Cunard US vs Cunard UK?

[floatymcboatface]

American living in the UK and curious if it matters which website I book through? Advantages, disadvantages, different pricing, better customer service etc...?

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, floatymcboatface said:

American living in the UK and curious if it matters which website I book through? Advantages, disadvantages, different pricing, better customer service etc...?

 

This is a potentially thorny topic. I'll start.

 

The first issue you will run into is being able to access the Cunard US website from the UK. Your accesses to "cunard.com" from the UK will automatically redirect you to the Cunard UK website at "cunard.com/en-gb". In order to get to the Cunard US website at "cunard.com/en-us" from the UK, you will need to resort to a trick such as using a VPN to make it look like you are in the US.

 

Beyond that, I'm not sure about the technicalities/permissibility of working around that automatic redirection and using the Cunard US website to book a cruise while you reside in the UK. I've read posts here where folks residing in the UK have booked through US travel agents but not so much booking using the Cunard US website themselves.

 

In terms of differences between booking in the US versus the UK, here are some I am aware of. I'm sure others will be glad to add to this list.

 

1) Deposits on many US bookings are refundable up to final payment date. That includes most US promotions with the notable exception of what they call "Our Lowest Fare" and some of their other short-term promotions. Deposits for UK bookings are non-refundable. The deposit amounts also differ between the two countries. The typical deposit amount is 15% for UK bookings. It's typically 25% for US bookings although that amount is reduced in the US on some promotions, especially those with non-refundable deposits.

 

2) For US bookings, final payment date is 120 days before departure for voyages of 30 nights or less and 150 days before departure on longer voyages. Final payment is 90 days before departure for UK bookings. As you might expect, there are different cancellation penalty schedules in line with these differences in the final payment dates.

 

3) There are insurance requirements for UK bookings (£2 million medical cover). Insurance is not required for US bookings.

 

4) There are different fare options between the UK and US with different perks for each. In general, in the UK there will be lower-cost "Saver" fares with fewer perks and higher-cost "Cunard" fares with more perks. In the US, there often will be "Our Lowest Fare" with fewer perks, higher-cost "Cunard" fares with more perks and other varying seasonal promotions. The actual perks offered for each fare will vary between countries.

 

5) If you book a grills suite in the US, there is a long-standing "Grills Suite Offer" which includes both pre-payment of the daily hotel and dining service charge and a complimentary drinks package.

 

6) Potentially the biggest difference is simply a result of UK bookings being in UK pounds and US bookings being in US dollars. There isn't always a direct relationship between the two fare structures. I just randomly picked a QM2 crossing next July to compare pricing between the Cunard UK and Cunard US websites. The Cunard US website quoted me $4,392.22 for a sheltered balcony (double occupancy) at "Our Lowest Fare". The Cunard UK website quoted me £2,698 for that same cabin at the "Early Saver" fare. That's quite a difference at the current exchange rates. Please note that difference won't always be in the favor of one currency over the other.

 

7) There are different Cunard World Club accounts for US bookings and UK bookings. In order to keep all your Cunard World Club activity under one account, you will need to make all your bookings either with Cunard US or Cunard UK (or else ask to have your separate accounts merged at a later date).

 

Bottom line is that there are many different booking terms and conditions, fare structures and promotions between the US and UK to take into full account. As a resident of the UK, the path of least resistance probably will be to book via Cunard UK, but certainly feel free to investigate the possibility of booking via the US.

Edited February 1, 2023 by bluemarble

[alibabacruisers]

Very comprehensive John!  Thank you.