Lucy's Diver
Contributor
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.
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.