gadabout60

Which is the slippery path I am on about. The auto tips are a thank you.

We will just remain with leaving auto tips on.

The lady who started this has a very long cruise to look forward to...

On a 7-14 night cruise-doesn't seem too bad.

However if you are on a very long cruise does your extra tenner and twenty seem quite so good spread over lets say 50 plus nights. So then you start thinking ooh shall I make it 30 and 50...then the slippery slope starts.

Should also add the wine waiters are going,so will your waiters get the wine waiters tenner.

Sorry English lady - I am by no means wealthy but if I can afford a cruise, given how low the autotips on P&O are, I will try and give the staff something. Very little to me in the scheme of things, a helluva lot to them

You do not have to tip over and above the auto tip that is added to your account.

I feel one starts heading in the wrong direction if you have auto tips, then tip over and above. People start to feel they have to.

On our last cruise in the dining room (club dining) others on our table left auto tips on and gave extra on the last night. We left auto tips on and did not tip extra.

It is entirely up to you if you want to do the over and above-but please please do not feel you have to.

Of course you don't have to but if you have good service then what is a relatively small sum for us means so much to stewards / waiters etc who are sending most of their salary back home. Most P&O cruises I have been on the waiters and the wine waiters have been friendly and helpful and attentive. I always leave the automatic tips on and give the two waiters and the wine waiter an extra £10 each, and £20 for the cabin steward. I also give £1 every time I order room service.

People on saver fares should not be given the option to change full stop. I booked 2 days after bookings opened and had to go freedom as first sitting was wait listed and I don't want 2nd sitting. I would be very unhappy if a saver fare got preference over my booking.

Cruisegirl999

No-one is saying that a saver gets preference over a select fare

But if all select fares are sorted, what skin is it off your nose if savers can get their choice?

Assuming it's not just a 2-nighter then your colleague needs to drive to the terminal, porters will take your luggage from your car and send it on its way to your cabin, CPS in turn will take away your car to be picked up at the end of the cruise, that is the time when she will need to transport her luggage from the baggage hall to the car park across the road, but she needn't worry, there are porters there to assist!

 

It is all very well organised:)

Thanks for that - its a 14 night cruise so I'll put her mind at rest

I have always arrived at my terminal by taxi and had my luggage taken from the taxi leaving us to stroll in to check in

A colleague is going on her first cruise and is driving and using CPS. I gather they are supposed to drive straight to CPS and then get themselves and their luggage on the coach to transfer to the terminal.

In practice do they have far to walk with their luggage as her companion isn't able to manage luggage? Alternatively is she able to drive up to the terminal as if in a taxi or being dropped off, get the porters to take the luggage and then drive to CPS, leave the car and get the coach back ?

In Stockholm last July on the Adonia, we were berthed quite close to the centre and bought a HOHO bus ticket. it was expensive - can't remember how much - but it covered two bus tours and a boat tour. It was a hot day and being on the water was lovely. Would really recommend this as we saw a lot and had time to get off and explore on foot as well.

We got back to the ship early afternoon exhausted after walking about in the heat and travelling all the tours and managed to give our tickets to two of the crew who had a couple of hours offshore

Could your daughter find a friend to come and share

or if you plan on lots of family things, 2 friends who can do what they want then

As you are looking forward to Madeira it is worth a half day tour to see some of the Island, I can recommend a trip to Nuns Valley. Funchal can be seen in the other half.

 

Strawberry Tours are well regarded.

Thanks for that. For some reason I have long wanted to visit Madeira and will definitely take a tour there to pack as much in as possible (though hopefully I will go back again in the future). I'll check out Strawberry Tours

Hopefully in the Canary island ports there will be enough to see in the towns

Have just booked D421 - Adonia - for the Christmas and NY cruise to the Canaries.

Am excited as I love cruising at Christmas and Adonia is my favourite ship!

Highlight for me I think will be Madeira.

I haven't been to the Canaries before - can anyone advise if its necessary to book trips or are the ports in towns that are Ok to potter about in?

It depends on length of hair. The cheapest is £30 for mid length. Anything longer than shoulder length is approx £10 more.

 

Sue

My hair is mid length and on Arcadia I got charged over £40 for a cut and blow dry with an automatic tip added (I could remove it but I would have felt awkward with that)

I didn't feel it was all that special or value for money - I can't remember exactly but am sure it came close to £50 altogether

I don't think I'd do it again

Thank you ! Happy days !!

