laktex Posted July 2, 2011 #1 Share Posted July 2, 2011 I booked early June for a September cruise - A4 Guarantee - and have been allocated an A2 - for which I am happy. Last night I noticed Cunard have dropped prices for P4 and Q7 guarantees which would have made an upgrade of just £700 for Princess and £ 1098 for Queens. (The A4 guarantee prices are the same!!) I phoned Cunard this morning and was informed I could not upgrade at these prices but had to go back to prices ruling at time of my booking which would be over £2000 for Princess Gill. Whilst I respect Cunard's policy I am a little surprised they dont wish to accept extra money for an upgrade. I am sure it has something to do with yield management but if A4 is the same price now I do not quite understand - any experiences or thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen@stoneyard.co.uk Posted July 2, 2011 #2 Share Posted July 2, 2011 The same situation happened to me on a short QM2 cruise. I booked well in advance for a P3 guarantee. Eventually Q5 guarantees were only a £100 more expensive than the price of my P3. Cunard would not let me buy an upgrade at that price. I cancelled and rebooked. Being a UK booking I lost my deposit. I was a bit cross but Cunard allocated me a Q4 which helped. This trend to very heavy discounting of cruises and crossings is a real disincentive to book more than a couple of months in advance. Surely this is not good for Cunard in the long term. I was a loyal customer often booking the day the brochure came out. Now I intend to wait and see who has the best offers nearer departure. It may be Cunard, P&O, Celebrity or Fred Olsen. Best wishes, Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnhmrk Posted July 2, 2011 #3 Share Posted July 2, 2011 I cancelled and rebooked. We had a similar thing happen. The price for a Q3 dropped considerably so we decided to upgrade. It was far cheaper to cancel and rebook than an upgrade would have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laktex Posted July 2, 2011 Author #4 Share Posted July 2, 2011 We had a similar thing happen. The price for a Q3 dropped considerably so we decided to upgrade. It was far cheaper to cancel and rebook than an upgrade would have been. I paid in full at time of booking - I think that is what grieves me a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BlueRiband Posted July 2, 2011 #5 Share Posted July 2, 2011 It seems to be a game of "chicken" - who is to cave in first. Book early and get the best selection, or book late and get the best price. I booked early because I wanted a particular voyage and a particular category. The complete voyage isn't even showing up now on the Cunard site, just segments. Had I waited the stateroom that I wanted would not have been available for the whole trip. Everyone has to weigh this decision themselves: pay eary to have your preferences locked in or pay later and compromise to get the best deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen@stoneyard.co.uk Posted July 2, 2011 #6 Share Posted July 2, 2011 > It seems to be a game of "chicken" - who is to cave in first. Book early and get the best selection, or book late and get the best price. You describe the situation perfectly. On QE2 I booked early because sometimes there was only two cabins that I wanted. There was only two P singles and two larger Q2s. If the price dropped it was not usually a large amount and I had the cabin I wanted anyway. On the new ships one cabin is very like a hundred others (the exception being the most expensive Q cabins which are out my price range). The only time I have been that bothered on QM2 is when the obstructed balcony cabins were cheaper and there was a few only obstructed by a rescue boat. > We had a similar thing happen. The price for a Q3 dropped considerably so we decided to upgrade. It was far cheaper to cancel and rebook than an upgrade would have been. Glad I am not the only one to do this. At the time it felt quite odd. I even checked with Cunard that it was allowed. > I paid in full at time of booking - I think that is what grieves me a little. Ouch. That is painful. Best wishes, Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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