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babs135
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DH and I fancy a cruise in January 2018, but the price is just tantalising out of what we call our 'comfort zone price'. So, do we

 

1) Forget it and look for something within the 'zone'

 

2) Wait in the hope that the price drops

 

3) Completely denude our holiday account and go for it. Even I'm not too keen on this.

 

It's a what I call a 'put together cruise' and at the moment only the one travel agent is offering it. It has the advantage of ticking two items off the bucket list.

 

Be kind to me with your advice because today is my birthday :D

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Happy Birthday!

 

For me, ticking items on a bucket list is priceless! You're only here once and can't take it with you so if you can afford it without going into debt, definitely.

 

If you have to go into debt, maybe look at where you can save money, but myself I am very impulsive and once I set my mind to it, nothing less will do lol.

 

Making memories costs. You could wait to see if the price drops but then what if it wasn't available for the arrangements you have put together? It's the old 'how much do I want it?' dilemma. :)

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Happy birthday!

 

Me and my wife have booked the QE world cruise next year. It cost most of our savings. We looked at it this way:

1. No airport hassles (apart from flying to London and back home)

2. Almost everything is included (the trip, the lodging, the food). Try to divide the total amount with the number of days and see what the cruise costs you on a daily basis compared to other options.

3. Relatively safe environment if something happens (sickness, etc.)

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DH and I fancy a cruise in January 2018, but the price is just tantalising out of what we call our 'comfort zone price'. So, do we

 

 

 

1) Forget it and look for something within the 'zone'

 

 

 

2) Wait in the hope that the price drops

 

 

 

3) Completely denude our holiday account and go for it. Even I'm not too keen on this.

 

 

 

It's a what I call a 'put together cruise' and at the moment only the one travel agent is offering it. It has the advantage of ticking two items off the bucket list.

 

 

 

Be kind to me with your advice because today is my birthday :D

 

 

Happy Birthday!

 

If you book the cruise and the price drops before you pay your balance you can usually get the best price. Just be aware, that if you got an incentive like the Free Beverage Package and the offer of a lower price comes up, you might lose your original incentive. You can register on websites that will notify you of a price drop. Hope you go for it!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Happy Birthday!

 

If you book the cruise and the price drops before you pay your balance you can usually get the best price. Just be aware, that if you got an incentive like the Free Beverage Package and the offer of a lower price comes up, you might lose your original incentive. You can register on websites that will notify you of a price drop. Hope you go for it!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I'm in the UK so sadly no price drops:(

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DH and I fancy a cruise in January 2018, but the price is just tantalising out of what we call our 'comfort zone price'. So, do we

 

1) Forget it and look for something within the 'zone'

 

2) Wait in the hope that the price drops

 

3) Completely denude our holiday account and go for it. Even I'm not too keen on this.

 

It's a what I call a 'put together cruise' and at the moment only the one travel agent is offering it. It has the advantage of ticking two items off the bucket list.

 

Be kind to me with your advice because today is my birthday :D

 

There is a 4th option!

We were faced with a similar situation last year with a QV cruise Cape Town to Southampton. The TA advertised a package including flights to Johannesburg, then on to Victoria Falls, flight to Cape Town for a stay before joining the ship. We put the exactly same package togehter ourselves, with tours and safaris etc., (all fully protected) and saved £££££s.

On the same basis we have just booked transatlantic on QM2, New York stay, on to Niagara Falls before flying home from Toronto.

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There is a 4th option!

We were faced with a similar situation last year with a QV cruise Cape Town to Southampton. The TA advertised a package including flights to Johannesburg, then on to Victoria Falls, flight to Cape Town for a stay before joining the ship. We put the exactly same package togehter ourselves, with tours and safaris etc., (all fully protected) and saved £££££s.

On the same basis we have just booked transatlantic on QM2, New York stay, on to Niagara Falls before flying home from Toronto.

