Windsurfboy

1 hour ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

What have they got to lose?

You're right Absoltely Nothing to lose , as it's automated cost them nothing.

Must work better than old wait list system which relied on people , which I've been on, but no one's ever rung me , even when QG cabin i wanted appeared online, shortly after final payment time.

19 hours ago, Red Ray said:

It's not my responsibility to pay the 'unseen' workers. Nobody tips me in my job.

That is a fair point, but it applies equally to the seen workers.

One either believes in tipping and auto gratuities should provide the bed rock from which you can tip extra if you want. 

Or you don't believe in tipping and tip no one

28 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think you are right. So why did you tip him, instead of sticking to being reasonable and friendly? Seems like a bribe to me.

It's a matter of culture @ratfinger is from USA, where tipping over and above included/auto gratuities is de rigeur ,so tipping before is a natural next step. Completely different to British or European approach

Monkey shoulder is a blend of 3 single malts. A rather strange concept. 

So not a single  malt fine for cocktails  otherwise see what single malt are available,  butler can go off the list my wife drinks armanagnac 

I've always had bottles of Glenfidich, replaced when empty,  so 3 in 2 weeks.

Can't  talk about kids club. But if you take analogy with speciality restaurants.  They can book for you, but if they are fully booked butler has no special privilege to conjure up a space

4 hours ago, david63 said:

I do.

 

One of the benefits of a suite is the option to have breakfast in Epicurean and to allow others in, even if paying, is devaluing the suite benefit. If you want to have breakfast in Epicurean then book a suite - it really is that simple.
 

Ideally that might be best but it's not going to happen, if they can make a bit more money they will.

I do think £8,50 is too cheap, the Epicurean breakfast should be more than £8.50 better than the MDR.  My biggest objection would be not about letting others in, but that the exclusive suite breakfast should be worth at least £20 extra, better ingredients more dishes not available elsewhere,  all cooked to order with the ability to tailor it to individual.  If its only worth an extra £8.50 then it doesn't live up to promise

My other concern is that this policy doesn't impact me.  I liked it in Aurora when you got to know regular breakfast neighbours, and you also had same waiters every day. This can be achieved by reserving an area solely for Suite passengers, this should of course be best tables with best views. Any non suite demand needs extra staff.

Just come to this thread.

Our first and up till this June only P&O suite on Aurora only 10 suites and we had same table most mornings, just because most guests are creatures of habit. Since then Cunard QG fixed table, Saga no different to anyone else.

I have no objection to others non suite having breakfast in Epicurean,  as long as I don't have to queue can turn up when I like and get a good table. Not as every restaurants has one or two the table from hell, only view is into kitchen. 

Solution is very simple, Arvia has 25 suites, so they reserve 25 tables in the best position by windows for the suites passengers. If anyone else wants these answer is NO even if they are empty.

What I can't understand is given restaurants like glass house are bigger on the bigger ships , I would have thought they'd have more extensive menus than smaller ships.  However it seems other way round.??

Thank you for glass house menu , looks good, but for only once per cruise

4 hours ago, FatBoy20 said:

But you would will still have the "Fluid" Price System & loose the Early Booking Pre-Reg max discount! Very odd wanting to accept higher prices!.

4 hours ago, nosapphire said:

Please, no.😱

Saga is a much easier system for those of us with simple brains.

Whenever I book, guarantee or cabin selection, the only variable will be the price and cabin - no need to start wondering what is or is not included in the particular fare I have paid.

No need to calculate whether the select fare will be better than the saver fare, do I need to add on this package or that package, what will be better, OBC or included parking.

The advance registration system is becoming too unwieldy, but any cruise line with any commercial sense will include an incentive to book early otherwise they run the risk of everybody deciding to wait until the last minute - which makes the book keeping a real headache.

 

I was not suggesting any difference in the offering between guarantee and select your cabin except the ability to select cabin. Exactly as it is now for Saga . None of the OBC complications..

You would have the incentive to book early at the best price and at maximum discount for say the first two weeks of opening , only for select your cabin as is now.  Prices would then rise by only say 5 or 10% and stay fixed. Remove the element of make your mind up today or price goes up, you have two weks to think it over.

