Ventura - Bumped off Club Dining with 4 days to go!

[qm2lover]

I think this is terrible, but unfortunately typical of P&O's attitude at the present time which is such a shame as we were very long term loyal P&O passengers.

 

We prefer club dining and I know how upset we would be (in fact my husband would be livid). But as P&O have p'ed us off so much already, this will not affect us as at the present time we would not even consider another cruise with P&O!!

 

I agree with the above post and really suggest you put this on Twitter and Facebook and any other sites you can think of. P&O seem to think they can get away with all sorts of things at the moment and no one will mind.

[Clodia]

The day they do that to me will be my last ever cruise with them; if I want freedom dining there are plenty of other lines I can cruise with!

[kevinyork]

Have to say that there is a consistent theme about P&O offering poor customer service on these boards. The best performing retailer currently is Amazon who's customer service is superb. That says a lot. Ive also dealt with Apple customer service and been embarrassed by the way they strive to resolve an issue. Many of the issues that people complain about would cost P&O nothing to resolve yet they dig their heals in and risk losing future cruise business from that customer.

 

Cruise lines need to make their customers feel valued.

[Scriv]

Yes, I think P & O seem to be amazingly clever at bad handling of customers' problems and making them much worse. In fact they seem very talented at upsetting people and making the customer feel very unvalued and don't seem to have a clue as to how to resolve a situation.

I for one have no confidence whatsoever in the Customer Services/Call Centre department.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Scriv

[cruising22]

I am also another very unhappy person who booked this cruise in November 2012 and was extremely upset to receive a letter from P&O at the weekend advising us that we were on Freedom dining. I personally loathe Freedom dining and if I wanted that I would either have booked Freedom dining or gone with another cruise line. We have done over 48 cruises with various cruise lines and were giving P&O a second chance but they have blown it out of the water. Part of the joy of Club Dining is building a rapport with your fellow companions and the waiters. One of my other complaints is that there was no real hint of an apology in the letter, our TA was outraged on our behalf but didn't get anywhere and neither have we with subsequent phone calls and emails. The last thing we need after a long flight is to stand in line waiting to see someone about our dining arrangements. Or as my husband says we will walk along the line asking the people trying to book their tables if anyone fancies joining us on a table for 8(round) at 20:30 every night.

[daiB]

Yes, I think P & O seem to be amazingly clever at bad handling of customers' problems and making them much worse. In fact they seem very talented at upsetting people and making the customer feel very unvalued and don't seem to have a clue as to how to resolve a situation.

I for one have no confidence whatsoever in the Customer Services/Call Centre department.

 

We do tend to here from people who have had bad customer service experiences. Most who have not got what they thought that they should have!!!!

 

We clearly do not hear from the ones who have had a good experience. I would wager that the latter outweigh the former.

 

Until you have the full picture you cannot say they are particularly bad at customer service.

 

 

Having said that I would not be happy at all with freedom dining. The banter at the dinner table is a big part of our cruise experience.

Edited December 17, 2013 by daiB

[CCFC]

I would be livid if my Club dining was put to Freedom dining! Sitting with the same people every night on a table for 8 is my choice and has always been a great experience, the waiters get to know your foibles and you get to speak to them by first name with sincerity.

 

I'm slowly going more towards Princess these days as you get what you ask for in my experience.

[cruising22]

Hi Janieb1962 hope to meet on the cruise and I have sent a mail to David Dingle so we await the outcome. Do you fly put on theFriday or Saturday, if it is the Saturday I will see you in the queue at 16:00.

[Scriv]

Dai, I include in my feelings about poor customer service my own experiences and also several of my friends and people I have met along my P & O experience, not just people who are posting on here.

 

The standard reply from Customer Services is a dismissive fob off letter/email after a few weeks with very superficial expression of best wishes and looking forward to welcoming you aboard again. There is never a real acknowledgement of your upset.

 

But the issue here is the main decision about this freedom dining and the bad solution, upsetting many people and then the callous way they spring the decision on the people just before their holiday.

