Megabear2

I think it depends on the cruise/ship if they are value. I booked at launch December 2023 Arvia Christmas Caribbean cruise. Price was very high but they offered £500 OBC which made it palatable. It was also only £200pp dearer than my Britannia Christmas 2022 booking. Remembering this is Arvia with all the deck 8 problems to avoid select seemed okay. Checked it out over the weekend in light of the extra OBC offer. Price has dropped on select by £600 and OBC increased to £780. We stuck with it purely because we have one of the cabins with a large balcony and the cost difference is minimal, but there is one. If we were prepared to risk deck 8 we could have saved £1900 which is a massive difference, and no way does the OBC go anyway to making select better value. I'm extremely loyal to P&O and book Christmas or just after on launch every year depending when it falls. With these sorts of differences there's absolutely no way I will commit to December 2024 when it goes on sale.

Agreed the fact it remains free to change is good. However before the pandemic P&O also charged £100pp administration fee and it had to be more expensive. I remember my aunt having to cancel a world cruise when uncle became too unwell to travel for such a long time and P&O wouldn't budge on letting them move their very large deposit to another shorter voyage in the future. Ended up claiming on insurance for cancellation and P&O lost their custom for 10 y3ars as a result.

I've only changed one and that was enforced. However many have chopped and changed merely due to P&O pricing changes and OBC. Seasoned cruisers were used to the old lock in rules, I'm not so sure the new wave cruisers will be so prepared or keen particularly with, as Zap says, silly prices for 2023 onwards.

I've no problem with it on my existing bookings but with new ones and the extortionate fares being quoted for select fares will certainly think twice before committing ahead and any new bookings for moving can only be select. I see Cunard also changed today to mirror this.

As mentioned by Dermotsgirl the booking conditions have now reverted today to only one free move to an equivalent or higher priced cruise. Just out of interest and for amusement only, how will this affect your attitude to booking cruises from today or indeed were you thinking of moving a cruise but now find yourself locked in.

It was inevitable. I hope everyone on here who was wavering or wanted to move managed to get it done before this happened.

Surely that's Virgin - airline and cruise company. In fact the displays and palaver on that Cruise programme rather render this topic redundant as surely Virgin win hands down ?

I'd like to ask him what price loyalty! Just seen my Christmas cruise £900 less plus £780obc and told nothing can be done.

Glad you aren't stressed as you certainly sounded it.

Good on you for being able to walk unhindered. I do not consider myself as depriving anyone when I use the lift, particularly as I say the ones I tend to use are normally empty. It is a common sense approach. I spent years pushing my mother in her wheelchair both on the ship and ashore and therefore fully appreciate the difficulties. I do not however judge anyone able bodied or not.

Believe me there's lots of days when I feel it! I've always had the good luck (or misfortune) to look far younger than I am and am constantly scowled at in lifts on cruise ships as a result.

I might also mention that often the middle lifts are the ones where the problems seem to occur. We always have a mid forward cabin on Britannia for instance and I can only recall crowding at the front lifts immediately after theatre turnout or on disembarkation day. My husband has several quite severe hidden disabilities (fibromyalgia, ME, myocardial bridging) and on good days walks down the stairs. However it is virtually impossible for him to climb even one flight of stairs without severe pain and yet anyone who sees him in the swimming pool may well think he's extremely able bodied. Despite all these problems he still gives way to people in wheelchairs as he says but for the grace of God that could be him.

The trouble is the bank may not accept an application from all pensioners. I have accounts with three banks, none will give me a personal credit card. I was early retired on health grounds and according to the banks am high risk as a result. I do however get to piggy back on my husband's credit cards as a user. Amex on the other hand do not judge me as I've been a personal and business user with them for nearly 40 years, and as such they kindly let me have accounts with them.

I believe it is still Britannia because of the history in the name and the royal connections. People just assume when a new ship comes along it automatically becomes the flagship. I doubt for instance Queen Anne will replace Queen Mary 2 over on Cunard.

Unfortunately people have hidden disabilities. Someone looking able bodied to you may have serious problems you can't see. It's very discriminatory to judge just by looks. And before you mention it, yes there are lanyards but why should those with hidden problems have to wear that label all the time, you wouldn't expect me at 66 to walk around with a label saying I'm old.

Difficult to fluid price a brochure I suppose! Even on the website the from prices are never what actually appear when you do a booking. Looked at one yesterday and the actual price to reserve was £250 more than the cabins from page.

Hotels also reserve funds in advance of arrival. I have an Italian one booked in December 2019 which has reserved €600 since I booked. The rooms have been held on to as they are in a small village with very little accommodation where we are attending a concert which has been cancelled three times to date. Hopefully come September we will finally get to use the room.

I can understand your frustration with P&O but surely all of this is rather fruitless and just adding to your anger? The question surely is are these problems/changes really worth all the anguish you are experiencing? If so what are these issues that you say P&O need suing about, with no wish to be rude but port and itinerary changes are covered in the T&Cs which you accepted at the time of booking. If I have missed something in previous posts where P&O have blatantly lied to you outside their contractual obligations please accept my apologies. Disappointments and frustration are sadly facts of modern life. As someone currently experiencing a torrid time with a cruise line over some pretty major issues I can only suggest using a different perspective might relieve the stress you are clearly putting yourself under. I do appreciate that to you these "lies" are an enormous injustice but if put into perspective most likely aren't.

Not everyone can get a higher limit that easily though. Banks are much tougher since the financial crash. I can well understand the reluctance to go that route just to accommodate a cruise line. When I mentioned the suggestion from Princess of carrying three high limit credit cards a lot of people said they didn't even have one with such a high limit. Many may not even qualify to have a card at all as the lending criteria may exclude them. My mother never had a credit card and used cash and her debit card on every one of her cruises, but in fairness she did sail with me. It is easy for those of us who want to just ask for higher limits but there are cruisers out there who just want to manage their finances within their set budget.

Indeed, my point was if you use a debit card the same will happen and many won't want their disposable cash held for days. Remember the pay at pump in supermarkets furore when they held £100 even if you bought £10.00 of fuel

Yes with Cunard and Celebrity. It's very common and one reason not to use a debit card as your funds get locked for around 10-14 days.

Yes, and don't forget I met the lady at Gatwick airport who was collecting the new crew for Britannia and Queen Victoria. That was 9 July so they must be going operational fairly soon after their quarantine.

All of them if you deep read the threads on the forums!!

Thank you Barbara. I found the document extremely interesting, particularly this part: Obligation to provide assistance 18.—(1) The provisions of this regulation are implied as a term in every package travel contract. (2) Where a traveller is in difficulty, the organiser must give appropriate assistance without undue delay, including in the circumstances referred to in regulation 15(14), in particular by— (a)providing appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and (b)assisting the traveller to make distance communications and helping the traveller to find alternative travel arrangements. (3) The organiser may charge a fee for such assistance if the difficulty is caused intentionally by the traveller or through the traveller’s negligence but that fee— (a)must be reasonable; and (b)must not exceed the actual costs incurred by the organiser. I shall see what my friend at Princess has to say on this point.

Have fun and enjoy yourself.