Iona no show for Geiranger

[molecrochip]

11 hours ago, Ardennais said:

So Moley confirmed on 2 June that it affected all up to G218, but P&O probably knew even then, a full week ago, that they would also be unable to visit Gerianger at all this year. Not good at all. 

 

2 hours ago, Snow Hill said:

It’s probably not surprising giving that it appears that Iona is unable to us the sea walk due to incompatibility between the ship and the sea walk leaving tendering the only option, which given the number of passengers and crew onboard could be a very long operation. 
 

The port schedule at Geiranger has had the Iona crossed out for about 2 weeks now, not sure why P&O have been tardy in informing its customers of the inevitable change. 

As I said, P&O have been trying to resolve the issue.

 

Because despite what the port website said, decision only been made this week regarding cancelling the rest of the season's calls.

 

My understanding is that Iona should fit and is sized correctly/as required to use the Sea Walk. Its appears to be the local pilots who are not happy with something.

[Selbourne]

How very British we are.

 

We buy a holiday to a specific place. The operator takes the final payment (so that you cannot cancel without a substantial loss) before letting us know that we aren’t going there. They then say,  never mind, we can get you there but it will cost around £30-50 per person extra and that’s of course an additional cost that must be incurred by………..the customer. Oh well, say some people. That’s “not too bad” say others. What mugs we are. It’s no wonder P&O take us for fools. 
 

Of course, that decision was only made this week. Funny how the port knew weeks ago. I’m sorry, but as I reported previously, P&O have ‘form’ for blatantly lying about these issues. On a previous cruise, our call to Flaam was cancelled for ‘operational reasons’ and the communication clearly implied that the problem was with the port and not P&O. I contacted the harbour master who was extremely helpful and gave me chapter and verse, including dates when Carnival requested that Queen Victoria would berth in place of Britannia. We were ‘bumped’ to the coastal ports instead. That decision was entirely Carnivals and nothing to do with the port. I was given compensation for having rumbled this, but on the condition that I signed a non-disclosure agreement, a tool that P&O use frequently to mask their deceit. 
 

We still don’t know the reason that Iona isn’t getting to Geiranger. First it was compatibility with the floating sea walk. When everyone rightly said that smacked of incompetence the story changes and it’s now something to do with the pilots. How convenient. P&O will hide behind their view that the ship is the ‘destination’ and the port calls are are an irrelevance. We booked a particular cruise because we specifically wanted to go to Geiranger. Silly me. When will I learn?

[Snow Hill]

10 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

How very British we are.

 

We buy a holiday to a specific place. The operator takes the final payment (so that you cannot cancel without a substantial loss) before letting us know that we aren’t going there. They then say,  never mind, we can get you there but it will cost around £30-50 per person extra and that’s of course an additional cost that must be incurred by………..the customer. Oh well, say some people. That’s “not too bad” say others. What mugs we are. It’s no wonder P&O take us for fools. 
 

Of course, that decision was only made this week. Funny how the port knew weeks ago. I’m sorry, but as I reported previously, P&O have ‘form’ for blatantly lying about these issues. On a previous cruise, our call to Flaam was cancelled for ‘operational reasons’ and the communication clearly implied that the problem was with the port and not P&O. I contacted the harbour master who was extremely helpful and gave me chapter and verse, including dates when Carnival requested that Queen Victoria would berth in place of Britannia. We were ‘bumped’ to the coastal ports instead. That decision was entirely Carnivals and nothing to do with the port. I was given compensation for having rumbled this, but on the condition that I signed a non-disclosure agreement, a tool that P&O use frequently to mask their deceit. 
 

We still don’t know the reason that Iona isn’t getting to Geiranger. First it was compatibility with the floating sea walk. When everyone rightly said that smacked of incompetence the story changes and it’s now something to do with the pilots. How convenient. P&O will hide behind their view that the ship is the ‘destination’ and the port calls are are an irrelevance. We booked a particular cruise because we specifically wanted to go to Geiranger. Silly me. When will I learn?

