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.

 

[Wonky]

On 9/21/2024 at 10:05 PM, Pear Carr said:

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.

 

Has anyone experience of the 3% off longer cruises? I normally negotiate a reduced fare with TA but then book on board for the extra OBS but I’m guessing the 3% would be negated if for example you had negotiated 5% with TA. Could you refuse the 3% and ask for OBS instead??

[Pear Carr]

On board booking benefits

If you book a Cunard Fare or Early Saver Fare, the first two passengers on each booking receive on board spending money, the amount of which is dependent on the length of the voyage and the type of stateroom booked.

Sailings of 6-9 days:

Suites $200 USD per person
Balcony $150 USD per person
Inside & Outside $100 USD per person

Sailings of 10 + days:

Suites $400 USD per person
Balcony $300 USD per person
Inside & Outside $200 USD per person

You are also entitled to a low deposit of £175pp, when booking a cruise of 6 nights or more.

For Voyages of 25+ nights:

• The on board booking benefit is 3% discount (as opposed to OBC). 
• A 15% deposit is required. 

The above benefits are not available when booking a Late Saver or any other promotional fare.

[Pear Carr]

I believe you can book on board and transfer to your TA. I would speak to your TA re: the discount they would be prepared to offer on top of 3% offered by Cunard (which I understand is non negotiable in terms of OBC for over 25 days). Your TA may be able to offer OBC.

[intel]

My information refers to an Australian booking in Grills. Last Christmas on board I booked a 30 night cruise that sails next month. The consultant was fully aware of the TA we use (and also one of two better one's on pricing). She gave me 3 prices of the fare with 3% discount applied to each one, OBC and the different savings against the Cunard. I went with my TA and saved several thousand dollars. I don't whether the 3% is only applicable to Grill bookings but I was aware of the additional discount on board as previous.

I was aware of the cabins available prior to the voyage but would have booked prior if they were selling out. The cruise next month is fully sold out for Grills.

As someone has already pointed out you can always transfer a booking to a TA later.

[napria]

I know we cannot mention specific TAs, and to be clear I’m not asking for any… but I keep seeing people mentioning that they’re getting a better price from their TA.  My TA charges the same price as on Cunard’s website, without any “extras”, although she always offers to check if the agency she works for is offering anything (they never are on the cruises I’m interested in.). I thought of changing to a different TA, but when I contacted one who had great recommendations, she told me that she only works on a yearly retainer, and that’s how most TAs work now!  I’m in the US, by the way.  I’m curious if this is a US thing?

 

We want to book a voyage on QV for next year and my TA told me to wait till I’m on QM2 this week and book onboard for a better deal.  My neighbor — who’s never sailed on Cunard — told us to wait until the end of the trip to book onboard, and we’d get a better deal.  I can’t imagine that this is true.  Should we wait until the end to book for a trip that’s been available for quite a while and doesn’t sail till next fall?

[MCC retired]

24 minutes ago, napria said:

I know we cannot mention specific TAs, and to be clear I’m not asking for any… but I keep seeing people mentioning that they’re getting a better price from their TA.  My TA charges the same price as on Cunard’s website, without any “extras”, although she always offers to check if the agency she works for is offering anything (they never are on the cruises I’m interested in.). I thought of changing to a different TA, but when I contacted one who had great recommendations, she told me that she only works on a yearly retainer, and that’s how most TAs work now!  I’m in the US, by the way.  I’m curious if this is a US thing?

 

We want to book a voyage on QV for next year and my TA told me to wait till I’m on QM2 this week and book onboard for a better deal.  My neighbor — who’s never sailed on Cunard — told us to wait until the end of the trip to book onboard, and we’d get a better deal.  I can’t imagine that this is true.  Should we wait until the end to book for a trip that’s been available for quite a while and doesn’t sail till next fall?

 

US TA's are permitted to discount even Cunard's best rates .

Your TA is taking advantage of you as you are not shopping other TA's.

 

As a former TA myself , I never heard of a "TA retainer"?????? .

 

Yes, do book onboard (waiting until the end of your cruise is just silly) but come home and transfer your booking to a TA that appreciates your business with discounts , OBC and other goodies.

[david63]

I am on QV at the moment and have been for the last two weeks and at no time has there been any notification as to what the "offer" is for booking onboard, other than asking and for that you need to book an appointment.

 

We booked a cruise for next year two days after boarding and that same cruise is now £500pp more by booking on board.so waiting until the end may not be in your best interests, but if there is a Cunard offer/price change later in your cruise then it could benefit you to wait. basically you pays your money and takes your chance