Tahitian Treasures 01/07/11

[robinph]

While wandering around the P & O website last night, I thought I would do a pretend booking for this cruise to see how the bookings were going, and lo and behold there is an important "Itenarary change information" P & O have cancelled Apia Samoa off this cruise and given us an extra day in Papaetee. This info is good for those wishing to book, but what about us bunnies that have already booked, not a word from P & O or our travel agent as to the change. I checked the cruise personaliser and sure enough it's gone and an extra day in Papaetee, but not even an explanation on the cruise personaliser about this change either. I have always wanted to go to Samoa and that was one of the draw cards to this cruise for me.I am not a huge fan of P & O ( now I'm definetly starting to see why!) but was putting that aside because of the itenarary, and a different ship, thought things might have been better . Not off to a good start P & O.!!!:mad::( Robin

[Kinkacruiser]

That's a shame, seeing you were looking forward to experiencing Samoa, but itinerares can change and without explanation. I see you're on the "new" Pacific Pearl, so that's some consolation. If you cancelled, would you lose your deposit?

Cheers,

Anna:)

[thied]

on page 88 in P&O's book it is said

 

Ship & Itinerary Changes

We will do everything we reasonably can to

make sure everything goes according to plan;

however, sometimes changes can happen that

may affect your holiday experience. This could

include weather, mechanical difficulties, civil

unrest or any other unforeseen circumstances.

In addition, we may charter all or part of the

ship or remove the ship from service where

this becomes necessary. We may change

the itinerary, ship or cancel the cruise due to

operational or commercial requirements.

We will notify you of these changes as soon as

we can. Where we cancel a cruise or make a

significant change to the ports in your itinerary

prior to departure, you will have the choice of:

1. the new itinerary;

2. transferring all monies paid to an alternate

sailing, subject to current fares and

availability; or

3. cancelling the cruise for a full refund of

your fare.

If we are required to change the itinerary or

cancel the cruise due to safety, maritime law,

severe weather or to protect human life or

health, we are not required to provide any

compensation. With this in mind, please do

not make any important arrangements or

meetings based on the proposed itinerary.

 

I do hope this helps you.

and I think it will be the same for most other cruise lines and just P&O.

love Thied

[thied]

That's a shame, seeing you were looking forward to experiencing Samoa, but itinerares can change and without explanation. I see you're on the "new" Pacific Pearl, so that's some consolation. If you cancelled, would you lose your deposit?

Cheers,

Anna:)

if you cancell more then 181 day or more out from your cruise you get a full refund page 86 P&O book.

Days prior to departure Cancellation Charges

Discounted Fares

181 days or more Full Refund

180 – 71 days Deposit Amount +

70 – 43 days 25% of total fare +

42 – 15 days 50% of total fare +

14 days or less 100% of total fare

Full Fares

31 days or more Full Refund

30 – 22 days 25% of total fare +

21 – 15 days 50% of total fare +

14 days or less 100% of total fare

Additional fees charged by airlines will be

passed onto the passengers.

Changing your cruise holiday

We understand that on occasions you may

need to change to a different cruise. When this

happens, the following policy will apply:

Days Prior to

Departure

(of original booking)

Our Policy

121 days or more One free change to a different

P&O cruise

120 days or less Cancellation Charges apply

Once you have used your ‘one free change’,

Cancellation Charges, as per our ‘Cancellation

& Refunds’ policy, will apply for any

other amendments.

[thied]

Princess cruises are

 

Full fares - all cruises

 

Days Prior to Departure Cancellation Charge

31 days or more Full refund

30-22 days 25% of total fare + airfare

21-15 days 50% of total fare + airfare

14 days or less 100% of total fare

Discounted fares - except World Cruise

 

Days Prior to Departure Cancellation Charge

181 days or more Full refund

180 – 71 days Deposit amount + airfare

70 – 43 days 25% of total fare + airfare

42 – 15 days 50% of total fare + airfare

14 days or less 100% of total fare

Discounted fares - for the World Cruise

 

Days Prior to Departure Cancellation Charge - by cruise duration

 

49 nights or less

50 nights or more

 

181 days or more Full refund Full refund

180 – 90 days Deposit amount + airfare Deposit amount + airfare

89-64 days 25% of total fare + airfare 50% of total fare + airfare

63-43 days 50% of total fare + airfare 75% of total fare + airfare

42 – 15 days 75% of total fare + airfare 100% of total fare

14 days or less 100% of total fare 100% of total fare

Additional fees charged by airlines will be passed on to the passengers.

