As I'm sure you're all aware by now P&O have introduced something called Vantage fares for 2013 to try and encourage cruisers into booking early again with the assurance they'll be protected by a price promise guarantee. What P&O, (and Cunard) want to stop having to offer is what's called a Getaway Fare. These are the really cheap fares that are around for 2012 at the moment where you get a massively reduced price but you have to pay for the cruise in full and the fare is 100% non-refundable.
Stage one in getting rid of Getaway Fares was to offer the alternative of the Vantage fares for people to book and that's how the situation is at the moment.
Stage two will prevent people from choosing their dining option when booking a Getaway Fare. Although the price will still be reduced on them, first, second and freedom dining, (and table sizes), will be randomly assigned. To guarantee a dining option you will have to book yourself onto a Vantage fare.
Stage three will be to eliminate all loyalty benefits on the Getaway Fares. If you book a Getaway fare your past membership level wont be increased by the new cruise booking and you wont get any of the onboard benefits you'd normally associate with your membership level. Again, to get these benefits you'll have to book on the Vantage fares.
So what do you think? It's sounding to me like the Vantage fares are set to get better and better whilst the Getaway Fares are set to get worse. The only thing that concerns me is why P&O would do this if the didn't intend to still offer these cheap Getaway fares on a last minute basis, (the official comment was that they would try not to release them until at least 90 days before the sailing). So whilst it looks like last minute bargain hunters may still get a cheaper price by waiting, they'll have to put up with some rather stringent T&Cs!
Happy cruising
Why does P and O have to be so b....y-minded? Why shouldn't people get last-minute prices (with so-called Loyalty Benefits) if cabins haven't been sold? This all seems to be so petty that it will make people say forget P and O, let's go elsewhere. We sometimes like to take a last-minute cruise because we find we have some time (and money) available. We cannot always commit outselves months in advance to our holidays.
ReplyDeleteBut someone who has booked early and paid more money than you deserves the added bells and whistles. You book late you get less choice. That's fair.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that there are so many stalwarts who insist on booking early otherwise we could all vote with our feet and wait until the cheap fares are on offer! P and O have got alot of ships to fill and are not offering very much in varied itineraries from other cruise lines.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone can book last minute to get better deals if working and with kids etc. Also some people like the security that they have booked the cabin they want on the dates they want, and paid a premium price for it.
ReplyDeleteWe can take advantage of late bookings and perhaps we would not get such good late deals if everyone did wait for late deals! The cruise companies would be in a right pickle if they had not covered their cost base within a reasonable time before sailing enabling them to offer the late deals that we get.
Perhaps P&O will issue badges so that those who have paid the full fare can be distinguished from the penny pinchers and the hard up who have booked at lhe last minute. Book early and pay the going rate in order to get what you want. Book late and at a discount and you get the left overs. Seems fair to me.
ReplyDeleteIf you book early and then the price drops, the difference still goes into the coffers of P&O as on board credit or upgraded cabin. It is not as though the refund is going back into your pocket. Also, if you book a late deal you often do not have the choice of cabin or meal sitting anyway. I think they are being unfair to those on a limited income who can't afford the higher prices.
ReplyDeleteJust typical P&O. Always finding ways to to make even more from their customers. Cut back on agents Commissions so they cannot aford to pass any on to their clients, charging for creditcard payments etc etc. No wonder agents are now not paying for press adds for P&O (except in special cases]and turning to all other cruise lines (except Cunard who are apparently run by P&O] which have non of the P&O Charges!
ReplyDeleteThese further changes will lose them business to other cruise lines, especially as the price guarantee on Vantage fares is something of a hollow promise. Giving big chunks of obc merely forces you to spend on board or lose it completely.
ReplyDeleteWhen are they going to introduce these new tactics. We were not going to go on a cruise this year, having done two five week ones in October 2011 and Dec/Jan 2011 2012. Have seen a late deal was going to book, but if we do not get gold dinner and priority check in etc, and no points, will not bother,.
ReplyDeleteNot getting a gold dinner and priority check-in will stop you booking? What a fuss about nothing!
DeleteI haven't got a timetable I'm afraid - It was just something I heard from the future cruise staff whilst I was onboard - You should be fine if you book soon though
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, will go ahead and book. Once again many thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds like a good idea to me.
Deletefares have come down in price over the years which has brought cruising to the everyday man but the company stills needs to make a profit and i think ports are the most important part of cruising
ReplyDeleteMany passengers have stayed with P&O for years and have booked discounted cabins,
ReplyDeleteIt should not about cabin price, or the length of time before the ship sails, so if you manage to get a discounted cabin you should get your loyalty points as after all you have stayed loyal and booked with the company again.
And for snob hiding behind anonymous, it's not penny pinching to wait for a good deal, unfortunately not all people can pay the full bloated rate, and only wait until fares come within their means which generally will be about 70% on a ship, so if it wasn't for discounts the ship would be quite empty, perhaps SNOBY would like that.
And if P&O mistakenly go down that line, well, there are lots of other cruise lines.
Other cruiselines are doing the same. Fred O has just started all Inclusive. Also started price promise. It all makes perfect sense to me. I couldn't go on a cruise if I had to have first sitting.
DeleteWhat people fail to remember is that P&O's fares are far less than they used to be. We are cruising this year for £10 per head less per day than we did in 2001. Then we were in a balcony cabin and this time in a suite.
ReplyDeleteBTW very cheap deals 8+ years ago did not come with club extras.
Dai