Very upset with P&O

[Dreamgirl1957]

:mad: :mad: We were booked on Ventura this Nov (12)to the Caribbean , due to a problem at my husbands work we had to change our dates.

 

As we had made a change already on the booking ( changed it from Canaries to Caribbean) they would not allow another change. Even if we paid more and paid another ammendment fee!

 

We had no option but to cancel and we lost £627 so we were absolutly gutted to say the least.

 

We needed to travel in July instead of Nov so we booked on Royal Caribbean Brilliance for a 11 day Europe and Fjords out of Amsterdam. Had a lovely time, fab ship, fab food and staff and scenery beautiful. However its such a shame as we really wanted to sail with P&O. At the tme we had to cancel there was a great deal on Oriana for a 2 week Fjords cruise which would have been a much better deal but we didnt book on principle.

 

I think P&O treated us very badly, it was out of our control and we wanted to re-book with them, spend the same amount , just move the date (which would have been sooner) and obviously diff area etc due to time of year but they would not even discuss it. I have complained by letter twice but they would not say anymore than those are the rules basicly. I think it is absolutly silly they turn away business like this!!

 

Even before my first cruise (Thomsons which we really enjoyed) all i wanted was to sail with P&O and would still love to but im afraid this has really made me think twice about ever booking with them again. With Thomson and RCI plus many more you can make several changes, you just pay an ammendment fee each time, i had already paid one of these at £100 with P&O and would have paid another so we didnt loose all our money but sadly we could not. £627 is a lot to loose when your just ordinary working people and the stupid thing was we still wanted to book a cruise just could not travel on the date we had booked!!

 

Surely P&O should understand that sometimes we need to change a holiday,and the fact we may have already made a change should make no difference at all. If we are happy to carry on paying £100 a time ammendment fee for what takes then 2 mins then thats our look out surely ( and it does only take a short while as i worked as a TA until last year) The funny thing is i always priced P&O first and was such a good ambassador for them (even though their commission rate to us was one of the lowest and as staff we were always told to "push" RCi, NCL etc for the extra commission they paid) i felt they were a good choice and had a ship to suit everyone etc and really believed in them as a company.

I had done P&O ship visits and just loved everything about them and very much looked forward to the cruise i had booked with them on Ventura but sadly it wasnt to be and i have learned a very expensive lesson. All the more annoying as it was out of our control, we had no choice but to move our dates.

 

We have booked next year (2013) with Thomsons for a 2 week cruise and stay on the Dream which i am really looking forward to,however im sure had we had the chance to change our dates with P&O we would have re-booked and spent lots of our hard earned cash with them over the next few years ! Rant over...sorry

[jeanlyon]

Sorry, but you had already changed the cruise once. They have rules and I don't blame them. why don't you book later when you are sure you can go?

[davedex]

Agree with post above. P&O have rules which you are encouraged to read when you book think it is fair enough really otherwise you'd get people changing their bookings every 5 minutes which would be hell for them to administer.

 

 

Seven tenths of the world is covered in sea - that's a lot of cruising to do!

[wales4ever]

If it was totaly out of your hands could you not have claimed from your insurance?

 

Did you have insurance?

[jeanlyon]

I guess insurance wouldn't cover a problem at work, but it sounds to me like the person ought to be able to leave work in someone else's hands for 2 weeks?

[Dreamgirl1957]

My husband works on a farm, the weather has been very wet this year, delayed planting so therefore they are picking very late (potatoes) . Not covered by insurance im afraid. He only works on the farm , does not own it but it is not a huge concern and he is needed when they are picking as it is a skilled job and there is no-one else to cover without them getting in agency staff which is never ideal. It is called loyalty and he would not let his boss down.

As its turned out things are not as bleak as they feared but as we had to make a decision before final balance was due and also had to holiday in July if we were to def get a break at all we had little choice.

I think the people who have said P&O are right are entitled to their opinion but , as ive said £100 admin for another change would have more than covered any admin costs. I have made these changes myself for customers while i worked as a TA. Took 5 mins at the very most, very simple proceedure indeed.

As we wanted to move our holiday to July instead of November we would have in fact given more time to re-sell our original cruise .

As ive said, i think its unfair but that is only my opinion.

Im sure people reading this have more "disposable" income than us to think its ok for P&O to keeo £627 and not allow us to re-book even with an admin fee. No offence meant, sorry if i appear stroppy, just all very upsetting.

[sueandphil]

Vicki, we wondered what happened to you. You seemed to just disappear from the roll call for N227. Sorry to hear that you won't be on our cruise in November but hope Brilliance of the Seas made up for it. Weren't your Friends also going to book on Ventura?

