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Without descending into the realms of pure speculation and doom-mongering, I suspect that the most that can be said about next year and beyond is that passengers will continue to be vulnerable to all of the trials and tribulations associated with air travel in the post-Covid era. Maleth's performance on this charter may have been worse than average, but none of the charter airlines are immune from the type of problems that were encountered over this season (with their flights and those of TUI). And neither are scheduled airlines. It seems to me that those who wish to take fly cruises should be prepared for a painful experience. Anything better than that will be a bonus. That is the approach I take to every flight I take these days, not only charters to fly cruises - what I remember from years ago as a fairly enjoyable way to start and finish a holiday is very rarely that these days, whatever airline / class I fly. Such is life. Of course, how airlines deal with the problems that inevitably occur can go a long way to ameliorate the pain and distress of the experience. And, it appears that Maleth have not covered themselves in glory in that respect. Hopefully, their successors might prove more adept at addressing issues, even if they too are unable to deliver the perfect experience on every flight.

That is interesting. So, if there's no vote on it at the AGM, does that mean that the perk expires at the end of July?

Who says the damage to their brand has been pretty alarming? I suspect there is no evidence to support that view and that there won't be until there's sufficient information on whether there is a drop off in uptake for fly cruises, with the charter problems this year quoted as a reason.

I very much hope that you and Phil are both correct!

Actually, I think it needs to be approved at the AGM rather than in the annual report. So, it could still be put as a proposal to the AGM even though it is not mentioned in the report.

That might, I suspect, be because @crompton21 is amongst a tiny number of people who actually read company reports! Great spot by them. I have started a similar thread on the Princess board to see what people there think.

CCL's annual report for 2023 was published yesterday. https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/fcbec4e1-3a75-4c6e-a3ad-721a95250782 There is no clear mention of the shareholder OBC perk that has existed for many years. Compare this year's report with page 3 (5 in the pdf) of last year's report. https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/ef80ac8c-e40e-42ad-ba8e-62a02fb13d6d I'd like to think the perk will not be done away with because I don't think it costs much in the context of CCLs overall finances and I suspect that removing it would send worrying signals to the market, investors, shareholders and passengers about the company's post-Covid financial stability and recovery. But, it does seem strange that it is not mentioned at all this year. Any views as to why else that might be if they do not intend to discontinue it?

Both good points. But I would argue that the cost of this perk is tiny in terms of CCL's accounts overall and any saving from doing away with the perk would probably be significantly less than the financial impacts arising from the negative message about the company's financial stability and post-Covid recovery that would be transmitted to the markets, investors and passengers were the perk to be removed.

This is an emotive topic on here! They are still employing a system whereby those who turn up well in advance of the check-in / boarding time they were assigned are / may be held in queues outside until their check-in time. I think that is entirely right and fair. Others on this board disagree. Our experience in late Jan on Iona is that the boarding process is very quick and smooth if you arrive at the time you are allocated (or no more than 15 or 20 minutes before that time). That's what we did and it took us 20 minutes from getting out of the taxi to stepping on board the ship. As we walked into the terminal, we passed probably a hundred people 'penned' in a queue outside. For the vast majority of passengers, there are a raft of options that allow arrival time at the terminal to be matched with the time allocated. Those have been discussed ad infinitum in related threads on this topic. Doing that - for most - will be much easier, relaxing and more comfortable than pitching up two or three hours early, being made to queue and then complaining vociferously about it. I appreciate that for some it may be impossible to time arrival / use alternative options away from the port, but that will only be the case for a handful of passengers with very unusual circumstances. For the rest, my view is that, if they are able and mobile enough to cruise, they are able and mobile enough to avail themselves of the opportunities away from the terminal that will avoid them having to queue if they are early. And those who have registered in advance for assistance will almost certainly be allowed to queue inside the terminal if they do arrive early.

Thanks. You are absolutely correct; there is no mention of it. Interesting ........ but hopefully an oversight.

I remember this was discussed ad infinitum at the time. I disagree. Rather than 'asking for what they booked', my view is that some passengers feel they are entitled to benefits that they assumed were included when they booked when, in reality, those benefits were never specified. They are getting exactly what they paid for. If they want the benefits of the more expensive package, they need to upgrade to that package.

My wife and I are also seriously considering one of these cruises in the next couple of years. I agree that the Ventura itinerary is slightly more attractive, but we love sea days and, for us, Iona wins hands down in terms of the ship. The optimist in me hopes that P&O prices for 2026 might reduce as the date approaches (at present the per diem for our preferred cabin is significantly higher than it is for a 2-week Med / Europe cruise on Iona / Arvia out of Southampton). We can generally get a deck 9 Conservatory Mini Suite on a Select Price on a 14-day cruise for between £250 and £300 per day for 2 pax (taking OBC into account). Currently, the price for the Iona 35-day in Jan 26 is around £400 per day for 2 pax in the same cabin (also taking OBC into account). However, from 2026, there will be more competition / berths available for these longer non-fly Caribbean cruises. Cunard has recently released their new itineraries up to Jan 27. QM2 has traditionally done a couple of these long Caribbean cruises late in the year (Oct / Nov) and over Christmas. Those continue in 25/26. But, I see that, in addition, Queen Victoria has a 35 day Eastern Caribbean on 4 Jan 26 and a 28 day Eastern Caribbean on 22 Feb 26 from Southampton. Across the 2, that's an additional approx 5000 pax. So, more choice of ship and more capacity might lead to lower prices?