 

source

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

[robinph]

Thied I am quite aware of all the cancellation requirements, it is P & O,s lack of communication to their paying passengers that gets me, not a mention anywhere, only if you are doing a booking online do you find this information out, and I'm sure not too many people who have already booked would be doing this, only that I happened to stumble across it did I find this info out. It is obvious that they are waiting till the cancellation deadlines are up before they mention anything to us, so by then it is too late. Just plain sneaky IMOP. Robin:mad::mad:

[Shiprobbo]

Hi,

 

Couple of points - Are you certain the itinery was not changed prior to making your booking? I know I often don't re-check that there has been no changes, I just go ahead and book. If the change was made prior to your booking, then P&O may not see a need to tell you. If the change was made after your booking, then P&O may have relayed the information to your Travel Agent, who may not have passed it on to you.

 

Just my thoughts for what they are worth.

[thied]

Thied I am quite aware of all the cancellation requirements, it is P & O,s lack of communication to their paying passengers that gets me, not a mention anywhere, only if you are doing a booking online do you find this information out, and I'm sure not too many people who have already booked would be doing this, only that I happened to stumble across it did I find this info out. It is obvious that they are waiting till the cancellation deadlines are up before they mention anything to us, so by then it is too late. Just plain sneaky IMOP. Robin:mad::mad:

I agree that P&O seem to wait till the last min to tell any one of any changes, but thats how they work and the same goes for a lot of other cruise lines, on our last P&O did not tell any one personaly as email or letter for the change, I had to read it on there web site, every slack Of P&O I think, but it is stated in there conditions that they can change just about anything they want to on any cruise.

At the end of the the cruise lines have been working the way they do for a very long time and they will not change.

 

Has any one ever paid FULL PRICE as stated in there broucher or only paid the PRICE BREAKER price?

[Sandielle]

P&O's main change of itinerary seems to be that they no longer visit Ouvea, visiting Lifou instead. This has been happening at least since circa April 2009. With the brochures being printed so far ahead, I would say this is the reason it is still on the itinerary, OR, maybe they are hoping they will be able to call there again and so haven't removed it from the itineraries.

 

A cruise which we have booked for late next year, at the time of booking, showed Ouvea, but it is now showing Lifou on the P&O site.

 

(As I do my research on whatever interests me, I had already presumed this change would occur and frequently checked the P&O site and discovered this for myself. Therefore I do not expect P&O to notify me of this change and will not be upset if they don't.) I missed my vocation as a girl scout, didn't I? :rolleyes: :)

[robinph]

Hi,

 

Couple of points - Are you certain the itinery was not changed prior to making your booking? I know I often don't re-check that there has been no changes, I just go ahead and book. If the change was made prior to your booking, then P&O may not see a need to tell you. If the change was made after your booking, then P&O may have relayed the information to your Travel Agent, who may not have passed it on to you.

 

Just my thoughts for what they are worth.

 

Have a copy of the Itenerary from the travel agent post booking and Apia is definetly on there. Princess if they have a change of Itenerary at least put it on your cruise personaliser to inform you.

[robinph]

P&O's main change of itinerary seems to be that they no longer visit Ouvea, visiting Lifou instead. This has been happening at least since circa April 2009. With the brochures being printed so far ahead, I would say this is the reason it is still on the itinerary, OR, maybe they are hoping they will be able to call there again and so haven't removed it from the itineraries.

 

A cruise which we have booked for late next year, at the time of booking, showed Ouvea, but it is now showing Lifou on the P&O site.

 

(As I do my research on whatever interests me, I had already presumed this change would occur and frequently checked the P&O site and discovered this for myself. Therefore I do not expect P&O to notify me of this change and will not be upset if they don't.) I missed my vocation as a girl scout, didn't I? :rolleyes: :)

 

We are not talking about an itenerary that can be done at any time and picked up quite cheaply like any of the cruises to the islands, it is an itenerary that is only done once a year by P & O and once by princess at a fairly hefty price so a fair bit of consideration & research goes into booking a 28 or 35 day cruise a bit different I think ,so yes I do expect them to notify me of any changes, and yes I regularly check their website for any info and they are still advertising it on their website as a port of call.:mad:

[cruisin-m]

Give P&O a ring and ask them what's going on if they aren't going to make the effort to tell you.

