What is a good price?

[Percentages]

Is 20% below EBS fares published at Cunard.com a good price? Should we snap up an offer at this price?

[mufi]

Is 20% below EBS fares published at Cunard.com a good price? Should we snap up an offer at this price?

 

What ship, what cruise/crossing? With a very few you have to pay full whack, others you can get less 50% or more. In most cases no one pays full price but you do need to shop around just like buying anything these days.

 

David.

[KarenR_UK]

I think if EBS is early booking fares, that is the '50%' discount.

Here in the UK we would expect an average of a further 10% when booking with a TA (online or other), some give you more, some less.

If booking direct, but online, I think you get 5%.

 

Have to say I always find it difficult to work out how my fare is made up as it (usually) consists of base fare (which is never what they call the 'brochure fare' even only 8 weeks before sailing!), TA discount and Single supplement for travelling solo in a twin room, plus 'additional' discounts.:D

Last year I thought I had done really really well - thought I had 13% TA discount - turned out I actually had an additional 5% past passenger discount from cunard. confusing;)

This year the additional discounts were enough to persuade me to book an outside cabin:D

 

you could try asking several TAs to quote you and see if anyone comes close to the offer you have seen to see if it is good or just average

 

Karen

[2moose]

Is 20% below EBS fares published at Cunard.com a good price? Should we snap up an offer at this price?

 

sounds good but some times there are deeper discounts last june we booked a december carribe cruise immediatley & unexpectly due to an email we recieved at 6:00 am one morning that offered a 60 % discount off the regular fare!!! the deepest discount i am aware of.

[Dr. Cocktail]

From what I had been told by my ta and what I learned myself, Cunard is "notorious" for dropping rates just after final payment and basically not wanting to make any sort of adjustment or "peace offering". In my case, I reserved QM2 in September of '06 for a June "07 sailing only to see the price drop about US $1150 three weeks after final payment.

 

After some heated words, a compromise was achieved but this is exactly why my ta had told me last year that unless you were "married" to a particular itinerary or date, waiting might be the best policy.

[ocngypz]

It depends. First, where are you located?? North America or????

 

Second, what's the sail date?

 

Are you planning on doing Cunard air?

 

Every cruiseline offers restricted last minute fare codes. Generally, they are for guarantees (no cabin assignments).. full payments required. You may save some, but not get a cabin you'd be happy with.. and you may have astronomical air costs... or worse.. no air available at any cost.

 

Except for Cunard FLASH rates, all other rate codes can be refared. I just did one this week. Client booked a year ago on a past passenger rate.

A regional rate came out last week. So I refared the booking and moved them from a B3 to an A3 for their 10th anniversary cruise.

 

So, in the long haul.... it depends.

[Percentages]

>you could try asking several TAs to quote you and see if anyone comes close to the offer you have seen to see if it is good or just average

 

We shopped around for about 5 hours....I hate that process! 20% below EBS is 70% below the "brochure" price + "extras" - "discounts" fare.

We figured Cunard would match any Travel Agent's documented offer price......Not a chance, their advice was "you should book with your TA"...So we did!

 

>It depends. First, where are you located?? North America or????

 

Florida is our real permanent location, but we have good mailing addresses in many places/countries and continents. We can appear to be wherever it might be good for us to be. However from a little research it appears that Florida is not a bad place to be for Cruise bookings. I did look at using my UK address.....WOW that seemed ridiculous pricing, at least for a Brit that now thinks more like an American!

 

 

>Second, what's the sail date?

Anytime is possible for us, but we want to do the Carribean between early December and April. Don't want to miss out on hurricane season at home, or enjoy it on a cruise!

 

>Are you planning on doing Cunard air?

No! We can still get the airfare at 25% of the quoted price by booking online with those big online TAs.

 

>You may save some, but not get a cabin you'd be happy with.. and you may have astronomical air costs... or worse.. no air available at any cost.

 

Yeah, that is exactly why we are planning ahead. A $500 saving on cruise fare is worth shopping for, but not if it means an additional $2K of airfares.

 

>So I refared the booking and moved them from a B3 to an A3 for their 10th anniversary cruise.

ocngypz, you seem to be a very knowledgeable TA for everything Cunard & Celebrity (at least).....I know the TA we are booked with isn't. They are volume people, but seem to be at least competant at the basics of booking. Can I get your level of knowledge, your level of competance/expertise, at their price?

 

 

>So, in the long haul.... it depends.

Thanks for the honesty....I always knew that my OP was a "how long is a piece of string" problem. I also understand the restrictions of this board.

What a pity I can't send a personal email to some of the kind people who make so much effort in replying to posts to thank them!