Cunard Black Friday Sale.

[Victoria2]

I don't think those of you in the UK should feel left out.

 

We certainly don't feel left out at all. 🙂

[D&N]

"I don't think those of you in the UK should feel left out."

 

From the figures quoted it certainly doesn't seem that those in North America are being offered a better deal than UK customers.

 

Has anyone actually carried out a costed comparison between US and UK offers?

I suspect that when you read of US offers with drinks and speciality dining included, that if you took the UK price and added in the cost of those 'perks' you might come up with a very similar total.

 

I would only consider booking through the UK, but if it did bother me I would do the research.

[evonlef]

On 11/12/2023 at 10:26 PM, bluemarble said:

 

Right. The Terms and Conditions for the offer on the customer facing US website simply state "may not be combined with other offers or promotions (aside from those listed herein)." Then there aren't any other offers or promotions specifically listed herein that I'm seeing.

I booked a Black Friday cruise today with my Cunard agent. It didn't include any of the Exp. More extras other than OBCs. The pricing wasn't much different than the last special after eliminating extras. I was able to select category and cabin and will bid on an upgrade after final payment date.

Ed

[D&N]

I couldn't contain my curiosity.

 

I contacted a big US agency who's mailing list I was on about 20 years ago. I can't name them here but they claim to be very big in cruising.

 

The price obtained for a cruise I know the UK price of and converted from USD to GBP at this evenings commercial exchange rate was 17.5% more than the UK price on September 25th.

That takes account of differences in onboard credit and includes port taxes etc.

 

Edit: Sorry I didn't specify the grade just the category and I note they've quoted the grade below the one I'm comparing so the percentage difference may be bigger.

Edited November 17, 2023 by D&N

[WantedOnVoyage]

Thank you.... this "oh those Yanks get all the deals" (and have better uniforms, get paid better, get all the girls and have chocolate bars and nylons) nonsense keeps coming up here. Over and over. And it's refuted by folks like you who just do a simple comparison.

 

In the end, it all comes out in the wash. And BTW, the once wonderful "Grills Drink Offer" has been kept at $12 a drink despite all the drink prices going up and it's no deal at all. I'd rather book the UK price and buy the real drinks package.  

 

You can drive on the left or the right but when you write Cunard a cheque or a check, they wind up pocketing the same amount of money in the end. 

[Victoria2]

I think you'll find WantedOnVoyage, most who post on this board are aware there are booking differences on either side of  'the pond' but equally, most are also aware it all comes clean in the wash.

 

Now D&N along with one or two others has tried to give a clearer picture to anyone who moans about booking inequality but it doesn't seem to sink in the fact there are pluses and minuses on both sides. Unfortunately the minuses loom a lot larger than the pluses for one or two.

 

As for chocolate, apart from Hershay's Kisses, you can keep yours as our Cadbury choc bars are the best! 😄

 

 

 

 

[D&N]

We don't see many Cadbury's products here, but these are very nice:

 

 

 

[bluemarble]

On 11/13/2023 at 11:56 AM, newbie202020 said:

I guess that there's no Black Friday sale on the spa pass or internet packages?

 

On 11/13/2023 at 12:21 PM, bluemarble said:

I don't recall any Cunard promotions which have included anything to do with spa services or internet packages.

 

I just logged into my current booking on the US version of My Cunard and look what I am seeing; a Black Friday Event is going for spa treatments and gift packages on existing bookings here in the US. Note this is in addition to the Black Friday Event for booking voyages since my current booking was not made under that promotion.

 

 

Here is a list of the Spa treatment offers.

 

Black Friday savings

20% OFF

Up-do (long hair)   $89   $71.20

Elemis pro-collagen grooming treatment and haircut  $149   $119.20

Fire & Ice manicure and pedicure   $159   $127.20

Mareel massage   $179   $143.20

Acupuncture introductory session   $199   $159.20

Bamboo Massage   $199   $159.20

Elemis pro-collagen age-defy facial   $199   $159.20

Aroma spa seaweed massage   $249   $199.20

Aroma stone therapy for two   $399   $319.20

 

 

Here is a list of the Gift package offers.

