Transatlantic Availability

[Joe33472]

I have a question about availability on transatlantic Cunard cruises and if there usually some cancellations around the final deposit date, or if people tend to keep their reservations or if that just varies from cruise to cruise.  The reason I ask is that I'm waiting to hear at work about some time off this fall 2023 and we would like to take the TA cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona in September.  Right now, there looks like one queens grille suite is remaining on that sailing, but it's in a penthouse suite and I think we'd prefer just a regular Queens suite.   I see that "final deposits" are due May 8th, so I'm not sure if I should just wait until then to see if anything opens.  I think I run the risk of the penthouse going away, but I just won't know about work until sometime in late March or early April.  I guess I could make the decision until then, but I'm not sure if I should just wait until 5/8.    

 

I also searched the discussion boards to see if Cunard has an upgrade option (in case I wait until 5/8 and all that's left are balcony rooms).  I'm wondering if upgrades happen closer to sailing.  I guess my question is if people do cancel around May 8th, will those show up in inventory or are the cancellations offered as upgrades.  

 

Thank you for any thoughts or suggestions!  

 

[ace2542]

9 hours ago, Joe33472 said:

I have a question about availability on transatlantic Cunard cruises and if there usually some cancellations around the final deposit date, or if people tend to keep their reservations or if that just varies from cruise to cruise.  The reason I ask is that I'm waiting to hear at work about some time off this fall 2023 and we would like to take the TA cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona in September.  Right now, there looks like one queens grille suite is remaining on that sailing, but it's in a penthouse suite and I think we'd prefer just a regular Queens suite.   I see that "final deposits" are due May 8th, so I'm not sure if I should just wait until then to see if anything opens.  I think I run the risk of the penthouse going away, but I just won't know about work until sometime in late March or early April.  I guess I could make the decision until then, but I'm not sure if I should just wait until 5/8.    

 

I also searched the discussion boards to see if Cunard has an upgrade option (in case I wait until 5/8 and all that's left are balcony rooms).  I'm wondering if upgrades happen closer to sailing.  I guess my question is if people do cancel around May 8th, will those show up in inventory or are the cancellations offered as upgrades.  

 

Thank you for any thoughts or suggestions!  

 

I think they go for sale until maybe 24 or 48 hours before departure. I have seen agencies list last minute deals. I don't think you can turn up at the terminal at Southampton or Brooklyn or wherever and see if anyone no shows. There is no standby list like that in cruising at least not so far as I am aware

[Victoria2]

22 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I think they go for sale until maybe 24 or 48 hours before departure. I have seen agencies list last minute deals. I don't think you can turn up at the terminal at Southampton or Brooklyn or wherever and see if anyone no shows. There is no standby list like that in cruising at least not so far as I am aware

Our first time in a 2, years ago was a [substantially reduced] paid for upgrade from a 3, about a week before departure.

 

 

[ace2542]

28 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Our first time in a 2, years ago was a [substantially reduced] paid for upgrade from a 3, about a week before departure.

 

 

What would happen if someone did rock up on T/A day with all the luggage and just waited to see if someone no showed. Would Cunard let them buy the cabin and pay the flight transfer costs?

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

What would happen if someone did rock up on T/A day with all the luggage and just waited to see if someone no showed. Would Cunard let them buy the cabin and pay the flight transfer costs?

Bearing in mind our upgrade wasn't a TA and no flights were involved, chancing sudden cabin availability is one thing, subject to any  ESTA compliance for a TA, but chancing any flight availability at a reasonable cost would deter us on any kind of fly/cruise booking.

[Joe33472]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

I think they go for sale until maybe 24 or 48 hours before departure. I have seen agencies list last minute deals. I don't think you can turn up at the terminal at Southampton or Brooklyn or wherever and see if anyone no shows. There is no standby list like that in cruising at least not so far as I am aware

 

Thanks Ace!  This is very helpful.  I'm happy to hear that any cancellations end up back in inventory for a good amount of time.   I think I'll wait until I find out about my time off request and either pull the trigger (if it's still available) on the penthouse suite and if not, wait until 5/8 to see if anything opens up.  The cruise doesn't appear to be fully sold out, so if we ended up in a balcony room, so be it, and we could save some money.  

