Fluid Pricing!

[C at Sea]

Just looked on P&O website and the cruise that we have preregistered for has gone up by over £300 each!

Haven't ever experienced this fluid pricing. Always got the cruise for the preview prices when preregistering.

Does this mean we have to pay the new price, even though we preregistered at the original price?

This all smacks of mis-selling in my opinion! Fair enough if you buy after end of May like it says but to put up prices before they go on general sale is not nice!

Unfortunately we are not gold until halfway through our next cruise, so have to wait til April 6th.

Perhaps P&O are trying to make up for the "lower" prices they were supposed to be offering to compensate for TA commission going!

[cclarke12]

Just looked on P&O website and the cruise that we have preregistered for has gone up by over £300 each!

Haven't ever experienced this fluid pricing. Always got the cruise for the preview prices when preregistering.

Does this mean we have to pay the new price, even though we preregistered at the original price?

This all smacks of mis-selling in my opinion! Fair enough if you buy after end of May like it says but to put up prices before they go on general sale is not nice!

Unfortunately we are not gold until halfway through our next cruise, so have to wait til April 6th.

Perhaps P&O are trying to make up for the "lower" prices they were supposed to be offering to compensate for TA commission going!

 

Several people have said the website is wrong and people have booked today at the brochure price despite what the website price was. Have you pre-registered with a TA or P&O? I have done it with the former and they have said I now have a guaranteed booking at a particular grade and price and have taken my deposit and my booking is showing on line. They said I will get a cabin number allocated when they officially go on sale next week.

[feebee_71]

P&O have had issues over the last 2-3 days where the website is showing certain cruises as having risen significantly in price and some grades showing as sold out - even before going on sale to goldies today. P&O admin did comment on this on their site the other day.

 

Then, this morning, around the time sales should have started the booking system crashed and no-one was able to make bookings. People who were ringing P&O were told they couldn't even take their details and make the bookings when the system was restored. All was back online and working again within a couple of hours - but with the word fragile being very strongly used.

 

It really wouldn't surprise me if the system still had bugs in it and was displaying incorrectly as others have said.

 

Feebee_71

[Denarius]

Booked an Easter 2012 cruise on Ventura this morning at my usual travel agent. Fare quoted was exactly as per brochure, but agent could not get P&Os online system to accept the booking. After several failed attempts, she rang P&O who accepted booking over phone. They said that they were experiencing system problems due to level of bookings. Price was confirmed as per brochure, and I got to chose my favourite cabin, which had not been offered on tha automated system.

[davecttr]

As I have not pre registered I hope there are some cabins left on tuesday for my planned cruise next March. Cruising solo might make cabin choice more difficult and the reports of the P&O web site problems mean I have decided to pop into the TA rather than book online.

[Host Sharon]

As I have not pre registered I hope there are some cabins left on tuesday for my planned cruise next March. Cruising solo might make cabin choice more difficult and the reports of the P&O web site problems mean I have decided to pop into the TA rather than book online.

 

I too travel solo and for that reason always pre-register. I have managed to bag one of the two single cabins they are putting on Oriana for her 22nights to the Caribbean. I don't think I would have managed that without a TA or pre-registering with P&O. If I were you I would pre-register asap with your TA and then they can book as soon as possible on the day bookings open.

[davecttr]

I too travel solo and for that reason always pre-register. I have managed to bag one of the two single cabins they are putting on Oriana for her 22nights to the Caribbean. I don't think I would have managed that without a TA or pre-registering with P&O. If I were you I would pre-register asap with your TA and then they can book as soon as possible on the day bookings open.

 

Registering seems hardly worth it now as the cruises go on sale on Tuesday. I am interested in a simple 7 nighter in March on Ventura as a 'filler' between January and June. I will be there at 9.30 on Tuesday when the TA opens.

 

The brochure states a 45% mark up for single occupancy. OE, OF and OG inside cabins are all under £752 and with a large number available I hope to secure one in a good area. There was no problem booking for Ventura this year even months after the cruise went on sale.

 

I am interested in another 'filler' in September and as these go on sale on Thursday I might as well just tell the TA I will be buying.

[davecttr]

Just checked the P&O site. They now want over £200 more for the March cruise and nearly £400 more for the September one. This is a 45% increase. Is this a joke? I only received the brochure this week.

 

If those are the prices they are demanding it looks as if Thomson will be getting more of my custom next year.

