Early Saver Dining as a party of four

[Snookumps]

We have booked two cabins on the early saver deal on the Ventura in May. My husband and I are travelling with my mother and and aunt. This trip is a treat for my mums birthday. I am getting concerned regarding the possibility of not been able to sit together for meals in the evenings. We are not bothered which sitting we get as long as we are together. I understand that the early saver deals come with restrictions, but I don't understand why P&O don't seem willing to guarantee all of us dining together . I booked the cruise and paid for it so I think that is one booking. They tell me they class it as two bookings. The only reason we chose the early saver is so we could get a bigger cabin for my mum and aunt for the price we could afford.

Has anyone had problems with being seated together for dinner before? Any advice would be appreciated

[wilson2579]

We have booked two cabins on the early saver deal on the Ventura in May. My husband and I are travelling with my mother and and aunt. This trip is a treat for my mums birthday. I am getting concerned regarding the possibility of not been able to sit together for meals in the evenings. We are not bothered which sitting we get as long as we are together. I understand that the early saver deals come with restrictions, but I don't understand why P&O don't seem willing to guarantee all of us dining together . I booked the cruise and paid for it so I think that is one booking. They tell me they class it as two bookings. The only reason we chose the early saver is so we could get a bigger cabin for my mum and aunt for the price we could afford.

Has anyone had problems with being seated together for dinner before? Any advice would be appreciated

 

I booked 3 cabins last year for ourselves and grown up kids on a getaway, which I believe is the same as the new early saver and because our bookings were linked we were given the same dining, which was freedom dining. I am sure you will be fine but we won't know for sure until the early savers start at the beginning of May and passengers start to report back. Keep my fingers crossed for you.

[kevinyork]

As long as the bookings are linked they will allocate you the same dining preference.

[Essex Racer]

Linked bookings in the past have always worked for dining arrangements for us, when we this time booked 2 early saver cabins we were assured linked bookings will work the same for dining arrangements all be it we won't have a say in 1st / 2nd sitting or freedom dining. Won't know until July though but have faith.

[bee-ess]

We always cruise as a 4 - 2 couples and linked bookings have always worked for us with P&O. We usually book independently as well and the second booker just asks to be linked with the person already booked and that always works as well. We always ask for a table of 4 and have alwaysthat as well. I would just phone P&O and check that your bookings are linked, I don't think you will get any problems.

[Midsomer Madness]

The new changes come in from April this year and I believe that even if your bookings are linked it doesn't guarantee you will get the same dinner sitting...they have made changes to what were the getaway fares..you should check with your travel agent or directly with p&o to get confirmation one way or the other.

[Snookumps]

Thank you for your comments. I have spoken to P&o and they are still insisting they will not guarantee the four of us dining together with it being an early saver. I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

[bee-ess]

Thank you for your comments. I have spoken to P&o and they are still insisting they will not guarantee the four of us dining together with it being an early saver. I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

 

This is a nonsense - surely they will not split up a family from dining together.

[Midsomer Madness]

This was the reply I got from our travel agent when I asked a similar question a couple of months ago..the answers came from the FAQ/web sites for p&o and Cunard:

 

Q = When do passengers choose dining?

A = For P&O Cruise Select Price and the Cunard Fare customers, passengers will be asked for their preference on table size and time at time of booking. Subject to availability these will be confirmed

 

For Early Saver customers, we collect preferences prior to sailing, and will allocate sitting as 2nd Priority Passengers on Early Saver will find out their seating when on board

 

For other promotional fares you will not be able to specify any preference and will be allocated sitting last and will be advised on board

 

Q = Can passengers change dining preferences on board?

A = Only if they are on a P&O Cruises Select Price or Cunard Fare (subject to availability), if they are on any other price type then we will not make any changes on board.

Q = If passengers are travelling as part of a group, will they be able to sit together

A = We are able to request that passengers sit together on the P&O Select Price and the Cunard Fare as these are offered as 1st Priority. We are not able to take requests on other fare types

[bee-ess]

This was the reply I got from our travel agent when I asked a similar question a couple of months ago..the answers came from the FAQ/web sites for p&o and Cunard:

 

Q = When do passengers choose dining?

A = For P&O Cruise Select Price and the Cunard Fare customers, passengers will be asked for their preference on table size and time at time of booking. Subject to availability these will be confirmed

 

For Early Saver customers, we collect preferences prior to sailing, and will allocate sitting as 2nd Priority Passengers on Early Saver will find out their seating when on board

 

For other promotional fares you will not be able to specify any preference and will be allocated sitting last and will be advised on board

 

Q = Can passengers change dining preferences on board?

A = Only if they are on a P&O Cruises Select Price or Cunard Fare (subject to availability), if they are on any other price type then we will not make any changes on board.

