Jump to content

Guarantee cabin on a select booking


rmjb
 Share

Recommended Posts

I remember the price promise. I thought they could get out of it by saying the lower fare was a different fare. My only P&O cruise was in 2002 and I think there was just one fare.

 

We are doing almost the same cruise this year. Our select booking (if you take off the onboard credit) works out almost exactly the same price as 2002. This time for an outside rather than an inside. Aurora rather than Oriana. Also not including inflation. More for less in 2016.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I realise that some time has elapsed since this thread. I have a question about select fare guarantee balconies. I particularly want the lowest grade of balcony which is not obstructed on Britannia. (HF). I like being forward in the ship and high up.The saver fare is £400pp cheaper than the select fare , which is guarantee cabin only. If you book the select fare on P&O's website there is a option to select 'do not upgrade' which two reputable cruise companies have also advised that this is the benefit of booking a select fare- we can't choose our cabin no but will be in one of the HF cabins. I can request not to be upgraded. However P&O advise that this is the minimum balcony grade I will receive and they can allocate us any balcony on the ship of that grade or higher , we have no choice ( the same as the saver fare). Is this correct - why would we pay £800 more to pick our dining options. I have been on 10 cruises and never been denied access to shuttles even on saver fares!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you book a Saver fare all you are guaranteed is a cabin on the ship at the minimum grade you booked. They can allocate you anything at or above that level. If they allowed you to put any constraints on it they would destroy the point of the cheaper Saver fares which is to fill the cabins they can't sell.

 

As for shuttles, nobody is denied access whatever fare they have paid. It is just that in *some* ports you will be charged to your cabin bill if you have booked a Saver fare. The shuttles are free if it is not safe to walk out of the port and chargeable if it is safe but saves a long walk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

P and O have decided to offer two types of fare. I assume to appeal to different types of passenger. The more expensive Select fares offer more choice, flexibility and perks. The Saver fares are more you get what P and O gives you. Often the the difference between the fares is not much more than the onboard credit perk that comes with the Select fare.

 

Even on Saver fare some shuttle buses are still free. Particularly where there use is mandatory to leave the dock. Often because of local safety or security regulations.

 

It gets more confusing as some Select fares are offered on a cabin guarantee basis. The is despite the fact that Select fares are supposed to offer you a choice of cabin. Some people on here have suggested this is done as cabins in that grade start to sell out. My understand is that if you accept a guarantee cabin you can be upgraded without any consultation or control by you. The fact it is a Saver or Select fare will make no difference. The fact you have asked for no upgrade I would guess will make no difference.

 

Personally I do not like this system of fares and guarantee bookings. You could feel you have to book a more expensive grade (at a Select fare) as the grade you really want is only offered as a guarantee.

 

I preferred the old system where you paid the fare, picked you choice of cabin and could tick no upgrade.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It gets more confusing as some Select fares are offered on a cabin guarantee basis. The is despite the fact that Select fares are supposed to offer you a choice of cabin. Some people on here have suggested this is done as cabins in that grade start to sell out. My understand is that if you accept a guarantee cabin you can be upgraded without any consultation or control by you. The fact it is a Saver or Select fare will make no difference. The fact you have asked for no upgrade I would guess will make no difference.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

In our case there was no suggestion that we might be more likely to get an upgrade. With my cynical hat on I feel this is a ploy by P&O to sell more of the more expensive cabins/cabins with obstructed views etc. that might be the last to sell, as they hope people will jump up a grade to secure a cabin in a preferred position. My understanding is the same as yours Stephen - you are guaranteed a cabin of your chosen grade or higher, but you have no control over its location, so as Chris P. Bacon says, effectively you are not getting what is touted as a Select 'perk' and you might as well not bother ticking the "No upgrade" box. A definite case of P&O having its cake and eating it IMHO!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi...on our cruise on Azura in September...which we booked in March....there were Select fare & Saver fare available....guess which was the cheaper fare....the Select fare!!

We chose the Select fare...no surprise there...because it was £100 pp cheaper plus we had the coach transfer...worth another £95 pp...we could choose dining time and of course shuttle buses but actual cabin was on a guarantee basis. When allocated we were given an "upgrade" and we could have changed cabin position in the same category....not sure if that could be done if it was Saver fare.

I have never understood why the Select fare was considerably cheaper than the Saver fare when booking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are always weird things happening with prices. You get balconies selling for less than insides on some cruises.

 

Only P&O (or their computer algorithms) will know why they do what they do but the primary motive will always be profit, they are a business. What looks strange to us may make perfect sense if you see the full picture.

 

 

I am dubious of the select "perks" other than when you get a OBC or a definate cabin as the dining is a request, not an absolute guarantee and as others have said many of the shuttles are free anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In our case there was no suggestion that we might be more likely to get an upgrade. With my cynical hat on I feel this is a ploy by P&O to sell more of the more expensive cabins/cabins with obstructed views etc. that might be the last to sell, as they hope people will jump up a grade to secure a cabin in a preferred position. My understanding is the same as yours Stephen - you are guaranteed a cabin of your chosen grade or higher, but you have no control over its location, so as Chris P. Bacon says, effectively you are not getting what is touted as a Select 'perk' and you might as well not bother ticking the "No upgrade" box. A definite case of P&O having its cake and eating it IMHO!

 

 

I agree with you. I hope it is not a ploy to sell me a more expensive grade. I am suspicious though.

 

On my Aurora cruise I booked a Select fare for an outside guarantee. I was happy to take any outside on Aurora going to Norway. Luckily I got a cabin in a location I liked. It was in the grade I had paid for. On Oriana I paid more to choose my cabin as I did not want to be too high up or near the stern. We are crossing the Bay of Biscay and I had read about vibration at the stern on Oriana. Hopefully this will work out as I expect. I have ticked no to upgrade.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't change your mind about no upgrade either.

I'm on Britannia in Feb'18 and booked the cheapest inside on select fare as want to dine with friends.

It turns out that the location is where I want to be, front, top deck, so I rang to say no upgrade please. They can't alter it after booking apparently. It just seems mad that I want to be where P&O considers to be the least desirable spot on the ship but the chances are they'll move me somewhere else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It just seems mad that I want to be where P&O considers to be the least desirable spot on the ship but the chances are they'll move me somewhere else.

 

Which is very sensible of P&O.

 

If the cruise doesn't sell out, when they have to shift those last few cabins are they more likely to sell the expensive desirable cabins or the cheaper less desirable.

 

They already have your money (and you demonstrated you wouldn't pay more), so they could bump you up to a higher grade (but less desirable to you) cabin. They are then free to sell the less desirable cabin at a cheap price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't change your mind about no upgrade either.

I'm on Britannia in Feb'18 and booked the cheapest inside on select fare as want to dine with friends.

It turns out that the location is where I want to be, front, top deck, so I rang to say no upgrade please. They can't alter it after booking apparently. It just seems mad that I want to be where P&O considers to be the least desirable spot on the ship but the chances are they'll move me somewhere else.

 

They can - they just will not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...