Using OBC to pre-book select dining, trips, spa treatments etc ?

[SwadFox]

Hi All,

 

I've just received the brochure for our upcoming cruise on Arcadia to the Baltic in July and as I have a decent amount of OBC, thought I'd pre-book the good lady a spa treatment for an early sea day using some of the OBC. However there doesn't appear to be an option to do this, only pay up front which wasn't what I wanted. I recall booking trips on previous P&O cruises and tickets being in the cabin on arrival and all costs being charged to your on board account, but that seems to have changed. Is it still possible to do this in some way or have I got to wait until we get on board and hope the date/times are still available ?

Thanks in advance

[Selbourne]

Hi All,

 

I've just received the brochure for our upcoming cruise on Arcadia to the Baltic in July and as I have a decent amount of OBC, thought I'd pre-book the good lady a spa treatment for an early sea day using some of the OBC. However there doesn't appear to be an option to do this, only pay up front which wasn't what I wanted. I recall booking trips on previous P&O cruises and tickets being in the cabin on arrival and all costs being charged to your on board account, but that seems to have changed. Is it still possible to do this in some way or have I got to wait until we get on board and hope the date/times are still available ?

Thanks in advance

 

This is a source of great irritation to many of us. You cannot pre book anything using OBC. Anything pre-booked must be paid for in advance. The good news is that you do get your Peninsular club discount applied at checkout. The bad news is that you don’t get any discount on on board purchases until you have used up all your OBC!

 

As for the Spa, it rarely sells out as treatments are expensive and they subject people to a hard sell for add on products and extra tips, which deters many regulars. You can book during the afternoon that you board, when the Spa is open for tours. You will have no problem getting an appointment.

[jeanlyon]

Just returned from Oriana and I can tell you the hard sell for the spa, Sindhu and the Beach House was absolutely awful. You are having a drink in the Crows Nest and this woman comes round flogging Sindhu. If this is going to go on, I shall complain. I don't want to have my peaceful time before dinner interrupted by someone selling something!

 

I can only imagine they are finding it difficult to sell the Select dining and spa. I never saw Sindhu full or the Beach House.

[Selbourne]

Just returned from Oriana and I can tell you the hard sell for the spa, Sindhu and the Beach House was absolutely awful. You are having a drink in the Crows Nest and this woman comes round flogging Sindhu. If this is going to go on, I shall complain. I don't want to have my peaceful time before dinner interrupted by someone selling something!

 

I can only imagine they are finding it difficult to sell the Select dining and spa. I never saw Sindhu full or the Beach House.

 

Yes, we have noticed more pushing of Select Dining. The irony is that they seem desperate to sell tables yet if you decide later on in a cruise that you fancy a Select dining restaurant they tell you that they are fully booked. You then walk past them and see empty tables. All a bit of a contradiction.

[mandylennon]

On board credit is for anything purchased onboard. Book the speciality restaurants as soon as you get onboard, We book the excursions we definitely want to do before then wait until we get onboard to book others.

[SwadFox]

Thanks everyone for the info, looks like I'll wait until I get on board and book it then :'):')

[annieuk]

If there are excursions you really want to book then do it before hand. We've come across several people on various cruises who have waited until they board and then found the particular trip they wanted to be fully booked.