Can I please ask a simple question?

Will the classic package cover a glass of wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc or will it only cover house wines ?

If it does cover is it just a small glass?

I continually read about the discontent regarding Select/Early Saver/Saver fares, it appears to cause much dissatisfaction and upset.

 

I cannot understand why P&O do not just have a simple fare price without names, this price of course would fluctuate depending on how the ship was filling up, as do hotel prices by supply and demand.

 

The earlier you book would result in all the additional benefits, full choice of cabins, OBC, parking, coach travel and dining choice etc and the later you book albeit the price will most probably be less as will choice of cabins and no OBC, no parking, dining choice as wait-listed etc.

 

At the end of the day we must all accept ships need to be filled for the lines to make a profit otherwise none of us would be able to cruise and ultimately prices will be dictated by supply and demand.

 

My OH and myself have had many cruises with P&O both early and late bookings, we pay the price at the time of booking and accept others may well pay less but I would not want them denied any of the facilities like shuttle buses or dining choice if available.

 

No doubt many will disagree with my thoughts, one of the reasons I read and seldom post.

Completely agree with this

Thank you I am looking at cruises with some or all of those ports - I have wanted to go to the Alhambra in Spain for ages so a cruise visiting Malaga would be first on my list.

Great - good luck in finding the right cruise - I am sure you will love it!

Thankyou Gadabout - we don't like flying so going from Southampton is what we like. We're only 2 or 3 hours from the port so it's a plus factor.

 

We've done the Atlantic ports and Norway - unfortunately we went to France and Spain in the worse June on record so weather wasn't as great as we'd hoped so one factor is going a bit further South (ie Cadiz Lisbon etc). I would happily do Norway again but hubby wants to go to some different ports. We absolutely loved the Atlantic cruise we did - we loved the whole cruising experience but would like some sunnier weather!

So if you are going to the Med from Southampton I would say go for two weeks to maximise your time in the sun and see lots of great new ports. My personal favourites are Cadiz, Valencia, Barcelona and Gibraltar!

I don't know if its a factor Sue but are you planning to cruise from Southampton and is the journey there a factor?

I think if it were me I'd look at in a different way though - where do you want to go to - e.g. if the Baltics and St Petersburg then 14 nights would be best, but if the Med and you plan to fly there then you cold do 2 7 nighters .

For me the ports of call would be the deciding factor

Why would it affect you? We're talking about Saver fare passenger dining changes being made AFTER you have been given your preference in dining.

 

 

 

Have you not read the t's and c's and previous posts? The "and could not be changed" DOES NOT appear in the t's and c's and is only advised to those on Saver fares AFTER making a booking.

 

 

 

No, I just want P&O to abide by their actual t's & c's at the time of booking. Yes, you should be given more perks rather than them trying to make the Saver fares less attractive by introducing petty inconveniences.

If it were not for the Saver fare passengers taking up the surplus cabins then the cabin stewards and waiters would suffer from a drop in income.

I do NOT want something for nothing, I want exactly what I have paid for under P&O's terms and conditions pertaining at the time of booking rather than what they say AFTER taking my money.

 

 

 

This may well be the case in the summer when they find it easier to fill the ships. At this time of year it wouldn't surprise me if more than 50% of the passengers are on Saver fares.

Clive

Couldn't agree more with your post.

P&O have to try and keep all their passengers happy - and giving saver passengers their dining preference where available and after select passengers have chosen what they want is a no brainer. Otherwise we almost go back to the days of the seaside landladies when you had to stay out of your b&b all day and only come back in the evening!

Savers passengers are essential to the long term future of cruising. IMHO with the amount of cruise companies available more people won't be prepared to pay the select price in future years (I do accept that some people have no choice but to pay select fares but these people will slowly decline in future)

Last year we hear anecdotally that some ships sailed with a majority of passengers paying getaway. Without saver / getaway or whatever you call it ships could ultimately not sail

Gadabout says

IMHO many other cruise lines offer better value than P&O select fares at this present time

 

Then go there. If you think the select fares are far too high and want to pay less but you do not want to abide by the terms and conditions applicable to the lower fare then just go elsewhere. There is obviously no pleasing you.

Not true that there is no pleasing me.

On this forum we often talk about things we would like changed or improvements.

