New Itineries

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Maybe our need for a specific cabin gets us preferential treatment  wowzz, but the same TA agent never takes our payment until she has our approval for the cabin selection. We have never needed to refuse a booking but I am very certain we could from all our regular discussions.

Fair point John  - but I have not actually paid anything as yet. I have verbally agreed to a certain cabin grade, and I have done all I can to ensure that every cabin within that grade is OK,  although I accept  that some are better than others. 

I'm assuming that on the 29th I'll get a phone call  telling me if I do or do not have a cabin in the grade I have requested. Given that there are only 10 (iirc) cabins in that grade, I will be over the moon if I get a cabin at all, let alone worry about which us the best one! 

I have been told what the deposit will be.  I wonder how far my TA would pursue me if I decided the cabin was not to my liking, and I decided to renege on my verbal contract?  

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, Manx buoy said:

...You’ll love Azura plenty of space and always able to find a quiet spot somewhere we usually do the TA back to SOU on her but looks likely she’ll not be going to the Caribbean again. 

Just goes to show how we all experience ships differently. I've sailed on Azura twice and felt on both occasions she was dreadfully overcrowded and I struggled to find a seat in most bars and lounges most nights...

[wowzz]

14 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Just goes to show how we all experience ships differently. I've sailed on Azura twice and felt on both occasions she was dreadfully overcrowded and I struggled to find a seat in most bars and lounges most nights...

So I assume the same would apply to Ventura?  

[MX-Drew]

10 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I have pre registered with the same TA for 5 maiden cruises on P&O ships and they cannot reserve a specific cabin. What the difference is that unlike with P&O where you can only specify cabin grade you can give your TA 5 or 6 specific cabins that you would like to book and they can try on day of sale to book one of those cabins. Up to now they have been successful on every occasion with my first choice of cabin.

So that is exactly what I have described. As far as I can tell there is nothing stopping me ring on day of sale and trying to get a cabin of choice.

[MX-Drew]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

Fair point John  - but I have not actually paid anything as yet. I have verbally agreed to a certain cabin grade, and I have done all I can to ensure that every cabin within that grade is OK,  although I accept  that some are better than others. 

I'm assuming that on the 29th I'll get a phone call  telling me if I do or do not have a cabin in the grade I have requested. Given that there are only 10 (iirc) cabins in that grade, I will be over the moon if I get a cabin at all, let alone worry about which us the best one! 

I have been told what the deposit will be.  I wonder how far my TA would pursue me if I decided the cabin was not to my liking, and I decided to renege on my verbal contract?  

And there is where I see the difference. P&O take your deposit so I believe (I may be wrong) but I have a contract with P&O to supply where as “your word” without a signature is next to worthless in law. I believe P&O will fulfil the contracts with money backing them first. No idea how P&O deal with the higher levels in the Peninsular Club.

[MX-Drew]

I have just phoned P&O and spoke to a very helpful chap called Lee, I had to make a slight change to my booking so while I was talking to him I just said shame I can't give you a cabin number like I could if I booked through a travel agent. His response was no cabins are allocated at this stage by anyone as they are being released to the priority group first then the pre registered group will be allocated cabins but we can ring and change it when the cabins go on general sale.

If you have not paid a deposit I have no idea where you stand.

[joeecco]

I’ve just been looking at Arvia and noticed that her last cruise listed is Barbados back to Southampton...

 

This has surprised me considering the build up of her being a ‘sunshine’ ship. Unless they will send her on a Southampton to a new home port trip in Summer 2023 launch? maybe they will do this and send her to Barcelona. 
 

 

[tring]

1 hour ago, MX-Drew said:

I have just phoned P&O and spoke to a very helpful chap called Lee, I had to make a slight change to my booking so while I was talking to him I just said shame I can't give you a cabin number like I could if I booked through a travel agent. His response was no cabins are allocated at this stage by anyone as they are being released to the priority group first then the pre registered group will be allocated cabins but we can ring and change it when the cabins go on general sale.