I'd like to think that is correct, but I'm not convinced. The OP prompted me to check the booking confirmation for a booking we made a couple of weeks ago (where rather than getting Premier for the price of Plus, we went for Premier because we got 50% off). This is the small print from my booking confirmation: Please be advised that this fare includes Princess Premier for applicable guests which includes: *PREMIER BEVERAGE PACKAGE with SERVICE CHARGE included for guests 21 years old or older. Those under 21 will receive the Premier Zero-Alcohol Package. *WI-FI is unlimited for applicable guests in the cabin, four devices per guest. *CREW APPRECIATION is pre-paid for applicable guests in the cabin *SPECIALTY DINING *PHOTO PACKAGE *PRINCESS PRIZES *PREMIUM DESSERTS *FITNESS CLASSES *MEDALLION ACCESSORY *RESERVED THEATER SEATING This special promotion may not be combinable with other promotions. See your Booking Confirmation and Travel Summary for complete Terms & Conditions. It is interesting that this specifies all of the perks other than the 3 identified by @daveoc. I do not have another booking confirmation to compare this with to see if it is the standard blurb whenever Premier is purchased or is different because I booked under a promotion.

We're in the UK and have received offers to bid for an upgrade on our next booked cruise.

I'm 99% certain that that is because the perk has to be re-approved a year at a time and runs from 1 Aug to 31 Jul. I can't remember whether it is granted when the Carnival Corp / plc annual report is issued or has to be approved at the AGM thereafter, but those take place in Mar / Apr respectively, so there'll be plenty of time thereafter to apply for cruises after 1 Aug (assuming that it is renewed this year and it will be a big surprise if it isn't).

Yes. We received that offer a couple of weeks ago and took advantage. In 20 years of cruising, I think that's the first time I've come across a sale that genuinely gives 50% off, i.e. we priced a specific cabin on a specific cruise with a package without logging into the site and then logged in and priced the same specific cabin with the same package on the same cruise. The total price we were offered was exactly half that of the total price without logging in. A genuine bargain.

Exactly. And just to return to the original theme of this thread for one second, how many first time cruisers are Elite?

I don't think @Lady Arwen (or any other posters who present a balanced view of the pros and cons of the packages) are suggesting that they do add up for everyone. Rather, they are pointing out - factually and logically - how easy it is for many (perhaps 80% if we are to believe some of the statistics quoted previously) to cross the threshold where they deliver good value for money. And, remember that this thread was started by a new cruiser, so they will not have an alternative route to obtain some of the same benefits that experienced cruisers who are Elite, have a FCD and are probably more likely to receive shareholder OBC have. What has become very tiresome is some posters (and one in particular) who insist that the packages don't work for anyone other than Princess and who post blatant disinformation (e.g. the need to purchase 10 or 15 alcoholic drinks per day to break even). The disinformation is particularly worrying if new cruisers (who don't have the knowledge or experience to identify which posts are nonsense) come to a community like this looking for impartial and accurate information on which to base their decisions. What they need is unbiased, factual presentation of the facts on which to make a reasoned judgement. LadyArwen delivered that pretty well, in my opinion.

I'm confused. Are you suggesting that people should just 'roll with the punches' when flights are cancelled at short notice, but not when an inaugural cruise suffers the same fate? Flights are cancelled at short or no notice every day and some passengers would have been booked on those flights for reasons that had significant meaning to them (what if the flight was taking them on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday or to a wedding / funeral / birth?). I don't think it's right to differentiate - it is always unfortunate when travel arrangements are cancelled very near to the date / time of departure. Whether individual passengers are able to roll with the punches or not will depend entirely on their individual circumstances and the purpose of the journey, irrespective of the mode of travel.

So, likely about as accurate as the claim that a passenger needs to drink 10 alcoholic drinks a day to break even on the Plus package!

Disembarkation is Deck 6. When we arrived back last Saturday, docking time was 0600 and self disembarkation started at 0630. We had a bite of breakfast whilst the initial queue died down, walked off the ship with no queue at 0650 and the taxi dropped us off at the Holiday Inn where our car was parked at 0705. For us, an incredibly smooth and painless process.

I sense that you are interpreting the Package Travel Regs incorrectly and that if the air travel arranged as part of the package by P&O gets you successfully from airport A to airport B and on to the P&O ship and from the ship to airport B to airport A on return then P&O has met its commitment: 'The organiser is liable to the traveller for the performance of the travel services included in the package travel contract, irrespective of whether those services are to be performed by the organiser or by other travel service providers.', irrespective of any (reasonable) delays to those flights. P&Os package travel contract includes flying passengers to the ship and flying them home. Flight delays would not result in them not delivering that 'travel service' - only in it taking a few hours longer than planned to do so. Compensation for delays is provided under different UK / EU rules and, as @carlanthony24 noted, is entirely the responsibility of the airline involved, unless there are extenuating services of the type described in earlier posts.

My sense is that anyone not wearing rose-tinted spectacles will find on any Princess ship today that there are many more options to be served lunch in comfort than there were 35 years ago.

Perhaps you should re-check your maths? You said at post 86 that you would use 4 or 5 options on land for 8 lunches. And Grand class ships are offering you 5 options (plus you can eat anywhere you like on land at any of the port stops).

I think I'm going to spend most of the next 36 hours or so getting a view from my conservatory of a very angry sea on route back to Southampton, because the weather has certainly taken a turn for the worst after a very pleasant preceding 12 days! @sandancer I wholeheartedly recommend you give one of these Deck 9 cabins a try sometime on Iona or Arvia when you get the chance. We love them. And, so far as I can recall, there is a definite distinction in making an upgrade bid between the Deck 8 and Deck 9 ones (with higher bid ranges for the latter), so I'm pretty sure that they won't give you a Deck 8 one if you bid for one on Deck 9. And, although there might not be any showing available on your specific cruise at the moment, that doesn't mean a number won't become available via cancellations, a proportion of passengers who will not follow through on final payment or because some currently occupying them might bid successfully for suites.