Onboard Bookings

[Teddy123]

OK, no replies to this question in the 2024 thread, so I'll try a dedicated topic.

 

What are the current perks for booking new cruises on board?

 

Thanks.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Teddy123

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, Teddy123 said:

OK, no replies to this question in the 2024 thread, so I'll try a dedicated topic.

 

What are the current perks for booking new crusies on board?

 

Thanks.

Extra obc. The chance to go and check out the position of your chosen cabin personally, in fact, if you are brave, I imagine you could even knock on the door and look inside. In the past, a chance perhaps to haggle about prices, but I suspect no longer.

[Teddy123]

12 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Extra obc. The chance to go and check out the position of your chosen cabin personally, in fact, if you are brave, I imagine you could even knock on the door and look inside. In the past, a chance perhaps to haggle about prices, but I suspect no longer.

Thanks. Although I'll be on QM2 and looking to book QA, so seeing the actual cabin won't happen. Any idea how much OBC?

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, Teddy123 said:

Thanks. Although I'll be on QM2 and looking to book QA, so seeing the actual cabin won't happen. Any idea how much OBC?

Max of $400 pl in QG on a cruise of more than 10 days, down to $100 for Oceanview/inside for 9 days or less. 3% off voyages of more than 25 days

[bluemarble]

Further to @exlondoner's reply, here are the full details I'm finding listed online.

 

Sailings of 6-9 days:
Suites $200 USD per person
Balcony $150 USD per person
Inside & Outside $100 USD per person

 

Sailings of 10 + days:

Suites $400 USD per person
Balcony $300 USD per person
Inside & Outside $200 USD per person

 

For Voyages of 25+ nights:

The on board booking benefit is 3% discount (as opposed to OBC).

[Victoria2]

For UK based T&Cs we booked two trips whilst onboard, for '24.

The deposit was GBP350 per trip [£175 ea] and we got the $400 ea plus whatever the offered OBC was.

 

The ridiculously low deposit is a great inducement in case we change our mind, especially when booking an expensive cabin,

[Teddy123]

Thanks for the info. Now all I need is for Cunard to release mid/late 2024 cruises (at reasonable prices!) before I get off QM2 in mid-December.

[majortom10]

5 minutes ago, Teddy123 said:

Thanks for the info. Now all I need is for Cunard to release mid/late 2024 cruises (at reasonable prices!) before I get off QM2 in mid-December.

We were hoping they would release them before we got off QV in mid-November but isnt going to happen so looking elsewhere for 2024.

[Underwatr]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Max of $400 pl in QG on a cruise of more than 10 days, down to $100 for Oceanview/inside for 9 days or less. 3% off voyages of more than 25 days

There are promotions now and again that increase the OBC. In a Britannia Balcony we occasionally earned $600 per person OBC for a 12-night booking rather than the customary $300 per person.

[lissie]

15 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Further to @exlondoner's reply, here are the full details I'm finding listed online.

 

Sailings of 6-9 days:
Suites $200 USD per person
Balcony $150 USD per person
Inside & Outside $100 USD per person

 

Sailings of 10 + days:

Suites $400 USD per person
Balcony $300 USD per person
Inside & Outside $200 USD per person

 

For Voyages of 25+ nights:

The on board booking benefit is 3% discount (as opposed to OBC).

I can confirm those as  advertised and booked on board the QE 

 

There is a low deposit of $300 pp booked on board (for us that was NZ$ , for others it was A$)  which is fully refundable up until 120 days prior. We got $325 OBC PP on a repositioning Syd-Tokyo in Mar 24 and $150 pp in April 24 for a 9 days southern japan islands cruise . 

 

We may or may not actually take the cruise but there is no risk to booking on board and quite a lot of benefits 

[Victoria2]

18 minutes ago, lissie said:

I can confirm those as  advertised and booked on board the QE 

 

There is a low deposit of $300 pp booked on board (for us that was NZ$ , for others it was A$)  which is fully refundable up until 120 days prior. We got $325 OBC PP on a repositioning Syd-Tokyo in Mar 24 and $150 pp in April 24 for a 9 days southern japan islands cruise . 

 

We may or may not actually take the cruise but there is no risk to booking on board and quite a lot of benefits 

Different booking conditions apply to the different countries. For the UK, which is where the OP seems to reside, the deposit can have a once, non chargeable transfer under present booking conditions to another cruise but it isn't refundable.