If you have not paid a deposit I have no idea where you stand.

 

That is as I expected, but none the less interesting.  Any indication if we can ring for cabin early morning, or are we expected to wait until notification comes through, which details say may not come straight away.  We have pre-registered with an agent before, so do not know what time the P&O notification emails turn up. 

 

Perhaps others may be able to answer that question for me, if you were not told.

[MX-Drew]

3 minutes ago, tring said:

 

That is as I expected, but none the less interesting.  Any indication if we can ring for cabin early morning, or are we expected to wait until notification comes through, which details say may not come straight away.  We have pre-registered with an agent before, so do not know what time the P&O notification emails turn up. 

 

Perhaps others may be able to answer that question for me, if you were not told.

Sorry I forgot that detail, we can't ring until the confirmation email has arrived. This will not be until the general sales are open.

[tring]

14 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

Sorry I forgot that detail, we can't ring until the confirmation email has arrived. This will not be until the general sales are open.

 

Might take a while then, hopefully someone will be able to tell me what time the confirmations turn up.  Not a massive problem for us as loads of cabins in our chosen grade will be acceptable, but would still like too be assured of that or have chance to alter it.

[tring]

3 hours ago, joeecco said:

I’ve just been looking at Arvia and noticed that her last cruise listed is Barbados back to Southampton...

 

This has surprised me considering the build up of her being a ‘sunshine’ ship. Unless they will send her on a Southampton to a new home port trip in Summer 2023 launch? maybe they will do this and send her to Barcelona. 
 

 

 

I would have thought the same, unless they mean she will be doing trips south from Southampton. or perhaps not finalised arrangements for beyond then yet, so decided to bring her back here first, as you say, but fly Med cruises are pretty numerous now and often go quite cheap.  Also depends what other ships they still have by then, I presume.  Azura is left in the Med though, so presumably staying a while.

[Britboys]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

So I assume the same would apply to Ventura?  

That's certainly the assumption I have made as she is basically the same layout and takes the same number of pax.

[Britboys]

3 hours ago, joeecco said:

I’ve just been looking at Arvia and noticed that her last cruise listed is Barbados back to Southampton...

 

This has surprised me considering the build up of her being a ‘sunshine’ ship. Unless they will send her on a Southampton to a new home port trip in Summer 2023 launch? maybe they will do this and send her to Barcelona. 
 

 

My guess is that they will then do a repositioning cruise. Maybe she will take over from Azura in doing fly-cruise from Malta? The other advantage to bringing her back to Southampton is that it may make season-end crew changes easier and cheaper.

[majortom10]

5 hours ago, MX-Drew said:

So that is exactly what I have described. As far as I can tell there is nothing stopping me ring on day of sale and trying to get a cabin of choice.

But you cannot specify choice of cabins in advance if you pre register only cabin grade and then P&O pick your cabin for you within that grade and if you are not happy with that cabin you have to phone on the day, best of luck with that with P&Os history on answering phone, and hope you can change to a cabin that you are happy with and is still available. I will give my TA 6 cabin numbers and book anyone of those if not available then dont book.

[Manx buoy]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

That's certainly the assumption I have made as she is basically the same layout and takes the same number of pax.

Been on both of them and yes they’re very similar for us Azura just shades it don’t know why but just a slightly different atmosphere. Also forgot to say we’ve always avoided them during school holidays which I’m guessing will make a major difference 

[joeecco]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

My guess is that they will then do a repositioning cruise. Maybe she will take over from Azura in doing fly-cruise from Malta? The other advantage to bringing her back to Southampton is that it may make season-end crew changes easier and cheaper.

Azura repositions back to Valletta for April 23 so looks like she’s staying put for a while longer there. 
 

I reckon Summer 23 will see Azura doing Adriatic and Aegean itinerary’s out of Valletta and then Arvia doing western Med itinerary’s either out of Southampton or moving her to Barcelona, they’re limited with LNG capabilities still I presume. 

