Early Saver or Cunard Fare

[MAGSMFC]

Can anyone please advise the best way to book a cruise for next year on the Queen Vicoria. I know the Early Saver is less expensive than the Cunard Fare and wondered what the difference is and whether it is beneficial to book it this way or to pay the extra for the Cunard Fare.

 

Many thanks

[zider]

Early Saver & Saver fares. 1 you can not pick your cabin only the grade & a cabin will be allocated close to sailing.2 You can not pick a table size or Dinning time.3 You will have to pay to use a Shuttle bus .4 No O.B.C or any special offers. 5 With a Saver fare you have pay the complete fare in one go with no refunds if you can not go.

Edited November 13, 2016 by zider

[rakkor]

Not true regarding the Early Saver fare, you do get OBC and you can request you table size and sitting. You get a GTY cabin and have to pay for transfers. With Saver there is no OBC.

 

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[AllieBallie]

You can indicate your preferred table and sitting on a saver fare, but you are not allocated your sitting until after all the Cunard fares. Sitting is allocated immediately on booking for the Cunard Fare, table size is allocated for all passengers once on board.

 

 

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[Ray66]

From Cunard's website:

 

The Cunard Fare

 

The Cunard Fare offers flexibility, value and peace of mind. For cruises of seven nights or more, you can choose from one of the following complimentary benefits:

 

On board spending money

or, car parking in Southampton

or, return coach travel to Southampton

or, airport parking on selected Fly-Cruises departing before April 2017.

 

By booking the Cunard Fare on any cruise, you will also be able to choose your precise stateroom type, location and number, including three and four berth staterooms. You will also be first priority for upgrades (where available). Guests in Britannia Staterooms have a choice of Early or Late Seating for dinner. Shuttle buses where provided by Cunard are also included in your fare.

 

With the Cunard Fare, you can make amendments or even change your cruise entirely up to 90 days prior to departure, subject to our booking conditions. When booking, you will only be required to pay a 15% deposit.

 

 

 

Early Saver

 

Early Saver Fares offer a lower fare, with reduced benefits, for those who prefer to book their holiday early. They are available on selected cruises and stateroom grades only and come with some benefits such as a lower deposit of 15%. Your dining preference will be confirmed on boarding and is subject to availability. Early Saver bookings receive second priority for upgrades and dining preference (after the Cunard Fare) and we will assign your stateroom number. Shuttle buses in port are at an additional cost.

 

Rakkor:

Not true regarding the Early Saver fare, you do get OBC

 

Are you sure about getting OBC for an Early Saver? You can use your FCC OBC with an Early Saver but I've never seen it given against a fare.

[rakkor]

We got $600 OBC when booking our October trip back in February as an Early Saver, $300 each. We didn't get an allocated stateroom until 3 weeks before departure.

[Alibobs]

We always opt for a saver fare but given the value of the £ against the dollar at present some of the Cunard fares with OBC were just as attractive on our recent trip....

[babs135]

When does an Early Saver Fare no longer become Early? :confused:

 

I'm looking at a couple of cruises on the Queen Victoria. One is June and the other late October.

[ToadOfToadHall]

We're booked both and there are pros and cons for each.

 

We're booked the Cunard Fare if we/are going with other people, so that way you get to dine together, the correct table size, time and so on.

 

But when we're gone on our own and booked late we have booked the late version for, in one instance, half the price.

 

Oddly, the cruise I booked for next summer about 2 months ago, the Early Saver was actually about £200 more than the Cunard fare. Plus no on-board credit either. I've no idea why anyone would therefore book the Early save in that case, or indeed, why Cunard would think anyone would !

[bluemarble]

When does an Early Saver Fare no longer become Early? :confused:

 

I'm looking at a couple of cruises on the Queen Victoria. One is June and the other late October.

 

This is probably a question best answered by someone in the UK, but I'll take a stab at it anyway since I occasionally pop on over to Cunard's UK site to check things out. I think the cutoff between "Early Saver" and "Saver" fares is typically around the 90-day final payment date. As a current example, the 3 February 2017 voyage on Queen Victoria (which is 79 days out) is offering "Saver" fares whereas the 16 February 2017 voyage on Queen Victoria (which is 92 days out) is offering "Early Saver" fares.

[lisiamc]

We are looking at booking the Queen Victoria cruise on 12 December 2016, and will be travelling with another couple, and booking through the same TA, who I hope will be able to link the bookings. We will take the cheapest fare on offer, with a guarantee cabin, and I'm assuming they will allocate a dining time. However, we will be very disappointed if we can't dine with our friends. Is this something that the Maitre d' can help us with once we are onboard, if we can't arrange it beforehand?

Edited November 16, 2016 by lisiamc

[Alibobs]

We are looking at booking the Queen Victoria cruise on 12 December 2016, and will be travelling with another couple, and booking through the same TA, who I hope will be able to link the bookings. We will take the cheapest fare on offer, with a guarantee cabin, and I'm assuming they will allocate a dining time. However, we will be very disappointed if we can't dine with our friends. Is this something that the Maitre d' can help us with once we are onboard, if we can't arrange it beforehand?

 

 

We had a table mate on the QV last week who was travelling with friends but they were in different sittings and not able to change.....they had booked separately.....They went to the maitre d on embarkation day along with at least 50 others....I wonder if they had reapproached him a couple of days in then there may have been more flexibility........in the end they were happy with their tables so stayed. it did mean that they also missed out on going to shows/quizzes together too

[lisiamc]

We had a table mate on the QV last week who was travelling with friends but they were in different sittings and not able to change.....they had booked separately.....They went to the maitre d on embarkation day along with at least 50 others....I wonder if they had reapproached him a couple of days in then there may have been more flexibility........in the end they were happy with their tables so stayed. it did mean that they also missed out on going to shows/quizzes together too

 

Oh dear, that's not the answer I was really hoping for! Maybe making sure the bookings are linked (if that's even possible) will help. I guess that's an incentive to book the more expensive regular fare, but it can certainly be a big price difference!

 

Interestingly, the only other cruise line with a similar policy that we've cruised on is Costa. On that cruise, we were able to straighten it out with the Maitre d'.

[LadyL1]

Oh dear, that's not the answer I was really hoping for! Maybe making sure the bookings are linked (if that's even possible) will help. I guess that's an incentive to book the more expensive regular fare, but it can certainly be a big price difference!

 

Interestingly, the only other cruise line with a similar policy that we've cruised on is Costa. On that cruise, we were able to straighten it out with the Maitre d'.

 

I do believe that if you book together at the same time and ensure your travel agent "links" your reservation, you will be seated together at whatever time is allocated. A few years back we did this (2 bookings involved) and shared a table on late sitting.

[cruiseluvva]

If you do not book the (usually) higher priced Cunard fare, you are not guaranteed to be seated together for dinner even if the bookings are linked - unless of course you are all on the same reference. The Maitre d' is likely to assist if you ask him, but sometime it is just not possible.

 

To ensure you are together, you need to book the Cunard fare I'm afraid.

[mandranuc]

When does an Early Saver Fare no longer become Early? :confused:

 

I'm looking at a couple of cruises on the Queen Victoria. One is June and the other late October.

 

I think it is when Cunard decide. As said many many times on this board - you buy when the terms are acceptable to you and then try to ignore any changes in those terms.