Dynamic Pricing

[exlondoner]

25 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Might not be QA - LittleFish didn't specifically say QA, though I was talking about QA

mea culpa.

[LittleFish1976]

49 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Surely you mean 28 days? Or is there a voyage before the start of May?

 

41 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Might not be QA - LittleFish didn't specifically say QA, though I was talking about QA

Well spotted, buchanan. I was referring to the QE.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

Well spotted, buchanan. I was referring to the QE.

Again, mea culpa for jumping to conclusions.

[LittleFish1976]

7 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Again, mea culpa for jumping to conclusions.

Not to worry. It's not a problem for me. These threads jump around and I have to confess I don't re-read every post again prior to posting a comment so the topic may have drifted in a particular direction lending an unintended slant to a post.

[buchanan101]

On 4/3/2024 at 11:59 AM, Isr45 said:

What TA gives a 5% discount on Cunard?

Thanks

My TA has just given me 5% + £50 on top of the Cunard 10% for a Sep 26 QM2 in PG2

 

Price is less than the discounted PG QA cruise in June. 
 

Vast majority of PG cabins had already gone. 2.5 years early…

[Isr45]

28 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

My TA has just given me 5% + £50 on top of the Cunard 10% for a Sep 26 QM2 in PG2

 

Price is less than the discounted PG QA cruise in June. 
 

Vast majority of PG cabins had already gone. 2.5 years early…

First time trying Cunard - booked Q1 - £200 discount. Not found any agent giving more.

 

Think I will stick with Seabourn in future 😀

[buchanan101]

2 hours ago, Isr45 said:

First time trying Cunard - booked Q1 - £200 discount. Not found any agent giving more.

 

Think I will stick with Seabourn in future 😀

Strange as I’ve now had 5% off two bookings with same agent worth £250+. QG would have been £350 off. I suspect they are biggest agent online in U.K.  

[Victoria2]

3 hours ago, Isr45 said:

First time trying Cunard - booked Q1 - £200 discount. Not found any agent giving more.

 

Think I will stick with Seabourn in future 😀

I seem to remember a past post which would seem to indicate you're on Victoria?

 

We haven't sailed Seabourn but we have in the 1s on QV.

 

Hope you enjoy your stay as much as we do and the cabin [deck 6 or 7?] is  worth any quibble over lack of discount. 🙂

 

 

[doog442]

On 4/3/2024 at 10:38 AM, buchanan101 said:

Looking at the cruise on QA to fjords that I booked the day it was announced; cost me £5,052 in PG1 (including 5% Cunard and 5% TA discount)... it now costs virtually double in the same class (£9,558).  BC is almost as much (£8,598) - who would pay that?

 

Question - currently are almost all prices trending upwards towards departure, or are there occasions where they drop? I like to book early (I book my Avios flights for skiing 355 days in advance...), so quite pleased if booking early is usually the best thing to do (this will be only my second cruise/crossing, previously a QM2 WB TA)

 

Maybe it's because it's a new ship...but demand all round is up I believe

 

 

 

We've booked the Fjords on QA for July 2025 and PG 1 wasn't that far off what you paid - it still isn't, same for July. As it's a Cunard taster for us I booked a BC grade balcony cabin for £2300, less $500 OBC and our shareholder credit and it was about the same as any P&O offering so a no brainer.

 

2024 was a different story. When I booked in Feb most QA offerings were double 2025 prices.

[buchanan101]

@doog442 seems that at the moment it’s good to get in early then. The demand is high, which is what Carnival is saying.

 

Very pleased with my Sep 2026 QM2 PG2 at <£5k. Considered BC but it was considerably higher than the 50% of PG that you’ve found. It seems to be the class that fluctuates most in price…

 

You seem to have a good deal. Hope it’s a great taster for you. We’ve only done a QM2 TA - currently have no inclination to try anyone else. 

[Isr45]

4 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I seem to remember a past post which would seem to indicate you're on Victoria?

 

We haven't sailed Seabourn but we have in the 1s on QV.

 

Hope you enjoy your stay as much as we do and the cabin [deck 6 or 7?] is  worth any quibble over lack of discount. 🙂

 

 

Yes on Victoria deck 7 😀 

Will be interested to compare as usually have best suite on Seabourn.

[Victoria2]

7 hours ago, Isr45 said:

Yes on Victoria deck 7 😀 

Will be interested to compare as usually have best suite on Seabourn.

I will be interested too as we think the aft cabins pretty special and we're very fond of the restaurant but do bear in mind when making the comparison, the overall experience will not be in the same category as Seabourn.

