QM2 booking advice

[whiteladder42]

We are thinking of taking the Eastbound crossing next August 4th, and the inside cabin fare at the moment is £1299 per person. Can anyone advise on the best time to book please? Will that price come down much, or a flash sale at a certain time of year, and is it best to book direct with Cunard for the best price or with someone like Iglu? Thanks in advance!

[Lanky Lad]

We are thinking of taking the Eastbound crossing next August 4th, and the inside cabin fare at the moment is £1299 per person. Can anyone advise on the best time to book please? Will that price come down much, or a flash sale at a certain time of year, and is it best to book direct with Cunard for the best price or with someone like Iglu? Thanks in advance!

 

August is high season so if the price comes down it might be a last minute thing. You can wait but if the price comes down it will be a saver fare when you don't get to pick your dinner time or cabin. If you are not too fussed if you get early or late sitting then it might be worth waiting to see what happens.

 

If you really want a particular sitting then I would book now to be sure. You should also get some on board spending money or free airport parking if you book early.

 

You will get the same price if you book with an agent so you might as well at least that way if anything goes wrong they should fight your corner for you.

 

I hope that helps. :)

[whiteladder42]

Thanks for that-the price is the single most important thing since money is tight and this will be our only holiday for 2015(or 2014 for that matter) but I realise it can be a bit of a gamble as to price changes-hence asking for advice on the best time to book!

[Lanky Lad]

If price is the number want priority then I would say it's worth waiting. You may also want to check out Virgin as sometimes they have good deals since it involves a flight.

[CruznTom]

If you do a westbound, your shipboard time will be 10 hours more than an eastbound.

[Salacia]

We are thinking of taking the Eastbound crossing next August 4th, and the inside cabin fare at the moment is £1299 per person. Can anyone advise on the best time to book please? Will that price come down much, or a flash sale at a certain time of year, and is it best to book direct with Cunard for the best price or with someone like Iglu? Thanks in advance!

 

Hi whiteladder. Just a suggestion: you might want to register your e-mail address with Cunard so you receive notice of special offers. http://www.cunard.com/cruise-deals/register/

 

If you are flexible on your sailing date, then chances are you will find some fare reductions. But if you need to book for a specific date, then I would book it sooner rather than later, especially if you need to coordinate a returning air flight - just my opinion.

 

Hope it works out well for you. Regards, -S.

 

Edited to add: I seem to remember specials offered on the other side of the Pond where transatlantic crossings included return air flight...?

Edited September 17, 2014 by Salacia

[Ray66]

 

Edited to add: I seem to remember specials offered on the other side of the Pond where transatlantic crossings included return air flight...?

 

The quotes on the UK site always include the flight on one way TA crossings.

 

Flights and transfers are included in all fares

 

You could compare on the US site the quote of £1,299 in the UK for an inside mentioned above.

 

Another example is the 16th October 12 night cruise mentioned on another thread for $799 for an inside in the US, which is £1,499 ($2,445) for a Saver Fare and £2,229 ($3,634) for the Cunard Fare in the UK.

Flights and transfers are included in all fares

-----

 

You can book our fly-cruises in one of two ways:

 

Choose our package fare, which includes economy class flights and transfers to and/or from your ship.

Or:

 

Select our cruise only fare to make your own transfer arrangements.

[Ray66]

I've just noted a mistake on the Cunard website while looking at that quote:

 

Britannia Inside Stateroom

Choose an Inside stateroom of 152-243 square feet and you will find that your room is anything but ordinary. Enjoy extra flourishes like a bath robe, slippers and nightly turndown with a chocolate left on your pillow. Guests dine in the Britannia restaurant with a choice of early or late sitting; 6pm or 8pm.

oops!

[ToadOfToadHall]

We are thinking of taking the Eastbound crossing next August 4th, and the inside cabin fare at the moment is £1299 per person.

 

It's hard to say. We went about 5 years ago and paid £1050 each for an inside and that was there and back. We booked about 3 months before.

 

You could just pick an approximate date and see what happens to prices. For example, last year we had a choice of 2 cruises at around the same time. One stayed the same and the other halved in price, so we booked that one.

 

My advice would be if you want a specific cruise on a specific date and you don't have any flexibility for whatever reason then book it now. If you can be flexible and you just fancy a cruise but are not too fussed where you go, then wait and see what happens to prices, It is always a tricky one.

Edited September 17, 2014 by ToadOfToadHall

[whiteladder42]

I had this vague notion that you had to be resident in the USA to book a cruise through an American site in dollars? My husband is a US citizen living in the UK if that would make any difference! I have seen some great offers in dollars-we can pay using a US bank account also. Advice welcome on this-anything to save some money. We do have our dates fixed now as to travelling Eastbound on August 4 2015 due to a wedding taking place on the East Coast the week before so I know it's probably a massive gamble as to when we book and at what price!

[old fool]

If you can, without a doubt I would check on using a US travel agent. It always seems to me that we get very good prices in the US compared to the rest of the world. Also, we can cancel up to 90 days before departure without penalty, which means if the price drops you can just jump out and rebook at the lower price. All may change but I would make the effort to check out the US fares and rules, etc. with a US agent.