Price difference on cunard.com vs cunard.co.uk

[Deimos]

Hi all,

 

So I've been pondering using Cunard as my first cruise line to travel to the USA (I hate flying)

 

I've regularly checked the different cruises on offer and I found one which arrives in New York shortly before thanksgiving, which would be perfect.

 

I must admit to being totally shocked at the difference in price, depending on what site you visit.

 

Using the same details (Cabin, offers/options and dining preference etc), this is what I found:

 

Booking via Cunard.com, the price would be - $2165, or £1610 and some change.

Booking via Cunard.co.uk, however, would be - $3026 or £2251 and some change.

 

A price difference of £641 or $861!

 

I Can't say I understand why, unless there's additional costs I'm not aware of on the cunard.com site?

 

Can people in the UK book via the .com site without issue?

[Host Hattie]

The prices on the UK site usually include flights, have you taken that into account ?

[Deimos]

The prices on the UK site usually include flights, have you taken that into account ?

 

I did yep, the price was without flights.

[Host Hattie]

The answers to your previous thread might still be useful

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2518317

[bluemarble]

Which specific voyage and which cabin category are you looking at? I'd be interested to take a look to verify what you are seeing and possibly try to account for the difference in fares between the US and UK.

[Deimos]

Sure, give me a second to collate the info!

[Deimos]

From Cunard.co.uk

Westbound Transatlantic Crossing M831B

1 Adult, Inside room (IF), 2nd sitting, 2 table, arrange own flights. (Price is £2378 or $3197)

 

From Cunard.com

Westbound Transatlantic Crossing M831B (Same crossing)

1 Adult, Inside room (1F),2nd sitting, 2 table, no flight option. (Price is $2288 or £1701)

 

The only thing I can think of, is there's no mention of the "Cunard fare", but even when that's selected, I don't see any option to choose the benefits during the selection process (parking or spending money) unless it comes after checkout.

[bluemarble]

Here what I am seeing for the fares for one person in an IF cabin on voyage M831B. For clarification, to convert between dollars and pounds, I have used the today's rate of £1 = $1.33945 found on oanda.com.

 

US: $2288.68 = approx £1709

UK: £2108 + $70 on board spending money = approx. $2824 - $70 OBS = $2754

 

There is a £270 credit on the UK fare for removing the flight which reduces the UK fare from £2378 to £2108. And there is $70 OBS offered in the UK but no OBS is offered in the US. That still leaves the UK fare about $465 higher than the US fare, but not quite as bad as it first appeared. Hope this helps some.

 

Regards, John

[Guest SilverHengroen]

I think Cunard upped the prices in the UK significantly after the pound fell last year, but haven’t reduced them at all as the rate has steadily recovered over the course of the year (it went down to about $1.20 at it’s lowest). This is based on my personal observation of price patterns over the last few years for cruises that I keep an eye on.

[Deimos]

Thanks all

Has anyone from the UK ordered from the .com site and had any issues? I'm assuming the checkout process will require a US address though heh

[majortom10]

Thanks all

Has anyone from the UK ordered from the .com site and had any issues? I'm assuming the checkout process will require a US address though heh

 

Cannot access cunard.com in UK automatically takes you to cunard.co.uk and dont think, I might be mistaken, that you can book in cunard.com from the UK. Proves one thought that I have had for some time that UK cruisers are charged more for same cruise than US cruisers. I have also had the same issue with Princess cruises.

[ditmar2007]

Thanks all

Has anyone from the UK ordered from the .com site and had any issues? I'm assuming the checkout process will require a US address though heh

 

Some US based TA might be able to book for you.

[Deimos]

Thanks all

Yea I noticed the price differences back in March when I was in the USA (Florida), it of course loaded the .com site

I used teamviewer to load the same cruises on my PC here in the UK and was surprised at the price difference.

[brell]

Is it possible that gratuities are included in the UK price but not the US price?

[Wiltonian]

Many UK cruisers use a US TA to book Celebrity cruises at US rates. Princess doesn't allow that. Not sure about Cunard. Someone must have tried it.

 

I guess the issue with using a VPN for UK cruisers to appear to be US-based, and using a US friend's address is that the Cunard site may detect the "nationality" of the credit card used.

