Cancelled/postponed trips due to COVID - please share your outcomes

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Sounds like a good result. Are they allowing you to rebook?

could you elaborate a little on how the 'situation is complex' for Damai and Equator?

Well at least complex based on my limited understanding of how this all works. Equator Diving booked that charter as others here on SB had tried to point out the distinction to me. The reason I didn't have much success initially speaking with Dive Damai was because I'm not really their client, Equator is. So they were redirecting me to Equator every time I reached out since Equator is who is holding the charter. I am relieved that this wasn't a Dive Damai issue as my experience with them had been amazing and still the best boat operation I've ever been on, but now I understand why they couldn't directly help me the way I wanted and I needed to deal with Equator.

While I am still not able to get refunded thru Equator, Equator is helping me with the paperwork involved with making my claim. And ultimately that's all I really wanted was help. I am hopeful that the claim will be approved considering that I took out the policy over a year ago. I guess the next step in this saga is hoping that the insurance company steps up and after years of paying out premiums with never making a claim, they now do the right thing and take care of us when we need them the most. Especially since Americans don't have the same consumer protection guarantees and laws that Europeans do. Fingers crossed
 
Well at least complex based on my limited understanding of how this all works. Equator Diving booked that charter as others here on SB had tried to point out the distinction to me. The reason I didn't have much success initially speaking with Dive Damai was because I'm not really their client, Equator is. So they were redirecting me to Equator every time I reached out since Equator is who is holding the charter. I am relieved that this wasn't a Dive Damai issue as my experience with them had been amazing and still the best boat operation I've ever been on, but now I understand why they couldn't directly help me the way I wanted and I needed to deal with Equator.

While I am still not able to get refunded thru Equator, Equator is helping me with the paperwork involved with making my claim. And ultimately that's all I really wanted was help. I am hopeful that the claim will be approved considering that I took out the policy over a year ago. I guess the next step in this saga is hoping that the insurance company steps up and after years of paying out premiums with never making a claim, they now do the right thing and take care of us when we need them the most. Especially since Americans don't have the same consumer protection guarantees and laws that Europeans do. Fingers crossed
Glad things look to be working out for you. Since last year, I have been on a few Equator charters and have met many of their customers who have used them for years and speak highly of them. I have a few trips booked with them this year as well as next year so I hope everything turns out well.
 
I guess the next step in this saga is hoping that the insurance company steps up and after years of paying out premiums with never making a claim, they now do the right thing and take care of us when we need them the most. Especially since Americans don't have the same consumer protection guarantees and laws that Europeans do. Fingers crossed

I hate to be the one to bear the bad news but if their intention is to be more flexible about it, it would have been announced by now. They don’t make money paying claims but it could be good marketing if they did change their policy.... They will otherwise likely stick to their normal terms and conditions. As for insurance...check your fine print. If they exclude health situations/pandemics/epidemics then this one won’t be covered because all the events unfolding are related or caused by one. If it does cover, you’ll need to know when your insurance company considered it a known event and that would be the deadline you would have had to purchase your policy by and in some cases, booked your trip by. There might also be guidelines on how many days before thewarning/advisory/situation developed you must have also had the policy active for (often times 30 days or more). When in doubt, check the fine print. My guess is the vast majority won’t cover this and only a few will. If you have cancel for any reason insurance, this would be covered which is nice.

I might be able to get mine approved based on a technicality but we will see....
 
Canadian? Owner of the Nautilus? As a business owner if you are referring to the T&C's you have already lost the conversation. If you can't afford a rebook or refund, you need to examine your business model. Simple.

why would I chastise the nautilus publicly on this forum for only offering 40% rebooking as opposed to full credit if I was the owner of the nautilus?

find your conspiracies elsewhere please.
 
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Well at least complex based on my limited understanding of how this all works. Equator Diving booked that charter as others here on SB had tried to point out the distinction to me. The reason I didn't have much success initially speaking with Dive Damai was because I'm not really their client, Equator is. So they were redirecting me to Equator every time I reached out since Equator is who is holding the charter. I am relieved that this wasn't a Dive Damai issue as my experience with them had been amazing and still the best boat operation I've ever been on, but now I understand why they couldn't directly help me the way I wanted and I needed to deal with Equator.

While I am still not able to get refunded thru Equator, Equator is helping me with the paperwork involved with making my claim. And ultimately that's all I really wanted was help. I am hopeful that the claim will be approved considering that I took out the policy over a year ago. I guess the next step in this saga is hoping that the insurance company steps up and after years of paying out premiums with never making a claim, they now do the right thing and take care of us when we need them the most. Especially since Americans don't have the same consumer protection guarantees and laws that Europeans do. Fingers crossed


Thanks for the clarification, vindicates DAMAI, but still not completely clear on Equator. Are DAMAI agreeing to rebook but equator are not? Or are equator agreeing to rebook but not refund ( which would be understandable)
 
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Hi. This is Alberto, one of the owners of DAMAI .


