Saver or Select, what’s the difference?

When sourcing a cruise there are normally a couple of main factors that come into consideration regarding the decision made to actually book:

Itinerary

Ship

Cost

For some guests the first two are the most important, no-one wants to keep repeating the same itinerary and there are so many types of itineraries to choose from. Same with the ships, there is a cruise ship to suit all needs, be it family orientated, adult only, big and busy or small and serene.

More and more people nowadays are driven by cost, as the cruise market over the years has expanded and there is fierce competition to compete for the cruise market. I am sure that many whom now consider and cruise at least once a year didn’t think they would be in a financial position to cruise so regularly 20 years ago. I know I didn’t.

P&O and Cunard offer the guests a choice to help them make the right decision for their cruise, especially when it comes to cost, the Select fare and the Saver fare.

Now like most things, to get a bargain you have to compromise and P&O and Cunard are no different in the competing cruise market. So what is the difference between the select and the saver that they offer and what is the compromise?

The select fare – this is the standard fare offered by P&O and Cunard. Normally the same as advertised in their brochure and comes with following benefits:

Cabin Choice – Pick your cabin number, most important if you prefer to be located in a certain area of the ship. Perfect also if you are travelling with other guests and wish to be located near one another.

Dining choice – Pick your dining, like to have a confirmed time to eat? early, late or the freedom option. Again, if travelling with other guests you can all pick your dining to eat together.

Flexibility – should you book and need to change your cruise to an alternative date, ship or itinerary, the select fare allows you to change (subject to availability and a possible difference in fare)

Future Cruise Deposits – If you have pre purchased a future cruise and paid a low deposit onboard, you can redeem this against any select fare and still benefit from the extras offered.

Extras – The select fare normally offers additional extras such as on board credit, complimentary parking at Southampton or return coach transfers to the port. You normally have the choice of just one of these and on certain sailings or promotional months a choice of two.

The saver fare – this is a fare offered by P&O and Cunard and come sometimes be less than half of the Select fare cost, normally advertised much lower to start as an early saver fare and closer to departure a saver fare.

Cabin choice – all these fares are based on the lowest category of cabin type i.e, inside, ocean view or balcony and are guaranteed cabins. You are guaranteed to have a cabin of that type allocated, however you have no choice in the cabin number or location. The cabin will be allocated prior to departure and once allocated cannot be changed. Even if you are travelling with another party and the bookings are linked together, there is no guarantee that cabins will be allocated near one another. No requests can be made either.

Dining choice – there is none, the dining will be allocated to you once you are on board. No requests for dining preference will be made and again no guarantee that you will be placed with a linked booking for other guests.

Flexibility – there is none, these fares are non refundable and non changeable once confirmed. If you book and have to cancel you will lose all monies paid, the booking cannot be transferred to an alternative sailing.

Extras – again there is none to be offered. The saver fares are normally so good in price that they can outweigh the difference of paying the select fare even with on board credit offered.

Future cruise deposits – these are not applicable to be used on a saver fare. They are only valid on select fares.

To give you an idea on the difference in price and the saving made, I have detailed below two itineraries offered, one by P&O and the other by Cunard.

The prices advertised are based on live availability and correct at time of publication:

P&O Arcadia – Adult only ship – Departure date 05th July 2014, 17 night Central Mediterranean sailing from Southampton.

Inside cabin – select fare from £1799 per person, saver fare  from £999 per person.                                Ocean view  – select fare from £1999 per person, saver fare  from £1099 per person.                             Balcony cabin – select fare from £2699 per person, saver fare from £1399 per person.

Cunard  Queen Victoria – Departure 06th July 2014, 14 night Baltic Capitals sailing from Southampton.

Inside cabin – select fare from £1649 per person, saver fare  from £8499 per person.                             Ocean view  – select fare from £1779 per person, saver fare  from £949 per person.                             Balcony cabin – select fare from £1839 per person, saver fare from £1149 per person.

For me personally, I would go for the saver fare all day long, especially if I was in a position to cruise at anytime without having to pre arrange time off of work. It doesn’t bother me where my cabin is allocated so long as I get the cabin type I’ve paid for and I am more than happy to eat whenever, if I don’t want the set time allocated to me that’s fine, I can choose to eat in one of the other dining options. Cost would be my first priority.

However, not everyone is in a position to book last minute, I know for me I have to give notice of my annual leave, like most working people do. Also, some people are very aware of the location they want to be placed on board a ship and a guaranteed option to be placed anywhere is just not going to work for them.  Also with the dining, you may have someone that has to eat at a set time for a medical reason or because they have children and would prefer early dining but then are given late dining.

Certain choices have to made by each individual when choosing their cruise holiday… So, when you choose your next cruise with P&O or Cunard, which fare type will you go for?

Dawn

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