Has anyone ever had a decent Vantage fare reduction?

[balf]

Times are hard for most people now compared with pre 2008. Then passengers were lavish in their spending in the middle of the "Brown boom".

 

I notice much less wine at tables now and lingering over the single drink. Not universally, some still spend freely but on average I think the on board spend is lower now.

 

It does not help the sale of tours either for ships to visit the same ports time and again. Lisbon, Gibraltar Malaga. You can soon get maxed out after a few calls to ports that are not really too exciting to start with.

 

 

 

David.

[keela1eva2]

Like a lot of people I was unhappy that solo travellers were denied the Getaway fares;

I wrote to Peter Shanks on the 15th of May and received both an email and letter stating he had noted my points.

He informed me that he had passed my letter to a senior person who would be in touch with me.

I booked the QM2 last Thursday for the 14 night round trip Southampton - New York My 15 year old Granddaughter will be travelling with me so I was able to book a Getaway fare and as I adore Rebecca I am delighted to spending time with her. I cruise regularly 2-3 times a year. But the QM2 is my actual favourite Ship just for the sheer glamour.

In my letter to Peter Shanks I told him that whilst I cruise with Celebrity for the most part I would cruise oftener with Cunard were their prices more favourable. I have no complaint with 100% supplement it is the price we pay. As even when I cruise with a friend she like me likes to have her own space. Rebecca and I will share a room and I am very happy with this.

 

Sue

[lucky white heather]

Like a lot of people I was unhappy that solo travellers were denied the Getaway fares;

I wrote to Peter Shanks on the 15th of May and received both an email and letter stating he had noted my points.

He informed me that he had passed my letter to a senior person who would be in touch with me.

I booked the QM2 last Thursday for the 14 night round trip Southampton - New York My 15 year old Granddaughter will be travelling with me so I was able to book a Getaway fare and as I adore Rebecca I am delighted to spending time with her. I cruise regularly 2-3 times a year. But the QM2 is my actual favourite Ship just for the sheer glamour.

In my letter to Peter Shanks I told him that whilst I cruise with Celebrity for the most part I would cruise oftener with Cunard were their prices more favourable. I have no complaint with 100% supplement it is the price we pay. As even when I cruise with a friend she like me likes to have her own space. Rebecca and I will share a room and I am very happy with this.

 

Sue

 

Hi Sue,

mustn't go off topic for a chat..but just to say nice to see you are still cruising and for this trip, on Cunard. Have a wonderful time...after Sept 1st you'll be able to buy a Getaway fare if you are booking a cabin each when with your friend or just as a single.

We are back on QV in August, came off the QE in May, so we are still cruising but just not on Celebrity for now.The large ballroom on Cunard is the attraction as we are still managing to hobble round most nights.

 

Bon voyage,

Yvonne

[keela1eva2]

Yes great to know you are still travelling. I am so looking forward to my upcoming cruise.

Today June my friend booked her first Cunard QM2 13th July so a week before mine. She is travelling with her Daughter!

 

Love to you both!!

 

Sue

[iandjm]

This makes an interesting read:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22907472

[daiB]

This makes an interesting read:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22907472

 

When you listen to it it is quite factual but does not make a huge thing of it. Ends with the travel journalist coming out with well if you were happy when you paid, get on with your holiday. They do say it was badly handled and people on social websites are talking about it. Do they mean us?

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[daiB]

Errrr, I do not know if it has anything to do with Vantage or Getaway fares but we have to day had an upgrade to a suite on Oriana. We booked on day one of bookings last April.

 

I know it is P&O but it is the same scheme. I suspect this upgrade has little to do with vantage fares however and more to do with someone dropping out at the last moment.

 

Happy Days

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[fantasy51]

Errrr, I do not know if it has anything to do with Vantage or Getaway fares but we have to day had an upgrade to a suite on Oriana. We booked on day one of bookings last April.

 

Congratulations on your upgrade. Enjoy!

[Austcruiser84]

I got roughly $650 off my QE voyage next year, plus a $300 past passenger discount. Pretty decent discount I thought.

 

That's in Australia, where we pay more for overseas cruises.

[maz48]

Is there really any point writing to Cunard to complain. When Mr Shanks failed to reply to my post in Q&A above I wrote to him raising my complaint and he hasnt even bothered to reply. We had purchased a voucher on our cruise on the QV for a future cruise I think using the vantage fare but dont think we will bother using it as clearly looking at the postings above it is not the deal it was made out to be. Althought we really enjoyed our cruise on the QV we didnt get anywhere near the same level of customer service that we have wih celebrity

 

This is the very reason I searched for vantage fares on here. We also have a future cruise voucher from our last QM2 sailing but it looks like we will also not be using it because the Getaway fare for the crossing we need is cheaper even taking into account the OBC from the voucher. Lesson learned, do not bother with the onboard booking voucher. We will book the Transatlantics on Cunard when we want them but I doubt we will ever book a cruise with Cunard because of all this.

[sailor1962]

[quote name='billyvegas']Myself and Norfolk Brit Mary, tried to explain and warn you all about this when Vantage Fares first came out, but no one listened![/QUOTE]

Of course they did - so come off the high horses!

You may be able to personally avoid booking early but others, for choice of dates, work, cabins or whatever do not have that privelige and by booking the Vantage fares with their restrictive T&C's do feel 'had' when massively lower fares are sold under a different guise within a short time of booking