 

Dai, you really cannot bear to have them in any way criticised, can you?

Edited December 18, 2013 by Scriv

[northiam]

We are booked on Arcadia in February - Los Angeles to Sydney. We have been changed from Main Dining Room to Freedom dining as has my daughter and her husband. We had had our dining choice confirmed and only discov ered this when looking at the cruise personaliser.

[davecttr]

It is down to a lack of joined up thinking at HQ, not a uncommon problem as it appears that most decision makers there have never been on a cruise and are concerned with their bonus, not customer satisfaction. I detect a sort of arrogance in these corporate types, after all, if they upset one mug of a customer there were always plenty more niave victims to replace them. Now that times are hard they need to eliminate this mind set and understand that every customer is valuable.

 

So here we are, convert a dining room to freedom and you have too many passengers already booked on club. Never mind, just fob them off with the terms and conditions excuse. I wonder if they even thought of the transition period or whether taking the decision to change did not include any thought of the consequences other than it would save them some money.

 

It is not just P&O though. Over on the Thomson forum they know all about corporate indifference undoing the good work the ships crews do.

[Scriv]

Dave, did you not suggest that they make half of the MDR Club Dining and the other Freedom? That seems sensible and simple to me and that way all people would be happy?

[Scriv]

Have just had a look at the cruise personaliser for our holiday in June on the Oriana. The Dining options page set out has changed and there is a note that Freedom Dining will be introduced in May.

Our choice of First Sitting in Club Dining is 'Currently Confirmed'. Hmm, 'Currently' sounds ominous. and whereas our wish for a table of 6 is registered, there is a starred note that table size can only be confirmed once aboard.

Hmmm.....

[cruising22]

My husband suggested that they cordon off half the Freedom area to Club Dining and was told that this would be too difficult. So as someone says they obviously put themselves out for their passengers. I have never had this type of attitude before on all our cruises and it leaves a very bad taste in your mouth before you even get on board. No I am not some old codger but someone who enjoys life, a good laugh and have been known to have sample the old grape and grain. My huband and I are just the sort of people who P&O shoudl keep happy as we do our fair share at esnuring the revenue from the various bars is kept at a high level;)

[daiB]

Dai, I include in my feelings about poor customer service my own experiences and also several of my friends and people I have met along my P & O experience, not just people who are posting on here.

 

The standard reply from Customer Services is a dismissive fob off letter/email after a few weeks with very superficial expression of best wishes and looking forward to welcoming you aboard again. There is never a real acknowledgement of your upset.

 

But the issue here is the main decision about this freedom dining and the bad solution, upsetting many people and then the callous way they spring the decision on the people just before their holiday.

 

Dai, you really cannot bear to have them in any way criticised, can you?

 

Scriv,

 

I think that you should have a balanced view. They way you have put it and others is that all of the customer service is not good. well that is not true. and i am putting the opposite point of view. I have read on a number of other forums of people being very happy with P&O's customer service, dealing well with their problems and quickly resolving issues.

 

On the question of the dining options as you may have read, or not as your above post shows, I do not like the move to freedom dining for the reasons I give above. I would not be happy at all if we were moved from club.

[davecttr]

Dave, did you not suggest that they make half of the MDR Club Dining and the other Freedom? That seems sensible and simple to me and that way all people would be happy?

No, it was not me but i can see the problem is the galleys will be organised differently.

 

with club the food will be produced in waves, starters, main courses and sweets for first sitting and then another wave starting at 8.30 for second sitting.

 

I suppose the wave concept sort of works early on for freedom dining but you have to set up the galley to provide any course at any time.

