20

No other contact.

Money in Bank 15/05/20

Booked Direct with P&O

Good news.

[bobstheboy]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Bob phone again, ask for it to be escalated, tell them it's Day 64 or whatever.  Ask to give your bank details.  Much quicker than a cheque.  Don't knowo about you but cheques are a pain for us.  We are 18 miles from the nearest bank and I certainly wouldn't want to post it - can you imagine?

 

Or email helen.lamb@carnivalukgroup.com  She sorted out mine.

Jean.  Many thanks for email address. I will email the lady, fed up with getting the runaround on the phone.

[AndyMichelle]

20 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I am feeling quietly confident that you and grapau27 will both receive your refunds within the next few days Andy. The flood gates appear at last to have opened (or it may be that the water is simply flowing over the top!) and you have both been waiting a ridiculously long time and have shown great patience. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for both of you. 

Thank you Selborne, hope you are right. 

The last bit of fobbing off I had said they were going to combine my 2 refunds, which, if they choose the later cancellation date, the 60 days is the end of May, so I am not holding out too much hope just yet... 

That would make the first one just under 90 days... That's not taking in to account working days... 

Who knows when I will get my money, but just glad to see others are getting theirs. 

Andy 

[AndyMichelle]

12 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I have rung them a few times, last time last Thursday. All the lady would confirm was that we were due a refund. Would not  discuss time frame, just it would arrive by cheque. She refused my request to speak to management or give me a direct email address of a manager.

 

Day 64.

Same here Bob, if they do tell me anything I don't believe them now. 

I believe Jean and Graham were also told they would be getting a cheque, but then contacted for bank details.. 

Andy 

[No pager thank you]

On the topic of if, how far, and to what extent one blames P&O for the debacle, a few points to consider:

 

1) If this was logistics only, then why will P&O not take the stress away from people with August and September Cruises, with shortened final balance payment dates, like Fred?

 

2) If the debacle is volume-driven, then this would be far less if P&O had allowed customers to transfer cancelled balances (even at 100pc of needs be) on to already booked sailings?

 

3) Why are P&O continuing to cite the availability of refunds on social media, however slow, as a discretionary benefit?

 

Partly the answers are rhetorical.

 

However, I do think those coming at this from the "every sympathy with P&O," "they are trying their best for customers" angle might want to reconsider.  Not saying that you cannot still reach the same conclusion or that you might still want to book with them again for any number of good reasons but....? 

 

This is not to say they are necessarily the best or worst travel company put there either, but I would simply ask are you sure that the three points above are outside of the group companies control?

[peteukmcr]

16 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

 

Andy try Helen Lamb.  helen.lamb@carnivalukgroup.com  Tell her how many days it is.  Cruise ref, DOB, address etc.

She's been out of office for the past few days according to the auto email response, and is back on Tuesday, 19th.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, peteukmcr said:

I first went to Florida in 1980, so have lost count of the number of times I’ve crossed the pond. Taking into consideration when cruising from Florida we invariably spend time pre and post cruise there, so that’s at least 20 visits between 1980 and 2004 when we started this addiction 😄 plus separate land based visits. 

 

We have spent as little as 7 days there visiting friends.

As an aside my first visit was for 3 weeks in 1980 and the cost was £463.00 (I still have the receipt from Arrowsmith) and that included return flights with Laker, and 3 weeks accommodation in the Holiday Inn Hollywood Beach, I believe it’s now a DoubleTree by Hilton. 

We only cruised once from Port Canaveral the other times were hotel stays.

The shopping and the steakhouses are out reasons for going there, usually Thanksgiving or January.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, peteukmcr said:

 

We have spent as little as 7 days there visiting friends.

My "record" short stay was 18 hours!

[grapau27]

47 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I am feeling quietly confident that you and grapau27 will both receive your refunds within the next few days Andy. The flood gates appear at last to have opened (or it may be that the water is simply flowing over the top!) and you have both been waiting a ridiculously long time and have shown great patience. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for both of you. 