 

Black Friday savings

20% OFF

Celebration Package   $265   $212

Luxury Celebration Package   $500   $400

 

 

There are "Book Now" buttons for each of these offers but they don't actually allow me to book them. As of now, all the Spa treatment "Book Now" buttons take me to a page that simply says "Coming soon". The "Book Now" buttons for the Gift package offers take me to a page directing me to call their sales team to book them. Somewhat oddly for me being on the US version of My Cunard, I'm directed to a page on the UK site giving me the UK phone number to call.

 

I don't see any mention of Black Friday offers on Internet plans. They were already doing a Starlink introduction promotion where the price of the Premium Voyage Plan was $20 per day and the price of the Essential Voyage Plan was $15 per day. But now when I check the prices of Internet plans in My Cunard, here is what I am seeing. These prices (if they are real) are approximately 2% off the previous sale prices.

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by bluemarble

[newbie202020]

Thanks so much @bluemarble

 

I checked mycunard on the Canadian side and there is a banner for Black Friday but the spa day pass is not on sale and there's no change in the internet price from the 15% off Starlink deal.

[bluemarble]

1 minute ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks so much @bluemarble

 

I checked mycunard on the Canadian side and there is a banner for Black Friday but the spa day pass is not on sale and there's no change in the internet price from the 15% off Starlink deal.

 

Yeah, I'm not seeing anything relating to spa passes here in the US either, just discounts on various spa treatments.

 

Concerning the Internet plan prices, I have two upcoming bookings, one on QM2 in 2024 and one on QA in 2025. Those discounted prices I posted above are from my 2025 booking on QA. When I take a look at my 2024 booking on QM2, that's showing the Starlink promo prices of $20 per day for the Premium plan and $15 per day for the Essential plan. So, I'm not sure if those lower prices of $19.58 per day for the Premium plan and $14.71 per day for the Essential plan are a mistake or are only for specific dates, ships or voyages.

 

As a Cunard World Club member who receives on board Internet credit, a limited-time sale on Internet plans is probably irrelevant to me anyway. I can't purchase a plan ahead of time. I assume I'll be applying my Internet credit toward whatever the current pricing is at the time I sale. They do say "Once you board your ship, you can use your credits to purchase internet by the day or for your entire voyage, according to the prices shown here." I have my doubts though that they'll offer me plans on board at those discounted prices if the prices go back up prior to sailing.

[newbie202020]

I posted this question in another thread but didn't get a response. Hoping that someone can help.

 

My understanding is that I can buy the internet package now but can cancel without penalty for a full refund up to 3 days before departure. Is that correct?

 

Can't get through the phone lines right now. Thanks

[bluemarble]

4 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

I posted this question in another thread but didn't get a response. Hoping that someone can help.

 

My understanding is that I can buy the internet package now but can cancel without penalty for a full refund up to 3 days before departure. Is that correct?

 

Can't get through the phone lines right now. Thanks

 

Yes, that's my understanding concerning refunds for pre-purchased internet plans. I can't confirm from actual experience, but this quote is from the Internet terms and conditions posted on My Cunard.

 

"Pre-booked Packages can be canceled and refunded in full to the original debit/credit card up to 3 days prior to departure."

 

By the way, I think I figured out the reason for the discounted pricing for internet plans I posted earlier. That's where I am seeing the pricing for the Premium Voyage Plan listed at $19.58 per day (discounted from $20 per day) and the Essential Voyage Plan listed at $14.71 per day (discounted from $15 per day) for one of my voyages. It has to do with the length of the voyage. I'm seeing that discounted pricing on a voyage of 17 nights. Here's the relevant quote from My Cunard.

 

"Discounts are available for multi-device plans and plans on voyages of 16 nights or more in duration."

[starquake]

Ref; Black Friday deals

 

We have booked one deal during this period, we had been monitoring for cheap cruises in the deal, and managed to pickup a QM2 itinary for 14 ni in Feb 25 for 2 cabins of 2 for under £100 pp pn which we deal as our base for Britannia Sheltered Balcony class (non upgradable).   Insides were £80 pppn average for this.      We have booked cheaper in past on a pppn basis but usually only on the pre Christmas winter cruises which are usually cheaper than the actual full over the holiday period Cruises by a substatial margin.

 

Definitely the cheapest QM2 itinary we've booked to date on a pp pn basis, on that basis I approve of this Black Friday event.