Guarantee cabins would be introduced depending on the speed of sales. That would be the only element of fluid pricing. Fluid pricing is a complication that is of no benefit to passengers. 

A very simple system

But it's still a lot of work for at most 5% of sales.

As someone said earlier the best system , publish prices open to all that will hold for say first week or two irrespective of how many bookings at that price. Let people book online, much simpler lower cost system.

Even better just have one price for select , one for guarantee cabins,  don't change it.

17 minutes ago, FatBoy20 said:

Apparently over 3000 Pre Registered for 2025.

There will be between 60000 and  75000 cabins to sell for a year for the two  ships . So 3000 pre registering is at most 5% of what they would like to sell. It seems an awful lot of flaf to sell what would be two average weeks of sales .

43 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

 

Too annoying realising that some of the booked cruises are now cheaper (cabin guarantee) by nearly 1k per person than when I booked (not maximum discount).

 

Agree if you can't get at least 30% discount, don't book early. 

10 minutes ago, Kohima said:

Windsurfboy, yes many cabins are often for sale at full price, but that is not to say that they are eventually sold at that price. By using the ‘cabin guarantee’ wording these cabins can be subsequently sold at a very substantial discount. In the case of the highest deck cabins this can be even greater than 35%.

I think as substantial property has to be actually SOLD at full price , for it to be used as a basis for comparison 

Sad to hear that even with preregistering the 35% discount disappears on some cabins.

I still have to wonder has anyone ever paid full price  , zero % discount.

The consumer protection act states that a substantial proportion  (undefined) must be sold at full price for it to be used as comparison. I  wonder if this holds true for Saga.

The dress code for men says a DJ/Tux or dark suit.

You will see it makes no mention at all of the colour of the DJ/Tux so feel free to express yourself in a colour of your choice. The only criteria is elegance. 

The other criteria for elegance is learn to tie a bow tie, the pre-tied ones are too perfect and often knot far to small.

I think this proves you can't make a general comparison of Oceania vs Cunard. Cunard is not one uniform experience. 

The OP question was Oceania vs Brittania  Club which is a valid question

So you have 4 comparisons

Oceania  vs Brittania 

Oceania vs BC

Oceania vs PG 

Oceania vs  QG.

You might get a different answer for each.

Whilst say Oceania  vs Saga is one question 

Oceania vs P&O is one question.

Oceania vs MSC must be two (Yacht club,   and standard)

On 2/25/2024 at 9:00 AM, GOQ said:

When you consider in 2018 the per share price was around £40 so a hundred shares would have cost you £4000 but today the cost is about £1100.

Maybe they are considering raising the minimum number of shares held, to say 400.

 

Yes but that would not be good for those who bought at £40  double hit, loose money and no OBC

My carnival shares are held in an ISA with interactive investor.  What information do you give stockperks. Presume  account number, but wary about sharing passwords etc.

Does this mean you must use stockperks, or can you still use old method of email as well

If they don't offer cruise only they will be treating as a fly cruise  as for example Carribean. So they will be aiming to get a plane full to charter so don't want you buying own ticket

Good news it will be cheap. Bad news no stop over options or going early,  and may not be great airline doubt of the quality of  Emirates, Singapore etc

I'd  advise talking direct to P&O to find out what's going on before you book

Our son lives in Australia.  This seems strange, most airlines open flights just under a year in advance. In our experience if you are buying your own tickets then cheapest flights are early on. So i dont know why P&O wait till 6 months, unless they want to know how many people and negotiate a block booking. If this is the case the P&O flight should be cheaper, but not necessarily the shortest or best most comfortable airline. By six months the other airlines will be at a premium. Similarly if you want to go earlier. 

I would seriously have a good search of all the options when the 12 month window opens and consider booking own flight.

If you see you will arrive too early,  why not stop at services just outside Southampton and have a cup of tea and a sit down. Then leave so you arrive on time

15 minutes ago, FatBoy20 said:

Booked a Canaries Cruise with an increase of £200 over 2024 price (approx 7% increase)

 That is very reasonable