[Manx buoy]

3 hours ago, tring said:

 

Might take a while then, hopefully someone will be able to tell me what time the confirmations turn up.  Not a massive problem for us as loads of cabins in our chosen grade will be acceptable, but would still like too be assured of that or have chance to alter it.

Just been contacted by our TA and they have pre registered us for the cruises we requested but can’t guarantee we’ll get the exact cabin we want but if that’s not available we’ll get one nearby which is what we thought, hopefully being Ligurians and only wanting insides we should stand a good chance getting our choices

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, joeecco said:

Azura repositions back to Valletta for April 23 so looks like she’s staying put for a while longer there. 
 

I reckon Summer 23 will see Azura doing Adriatic and Aegean itinerary’s out of Valletta and then Arvia doing western Med itinerary’s either out of Southampton or moving her to Barcelona, they’re limited with LNG capabilities still I presume. 

Thanks for that. My money would be on her being based in Southampton then as I would be surprised if P&O had two ships doing Med fly-cruise. They are however in the midst of big changes to their product so anything is possible.

[joeecco]

3 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Thanks for that. My money would be on her being based in Southampton then as I would be surprised if P&O had two ships doing Med fly-cruise. They are however in the midst of big changes to their product so anything is possible.

Seems a great shame to base a huge sunshine ship in Southampton when they have her sister ship for colder weather already there. We were hoping for fresher itineraries. Still time I guess! 

[Britboys]

1 minute ago, joeecco said:

Seems a great shame to base a huge sunshine ship in Southampton when they have her sister ship for colder weather already there. We were hoping for fresher itineraries. Still time I guess! 

Yes, I know what you mean. Iona was set to do her first two Summer seasons in Norway, so she may well do Summer 2023 in Norway. Arvia and Ventura maybe alternating 2-week itineraries to the Med and Canaries?

[jeanlyon]

17 hours ago, Britboys said:

Just goes to show how we all experience ships differently. I've sailed on Azura twice and felt on both occasions she was dreadfully overcrowded and I struggled to find a seat in most bars and lounges most nights...

Andrew exactly what we felt about her.  That's why I wouldn't sail on her or Ventura or indeed anything bigger.

[Denarius]

5 hours ago, Britboys said:

That's certainly the assumption I have made as she is basically the same layout and takes the same number of pax.

Ventura and Azura are based on the Grand Princess design but with an extra deck of cabins added, increasing their passenger capacity by 20% from 2.5k to 3k. But they have no more public space, so always feel overcrowded when full.

[terrierjohn]

10 hours ago, MX-Drew said:

I have just phoned P&O and spoke to a very helpful chap called Lee, I had to make a slight change to my booking so while I was talking to him I just said shame I can't give you a cabin number like I could if I booked through a travel agent. His response was no cabins are allocated at this stage by anyone as they are being released to the priority group first then the pre registered group will be allocated cabins but we can ring and change it when the cabins go on general sale.

If you have not paid a deposit I have no idea where you stand.

I have made quite a few launch bookings with the same TA, in the past they took a deposit against a CC  but did not action it until the launch day. Recently I have not even given them the CC details until they have rung me later in the day, to confirm they had made my booking first thing, and obtained my first choice cabin, only then have I given them the CC details. Now of course my FCC should more than  cover the deposit.

[majortom10]

We have cruised in the past 5 times on Azura and once on Ventura (Maiden) I think that says which we prefer.

[tring]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I have made quite a few launch bookings with the same TA, in the past they took a deposit against a CC  but did not action it until the launch day. Recently I have not even given them the CC details until they have rung me later in the day, to confirm they had made my booking first thing, and obtained my first choice cabin, only then have I given them the CC details. Now of course my FCC should more than  cover the deposit.

 

We used an FCC for one of our bookings with P&O yesterday and it was about 5  times the deposit needed, but P&O wanted a cash deposit and the FCC just went off the total, hence the whole value just offset the final balance.  We were disappointed, but is how it worked.