Did P&O Order the Wrong Ships?

[zap99]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

We have three cruises booked for next year (2xP&O, 1xPrincess), and currently availability on all three looks limited, with prices greater than what we paid.

Whilst it is entirely possible that prices may fall, cruise lines face the same inflationary pressures as everyone else,  so I am not anticipating major price cuts in 2023. Plus, for us the choice of cabin type and  location is far more important than saving a few hundred pounds by going for a last minute bargain.

Going forward into 2024,  the impact of raging inflation is bound to have an impact on all discretionary spend, and cruise lines,  with such significant costs, both fixed and variable, cannot reduce fares significantly are therefore going to struggle to get "bums on seats" , certainly from their core  middle class demographic.

This year about £3.5k for 2 weeks in a balcony for 2. Next year  £4.5-5k same cruise ,same cabin. Yes inflation is a factor, but so is trying to claw back some extra margin. If no deals are around, then the decision is to pay their prices, or holiday on land. We have booked and paid for flights next June and will hold fire a bit before commiting to others.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, AnnieC said:

On this occasion, the press are reporting on what is actually happening right now, not on wildly over-pessimistic predictions of doom in the future.

 

Isn't that the job of a free press?

Since early summer the doom and gloom fountain has been full power in the press. Energy bills go up in.......October. The job of the ' Free ' press is to flog their product. As has been proven for years, good news stories don't sell papers.

Edited August 30, 2022 by zap99

[Windsurfboy]

It's a gas crisis.  We've now got 80% of gas supply  Europe and UK need. It will take a few years to sort out supply.  We can either jointly (all countries ) try to cut consumption by 20% and prices will sort themselves out. Or we can continue pretend we can use same amount and try to outbid each other for limited supply and prices will continue to spiral.  You can't magic gas out of thin air. 

 

Even though we personally can afford to  keep spending on energy and holidays, we shall try our best to cut consumption to do our bit. 

 

Anyway hope P&O have long term contracts for LNG for Iona and Arvia. They are more fuel efficient per passenger than smaller ships. 

[Megabear2]

Away from the doom and gloom for a second!  My friend looking to join me on 29 October Iona has reported to me that on a saver fare the only balcony option showing is mid forward/mid aft cabins.  The select fare so lots of available balconies on various decks and positions.  Interestingly no forward Promenade deck 8 cabins are available.  This would appear to indicate that P&O are allocating/filling up the worst cabins first, but I may be completely wrong.  I have a deck 14 aft cabin which I booked following Grahams advice that these were a better option than the lower down decks.  We could of course share that but would prefer to have two rooms.

 

Any ideas what might happen if all these other rooms stay unsold at select fare? Do you think they'll start adding more into saver or will it become select only.  Answers on a postcard via your crystal ball please!

[Megabear2]

32 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Since early summer the doom and gloom fountain has been full power in the press. Energy bills go up in.......October. The job of the ' Free ' press is to flog their product. As has been proven for years, good news stories don't sell papers.

Energy bills rose substantially in April for many and the doom and gloom has been as a result of the effect that has already had on many.  There are people who had direct debits rise by 100% on the back of that rise alone.  I had the offer of a one year fix from my supplier ten days ago as I have a long term fix ending 31 October. Fix then was at £249 per month, I currently pay £83pm and am £515 in credit - the company had tried in June to put by dd down to £49pm which I told them was ridiculous. Checked on Friday after new announcement for October and they now want £330 per month.  Even though I'm in credit by a substantial amount and my usage is considerably below the average £3,500 figure they are telling me my usage will cost £3,990 within that year.  Now that really is scary and in no way intended to be alarming.

[zap99]

16 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Energy bills rose substantially in April for many and the doom and gloom has been as a result of the effect that has already had on many.  There are people who had direct debits rise by 100% on the back of that rise alone.  I had the offer of a one year fix from my supplier ten days ago as I have a long term fix ending 31 October. Fix then was at £249 per month, I currently pay £83pm and am £515 in credit - the company had tried in June to put by dd down to £49pm which I told them was ridiculous. Checked on Friday after new announcement for October and they now want £330 per month.  Even though I'm in credit by a substantial amount and my usage is considerably below the average £3,500 figure they are telling me my usage will cost £3,990 within that year.  Now that really is scary and in no way intended to be alarming.

Mine will double to about £330. An extra £165...£67 a month back from the rebate, a bit extra winter fuel allowance, possibly more to come in costs and rebates. Nothing on council tax as we are band E. Net an extra £100pm, or so. Fortunately not doom and gloom for us, but perhaps it is for some. The folk getting killed in Ukraine have my sympathy. We can turn our heating down a bit, but their options are limited.

