Nonio

Yes! yes!yes! My DH and I surprised ourselves by booking a 94 day Round the World Cruise on the Pacific Princess. We leave LA on Jan 22, 2018 and disembark in Ft Lauderdale on April 27th!

 

And yeah, I'm blogging about preparing for the trip at Round The World Writer! Then we'll post about our adventures once we board. Somebody pinch me!

How utterly fabulous, Aquadesiac. I am truly TRULY envious. I would absolutely love to do that but, each time I look, I can hear very loud squeaks from my piggy bank!

I shall look forward to your blog and your tips!

I'm hoping more people join the roll call with kids.

Hallo Estebofar

You will see from this thread that many of us have had good experiences with small tour guide providers. Just to add to the thread Elena at Red Sun Tours was a really terrific guide, creating a bespoke tour for us...and flexible about itineraries. She has a daughter, a lovely sense of humour and fun, so should be able to think of age appropriate activities. http://redsun-tours.com/

What I would suggest is to identify to the tour guides the ages, sex and interests of your grandchildren, timescales, and ask them to suggest (& cost) a fun tour for you. There are some 'alternative' areas in St Petersburg with more off-beat art and markets. There are sports activities. The more information you give them the more likely you are to get something fun.

If you then post on roll-call the intended programme and indicate a bit of flexibility you are more likely to get takers, especially if you explain that the price per person tends to reduce as the group size grows.

Personally, I'm not sure I would want a group size much more than a dozen as you lose valuable flexibility. We did really well with a group of 12 both with price and with pleasure.

I never heard of RedSun, no contact information on the web site except a cell phone number. I was just curious when seeing a number of rave reviews of tour operators who were not even working the season last year, and I have never seen at the port. Admittedly I am not there every day but enough to know all the tour operators who meet guest there. Maybe she is working as a guide for another company or goes by a different business name.

Basically, all tour operators in St Petersburg get high marks. Checking her prices on the web site, she sure is not cheap, about $40-80/per day per person higher than others. With the ruble weak now, should be bargains out there.

One key in having a great time is shopping for number of destinations. Most of the 2 day programs have pretty much the same items so those destinations are crushed with crowds. If you have any special interests, design the itinerary around that since there are real museums for any taste that are a lot less crowded than the big 3, Hermitage, Catherine Palace and Peterhof. Catherine places is the biggest variable, you might request it but not get it the day of the tour. I see that a lot, since it increased the number of entries allowed last year from 7,500/day to 15,000 but the number of visitors has increased a great deal, and the cruise ships coming are much larger and more in number so daily demand for Catherine Palace tickets is about double those available. It is not unusual to hear a guide telling their clients that "Catherine Palace is closed today because of some sudden event" because no tickets were available. Also, tour operators have to reserve their appointment times and prepay by the 20th of the month before arrival. But they can't reserve them before that date either. When there were 170 ship port calls and the largest ships were Star Princess, it was easy to get tickets but this year there are 263 port calls and the ships are getting gigantic. Norwegian GetAWay for example had 4,300 disembark this morning plus about 1500 of the crew, and there were 5 large ships in port arriving the same day. Everyone one of those passengers wanted to see Catherine Palace and a lot of them are not seeing it due to tickets.

Packing a tour with must sees means a rushed tour, it has to be, with little or no flexibility to linger in a place you like more than others. It is precision timing running from place to place to get in all the destinations on the more comprehensive tours.

Before booking a cruise, check the cruise port calendars to see which days do not have 5-9 large ships in port. It can make a very significant difference in the enjoyment of the tour. This year, after sever overcrowding in June last year, most of the cruise lines shifted their port calls to later in the summer thinking they could avoid the crowds that generate fights between tourist in the Hermitage a few really crowded days. So they made it worse, while thinking they were moving to less crowded days. They all ended up on Tuesday and Saturday arrivals, resulting in even more crowding. The Confederation Cup Championships that just ended brought hundreds of thousands of additional visitors in June.

