TA Web Sites Confusing for First Timers?

[Eglesbrech]

The select / saver thing has been around for a while and to their credit if you look at the P&O website it is very clear what you get and what you don't with each.

 

Before we booked recently we also looked at a couple of travel agents and eventually booked through a large company as they offered a discount. What they did not do was spell out the different fare types. It was clear that a "guarantee" meant no immediate room allocation but there was nothing about dinner or port shuttle costs or tips etc.

 

Is this lack of (obvious) information brewing up trouble for the staff on the ships. The detail may be available on the web sites but it is definately not crystal clear when booking and someone new to cruising would not know to look for it.

 

So your new cruiser books, gets onboard and is told eg that only freedom dining is available to them. Next they stop off at a port and there is a charge for the shuttle, this could mount up depending on the itinerary. Next they look at the onboard account and there is an auto tip they know nothing about.

 

If they are not happy with any or all or these points it is the crew onboard who are likely to hear about it, not the TA. Anyone experienced issues/ fellow passengers with issues like this?

[jeanlyon]

No I haven't, because I suspect that first of all the paperwork from P&O describes some of these things and I would think most people log into P&O Cruise personaliser and checks on their website>?

[Kamloops50]

The select / saver thing has been around for a while and to their credit if you look at the P&O website it is very clear what you get and what you don't with each.

 

Before we booked recently we also looked at a couple of travel agents and eventually booked through a large company as they offered a discount. What they did not do was spell out the different fare types. It was clear that a "guarantee" meant no immediate room allocation but there was nothing about dinner or port shuttle costs or tips etc.

 

Is this lack of (obvious) information brewing up trouble for the staff on the ships. The detail may be available on the web sites but it is definately not crystal clear when booking and someone new to cruising would not know to look for it.

 

So your new cruiser books, gets onboard and is told eg that only freedom dining is available to them. Next they stop off at a port and there is a charge for the shuttle, this could mount up depending on the itinerary. Next they look at the onboard account and there is an auto tip they know nothing about.

 

If they are not happy with any or all or these points it is the crew onboard who are likely to hear about it, not the TA. Anyone experienced issues/ fellow passengers with issues like this?

 

Sounds like the TA agents are just order takers in a call center somewhere. I know you can't name a specific TA on this forum. In general a good TA can answer all your questions and also ask some of you to understand what you are expecting.

[jeanlyon]

Yes agree, most speciality TAs know all the things about each cruise line and anyway, I would think a large proportion of people look at the P&O website first, get a price and then go to the TA? I could be wrong.

[Scriv]

I'm sorry but if new cruiser books and goes on board without first researching the cruise company by visiting its website or by looking at its brochures where all these things are very well explained or by looking around, then he/she is storing up trouble for themselves, but surely can hardly blame others.

 

Different if he/she has been misinformed by his/her TA of course, but when there is no info available from the TA at all, then it is a daft thing to do to part with hard earned money without knowing T&C's like this.

 

As a total newbie, I would not do business with any TA who gave me no info at all on things like this or who did not at least point me in the right direction to find out before I booked even if they gave me a huge discount. But then again, I would never book a holiday without doing all my homework first. I would have researched it well just like you have obviously done, Eglesbrech.

 

And any comeback should be sorted out between the customer and the TA of course, but yes, you are right in so far as it is the poor P&O staff who might get the flak on board - and very unfairly IMHO.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Scriv

[Mysticalmother]

You are so right Scriv! I do agree it can be confusing for new cruisers but I think this has been exacerbated in recent years with cruises now available to the "mass market" .

 

Judging by some of the questions I have seen people ask on FB (and to a lesser extent on these forums) - and the complaints that follow, people seem to treat a cruise the same as a foreign hotel holiday. They don't realise that the weather can affect a cruise, that the sea moves (and so does the ship!) and things don't always go entirely to plan. Their cabin may be smaller than a hotel room and may not have a window, - you have to pay extra for that! - and mass catering ( on a very large scale) means that sometimes food isnt what they are expecting. And toilets dont work the same way as on land.....:D and get blocked with the rubbish people throw into them.

 

They don't read the Ts &Cs , and dont do any research at all. They choose to go on a cruise " because that is what everyone else does " and find it can be a wake up call and their expectations are not met.