[lissie]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

Different booking conditions apply to the different countries. For the UK, which is where the OP seems to reside, the deposit can have a once, non chargeable transfer under present booking conditions to another cruise but it isn't refundable.

True - but different conditions apply when booking ON BOARD as well - its clearly noted in both our cover letter and the general notes on the reservations that the deposit is refundable. They aren't normally in New Zealand bookings either . Also in NZ we NEVER get more than about $100 pp cabin OBC! 

[Victoria2]

Just now, lissie said:

True - but different conditions apply when booking ON BOARD as well - its clearly noted in both our cover letter and the general notes on the reservations that the deposit is refundable. They aren't normally in New Zealand bookings either . Also in NZ we NEVER get more than about $100 pp cabin OBC! 

Sorry Lissie,

I booked two cruises whilst onboard in August and as a UK based cruiser, the deposits are most definitely not refundable

[LittleFish1976]

4 hours ago, lissie said:

True - but different conditions apply when booking ON BOARD as well - its clearly noted in both our cover letter and the general notes on the reservations that the deposit is refundable. They aren't normally in New Zealand bookings either . Also in NZ we NEVER get more than about $100 pp cabin OBC! 

 

You did well. I've been eyeing the Japan voyages off for some time. Having a refundable deposit certainly increases the attractiveness of an early booking.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We booked a TA (7 nights—balcony) while on QE in early October and received $500 OBC ($250 each), free gratuities, and an upgraded dinner for two. Deposit was $300 each, refundable.

Edited October 25, 2022 by 2Oldpeopleinlove

[lissie]

8 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Sorry Lissie,

I booked two cruises whilst onboard in August and as a UK based cruiser, the deposits are most definitely not refundable

Were they for others - you are definitely not discriminated on  board at the moment 

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

Were they for others - you are definitely not discriminated on  board at the moment 

They are  our own bookings.

 

I have the Booking Confirmation letters in front of me from Victoria's Future Voyage specialists.

 

The confirmation letters refer to the booking conditions on the Cunard website.  They specifically refer to the cancellation  clauses 38 to 41.

 

So unless the UK  t&cs have changed since August 29th, which is when I made two more bookings, if the cruise is cancelled by the passenger, then cancellation charges apply and either the deposit is forfeited or insurance will kick in to cover the loss if applicable.

 

 

 

[Gretchendz]

On 10/24/2022 at 1:06 PM, majortom10 said:

We were hoping they would release them before we got off QV in mid-November but isnt going to happen so looking elsewhere for 2024.

 

Actually it might happen...they are saying release of those dates will be in "mid to late November."

[majortom10]

4 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

 

Actually it might happen...they are saying release of those dates will be in "mid to late November."

If they were going to release rest of 2024 by the time we disembark on 11th Nov they would have announced pre registration dates by now.

[ExArkie]

On 10/25/2022 at 11:36 AM, Victoria2 said:

They are  our own bookings.

 

I have the Booking Confirmation letters in front of me from Victoria's Future Voyage specialists.

 

The confirmation letters refer to the booking conditions on the Cunard website.  They specifically refer to the cancellation  clauses 38 to 41.

 

So unless the UK  t&cs have changed since August 29th, which is when I made two more bookings, if the cruise is cancelled by the passenger, then cancellation charges apply and either the deposit is forfeited or insurance will kick in to cover the loss if applicable.

 

 

 

In the “before times,” on board bookings for US passengers were refundable, while those for UK passengers were not. Evidently, the policy for New Zealand passengers has varied.
 

The US passengers were also able to book what amounted to a future cruise deposit, in that it did not have to be tied to a specific sailing. 
 

We have one such deposit expiring at the end of this year - booked two on board in 2018, used one for a December TA. I have verified with Cunard that the expiring one will be refunded. 

[david,Mississauga]

11 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

In the “before times,” on board bookings for US passengers were refundable, while those for UK passengers were not. Evidently, the policy for New Zealand passengers has varied.
 

The US passengers were also able to book what amounted to a future cruise deposit, in that it did not have to be tied to a specific sailing. 
 

We have one such deposit expiring at the end of this year - booked two on board in 2018, used one for a December TA. I have verified with Cunard that the expiring one will be refunded. 

 

US and Canadian passengers can still book the future cruise deposits. I booked one on the QE in June then soon after I booked a cruise for 2023 with my TA.  The usual terms applied: small deposit (about Can.$760 for two passengers), fully refundable and OBC which worked out to US$800 for us.