So design a tour about your preferred pace, pick arrival dates with fewer events or other ships in port, for example a Thursday arrival arrival will mean any place you went to visit will have less crowding and ease of ticket reservations.

By focusing on sites and topic of interest to you, like concerning a hobby, or photograph or architecture you can have an unhurried uncrowded authentic experience without the cattle herding, or come in September when the weather is great, kids are in school and crowds are not a problem at all. The cookie-cutter 2 day excursions, essentially identical between the companies, are not the only choices, indulge your interests. If, for example you love art...there are real options that will please you and no one else on the ship will have experienced it. If contemporary culture and life is of interest, again, great options and low costs which are not crowded. Be a bit more creative. And don't forget evening activities, when the real fun is found: pubs chatting with outgoing fun locals, exploring the 11,000 quality restaurants opened in the last 10 years, a river dinner or blues cruise, ballet, opera, classical music, parks, shopping, people watching in the hundreds of outdoor cafes meeting locals who speak English to compare lives and experiences. You can have a lot of free time in the evening. Some museums are open late, and better seen at night like Faberge Museum and palace, St Isaac Cathedral, or just walking to streets and exploring. That is when the city reveals itself most.

 

On a sad note, this might be the last year you have any choice in tours. The independent tour operators day's are numbered. The passenger port has been turned over to Inflot, a old Soviet era port operator company that owns Arktur, the company that has almost all the ship contracts in St Petersburg and it has been a goal for years by them to stop access to the port by independent tour operators and now they have that ability for the first time and have announced plans to drive out the "pirates" as Arktur calls all tour operators conducting tours. They want all tours to be sold through the ship alone so the tour available will be large bus tours for a lot higher prices. The ships have wanted that for a long time but had no legal way to stop federally registered tour operators from hosting visa free tours. They seek to return it to the days when 95% of passengers were herded into 55 passenger buses. More will be known towards the fall but Arktur's director was pretty happy about the changes in an interview in the paper recently. Their plan apparently is to simply not permit tour operators to come to the secure port and receive guests, and guests can't just leave the terminal unless received by an authorized tour operator. But that does not impact this year, 2018 likely however.

It just occurred to me after I replied to your post: From your tag "SPB Stan" and the reference to being in the port most days that you must be associated with SPB tours! Is that right?

"I never heard of RedSun, no contact information on the web site except a cell phone number. I was just curious when seeing a number of rave reviews of tour operators who were not even working the season last year, and I have never seen at the port. Admittedly I am not there every day but enough to know all the tour operators who meet guest there. Maybe she is working as a guide for another company or goes by a different"

Hallo SPBStan

You mention being at the port nearly every day. What do you do? It sounds as if you may be working in the tourist industry there. Maybe you work with a particular company or offer small group tours yourself?

I was surprised and concerned to read the planned squeeze on small tour operators. I wonder if that is for the whole of Russia? I really hate large group tours and, generally, would rather not go than go with one.

You sound suspicious of RedSun. I can only say that Elena from Red Sun was clearly very professional and experienced with a deep and rich knowledge both of St. Petersburg and the arts. I believe she specialised in small bespoke tours as she came strongly recommended to another passenger on toll call by someone who travels and cruises a lot using bespoke guides. I went with the flow and was very impressed best guide I have had on any holiday or tour anywhere.

She organised our visas in advance which only an official licensed tour guide can do. We paid after the whole tour was complete. In fact we thought she was very reasonable given the quality of the tours, the speed of managing queues, flexibility, and good quality transport. The driver was delightful too.

We had Elena too! She was brilliant. Red Sun Toura. http://redsun-tours.com/

She was recommended by someone else on this site & we all said we couldn't have done better. If you book her say 'hallo' from Fionna.

you organise a small group through roll call, as we did, (about 10 of us) the price comes down. She'll also do private tours and if you have any particular interests she is happy to tailor them to your wishes.