 

On the other hand they may get well and truly hooked!:):)

[john watson]

The thing about travel agents is that when you are considering your first cruise. it seems to be reasonable to walk in one and ask about cruises. Most people will think a well known name travel agent is a cruise expert. I always ask if they know a lot about cruises and tend to get the answer, "Yes we are cruise experts" or something like that. What I do not tell them is that I have been cruising with P&O for 47 years.

 

I did a booking one year at a travel agent's shop and all was going well; I had my internet prices printed out on sheets of paper inside my pockets and had memorised the prices. The lady did a few itineraries, pre-restricted to those I had identified beforehand. She did a number of dummy bookings to establish her prices. She was surprised that I was willing to switch dates based on cabin unavailability. Finally we agreed on a booking after the manager had okayed my price.

 

Funny thing is that despite her being a cruise expert she said she was thinking of going on a cruise this summer with her husband as a special holiday. She said it was her first cruise and was looking forward to it. Then she asked about how excursions work. formal nights dress and dining arrangements. I did smile.

 

She was clearly not an expert. Typically competent travel agents in shops work out their clients are price sensitive and tailor their discussion on this basis to close a sale. First time cruisers are particularly vulnerable and in this respect I think a number of people get switched to Fred Olsen etc. and think they have got a very good bargain despite that line offering a generally lower level of cruise. They then believe all cruise lines are as brilliant as this. Another way the travel agent can close deal is to say the cruise is so much money but if you pay in full today we can discount it to a much lower amount. What they might not explain is that you are being transferred onto a different fare basis and a big list of things have disappeared, cabin choice, dining etc. but they do not tell you this. You might easily leave the shop thinking I have negotiated a very good deal.

 

Regards John

Edited March 10, 2016 by john watson

[Mysticalmother]

the thing about travel agents is that when you are considering your first cruise. It seems to be reasonable to walk in one and ask about cruises. Most people will think a well known name travel agent is a cruise expert. I always ask if they know a lot about cruises and tend to get the answer, "yes we are cruise experts" or something like that. What i do not tell them is that i have been cruising with p&o for 47 years.

 

I did a booking one year at a travel agent's shop and all was going well; i had my internet prices printed out on sheets of paper inside my pockets and had memorised the prices. The lady did a few itineraries, pre-restricted to those i had identified beforehand. She did a number of dummy bookings to establish her prices. She was surprised that i was willing to switch dates based on cabin unavailability. Finally we agreed on a booking after the manager had okayed my price.

 

Funny thing is that despite her being a cruise expert she said she was thinking of going on a cruise this summer with her husband as a special holiday. She said it was her first cruise and was looking forward to it. Then she asked about how excursions work. Formal nights dress and dining arrangements. I did smile.

 

She was clearly not an expert. Typically competent travel agents in shops work out their clients are price sensitive and tailor their discussion on this basis to close a sale. First time cruisers are particularly vulnerable and in this respect i think a number of people get switched to fred olsen etc. And think they have got a very good bargain despite that line offering a generally lower level of cruise. They then believe all cruise lines are as brilliant as this. Another way the travel agent can close deal is to say the cruise is so much money but if you pay in full today we can discount it to a much lower amount. What they might not explain is that you are being transferred onto a different fare basis and a big list of things have disappeared, cabin choice, dining etc. But they do not tell you this. You might easily leave the shop thinking i have negotiated a very good deal.

 

Regards john

 

Oh I do wish this forum had a "like" button!

Edited March 10, 2016 by Mysticalmother

[Scriv]

Me too MM and John

[Thejuggler]

Booking a P&O cruise is now becoming almost as painful as buying a car.

 

It is definately set up for people who have cruised before. Negotiating the options as a newbie is far more complicated than it need be.

 

It is going down the route of booking no frills air tickets, full of potential problems if you don't know what you are doing.

[annieuk]

You only have to read the questions posted on some websites to see how little research some people do before booking a cruise. I have seen questions like - "I have booked a P&O cruise on......and can someone tell me if there's a dress code, as my wife and I don't like dressing up?" So immediately they have booked with the wrong cruise line for them. I think partly some people see what they think is a good price on either the internet or in a newspaper and promptly book it without doing any research at all. I don't understand how people can spend a lot of money without finding everything they can about the cruise line they intend to choose.