Edited August 30, 2022 by zap99

[zap99]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Let's hope others as fortunate fill the ships then, because a huge number won't be so lucky and empty ships prompt cancellations as Fred has just proved.

Not being a shipping economics expert, it seems big ships may struggle to get filled as will small ships. So perhaps P&O have been stunningly clever by having a mixed fleet. Round of applause to them🙉

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

This year about £3.5k for 2 weeks in a balcony for 2. Next year  £4.5-5k same cruise ,same cabin. Yes inflation is a factor, but so is trying to claw back some extra margin. If no deals are around, then the decision is to pay their prices, or holiday on land. We have booked and paid for flights next June and will hold fire a bit before commiting to others.

Taking obc into account, we are paying around £3.5k for a balcony on Britannia to the Baltic next September, and just over £4k on Sky Princess going to the Med in April, but that does include the Princess Plus drinks package.

My own "line in the sand" for cruises departing the UK is around £4.5k for two weeks. More than that and private villas start to becone more attractive! 

[Cruisemeister2002]

20 hours ago, AnnieC said:

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but where on earth are most families going to find any spare cash for cruises, or holidays of any sort for that matter, once the horrendous cost of living increases really start to bite? Many/most of P&O's new target market have mortgages (interest rates increasing), leased cars, dependant children, rapidly increasing supermarket and energy bills and on and on. Unless salaries rise to match these increases (as they did in the 70s), and that looks unlikely, the new target market will have nothing left over at the end of each month for frivolities like holidays.

 

 

It may be cheaper to put the central heating to frost free and go on a cruise for a couple of months after all even if you go to cold ports of call you'll be warm in your cabin and obviously if it's hot you won't need heating at all and what's better than sitting on deck cocktail in hand, fish and chips and a burger or pizza available or a light lunch in the buffet or a 4 course meal in the MD ?

[zap99]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Taking obc into account, we are paying around £3.5k for a balcony on Britannia to the Baltic next September, and just over £4k on Sky Princess going to the Med in April, but that does include the Princess Plus drinks package.

My own "line in the sand" for cruises departing the UK is around £4.5k for two weeks. More than that and private villas start to becone more attractive! 

About £3,250 for us on Britannia in October. The med cruises from Southampton next year are same old ports. Holding fire at the moment to see what happens. We may pay a bit more, but not yet.

Edited August 30, 2022 by zap99

[Yorkypete]

43 minutes ago, zap99 said:

About £3,250 for us on Britannia in October. The med cruises from Southampton next year are same old ports. Holding fire at the moment to see what happens. We may pay a bit more, but not yet.

We have Britannia in 3 weeks to the Baltic and again in 2024 to Norway. That is all at present. We are looking at our favourite 'land' holiday in Malta, a place we visited twice a year pre-covid. Cost is £1800 for two weeks, balcony, sea view ,all inc. at a five star hotel. Travelling we have a ten min trip to the airport and transfers are included in Malta. Great prices.

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by Yorkypete

[kalos]

16 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Same story for me, albeit I do feel fortunate. We will be cruising as much as possible in the coming years as we want to ensure that we help the cruise industry keep afloat (pun intended) for the use of generations to come, us Yorkshire folk are good like that.

 

Proud of you Phil but go steady with the money .That's a Yorkshire thing as well 

[Dermotsgirl]

I would say that anybody who is able to afford cruises in the current environment is lucky, even if it is the result of ‘planning’. There’s a certain amount of luck involved when plans turn out as originally intended, forty odd years ago.

 

I prefer to pay for holidays from income. I was happy to dip into savings for the ‘big’ cruises we’ve done in the last few years. But I’m not so happy to keep dipping into savings for bog standard cruises - but this is also partly because my desire to cruise hasn’t returned since the start of the pandemic. We’ve got a cruise booked for next year, but apart from that, we’ve enjoyed spending holiday time in the U.K., and may well continue with this type of holiday. If I’m going to spend more of my income on power, I’ll spend less on holidays, so wouldn’t be cruising on the scale we were previously doing anyway. 
 

I feel very fortunate that the increases in the cost of power will not cause me hardship, but I’m aware that many people will struggle and I’m very mindful of this. 

[Dermotsgirl]

5 hours ago, zap99 said:

Mine will double to about £330. An extra £165...£67 a month back from the rebate, a bit extra winter fuel allowance, possibly more to come in costs and rebates. Nothing on council tax as we are band E. Net an extra £100pm, or so. Fortunately not doom and gloom for us, but perhaps it is for some. The folk getting killed in Ukraine have my sympathy. We can turn our heating down a bit, but their options are limited.

It’ll be more than that if the predicted increases in January and April happen 

[Windsurfboy]

I forgot  who said the harder I  worked  the luckier I got. Yes those of us who can afford to cruise are in some ways lucky,  as n any success there is an element of  luck , but also hard work.

