Booking on board

[Pear Carr]

Are there any benefits to booking a world cruise whilst on board? I know that there is no additional OBC over 25 days but unsure if the 3% saving is applicable to world cruise.

[maggielou362]

If you decide to make an onboard future cruise booking, I suggest making an appointment with the Voyage Sales Office first. Don't just rock up like I did recently on board QM2. Even though there were two staff members in the office and no passengers, I was asked if I had an appointment, which I did not. The man I spoke was consequently quite snooty and abrupt. He didn't answer my query, saying that the information I sought was not available on "the system" at that time. (Compyu'er says NO!!). Maybe I just encountered him on a bad day.

[Pushpit]

From the sign in the sales office (see below for a photo in the link referenced) it just says "all categories over 25 nights" get the 3% discount, so I would have thought that includes world cruises. given all the other factors mentioned on that sign. So I think the discount would apply.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2984468-on-board-booking/

[Pear Carr]

Thank you!

[buchanan101]

2 hours ago, Pushpit said:

From the sign in the sales office (see below for a photo in the link referenced) it just says "all categories over 25 nights" get the 3% discount, so I would have thought that includes world cruises. given all the other factors mentioned on that sign. So I think the discount would apply.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2984468-on-board-booking/

Only 3%?

 

I've got 5% for two cruises from a Travel Agent. Bit poor of Cunard given they have 0% commission to pay from that 3%? Or am I missing something?

[PORT ROYAL]

Just trying to assist the OP
Personally, never undertaken, a tad tacky.  
However posters have stated they booked on board, then touted the booking to TAs, and whoever gave the biggest discount, additional OBC etc., had the onboard booking transferred to them.

Edited April 15 by PORT ROYAL
OBC

[bluemarble]

28 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Only 3%?

 

I've got 5% for two cruises from a Travel Agent. Bit poor of Cunard given they have 0% commission to pay from that 3%? Or am I missing something?

 

Do both. Book on board for the benefits that provides. If you have used a travel agent on your previous bookings, they should ask if you want them to transfer this new booking to that agent. Then your travel agent should be able to discount the booking as they have done for you in the past. That's what happens for my bookings in the US when I book on board and receive the OBC for shorter bookings. Never booked a cruise on board that's long enough to receive the 3% discount rather than the OBC though.

[buchanan101]

20 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Just trying to assist the OP
Personally, never undertaken, a tad tacky.  
However posters have stated they booked on board, then touted the booking to TAs, and whoever gave the biggest discount, additional OBC etc., had the onboard booking transferred to them.

that's just weird, that you can transfer a booking to a TA after you've booked...

 

surprised Cunard allow it - nothing in it for them as they've already made the sale and the prime value of a TA to Cunard is a sales outlet...TAs may save Cunard a tiny bit of admin, but...

 

both my current bookings were made early enough to get 5% and 10% Cunard early bird discounts respectively before the TA discount but in those cases the TA actually made the sale..

[bluemarble]

3 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

that's just weird, that you can transfer a booking to a TA after you've booked...

 

surprised Cunard allow it - nothing in it for them as they've already made the sale and the prime value of a TA to Cunard is a sales outlet...TAs may save Cunard a tiny bit of admin, but...

 

both my current bookings were made early enough to get 5% and 10% Cunard early bird discounts respectively before the TA discount but in those cases the TA actually made the sale..

 

Yes, you can transfer a booking you've made directly with Cunard to a travel agent under the following conditions.

 

"Bookings may only be transferred within 60 days of booking creation so long as (a) the request is made outside the Final Payment period, and (b) the booking is not paid in full."

 

One caveat. This is the policy for US bookings I've used in the past. I can't say for sure if these same conditions apply to UK bookings.

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, bluemarble said:

 

Yes, you can transfer a booking you've made directly with Cunard to a travel agent under the following conditions.

 

"Bookings may only be transferred within 60 days of booking creation so long as (a) the request is made outside the Final Payment period, and (b) the booking is not paid in full."

 

One caveat. This is the policy for US bookings I've used in the past. I can't say for sure if these same conditions apply to UK bookings.

Thanks, yes the US may well be different (you have refundable deposits which is not a UK thing). I guess Cunard are passing responsibility for collecting and clearing the final payment to the TA (and the TA takes the credit card charge), plus communications/admin which may in some cases be reasonably significant. 

[maggielou362]

Sorry, @PORT ROYAL but why is it "a tad tacky"?

Edited April 15 by maggielou362

[Victoria2]

39 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

that's just weird, that you can transfer a booking to a TA after you've booked...

 

surprised Cunard allow it - nothing in it for them as they've already made the sale and the prime value of a TA to Cunard is a sales outlet...TAs may save Cunard a tiny bit of admin, but...

 

both my current bookings were made early enough to get 5% and 10% Cunard early bird discounts respectively before the TA discount but in those cases the TA actually made the sale..

Definitely worth booking onboard then transferring the booking to your agent if the cabins required are available [no touting around, just a transfer to our own agent].

 

Low deposit and extra obc in addition to the brochure obc and some agents give discount too.

[MCC retired]

When I was a TA booking only cruises , I would have flipped head over heels if someone offered to transfer their World Cruise booking to me .

Could thank them with lots of OBC/Amenities . 

If you don't at least inquire about what the TA can offer on any Cunard booking , you are 

cheating yourself.

[Pear Carr]

Thank you - unfortunately I have never had much success with a TA and could do with a recommendation or two but sadly not allowed on CC.

[Bell Boy]

2 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

that's just weird, that you can transfer a booking to a TA after you've booked...

 

surprised Cunard allow it - nothing in it for them as they've already made the sale and the prime value of a TA to Cunard is a sales outlet...TAs may save Cunard a tiny bit of admin, but...

 

both my current bookings were made early enough to get 5% and 10% Cunard early bird discounts respectively before the TA discount but in those cases the TA actually made the sale..

 I've been going through this procedure for YEARS . More often than not will book onboard to take advantage of low deposit plus a good amount of OBC and it automatically is transferred to my preferred cruise specialist ( which incidentally is Cunard's UK Top cruise agent) where I receive  an additional % discount off the original invoice -  and occasionally receive a bottle of Fizz on arrival to the stateroom compliments of the TA.