Enjoy. I'm envious. 🙂

[Isr45]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I will be interested too as we think the aft cabins pretty special and we're very fond of the restaurant but do bear in mind when making the comparison, the overall experience will not be in the same category as Seabourn.

Enjoy. I'm envious. 🙂

You are obviously correct as my usual travel agent has warned me that overall experience will not compare.

 

We have heard many comments on QG restaurant and have wanted to try it for many years - seemed like fate when we saw a cruise departing from our arrival port. Our travel agent also thinks it is a bad idea to disembark a 30 day Seabourn cruise and immediately embark the Cunard cruise 😀

[Victoria2]

8 minutes ago, Isr45 said:

You are obviously correct as my usual travel agent has warned me that overall experience will not compare.

 

We have heard many comments on QG restaurant and have wanted to try it for many years - seemed like fate when we saw a cruise departing from our arrival port. Our travel agent also thinks it is a bad idea to disembark a 30 day Seabourn cruise and immediately embark the Cunard cruise 😀

As long as you bear in mind the differences in the ships and be prepared to accept these, I think it a brilliant idea. I have no idea of any Seabourn price points so only you can compare bang for your buck and that, I WILL be interested in.

Deck 7 cabins are slightly bigger than the 6s but both, in our opinion are pretty top notch...if you ignore the fact there are no usb ports in the deck 6 1s which when used to having them in the 7s, means you go into panic mode initially!

I look forward to any feedback, good, bad or indifferent.🙂

 

 

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

As long as you bear in mind the differences in the ships and be prepared to accept these, I think it a brilliant idea. I have no idea of any Seabourn price points so only you can compare bang for your buck and that, I WILL be interested in.

Deck 7 cabins are slightly bigger than the 6s but both, in our opinion are pretty top notch...if you ignore the fact there are no usb ports in the deck 6 1s which when used to having them in the 7s, means you go into panic mode initially!

I look forward to any feedback, good, bad or indifferent.🙂

 

 

On the other hand, I think you will hate it, especially after all that time on Seabourn, being lulled into their ways. I think it will be very hard to think positively about any thing on Cunard. I would cancel.

 

[buchanan101]

3 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

As long as you bear in mind the differences in the ships and be prepared to accept these, I think it a brilliant idea. I have no idea of any Seabourn price points so only you can compare bang for your buck and that, I WILL be interested in.

Deck 7 cabins are slightly bigger than the 6s but both, in our opinion are pretty top notch...if you ignore the fact there are no usb ports in the deck 6 1s which when used to having them in the 7s, means you go into panic mode initially!

I look forward to any feedback, good, bad or indifferent.🙂

 

 

Don't know anything about Seabourn except they seem top notch for luxury - above Cunard - and are generally significantly smaller ships than Cunard's, 

 

Is there a crossover on quality and price - e.g. is Cunard QG close to Seabourn? I can probably only aspire to Seabourn otherwise as lowest QGs are the most I can reasonably afford (and am travelling PG on next two cruises)

 

[Victoria2]

10 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

On the other hand, I think you will hate it, especially after all that time on Seabourn, being lulled into their ways. I think it will be very hard to think positively about any thing on Cunard. I would cancel.

 

Queen Victoria as a ship is not in the luxury class and many will say QG isn't luxury either. As it suits us, I won't enter into that debate.

 

I do think though that QV deck 7 aft cabins will compete with luxurious accommodation on any ship. The interesting thing will be the price differential in comparison to the top cabins on Seabourn.

 

Go with a negative attitude and the experience will be tarnished before it starts. Go with a 'I know it's not Seabourn but I'm willing to give it a go' and hopefully, some positives will ensue.

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, Victoria2 said:

Queen Victoria as a ship is not in the luxury class and many will say QG isn't luxury either. As it suits us, I won't enter into that debate.

 

I do think though that QV deck 7 aft cabins will compete with luxurious accommodation on any ship. The interesting thing will be the price differential in comparison to the top cabins on Seabourn.

 

Go with a negative attitude and the experience will be tarnished before it starts. Go with a 'I know it's not Seabourn but I'm willing to give it a go' and hopefully, some positives will ensue.

QM2 QG was more than good enough for us - hopefully QA PG and QM2 PG will also be. Trying to save a couple of £k a trip...

 

Tempted to bid on PG upgrade on QA in very very outside chance that it'd result in one of the stern cabins as they look to be in a great place - are those similar to the QV ones you are talking about when you say "aft"?