 

Once they know people are becoming aware of the changed itineray they will have to come clean about it.

 

For all we know it could be just a typo.

 

As much as I'd like to see Apia you can't really complain about having to spend an extra day at tahiti to much.

[Aus Traveller]

Give P&O a ring and ask them what's going on if they aren't going to make the effort to tell you.

 

Once they know people are becoming aware of the changed itineray they will have to come clean about it.

 

For all we know it could be just a typo.

 

As much as I'd like to see Apia you can't really complain about having to spend an extra day at tahiti to much.

Having been to both Apia and Papeete, I think having a day in Apia is better than an extra day in Papeete. I don't know what you would do with an extra day. There wouldn't be much point in taking a ferry to Moorea because the ship goes there the next day.

[Debsta]

They'll probably blame it on civil unrest :eek: :p Having just read they've taken Emerald Bay out of an upcoming cruise and slotted in Noumea......I wonder ***** P&O are up to. Fuel cost cutting???? Hmmmmmm

 

And I'd be annoyed too, if I'd booked a certain cruise for a specific port, although it would be nice to have an extra day in Tahiti somewhere (not Papeete!)

 

Ahhhh the joys of cruising :D

[robinph]

They'll probably blame it on civil unrest :eek: :p Having just read they've taken Emerald Bay out of an upcoming cruise and slotted in Noumea......I wonder ***** P&O are up to. Fuel cost cutting???? Hmmmmmm

 

And I'd be annoyed too, if I'd booked a certain cruise for a specific port, although it would be nice to have an extra day in Tahiti somewhere (not Papeete!)

 

Ahhhh the joys of cruising :D

 

The thing that annoys me is that we are not talking about one of the ports that are constantly visited by our Aussie ships being cancelled, it wouldnt have bothered me at all if they had cancelled one of them off the Itenarary, I would'nt even have minded if they had swapped it for a different port, but from what I have read they are not doing us any favours by giving us an extra day in Papeete. I will probably not get the opportunity again to do this cruise as it is quite cost prohibitive, but it is a part of the world that I have always wanted to see. Looks like I am going to have to grin & bare it!!!:(:(:(

[wombat50]

we are doing the Dawn Princess hawaii cruise in April 2011 and Apia is still showing on our itiniery

 

ross

[sherri3802]

I have to say, I agree with Robinph.

I think if someone books a cruise with a certain itinerary, then the least the company should do is put a notice of the change onto the personaliser.

Frankly, since so many people have email addresses these days and the personaliser is automated, I can't see why an email can't be sent to those people already booked on the cruise. I am sure there would be a way to do a group email that would not take up too much office time. If there isn't, the system could surely be set up.

 

In their literature, they warn about making firm plans for any port and that is fair enough. Plans can change.

But to me the issue is one of notification. No passenger should have to research to discover changes. It would be courtesy to notify people.

I would be really put out too, especially if I had booked with hopes of going to that port.

I noticed the lit says money can be refunded if major changes are made to an itinerary, but whether they would classify this as such i don't know.

 

Just a simple notification would have been nice though.

[cruisin-m]

Having been to both Apia and Papeete, I think having a day in Apia is better than an extra day in Papeete. I don't know what you would do with an extra day. There wouldn't be much point in taking a ferry to Moorea because the ship goes there the next day.

 

Have never been to Apia or Papeete, I just assumed that tahiti would have to be a really nice place.

 

If Apia really isn't available for a decent reason, surely it wouldn't be any trouble for them to replace it with Raiatea at Tahiti, I've only heard people rave about this port of call and it would be something different to two days at Papeete.

 

I'm still hoping it is just a type error in the personaliser seeing as though they are still selling the cruise as though it goes to Apia.

 

If they don't go there it better be a decent reason, I'm starting to not buy into the 'civil unrest' excuse anymore now that heaps of the South Pacific ports are allegedly in it, yet when we were there before and after 'civil unrest' the locals couldn't have seemed any more happy and pleasant.

[Bella cruiser]

Having been to both Apia and Papeete, I think having a day in Apia is better than an extra day in Papeete. I don't know what you would do with an extra day. There wouldn't be much point in taking a ferry to Moorea because the ship goes there the next day.

