Queen Mary 2: Cruise from New York to South Africa for $1,888 per person

When the Queen Mary 2 luxury liner starts off on a round-the-world trip from New York in January, not everyone will be going to sea for the 103-day tour. Cunard Line is offering an amazing fare on the first leg of the trip, a 23-day voyage to South Africa, which starts under $2,000 per person.

The deal: This is one of those cruise deals with zero flexibility; the ship leaves Jan. 13 from New York and arrives in Cape Town on Feb. 4. Stops along the way include Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Barbados in the Caribbean; two stops in Brazil, Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro; and Montevideo, Uruguay.

Inside cabins (the only ones left) start at $1,888 per person, double occupancy, plus taxes and fees. Airfare is extra. But at $82 per day, this is a great fare for a ship of this quality.

When: With limited cabins available at the special rate, I recommend calling right away if you are interested in this offer. The reservation agent with whom I spoke on Tuesday advised me to book by Friday.

Tested: I found this deal online at Cunard’s website under “Cunard’s Grand Celebration Special Offers.” What’s to celebrate? For one, Cunard’s launch of a new ship, the Queen Elizabeth, which was officially named Oct. 11 in Southampton, England, by Queen Elizabeth II.

The website gave scant information beyond price and dates, so I called Cunard. The agent said cabins were still available at the special rate, but not many.

Bear in mind that if you’re leaving from Los Angeles, you’ll need to book and pay for airfare to New York and a return flight from South Africa. Other legs of this journey, for example, Dubai to New York, also 23 days, start at $3,088 for the same category of cabin.

Contact: Cunard Line, (800) 728-6273, or a travel agent.