 

I see nothing wrong with using savings to pay for things you enjoy like cruises. You can't take it with you, and prefer to have helped kids out when they needed it than wait till we die.

 

Back to cruises,  I  hope  that we do enjoy P&O big ships, with all the choice of restaurants and hopefully entertainment to our taste. As long as we avoid school holidays.   If we do it will be an alternative style to Saga's small ships from Southampton. .

[bobstheboy]

6 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I forgot  who said the harder I  worked  the luckier I got. Yes those of us who can afford to cruise are in some ways lucky,  as n any success there is an element of  luck , but also hard work.

 

I see nothing wrong with using savings to pay for things you enjoy like cruises. You can't take it with you, and prefer to have helped kids out when they needed it than wait till we die.

 

Back to cruises,  I  hope  that we do enjoy P&O big ships, with all the choice of restaurants and hopefully entertainment to our taste. As long as we avoid school holidays.   If we do it will be an alternative style to Saga's small ships from Southampton. .

Gary Player !  When somebody comment to him that one of his shots was "lucky"

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Windsurfboy said:

forgot  who said the harder I  worked  the luckier I got. Yes those of us who can afford to cruise are in some ways lucky,  as n any success there is an element of  luck , but also hard work.

There are millions who work hard for very little reward.  I'm sure a lot of them deserve a good cruise far more than I do but will never even get a week in Bournemouth or Blackpool.

 

 

 

[zap99]

26 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

It’ll be more than that if the predicted increases in January and April happen 

Probably will. but like most folk we will cut our cloth according,  but still no crisis .

 

[AnnieC]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Like many, we have made provision for our retirement during our working life. Some I know could have. but didn't. We should assist those who, from circumstances beyond their control are in problems. but those who chose not to provide during their working life and who now expect us to pick up the tab can........🙊

 

 

 

 

 

Again, to spare everyone a tedious evening, I shall give you the last word.

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

Again, to spare everyone a tedious evening, I shall give you the last word.

Not necessary. You started this. 😉

[jimbo1683]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

Taking obc into account, we are paying around £3.5k for a balcony on Britannia to the Baltic next September, and just over £4k on Sky Princess going to the Med in April, but that does include the Princess Plus drinks package.

My own "line in the sand" for cruises departing the UK is around £4.5k for two weeks. More than that and private villas start to becone more attractive! 

That's a huge amount of money. You're looking in the wrong places for villas.

[jeanlyon]

I count us as extremely lucky that we took a 3 year fix last September which we thought at the time looked slightly expensive.  Now it looks cheap.  we also haven't cruises for 3 years, so that saved thousands.  Next cruise October 2023.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, jimbo1683 said:

That's a huge amount of money. You're looking in the wrong places for villas.

To be fair,  I  should have said that we normally take a villa for three weeks.

Minimum of two bedrooms, plus pool.  We don't holiday in high season, so about £2400  for the villa, £600 for flights (we don't fly Ryanair!) and car hire (currently expensive) at hopefully £700 or so. 

Total is therefore just south of £4k. Add on food, drinks etc, and we will end up spending £5k for a three week holiday. 

Obviously totally different to a cruise holiday, but the three week villa holiday  becomes comparable to a two week cruise vacation.

 

[Megabear2]

5 hours ago, AnnieC said:

Again, to spare everyone a tedious evening, I shall give you the last word.

I shall retire politely and applaud your restraint.  

[Cruisemeister2002]

On 8/30/2022 at 6:08 PM, Windsurfboy said:

I forgot  who said the harder I  worked  the luckier I got. Yes those of us who can afford to cruise are in some ways lucky,  as n any success there is an element of  luck , but also hard work.

 

I see nothing wrong with using savings to pay for things you enjoy like cruises. You can't take it with you, and prefer to have helped kids out when they needed it than wait till we die.

 

Back to cruises,  I  hope  that we do enjoy P&O big ships, with all the choice of restaurants and hopefully entertainment to our taste. As long as we avoid school holidays.   If we do it will be an alternative style to Saga's small ships from Southampton. .

I think your attitude is spot on. I am not so concerned with leaving money for the kiddlewinks, all grown up now of course with kids of their own. Hopefully they will have the house split between them which will be far more than my dear father left me. I can't afford hugely expensive cruises but I do go on a 35 night cruise next year we booked for this not last year but the year before and both times we ended up not being able to go for one reason or another. We generally go for an inside as we like to spend our money on other things rather than the cabin as we just see this as somewhere to sleep, get dressed and shower. Obviously shower first and get dressed afterward. With regards to my Grandchildren I put money in my Daughter's account for them every month and bought my Granddaughter a car a couple of years ago. If they have been in trouble financially I have helped them out as best I can.