[Dreamgirl1957]

Vicki, we wondered what happened to you. You seemed to just disappear from the roll call for N227. Sorry to hear that you won't be on our cruise in November but hope Brilliance of the Seas made up for it. Weren't your Friends also going to book on Ventura?

Hi Sue, Yes they were but my friends husband is in the same line of work, although self employed works on the same farm so we all had to cancel.

There wasnt the availability for us to all have july off so they went in Aug with Celebrity, Adriatic. They also lost their deposit with P&O. P&O lost 2 bookings they could have kept.

Brilliance was fab but we would have much prefered P&O.

I feel very bad actually for ranting on here and seem to have been put well and truly in my place for it so that will teach me , just all seems so silly when we could still have re-booked with P&O, they have lost out as well as the 4 of us but never mind .

Hope you have a fab time on "our" cruise, will be thinking of you at the time. Let me know wont you x

[terrierjohn]

My husband works on a farm, the weather has been very wet this year, delayed planting so therefore they are picking very late (potatoes) . Not covered by insurance im afraid. He only works on the farm , does not own it but it is not a huge concern and he is needed when they are picking as it is a skilled job and there is no-one else to cover without them getting in agency staff which is never ideal. It is called loyalty and he would not let his boss down.

As its turned out things are not as bleak as they feared but as we had to make a decision before final balance was due and also had to holiday in July if we were to def get a break at all we had little choice.

I think the people who have said P&O are right are entitled to their opinion but , as ive said £100 admin for another change would have more than covered any admin costs. I have made these changes myself for customers while i worked as a TA. Took 5 mins at the very most, very simple proceedure indeed.

As we wanted to move our holiday to July instead of November we would have in fact given more time to re-sell our original cruise .

As ive said, i think its unfair but that is only my opinion.

Im sure people reading this have more "disposable" income than us to think its ok for P&O to keeo £627 and not allow us to re-book even with an admin fee. No offence meant, sorry if i appear stroppy, just all very upsetting.

Vicki, I agree with you on this, when rules are stupid it is surely madness for companies to stick rigidly to them. Hopefully some P&O customer service employees might just read this thread and think about questioning whether they are truly providing a satisfactory "Customer Service" by applying these rules.

[simonpjd]

This is why everyone should take out their travel insurance at the same time as booking - you have to have it anyway so get it straight away. Then you would have been covered. I have to say you were a tad naive not to do this especially if work committments can crop up (sorry) and scupper your holidays. A lesson learned I would hope.

[simonpjd]

Also if you paid the deposit on a credit card you may have a chance of claiming it back. We always pay the deposit this way even though it usually adds around 2% to the deposit we feel it is worth it. Of course you pay the balance from a debit card so no extra charge there but you are still covered because of the deposit payment from a credit card.

[Norfolk Brit]

This is why everyone should take out their travel insurance at the same time as booking - you have to have it anyway so get it straight away. Then you would have been covered. I have to say you were a tad naive not to do this especially if work committments can crop up (sorry) and scupper your holidays. A lesson learned I would hope.

 

Most policies exclude the reason for the OP's cancellation.

 

Mary

[GHDPeter]

There is no mention of time frames, what were the cancellations conditions at the time of the 2nd change. If you are allowed to break the rules and conditions of your contract with P & O, are you going to allow P & O to break the rules if it suits them better next time?

 

If you can change your booking twice with no penalty, should P & O then also be allowed to cancel and shift your cruise twice too?

 

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[jeanlyon]

No travel insurance would have covered that reason.

[Norfolk Brit]

Also if you paid the deposit on a credit card you may have a chance of claiming it back.

 

Not covered by this either...

 

Mary

[Dreamgirl1957]

Vicki, I agree with you on this, when rules are stupid it is surely madness for companies to stick rigidly to them. Hopefully some P&O customer service employees might just read this thread and think about questioning whether they are truly providing a satisfactory "Customer Service" by applying these rules.

 

Thanks John, have actyually been thinking i was wrong to post this , Vicki

[Dreamgirl1957]

Sorry, but you had already changed the cruise once. They have rules and I don't blame them. why don't you book later when you are sure you can go?

 

When you work you have to ask for time off in advance, there are lots of employees all wanting time off, if you do not book in advance and put it on the "holiday calender" at work then you would be left with a very poor choice, if a choice at all.

[Dreamgirl1957]

This is why everyone should take out their travel insurance at the same time as booking - you have to have it anyway so get it straight away. Then you would have been covered. I have to say you were a tad naive not to do this especially if work committments can crop up (sorry) and scupper your holidays. A lesson learned I would hope.

 

We have insurance, a yearly policy. As an ex TA i understand the need for this. It would not have been covered though , i really do not think we can be called nieve when we always holiday at that time of year, its just the "freak" weather we have had this year was very unusual.

