Princess vs P&O

[Yeshawk]

We're off on our first cruise with Princess in August - 7 nights in Norway on the Caribbean Princess. Having almost exclusively travelled with P&O up to now, what are the main differences that you've come across re food, accommodation, entertainment, excursions etc? When we've asked on board in the past, Princess has always been rated very favourably, hence giving them a go. We noted that excursions seem to be very expensive in comparison, and a drinks package would also appear quite expensive, unless you're prepared to spend all day at the bar!:p

[Colo Cruiser]

We're off on our first cruise with Princess in August - 7 nights in Norway on the Caribbean Princess. Having almost exclusively travelled with P&O up to now, what are the main differences that you've come across re food, accommodation, entertainment, excursions etc? When we've asked on board in the past, Princess has always been rated very favourably, hence giving them a go. We noted that excursions seem to be very expensive in comparison, and a drinks package would also appear quite expensive, unless you're prepared to spend all day at the bar!:p

 

 

From what I have seen/heard there are offers in the UK for Princess cruises with an included AI drink package. Was this an option for you when booking your Princess cruise?

[Corfe Mixture]

Cruised exclusively with P&O until about six years ago. Since then we have cruised with Princess plus one trip on Seabourn.

 

We are unlikely to return to P&O.

 

Forget the drinks packages, though the wine packages are OK.

 

Lots of little things are better. For example you will be able to get credits for the Captains Circle from your cruises with P&O, though you wouldn't get the double cruise credits if you have travelled in a full suite with P&O. Benefits come quicker and if you have 51 nights with P&O, you will enter the scheme at Platinum and depending on the length of the cruise you get up to 250mins each of free internet.

 

151 nights and you will enter at Elite which will give you one mini bar set up worth around $80 (only one per cabin - even if you are both Elite), free laundry and priority tendering.

 

You will probably need to phone Southampton to open the Captain's Circle account and to get them to apply your P&O credits to your Captain's Circle account.

 

Other differences are subjective, but we much prefer Princess.

 

If you are a suite passenger, you may come to the same conclusion as us, namely that Princess value high revenue customers more so than P&O, unless having a 'butler' is something important to you.

[Yeshawk]

Thanks for the info, Corfe Mixture; I did notice that I've come straight in at Platinum but my wife shows up as new only - I need to do some more research.

 

No packages were offered for our trip, but the price was very attractive compared to Britannia doing the same itinery at the same time.

[Corfe Mixture]

Thanks for the info, Corfe Mixture; I did notice that I've come straight in at Platinum but my wife shows up as new only - I need to do some more research.

 

No packages were offered for our trip, but the price was very attractive compared to Britannia doing the same itinery at the same time.

 

That is probably because all the bookings were done in your name but, if your wife has the same cruise history as you, then she should also come in at Platinum. Just phone the Southampton office and they will fix it simply by correlating it with your history.

 

Important to get it fixed as if your cruise is for 14 days then you will both automatically get 250mins of internet time and both get the initial internet account set up fee waived. You don't need to do anything and it doesn't show on your booking, it just happens. What we do is to activate one account and then when it has run down activate the other when we can decide if we wish to buy any additional minutes at the 'first logon rate'.

 

If you go to Cruise Personaliser on the princess website, you don't need your CC number as you can get to your cruise history through your booking reference, you will be able to check whether or not Princess have noted all your P&O history and also check how far you are down the path to Elite.

 

Princess count either days or 'cruise credits' to determine your level, but as P&O have very few cruises of less than 12 days, you will almost certainly get to Elite through 151 days before you make 15 cruise credits.

 

Also depending on how far ahead of your cruise you have made your booking, you may be entitled to 'returning client' early booking discount. When you phone Southampton to sort out your wife's Captain's Circle membership ask them if you were entitled to a PA1 discount and if so, whether or not it has been applied? Not a lot, but worth asking about. Good Luck

Edited May 27, 2015 by Corfe Mixture

[Essiesmom]

Important to get it fixed as if your cruise is for 14 days then you will both automatically get 250mins of internet time and both get the initial internet account set up fee waived. You don't need to do anything and it doesn't show on your booking, it just happens. What we do is to activate one account and then when it has run down activate the other when we can decide if we wish to buy any additional minutes at the 'first logon rate'.

 

Caution when doing this: If your 14 day cruise is also sold as two 7 day cruises, you need to activate both free accounts during the first week, even if you don't know if you will need the minutes. If you wait until the second week, you will only get 150 minutes, which is the free amount for a 7 day cruise. I made that mistake on a 14 day Alaska cruise that was also sold as two 7's, and when I used up my minutes and tried to get my sister's minutes on the second week, I only got the 150. EM

[Corfe Mixture]

Just realised your cruise is a 7 day cruise:

 

1. You will each get 150 minutes of internet time.

 

2. Wine packages are not normally available on 7 day cruises