A Last Minute Cruise

If you read my previous blog you know I enjoy learning and sharing cruise ideas on Cruise Critic.  After being on a very active roll call for the 2014 World Voyage on Queen Elizabeth, I have been reading the 2015 roll call.  Maggie (who was on the WV) posted recently that she and her husband had found a good deal for the crossing between Southampton and New York.

After reading that, the cruise wheels in my head started spinning and I decided to check out how good the deal was.  When I first looked I searched "Transatlantic" on the Cunard website and did not find anything so I decided they must have sold out and gave up on the idea.

A couple of days ago, killing time waiting for a TV show to come on, I went back to the Cunard site.  This time I searched by date and up came the crossing.  An inside stateroom, an oceanview and a balcony were all the same price.  The price was good (even with the single supplement) so then I started looking for airfares.  The cost of a one way ticket to the UK was about double what I paid for a roundtrip this year.  It was more than the cost of the cruise! Back to giving up on the idea.

Unfortunately, I could not get the idea out of my head so the next day I decided to call Cunard and see what their airfare would be.  Turns out it was about 1/4 the cost of booking it myself.  Kathleen, the very nice Cunard rep I spoke with, also said they were running a promo with paid gratuities, a meal in the Verandah restaurant (the really nice French restaurant on the QE), and $150 onboard credit.

We made a tentative booking (she could hold the stateroom for me until 6 pm Pacific time the next day).  I then spent about two hours trying to decide if I was going to be wild and crazy and actually go on a last minute cruise.

There were a number of positives and only one negative (spending the money) so the decision was made - I was going.  Called my wonderful travel agent Patty at AAA but she was out of the office until this morning.  I left her a message and sent her a copy of my tentative booking.

Bright and early (at least for me) this morning she called me and we had a conference call with Cunard.  Turned out Cunard and AAA were having a promo and I received an extra $200 onboard credit!  I also had Patty book my flight through Cunard.  I will fly from Richmond to Atlanta (I think on Delta) and then Atlanta to London on Virgin Atlantic.

Some of the people I have told probably think I am nuts to do this.  I am a firm believer in doing things when you can.  Don't put things off, you never know what is going to happen in the future.  There were a number of things I did when I was younger that I could not physically do today.  I am very glad I did them when I did.  I like to tell people that as long as I can walk, talk, and remember who I am, I want to do as much cruising as I can.

As usual, smooth sailing until next time!