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Queen Victoria as a ship is not in the luxury class and many will say QG isn't luxury either. As it suits us, I won't enter into that debate.

 

I do think though that QV deck 7 aft cabins will compete with luxurious accommodation on any ship. The interesting thing will be the price differential in comparison to the top cabins on Seabourn.

 

Go with a negative attitude and the experience will be tarnished before it starts. Go with a 'I know it's not Seabourn but I'm willing to give it a go' and hopefully, some positives will ensue.

As you probably know, I think QG, even lesser QG, on the Vistas is lovely. I don’t think I would much enjoy being on a smaller ship, which, even with an excellent passenger/space ratio, is inevitably going to feel claustrophobic. However, I do think after a month greatly enjoying another ship, it would be hard to feel positively about the differences, let alone any defects that appear. So I would leave it. 😀

[buchanan101]

Just now, exlondoner said:

As you probably know, I think QG, even lesser QG, on the Vistas is lovely. I don’t think I would much enjoy being on a smaller ship, which, even with an excellent passenger/space ratio, is inevitably going to feel claustrophobic. However, I do think after a month greatly enjoying another ship, it would be hard to feel positively about the differences, let alone any defects that appear. So I would leave it. 😀

I think OH would be nervous about a smaller ship after a fairly rough day on Qm2 TA. She's nervous about North Sea in June on QA... so I think I have to aim big anyway...

 

(as an aside, aren't some of the P&O ships ugly - passed one on the IoW ferry yesterday - one where the bridge needs extra struts to stop it collapsing, with a weird slot at the bow - presumably so passengers can walk round-  and with just about the ugliest butt at sea... Makes the Cunard Vistas look almost as good as the QM2)

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

I think OH would be nervous about a smaller ship after a fairly rough day on Qm2 TA. She's nervous about North Sea in June on QA... so I think I have to aim big anyway...

 

(as an aside, aren't some of the P&O ships ugly - passed one on the IoW ferry yesterday - one where the bridge needs extra struts to stop it collapsing, with a weird slot at the bow - presumably so passengers can walk round-  and with just about the ugliest butt at sea... Makes the Cunard Vistas look almost as good as the QM2)

I do think painting the hull black has an amazing effect in making a ship look much more like a ship. 😀

[Victoria2]

18 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

As you probably know, I think QG, even lesser QG, on the Vistas is lovely. I don’t think I would much enjoy being on a smaller ship, which, even with an excellent passenger/space ratio, is inevitably going to feel claustrophobic. However, I do think after a month greatly enjoying another ship, it would be hard to feel positively about the differences, let alone any defects that appear. So I would leave it. 😀

I'm guessing leaving it isn't an option now  and as Isr45 was tipped off by his/her agent on their thoughts on the differences, hopefully, forewarned will be forearmed and any negatives can be put down to experience.

Edited April 8 by Victoria2

[buchanan101]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I do think painting the hull black has an amazing effect in making a ship look much more like a ship. 😀

That is very true. P&O aren't the only ones guilty of that, and are way more conservative than most. Not sure about the Union Jack bow either (that may be a controversial view given the "outrage" over the little flag on the England football shirt...). But again other lines are much much worse in their decor.

 

What is wrong with a ship looking like a ship, and I think you hit the nail on the head there

 

The P&O ship would still have been ugly with a black hull though...

[LittleFish1976]

36 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I don’t think I would much enjoy being on a smaller ship, which, even with an excellent passenger/space ratio, is inevitably going to feel claustrophobic.

 

As for smaller ships; I had thought I would find them all claustrophobic but having recently been on a Ponant ship with around 150 other passengers I can safely say that the experience was wonderful and extremely well suited to the type of trip I was on (Antarctic Expedition). I think the design of the ship makes a huge difference. I had lunch on a Silver Seas ship a few years ago which I think was Silver Spirit at around 600 pax capacity. I toured the ship and decided I would find that very claustrophobic.

Edited April 8 by LittleFish1976

[Isr45]

25 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I'm guessing leaving it isn't an option now  and as Isr45 was tipped off by his/her agent on their thoughts on the differences, hopefully, forewarned will be forearmed and any negatives can be put down to experience.

We are diamond (250 plus days) on Seabourn and love the Ovation and Encore size ( approx 600 passengers) but wanted to try QG.
We expect to love the suite and the food but accept the Terrace won’t compare to the Retreat on Seabourn where we book for the full cruise. We view this as a different experience but probably a one off but are fine to try 😀