All I am saying is that I will rarely pay select price as on the cruises I would choose they are not good value (for me)

And there is no reason why P&O can't accommodate the dining needs of saver passengers as far as possible. If not possible then thats fine, but if they can do it then they should

Sorry but unless I am over-sensitive there seems to me to be a feeling on this forum that if you pay saver you take what dining you have been given and you should be grateful!

I would repeat that I don't think many Select fares are worth it - I tend to book adult only where prices are generally higher!

If I book saver I agree I have last choice - but I still think there is scope to give savers their first preference if that is available when allocating dining to saver fares . I appreciate many will be disappointed and I don't have an issue with that - you know that when you book.

However if you have e.g. 1000 savers on a cruise and say 200 early places, 200 freedom and 600 late dining then I am sure P&O's computers can try to match up requests as far as they can.

if I do book a saver and get an early dining time which would be something I could not live with, I would simply eat in the speciality restaurants. I would feel I had lost something as I enjoy sitting at the same table and meeting my fellow diners and enjoying the cruise with them. But that is not worth the several hundred pounds difference on the cruises I am currently monitoring. In fact in one July cruise I have been watching the difference is £900 x 2. I appreciate some people have to book select because of available holiday leave or others need a disabled cabin. Others might be happy to pay top price - fair enough -we all know what we are prepared to pay for a holiday and what it is worth to us.

However IMHO many other cruise lines offer better value than P&O select fares at this present time

Hi me again,still on Arcadia. I think those on freedom dining had to stick with it as it was a full sailing. Not sure if this one is.

Did hear tell that some freedom diners we waiting up to 45 mins to be sat, maybe they wanted a table for 2. Will not have to go to the MDR this pm,so will not know if there is a not.

I agree with those saying if you book a cheaper fare you should not get choices. It does make it clear in the tand c.

Ref the shuttles we were on one and someone was moaning about how many he had to pay for. We kept quiet.

Sorry - don't agree you shouldn't get a choice.

Agree that you should get what is left - but within that they should try and accommodate saver fares where possible.

I do feel some people look down their noses at those who paid getaway/ saver.

Where I think the vantage / getaway fare was a fiasco was in giving getaway passengers upgrades to better cabins. I am completely happy that select passengers got the top cabins in the grade and first choice of dining.

A saver passengers may still be paying thousands - no need to treat them like dirt

I appreicate that saver fares get the last choice of dining, but it would be "punishing" them to say that they must take what they are given. They are still fare paying passengers who P&O should be trying to accommodate as far as possible

If a cruise sails and there are 1000 saver passengers on board then P&O know they are all entitled to a meal in the MDR. If they have expressed a preference, then surely P&O can try and accommodate this in so far as it is possible. This is not affecting select passengers who have what they want.

Obviously if someone books a saver fare and there is no place left on their first choice then they won't get it.

I don't think it helps just to say that if mealtime is important then book a select fare. Some people can't afford to. IMHO many select fares are overpriced and not value for money. P&O like other cruisleines need to fill their ship - they won't on select fares so last minute savers are always going to be needed.

Select passengers shouldn't turn their noses down at saver passengers - without them many ships wouldn't sail

Tallinn is lovely

We cancelled our balcony the date P&O Announced this.

Downgraded to the Chepest inside.

Told them exactly why when asked as well.

 

It's P&O's loss in my eyes and my gain.

Can't see how P&O will lose - may be a few smokers will book an inside but more people who want to enjoy the fresh air will book a balcony

Fortunately smokers are still the minority of the population

I do think daytime activities is where P&O lets itself down a bit

Having said that - luckily I use my holiday for chilling so I do enjoy reading a few books, lounging in the library etc.

If I couldn't amuse myself I would hate seadays as there is not a lot on offer that suits me

Spa talks to me are sales talks and I am not sufficently interested to sit through them

Some - though not all - of the speakers talk on what I think of as male topics - fighter planes, Concorde etc - not my cup of tea personally.

Quizzes are so slow - you could write a book between questions - to me they are geared for the speed of the very slowest and I get fed up!

Crafts are now non-existent- they may allocate a time for people to sit together but it is not a craft as such

Line dancing - again I find it all a bit slow and laboured and a bbit too "yee hah" for me

For all of the above reasons I do think I would struggle with the sea days on a world cruise

I am off on Celebrity for the second time in July - my last recollection was that they had much more to do during the day but that was 2 years ago so it will be interesting to see if that is still the case

sorry - double post