Thanks Selbourne.

The 7 working days I was told for my refund is up on Wednesday 

68 days since cancellation.

Graham.

[grapau27]

29 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

Part of me can understand why it’s taken so long for the refund 

 

what I don’t understand is the lack of communication. Most customers will understand if you are honest and explained the situation. It’s when you are basically lied to that people get annoyed. 
 

I work for a massive telecommunications company. In the first few weeks we had 4 people in, including me, and usually there is more than 40. Loads were in self isolation etc. I was surprised that we couldn’t just work from home. It took till 2nd May for me to work from home. They first started on 22nd April rolling it out. 
At home I cant take payments. The credits have to be sent off. These things can only be done from the building as it isn’t legal for me to take them so some people have had to stay behind and go into the building. 
we had lots of unforeseen issues. 
these were things that as someone who has worked there for 11 years would never have thought would be issues. 
 

these are the things I understand with other companies but tell the customer. I was and always am straight with mine as people don’t like you to beat about the bush etc. 
 

im glad I have my refund. 
I would and will cruise with p&o again. 
but I have had issues with lots of companies before and I am under no illusions of how they can be. I’m not a fan. I go where the prices are right. 
 

I really hope that now the ball is rolling that it continues but they need to pick up pace. 

Exactly.

If they were honest we wouldn't necessarily like the answer but would understand and give them some slack.

Being lied to and stonewalled with every question we asked especially having been cut off several times then waiting up to 75 minutes on hold to get through is awful customer service.

[No pager thank you]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Firstly, could it be that another batch of cancellations are looming and they have realised that if they didn’t start to process the first few batches of refunds at pace they would be overwhelmed? Secondly, will this sudden flurry of refunds continue at this pace indefinitely or, when the first batches are completed, will they then slow down to a trickle again, making those requesting refunds from the next round of cancellations wait 60 days plus for their refunds?

Very good points.  If I may say so, your recent posts appear to share my own "healthy skepticism," towards what is going on in Southampton at the moment.

 

First, if P&O does not wish to be overwhelmed, then it makes sense to hold tight for a while and clear some of the backlog before announcing the next wave.  The cynic in me suggests some sort of choreography with the Summer 2022/23 brochure launch.  Many people won't want the stress of a refund, hence will book another cruise so as to be able to get on with their lives and their other stresses at this difficult time.

 

Second, it does appear fair to say that if the current rate of progress over the last three days was maintained continually, which would also appear a reasonable expectation on P&O terms, then aged debt on the refunds would eventually slip beneath 60 days.  However, I hope to be wrong on this, but given the pain has already been inflicted around 60 days plus, and since no one is watching/regulating, then why can't 60 become the new 14; particularly if the P&O fan club buy it - no questions asked?  

 

Time will tell.

[grapau27]

26 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Same here Bob, if they do tell me anything I don't believe them now. 

I believe Jean and Graham were also told they would be getting a cheque, but then contacted for bank details.. 

Andy 

That's correct we were told we would get a cheque,now we are waiting for a Bacs.

[taylor1998]

1 hour ago, peteukmcr said:

I used 2 cards, the deposit on 1 and the balance on another (not sure why I used 2). The balance was back on 1 card slightly before the other so that's no doubt down to the processing cycle of the credit card company. I'm confident you will get the rest on your other card.

 

Hopefully tomorrow as it will be nearly 5 days since first amount went back on card

 

[Mc_Cruiser]

I requested a refund on 16th March, the day the cruise was cancelled. I've been checking pretty much daily and I now see a full cruise refund is showing on my credit card dated Tuesday 12th May (but wasn't showing on Friday 15th which was 60 days from the request). Still haven't got the shore excursion or flight extras yet. I managed to cancel all but 1 but the online system was not working to cancel the last one. P&O initially said any excursions would be automaticaly refunded after 45 days, but then sent another refund email on 3rd April to claim excursions and flight extras with another 60 day refund policy, so now on day 44 on that one, but very happy to get the main refund. 

