MX-Drew

My daughter in law had cause to write to P&O customer services after a cruise on Azura and one of the items she raised was the lack of turndown service in the evening. Here is the official reason from P&O. The turn down service in the cabin is no long (sic) taking place as housekeeping staff are being deployed to alternative areas of the ship. This is to complete a strict two stage sanitisation process before and after dining, in between theatre shows and around high traffic areas of the ship. Should you wish next time you are onboard to receive a chocolate or fresh towels this can be requested using the phone in the cabin. I was on the same cruise as my daughter in law and I never saw any sanitisation at any time, let along a two stage one between theatre shows and as for dinner, well it was freedom dinning so how could that work? I also like the assumption that she will sail with P&O again! More rubbish from P&O.

From experience of car parking with CMV the parking is out of control of Ambassador. The car park area can almost be anywhere in Tilbury docks and varies each week from what I have seen. Fingers crossed they now have this sorted though.

Thank you, that is very useful information. As you will see from another thread I have started, we are booked for one of their festive events so this will give us an opportunity to take a good look around. Unfortunately it is sounding like CMV all over again, to me at least.

Is anyone else going to one of the Christmas events on Ambience this December? I thought it was not only (fingers crossed) a great night out with a 5 course dinner, a show then a stay overnight with breakfast in the morning but an opportunity to take a look at the ship and sample to some degree the food and service Ambassador offer before going all in on a cruise. Tilbury is very local to us so it would be ideal, we did try CMV and whilst the food was fine everything else in our opinion was worse than dreadful so we really hope Ambassador will be better.

Thank you for the review. Can I ask, when you say about the temperature of the cabins, I assume there is no air conditioning / heater control in the cabin or was it broken (in both cabins)?

I fear these maybe "old" T&Cs as these have been published for sometime but the big question is, will P&O update them when they hope this subject has been forgotten?

At no point did I say I'm worried, I'm off on a Princess cruise on Saturday.

Does it therefore not follow they will do the same for guests?

I recall reading recently that Celebrity are no longer testing crew that are joining their ships.

My son and his family went on their first cruise with us earlier this year on Azura and they have said never again, the airport experience was bad but the experience on the ship was even worse to the extent my wife and I have cancelled our future cruise on Arvia.

It wouldn't have anything to do with the very high amounts of onboard spend they are offering by any chance?

I will let you read between the lines, but proof is proof.😉

All to do with who funded the test.

Because humans are humans and it is well know that a certain proportion of the population are know to lie.

I have just received this email for out September cruise on Iona. I understand the point of view about people lying but in all honesty I don't see a difference with the health declaration pre Covid days. After all I wonder how many people owned up to the upset stomach etc?

On a 14 night cruise from Southampton on Arvia it is an extra £460 making a total of £580.

Make that 3 previously loyal customers and my son is not impressed either and it is only his 2nd cruise, P&O not even keeping new customers let alone old ones

But the major sticking point for me is the majority, if not all the other cruises have had a price increase then the extra OBC added but the cruise in question is the same price, but is now offered with low deposit and a ton of extra OBC. With the fluid pricing it all came to about the same cost in the end, for example, cruise goes up by £200 but and extra £200 OBC total to the customer is the same but not in this case.

And as I have asked, what about those cruises in 2024 where a final balance payment is a long way off?

Yes, it's fewer 🤣

Whoops, sorry @davecttr

I fully agree with your points for cruises past the final payment date but what about those that are in 2024 and the price is the same, but now low deposit offered (meaning P&O are already holding a large chunk of my money) plus an extra £460 OBC. To my mind (obviously I may be biased) they are two different cases.

You couldn't make this up!! I have just received an email with this as a header.

I completely agree that we want cruising to continue but by using this tactic (in my case) the cruise is the same price but an extra £460 OBC they have broken the final straw, (this was also an early booking for 2024) so my share of P&O’s profits will be going elsewhere and not just mine my families too which would have a knock on effect when it comes to recommendations. I’m sure I’m not the only who feels this way judging by this thread. So this could lead to the pub example from @Harry Peterson

You have asked and answered your own question. It maybe a variation of a pricing method but as you say, both annoy people so it is time to take a stand. I stand to be corrected as I have no direct experience but Saga have a price promise something along the lines of, if the price is reduced at anytime the price of your booking will be adjusted accordingly. Why can’t more companies be like that? I understand it really only fits products that are booked like holidays and shows.