Britannia Dining on Saver fares

We've had quite a few questions about what people might get so I thought it might be useful to collect recent experiences.

So, if you have travelled on either of the Saver fares this year, what happened?

Please tell us -

Ship

Sailing from

Type of fare - Early or Late

If Early did you get what you asked for?

What sitting did you get?

What table size?

Did you try to change? Did you have any success?

Thanks for your help

We've been on Queen Mary 2 in June on a "Sail Away" price, which should be the equivilent of Saver Fares - Cunard usually offers them around 6 weeks prior to sailaway at the very lowest prices.

Ship QM2

Sailing from NYC

Type of fare - Early or Late equivilent to late

If Early did you get what you asked for? -

What sitting did you get? second

What table size? 2

Did you try to change? Did you have any success? we where happy with the table - so did not ask.

Ship - QV

Sailing from - Southampton

Type of fare - Early Saver

If Early did you get what you asked for? - Yes. We booked obstructed balcony and got obstructed balcony

What sitting did you get? Early which is what we asked for

What table size? 4 but we had asked for 2

Did you try to change? Did you have any success? We didn't ask to change as we got on well with our table mates

Just to add, we booked a (late) Saver for last December and were given late sitting so we just ate in the Lido each evening as it was only a 4 day cruise. We still dressed to the evening code.

Use the saver fares quite regularly now to visit grand children (beats the hell out of flying)

QM

Saver

Allocated balcony on arrival (out of 6 trips we have had only one obstructed though I suspect its pot luck ( and to be honest as long as I have fresh air its good enough on Transatlantic as there's not much to see mid cruise and the atmospheres much better on deck for arrivals/departures)

Have been allocated both early and late sittings - if we get late we simply ask if we can change to early after the first night - never had a problem other than you may have to move to a larger table on some nights - If they cant fit you in we book into Todd English

4

On all the Savers I have booked 2 were early sitting, The rest late sitting. On all the 3 ships

I will only eat late, luckily I had no problem changing the early to late sitting. Usually get tables for 6/8

This newish policy of not allowing your preference when booking, does seem to make more work for the managers.

QM2 November 2014 Canary Islands from Southampton

Booked a couple of months before departure on Saver fare.

Balcony cabin in hull (what I paid for)

Assigned to late sitting but went down on first afternoon and changed it to early. I was on a table for 8. (I like large tables.)

QV April 2015 TA from New York

Booked 4 days before departure on Saver fare.

Balcony cabin on deck 5.

No seating assigned as I booked too late. I went down and was given late seating as nothing else was available. I decided to eat in the Lido and have lunch in the MDR for the experience instead. On my first such lunch, I spoke to the Maitre d' (who generally remembers me from cruise to cruise) and mentioned how full the ship must be and what I had decided. He immediately said that a table had become available and assigned me to it. He remembered that I like large tables. It was great. I don't know what had happened but Night 2 was the first for all of us, so someone must have changed their preferences after the first night. It was a table for 8 and we had a great time together.

QV August 2015 from Istanbul

Booked 2 months before on a Saver fare (specifying BB grade and paying a bit extra for it).

Balcony cabin on deck 8 - an accessible stateroom.

Assigned to early seating at a table for 6, right at the back window. (I've never had a window table before.)

(Normally I travel alone but on this cruise I was sharing with a first-time Cunard traveller. I wonder if this is why we had such a fantastic stateroom and table. Others have pointed out that first-timers seem to get special perks.)

We had a short cruise on Queen Elizabeth from Southampton to Hamburg on an Early Saver fare.

I had registered a request via the Cruise Personaliser for a table of 6 on 1st sitting, but I was never very convinced that my request had been registered as every time I logged on, I was asked the same question.

We were allocated a table for 6 but on the second sitting.

We didn't ask to change as we were very happy to accept what we were given in line with the spirit of the Fare offer, but someone who did ask to change was told that it was mainly the German passengers who were on the first sitting.

August 2015 Saver Fare Eastern Crossing:

Booked sheltered balcony guarantee, upgraded 2 categories to deck 4 midship (perfect!)

Brittannia second seating

No need to change anything onboard. I would book this way again :)

Thanks for the feedback so far, very helpful.

Ship: QV

Sailing from: Istambul to Rome (1-8 Aug 2015)

Type of fare - Early or Late - very late... like 1 week before departure - Balcony GTY - got 7018 and was very pleased

If Early did you get what you asked for?

What sitting did you get? asked "early" for better chance of 2-top

What table size? asked 2-top, got 2-top lower britannia, table 417 (Maitre d' Raul Lucas is portuguese which may have helped in our assignment :) )

Did you try to change? Did you have any success? No need for change - 2-top, good location, excellent team of waiters: Aurica & Sasha

Has it changed now then ? On the QV 2 years ago we booked a Saver and requested a table for 2 on late sitting and that's what we got (but we would have been fine with what we got since we knew booking a saver rate, quite late, you are at the back of the queue, which is of course quite fair).

