Jump to content

Diluting the value of the "Cunard Fare"


Dajo5601
 Share

Recommended Posts

On my recommendation, our friends booked a lengthy cruise on the QV last July and again on my advice chose the "Cunard Fare" opting for the earlier dining. All went well and has been well until a few days before Christmas they noticed on the "Voyage Personaliser" that their previously confirmed first dining sitting had been changed from "confirmed" to the later dining sitting.

 

Upon speaking to both their TA and directly with Cunard they have received no explanation as to why the dining time has been changed and the only solution from Cunard is that they should go and see the Maître d' once they are on board. I personally find this to be insulting.

 

I find this to be totally unacceptable as one of the benefits of paying the higher "Cunard Fare" is the choice of dining times. On my friends behalf I am livid at this off-hand fobbing off of somebody who has paid the higher fare and even more so as no tangible explanation has been forthcoming.

 

Anybody out there got similar instances of Cunard diluting the value of and the benefits of the "Cunard Fare.

 

David.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest SilverHengroen

It does say it gives you first priority of dining choice, not a guarantee you’ll be given the sitting you want. I assume if a sitting is oversubscribed by Cunard fare payers they then go by who’s paid the most to determine who has to get second preference. Just a logistical consequence of having a two sitting system where one is overwhelmingly more popular than the other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my recommendation, our friends booked a lengthy cruise on the QV last July and again on my advice chose the "Cunard Fare" opting for the earlier dining. All went well and has been well until a few days before Christmas they noticed on the "Voyage Personaliser" that their previously confirmed first dining sitting had been changed from "confirmed" to the later dining sitting.

Upon speaking to both their TA and directly with Cunard they have received no explanation as to why the dining time has been changed and the only solution from Cunard is that they should go and see the Maître d' once they are on board. I personally find this to be insulting.

I find this to be totally unacceptable as one of the benefits of paying the higher "Cunard Fare" is the choice of dining times. On my friends behalf I am livid at this off-hand fobbing off of somebody who has paid the higher fare and even more so as no tangible explanation has been forthcoming.

Anybody out there got similar instances of Cunard diluting the value of and the benefits of the "Cunard Fare.

David.

I had a similar situation many years ago (but the opposite; I wanted/confirmed late seating and was unexpectedly assigned early) I simply saw the maitre d' and all was instantly sorted out, no problem at all.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anybody out there got similar instances of Cunard diluting the value of and the benefits of the "Cunard Fare.

Nearly, but not quite. Our last cruise on the QE we booked an early saver ten months prior to the cruise and our travel agent confirmed over the phone and by post that we had early dining confirmed and table for two requested. We also got written confirmation from Cunard:

Sitting Confirmed: First Seating

Table Size: 2 - requested, not confirmed.

 

But when we got to our cabin our Britannia seating card gave us second seating. Our luggage didn't turn up until 4.15pm (muster time) with our confirmation in it and we didn't get chance to see the Maitre d'. So we spent the whole cruise dining in the Lido.

 

And a few years ago on the QM2 when we had paid full fare, our table for two was about an inch away from the next table, but when we spoke to the Maitre d', he magically found us a proper table for two on first seating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my recommendation, our friends booked a lengthy cruise on the QV last July and again on my advice chose the "Cunard Fare" opting for the earlier dining. All went well and has been well until a few days before Christmas they noticed on the "Voyage Personaliser" that their previously confirmed first dining sitting had been changed from "confirmed" to the later dining sitting.

 

Upon speaking to both their TA and directly with Cunard they have received no explanation as to why the dining time has been changed and the only solution from Cunard is that they should go and see the Maître d' once they are on board. I personally find this to be insulting.

 

I find this to be totally unacceptable as one of the benefits of paying the higher "Cunard Fare" is the choice of dining times. On my friends behalf I am livid at this off-hand fobbing off of somebody who has paid the higher fare and even more so as no tangible explanation has been forthcoming.

 

Anybody out there got similar instances of Cunard diluting the value of and the benefits of the "Cunard Fare.

 

David.

Well what was the outcome , have they sailed yet ?