[feebee_71]

Just checked the P&O site. They now want over £200 more for the March cruise and nearly £400 more for the September one. This is a 45% increase. Is this a joke? I only received the brochure this week.

 

If those are the prices they are demanding it looks as if Thomson will be getting more of my custom next year.

 

Davetheroad,

 

The prices showing on the P&O site are more than likely incorrect because of glitches in their system - all day yesterday cruises were showing as being higher than people were actually being charged. One I am booked on was showing as cheapest cabins being over £390pp however the cruise is actually on sale from £279pp.

 

If what people were saying yesterday is correct, then the prices in the brochure are what is being charged not the prices on the internet.

 

Feebee_71

[davecttr]

Davetheroad,

 

The prices showing on the P&O site are more than likely incorrect because of glitches in their system - all day yesterday cruises were showing as being higher than people were actually being charged. One I am booked on was showing as cheapest cabins being over £390pp however the cruise is actually on sale from £279pp.

 

If what people were saying yesterday is correct, then the prices in the brochure are what is being charged not the prices on the internet.

 

Feebee_71

 

wel llets hope so because P&O marketing have scored a spectacular own goal with this and will already have lost business.

 

Look at this scenario. Someone gets the brochure through the post this week like me. Goes to the P&O site and eek!, the prices are 45% higher than the brochure. BEFORE THEY EVEN GO ON GENERAL SALE. Not being a forum member they just have that information so decide not to bother with P&O because of the companies marketing being borderline dishonest or at best GROSSLY MISLEADING.

 

If I go into my TA on tuesday and don't get offered the brochure price or something very close to it I will not be cruising with P&O in 2012. :mad::mad::mad:

[daiB]

wel llets hope so because P&O marketing have scored a spectacular own goal with this and will already have lost business.

 

Look at this scenario. Someone gets the brochure through the post this week like me. Goes to the P&O site and eek!, the prices are 45% higher than the brochure. BEFORE THEY EVEN GO ON GENERAL SALE. Not being a forum member they just have that information so decide not to bother with P&O because of the companies marketing being borderline dishonest or at best GROSSLY MISLEADING.

 

If I go into my TA on tuesday and don't get offered the brochure price or something very close to it I will not be cruising with P&O in 2012. :mad::mad::mad:

 

 

Stop worrying the comuter is not working and showing the wrong prices.

 

If you look in the brochure you will find that the 10% discount is dated until the 31st May. So they cannot move the prices much before then.

 

Our booking yesterday was showing 25% more on the website than we paid, which was exactly what we were quoted.

 

 

 

:)Happy Cruising:)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[x66reg]

I've just got off the phone from p&o,they realize they have made a huge cock up and their brochure prices will be the same on the pc at 9 tomorrow morning.:)

[davecttr]

I've just got off the phone from p&o,they realize they have made a huge cock up and their brochure prices will be the same on the pc at 9 tomorrow morning.:)

 

Thanks diab and x66. I can relax somewhat now. Perhaps I will register for the September cruise anyway when I pop in to the TA on tuesday

 

Perhaps some technical wizz kid had set the online prices to the maximum markup for test purposes and some other idiot let it go live without checking. :D

[Host Sharon]

Thanks diab and x66. I can relax somewhat now. Perhaps I will register for the September cruise anyway when I pop in to the TA on tuesday

 

Perhaps some technical wizz kid had set the online prices to the maximum markup for test purposes and some other idiot let it go live without checking. :D

 

 

More than likely. As you say - there are enough cabins on Ventura not to panic anyway. It's when you want some of the hard-to-get staterooms that pre-registering becomes important.

[labmonkeys]

I've just got off the phone from p&o,they realize they have made a huge cock up and their brochure prices will be the same on the pc at 9 tomorrow morning.:)

 

Just had a look and they still don't seem to be fixed......

[davecttr]

we have been discussing this elsewhere and as the P&O website is still showing the same ridiculous prices someone contacted their TA who contacted P&O this morning.

 

The web prices are CORRECT due to high demand!!!!!!!

 

This fiasco beggars belief and as Thomson ex UK sailings go on sale thursday I am now seeking an alternative for my not to be 2 P&O cruises.

[daiB]

we have been discussing this elsewhere and as the P&O website is still showing the same ridiculous prices someone contacted their TA who contacted P&O this morning.

 

The web prices are CORRECT due to high demand!!!!!!!

 

This fiasco beggars belief and as Thomson ex UK sailings go on sale thursday I am now seeking an alternative for my not to be 2 P&O cruises.

