What time do P&O confirm pre-registered cabin numbers?

[tring]

For those who have previously pre-registered direct with P&O, can I ask what time of day P&O notification has arrived when your cruise goes on general sale (we are not priority Booking level)?  Just want to make sure we pick it up nippily in case of any problem, though many cabins in our chosen grade would be acceptable.  I realise it could vary but a general idea would be very helpful.

 

Also will it be difficult getting through by phone if we need to do so and is there a better phone number to use for that?

Edited April 10, 2021 by tring

[Josy1953]

When we have pre-registered the times have varied from  just after 8am to late afternoon.  The last 2 times I  didn't wait for them to contact me, I have logged on at around 9am and found what we have been allocated

[tring]

44 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

When we have pre-registered the times have varied from  just after 8am to late afternoon.  The last 2 times I  didn't wait for them to contact me, I have logged on at around 9am and found what we have been allocated

 

Thanks a lot for the reply.  I did not think about the possibility of being able to log in and see the cabin number, which is well worth doing.  We are already able to log in though with our booking reference, as I did it earlier to see if there was any chance of being able to opt out of automatic upgrade through there (I did not think it likely and we can't).  Good to know cabins are allocated by 9am.

 

I tried to ring to opt out of upgrade today, but the system had a recorded (or automated) voice saying they would take longer to answer than they would like, so we should login or ring back another day and cut me off!  The voice also said they expected to be busy for a while, so obviously they do not want to talk to us for a while.  I only hope we will be able to get though on booking day if we need to do so, but I would be selecting the phone option for booking by then if they are not answering those who are already booked.

Edited April 10, 2021 by tring

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, tring said:

For those who have previously pre-registered direct with P&O, can I ask what time of day P&O notification has arrived when your cruise goes on general sale (we are not priority Booking level)?  Just want to make sure we pick it up nippily in case of any problem, though many cabins in our chosen grade would be acceptable.  I realise it could vary but a general idea would be very helpful.

 

Also will it be difficult getting through by phone if we need to do so and is there a better phone number to use for that?

The answer to your final point is yes, you will find the lines very busy.  Which is yet a further point in favour of using A TA, since they will ring you with your cabin number, and if you want to change they have direct access to the P&O on line booking system via their own direct link.

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

The answer to your final point is yes, you will find the lines very busy.  Which is yet a further point in favour of using A TA, since they will ring you with your cabin number, and if you want to change they have direct access to the P&O on line booking system via their own direct link.

Which is why we use the same TA as you!

 

[tring]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

The answer to your final point is yes, you will find the lines very busy. 

 

I thought that would be the case, but there are lots of cabins in the grade we have asked for, the majority of which are fine.  We also have a firm booking at a price which I suspect will go up quite nippily once the cruises are on sale.  Also we can deal direct with P&O in the future, if needed which will be far better than having to go through an agent.

 

Last time we pre-registered with an agent, we had to ring them from a ship in the Med about 1pm uk time, as we had heard nothing.  It seems the agent who was dealing with our booking was not in that day and had not bothered to ask anyone else to deal with it.  Had we not rang, we wold not have been booked until the following day!  Luckily the price had not risen, but a prompt booking would almost certainly have got us a better placed cabin.  Obviously the agent is now an ex agent of ours.

 

We have "booked" an Aurora cruise with the beast and will see how that goes, but we are feeling much more picky about cabins for that one and will not be too bothered if we do not get booked on the cruise.

 

 

[ToxM]

A thread on the day so people can compare would be good.

[majortom10]

We were once on a P&O cruise when the day cruises went on sale for their new brochure, they wouldnt let you pre register onboard and if my memory serves me right they didnt open until about 3pm in the afternoon and there were queues the length of the ship at the booking office and many complaints.

[tring]

14 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We were once on a P&O cruise when the day cruises went on sale for their new brochure, they wouldnt let you pre register onboard and if my memory serves me right they didnt open until about 3pm in the afternoon and there were queues the length of the ship at the booking office and many complaints.

 

Do they still not let you pre register on board?  Seems a bit tough, though perhaps not prepared to do it with the extra discount which (I think) is given for booking on the ships and it could put a massive strain on the wifi.  I assume the 3pm start was because of UK time difference.

 

[majortom10]

4 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Do they still not let you pre register on board?  Seems a bit tough, though perhaps not prepared to do it with the extra discount which (I think) is given for booking on the ships and it could put a massive strain on the wifi.  I assume the 3pm start was because of UK time difference.

 

Dont know if it is still the same now this happened a few years ago. No the time difference wasnt an issue we were in Europe so it still would have been hours after P&O landside reservations and all TAs in the country had opened. They wouldnt even let anyone see a brochure in advance until they opened.

[tring]

11 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Dont know if it is still the same now this happened a few years ago. No the time difference wasnt an issue we were in Europe so it still would have been hours after P&O landside reservations and all TAs in the country had opened. They wouldnt even let anyone see a brochure in advance until they opened.

 

Wow, that was tough and makes launch day bookings very iffy, though if in the higher tiers, hopefully prices would remain the same and availability reasonable.  We have done bookings on Fred ships at launch and the rep has taken details in advance.  His cruises are never well priced at launch, but you do get the extra -5% though.

Edited April 11, 2021 by tring

[Eddie99]

I wonder if that was a one-off or some sort of glitch?

I’ve booked on board, on launch, more than once and never had any problem

[majortom10]

9 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

I wonder if that was a one-off or some sort of glitch?

I’ve booked on board, on launch, more than once and never had any problem

Did they open the offices onboard at the same time as P&O reservations landside because that was the biggest argument most had they said they should have opened at the same time or as near as possible to that time giving time differentials in countries. It wouldnt have been so bad if they had opened at 9am but they were adamant that they were sticking to their normal opening times and wouldnt take bookings in advance.

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by majortom10

[SeaJane]

14 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

I wonder if that was a one-off or some sort of glitch?

I’ve booked on board, on launch, more than once and never had any problem

We were able to pre-register on board Arcadia in October 2019. We were in Europe and they set up an additional booking area open in the morning in one of the lounges. It was busy, but worked well.

[Eddie99]

I don’t recall anything out of the ordinary about the process, so I think it must have been ‘standard’ timings - nothing alarming or annoying

[Son of Anarchy]

We booked on board at launch in 2019.  The reservations desk opened at usual time am.  We were on a TA, unfortunately I can't remember whether the clocks had been put back at that point.  I think I went along before going to breakfast in the MDR. I expected a big queue, but there was just one couple being dealt with as the reservations desk was already open.

[majortom10]

My scenario happened a few years ago I think it was on Azura and we havent been on her since 2012 so it's nice to hear that P&O have learnt and now open on launch whilst onboard to give their loyal cruisers the chance of booking with them again.