As Ralphie's Mum says, in small groups you seem to skip past the large groups and big queues, and go at your own pace.

Let me know if you book and your itinerary. I'll be enviously!

Ciao. Fionna

Hi Nono

I've booked QM2 to US and Canada. 16th September 2018. First ta I tried, no single cabins left from their allocation. Second ta had 3 left. I took one from them. I like lower decks, towards midships port side, I've taken the only port side they had, more towards the prow. This is my first experience of a single passenger.

My sister and her husband did that holiday (but did the round trip from Sourthampton...28 nights) two years ago and absolutely loved it. They especially loved Ottawa.

I've sailed to New York a couple of times and that sail into NY early in the morning as the sun is rising and reflecting back in the mirrored skyscrapers is magical. There is something special about sailing past the Statue of Liberty and imagining the harrowing journey for all those immigrants who, on seeing the Statue would know the journey would soon end...land in sight..and that new adventure beginning.

I've done a couple of cruises solo and really enjoyed them, altho' one's first solo holiday can seem a bit daunting at first.

In fact I made good friends just by chatting in the IT queue to sort out Apple iPad connectivity issues. Sometimes we cruise together and we stay with one another.

Another time I palled up with another single girl and we went exploring together occasionally....altho' if I have a good book I'm pretty happy on my own.

Ok, so maybe I'll have to take back the above quote because we booked in February for January 2018 which is 11 months ahead :D Southampton to San Francisco on the Queen Elizabeth and then 3 nights in SF. Can't wait.

Hahaha, Babs! Now you'll discover the hidden delights of early booking! All that enjoyable anticipation that keeps on giving. I'd love to do that trip. How many nights? Nonio

I've booked for September 2018. QM2. I'm a single cruiser and one TA I tried had sold out, I haven't been able to get what I wanted because of the take up. So have had to grab what I could.

So what cruise have you booked, Conop? Was it lack of single cabins that was the trouble in getting what you wanted? They don't have many, do they?!

Topper123, I just love your posts and hope you and your bride have a wonderful time :) We have done some train travel in the US, including the California Zephyr which we loved, and this October we will travel Washington-Boston on the Acela.

 

We are seriously looking at doing the Norwegian Fjords on QM2 in 2018 - not cruised with Cunard before and fancy the proper ballroom as we love to dance. Has anyone done that cruise?

Hi Social Dancer

When are you planning to go (month)? Which ports of call?

I did a cruise on Queen Victoria to the Norwegian Fjords in 2012. 17 nights. It was wonderful. I remember waking at 4 am on the third day of the cruise (the first port in Norway) and opening the curtains to see daylight and glorious views of the fjords and mountains... going out onto my balcony and saying : "Wow, wow, wow!!". The scenery is gorgeous and the towns,mparticularly in the South charming. Eye candy all the way.

The food in port is expensive and fairly ordinary unless you are lucky and the coffee not great. Even then a cup of coffee cost £5. We learnt to eat on board ship as far as poss, altho' the bars/restaurants in the fish market in Bergen had some enjoyable fish offerings. We looked out for Oi Lilly signs for coffee!

Our first port was Stavanger (delightful) and we sailed all the way up the coast to Honningsvaag. We went in May and in the South the weather was pleasant, mild and generally sunny. However in Trømso it was sleeting (still had a lovely time seeing the Artic Cathedral and the Polaris museum) and in Honningsvaag it was snowing quite heavily.

I pack for sun and also for cold using down jackets/coats as tissue paper for my evening dresses.

It is well worth doing a cruise for Norway. I'd do it again. In fact we call into beautiful Art-Deco Alesund next year on our way to Iceland.

Nonio

A bit like Iceland then :)

We have a saying: If you don't like the weather, wait for ten minutes.