[Dreamgirl1957]

My point was only really to say, other companies allow several changes, if you pay the admin fee. This is real life, things happen. Most companies are not as stubbon as P&O. The changes are very quick and easy to do. Lets face it if a change is made for the same cost or more, if an admin cost is paid, who will this hurt???

P&O lost out on a booking. We lost a lot of money. I think it is a "jobsworth rule" im afraid.

 

I also think a few of the people who have commented must be retired ( time their own etc) or ridgid rule abiders. Nothing wrong with that, i really do not wish to offend, i just feel in this case they could have let us re-book.

If anyone who has placed a negative comment ever finds themselves in this postion with P&O then they may feel differently.

Again, sorry if i have offeneded anyone.

[RJChatsworth]

I feel sorry for Vicki/Lincs. The same as happened to us but for weaker reasons. I understand 'rules are rules' but I think P&O should be more considerate of genuine reasons if they can be proved; also, I believe that now the cruise line wants your final payment 3 months prior to travel rather than 2 months previously they could take a more generous attitude. They do have an extra month to re-sell the cruise.

 

Another point is that in the USA one is able to cancel before the final payment and get all one's money back. When on Cunard, American passengers tell me they sometimes make several bookings over a particular time period because they can't decide initially which cruise to go on, but all in the knowledge that when they do decide they can cancel and get their deposits back.

 

Why can't the same rules apply in the UK? Cunard and P&O are both Carnival companies after all!

[Dreamgirl1957]

I feel sorry for Vicki/Lincs. The same as happened to us but for weaker reasons. I understand 'rules are rules' but I think P&O should be more considerate of genuine reasons if they can be proved; also, I believe that now the cruise line wants your final payment 3 months prior to travel rather than 2 months previously they could take a more generous attitude. They do have an extra month to re-sell the cruise.

 

Another point is that in the USA one is able to cancel before the final payment and get all one's money back. When on Cunard, American passengers tell me they sometimes make several bookings over a particular time period because they can't decide initially which cruise to go on, but all in the knowledge that when they do decide they can cancel and get their deposits back.

 

Why can't the same rules apply in the UK? Cunard and P&O are both Carnival companies after all!

 

Thanks so much for your nice reply. It does seen strange as you say the way you can book with Cunard and cancel then receive your deposit back when they are in fact all part of the same company!

I just think it is such a shame, we have so far been on 2 cruises, already booked for next year. We are hooked . How many bookings potentially have P&O lost for the future. Especially when we : A) offered to pay another amendment fee and B) didn't want to reduce the amount we we're spending. Def a very silly and unfair rule in my view.

 

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[Tizzy]

Hello Vicky

I too wish the Booking rules were a bit more relaxed as 'Real Life' always manages to get in the way of the best laid plans. We have been in the same position as you several times, as due to the nature of my husbands work we cannot plan holidays and guarantee that he can have time off. It gets to be a pain but in some work situations it is unavoidable. We have been trying to sail with P&O for years and just as we book our first Cruise our son lands a job with Cunard ! Nothing ever goes to plan does it ???

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hello Vicky

I too wish the Booking rules were a bit more relaxed as 'Real Life' always manages to get in the way of the best laid plans. We have been in the same position as you several times, as due to the nature of my husbands work we cannot plan holidays and guarantee that he can have time off. It gets to be a pain but in some work situations it is unavoidable. We have been trying to sail with P&O for years and just as we book our first Cruise our son lands a job with Cunard ! Nothing ever goes to plan does it ???

 

Oh I hope you enjoy your cruise, I've heard Cunard are fab, let's hope you get some family discount. True, real life is very unpredictable, I think p&o's archaic rules should be re-thought as I think they not only upset good customers but also cost them many bookings.

 

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[Tizzy]

I must admit I didn't realise you could only change a Booking once. This is a bit worrying ! Yes we will have to try Cunard at some point but our son still has a soft spot for P&O. It has been his favourite Cruise Company so far ! Looking forward to trying our first P&O Cruise early next year. The Cruise Companies are all VERY different and in our case, the one we liked the most let us down VERY badly and I doubt we will sail with them again.

[annieuk]

I know it's not the same situation but we had a cruise booked with Cunard a couple of years ago. Three weeks before we were due to go I broke my ankle so there was no hope of going. We had paid the balance at this point. My TA contacted Cunard to see if we could transfer the booking to a cruise with the same itinerary 6 months later. No way - we were told we had to cancel the booking. We have yearly travel insurance so we are covered from the moment we have booked a cruise. Eventually we got all the money back - including the car parking charge we had paid.

 

I suppose all it meant was having to do the paperwork - get forms - get doctor to complete them etc. and then we were re-imbursed. I do not mean to be unsympathetic but they can't really bend the rules in one case and not another.