Cuan Law cancellation - be forewarned when you book

[Lucy's Diver]

My wife and I put money down early (for a discount) on a Cuan Law vacation that was scheduled for Dec. 7-13, 2008. We did this quite early for the discount with the understanding that if they didn't fill the boat, they would cancel. They did assure us, however, that they would use their best faith efforts to fill the boat, including stating in an e-mail to us that they would push the trip at the upcoming DEMA conference. We bought plane tickets that entail a significant change fee. Up through a few weeks ago they were four bookings short, but this was still before the DEMA and other industry conferences.

We got an email form them last week saying they were cancelling the cruise, I quote in part "We are very sorry, but with the gloomy economic news from the US this week we have decided to cancel the Dec 7-13 trip."

Now, if they just cancelled the trip outright I'd understand. They didn't actually cancel it. They now have it up on their web site now as a whole boat trip only, see Cuan Law Schedule.

It is apparent that they made the choice to cut out their individual bookings with the notion that they would more likely fill the boat with a dive shop or other such whole boat booking.

My problem with this is (a) tell us the truth in the first place, i.e. not that you're cancelling the trip but that you're making the economic choice to cut us out in favor of a more sure thing and (b) don't tell us you will make certain good faith efforts to fill the boat and then not. We did run the risk of the change fee (and annual leave bookings at work), but with the notion in mind that if the boat was going out we would be on it, and if the trip was cancelled it would be at the dock. That's kind of what a booking means to me, and under those circumstances I would accept that I lost the gamble.

I'd really like to book a Cuan Law vacation at some point. The problem is that there are other live aboards who handle their booking processes better. It is apparent that if I were to book this in the future I would have to spend the extra money for fully refundable plane tickets or a package (i.e.) dive shop sponsored trip.

We did, by the way, get trip insurance. That company does not want to cover this, which is a seperate gripe we are dealing with.

I have a thread going here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/lesser-antilles/253745-cuan-law-cancellation.html re our new plan, which is to go to the BVI and land base the vacation. I have no doubt this will end up being more money and less diving.

 

[deepstops]

Sure seems like a bait and switch ploy.

 

[Jasonmh]

I feel for your situation, but I think you might be misunderstanding what you are seeing on the website. It shows that the whole boat is available for that week, not booked for that week. They marked it as "whole boat only" meaning that they are LOOKING for someone to rent the whole boat, not that they bumped you for another party. If they don't get enough bookings to cover expenses, they will cancel. I take that as them saying that they really need the boat to be filled to go out.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

I realize that they are looking for a whole boat booking that week, and are not currently filled.

That means that they think that they have a better chance of getting a full boat booking (like through a dive shop charter for instance) than finding four more people on our original charter, which is what they needed. My point is that I would like to think that given existing bookings (i.e. ours) their efforts should have been directed at finding four people to fill the boat rather than dropping us and looking for a full boat charter. If their thought is that they are highly unlikely to fill the boat anyway, then why even post it as a whole boat charter? If they think they will stay at the dock that week then at least give it through after the DEMA conference and then cancel totally. In other words, give us a drop dead date, like maybe 60 or 45 days out, and say we're cancelling totally if we don't fill the boat, so you'll need to make other plans.

Dropping us then making apparent efforts to fill the boat with a full boat charter the problem. It makes me wonder if the dynamics of the industry favor whole boat charters.

 

[Jasonmh]

Ahh, I hear ya. I thought you were saying that they bumped you for another customer. Yes, at only 4 more people you would think they could come up with that.

 

[DeputyDan]

Sorry to disappoint but this same situation with this same operation has been posted here before.

They are not on my future "to do" list because of it.

The only surprise to me is that they booked you separately in the first place.

 

[deepstops]

I wonder if the fact they advertise on C-D-N-N causes this behavior

 

[robint]

To me it sounds to me like this boat has an agreement with certain dive shops or travel agencies to have a priority to book the whole boat. I don't think it is fair... they shouldn't have let you book independently if they planned to bump you in favor of a group. I wouldn't ever use them for that reason, there are too many other liveaboards out there who don't do that kind of crap.
On our 2 Nekton trips the boat was not full and the boat still went out. Our first trip had 26 (boat is full at 30), and the second trip we only had 16 people! On our Palau trip on the Eco Explorer last Dec, we had only 10-15 divers depending on the day (some left early and some arrived mid-week) and that boat is full at 24. That is the way a liveaboard should work - even if only half-booked, the boat should go out.

we have had a boat canceled out in Calif once because only 10 people booked and they needed 14 to go out for a day trip. We didn't find out until the day before at 5pm so we had to scramble to get other arrangements for the day. Luckily another boat had 2 openings! It was only a Day trip .... I can't imagine how mad I would have been if it was a week long trip.

On the bright side: At least you had plenty of time to make other arrangements!

robin

 

[AlaskaDiver]

That's so lame! The perceived state of the economy is an excuse for Cuan Law to be greedy.

 

[Damselfish]

that's too bad. This boat has been on my wish list for awhile, actually had my eye on a charter next spring, but having my doubts now.

Once word gets around games like this discourage bookings and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.