Hi Brell

You say 'a bit like Iceland, then'. Do you live in/ have visited Iceland? One of my two cruises next year (Late June/ July) is to Iceland and would be very happy to have some tips/info.

We stop overnight in Reykyavik but also have two ports in the North of Iceland.

Ciao

Fionna (Nonio)

Hey Topper 123. You and your bride are going to have such fun on your much delayed honeymoon and 'hallo to retirement special holiday'. How can I tell? Your attitude in your post!

I am the person who says the fun starts for me as soon as you book. I get so much pleasure in the anticipation, the research about what to do. The time will fly between now and when you set sail from New York on the lovely Queen Mary, watching the shining skyline gradually retreat to the sound of one of the bands playing music. I can hardly believe I booked my 28 night holiday (8th June 18 - 6 July 18) 8 months ago and I can now say:- "12 months today we will be sailing away from Cagliari, Sardinia towards Gibraltar and Southampton. Then we'll have all that pleasure of watching all those people disembark whilst we stay on board Queen Victoria ready to set sail to Norway and Iceland."

My sister and I call these moments of anticipation "Holidays in my head". Exceptionally good value.

Mark Katzenberger (MarkBear) is right when he says there are better value tours than those offered by the Cruise Lines. If you need more help on that ask. Look out for the companies that a) undertake to ensure you are back at the ship before embarkation time and b) will ensure you are at the next port in the event of some catastrophic miss! You don't want to be one of those passengers that are running for the ship just as it set sails!

I have 3 tips.

1. HoHos (Hop on Hop Off buses) are generally great for those of us who want to do their own thing. They give you a chance to orientate yourself in a city and to stop off on the way at the places you have planned to visit. That gives you a pretty safe way of getting around but also a lot to freedom when it comes to time.

We use them a lot, and save our money for the occasional private tour, or a shared small tour with others I have met through the roll call on this site for the specific holiday you have booked. I may be able to help over the UK part of your holiday.

2. Cruise ships have to cater for many tastes. Accept this before you go and you will be better at just switching off from the things that hold little appeal. So I have little interest in the 'talks' about 'looking younger' or 'acupuncture' etc that are really barely disguised sales pitches for spa services. I avoid them and turn my attention to the numerous other enjoyable things n the daily programme...maybe joining the ship's choir, going to a concert, attending a dance class, listening to one of the excellent enrichment lectures, fencing, a drama class, playing deck quoits, croquet, paddle tennis or practising your golf drive...or just chilling with a good book watching the world go by.

3. Jump and try things that you never have.

Ciao

Fionna

If you tour with this company, please continue to post about your experiences with them -- not just after the fact but also the planning process. Posters on this board are always looking for a small company that is willing and capable of creating a wholly unique itinerary. Some of the most popular companies cannot meet this need. You can be confident people will want to learn considerably more than you have posted about this unknown company and about yourself as a traveler. After all, selecting a company that is a bad fit for a visitor is a costly mistake in terms of both money and lost opportunity. Is this company a newly formed company by a tour guide with many years experience? How did your friends learn about this company in the first place? What are you looking for in your visit to St. Petersburg that the tried and true companies cannot provide?

Two years ago, my husband and I toured St Petersburg with White Nights Travel. At the time White Nights Travel was number #10 on Trip Advisor. Today, it is number #5. Despite my detailed and enthusiastic posts on this board -- and track record as a poster -- I'm not aware of another cruiser who has used the services of White Nights Travel. RedSun Tours does not have any current ranking on Trip Advisor.

 

quote]

 

 

 

I am just a beginner in posting on this site. Wanted to share my good experience. Thanks for your hospitality!

So I asked them and now I know RedSun Tours was started last year by a woman who has been working for years in "incoming international tourism".

