Exasperated - be aware

we booked our cruise with a US agent (we live in the uk)

We decided to request an upgrade BF balcony cabin to mid or aft BE or above

I have done this previously with uk agents

Well after 4 days of e mails, going backwards and forwards including screen shots of the policy from our brochure ) due to my persistence the agent did a conference call with a US Cunard agent so I was able to ask queries the costs, the US rule is you pay today’s prices for any upgrade, which would have cost us in excess of $3000 dollars to go from a BF to a BE, which knowing my luck would be next door *♀️

So guess we are staying where we are ah oh

Just wanted to make UK aware

So sorry to sound negative, but I'm afraid the grass is not always greener on the other side of the pond. I can never understand why some Brits book with US agents, thinking it may save them bob or two. Many of their/US booking conditions have not always been as favourable as we have in the UK.

Also; I've always understood that a Brit booking through a US agent, often causes confusion with ones CWC level. ( days at sea) ?

we booked our cruise with a US agent (we live in the uk)

We decided to request an upgrade BF balcony cabin to mid or aft BE or above

I have done this previously with uk agents

Well after 4 days of e mails, going backwards and forwards including screen shots of the policy from our brochure ) due to my persistence the agent did a conference call with a US Cunard agent so I was able to ask queries the costs, the US rule is you pay today’s prices for any upgrade, which would have cost us in excess of $3000 dollars to go from a BF to a BE, which knowing my luck would be next door *♀️

So guess we are staying where we are ah oh

Just wanted to make UK aware

I am a little confused, probably because I am in the US. That is the way it always works for us, ask for a higher category cabin and pay the current rate. How does it work in the UK?

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In the US, not only do you pay today's price, but the way you get the upgrade is to cancel and rebook, which means that any bonuses associated with your original booking also vanish.

If you ask to upgrade on a cruise in the UK you are charged what the price of the cabin was on the day you made initial booking so you cannot take advantage of any current deals.

Hello Ellie, we are looking forward to seeing you and Norman on QE,

1st November.

So sorry to sound negative, but I'm afraid the grass is not always greener on the other side of the pond. I can never understand why some Brits book with US agents, thinking it may save them bob or two. Many of their/US booking conditions have not always been as favourable as we have in the UK.

 

Also; I've always understood that a Brit booking through a US agent, often causes confusion with ones CWC level. ( days at sea) ?

I don’t disagree with you grass and greener although we had a fantastic deal so all in all it was worth it

Hello Ellie, we are looking forward to seeing you and Norman on QE,

1st November.

Hope your both well, Seems ages since last years cruise, we will be sure to go to lunch in QG instead of the buffet 🤦*♀️

If you ask to upgrade on a cruise in the UK you are charged what the price of the cabin was on the day you made initial booking so you cannot take advantage of any current deals.

Interesting. This has not been my experience with a similar situation. I wanted to add someone to my booking, after booking single occupancy. The addition was possible but I would have been charged at that day's fare rather than at the fare when I booked. This was in the UK.

Ever since then, when I book a Saver fare and double occupancy costs no more than single occupancy, I add another name. It's easier to delete than to add.

Interesting. This has not been my experience with a similar situation. I wanted to add someone to my booking, after booking single occupancy. The addition was possible but I would have been charged at that day's fare rather than at the fare when I booked. This was in the UK.

 

Ever since then, when I book a Saver fare and double occupancy costs no more than single occupancy, I add another name. It's easier to delete than to add.

That is different adding a new person to the booking than asking an original booking to be upgraded by cabin grade. We booked a roundtrip TA for November 2019 in October 2017. In the recent and still current "upgrade offer" I rang Cunard to ask about an upgrade of my cabin to Princess Grill which was currently advertised at £2399pp and they quoted me a price of over £3500pp which they said was the price of Princess Grill when I originally booked. They then went on to say that my only option was to cancel original booking and lose obc, car parking and my original deposit and rebook at the lowest price.