Any discount for back to back cruises?

[longton]

We are looking to book back to back cruises in late 2024.

 

Are there any additional discounts for booking back to back cruises?

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, I assume we would get additional shareholder benefits, if still offered.

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, would we be required to change suites at the start of the second cruise?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[bluemarble]

33 minutes ago, longton said:

We are looking to book back to back cruises in late 2024.

 

Are there any additional discounts for booking back to back cruises?

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, I assume we would get additional shareholder benefits, if still offered.

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, would we be required to change suites at the start of the second cruise?

 

Thanks.

 

There is no discount for booking back-to-back cruises that I am aware of. If you are considering a cruise where you have the option to book the cruise a one single voyage (e.g. a 14-night round-trip transatlantic crossing) or as two separate voyages (e.g. separate eastbound and westbound crossings), then it's a matter of pricing both alternatives to see which one works out the best.

 

Yes, if you book the cruise as two separate bookings, you would get separate shareholder benefits for each booking. However, that doesn't necessarily work to your advantage. If you book two separate 7-night crossings, you would be entitled to $100 OBC for each booking (for a total of $200 OBC). However, if you booked a single 14-night voyage, you would be entitled to $250 OBC for that longer voyage. The shareholder benefit increases from $100 OBC for voyages of 7 to 13 nights to $250 OBC for voyages of 14 nights or longer.

 

If you book the cruise as two separate bookings, then you will want to check cabin availability to see if the same cabin is available on both voyages. If you are able to book the same cabin for both voyages then you wouldn't have to change cabins between voyages. Otherwise, of course you would have to change cabins.

 

It do you book two separate voyages and are able to obtain the same cabin for each, then you will want to make sure both bookings are marked "Do Not Upgrade". Otherwise Cunard might upgrade you on one of the voyages and then you would end up having to change cabins after all.

 

Edit to add: This assumes you would be booking a fare that allows you to select a specific cabin. If you make two separate bookings on a fare that only offers guarantee cabin assignments, then there is no way of knowing what cabins you would end up with for each voyage and would most likely have to change cabins in that case.

Edited March 7, 2023 by bluemarble

[lissie]

2 hours ago, longton said:

We are looking to book back to back cruises in late 2024.

 

Are there any additional discounts for booking back to back cruises?

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, I assume we would get additional shareholder benefits, if still offered.

 

If we book the cruises as two separate bookings, would we be required to change suites at the start of the second cruise?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

And just to add to Bluemarble's excellent example.   If one cruise is over 14 days (max OBC ) then you get more OBC if you have a separate booking. You also have the flexibility of cancelling one cruise rather than only being able to cancel the whole longer cruise on one booking 

[Colin_Cameron]

There used to be a Back-to-Back discount many years ago. I think they called it a consecutive cruise discount, or something like that. 

 

We we decided to add a transatlantic crossing onto the end of a longer cruise. The new, discounted, price for both cruises turned out to be less than the cost of the first one. Having already paid in full, we not only got the crossing free, we also got a refund cheque for the difference! They effectively paid us to cross on QE2.

 

Maybe that’s why it got stopped.😁

[Red Ray]

We have booked back to backs on Queen Anne for June 2024 - a 16 nighter followed by a 7 nighter but there was no discount. Decent OBC though.

[longton]

Thanks for the useful and informative replies.

 

We are looking to book for November and December 2024. Bookings open next week.

 

The first one is 12 nights Freemantle to Sydney, then 24 nights Queensland and New Zealand.

 

I'm tempted to book them together and forego some shareholder benefits if it means we stay in the same suite.

 

Does booking back to back cruises mean we have the same suite for both trips?

 

Thanks again.

 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, longton said:

Does booking back to back cruises mean we have the same suite for both trips?

 

Let me attempt to expand on my earlier comments. It depends on how you book your back to back cruise as to whether you can be assured you will be in the same cabin for your entire cruise.

 

If you book your cruise as one longer voyage on a single booking, then yes, you will be in the same cabin for the entire cruise.

 

If you book your back to back cruise as two separate bookings at a Saver fare, which does not allow you to pick a specific cabin, then it is likely you won"t be in the same cabin for both segments. Cunard may assign any cabin in the grade of cabin you have booked (or higher) for each separate booking. It would be a coincidence if you ended up in the same cabin for both segments if you book a Saver fare.

 

On the other hand, if you make two separate bookings at the higher Cunard fare, where you can select a specific cabin, and you are able to find a cabin that is available on both segments, and you have your separate bookings in that selected cabin marked "Do Not Upgrade", then you can be assured you will be in the same cabin for both segments.

Edited March 8, 2023 by bluemarble

[bluemarble]

5 hours ago, longton said:

We are looking to book for November and December 2024. Bookings open next week.

 

The first one is 12 nights Freemantle to Sydney, then 24 nights Queensland and New Zealand.

 

I'm tempted to book them together and forego some shareholder benefits if it means we stay in the same suite.

 

Upon further review of the itinerary you have mentioned, I am not seeing Cunard offering your full 36-night itinerary as a single voyage.

 

There is the 12-night Fremantle-Sydney voyage (5 Nov-17 Nov 2024) being offered as voyage Q432. Then there is the 24-night voyage Sydney-Sydney (17 Nov-11 Dec 2024) being offered as voyage Q433A. I am not seeing a single voyage being offered for 5 Nov-11 Dec 2024.

 

There is also a more complicated alternative involving three segments.

12-night Fremantle-Sydney (5 Nov-17 Nov 2024), voyage Q432

10-night Sydney-Sydney (17 Nov-27 Nov 2024), voyage Q433

14-night Sydney-Sydney (27 Nov-11 Dec 2024), voyage Q434

 

Based on what I am seeing, the only alternative is to book your proposed itinerary as two (or three) separate bookings. Since you mentioned you are going to book when bookings open up next week, I would think there shouldn't be too much difficulty finding the same cabin available on each voyage (assuming you book the Cunard fare). You have mentioned "suite" which implies you are looking at Grill accommodations. Those tend to go faster than Britannia cabins. And the same cabin/suite can't be offered on different overlapping segments at the same time, so that might be an issue depending on what level of Grill accommodations you are looking for.

 

Hope this helps some.

Edited March 8, 2023 by bluemarble