I guess we could ask the local pilots if that is the case? 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Snow Hill

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, Snow Hill said:

I guess we could ask the local pilots if that is the case? 

I was staggered at the level of detail that the Flaam harbour master gave me in response to my questions. As I well and truly rumbled Carnival / P&O, so much so that they had to attempt to silence me (with an NDA that they couldn’t even manage to phrase correctly, so it had no validity) I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they have now instructed harbour masters not to provide such information any more. Given the income that they generate from cruise lines I suspect that they would agree to this. 

[Snow Hill]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I was staggered at the level of detail that the Flaam harbour master gave me in response to my questions. As I well and truly rumbled Carnival / P&O, so much so that they had to attempt to silence me (with an NDA that they couldn’t even manage to phrase correctly, so it had no validity) I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they have now instructed harbour masters not to provide such information any more. Given the income that they generate from cruise lines I suspect that they would agree to this. 

The Norwegian Freedom of Information Act could be used to obtain the information, I would doubt Carnival/P&O would have the power to silence state port authorities. 

[bee-ess]

Surely P&O should offer a transfer to another cruise in these circumstances or at the very least the excursion should be free. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, bee-ess said:

Surely P&O should offer a transfer to another cruise in these circumstances or at the very least the excursion should be free. 

That’s my view also, even if we give P&O the benefit of doubt and assume that the failure to dock at Geiranger is entirely out of their control. It’s always the customer who loses out. 

[Ardennais]

13 hours ago, molecrochip said:

 

As I said, P&O have been trying to resolve the issue.

 

Because despite what the port website said, decision only been made this week regarding cancelling the rest of the season's calls.

 

My understanding is that Iona should fit and is sized correctly/as required to use the Sea Walk. Its appears to be the local pilots who are not happy with something.

Thank you. So are you able to tell us what the problem is? Is it something that should have been checked and verified BEFORE the itineraries were signed off? 
And as Selbourne put it so well, why is that the customer now has to pay a substantial amount to visit Gerianger, which was an advertised port of call when the passengers booked? 
I am so angry about this. 

[BellaCat]

I have just been informed by my travel agent that transferring to a different cruise is not an option - P&O do not considering this to be a major change! 
I have logged a request with P&O directly via their website, asking them to reconsider, but are there any other means I could try? 

[beeblebug]

I'm trying to make a formal complaint about the fact we are being charged 66% more for the same excursions. or a flat £60 per person just to visit the port we were sold in the first place.

 

not to mention they claim they didn't know until this week. but it's really convenient that the last cruise affect sails on the 3rd of September and 5 days ago their final balance was due so they can no longer change their cruises.

 

P&O customer service can't actually provide any form of compensation apparently so I was given an email to make a complaint to Carnival group, but they take up to 28 days to get back to you and I sail in 15 days

 

First experience cruising and I can't say I'm very impressed. any other holiday I've been on could you imagine an airline changing your ticket flying you to a "nearby" airport instead and then telling you they can take you to your original destination but you'll have to pay another £60pp for the trip.

[Yorkypete]

17 minutes ago, beeblebug said:

I'm trying to make a formal complaint about the fact we are being charged 66% more for the same excursions. or a flat £60 per person just to visit the port we were sold in the first place.

 

not to mention they claim they didn't know until this week. but it's really convenient that the last cruise affect sails on the 3rd of September and 5 days ago their final balance was due so they can no longer change their cruises.

 

P&O customer service can't actually provide any form of compensation apparently so I was given an email to make a complaint to Carnival group, but they take up to 28 days to get back to you and I sail in 15 days

 

First experience cruising and I can't say I'm very impressed. any other holiday I've been on could you imagine an airline changing your ticket flying you to a "nearby" airport instead and then telling you they can take you to your original destination but you'll have to pay another £60pp for the trip.

P&O seem to have no idea of customer relations. They are either incompetent OR do not care. They will loose business hand over fist the way they are going. To say it is NOT a change is a blatant lie as they are not going where you have paid to go. I will avoid them after our booked cruise on Britannia and we have already cancelled one future cruise.

