QM2 Voyage M036?

[bluemarble]

Can any of our friends in Germany (or elsewhere) shed some light on what's happening with QM2 voyage M036 later this year? That's the 5-night round trip voyage from Hamburg on November 1-6, 2020 with calls at Stavanger and Oslo. In past years, a short trip like this from Hamburg has been a "Stars at Sea" voyage with performances by Peter Maffay or David Garrett. But I'm not seeing anything on the Stars at Sea website about a QM2 voyage this year.

 

This voyage has been showing as "sold out" on the Cunard US website. However, I notice it is available to book on the Cunard websites for Germany, UK, and Australia with wide open availability. It actually takes some work to find a cabin that isn't available to book for that voyage on those websites. Far more availability than I would expect to see with less than 9 months until departure.

 

This is the voyage that immediately precedes QM2's 2020 drydock.

 

I'm not planning to book this voyage. Just curious about it, knowing this has been one of those "jeans on" Stars at Sea cruises in previous years.

Edited February 10, 2020 by bluemarble

[BlueRiband]

It's not showing up on a major independent online site either.  Perhaps Cunard has chosen not to market this sailing in the US?  Having taken just one sailing out of Hamburg, in my opinion the only thing that I liked was the sail away.  The passenger mix and atmosphere was completely different compared to a TA sailing - and not in a positive way.

 

I recall that the "jeans on" sailings created quite a bit of board commentary here when they were first introduced, and it was mostly negative.  It represented a huge disconnect from Cunard's marketing of QM2.

[LittleFish1976]

It doesn't say anything about the theme or 'jeans on' on the Australian site but there  are cabins available in all categories.

[bluemarble]

The only thing I've found so far resembling a theme for this cruise is a German travel agent marketing it as a "MODE-EVENT-CRUISE mit QUEEN MARY 2" including a "MODE & MEER" lecture program. But that appears to be a special program only available for those who book that as a package through that particular travel agent.

 

I'm also unable to find any US travel agent offering this cruise, so it would seem Cunard is indeed not marketing this cruise in the US. Last year's voyage featuring David Garrett was marketed as "a completely immersive German cultural experience" although I can't say for sure if I actually saw that wording used on the US website.

 

That very few cabins appear to have been sold on this voyage so far does seem a bit puzzling at first glance. But perhaps that can be accounted for by most bookings being made at the lower "Smart Preis" fare which is a guarantee booking rather than the higher "Premium Pries" fare which allows for the selection of a specific cabin.

[Host Hattie]

It's available on the UK site

 

 

[bluemarble]

4 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

It's available on the UK site

 

Yes, indeed. I can see it's available on the UK site as well, also on the site for Germany, and on the site for Australia (as LittleFish1976 also confirmed).

 

On the Cunard US website, it can't be found using the usual "Find a voyage" function unless you apply the "Sold out voyages" filter. It can be found using a voyage number search for "M036", but then that just lists it as "Sold out".

 

Most US travel agent sites don't list this voyage at all, and for those few that do, you can't actually book it. Attempts to start a booking on those sites fail with a message such as "No cabin categories are available for the specified sailing."

 

This doesn't appear to be a temporary glitch in the US. When I first looked at it a while ago, I just assumed this was a charter where you had to go through Stars at Sea or someone similar to book it. But when I couldn't find anything about it being a charter and then found it could be booked on Cunard sites outside the US, that's when I figured I'd ask about it here.

 

Maybe Cunard has simply determined that a voyage offering something like "a completely immersive German cultural experience" as in previous years would not have much appeal in the US market. Hard to tell.

 

====================

 

As an interesting follow-up, the similar cruise next year, voyage M138, November 7-12, 2021 can't be readily found in conventional voyage search results yet. But when I use the trick of attempting to bring up the voyage page via what its URL should be on the Cunard Germany website (https://www.cunard.com/de-de/kreuzfahrt-finden/M138/M138), here is what appears.

 

 

So, another "Stars at Sea" cruise just might be in the works for 2021 although no clues yet about the performer.

[Germancruiser]

I usually get such special cruises with Maffay, Garret or this fashin desinger- forgot the name- offered in a special advertising letter. I heard nothing of such happenings. For me that´s the one time I would avoid QM2, when one of the afore mentioned is preforming on board. Packed with Germans and German Fangroups at that - thank you very much- what a nice time to stay home.

[bluemarble]

5 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

I usually get such special cruises with Maffay, Garret or this fashin desinger- forgot the name- offered in a special advertising letter. I heard nothing of such happenings. For me that´s the one time I would avoid QM2, when one of the afore mentioned is preforming on board. Packed with Germans and German Fangroups at that - thank you very much- what a nice time to stay home.

 

Would that fashion designer be Carola Nahnsen by any chance? She's listed as presenting the "MODE & MEER" lecture program that I saw is being offered by a German travel agent on this November's voyage (M036).

[Germancruiser]

It is Guido Maria Kretschmer- our most famous designer these days- a very outgoing in nice guy- I would mind him to meet on a voyage- but still- packed with Germans. Just not for me! LOL.

Give a brit with a sense of that famous british humor ( that sometimes nobody gets) any day. LOL.