I had today a phone conversation with Ben, the owner of Equator diving and Jose, one of the guests who has been sharing his difficulty here with all of you.


I believe that the matter is better understood now by all and it seems that all are moving forward towards the same goal and we will have all back with us in May 2023. thank you all


I am not a friend myself of interfering with guests’ views and opinions as we would obviously be bias and would not bring very objective perspectives into it. and I intend to go back to my silent mode, but before that I want to thank Equator diving for the trust they have had with us over the years,

(in case there was any doubt, a voucher had been offered since day one and sent to them, with a fee applied as previously explained), I am very sure that have tried their very best with total dedication to find the best solution for their guest and also I must thank the group who booked through them, (Jose, his wife and friend)i, because not only they have showed us they are understanding and expressed solidarity but they have also insisted in re-booking again DAMAI.


I also thank all previous guests who in these series of posts have shared their experiences with the community.


As for those who disprove of our actions and policies, we respect your views and obviously do not share them.



We do and will do all we need to protect our crew, their families and our guest, fortunately for us, the vast majority understand that this will be a team effort. we rather charge a fee and keep them than re-book for free and fire them, it is not that Indonesia offers them much unemployment protection.


Gracias a todos y a cuidarse mucho


Stay safe



i go back in silent mode
 
Liveaboard trip booked in Raja Ampat with Calico Jack departing on 29-March. Boat offered to reschedule in next 3 years so that's good.

Flights been booked with Swiss Airlines and Garuda.
Swiss cancelled flights and will do full refund.

Garuda Indonesia only offering voucher to be used until March 2021. Not happy with that as unlikely we'll be able to use it by the deadline and it's £2K flights for us. Luckily it seems we are covered by travel insurance for this.

For the future Garuda will go on my less preferred airlines list. Whilst they are not bad to fly with, their response during these crisis times was very amateurish; no refunds, local London office not wanting to deal with my booking because it's been booked online etc. I'll stick to better regulated airlines.

3 years! That is a much bigger window than what many are offering (1 year?). That's great. I'm glad it is working out.

I'm not so crazy about the idea of being willing to put up the delta money in the future.

Whilst a company keeping my money is unlikely to be investing my money in a growth account, the time value of money says to me, that I shouldn't have to fork over another couple of hundred for my rebooked trip, when it's force majeure.

I agree with you as I prefer to NOT put more down, but if it is between not putting up the delta and the company possibly going out of business and everyone loses or putting up a little and everyone wins, it is the lesser of two evils.

I got my Aggressor voucher this morning.
 
Update..

The liveaboard our half charter was scheduled to be on was still fighting us on a reschedule, even for those in our group that can't physically come into the country due to their government imposing a blanket ban for travelers from their home country.

What makes it more aggravating was a statement on their website to attract new business but their stance completely still bends our half charter over when we booked May 2019.....
--------------------
"In connection with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we believe that reducing the risks is the only measure we can do to give some reassurance to our clients.
That’s the reason why for new bookings only (made between 8 March and 8 May 2020): we implement the following:
  • ✔︎ Free reschedule within 2 years of the date of the booking if one or several problems*** occur due to Coronavirus
  • In order to reschedule, notification, and official statement must be emailed us at least one week before the departure of the selected cruise(s)
  • ✔︎ Reschedule applies ONLY to the liveaboard part of your booking.
  • ✔︎ Flights, hotels, transfer or any other service NOT provided by [liveaboard operator] are not our responsibility.
  • ✔︎ We strongly recommend planning the journey flying with airlines that implement a cancellation/free reschedule policy (such as Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines, Air France, KLM, etc…).
-----

*** Impossibility to fly to Indonesia due to all flights cancelation to destination, impossibility to leave the country of origin due to regulation, impossibility to enter Indonesia due to regulation, an official warning from your government not to fly to Indonesia."
------------

A twist of events which I hope will force their hand..our sailing was to start in early April and we fall firmly within the closure dates of Raja Ampat which was just announced. I will keep you posted and am still waiting to share the operator once everything is final.

Raja Ampat closed March 23 - April 5
 
Really? Which airline do you plan to use when you're finally able to go to Raja?

I'll probably still take Garuda flight for Jakarta to Sorong leg (I figure local lowcoster alternatives won't be any better), but not for long-haul London - Jakarta. Just to minimise the amount of money potentially lost; EU airline would do the refund no questions asked in the situation whereas Garuda blankly said no refunds even though they won't let me board the plane at the moment.
 

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