Smart vs. Premium

[schattenfell71]

First of all a Happy New Year from Germany!

 

We are actually planning our next cruise with the QV in July 2023 (Nothern Europe and Baltic V320B).

 

The Smart Price will be 2.000 Euros cheaper than the Premium Price for all 4 of us together.

 

This is a lot of money and is it worth to book the Premium price for choosing a cabin, chosing the sitting times and $175 onboard credit per person ($500 for all of us)?

 

We are World Club Member "Gold" so perhaps we can get some advantages from this instead?

 

I have never booked "Smart" so I am really looking forward to your opinion and experiences when booking "Smart"

 

Thanks!

Thorsten

Edited January 4, 2023 by schattenfell71

[elmsliebev]

I'm guessing Smart & Premium are the same as Saver and Cunard fares? 

We have done both - on our last QE cruise in July/August we booked Saver/Smart and had no problems. Our cabin was lovely (inside deck 8), we got our preferred choice of dining time, we only used a shuttle bus once and there was no charge for it. 

We are booked for QA in June 24 and have taken the Cunard fare as it included the choice of return coach from where we live in the UK to Southampton and the difference in ££ was less than the coach fare so it worked in our favour. 

Unless you really want to choose your own cabin, or the deal is good I'd happily go with the Saver/Smart fare.

Happy New Year to you too! We are sailing with another line in March and go to Hamburg - first time in Germany!

[Host Hattie]

I think in the UK these fares are referred to as Cunard (for the more expensive version) and Early Saver.

If you don't mind someone else choosing your cabin location and dining time then Smart will be fine.

We've booked Saver fares some of the time. 

[buchanan101]

Partly depends on whether you want a particular cabin location - maybe midships, or, on our recent crossing to NY I wanted a port side cabin; it was October but 2 or 3 of the days were lovely sitting on the balcony in the sun; the starboard side was cold and windy.

 

Some want to go higher for better views, but I'm not sure that would bother me.

 

But most cruises won't have one side that is better than the other, and depending where you are going and time of year (summer in Med, say, v November across Atlantic) the ship's motion is likely to be quite a bit different (on average) so maybe midships not so important

 

Northern Europe and Baltic in Summer *should* be reasonably calm and port v starboard doesn't matter at all. Maybe saver fare?

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

Study the deck plans, see if for the type of cabin you want there are any locations that would ruin your cruise. If yes you are taking a risk with smart . If no then very well could be worth it. 

[schattenfell71]

Thanks for your help and sorry for the confusion about the Smart/Premium price. Seems to be the German types.

 

I have contacted Cunard about that and they told me that the main differences (besides the onboard credit) are

 

1. The cabins may be not close to another

2. The Dinner/Sitting times may be not the same and

3. The Shuttlebusses in some towns will cost $10 a person oneway

 

But will this be worth 2.500 Euros more? I do not think so.

 

1. My dauhters may be happy not to have the cabin close to us 😀and we are together all the day on deck.

2. I guess if I would ask on board to chance the dining times they will not check if we have booked smart or premium. And isn´t there an open dining slot on the QV ?

3. We used a shuttle bus once in Southhampton and no one ever asked us about a booked tarif.

 

So after all I guess I will save the money and spend it at the bar and go for smart (saver).

Edited January 10, 2023 by schattenfell71

[Host Hattie]

1. I can imagine 

2. They will take fare type into account when allocating your dining. You might not get what you request but there is open dining as well as fixed sittings now.

3. In some ports shuttle buses are included for everyone. In others your ships card will be scanned and you will be charged. 

 

It's certainly a way of saving money when the difference is substantial. 

[schattenfell71]

Baltic Cruise with QV booked in Saver/Smart fare !!

 

Can not wait to be back onboard QV.

[Bedruthen]

It all depends on your attitude to risk. The cabins which people perceive to be in the best locations are booked first by those who choose to pay extra for the luxury of choice.  If you are paying to select your cabin, you are not going to choose to be in a poor location or a deck with potential noise issues. So it follows that the guarantee cabins are likely to be in the areas where no- one has selected their cabin. If you are happy to risk potentially being below the swimming pool are, above the pub, theatre or opposite a service area etc etc then take the cheaper option. There is always a chance that someone has cancelled last minute and a good cabin will be allocated to you, but don’t rely on it. Personally, the thought of a three week cruise stuck under the pool with chairs being thrown around at 5am in the morning isn’t worth any saving, however large. But for other people it won’t be a problem. So, do you feel lucky…

[schattenfell71]

11 hours ago, Bedruthen said:

It all depends on your attitude to risk. The cabins which people perceive to be in the best locations are booked first by those who choose to pay extra for the luxury of choice.  If you are paying to select your cabin, you are not going to choose to be in a poor location or a deck with potential noise issues. So it follows that the guarantee cabins are likely to be in the areas where no- one has selected their cabin. If you are happy to risk potentially being below the swimming pool are, above the pub, theatre or opposite a service area etc etc then take the cheaper option. There is always a chance that someone has cancelled last minute and a good cabin will be allocated to you, but don’t rely on it. Personally, the thought of a three week cruise stuck under the pool with chairs being thrown around at 5am in the morning isn’t worth any saving, however large. But for other people it won’t be a problem. So, do you feel lucky…

Thats a good point and exactly my thoughts for not booking the saver fare.

 

But on the other hand we save 2.440 Euros which is a lot of money. We will spend some of that money for a pre stay in Hamburg (with a musical).

 

I would not risk this fare for longer cruises. I guess we will be on deck 1 at the front near the theatre because there are some cabins free at the moment.

 

But we are happy to be back onboard anyway.