 

As the price stands at the moment, it's cheaper to go with the travel agent. Of course things may well change as time goes on and if the price was to increase.

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We booked a P2 suite for November 2017 last October, and we got the free suites drinks package. The price has now dropped by £2300! Cunard's answer to my TA question if they would do anything about it, you have got free drinks!

 

As my wife does not drink alcohol, I will need to drink around 23 glasses of wine a day to break even! I'll be the one crawling around......

 

Seriously, it really hurts to see a price drop that much, and we will certainly not be booking anymore Cunard cruises.

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Babs - think I may know the Travel Agent you mean - it's a well known one that puts packages together at an excellent rate ? We took their price (on another cruise etc) to our TA around the corner to us and they were able to beat it so it is worth a try:- so

 

a) see if your TA can beat it.

b) see if you can do it cheaper yourselves

c) see if Cunard can put it together for you

d) go with the original offer or

e) see if it comes down

 

When its a put together package with a big TA they don't often budge on price - do let us know how you get on. Fingers crossed for you.

 

Happy Birthday BTW!

Edited by Morgans
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Happy Birthday Babs,

If it's only a little out of your comfort zone and it's something special I might be tempted to book it sooner rather than later (and then not look at the prices again). The extra pleasure of anticipation will help to ease the monetary pain !

If it's not all that special I might be tempted to look for something similar but cheaper, like others we did a "package" for a cheaper price than a big agent could offer.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide and have a wonderful time.

Edited by Host Hattie
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DH and I fancy a cruise in January 2018, but the price is just tantalising out of what we call our 'comfort zone price'. So, do we

 

1) Forget it and look for something within the 'zone'

 

2) Wait in the hope that the price drops

 

3) Completely denude our holiday account and go for it. Even I'm not too keen on this.

 

It's a what I call a 'put together cruise' and at the moment only the one travel agent is offering it. It has the advantage of ticking two items off the bucket list.

 

Be kind to me with your advice because today is my birthday :D

 

Happy B-Day Babs!

You're not "too keen" on option 3, and since you know your situation better than any of us, I'd suggest it's not a good idea to do something you're not too keen on.

 

That leaves options 1 and 2. Who knows, the price may come down while you're searching for other options:). Good luck & best wishes! -S.

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The "quote" function is again not working, but I would like to reply to Adammara who said: "Seriously, it really hurts to see a price drop that much, and we will certainly not be booking anymore Cunard cruises."

 

Other cruise lines are getting the same complaint. You can see a lot of complaints on the P&O and Holland America forums - and possibly many others.

 

Fares can just as easily increase after booking. The voyage I booked for last year and the two I have booked for this year have all gone up in price and I am protected at the fare in effect at the time we booked.

 

As the old cliché goes: you win some and lose some.

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Since you mentioned January 2018, I am guessing that what you have in mind is part of a World or Exotic Voyage. From the brochures I have received in the last few years, Cunard often discounts segments closer to travel date (at least here in the US). As mentioned before, there are no guarantees prices will drop or even that there will be staterooms available later on. It is really one big gamble.

 

That being said, if I were in your position I would wait and see what happens. If I could not justify blowing the budget I would bide my time and perhaps what you want will become within your comfort zone.

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I've deliberately not mentioned the exact trip as I think this can sometimes colour people's replies, but yes part of it is the start of the Queen Elizabeth's world cruise. The travel agent I've been looking at has added 'an extra' after disembarking in San Francisco which appeals.

 

I think we will probably take the option of waiting a while and see if the price drops. If it doesn't we will think again.

 

I've always been a believer in 'what is meant to be will be' and although this has occasionally needed a little prompting (!) it has served us well in the past :D

 

Thanks again everyone for your helpful advice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

UPDATE

 

DH whilst still keen on the original cruise has now decided he'd quite like to do an Australian cruise!! We've done a couple before so he's asked me to look and see what is out there.

 

Good job I love him!! :D

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