[Cruising Nomads]

Regarding your comment :- First time cruisers are particularly vulnerable and in this respect I think a number of people get switched to Fred Olsen etc. and think they have got a very good bargain despite that line offering a generally lower level of cruise.

 

Have you ever cruised on Fred Olsen ships? If not I do not see how you can make a statement like that. Having cruised with both P & O and Fred.Olsen I frind them a very comparable cruise company.

[Mysticalmother]

You only have to read the questions posted on some websites to see how little research some people do before booking a cruise. I have seen questions like - "I have booked a P&O cruise on......and can someone tell me if there's a dress code, as my wife and I don't like dressing up?" So immediately they have booked with the wrong cruise line for them. I think partly some people see what they think is a good price on either the internet or in a newspaper and promptly book it without doing any research at all. I don't understand how people can spend a lot of money without finding everything they can about the cruise line they intend to choose.

 

...and one I read " my cruise is going to the med from southampton - are there any days when we cant get off the ship? " ....and from the same person a bit later " will we be going across the Bay of Biscay? ":D

[Eglesbrech]

No I haven't, because I suspect that first of all the paperwork from P&O describes some of these things and I would think most people log into P&O Cruise personaliser and checks on their website>?

 

Spot on. We just got the paperwork from p&o a week after booking and yes it does actually say about the dining arrangements and charge for shuttles other than where they are required for health and safety in the port.

 

In the process the uninformed new cruiser now knows from P&O, not from the travel agent and after having paid in full that there are restrictions and costs they might not have expected for shuttles. Still no mention of the auto tips.

 

I did quite a bit of research before our first cruise many many years ago but still remember being shocked at how small the cabin was, I have cupboards that are bigger than the cabin on that ship. That's where forums like this are so valuable but my first cruise was before the web!

[john watson]

Regarding your comment :- First time cruisers are particularly vulnerable and in this respect I think a number of people get switched to Fred Olsen etc. and think they have got a very good bargain despite that line offering a generally lower level of cruise.

 

Have you ever cruised on Fred Olsen ships? If not I do not see how you can make a statement like that. Having cruised with both P & O and Fred.Olsen I frind them a very comparable cruise company.

 

Well if you consider their current "modern" fleet none seem to have entered service with Fred Olsen from new; Black Watch and Boudicca both built 1972 are both over forty years old. Balmoral built 1988 was run by 8 previous cruise line operators before going into service with Fred Olsen. I like cruise ships to be built more recently P&O's oldest is Oriana built 1995 which is newer than Fred Olsen's newest ship Braemar built 1993 and that had 5 previous cruise line operators. I have never been a fan of cruise ships which have been cut in half and lengthened. I believe Fred Olsen has done this to at least two of it's ships. I saw Black Prince once and was shocked by the state it looked with bashed in sides and scrapes on the hull but this ship was considered the absolute best in popularity.

 

There are no childrens clubs on Fred Olsen like on P&O and this gives a more elderly passenger base. Loyal cruisers they may be but I think this will not suit many younger newcomers who will not understand these points. I have always avoided them in the past and my next door neighbour who is an elderly single regular cruisers came back from a cruise on Fred Olsen and was disgusted with the meals. So I am not going to try them some things are not worth trying in my opinion and this cruise line is one. I do not see them in the same league as P&O by a long way. Some people like them very much, I know some elderly people at work who think they are marvelous but they have only cruised with that line. I would accept that it might well be a very friendly line with a loyal following but not for me.

 

Regards John

Edited March 11, 2016 by john watson

[Cruising Nomads]

Again I state that if you have not tried Fred Olsen you can not say that it is a lower level of cruise.

 

Maybe you are forgetting that P&O have Adult only ships where the age range is a lot older than the Family ships.

 

Have you not noticed Oriana lately with the massive bulge in her side.

 

Do you not think that food can vary between peoples taste? How many reviews have stated that the standard of the food as dropped on P&O to make people book the fee paying restaurants.

[john watson]

Again I state that if you have not tried Fred Olsen you can not say that it is a lower level of cruise.

 

If you research star ratings on the internet you may find P&O is generally **** whereas Fred Olsen is **. This is not my opinion I am just telling people what the comparative levels are as published on the internet. You do not have to try something to say it is bad; which I never had, just that it's of a lower level. I was surprised at the size of disparity which I found.

 

Maybe you are forgetting that P&O have Adult only ships where the age range is a lot older than the Family ships.