As for us ( my friend and me) , that will be our first Baltic sea cruise. I don't like group tours. When I looked at the itineraries what the first companies offer I understood we will be in a group with people who want to cover as much as possible. It is not for me. I love literature and music and asked them to show me a city of Dostoevsky and Gogol, the places where so famous novels were created. I want to see St. Petersburg what inspired Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. So the detailed description of the private tour was sent to me by RedSun Tours and I liked it so much.

As for Tripadvisor, we had bad experience with them. The hotel in Vienna what had so good reviews on Tripadvisor disappointed us very much. May be owners pay some money for good reviews, I don't know. Since that time I don't go on that website. I would trust my friend's recommendations.

 

 

WARBLE...your tour sounds wonderful. LEt us know how it goes. We were the same as you. We didn't want to pack it all in, moving around with a large group, but enjoy the days in a flexible way (much easier with a small group).

 

You have to be cautious with trip advisor. As far as I know people don't get paid for doing reviews (I certainly haven't, would not accept payment if it was offered, but would put the fact that I was offered in the review as it would be a sure sign the establishment et was not well enough.

 

I've learnt to 'interpret' reviews. So 5* in a cheap end establishment et won't mean the same quality, understandably as a 4 or 5* in a really high quality place. The more we pay, reasonably enough, the more we expect. I pay close attention to particular room reviews...so now I normally put my room number in the review. The more detail, the more I am inclined to trust the review.

 

This thread made me reflect how difficult it must be to start up a business like this and get known as it is not like walking down a high street and spotting a restaurant & giving it a go. As it is a holiday, one that many of us have had to save hard for, we don't want to risk making a mistake. I guess that is all the more reason for all of us to keep posting honest reveries both here and on Trip a

Advisor.

 

I expect you'll go ladened with Russian writers' books. I brought Anna Karenina with me to reread whilst there...but ended up having too little time! I hope the sun shines on you, as it did on us (June).

If you tour with this company, please continue to post about your experiences with them -- not just after the fact but also the planning process. Posters on this board are always looking for a small company that is willing and capable of creating a wholly unique itinerary. Some of the most popular companies cannot meet this need. You can be confident people will want to learn considerably more than you have posted about this unknown company and about yourself as a traveler. After all, selecting a company that is a bad fit for a visitor is a costly mistake in terms of both money and lost opportunity. Is this company a newly formed company by a tour guide with many years experience? How did your friends learn about this company in the first place? What are you looking for in your visit to St. Petersburg that the tried and true companies cannot provide?

Two years ago, my husband and I toured St Petersburg with White Nights Travel. At the time White Nights Travel was number #10 on Trip Advisor. Today, it is number #5. Despite my detailed and enthusiastic posts on this board -- and track record as a poster -- I'm not aware of another cruiser who has used the services of White Nights Travel. RedSun Tours does not have any current ranking on Trip Advisor.

 

On the positive side, here's what the company's web site says about providing the all important visa-free visit:

"PLEASE NOTE: According to the Russian Federation Law, all cruise ship passengers, staying in Russia for up to 72 hrs, do not need a Russian visa if they book the tour with us. We will legally provide you with an officially authorized document (Tour Ticket or Blanket Visa) which is considered a Russian visa equivalent."

I'm not absolutely sure, but I think RedSun Tours is a new company (hence not featuring on Trip Advisor) but a very experienced tour guide.hitherto working privately.

I agree that if we don't post then they won't get known and little gems will be overlooked.

For that reason I've started posting more on Tripadvisor, especially is something is particularly good or particularly bad, but have discovered that if the company has not set itself up on Tripadvisor it can be hard to get a post accepted. I guess Tripadvisor has to be satisfied that it exists. It's easy once the first one is up. RedSun is on there now.

I have an idea that I did see another post for White Nights when I was going to St Petersburg, but Elena (RedSun Tours) had been used by a sister of one of our group previously so we were sure she was good.

Our friends who just returned from St. Petersburg enjoyed the private tour with RedSun Tours www.redsun-tours.com

I 've already contacted with them. They are quick in response and will customize a tour for us, very reasonable price.

