Guarantee P3 suite

[cruzadict]

Last week we booked for the QM2 Xmas and New Year cruise on a GTY P3 suite, but have yet to receive a cabin (sorry suite) number. Every time in the past when I have booked a guarantee I have received the cabin number within 48 hours. Has anyone else booked this grade who have already received their suite number?

[PeterSt]

I doubt that you will receive a suite number until close to the departure date. If you look at the voyage booking system (on the Cunard website) you will see that P3 is now only available as a guarantee.

 

That means that all the suites have been booked. However, suites of a higher grade are still available into which they will move either you or one of the existing P3 occupants.

 

I would also add that people booking in the USA can and do cancel around 90 days before the voyage with no loss of deposit. Obviously anyone can cancel at anytime with some loss of deposit/final payment.

 

So it is highly likely that some of those cancellations will release a P3 for you.

 

So personally I would not worry about it until around 2 weeks before departure.

[Mattsmum]

P3 guarantee means that you will definitely get at least a P3 grade suite - we booked P2 guarantee on QM2 and got a Q7 suite - this wasn't allocated to us until about 3 or 4 weeks before we sailed. Enjoy you trip.

[MadScientist_01]

Cruzadict, it will be interesting to hear from you what happens with this - we have been booked on this for quite a while so I booked a specific cabin than I'm quite happy with (10008). It will be interesting to see if/who gets ofefered upgrades, as we can start to compile an upgrade fairy database!! :D

[cruzadict]

Mad scientist - As soon as I get a cabin allocated I will let you know. At the moment the Cunard web site shows a P2 cabin for cheaper than a guaranteed P3. I booked through a travel agent and had an excellent price for the guarantee so did this as there doesn't seem to be any badly positioned P grades at all. We did this cruise for Xmas 2008 and booked a guarantee P3 and ended up, after 2 upgrades, with a Q5. Don't think I should expect the same this year though!!

[MadScientist_01]

Mad scientist - As soon as I get a cabin allocated I will let you know. At the moment the Cunard web site shows a P2 cabin for cheaper than a guaranteed P3. I booked through a travel agent and had an excellent price for the guarantee so did this as there doesn't seem to be any badly positioned P grades at all. We did this cruise for Xmas 2008 and booked a guarantee P3 and ended up, after 2 upgrades, with a Q5. Don't think I should expect the same this year though!!

 

It's Christmas and it's the Caribbean - by my way of thinking there are no bad cabins full stop :D:D:D

[keithm]

Last week we booked for the QM2 Xmas and New Year cruise on a GTY P3 suite, but have yet to receive a cabin (sorry suite) number. Every time in the past when I have booked a guarantee I have received the cabin number within 48 hours. Has anyone else booked this grade who have already received their suite number?

We booked a AA & got a P-1 12 days before we sailed. Now I will state that we "guaranteed" a AA but waitlisted on a P suite.Luckily someone cancelled out at the last minute, but we stll had to pay pretty much full fare. This time(Nov.27)we booked a Q-6 suite with potential for a free upgrade.

[Whitemarsh]

P3 guarantee means that you will definitely get at least a P3 grade suite - we booked P2 guarantee on QM2 and got a Q7 suite - this wasn't allocated to us until about 3 or 4 weeks before we sailed. Enjoy you trip.

 

How did you find the Q7?

[keithm]

How did you find the Q7?

The Q-7's are supposed to be "handicap" accessible..No tub, larger shower enclosure, instead. Also the closet space is less, due to making the room being more wheelchair able. That aside, the room is the same size as a standard Q suite.

[Essiesmom]

Mad scientist - As soon as I get a cabin allocated I will let you know. At the moment the Cunard web site shows a P2 cabin for cheaper than a guaranteed P3. I booked through a travel agent and had an excellent price for the guarantee so did this as there doesn't seem to be any badly positioned P grades at all. We did this cruise for Xmas 2008 and booked a guarantee P3 and ended up, after 2 upgrades, with a Q5. Don't think I should expect the same this year though!!

We are on the Dec. 8 sailing, QM2. I did a B4 gty and so far have had two price drops, saving us $686. My TA kept trying to get me to take a B3 for $50pp more, but I said no, stay with the gty, as there are not many and we likely will end up in an B3 anyway. EM

[SALAD MUNCHER]

We are on the Dec. 8 sailing, QM2. I did a B4 gty and so far have had two price drops, saving us $686. My TA kept trying to get me to take a B3 for $50pp more, but I said no, stay with the gty, as there are not many and we likely will end up in an B3 anyway. EM

Please excuse my ignorance, but if you have already booked, how do you get a price drop? Is this an American thing? I am sure here in the UK once you part with your deposit that's it! :confused:

[MadScientist_01]

Please excuse my ignorance, but if you have already booked, how do you get a price drop? Is this an American thing? I am sure here in the UK once you part with your deposit that's it! :confused:

 

Yes, different rules for different sides of th pond - just try not to get bitter about it!!!