[Sanjam cruisers]

I fully sympathy with all who have had this change imposed on them but it has been coming, my wife and I started cruising as our main holiday in 2005 and we always chose 1st sitting,over the years we noticed what had been a full dining room start to have more and more empty tables and on asking the Maître D the reason for this he stated more people were electing for Freedom Dining. We first experienced Freedom Dining in 2011 when we cruised with friends who preffered this style of dining and we have never looked back.On both that cruise and our 2012 TA on Azura we were seated at a table where we particularly liked the waiters who were very attentive and thereafter we asked for a table in their section, this request was met on every occasion even if we had to wait a short time until a table became available (longest wait 20 minutes) on one occasion we were given a table for six to ourselves as there were no tables for two available.Whilst this solution may not suit everyone it may help overcome the initial disappointment of changed dining arrangements. I hope you enjoy your cruise otherwise.

[cruising22]

I have just heard back from david Dingle who is getting custoemr services onto the case and he has pronised me an answer very shortly. So fingers crossed and thank you for the advice.

[Scriv]

Oooh, good luck!

 

Do you think that there are more people on an adult only ship who prefer club dining than on the family orientated ones where they might prefer the flexibility of Freedom dining for the younger ones? Just a thought....

 

If so, maybe we might be lucky and keep our club dining option on the Oriana?? There, in May, the MDRs seemed to be very nicely full.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Scriv

[cruising22]

You never know, I believe that families prefer freedom as 18:30 is too early and 20:30 to late for some children. Too me 20:30 is just right for pre dinner drinks, you can then spend a nice leisurely time over dinner and still have time for a few more drinks before you hit the sack.

[Denarius]

I would be very cross, personally when travelling as a couple we prefer club dining, when part of a bigger group we don't mind freedom dining, but I think the service is never as good in the freedom dining restaurants as in club. I do suspect that club dining will be phased out over time on the p&o ships.

I would be commenting very loudly on their Facebook and Twitter pages if I was in your shoes right now!

 

Not only on P&O but on most lines. Club dining is a relic of the times when the MDR was the only option for dinner; the buffet only served breakfast and lunch and select dining had not yet arrived. With many options now being available the idea of reserving a place at a fixed time at a fixed table, which may or may not be used on any one evening, begins to look a little archaic. Indeed, I believe that eventually the whole idea of a MDR may disappear, with ships just having a range of restaurants any of which can be chosen for dinner. I believe that NCL are well down this route.

[clucker]

Have you tried e-mailing the Restaurant Manager directly? I believe this is possible, try (ship concerned)@pocruises.com - marked FAO The Restaurant Manager.

These guys are generally much more customer orientated!;)

[Host Sharon]

If you do get stuck with Freedom you will have to be up early on the first day. A friend currently on Azura emailed to say her husband joined the queue to book for Christmas and New Year's day at 7am and was 30th in the queue!

[sammydo]

If you do get stuck with Freedom you will have to be up early on the first day. A friend currently on Azura emailed to say her husband joined the queue to book for Christmas and New Year's day at 7am and was 30th in the queue!

 

That is just ridiculous, especially when people have booked and had booking confirmed for Mdr. I too would be absolutely gutted, even more so if I was on a xmas cruise, probably the most important time of all to want to know that your chosen arrangements are honoured. It's not like they had a late booking either.

 

I sincerely hope that this gets sorted out for those disappointed passengers.

As someone else said, the last thing you want to do after a long journey, is to have to worry about getting up early to sort out dining arrangements, .that is why you opted for Mdr in the first place, so this should be down to p and o to sort out.

 

With ships sailing only part full this year, I would have thought they would have been trying really hard right now with their customer relations.

We have always been loyal to p and o, but if this happened to us......especially at xmas, not sure I would be giving them a 2nd chance, but do enjoy the cruise, and don't let them totally spoil it, the Caribbean is a great place to be :cool:

[kevinyork]

If you do get stuck with Freedom you will have to be up early on the first day. A friend currently on Azura emailed to say her husband joined the queue to book for Christmas and New Year's day at 7am and was 30th in the queue!

 

Oh I remember that queue on Ventura a couple of Christmas' ago. They said it was from 7am and people started queuing at 6. There were two lines, one to be on the first sitting and one to be on the second. We wanted second and I was at the front within seconds. Seemed everyone wanted early sitting. I suppose thats closer to when people might have Christmas dinner at home.