A couple who we met on a transatlantic cruise on HAL in 2008 and bumped into again on another HAL cruise from Amsterdam to New York in 2010 emailed us about a sale of just a few days for a 15 or 18 day Panama Canal cruise on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth in March. I checked and the sale was for balcony staterooms. The prices were considerably less than an inside statement. Our price was around $122 a day per person for the 15 days. It was under $100 if we had continued on to New York from Ft. Lauderdale at no additional charge.

I tried to buy the trip through Cunard, but at the sale price they refused to sell trip insurance. I was able to get the price with trip insurance. However once I went through a travel agency I was basically persona non gratia with Cunard. There was no airport transfer for sale or a transfer from their hotel in Santa Monica to the LA docks in San Pedro.

It was just as well. Cunard wanted $680 a night at their hotel prior to the cruise. I know it is vacation time and I shouldn't be counting nickels but that is ridiculous. I called around and found a room at the nearby Ritz-Carlton in Marina Del Rey for $400 less. The cab ride from the airport to the Ritz was $20 and from the hotel to San Pedro and the ship was $80. I was happy to pay it, heck I had just saved $400. Read more