 

This facility will allow cruisers to chose between the two different cruising styles at a four star level.

 

Have you not noticed Oriana lately with the massive bulge in her side.

 

I have not seen this. Oriana is by far the oldest ship in the P&O fleet being only two years newer than Fred Olsens newest ship and twenty two years newer than their two oldest ships. I suspect it may well leave the fleet soon.

 

Do you not think that food can vary between peoples taste? How many reviews have stated that the standard of the food as dropped on P&O to make people book the fee paying restaurants.

 

My neighbour was an avid Fred Olsen fan for many years her sudden dislike to their cuisine was following the decision to plate everything. This was not the issue she had it was that she felt the vegetables etc. were all overcooked and very mushy.

 

Regards John

Edited March 12, 2016 by john watson

[Mysticalmother]

 

 

Have you not noticed Oriana lately with the massive bulge in her side.

.

 

????????????? Please post a picture.....:confused:

[kevinyork]

Again I state that if you have not tried Fred Olsen you can not say that it is a lower level of cruise.

 

 

 

On that basis you cannot rely on a 2 star Michelin restaurant being better than a nil star restaurant unless you have tried it. On that basis let's make all cruise ships the same star rating and let guests find out for themselves.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Host Sharon]

In the 2016 Berlitz Guide Fred Olsen ships are 3*+ and P&O 4* so half a star in it. Having sailed on both, I wouldn't say Fred are worse than P&O, just different and in fact I find their food vastly superior, although there is less choice. I particularly like the fact that you can eat lunch in the MDR and there is a mix of buffet and menu items.

 

Admittedly their ships are older but I prefer smaller cruise ships with character - hence my love of Oriana and Aurora over Ventura and Azura. Oh, and I don't class myself as elderly! On my last FO cruise on Braemar there were lostsof teenagers.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Host Sharon

[john watson]

In the 2016 Berlitz Guide Fred Olsen ships are 3*+ and P&O 4* so half a star in it.

 

My original point was that newcomers to the cruising market who are price sensitive customers are vulnerable to switch selling. In this respect from a potential P&O booking to a Fred Olsen booking with a generally lower level of cruise. You quote Fred Olsen 3*+ against P&O 4*. This is my basic point, simple as that. The people paying the money are unaware of the reason for the price difference and think the offer is a fantastic bargain.

 

If the same people saw a hotel break in a 4* hotel for £1000 and felt that this was a bit dear and the travel agent said there is this other hotel we can offer and it's only £800 they would easily see that the alternative offer was only 3*+ as everybody understands hotel star grades.

 

I also said in my ** against **** ratings which I had found that I was surprised at the size of the disparity.

 

Regards John

Edited March 13, 2016 by john watson

[AchileLauro]

Regarding your comment :- First time cruisers are particularly vulnerable and in this respect I think a number of people get switched to Fred Olsen etc. and think they have got a very good bargain despite that line offering a generally lower level of cruise.

 

Have you ever cruised on Fred Olsen ships? If not I do not see how you can make a statement like that. Having cruised with both P & O and Fred.Olsen I frind them a very comparable cruise company.

 

We too find them very similar. One of the best cruise holidays that we have ever experienced was on Balmoral, much more enjoyable in many ways than some later cruises on P&O. Saying that there are some Fred Olson ships that we have visited that we certainly wouldn't consider booking on, the same applies to a couple of the larger P&O ships.

[Cruising Nomads]

Sorry I should have called the bulge a dent. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of this.

The dent happened when the Oriana was trying to berth in Southampton in April last year after her Northern Lights cruise and she hit the pier due to the strong winds.

I understand the damage was so severe that it affected some of the cabins and that crew members were moved to other areas of the ship.

[Cruising Nomads]

Regarding your comment on TA selling Fred Olsen cruises by price switching I would think that taking into account the various fare structures that both cruise lines operate that again there is not a great deal of difference.

 

I am somewhat confused about your comment regarding your neighbours dislike of the food on Fred Olsen. You mention her dislike to the plated food. As far as I am aware Fred Olsens food has been plated for at least 10 years.

 

If you check this websites cruise awards I think you will find they rated Fred Olsen very high in the Cruise Food category for Small ships last year and also the Holiday & Cruise Channel voted them Britain's Best Cruise Line for Food.