Actually I prefer smaller companies. We don't like to be with a company what has 20 groups a day.

Hahaha! I've just noticed your response. I've just recommended RedSun as well. Elena is excellent, isn't she?

[qu]Has anyone found a company that does private tours for ONE day? Sailing on Disney and we are there till 11pm. The major companies listed only state that they offer private 2 day tours...

Best Guides offer one day shore excursions!

I can really REALLY recommend RedSun Tours. Ask for Elena. Small bespoke company. Personal Service

http://redsun-tours.com mailto:info@redsun-tours.com

She will do one, two, three or more days and will do tours tailored for your timetable and tastes. She was brilliant. Warm, well organised, very knowledgeable, very good English, good fun. We found her via another visitor's recommendation. She will also organise your visa for you, pick you up from the port and drop you off.

A group of us from roll call got together (11 or 12 people) so she arranged a modern, clean and comfortable Mercedes with driver. However if there is just a couple of people I think she'll do a car pick up. I wouldn't have wanted a much bigger group than ours. As she is known at the various museums she was able to get us in through the back entrances a couple of times.

Every single one of us were very impressed with her. I hope you love St Petersburg as much as we did.

Wow, Adamara. A £2,800 /40% price drop. That is a bit scary. Interesting to see that your complaint paid off. i know the QV Carribbean cruise in November dropped A LOT in price in October as I was very tempted to go. Apparently it was really good fun, too.

The mysteries of price startegies are still unfolding to me, so it is useful to hear what others do. in fact, reading your message rwminded me that I comolained (v briefly) that a later booking discount (upgrade) was not made availabke to me. they quickly dissembled and, for a small extra payme t, was able to upgrade from a single to a glass fronted balcony about 4 m before sailimg. by the week before sailing the prices had bounced right back up again.

i keep a rexord of the daily cost of any cruise to help me work out whether they've pushed the price right up or whether it is fairly middle of the road. for instance, when I was on board in October '16 I discovered that the 2017 cruises worked out at a markedly higher daily rate than the 2018 in which I was interested cruises...That was one of the reasons I booked for 2018. The reservations specicialists on board pointed it out to me, saying they'd raised it with Cunard HO.

i started to wonder if they start off rwlatively low (with early booking discounts) then rise once booking reaches a certain level. So the Western Med Cruise, in 2018, seems to have risen more slowly in price since I booked that the Icelandic one that follows on from it. i know the latter is more booked up as we tried to book friends into particular grades of cabins, only to discover it was poss for the Western Med but not for the Icelandic,

Sure. There are risks whether you book early or late. However if you are booking se real cabins for several people, including single cabins, then it makes sense to book early. If travelling solo and flexible on when and where to go, then I'd be fine booking late.

I tend to be pretty sanguine over changes to the itinerary. There were several changes on my last one due to security risks...but w still had a great time. If it really mattered I'd ask to swop cruises (as I know others have done successfully).

My husband and I are looking forward to a westbound TA on QM2 June 3, 2018.

We were thinking of flying over 2 weeks early and visiting England and Scotland. Of course London is a must, but I have also heard lovely things about Edinburgh. We tend to prefer to minimize the number of hotel changes. We also like locally run small boutique accommodations. Would anyone happen to have suggestions about where to stay in London or Edinburgh?

We'd like to see some castles as we don't have them in America and just loved the Chateaus in Loire Valley when we were there. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you share.

Edinburgh is a delightful city ...and I cannot recommend enough the Castle Terrace Restaurant when you get there. You'll need to book well ahead.

Get to HOHO to the Royal Yacht Brittania. Great city to walk around (but plenty of hills). You'll be surprised at how modest is is...small beds!!

Re accommodation I cannot recommend QUIET boutique accommodation in Edinburgh as, where we booked, whilst it was v. pleasant and an attentive host the street noise was pretty dire through these listed building windows. Others may have a better personal experience.