 

I totally agree Aus Traveller. I have been to both and think that Apia is a great port. Have P&O given you any sort of explanation or clarification?

 

If there was some sort of issue with Apia I can't understand why they didn't substitute Pago Pago, American Samoa so you don't lose a port.

[silverwillow]

That ****s me! I was already wondering how I was going to spend the day in Papeete after hearing how disappointing it is now we get two days there and miss Samoa. Thanks for letting me know Robin, doesn't look like p&o were going to inform us.

 

If they had to change it they could have at least made it two days in Bora Bora or Moorea or as others have said another port.

[robinph]

I have to say, I agree with Robinph.

I think if someone books a cruise with a certain itinerary, then the least the company should do is put a notice of the change onto the personaliser.

Frankly, since so many people have email addresses these days and the personaliser is automated, I can't see why an email can't be sent to those people already booked on the cruise. I am sure there would be a way to do a group email that would not take up too much office time. If there isn't, the system could surely be set up.

 

In their literature, they warn about making firm plans for any port and that is fair enough. Plans can change.

But to me the issue is one of notification. No passenger should have to research to discover changes. It would be courtesy to notify people.

I would be really put out too, especially if I had booked with hopes of going to that port.

I noticed the lit says money can be refunded if major changes are made to an itinerary, but whether they would classify this as such i don't know.

 

Just a simple notification would have been nice though.

 

Thankyou Sherri 3802, for understanding my frustration, it is not over the cancellation of Apia so much, even though I am dissapointed, as their lack of courtesy in notifying us, it is like they are trying to hide it from us. As others have said another port substitution would have been ok. Robin

[cruisin-m]

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=136034429773854

 

"Hi everyone,

 

A small change has been made to P123 - to avoid a Sunday port call in Apia, Pacific Pearl will now call at Papeete for longer with an overnight stay.

 

The new port of call itinerary order is Sydney, Norfolk Island, Nuku'Alofa, Vava'u, Rarotonga, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora, Niuafo'Ou, Savu Savu, Suva, Port Denarau, Dravuni Is...land, Isle of Pines, Noumea.

 

Thanks,

 

P&O Cruises"

 

 

What a horrible excuse for not calling at Apia,simply because it happens to be a Sunday, I was expecting a decent excuse like civil unrest at least. :(

 

You should all jump on Facebook or give P&O a call and let them know what you think of the decision, I know I am for sure.

 

This also settles that they had no intention of letting anyone know other then a weak effort of a post on their facebook events which hardly anyone looks at.

 

I'm very dissapointed in them.

[silverwillow]

What that is a disgrace! I had heard that if you go on a Sunday it is great as everyone heads off to church and you can join in some traditional Samoan life. The beaches will still be the same. That is a terrible excuse. I bet it's just to save money on fuel.

[silverwillow]

Well I wrote to P&O telling them how disappionted I was and they blamed my travel agent saying they sent an email letting them know of the change of itinerary at the same time their website still listed Apia and they were selling this itinerary with Apia included. :mad: I also contacted my travel agent who contacted P&O and was told that Apia was not cancelled and was still on the itinerary. It seems P&O don't really train their staff well. I had to resend the info to my travel agent from P&O so she could clear it up finally with P&O and yes Apia has been cancelled.

 

Annoyed at P&O! They just keep blaming my travel agent.

 

I really hope this is not an indication of the level of service we will receive once we are on the Pacific Pearl?

[Wilkono]

I've tried really, really hard to keep an open mind about P&O, but I'm finding the sheer volume of complaints from unsatisfied passengers really overwhelming.

 

I think the most frustrating part of P&Os problem is that their issues can easily be rectified and smoothed over with decent customer service. In this case, a mass e-mail to passengers and travel agents would have been satisfactory. Perhaps they could have also bent the rules and allowed full refunds to those that wanted out, and offered on-board credit for those staying with the cruise. Surely the money saved on fuel would have been more than enough to spare $100 per adult in on-board credit.

 

Same thing with the Pacific Sun's latest trip, which encountered extreme weather. Passengers missed three stops and got a lousy $50 o.b.c. A little bit of generosity and genuine understanding would serve P&O well, instead of playing Scrooge.