Windsurfboy

Too ******** true.

Thanks, at least it's no longer the universal covid excuse. Shouldn't be to hard to find a new book shop , or the cupboard where they stored the old books. 6 months 😁

What's the latest 're books in library , website still says no books

But they have made a massive investment with Iona and our Vera. So they might just get rid of older ships

My condolences it's a pity you haven't been on this board earlier as this has been discussed and advice has been unless you are dying to lie and answer NO to everything. If you read megabear2 thread you will learn what others have been through , still pending outcome, if there has been resolution not been made public. You have two courses . Small claims court, using arguements in megabear2 thread. Or get media on your case. Good luck

Could you rejoin at a latter leg once you test negative

I don't know about Australian law , but under British consumer law a verbal commitment over phone is a binding contract. This holds even if the agent is not authorised to make commitment, as they are an agent. As all calls are digitally recorded, again you have a legal right to ask for a transcript of the call. I know this is true in UK , because they tried to back out on a discount an agent offered over phone, but when I asked for transcript of the call they quickly relented. If AUSTRALIA law entitled you to ask for transcript of the call, then ring them up tell them date and time of call , should be linked to your cruise and ask for one.

Have you looked at the moneysavingexpert site a good section on travel insurance.

Host Sharon Interesting , thank you , I've pre registered for 2025, only expecting the 35%, hopefully get more. Thursday's decision to book November 23 Carribean was an impulse purchase so only got 25%.😢 As for our discussion of P&O prices, think you have to think of P&O as two companies , Big ships are at a different price point to Aurora and Arcadia

Host Sharon , did Saga drop the price because at launch it was advertised at £17663 (see Below). However this doesn't alter your argument that compared to Aurora, Saga can be great value. Given that we all agree that Saga service is head and shoulders above P&O and food is in a different league. Saga insurance can offer exceptional value for longer cruises, or people with pre existing conditions, but for shorter European cruises it's expensive. Personally after trying them , I wouldn't go on an included saga excursion if you paid me. Anyway yesterday we booked a November 2023 Caribbean cruise with Saga, so all in all think they offer great service and value. But P&O also offer good value. However Aurora and Arcadia are very much more expensive than the bigger ships , the cruise at £1450 a week on Aurora compares to an Iona Caribbean at £900 a week. This is under half the price of Saga at £2000 a week. A European Iona cruise will work out cheaper than Saga even taking into account drink , WiFi , insurance, excursions , which you dont need to buy all of them. I completely agree with you my comparison is simplistic and more expensive lines offer more, but all in all I think the ranking is informative. April 5, 2022: Saga Cruises has today officially launched its 2023 ocean cruise itineraries with a host of new destinations, ports and experiences for guests currently all with up to 35% off the full fare price for early bookers (prices below reflect the discount). Ocean cruise highlights: Saga’s 2023 ocean cruising will kick off in style with a 78-night South American itinerary departing from Portsmouth on Spirit of Adventure on January 12. The epic South American Explorer cruise will travel around the vast coastline calling at destinations such as Devil’s Island in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Colombia, the Chilean Fjords, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and the Panama Canal transit. Prices start from £17,663 per person.

Just looked at a random selection of cruises for various cruise lines for standard balcony for next June. Ambassador £700 pp week P&O and Princess, circa £1000 pp week Cunard about £1400 pp week Celebrity about £1700 pp week Saga about £2000 pp week Regent , Silversea, Seabourn £3000 or much more Which confirms what people have been saying you gets what you pay for. Ie you pays your money and takes your choice All of them offer what their customers consider value for money. Just choose your price point, but don't expect 5 star service for 3 star price.

If you are between 75 and 250 miles, you can pay for excess mileage over 75 miles to get a private car not shared , if you so wish. If you are over 250 miles can pay for excess mileage, so if you are 260 miles away pay for 10 miles and get standard shared car, or can pay the over 75 miles if you want a private car.

They said I might of won door decorating competition if only I'd decorated outside not inside of door😁

Agree , as you say you get what you pay for. I haven't cancelled my Arvia cruise and just hope speciality restaurants are fully open Not providing what is promised in advertising is a clear breach of contract. Very hard to get P&O to accept this. ABTA will be useless. You can complain to advertising standards authority. They can't get compensation or force P&O to provide what they promised. However they can force P&O to immediately change website but we want afternon tea not a change in website. . If you paid by credit card they are jointly responsible for you being supplied with what you paid for, you could claim a reasonable , say £10pp per day, from CC company. Worth a few letters. If they agree they will just take money from P&O.

Please define 4 star prices, in terms say of a balcony cabin pp

Frequent flyers can book seats straight away as soon as they book for free, even on BA holidays when you only pay 15% deposit. But wouldn't use BA unless pretty certain route has new suite which means Heathrow not Gatwick . If you have any form of air miles great for booking one-way. Some airlines allow you to buy air miles, not normally worth it but can be for a one-way, may be worth exploring .

When is your cruise, I thought you said January. How far ahead can you book Epicurean, I thought it was only 2 weeks, but I must be wrong. I, like you want to eat mainly in speciality restaurants and understand they book up early, so don't want to miss out. Thanks

"Every day a beautifully presented afternoon tea takes place in the main restaurant. It’s the perfect way to bridge the gap between a light lunch and a late dinner. You’ll find a classic selection of finger sandwiches, cakes, pastries and freshly baked scones with jam and cream, all served with your choice of speciality fine tea or coffee." This is what it says on website under heading of included in price. If it has been removed then get hotel manager to read website.

I'm not being negative about P&O just realistic. I think they offer fantastic value for money compared to other cruise lines. They provide a choice, you can have a great value holiday with good food , but perhaps a little queuing, and busy pools. Or if you want you can pay extra for extra services, e.g. speciality restaurants or retreat or on ripples ice cream .

Completely agree When we first started cruising OK less than 10 years ago, our P&O suite was £6.8k and a similiar sized Cunard QG later that year was £8k. Now on Arvia, rear suite is only £6.5k (ok a bargain early booking) , but our Cunard is now £14k. Our next cruise is Cunard and there should be no Covid excuses. Similiary our last cruise which was Saga twice the price of P&O the service also beat our expectations and we have high expectations parallel to their high prices Clearly something's got to give, you get what you pay for. If we want the service of 10 years ago , should be paying £10k not £6.5k So on Arvia in 2024, ship will be beautiful but more crowded, but don't expect same base level of service. Expect to have to pay for speciality restaurants to get Saga, or Cunard QG level of food.

True but as the OP had been allowed to use one last year on Q.V. it not unreasonable to assume same rules still apply to sister ship. As a regular Cunarder do you check every rule or just assume same as last time.

Never been on such a big ship as Iona / Arvia , but corner suites have a huge balcony , so thought no fight for sun bed . They are really good value . My plan was to eat most of the time in epicurean, Sindhu and the new Japanese restaurant on Arvia. Reading about these being closedon Iona and the queues at MDR, Butler in room will be similiarly be our backstop. Hopefully by 2024 it will be sorted, as not ssme atmosphere as restaurants.

It's 12742 and 12745 that are in the middle , directly under it on Iona

I was given this time once in QG , turned up at 12.35 ie 10 minutes early, to find all QG boarded ages ago and stuck at back of huge queue for security. No priority security lane. Ignore it and get there at just before 12.00 noon

Used qured twice had good service, why not stick to them as you know the technology works on your pc/tablet /phone