If anyone from P&O is monitoring this thread, please look at your communications policies, why not send some updates to your customers informing of the process of refunds, I've not had anything other that general emails on making cocktails and booking future cruises. 

[jeanlyon]

That would be correct.  They posted to the cc on the 12th, but it takes about 3 days to show on your card.

[PandNo Refund]

I wonder how many refunds will land overnight...

[Bin man]

Has anybody actually had a cheque sent or has it been back to a card or bacs payment ?

[grapau27]

23 minutes ago, PandNo Refund said:

I wonder how many refunds will land overnight...

It will be 7 days tomorrow since I was emailed and told we were getting a Bacs but it said 7 working days so probably Wednesday but will be pleasantly relieved if it turns up tomorrow.

[No pager thank you]

1 hour ago, PandNo Refund said:

I wonder how many refunds will land overnight...

Overnight, quite a few, and I hope everyone on here.

 

Next few days, same.

 

Then, noise dampened down, fewer until magic day 60 re-emerges, just a guess!

[Manx buoy]

8 hours ago, Bin man said:

Has anybody actually had a cheque sent or has it been back to a card or bacs payment ?

We had one but it was for extra travel expenses after flying us back to Manchester instead of sailing to Southampton and was asked for well after all the cruise refunds and received after a few days waiting. 

[grapau27]

Nothing arrived overnight.

Day 66.

[devonuk]

On 5/16/2020 at 5:39 PM, RICO72 said:

As you'll all see from my post count, I infrequently post on this forum but follow it quite religiously for the wonderful advice and knowledge that exists from most. I though I would add my experience for anyone's interest.

 

I booked direct last year for a sailing on 28th March 2020.

 

Paid in full on 2 separate cards - one for deposit, one for the balance.

 

Upon receiving the P&O e-mail cancellation for my cruise on Monday 16th March, I completed the online form requesting full refund within a few hours on that day.

 

Received first e-mail cancellation booking notification on 20th March - the one that said the next invoice would have charges but to disregard as we would get a full refund.

 

Received that 'incorrect' invoice on e-mail on the 25th March.

 

Received full refund back on the 2 original payment cards on Friday 15th May.

 

 

Not once have I made contact in any way with P&O since this whole debacle began. That doesn't mean I didn't care - I did but had a multitude of other concerns that were needing my attention also. I have checked this forum thread virtually every day to update myself on others' progress and felt that I may wind myself up further if I posted in my angst. I am blessed that the money, although significant, was not required back within the original 45 days stated on the screen when I cancelled. I sat tight and watched it all play out. 

 

My feelings now ? Well, first and foremost I'm glad to have the monies returned and pray that all others affected will get the same in the coming days. Do I think these are unprecedented times and a wait of many, many weeks was inevitable ? YES. Am I happy with how P&O have handled this ? NO, not one jot. The complete lack of communication on how things were proceeding was horrendously bad. I would most definitely have been calmer with at least some knowledge of how they were processing claims - date of cruise order, date of cancellation etc. The process seems completely random to me. Will I cruise with them again ? Possibly, at the right price but one takes time to forget a poor customer experience and there are 'other fish in the sea'.

 

All the best everyone.

 

Exactly the same cruise and claim/email timeline as mine yet I’m still to receive my refund 😞

Ah well, there’s always tomorrow 😡 

[alpha whiskey]

1 hour ago, devonuk said:

Exactly the same cruise and claim/email timeline as mine yet I’m still to receive my refund 😞

Ah well, there’s always tomorrow 😡 

I was also booked on the same cruise; have exactly the same timeline; have received nothing. Only difference is that I booked with a TA. 

[P&O SUE]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Nothing arrived overnight.

Day 66.

😢