your thoughts on P&O prices

[mk0572]

Well, here's a thing.... I've just received an Azura mailshot from my on-line TA of choice. This mailshot is advertising the following prices:-

 

A005 (Baltic) balcony cabins from £1889 (quoted 'list' price £2449), plus free parking + some OBC;

 

A009 (7 night cruisebreak) balcony cabins from £835 (quoted 'list' price £1099), plus some OBC;

 

A010 (16 night Med) balcony cabins from £2269 (quoted 'list' price £2899), plus OBC;

 

A102A (Caribbean) balcony cabin from £1749 (quoted 'list' price £2249) + OBC.

 

I'm sure other TAs must be doing similar, or better, offers. So maybe P&O have found Azura hard to sell.

 

 

I have just booked the Azura A010 online and got a very similar price to that which you quote, so it's not all that hard to find it cheaper than the brochure prices!

[jenny wren]

But then we've booked Celebrity Eclipse out of Southampton 14 night Baltics balcony 1583 inc. free parking and tips (June).......also Celebrity Eclipse out of Southampton 16 nights Med. balcony 1657 inc. free parking and tips.(September).....so I feel P and O have some work to do to compete with Celebrity.... especially as we are all having to watch the pennies these days!!!

[bee-ess]

But then we've booked Celebrity Eclipse out of Southampton 14 night Baltics balcony 1583 inc. free parking and tips (June).......also Celebrity Eclipse out of Southampton 16 nights Med. balcony 1657 inc. free parking and tips.(September).....so I feel P and O have some work to do to compete with Celebrity.... especially as we are all having to watch the pennies these days!!!

 

Totally agree.........we have 2 future cruises booked with P&O, but after that we are done with them............better value with the US companies

[LibraLass41]

Ummm, perhaps Eclipse is cheaper in her maiden 2010 cruise year, just to 'reel us in' and steal pando passengers away ? Yes cabins are cheaper next year , but for how long? Don't forget drinks onboard will be dearer and you may have to pay for shuttles at ports...but next year, yes I agree, Celebrity is much cheaper than pando.

 

I sailed on sister ship Equinox on her pre-maiden for a 2n cruise in a balcony cabin a few months ago, she will be the same as Eclipse, photos here if interested, she was a lovely US ship....

 

 

photos here:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/Equinox2nCruise27July2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCOaXx9-78avLzgE#5363820067846643618

[bee-ess]

Agree about the shuttle prices on Celebrity and also using the wireless internet is expensive. Not sure about the drink prices though - you get a spirit and mix for $7 - as it is a larger US measure and you don't pay for the mixer I don't think it is dearer.

[jenny wren]

We too had a pre inaugural balcony cabin on Equinox so know what to expect!!

If the drink prices are too expensive for us we don't drink......its not important to us....We found that on Brilliance of the Seas earlier this year so just had the one glass of wine on my birthday !!!! Out of our table of 10 only two people had wine with their meal over the two weeks...so the cruiselines must realise eventually that they are losing money by charging too much for alcohol!!

[Gerrym]

I've only been a inside once - on a 2n cruise to Zeebrugge - never again.

 

 

 

Sue, that's interesting, our first cruise was an inside cabin on Oceana. We have progressively moved through ocean view to balconies.

Whilst we would not wish to go back to an inside, we would if that was all we could afford (rather than not cruise at all).

 

I just wondered about your comment that you would never go back to an inside, just curious, does that mean you would simply not go on a cruise if all you could afford was an inside cabin?

 

 

Cheers

 

 

Gerry

[SueFrankuk]

we have had the best cruises with Princess, the food is outstanding, found P&O very poor, but we got amazing last minute deals on Ventura, with the very cheap booze and Freedom dining, had great meals in East and Marco Pierre White, also find the Med cruise very expensive must be port charges, we are doing the south Pacific this month and South america next Feb and so much better value, still can't understand why it is cheaper to do a caribbean than the med.

Still will still keep cruising.

its a shame that the USA and Spain are so expensive insurance wise when there is a medical problem, Saga will no longer insure my husband, luckily have found another company, or we would be land bound!!!

[wideawake]

Hi all

 

We did a 16 ngt cruise on Arcadia in August and really enjoyed it.

 

For next year we are trying Eclipse out of Southampton with more or less the same itinary.

 

The main difference being that even with similar cabins (deluxe balcony) the price with Celebrity is £1800 cheaper, at these sort of reduced prices we would be foolish not to try Celebrity.

 

The OP asked did we think P&O were expensive, in my mind I have never found them the cheapest but have usually enjoyed their product.

 

Regards

Bryn.

[Blue Eyed Tiger]

The problems of the Ventura christmas cruise were Yes probably caused by cheap cabins sold a few weeks before sailing, so some undesireables snapped them up and the proceeded to get drunk and spoil the cruise for passengers who had sadly paid full price and booked a year in advance...a marketing strategy that went very very wrong.

Interesting!

We booked for the Xmas Ventura trip to the Caribbean at about £1700pp for an inside in April of 2008: "Get in fast, these staterooms are selling out fast!". We couldn't justify a balcony at £2400.

We now find everyone selling balconies for £1499, £200 cheaper than we paid for an inside.

We have tried to get an upgrade to a balcony, but have been quoted £700pp to do so. ie. the same price we could have paid 18 months ago. Or, put another way, £1800 more per stateroom than someone walking off the streets and booking today. Mmmm, and P&O wonder why there is friction on board sometimes - methinks they are the likely causes!

PS: At least Dick Turpin had the good manners to wear a mask!!

[daiB]

IT does not always do to discuss what you paid. Clearly you were happy with what you paid at the time.

 

With most cruises the prices will be cheap at the beginning, expensive at the middle and cheaper at the end. Each cruise will be different.

 

BTW this is the same for all cruise lines which sell to the UK.

 

They appear to have different laws in the US.

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[bee-ess]

Interesting!

We booked for the Xmas Ventura trip to the Caribbean at about £1700pp for an inside in April of 2008: "Get in fast, these staterooms are selling out fast!". We couldn't justify a balcony at £2400.

We now find everyone selling balconies for £1499, £200 cheaper than we paid for an inside.

We have tried to get an upgrade to a balcony, but have been quoted £700pp to do so. ie. the same price we could have paid 18 months ago. Or, put another way, £1800 more per stateroom than someone walking off the streets and booking today. Mmmm, and P&O wonder why there is friction on board sometimes - methinks they are the likely causes!

PS: At least Dick Turpin had the good manners to wear a mask!!

 

Hve you paid your final bill yet............if not why not cancel and re-book