QM2 Double Upgrade Scam?

Hi guys and gals,

we are checking out the Cunard website and it shows that Queen Mary 2 has free double upgrades from an interior stateroom to a balcony. The lowest interior stateroom is priced at $949, so I figured that if we could get a balcony for the same price that's not a bad deal. I called them and they said that you have to at least book an atrium view stateroom in order to be eligible for the promotion. That room costs $1,599 which is the same price as a balcony. So at this point I am thinking that this upgrade is nothing more than a scam to lure you in. Does anyone have any experience with the double upgrades?

I am not sure why you call this a scam. The price of the balcony is already showing the double upgrade from atrium if it is the same price (so what it in effect means is that you can sail in a balcony at the inside atrium price). I have seen this often on cruise sites; perhaps to call it an upgrade can be a little misleading for some as it is not really an upgrade, rather a sale price on the cabin grade. To restrict it to the highest level of inside does not make it a scam either. This again is common in business, a step up (or in this case 2) from the highest level below. Advertising is always there to lure potential customers though it should really have stated somewhere (and it may have in very small print) that it was from x category to y category.

Only you can decide if it is worth it and if you feel that it is a good price or if you feel that you have been misled.

I booked my upcoming QE world cruise sector last year on a double upgrade offer in the Australia/NZ market. This was from the lowest inside category to any balcony category up to category BD (as I recall). They were also offering a 50% single supplement so overall it was a great deal for me.

However, as Aussieflyer points out, not all deals are equal and you do need to read the fine print carefully. In your case the deal was not what you hoped for, but it was hardly a scam.

This is similar to the occasional offers of "Book a balcony and get Britannia Club; book Britannia Club and get Princess Grill; book Princess and get Queen's Grill." From what I have seen the upgrade (for want of a better term) to a higher category is available only if the passenger books the highest fare level of the one from which the upgrade applies.

As an example: you can't book the cheapest Princess Grill fare (P2) and get into Queen's Grill for that. It must be the top fare of any given category. To some that is misleading, but it is still a good deal.

On our recent QV voyage, when we got our double upgrade (from PG-2 to QG-6) they both showed that same price on the website. The shown price was, indeed, what the PG-2 had shown before and the Q-6 price had been lowered to match. Needless to say, we were VERY happy with the upgrade.

For us, it was no scam.

Cheers!

I booked for Christmas 2017-18 while onboard over the 2016-17 holiday, during the current double-upgrade promotion. For what it's worth we will be in a Deck 11 Britannia balcony for a lower price than we paid in 2015-16 for a Deck 5 sheltered balcony.

But the promotion is "subject to availability" and I've had other discussion here with people who weren't able to take advantage of it on their chosen itinerary.

Here is the "Upgrades on us" promotion as advertised in the USA:

"...† Free Double Upgrade offer is based on reserving a Balcony Stateroom (up to category BZ on Queen Mary 2; up to category BF on Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth) for the price of an Inside Stateroom (category IA). Free upgrade within Princess Grill Suites is based on reserving a Princess Grill Suite (category P1) for the price of Princess Grill Suite (category P2). Free Upgrade within Queens Grill Suites is based on reserving a Queens Grill Suite (category Q5) for the price of a Queens Grill Suite (category Q6 on Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth; category Q7 o nQueen Mary 2). Upgrade offers are not available to third/fourth berth guests and are subject to availability."

Quoted from http://www.cunard.com/cruise-deals/sale-2/

Other reductions are offered.

My understanding is that Category IA on QM2 is a standard inside cabin, which is what is specified on the above quoted promotion, whereas an Atrium View inside cabin is Category HB. I have no personal experience of inside cabin categories, so please correct me if I am mistaken. Thanks. -S

We once had a double upgrade from the lowest inside cabin to an obstructed view balcony without even knowing!! Never checked VP and only informed at desk ;)

Not the same as the thread, but just wanted to share it because it had never happened before and I doubt it'll happen again :(

Here is the "Upgrades on us" promotion as advertised in the USA:

"...† Free Double Upgrade offer is based on reserving a Balcony Stateroom (up to category BZ on Queen Mary 2; up to category BF on Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth) for the price of an Inside Stateroom (category IA). Free upgrade within Princess Grill Suites is based on reserving a Princess Grill Suite (category P1) for the price of Princess Grill Suite (category P2). Free Upgrade within Queens Grill Suites is based on reserving a Queens Grill Suite (category Q5) for the price of a Queens Grill Suite (category Q6 on Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth; category Q7 o nQueen Mary 2). Upgrade offers are not available to third/fourth berth guests and are subject to availability."

 

Quoted from http://www.cunard.com/cruise-deals/sale-2/

Other reductions are offered.