Q = If passengers are travelling as part of a group, will they be able to sit together

A = We are able to request that passengers sit together on the P&O Select Price and the Cunard Fare as these are offered as 1st Priority. We are not able to take requests on other fare types

 

But surely common sense has to come into it - this means that any Early Saver booking that involves more than 1 cabin cannot guarantee sitting together for meals which is surely unacceptable. I still say that is a nonsense and would not happen.

[qm2lover]

There could be some unhappy passengers!!! Imagine being on a table with others who had been split up from the rest of their family/friends. Would not make for a happy atmosphere. So it would not only be the passengers on the saver type fare who would be affected by this policy.

[Brayman]

There could be some unhappy passengers!!! Imagine being on a table with others who had been split up from the rest of their family/friends. Would not make for a happy atmosphere. So it would not only be the passengers on the saver type fare who would be affected by this policy.

 

If that were to be the case I can see passengers reorganising themselves after the first night, that could be interesting!

[Essex Racer]

Our cruise is only 7 nights so if we get split up, we just won't eat in the MDR everynight, as on Ventura will use the Buffett and The Beach House and of course sail away bar-b-q night so won't be to bad. Not so much fun if you are on a longer cruise, likewise half empty MDR not good for the atmosphere or food waste. As I say let's wait and see!

[Scriv]

I find it hard to think they will split up a booking...

[bee-ess]

I think that if they proceed along these lines this will be it for us with P&O. We have been on 16 cruises with P&O always in a 4 with my sister and her husband and mostly on a getaway/saver type of deal but if we cannot be guaranteed to sit together for meals it is non-starter.

We will not pay the Select fare as we don't feel that the standard on P&O now warrants it. P&O full price does not compare to Celebrity and they will probably be our preference from now on. How a company expects to take a booking for a group and not expect them to want to sit together for meals beggars belief !

[Snookumps]

I hope that they care about their customers and want to make their stay memorable for all the right reasons. Thanks again for you comments, it's good to know that it is not just me who thinks this seems a bit silly. I will let yoou know what happens.

[qm2lover]

Hope it all works out for you.

 

But even if it does you will have had the 'worry' of it for weeks/months until you are actually on board and can find out if you are sat together.

[Scriv]

I suggest emailing customer services to get in writing their policy as to a family group booking treated as one or two bookings - and whether a linked booking can be treated as one?

[soobs]

Is Ventura still operating with 2 MDR on freedom dining and 1 on club dining?

 

If so and people want club dining then the likelihood is that this will be booked up by the early bookers?

 

If people want freedom there is more likelihood this will be available?

[wilson2579]

I am lead to believe that this is what it is changed too. I am pleased as I prefer freedom dining.:cool:

[simonpjd]

Usual typical moaners.

They want to pay the cheapest price but get all the benefits.

Well you have had that for the last couple of years - maybe it will start to change now and about time too.

[bee-ess]

Usual typical moaners.

They want to pay the cheapest price but get all the benefits.

Well you have had that for the last couple of years - maybe it will start to change now and about time too.

 

So you think that a situation where a family in 2 cabins could be split up on different table/sittings is OK do you ?

This is a holiday after all ,no-one is going to spend a lot of money on a holiday under those circumstances. I quite agree that if booking a Saver fare that you should not be able to choose sitting but if it is one booking you should at least sit together.

Edited February 8, 2014 by bee-ess

[jeanlyon]

I'm sure the usual linked booking situation applies. If you tell them the bookings are linked then whatever booking you get, the others should get the same. Anyway, at the end of the day, if they are different, then you simply eat in the buffet. simples.

Edited February 8, 2014 by jeanlyon

[Brayman]

I'm sure the usual linked booking situation applies. If you tell them the bookings are linked then whatever booking you get, the others should get the same. Anyway, at the end of the day, if they are different, then you simply eat in the buffet. simples.

 

Or you do some negotiation between tables on the first night!

[the english lady]

They haven't said you would not be seated together, they have just said they cannot guarantee it.

P and O have promised the select fare passengers ,that what seating they want ,they will get.

If you believe everyone who posted on here that some ships were sailing with 80% getaway fare payers, then that does not leave a lot of select fare passengers requiring to the seating they want. You will probably be alright.

Also looking at it from p and O's side -which in fairness one should do...if they "guarantee" you will get what you want as a getaway/saver fare payer, then to make it fair they would have to "guarantee" that any other group that book multiple cabins would have to be treated the same as you, and "guaranteed" they would be sat together. This would then mean they could not "guarantee" that select fare payers would get what they want.

I have already stated I would not book these fares in the future, as I would not like to end up on early seating.

To state again they have not said you will not be sat on the same table-they just cannot guarantee it. You are looking at it from your point of view. P and O have to look at the whole ship.