We ended up staying in the Prince's Street Premier Inn which, altho' quite simple, had excellent beds, a decent shower and a terrific location, with some of our Prince's St facing bedrooms overlooking the castle. Very satisfactory The high floors are quieter than the lower ones. We'll book to return.

I love the very North West of Scotland for the scenery (Ullapool and beyond) but not for city breaks/architecture/shops.

In London I always stay in my Inn so not up with other accommodation. I like to be pretty central and walk everywhere, so staying in the Temple area is good. I guess it depends upon your interests and preferences, so Bath is a pretty city (travelling SW rather than North East).

Plenty of other suggestions....

Does anyone know when Cunard release intinary for Xmas new year 2018

Hallo Ukellie. When I booked on board the QE in October the brochure covered cruises right up to December 2018 but stopping just before Xmas. If you are talking about Xmas 2018 and NY 2019 Cunard normally release those along with their World Cruise itinerary (in this instance 2019) in Sept/October.

So sept/ Oct 2017.

It was in the T&C's (the small print that nobody ever reads) for those booking in the UK that if you cancel before final balance then the cancelation cost is the full 15% standard deposit.

I think they'd struggle to succeed on the small print when the large print says you'll only lose the deposit if you cancel up to 90 days prior to the cruise..particularly when you book with one of their cruise specialist and they do nothing to draw your attention to different T & Cs.

We've booked the QE 2018 world cruise. Never cruised before.

Oh My, Brell! How wonderful and I am envious! I'd love to do a world cruise but my piggy bank squeaks too loud every time I think of it. However I love reading about other people's WC so keep us informed so we can have an imagination holiday instead..

Hi there. I have started a roll call for the May 10, 2018 QM2 westbound TA. Please join us. You will make three and I will start a list. Thanks. Our cabin is 8049. We booked it last month on an eastbound TA,

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=50890946&posted=1#post50890946

Could you tell me how to start a roll call? I can see how to respond to a roll call..but when I looked for a "start new roll call" tab there was none, and 'new thread' didn't seem to be appropriate for slottingin a new thread. I did post a question..but got no reply!

The deposit is 5% in the UK but if you cancel the cruise at a later date you have to pay the full deposit of 15% and you lose it.

I meant to say that the standard deposit is 15%, as you say, and would be forfeit if cancelled. However, as I understood it when booking on board, one of the benefits of so doing is the reduced deposit. Another benefit (apart from increased OBS) is they waive the credit card fee at present, not just for the deposit but also for the payment of the balance.

Now I sound like an agent for Cunard! Always better to check for yourself...but I thought I should make it clear that I booked on board. Lesser benefits when booked otherwise, but you might get a better late booking price.

Not that I intend to cancel as bot cruises have several ports I've yet to visit and one cruise to a whole country I've yet to visi! Looking forward to it all already.

Cunard said nothing to us about forfitting 15% if the cruise was cancelled. It cannot impose a condition after the contract is formed...a basic rule of contract law....

We've booked two back to back cruises in 2018. I have booked a single cabin. There are so few they go early. In addition we got a 5% early booking reduction and 5% loyalty reduction plus increased on board spend and 5% deposit...so £111-£130 depending on which cruise. Not too big a risk.

In addition I track value by working out daily rate cost to see whether the reductions are genuine.

Other reasons for booking early for us are a) our holiday starts at the point of booking with the anticipation and excitement of research around ports etc. When booked far in advance it lasts for longer!. B) having booked both early and late I''m astonished how quickly 18m flies by, with the last 6 months going at a gallop. C) I''m worried about the effect of the weak £ following the post Brexit fall-out and how that is likely to affect the cost of holidays coming. At least I have some certainty. D) I know how much I have to save and by when. E) my sister taught me the value of having your next holiday booked before you finish the last even if he next one is quite far ahead. So: the end of one holiday also means anticipating the next.