 

My understanding is that Category IA on QM2 is a standard inside cabin, which is what is specified on the above quoted promotion, whereas an Atrium View inside cabin is Category HB. I have no personal experience of inside cabin categories, so please correct me if I am mistaken. Thanks. -S

That's exactly what threw me off. I read the fine print and it mentions Category IA as eligible for an upgrade; which is a standard interior cabin, so why are they telling me I need an HB (atrium view) if it says otherwise in the description?

But it's all good, we don't mind an interior cabin as long as we get to cruise. Maybe not a scam but definitely confusing and misleading.

If OP would post the sailing and cruise length , perhaps one of the ,any TA's on this forum could better explain the situation ?

1A Inside is only 1 category lower than HB .

It is not the least expensive Inside category that you would think it would be (like 1A on CCL being the least expensive Inside category)

That being category 1F on QM2 .

If OP would post the sailing and cruise length , perhaps one of the ,any TA's on this forum could better explain the situation ?

 

1A Inside is only 1 category lower than HB .

It is not the least expensive Inside category that you would think it would be (like 1A on CCL being the least expensive Inside category)

That being category 1F on QM2 .

Based on the pricing stated by the OP, I believe the OP was looking at voyage M722, Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing, 7 nights, Jun 15-22, 2017.

Voyage M722 is showing a lead in price of $949 on cunard.com for standard inside category IF. Standard inside category IA is listed as "Sold Out". Atrium view inside category HB is showing a fare of $1599. Sheltered balcony category BZ is also showing a fare of $1599. This pricing matches what the OP has reported.

I checked other crossings on QM2 where this double upgrade offer applies. In most cases, the fare is the same for both inside categories IA and HB (when both categories are showing availability). I did manage to find one crossing where the category IA fare is $100 lower than the category HB fare. That's voyage M717, Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing, 7 nights, May 15-22, 2017. In that case, the balcony category BZ fare matches the lower fare for standard inside category IA not the higher fare for atrium view inside category HB. This is in line with the stated conditions for this promotion.

Based on the pricing stated by the OP, I believe the OP was looking at voyage M722, Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing, 7 nights, Jun 15-22, 2017.

 

Voyage M722 is showing a lead in price of $949 on cunard.com for standard inside category IF. Standard inside category IA is listed as "Sold Out". Atrium view inside category HB is showing a fare of $1599. Sheltered balcony category BZ is also showing a fare of $1599. This pricing matches what the OP has reported.

 

I checked other crossings on QM2 where this double upgrade offer applies. In most cases, the fare is the same for both inside categories IA and HB (when both categories are showing availability). I did manage to find one crossing where the category IA fare is $100 lower than the category HB fare. That's voyage M717, Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing, 7 nights, May 15-22, 2017. In that case, the balcony category BZ fare matches the lower fare for standard inside category IA not the higher fare for atrium view inside category HB. This is in line with the stated conditions for this promotion.

Yes that was the package we were looking at. We are comparing different months but they are mostly similar. So basically the promotion upgrades you, but in reality you are still paying full price of a balcony right ? It all just seems a little misleading, because unless you read the fine print, you are led to believe that any interior stateroom can be upgraded to a balcony. Now if they gave you an upgrade on the lowest stateroom, that would be something to brag about.

Yes that was the package we were looking at. We are comparing different months but they are mostly similar. So basically the promotion upgrades you, but in reality you are still paying full price of a balcony right ? It all just seems a little misleading, because unless you read the fine print, you are led to believe that any interior stateroom can be upgraded to a balcony. Now if they gave you an upgrade on the lowest stateroom, that would be something to brag about.

As I see it, you would not be paying the full price of a balcony under the terms of this promotion. You would be getting a low end balcony (category BZ) discounted to the price of a high end inside (category IA). Naturally that's not as good as getting a balcony for the price of a low end inside (category IF), but it's still a discount. When I spot-check a few of the 7-day crossings next year (where the promotion does not apply), the price difference between an IA inside and a BZ balcony is about $500 per person.

I do agree that it is natural to assume a double upgrade promotion like this would allow you to do a "full" double upgrade from a low-end inside to a low-end balcony. But as you have found, the devil is in the details.

All the best,

John

As I see it, you would not be paying the full price of a balcony under the terms of this promotion. You would be getting a low end balcony (category BZ) discounted to the price of a high end inside (category IA). Naturally that's not as good as getting a balcony for the price of a low end inside (category IF), but it's still a discount. When I spot-check a few of the 7-day crossings next year (where the promotion does not apply), the price difference between an IA inside and a BZ balcony is about $500 per person.

 

I do agree that it is natural to assume a double upgrade promotion like this would allow you to do a "full" double upgrade from a low-end inside to a low-end balcony. But as you have found, the devil is in the details.

 

All the best,

John

Thanks for clarifying John, I certainly appreciate it.