 

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Yorkypete said:

They are either incompetent OR do not care.

 

Or both!

[terrierjohn]

51 minutes ago, BellaCat said:

I have just been informed by my travel agent that transferring to a different cruise is not an option - P&O do not considering this to be a major change! 
I have logged a request with P&O directly via their website, asking them to reconsider, but are there any other means I could try? 

I did not think you needed a reason to change under the covid protocols, P&O advertise that you can move your booking as often as you want.

[Selbourne]

26 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I did not think you needed a reason to change under the covid protocols, P&O advertise that you can move your booking as often as you want.

I thought the same as you, but perhaps this only applies up until balance due date? Unfortunately (and purely by coincidence), these changes rarely become known until the balance due date has passed 🤔

[gsmt47471015]

54 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I thought the same as you, but perhaps this only applies up until balance due date? Unfortunately (and purely by coincidence), these changes rarely become known until the balance due date has passed 🤔

Strange that, isn't it ?

[bee-ess]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I thought the same as you, but perhaps this only applies up until balance due date? Unfortunately (and purely by coincidence), these changes rarely become known until the balance due date has passed 🤔

Yes that's correct, once you are past your final payment date you are into cancellation T&C's

[AuroraCruiser08]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

I did not think you needed a reason to change under the covid protocols, P&O advertise that you can move your booking as often as you want.

Until payment is taken.... 

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Or both!

Possibly neither. Perhaps they just think they will get away with it. We have 3 cruises this year. One Celebrity, one RC and a trip to the med on Britannia. We won't be selecting next year's cruises until after these are completed. We have had holidays this year with TUI, BA and Globus. All went ok and a few problems were sorted...... judgement now reserved.

[terrierjohn]

6 hours ago, bee-ess said:

Yes that's correct, once you are past your final payment date you are into cancellation T&C's

Not if you take a FCC or move to another cruise,  that certainly applied to us when we moved a fully paid Feb cruise in early Jan.

[bee-ess]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Not if you take a FCC or move to another cruise,  that certainly applied to us when we moved a fully paid Feb cruise in early Jan.

I think that was a special arrangement they were doing for a short period only. Now, you can only transfer up to payment date without penalty.

[davecttr]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Not if you take a FCC or move to another cruise,  that certainly applied to us when we moved a fully paid Feb cruise in early Jan.

same here 🙂

 

just moved it again with no problem

[Pippa04]

Are people getting muddled between moving a cruise due to covid related reasons and the ability to move however you want if you booked a select fare I wonder?

[bee-ess]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

same here 🙂

 

just moved it again with no problem

Apologies if I gave incorrect information that was my understanding that after payment you cannot move unless you pay a cancellation fee. I thought that the ability to move a paid up cruise was only for a short time at the start of this year.

Edited June 11, 2022 by bee-ess

[bee-ess]

This is from the P&O website

 

All bookings still scheduled to depart in 2022

Updated 30 September 2021

Transferring your booking

If your holiday is unaffected by our latest pause but you would like to reschedule, you can take advantage of our free flexible transfer policy up to the date the balance for your holiday is due. This means that if you have a Select Price or Early Saver booking you can:

• Transfer your booking to any P&O Cruises holiday currently on sale (and not just to those within the next 12 months).

• Transfer your booking to a cruise of higher or lower value (and not just of a higher value, as is usually the case).

• Transfer your booking an unlimited number of times (and not just once).

• Transfer your booking free of charge.

 

Should you wish to transfer your booking you should call our Customer Contact Centre or your travel agent if you booked with them.

This policy modifies the transfer policy in our Booking Conditions.  This policy may be changed or withdrawn at any time without notice.

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, bee-ess said:

Apologies if I gave incorrect information that was my understanding that after payment you cannot move unless you pay a cancellation fee. I thought that the ability to move a paid up cruise was only for a short time at the start of this year.

Maybe it was but I moved the cruise it was moved to recently to a different ship in 2023 and that had already been paid for although the final payment date is January. so P&O already have the full fare so I suppose they are happy.