Cuan Law cancellation - be forewarned when you book

[DiveMaven]

I appreciate the answer from Anne, and if we ever decide to look at the Cuan Law in the future, we'll try to book a trip that already has at least 6 other divers already booked to ensure our trip is a "go". It's nice to know before booking what the minimum is so as to avoid disappointment.

The US economic woes are now affecting the markets world-wide with Europe having their own Black Friday today. The tourism industry will likely take the hardest hit (as they usually do) and it'll be sad to see great companies go out of business as the markets take their sweet time to rebound.

Now what I want to know is if the fricken airlines instituted those stupid baggage charges because oil/gas was so expensive, what's their excuse now that oil is down to $83 a barrel?? Talk about greed....hefty ticket prices with nickel and dimeing on top. ARGH!

 

[Scared Silly]

Within the past hour I read an article on another scuba news website that addressed this issue. The article opened with these sentences:

"When you go to a movie and only three other people show up, does the theater close? If you’re the only couple at a restaurant, do they refuse to serve you and shut the door? Obviously, no to both questions. So why can’t the same be expected from​

dive operators?"

I shutter to think I could become acclimated to a industry standard or practice that would so devalue me as a customer.

What's even worse would be my failure to see how totally unacceptable those practices and standards are.

These are apples to oranges comparisons. One operates on the basis of reservations the others operates on the basis of walk-in customers.

 

[Nesher]

I would think that having a reservation for a dive trip you've planned at least four to six months in advance; having paid for both the trip and the airfare which is both non-refundable and non-transferable, would rate equally or even a bit higher than a walk-in.

If people find that acceptable, so be it. I personally don't care for it, nor the frustration and hassles that accompany those practices.

 

[Scared Silly]

I think you miss the point that they are fundamentally difference business and with it come different practices with different rules to the game. No one is forcing you to play the game.

OP's gripe is that the operator changed the rules after booking. That is a fair gripe and operator and others should hear about. I certainly do not want to book with an operator that changes the rules nor do I want to patronage a store that says it is open but closes early because there are no customers.

 

[tmcnee]

"When you go to a movie and only three other people show up, does the theater close? If you’re the only couple at a restaurant, do they refuse to serve you and shut the door? Obviously, no to both questions. So why can’t the same be expected from
dive operators?"

Funny you should mention the movie theater ... we lived in a small ski town for a while and we often had to call friends to see if they'd come down to the theater so they manager would run the movie when there were only 3 people in line!!

 

[mike_s]

well showing a movie for only 3 people doesn't compare to running a charter boat operation for a week. Chances are the theatre is already open for other movies that are showig and selling tickets.... if they aren't selling for other shows, then they prob should be open that night anyway.

Charter boats have to pay the same fuel/diesel, same crew pay rates, etc for a weeks charter if 20 people are on it or 3 people are on it. And since half the crews pay is tip based typically, tips from 3 people really cut in their pay also.

But it still doesn't change the fact that this could have been handled better by the charter.

You have a bunch of weeks where you keep cancellin charters, your crew gets no tips those weeks either and you start to loose crew....

 

[Sask]

I have been in the travel business (non dive related) for 25+ years. It is a business and I think if they were willing to run their boat with eight passengers that is more than likely were they break even. The company I work for generally will operate a tour at or ever a bit below break even. But there are only so many break even tours/boats you can run before you have to make some money. This is a business they run, they need to eat too, I see what they charge, everyone always assumes they run 52 weeks at 100% capacity. It doesn't work like that.

The last thing they want to do is cancel a trip. I have cancelled trips for passengers early (so they could find another vacation) and I have cancelled trips late because we only needed four more people. No matter what, the tour operator loses if they cancel, but they can't run with four people. lose/lose.

I don't know if all the story has been told here, but if it has, I would have no qualms about booking with Cuan Law, and plan to at some point.

They seemed pretty up front that there was a good chance the trip would cancel. Trip cancellation insurance (shop around) is available to cover flights etc if a tour operator cancels.

 

[tmcnee]

I agree!!!

In addition to your DAN for medical check out Dive Assure. We had to leave a liveaboard early and while DAN covered the medical portion I think it was our Dive Assure that helped with the travel end.

 

[davisdivers]

We dove on the Cuan Law several years ago and had some real issues with noise from guest and on the top deck above all the cabins as well as gearing up then waiting for the tender on every dive. Quite a few crummy sites. I would not spend the money and look for a more accomodating group to work with. They never responded to our feed back letter so we take every opporunity to "get even" I suppose. capt. jim

 

[BTravlin]

We dove with them in June, 2006 and consider it one of the best vacations we've ever been on. Everything about the trip was first rate: our accommodations, the food, the crew, the diving. Will go with them again sometime in the near future too.