freedom dining

[lenbest]

Can anyone on a saver booking use freedom dining or are you restricted to set sittings.Thanks for any information

[sammybonny]

On a saver fare you will be allocated dining when you board.It states that you can't change the option but on our last cruise some people on saver fares did ask to change and we're able to.We were on a saver fare and we're allocated freedom dining as we're most other people we spoke to.

It may depend which ship you are on, we were on Ventura and they had two of the three dining rooms used for freedom dining.

[Otter18]

I agree with sammybonny. Saver fares are allocated once on board and you do not have a choice. As stated, they also say you cannot change once allocated.

 

It is interesting to hear that some saver fare passengers have requested a change that has been granted. I have 2 cruises coming up, one of which is a saver fare. I think your dining option can make or break a good cruise.

[daiB]

I agree with sammybonny. Saver fares are allocated once on board and you do not have a choice. As stated, they also say you cannot change once allocated.

 

 

 

It is interesting to hear that some saver fare passengers have requested a change that has been granted. I have 2 cruises coming up, one of which is a saver fare. I think your dining option can make or break a good cruise.

 

 

If someone on select fare wants what you have got then there is always the possibility of a swap.

[insanemagnet]

Saver fares are allocated once on board and you do not have a choice. As stated, they also say you cannot change once allocated.

 

The saver T&Cs say that dining is allocated on board, they do not say they cannot be changed once allocated -

 

http://www.pocruises.com/saver/

 

I have not had any difficulty getting a fixed dining seating changed to freedom when I have been on a saver fare.

 

Anyway, as I have said before, if P&O decided to be awkward and not try to help people, then their customers could take the situation into their own hands and arrange their own swaps.

[Mark-Sheffield]

Once on board I would ask for a swap. Although the T&C's say one thing, if you make a request to the right person, on board they do have the scope to make such changes.

[Otter18]

The saver T&Cs say that dining is allocated on board, they do not say they cannot be changed once allocated -

 

http://www.pocruises.com/saver/

 

I have not had any difficulty getting a fixed dining seating changed to freedom when I have been on a saver fare.

 

Anyway, as I have said before, if P&O decided to be awkward and not try to help people, then their customers could take the situation into their own hands and arrange their own swaps.

 

Letter of confirmation from P&O, Quote:

'Dining Information: You have purchased your cruise using a Saver Fare. As such your dining time will be allocated on board and we are unable to take note of your preference prior to departure or make any changes once on board.'

 

This is the first saver fare I have purchased, I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm pleased to hear that they are a little more pragmatic, and will try to accommodate passengers preferences irrespective of the type of fare paid.

[the english lady]

Letter of confirmation from P&O, Quote:

'Dining Information: You have purchased your cruise using a Saver Fare. As such your dining time will be allocated on board and we are unable to take note of your preference prior to departure or make any changes once on board.'

 

This is the first saver fare I have purchased, I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm pleased to hear that they are a little more pragmatic, and will try to accommodate passengers preferences irrespective of the type of fare paid.

 

Yes on board they will always try and accommodate any changes that are requested.

However yet again the word guarantee comes into play. They would only have so many places for each type of dining, and if you have over 100 people all wanting to change to the same thing, maybe not all of them will be happy.

Sometimes people have posted it can take a day or 2 to happen.

If it does not happen it will not be because p and o is being a pain, or treating saver fares differently, it will be because they just can not accommodate the change.

I don't know whether the requests are dealt with in date of booking order.

[Clodia]

The only time I've made a change on non select bookings was when I had freedom and wanted second sitting; there was no problem. I suspect if I'd wanted first sitting it wouldn't have been possible.

[daiB]

Letter of confirmation from P&O, Quote:

 

'Dining Information: You have purchased your cruise using a Saver Fare. As such your dining time will be allocated on board and we are unable to take note of your preference prior to departure or make any changes once on board.'

 

 

 

This is the first saver fare I have purchased, I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm pleased to hear that they are a little more pragmatic, and will try to accommodate passengers preferences irrespective of the type of fare paid.

 

 

However if you have been given second sitting, as an example and there is no one who want to swap for second, then you cannot swap. If there are people who paid select wanting to swap they will get the swap first.

[Florry]

The only time I've made a change on non select bookings was when I had freedom and wanted second sitting; there was no problem. I suspect if I'd wanted first sitting it wouldn't have been possible.

 

 

First sitting is no longer the most popular option, we were told everything has changed and most people want Freedom. We have decided to try it next year.

[cornishcrusader]

I'm a little confused, I'm looking at booking on the Britannia next month on a saver fare, the difference between saver and select re. dining is 'First Priority for Dining Time and Table Size', there is no mention of not being able to take the freedom option.

 

Could someone clarify please.

[Somerset Cruiser]

First sitting is no longer the most popular option, we were told everything has changed and most people want Freedom. We have decided to try it next year.

 

I think it varies from cruise to cruise, depending on the itinerary and the demographic of the passengers.

[dgs1956]

I'm a little confused, I'm looking at booking on the Britannia next month on a saver fare, the difference between saver and select re. dining is 'First Priority for Dining Time and Table Size', there is no mention of not being able to take the freedom option.

 

Could someone clarify please.

 

Select Fare passengers choose their dining option (You should get it)

Saver Fare passengers dining option is selected onboard by P&O (You may be able to change it)

[jeanlyon]

I'm a little confused, I'm looking at booking on the Britannia next month on a saver fare, the difference between saver and select re. dining is 'First Priority for Dining Time and Table Size', there is no mention of not being able to take the freedom option.

 

Could someone clarify please.

 

If you book Select, you have choice of 1st sitting, 2nd sitting or Freedom. You also have choice of table size on the first two options.

[the english lady]

I'm a little confused, I'm looking at booking on the Britannia next month on a saver fare, the difference between saver and select re. dining is 'First Priority for Dining Time and Table Size', there is no mention of not being able to take the freedom option.

 

Could someone clarify please.

 

Select fare payers chose which type of dining they would like when booking (1st sitting/2nd sitting/freedom) and the table size..theirs will be allocated first.

I think early savers can request their choice after booking..(I think I read you do it on the CP)

Saver fares are then allocated what is left. If a lot of people want first sitting out of the select/early savers, then saver fares will likely end up with 2nd seating or freedom

I think they try and allocated saver fares a lot of the time to freedom dining ,so they cant complain that they cannot eat when they would like to.

However if you had a cruise where a lot of select /early saver fare payers wanted freedom ,then saver fares would end up with first or second sitting.

The first 2 types of fare have some say in the matter. Saver fares do not. However they would be getting their cruise at a cheaper price.

[cornishcrusader]

Ahh, thank you for the explanation. As I read the website I took it that the select fare gave you priority over the choice of 1st/2nd sitting and had no relevance to freedom.

[Scriv]

It has no relevance to eating in the buffet, cornishcrusader... perhaps you were thinking of that? You can always go up there for a meal instead of eating in one of the MDRs whichever sitting you have been allocated.