 

Stuart

[PORT ROYAL]

Many UK cruisers use a US TA to book Celebrity cruises at US rates. Princess doesn't allow that. Not sure about Cunard. Someone must have tried it.

 

I guess the issue with using a VPN for UK cruisers to appear to be US-based, and using a US friend's address is that the Cunard site may detect the "nationality" of the credit card used.

 

Stuart

 

May one suggest to UK bookers, that It would be good to have quality conversation with a discreet USA T/A. There are many USA T/As out there who are experienced in resolving, and having answers to, many types of perceived problems.

 

With regard to the use of a credit card, one pays the T/A with the card, and the T/A pays the Cruise Line.

[babs135]

May one suggest to UK bookers, that It would be good to have quality conversation with a discreet USA T/A. There are many USA T/As out there who are experienced in resolving, and having answers to, many types of perceived problems.

 

With regard to the use of a credit card, one pays the T/A with the card, and the T/A pays the Cruise Line.

 

But how do you find an American t/a? May have a name, but do worry slightly that we would be dealing with someone who is not in the UK. What about flights? For us in the UK they are included but not for Americans.

[PORT ROYAL]

But how do you find an American t/a? May have a name, but do worry slightly that we would be dealing with someone who is not in the UK. What about flights? For us in the UK they are included but not for Americans.

 

Just open an "interest" dialogue with a selection of USA T/A by a blanket style E-Mail. Once contact established, you are then able ask all your questions direct to the T/A.

 

Unable to post names on CC, but a search on Google and Trip Adviser will evidence a few excellent possibilities.

 

Once talking, suggest one of your first questions to the T/A may be "do you have UK clients?". You'll be surprised by the answer. ;)

[majortom10]

Is it possible that gratuities are included in the UK price but not the US price?

 

Cunard never offer free gratuities in the UK and the prices quoted as a Cunard Fare include either OBC free parking or free coach travel to port but never equals the difference between UK and US prices.

[majortom10]

But how do you find an American t/a? May have a name, but do worry slightly that we would be dealing with someone who is not in the UK. What about flights? For us in the UK they are included but not for Americans.

 

That is the problem of booking with a US TA compared to booking in UK there would be no ABTA or ATOL (if includes a flight) financial backing so is therefore a gamble. If you have any issues before the cruise and havent booked direct with Cunard UK they will just tell you to go through your TA which might prove difficult if your TA is in US.

[bluemarble]

Just to provide an example to illustrate these fare discrepancies between Cunard's UK and US web sites can work both ways, here is pricing I am seeing for next year's "Grand Caribbean Celebration" on QM2, voyage M847B, the 26 night voyage from Southampton, 15 Dec 2018 - 10 Jan 2019. This pricing is per person for a BU category sheltered balcony cabin, double occupancy.

 

US Fare: $6350.84 with no on board spend = approx. £4727

UK Cunard Fare: £3842 with $160 on board spend = approx. $5162 - $160 OBS = approx. $5002

 

Now that may be a bit of a contrived example since it's unlikely too many Americans would be interested in a round trip voyage from Southampton. When I take a look at voyage M901, which is just the 12 night portion of that longer voyage from New York, 22 Dec 2018 - 3 Jan 2019, here is what I am seeing for the fares without flights.

 

US Fare: $3480.74 with no on board spend = approx. £2591

UK Cunard Fare without flights: £2479 with $80 on board spend = approx. $3331 - $80 OBS = approx. $3251

 

Regards, John

[ditmar2007]

Could the difference be due to VAT or other local taxes? The prices in Denmark also differs vastly from the US prices. We have 25% VAT on all purchases.

[brell]

Cunard never offer free gratuities in the UK and the prices quoted as a Cunard Fare include either OBC free parking or free coach travel to port but never equals the difference between UK and US prices.

 

Well, I am on the 2018 QE world cruise, booked and paid via a UK TA with gratuities included. I do not regard that as free gratuities, they must be included in the price.

[majortom10]

Well, I am on the 2018 QE world cruise, booked and paid via a UK TA with gratuities included. I do not regard that as free gratuities, they must be included in the price.

 

Free gratuities are sometimes offered for the World Cruises but not for normal cruises.

[brell]

Free gratuities are sometimes offered for the World Cruises but not for normal cruises.

 

 

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info