Rates for the best suites dropped from $3,600 down to $2,200 for 2 person occupation. The starting price of $425 for the 17 March 1949 departure was reduced by $50, and a whopping $100 was knocked off the start price of the 04 April 1949 departure. This meant that you could go cruising, First Class, for just over $23 (approx. £10) a day!

At first sight, this may have seemed cheap, but that daily rate probably still equated to just one week's salary for a professional person. Cunard were by no means selling their new ship short! Reducing the prices would act as bait to encourage people to try cruising on Caronia and also help to establish her reputation.

Unlike the mixed reviews of new ships today, there are no reports that I'm aware of that describe Caronia other than as a superlative vessel. Rich folk telling one another just how splendid the ship was, to enjoy taking a cruise aboard particularly, being much better publicity than costly media advertising campaigns.

So successful was this approach that barely more than 12 months later, major magazines in the USA would feature multi-page spreads all about cruising on board Caronia. Of course, this was also free publicity, so it helped establish in the minds of people with the cash to spend, that the ship to book your place aboard was indeed RMS Caronia.

The ship, especially her reputation, had arrived, in style!