[SALAD MUNCHER]

Yes, different rules for different sides of th pond - just try not to get bitter about it!!!

Hi! Not bitter just didn't realise there was preferential treatment going on......Is this the same for all cruise line / holidays? What if you cancel, do you get your money back?

[keithm]

Hi! Not bitter just didn't realise there was preferential treatment going on......Is this the same for all cruise line / holidays? What if you cancel, do you get your money back?

You can get your deposit back(in the US)It, of course has to be before the cut off date (usually more than 90 days)Cunard will haggle quite a bit, but you can get a refund.

[Salacia]

Hi! Not bitter just didn't realise there was preferential treatment going on......Is this the same for all cruise line / holidays? What if you cancel, do you get your money back?

 

Hi Salad Muncher...yes, I understand it is industry-wide, not just a Cunard rule. Europe and the USA have different laws governing cruise and air travel. And yes again, deposit is refunded if cancelled before the final due date (usually 90 days prior to departure). Some travel agencies charge a cancellation fee.

I believe there are other ways in which Europeans get preferential treatment (such as special offers), but not in regard to cancellations or price adjustments.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Ray66]

.

I believe there are other ways in which Europeans get preferential treatment (such as special offers), but not in regard to cancellations or price adjustments.

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

The only one that comes to mind is the anniversary package which apparently you only get if you've paid full price for your voyage.

 

I can't think of any others.

[Salacia]

The only one that comes to mind is the anniversary package which apparently you only get if you've paid full price for your voyage.

 

I can't think of any others.

 

Hi Ray. Just going by memory of what I've read on various threads, apparently, UK bookings have been offered incentives such as free air fare for children and no additional charge for a child in the cabin (which I seem to recall met with objection from at least one poster on this side of the pond who pays a supplement for travelling solo). If I understand correctly, your final payment is due 30 days before departure and on this side of the pond, it's due 90 days prior. Significant penalties apply for cancelling after final payment is made. Up until very recently, there were significant benefits to be had by purchasing on-board credits using British Pounds converted to USD at significantly favorable rates of exchange offered by Cunard. No equivalently beneficial rate was offered on this side of the pond.

 

Vacation related, but not limited to cruises, is the broader difference in laws governing vacation time. In the USA, there are no national mandatory vacation laws, unlike many countries in Europe. There are also differences regarding travel insurance for Europeans traveling within the EU that do not apply to non-European citizens. European air lines have more rules favouring the consumer than do US airlines. The rules governing advertising for vacations also differ. It seems to me that there are many differences. Some favor one side of the pond, some the other side. Not all rules are cruise-specific, but pertain to travel in general.

 

Sorry, I can't comment on the difference in the anniversary package offered by Cunard as I never really paid much attention to it, except to say we (and our tablemates) were served a very nice cake after dinner on our two anniversary cruises.

 

Again, I'm going strickly by memory based largely on what I've read here and recent periodicals. I'm sure any errors will be corrected shortly.

 

Vive la différence!:)

Salacia

[Ray66]

If I understand correctly, your final payment is due 30 days before departure and on this side of the pond, it's due 90 days prior. Significant penalties apply for cancelling after final payment is made. Up until very recently, there were significant benefits to be had by purchasing on-board credits using British Pounds converted to USD at significantly favorable rates of exchange offered by Cunard. No equivalently beneficial rate was offered on this side of the pond.

 

When I've booked with a TA, they've always wanted final payment 90 days prior to the cruise, but I think if you book direct with Cunard, it is 60 days before. It is understandable that it is 90 days in the US because knowing that you can cancel with no loss of deposit, there must be quite a lot of cancellations and Cunard have only that 90 days in which to re-sell the cabins.

 

As to the good rate OBC, the exchange rate for us Brits has been very poor these last couple of years and it's not our fault that the onboard currency is in dollars. The first time I visited the US in 1992 the exchange rate was around $1.98 to the £. On further visits it was around £1.75 to the £. In recent times it has dipped to lower than $1.40 to the pound. By Cunard giving us a favourable OBC, they knew we would spend more on board.

