A quick note from DAMAI:
we never use platforms as Scubaboard to debate with guests, in the end we all have our own views and opinions and so should be. But in this unique occasion we are forced to reply as what this person has stated is unjustified, defamatory, and untrue.
We will just reply to this specific post and unless there are more posts stating facts that are incorrect and damaging, we will be not engage in further discussions and be back to what we should be doing: taking care of our guests and our crew
To state that "
is absolutely
FALSE.
Anyone who has been with us and anyone who knows us is perfectly aware that we do take care of our gusst in the best possible way.
- It is false that DAMAi has cancelled any trip, we still have our vessel's ready and the crew as well.Of course we recognized the difficulties for many to arrive to the harbor and the impossibility with others and we were in communication with the agent who chartered the vessel to find alternatives
- It is ABSOLUTELY FALSE that we have not offered any alternative and decided to keep with a 100% of the funds collected from the trip
We take this accusations very serious and cannot let them unanswered.
We understand our guests’ concerns regarding their upcoming trip. We also hold our agent partnerships and the satisfaction of all guests to be an extremely important element of our current and future business. The safety of all passengers as well as our crew must always be the first priority.
We have always advised everyone to take out full trip cancellation insurance for events such as these (
Terms & Conditions | Dive Damai .
When there is a travel lockdown then this insurance will be claimable. Unfortunately no operator is in a financial position to pay their overheads through a crisis such as this whilst giving full refunds for trips that are cancelled so close to the departure date. The vessel and company MUST remain in operation while there are no guests that are able to travel on our trips. Maybe that will be in a few weeks week or maybe in months, We just do not know.
Our cancellation policy is very clear set out in our terms and Conditions. It is also why we highlight the need for all our guests to take out trip cancellation insurance. My partners and I have been operating in this business in Indonesia for over twenty years and have seen many travel crises in that time including the SARS pandemic.
It is our goal and responsibility to remain solvent through this next crisis. This will enable us to fulfill our obligations to customers after the crisis ends. We made a decision that the best course of action was to offer the option of compensation to those who are unable to travel due to the lockdown through issuing a credit note/voucher. This will enable our guests, if they wish to follow this route, to have more flexibility to book again in the future or indeed transfer the voucher to someone else for remuneration.
However, we have overheads that are constant even if we are not cruising; such as staff salaries, licenses and clearances, office costs etc
We find it fair that a part of these overheads should to be subtracted from the total amount collected.
This will allow DAMAI to keep all our crew employed without having to reduce their salaries and thus reassuring their well being, that of their family and their loyalty towards YOU, OUR GUESTS.
this is our first priority at this time: the crew, keep their salaries intact for a s long as we can and make sure they and their families are well looked after in a country with little no no benefit and with a not very well established heath care system. it is not for no reason that we decide to impose a re-booking fee
So, to make it very simple:
DAMAI is indeed offering the possibility to reschedule all existing bookings affected by the horrible crisis, and we do provide and /or have already provided vouchers to all affected parties.
We also agreed, that when the time comes for guests affected to redeem these vouchers, their new trips will be quoted at cost and not with the published rate.Again, DAMAI will not be profiting from this,
The truth is DAMAI, as many other small companies, will have to spend tens of thousands of dollars from tto cover and absorb the vast majority of the costs associated to these cancellations, while having little to no collections Guests, could have the opportunity to claim, either partially or their entire trip from their insurance.
we have proof time after time that we take care of our guest, that we are decent and honest and wehn adversity has come, we have not spared efforts, time or money and always put our guests and crew's interests before ours.
One is of course entitle to express their opinions and to disagree with out policies or with others, this does not give the right to anyone to state
FALSE ACCUSATIONS, less in these sad and tough times for all of us.
We do expect an apology from the person witting such a defamatory statement and of course, if required we will also invest time and efforts to peruse any appropriate action, once this situation is over, to claim responsibilities to those who spread false accusation with the sole purpose to damage the reputation of our small family business.
it is clearly nobody's fault that we are going through these challenging moments to all of us, but it is also vert clear that we are not legal responsible for the expenses of guests.
We could of course argue that we do have moral obligations; but why should any company have to cover for the losses experienced by a traveler who freely decided not to buy any travel insurance?
We will have to make our very best to go though these period of uncertainty with our heads well up and proud of how we do it.
Sincerely
THE DAMAI FAMILY
