New Cunard Online Booking System (UK Only)

[dougnewmanatsea]

It seems that Cunard recently introduced a new online booking system for UK residents. (According to this post, if you use it to book 12 or more days on QE2 through 1 Dec, they will give you the 3 Jan Southampton to New York crossing free.)

 

This appears is identical to P&O's online booking system (which is also for UK residents only) - just the logos are different. It's even hosted on P&O's web server - for example, the main "cruise search" page for Cunard is https://secure.pocruises.com/polarbooking/cruiseSearch.asp?brand=CU (it looks prettier if you access it from http://www.cunard.co.uk though).

 

It doesn't look anything like Searchlight, the new Princess on-line booking tool... At least up to the point where you choose a cabin category, anyway. I have no idea if they look similar beyond that or not, since I'm booking anything to find out! (I couldn't even do it for Cunard if I wanted to, since I'm not a UK resident.)

 

Interestingly, the Cunard online booking tool says that they give a 5% discount for booking online. This seems very anti-travel-agent to me. I do not think it would go over well in the US, anyway.

 

But this is definitely interesting to see - and I hope we get one in the US soon. I'd appreciate being able to look at pricing and availability without bothering my travel agent or calling Cunard on the phone.

 

Incidentally, it seems that cruise lines are on a big push for online booking lately - in addition to Cunard's new tool, Princess just introduced Searchlight and I understand that online booking for Radisson Seven Seas is imminent as well. I think they will be the first in the luxury segment to offer this.

[cunardqueen]

I do wonder with this booking online if people will actually use it to book a cruise with the advent of all the internet agencies who would want to pay Cunards fare when any agents can and do undercut the brochure fares, in fact l wonder if anybody has recently paid full brochure price for a cruise, though it is good for checking what cabins are availiable and the sizes of them

[ocngypz]

That's all fine and dandy for checking cabin availability..to a point, however, neither give all the myriad rate codes which both lines use.

 

Then of course.......you also have no access to space or rates blocked in a consortium or agency's group which can appear as sold out... on the best fare fit screen.