 

Which aks the question why is it dollars aboard Cunard when it's pounds sterling on P&O? Both lines are owned by Carnival.

[guernseyguy]

Which aks the question why is it dollars aboard Cunard when it's pounds sterling on P&O? Both lines are owned by Carnival.

 

Because for a very long time CUNARD billed on-board in $ - given the importance of Trans Atlantic travel and American passengers to their business (and the UK's desperate need for $).

 

P&O on the other hand sailed but rarely to the US, (usually only on RTW voyages to Australia/Japan) focussing on the 'Empire' routes - where Sterling was the obvious choice.

 

There have been some moves mooted to shift some Cunard ships to £ (for example, QE2 when she was withdrawn from the Trans Atlantic run to focus on cruising from Southampton) - but for whatever reason (simplicity within the organisation?) - they never came about. IIRC, before QV was introduced, there was also some comment that the onboard currency would be £, but that too never happened.

[david,Mississauga]

A very long time ago, the on-board pricing on the QE2 crossings was in US dollars eastbound and in pounds westbound. Similarly, cruises that departed from US ports were in US dollars and cruises from Southampton were in pounds. I have the bar list for our first westbound crossing in 1973. The pound cost us Canadian $2.58 that year as opposed to $1.56 on this year's visit, but even factoring in that and all those years of inflation a G&T was quite cheap.

[Mattsmum]

Margatebne - keithm answered your question perfectly - closet space ok for couple of weeks cruise, but would be a struggle to fit a "world cruise" worth of clothes in there. The room itself was lovely though and the location of the one we had (can't remember the number sorry) was great - right next to Todd English so that we could walk through there to the sundecks, and straight out to the lifts and stairs for the Queens Grill Lounge and dining room. Walking to the Commodore Club and back was good exercise too - the length of the ship - well that was my excuse for going there anyway :-)

[Ray66]

Thanks for your interesting replies. So it should really be dollars onboard the QM2 and pounds sterling on the QV and the QE.

[Salacia]

When I've booked with a TA, they've always wanted final payment 90 days prior to the cruise, but I think if you book direct with Cunard, it is 60 days before. It is understandable that it is 90 days in the US because knowing that you can cancel with no loss of deposit, there must be quite a lot of cancellations and Cunard have only that 90 days in which to re-sell the cabins.

 

As to the good rate OBC, the exchange rate for us Brits has been very poor these last couple of years and it's not our fault that the onboard currency is in dollars. The first time I visited the US in 1992 the exchange rate was around $1.98 to the £. On further visits it was around £1.75 to the £. In recent times it has dipped to lower than $1.40 to the pound. By Cunard giving us a favourable OBC, they knew we would spend more on board.

 

Which aks the question why is it dollars aboard Cunard when it's pounds sterling on P&O? Both lines are owned by Carnival.

 

Hi Ray. I enjoy your posts because I find them thought provoking. Now you've got me wondering why fares aren't reduced 90 days prior to voyage (going with the assumption that x number of USA passengers cancel before final payment date). Are we (on both sides of the pond) missing reduced fares? And if so, how do we find them? Forgive me, but why do you cousins book so far in advance of departure date? (No offense intended, just a straightfoward question from someone who wants to learn.)

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Ray66]

It all depends on the actual cruise. Some cruises sell out quicker than others. If you see the category you want selling out quick, you need to get it booked.

 

If you book early, you can get things like free OBC but if you leave it late you can sometimes get a really good discount. I’ve never booked very early myself.

 

From what I’ve noted it seems Cunard want some cruises fully booked a month before sailing & give good discounts. Other cruises just don’t appear to completely fill up.

[Salacia]

It all depends on the actual cruise. Some cruises sell out quicker than others. If you see the category you want selling out quick, you need to get it booked.

 

If you book early, you can get things like free OBC but if you leave it late you can sometimes get a really good discount. I’ve never booked very early myself.

 

From what I’ve noted it seems Cunard want some cruises fully booked a month before sailing & give good discounts. Other cruises just don’t appear to completely fill up.

 

Thanks Ray. In the past, I've met folks on board QM2 who got amazing rates at something called a 'flash sale' offered a few weeks pior to the voyage, but I've never been able to find those rates anywhere. I've read several articles about the days of heavily reduced cruise fares being over, so maybe 'flash sales' are no longer offered.

 

I see what you mean about booking early often includes larger OBC's than later bookings; now that you've mentioned it, I have noticed the same thing in the USA.

 

As far as the difference in cancellation and price adjustments, I wish the rules were the same on both sides of the pond.

 

Regards,

Salacia