Hopefully it's a computer glitch. As you too have sailed with Cunard you know what the procedure is, more often than not the Maitre d' will try and sort it out within a day or two.

 

I'm afraid to say, even booking the 'Cunard fare' is not always a full guarantee for the benefits of our dining requests.

At the end of the day, it is all down to how far in advance a guest/customer has made their booking. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well what was the outcome , have they sailed yet ?

Hopefully it's a computer glitch. As you too have sailed with Cunard you know what the procedure is, more often than not the Maitre d' will try and sort it out within a day or two.

 

I'm afraid to say, even booking the 'Cunard fare' is not always a full guarantee for the benefits of our dining requests.

At the end of the day, it is all down to how far in advance a guest/customer has made their booking. ;)

I do think if a person paying the Cunard fare, even booking a week before the sail date they should be given a table the sitting they want over the a person who book their cheaper fare.:mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest SilverHengroen
I do think if a person paying the Cunard fare, even booking a week before the sail date they should be given a table the sitting they want over the a person who book their cheaper fare.:mad:

What if (I’d imagine this is the case) most people are booked via Cunard fare and there’s more wanting early seating than can be accommodated? Having to accept it may not be possible to have a chosen seating sometimes is part of the Britannia deal, if you want a guarantee of being able to eat at a certain time, you book Club or the Grills.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if (I’d imagine this is the case) most people are booked via Cunard fare and there’s more wanting early seating than can be accommodated? Having to accept it may not be possible to have a chosen seating sometimes is part of the Britannia deal, if you want a guarantee of being able to eat at a certain time, you book Club or the Grills.

I agree about the Grills, but I think you would get a shock how many take the saver fare.:rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do think if a person paying the Cunard fare, even booking a week before the sail date they should be given a table the sitting they want over the a person who book their cheaper fare.:mad:

 

I agree, I was referring to a Cunard fare. Sorry if it didn't come across that way, of course the Cunard fares will always take priority.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm from the US, so how the Cunard fare operates with regard to who ultimately gets assigned what seating doesn't directly effect me. And I have no particular insight with regard to how the system actually works in practice. But in my view, what ought to happen if there are more passengers who have booked the Cunard fare and requested a particular seating than can be accommodated is those who booked a Cunard fare the earliest should be accommodated.

 

As long as someone has booked a Cunard fare and received confirmation that their dining request has been granted (which apparently is the situation with the OP's friends), then it seems unfair to me that their confirmed assignment can be taken away at a later date. Perhaps as suggested they were reassigned because someone else came along later and paid a higher Cunard fare than they did. Naturally that could happen based on the category of Britannia cabin booked or simply because fares have gone up. If that's how the system actually works, then so be it. I acknowledge the case can be made for those paying higher fares getting priority. But I for one feel it ought to be first-come-first-served among all those who have paid Cunard fares.

 

Now of course there could be other extenuating circumstances we don't know about and Cunard isn't telling the OP's friends. Just for my own understanding, I too would be interested to hear from others if it is a common occurrence to have a confirmed seating selection on a Cunard fare reassigned later to the other seating. Or perhaps this is more of a one-off glitch in this case.

 

Regards, John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree with the OP. Having booked in advance, having paid full freight, and having received confirmed first seating he's right to be livid about the switch. If first seating was oversubscribed then his friends should not have been bumped for somebody else - first come, first served. I hope it gets rectified on board, but it should not have come to that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On my recommendation, our friends booked a lengthy cruise on the QV last July and again on my advice chose the "Cunard Fare" opting for the earlier dining. All went well and has been well until a few days before Christmas they noticed on the "Voyage Personaliser" that their previously confirmed first dining sitting had been changed from "confirmed" to the later dining sitting.....

 

Do you have an update? Was this resolved and did your friends get first sitting?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But when we got to our cabin our Britannia seating card gave us second seating. Our luggage didn't turn up until 4.15pm (muster time) with our confirmation in it and we didn't get chance to see the Maitre d'. So we spent the whole cruise dining in the Lido.
I'm sure you realize now that a visit to the Maitre d' after dinner on the first day or any time on the second day could have resolved your dinner assignment.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...