 

 

Do not believe everything someone posts. The prices are as they have been all weekend. P&O have not changed them ie. they have not sorted them out yet.

 

The brochure quite clearly says the 10% Discount will be available until the end of May.

 

We booked on Saturday, a suite for a Venice cruise. The price shown on the website on Saturday was £2000.00 more than we paid. It is still showing the same price. It is wrong It has not been changed. Fluid pricing cannot take away the 10% discount which is on until 31st May.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[Len Baker]

we have been discussing this elsewhere and as the P&O website is still showing the same ridiculous prices someone contacted their TA who contacted P&O this morning.

 

The web prices are CORRECT due to high demand!!!!!!!

 

This fiasco beggars belief and as Thomson ex UK sailings go on sale thursday I am now seeking an alternative for my not to be 2 P&O cruises.

 

I agree with you Dave. We are looking at Thomsons and P&O for a 2012 Baltic cruise. Didn't pre-register with P&O because we wanted to compare itineraries etc. before committing £. Given this farce from P&O I am looking forward to Thomsons effort on Thursday. Goodness knows what they will come up with.If they cannot manage a computer system how would they manage a 'man the lifeboats situation'? You probably get 5% more space if your a gold member.

[tring]

I knew the P&O site was playing up (to put it mildly), but was alarmed at the suggestion that the prices on the site were correct.

 

I rang P&O just now, (about 13.15) Monday and was told the prices are incorrect and will be as brochure price on release for non gold members.

 

I then asked if the prices would remain the same when cruises are sold. I was then told that they could not guarantee that they would remain the same, but they would remain close to the brochure price.

 

Fingers crossed.

[davecttr]

I knew the P&O site was playing up (to put it mildly), but was alarmed at the suggestion that the prices on the site were correct.

 

I rang P&O just now, (about 13.15) Monday and was told the prices are incorrect and will be as brochure price on release for non gold members.

 

I then asked if the prices would remain the same when cruises are sold. I was then told that they could not guarantee that they would remain the same, but they would remain close to the brochure price.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

To late for me. I am so sick of all this nonsense with different messages coming out of P&O that I have decided to do three Thomson cruises instead. Two back to back, a 7 nighter followed immediately by a 13 and later on a 10 nighter. I still get to visit 15 new ports and at least I know what I am going to get. Heck, I might not even like Ventura this september so it might be a wise decision not to decide on P&O just yet.

[feebee_71]

P&O website has been offline for a while this lunchtime - with a message from them saying they are updating the site.

 

Perhaps they are getting on top of the problems they have been experiencing over the last week.

 

Feebee_71

[amberpop]

I have cruised with P&O before, am not a gold portunus member, but pre-registered with P&O for cruise that goes on sale tomorrow. I am guaranteed the grade of cabin I want if not a better grade for the brochure price. We have also got a total of £370 OBC, for two of us -£150 of which is because we left a £50pp deposit on a last cruise, and £220 because we have cruised with P&O before. All in all even though the situation has been ridiculous on-line I am very happy with the deal we have been given.

Anne:)

[robanddiane]

Fluid pricing has definately kicked in today, we were told by the travel agent that an inside cabin for the Oriana 4 nighter on July 3rd had gone from £399 to over £600. No way are we paying that much extra. Our 2nd choice was the Oceana and prices had also risen by a large amount. Looks like P&O have made a killing today but probably will now lose a lot more in the future as we will never try to book early again.

[capasamari]

I've just been told by my travel agent to make a decision as to how high a price I am prepared to pay for the Oceana 4-night New Year 2012 cruise and let them know by tomorrow lunchtime.

 

They quoted the £399 inside cabins going up to £610 more or less straight away this morning for the July cruise as robanddiane says.

 

My problem is we are going with two other couples so it's not that easy to decide when to bale out.

 

Carol x

[C at Sea]

Thank goodness the earlier mad prices on the website were wrong! Got the cruise we wanted, the cabins we wanted and for the same price as the brochure!

Our TA said that the 3rd July cruises had sold out with the Gold people and that it had caused the websites to crash that day!

So no fluid pricing for us, which I am surprised about a bit cos the 7 day cruise we've booked is over Witsun half term 2012. Which I think is also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee! My husband is heartbroken to be leaving England that week, missing all that Royal pomp and circumstance (NOT! - his hero is Oliver Cromwell!!)

Suppose we wont completely escape it cos I'm sure P&O will do something special to celebrate it.