So now is it the case that you can't make a request when you book ?

You can make a request on an Early Saver but not a Late one

You can make a request on an Early Saver but not a Late one

Is there a defined cut off between an Early Saver and a late one? Also, what sort of saving (expressed in $ for a particular category or percentage) might one expect for booking a Saver -- which I assume is comparable to a Guarantee fare on other lines?

In the UK when you click late offers you get saver fares (tends to start 6 weeks out)

So for instance the Eastbound Crosby Stills and NAsh is £699 Saver instead of £1749 Cunard Price for a Balcony BV flights included.

the westbound 5th of Nov is offering DF Balconies for £599 instead of £1299 Cunard (again flights included). So its around 50%

If we take our daughter now we actually go with the saver price and take two state rooms.

Is there a defined cut off between an Early Saver and a late one? Also, what sort of saving (expressed in $ for a particular category or percentage) might one expect for booking a Saver -- which I assume is comparable to a Guarantee fare on other lines?

Not all cruises end up as a (late) Saver. And they don't always work out cheaper than an Early Saver if the Early Saver sells well.

Ray makes a good point.. Not every cruise gets a saver price in the late offer section.. One other thing to note is while the TA prices may get slashed by 50% its more like 30% to 20% for cruises.

Another small point to remember is sometimes the only rooms they have left are doubles only ( so you cant put a third person in there at the reduced price)

Ship Qu Victoria

Sailing from Rome

Type of fare - Early or Late - late

If Early did you get what you asked for? Not applicable

What sitting did you get? Early

What table size? 8

Did you try to change? Yes, Did you have any success? Yes, I wanted late, maitre D'i swooped me to a nice table for 8. Late sitting was very busy as there were many Italians on board who wanted late sitting. Early sitting was very empty. I was cruising solo so it may have been easier to accommodate me.

Booked less than 24 hours before flight to New York,enclosed balcony cabin, before trans Atlantic on QM2 back to UK. No paperwork available from Cunard but some for Virgin flight (on line) to JFK. No record of us at JFK for transfer to ship, told we would have to pay for coach if Cunard did not accept us !! No problems at Cunard check in at New York , but room key card did not work . After 15 minute queue at desk , key card problem solved. Dining arrangements in cabin is someone else,s name. Eventually allocated 1st sitting table for 6. After dinner returned to cabin someone else's luggage in our cabin , very worrying !! However after establishing this was our cabin and the original bookers had been upgraded , had a great cruise , late late savers all the way !

Have booked 3 saver fares,all on QV.Always book cheapest balcony and have been upgraded every time.Prefer late sitting and always been allocated this.

Ship - QM2

Sailing From - Southampton

Type Of Fare - Late

Sitting - Early

Table Size - Four (three in our party)

We didn't try and change

Ship QM2

Sailing from Southampton to NYC and back (separate bookings)

Type of fare Late booking - guess Saver by the price!

If Early did you get what you asked for? Yes - asked for table for two on both crossings and got that

What sitting did you get? Late, as requested

What table size? 2

Did you try to change? Did you have any success? No need to change first crossing - changed after first night without problems on the second

JimJoan - if you take your daughter and book two staterooms on a Saver basis, have you been able to link the cabins to be able to dine together?

JimJoan - if you take your daughter and book two staterooms on a Saver basis, have you been able to link the cabins to be able to dine together?

Hi, we have a friend who travels with us and we always book two staterooms.Our travel agent has always managed to link our bookings to dine together on a saver fare.

JimJoan - if you take your daughter and book two staterooms on a Saver basis, have you been able to link the cabins to be able to dine together?

We just book on the internet.. I think using agents doesnt really happen much in the UK anymore however to answer your question.

It specifically states on a saver fare as you book two rooms that you cant link them or words to that effect (though it specifically states you cant select dining either yet as you can see thats easily change once onboard).

However on the three occasions our daughter has accompanied us (she always takes a flight back before us and only makes the westward trip) we have always had adjoining staterooms even on saver fares. However don't take that as a guarantee - as I say when you book online using the saver fare it specifically says you may be separate and obviously you don't get to choose your stateroom.

Re dining we just turn up together and ask - its never an issue - though I think from memory we always have the same to start with anyway (I suspect most of the saver fares do)

We took my 82 year old, mother, who needed a wheelchair and an oxygen concentrator and she was allocated a cabin two decks below us and at the opposite end of the ship!

We tried explaining, but to no avail. As it happens, her cabin sterwardess was exceptionally good and kept an eye on her for us and had our cabin number in case we were needed. But it DEFINITELY isn't a given that booking two cabins means they will even be nearby.