 

I've often wondered about last minute cruises (literally showing up at the terminal) and if there would be any good deals, since we live in South Florida and not far from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, I've thought about it.   But definitely wouldn't show up for a TA on the day of the cruise. 

 

Thanks again.  

 

 

 

[shippmates]

No you can not just show up at the port on departure day.  This has to do with the turn around time the manifest need to be sent to the government.

 

[steve4031]

The cruise lines in Florida list Pack and Go rates a couple of weeks out.  If I were to try this on a transatlantic crossing I would search for a deal on a round trip with one day spent at the other end of before coming back.  

[Joe33472]

 

46 minutes ago, steve4031 said:

The cruise lines in Florida list Pack and Go rates a couple of weeks out.  If I were to try this on a transatlantic crossing I would search for a deal on a round trip with one day spent at the other end of before coming back.  

 

Thanks!  I'll have to take a look at these rates the next time we have some free time and want to do something in the Caribbean or something in and out of Florida.  I think I was looking too close to departure dates.  I'll look in the 2-3 week range.  

The trip I'm planning now is TA round trip with about 4 to 6 weeks in Europe.  Coming back to the US in late October or early November, there are a bunch of cruise options on various lines.  Getting to Europe is a bit more problematic.  There are only three possibilities as far as I can tell.  Cunard out to NY to Southampton on 9/11, Cunard out of Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona on 9/5, and a Carnival cruise out of Orlando to Barcelona on 9/21. 

 

Although, I'm not opposed to Carnival, between that and Cunard, I think Cunard is more our speed.  We're both in our 50s and traveling w/o kids.  Since we would spend some time in Europe after the first TA, I'm thinking we need to pack light.  That really doesn't lend itself to tuxedos and gowns.   Beside the fact that I have an unwritten rule about not putting on a suit or dinner jacket when I'm on a vacation.  But after reading the posts on this board, nothing gets people worked up more than dress code policies.   So, I'll stop here 🙃

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Joe33472

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, shippmates said:

No you can not just show up at the port on departure day.  This has to do with the turn around time the manifest need to be sent to the government.

 

For a westbound T/A with a valid ESTA or if you U.S Citizen you might be able to?. At what point they send the manifests out? With airlines it is 2 hours after departure isn't it? So wouldn't a cruise ship have time? And also with a non stop T/A there is no chance of a no show passenger popping up at the next port? So if someone did rock up they might see the chance to get even more money given that the no show won't get a refund.

 

But like I said I don't think anyone has ever tried it. For my own knowledge I will ask the question in April when we board the westbound T/A

Edited February 22, 2023 by ace2542

[shippmates]

Here is the policy for departure day in the US.  Guest lists must be submitted a minimum of 24-48 hours before the cruise sets sail to the appropriate local authorities and as a result, booking a cruise on departure day is not possible.

[Essiesmom]

8 hours ago, shippmates said:

Here is the policy for departure day in the US.  Guest lists must be submitted a minimum of 24-48 hours before the cruise sets sail to the appropriate local authorities and as a result, booking a cruise on departure day is not possible.

Whose policy is that?  On Carnival, you can call and book in the morning and sail in the afternoon.  Final manifest goes in 60 min before sailing.  EM

[shippmates]

Essiemom when I did the search that policy came up under emma cruises.

 

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/22/2023 at 9:29 PM, Essiesmom said:

Whose policy is that?  On Carnival, you can call and book in the morning and sail in the afternoon.  Final manifest goes in 60 min before sailing.  EM

Have you ANY support for that contention (other than wishful thinking - or rumors heard at your local watering hole)?