Benefits of booking onboard

[MatildaM]

Hello. I'm hoping you good people could share some wisdom with me. We're booked on QM2 next April travelling to the Mediterranean. I'm now looking at H601 Canary Islands celebration onboard Queen Anne for December 25. I've checked the price with Cunard direct for an inside cabin and compared with a travel agent. Through the agent I can book the cunard fare for less than Cunard are charging for the early saver fare, along with $290 onboard credit.

My question is, what additional benefits would be likely by booking while onboard QM2. We will be platinum world club members. This booking will be from the UK.

Many thanks for any advice you can offer.

[MylesS]

5 minutes ago, MatildaM said:

Hello. I'm hoping you good people could share some wisdom with me. We're booked on QM2 next April travelling to the Mediterranean. I'm now looking at H601 Canary Islands celebration onboard Queen Anne for December 25. I've checked the price with Cunard direct for an inside cabin and compared with a travel agent. Through the agent I can book the cunard fare for less than Cunard are charging for the early saver fare, along with $290 onboard credit.

My question is, what additional benefits would be likely by booking while onboard QM2. We will be platinum world club members. This booking will be from the UK.

Many thanks for any advice you can offer.

You’ll get extra onboard credit, normally up to $400 depending on the cruise & stateroom category, as well as a lower deposit. 

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, MylesS said:

You’ll get extra onboard credit, normally up to $400 depending on the cruise & stateroom category, as well as a lower deposit. 

The downside is if you wait any length of time when wanting to book popular itineraries in order to gain any onboard booking perks, the accommodation required might have been booked out.

[MCC retired]

You can transfer your Book Onboard Booking to that TA to take advantage of those TA Goodies upon returning home .

You may also just purchase a Future Cruise Deposit then use that for your booking with a TA.

[bluemarble]

Keep in mind you can generally have Cunard transfer your booking made on board to your travel agent to apply their discounted fare and on their board credit as well. Naturally that will be the fare at the time of booking so if the fares go up between now and when you are on board, that would mitigate savings you could get by booking now. And as @Victoria2 has pointed out, your desired category of accommodation might sell out. Of course it could go both ways with the fare possibly going down by the time you are on board.

[Host Hattie]

Just now, MCC retired said:

You may also just purchase a Future Cruise Deposit then use that for your booking with a TA.

That's no longer the case for UK bookings. 

[bluemarble]

I know there has been quite a bit of back and forth in the past about Future Cruise Deposits being available to purchase on board by North America guests. I have no experience with that, but I did find this Cunard pdf file which seems to indicate the purchase of Future Cruise Deposits may have ended for North America guests as of July 1, 2024. Of course I'll gladly stand corrected if this is not the case.

 

https://cruise.cunard.com/assets/responsysimages/content/cunardus/OnboardBookingsFAQs.pdf

[Pear Carr]

If a 14+ night cruise you will get $300pp for booking on board with deposit of £175pp. You will also get the current OBC promotion at that time with Cunard (eg. $290 at the current TA rate).

[WantedOnVoyage]

Actually you can (and I have) book aboard and give the representative my travel agent's IATA number and details so I get the benefits of booking aboard and the reservation is already "owned" by the agent so nothing more need be done. 

 

We might do so for a QM2 cruise for 2025 whilst aboard QV next week but I suspect the Jan 27 W. Indies cruise for her won't be on sale by then.  

[david63]

53 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

If a 14+ night cruise you will get $300pp for booking on board with deposit of £175pp. You will also get the current OBC promotion at that time with Cunard (eg. $290 at the current TA rate).

The amount of OBC is variable depending on cruise/ship/accomodation/current offer and may be more or less than $300

[Pear Carr]

Agreed - likely more ($400?) for grills and less for fewer nights. Also not applicable for over (I think) 25 nights when additional 3% discount is applied instead. The onboard additional benefit is always added to the current Cunard offer at any given time for a Cunard fare.