P&O Cruises...what are they doing?!..

[jamie.ford]

We are deeply dissatisfied with what P&O are subjected their customers to for what amounts to a Carnival/P&O Operational failure to recruit appropriate staff or reduce cruise ships sailing to maintain their level of services, rather than grab every ones money and offer an inferior service at the risk of bad PR.

 

After several false starts trying to cruise on IONA due to Covid (no ones fault) and P&O's 2021 policy to allow "everyone" to cruise, as long as they where double vaccinated..which excluded all children as at the time no UK Child Vaccination was approved (why not just be honest and say children excluded).

 

Anyway...to our issues now..

 

As has been the case for several years, we booked a suite with interconnecting cabin for us and our two children (called a Family Suite on Azura and Ventura). However, the problems on IONA are numerous and last minute:

1. Having completed the online check-in process and printed the embarkation passes, it appears that our family have been split into two check-in times as the interconnected cabin is not being treated as a suite as was always the case on Ventura/Azura and was confirmed at time of booking back in 2019

 

2. The Interconnected room is not shown as “priority”

 

3. As instructed, we registered our children for the children's club yesterday and am appalled that we are unable to book our chosen sessions. It is entirely unsatisfactory that the children will be allocated sessions…so its not pre-book is it?! Our elder son is autistic, has very set daily routines and would not be able to cope with random sessions.

3. While on the phone to P+O today, it was disclosed that the Epicurean restaurant will be closed during our cruise; despite the verbose “glossy” emails from P&O none have mentioned the Epicurean is closed. We rely on the Epicurean for suite guests' breakfasts and for calm dinners. The phone agent could not say if any other speciality restaurants would be available

4. The pre-embarkation lounge will not be available which is another significant disappointment as it offers a calm sanctuary for our autistic son in the hussle and bussle of the ship's terminal.

We feel we are not being offered what we booked and paid for, more an more of the suite perks we have paid for are being taken away from us daily  (and we fear more will be removed) as are our choices.

 

Trying to call P&O always takes over an hour and just serves to frustrate and I am not offere to speak to anyone with any clout.

 

Does anyone else have similar concerns?

[my marina bay]

I wouldn't worry over check in times. Even pre covid our family on the same booking form frequently got different boarding times. We just told priority check in they are with us and had no issues.

 

I understand childrens clubs have changed the system however if you have a word with the staff running them asap after boarding I'm sure they will help.

 

There is a thread about speciality dining and  'what's open ' which is worth a read. I'm sure someone said Suite passengers can still get breakfast in Epicurean its just not open for dinner.

[madster66]

Hi we have had a conversation with P&O regarding a suite on Arvia with an interconnecting inside cabin. This is the same set up as Iona I believe. We were told from P&O that our children in the interconnecting cabin would not be entitled to any of the suite perks as this is sold as a standard inside cabin.. So they would not be able to go into the Epicurean for breakfast with us even if it was open. For this reason we did not book the interconnecting cabin as there seems little point. We do not want to eat in different places. The lady that I spoke to said that there had been lots of problems on Iona with this issue. This is not sold as a family suite as on Ventura and Azura so please be aware of this. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

Seems totally absurd to me that an interconnecting cabin in not afforded the same facilities, besides who in their right minds expect children to dine in a different place to their parents. Reminds you of the Titanic where you had steerage class passengers and from what I am led to believe Cunard ships still have areas where depending on what class cabin you have will allow you to have access or not to certain areas. 

[daiB]

19 hours ago, jamie.ford said:

We are deeply dissatisfied with what P&O are subjected their customers to for what amounts to a Carnival/P&O Operational failure to recruit appropriate staff or reduce cruise ships sailing to maintain their level of services, rather than grab every ones money and offer an inferior service at the risk of bad PR.

 

After several false starts trying to cruise on IONA due to Covid (no ones fault) and P&O's 2021 policy to allow "everyone" to cruise, as long as they where double vaccinated..which excluded all children as at the time no UK Child Vaccination was approved (why not just be honest and say children excluded).

 

Anyway...to our issues now..

 

As has been the case for several years, we booked a suite with interconnecting cabin for us and our two children (called a Family Suite on Azura and Ventura). However, the problems on IONA are numerous and last minute:

1. Having completed the online check-in process and printed the embarkation passes, it appears that our family have been split into two check-in times as the interconnected cabin is not being treated as a suite as was always the case on Ventura/Azura and was confirmed at time of booking back in 2019

 

2. The Interconnected room is not shown as “priority”

 

3. As instructed, we registered our children for the children's club yesterday and am appalled that we are unable to book our chosen sessions. It is entirely unsatisfactory that the children will be allocated sesThe sions…so its not pre-book is it?! Our elder son is autistic, has very set daily routines and would not be able to cope with random sessions.

3. While on the phone to P+O today, it was disclosed that the Epicurean restaurant will be closed during our cruise; despite the verbose “glossy” emails from P&O none have mentioned the Epicurean is closed. We rely on the Epicurean for suite guests' breakfasts and for calm dinners. The phone agent could not say if any other speciality restaurants would be available

4. The pre-embarkation lounge will not be available which is another significant disappointment as it offers a calm sanctuary for our autistic son in the hussle and bussle of the ship's terminal.

We feel we are not being offered what we booked and paid for, more an more of the suite perks we have paid for are being taken away from us daily  (and we fear more will be removed) as are our choices.

 

Trying to call P&O always takes over an hour and just serves to frustrate and I am not offere to speak to anyone with any clout.

 

Does anyone else have similar concerns?

The Epicurean is open for suite breakfast. I is not open at the moment for dinners. I understand the problem is the Chefs. A world wide problem. My understanding is that then are working to fix it. I read today that Britannia has reopened all speciality restaurants.

[Britboys]

27 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Seems totally absurd to me that an interconnecting cabin in not afforded the same facilities, besides who in their right minds expect children to dine in a different place to their parents. Reminds you of the Titanic where you had steerage class passengers and from what I am led to believe Cunard ships still have areas where depending on what class cabin you have will allow you to have access or not to certain areas. 

Totally agree with your point about the interconnecting cabin and children not being able to eat with their parents.

Yes, Cunard does have some very small areas not accessible to those in standard cabins - but so do Celebrity, MSC, NCL and possibly Royal Caribbean (?). More and more cruise lines are adding exclusive restaurants or areas for suite pax, so let's not berate poor old Cunard.

And just out of interest, I've only sailed with Cunard twice and I've never sailed in a suite on any ship - so no agenda here.

[Gettingwarmer]

20 hours ago, jamie.ford said:

. Having completed the online check-in process and printed the embarkation passes, it appears that our family have been split into two check-in times as the interconnected cabin is not being treated as a suite as was always the case on Ventura/Azura and was confirmed at time of booking back in 2019

 

1 hour ago, madster66 said:

Hi we have had a conversation with P&O regarding a suite on Arvia with an interconnecting inside cabin. This is the same set up as Iona I believe. We were told from P&O that our children in the interconnecting cabin would not be entitled to any of the suite perks as this is sold as a standard inside cabin.. So they would not be able to go into the Epicurean for breakfast with us even if it was open. For this reason we did not book the interconnecting cabin as there seems little point. We do not want to eat in different places. The lady that I spoke to said that there had been lots of problems on Iona with this issue. This is not sold as a family suite as on Ventura and Azura so please be aware of this. 

Can you at this late stage add your children into your suite as 3rd and 4th persons which will allow them to eat with you but then let them sleep in the other cabin overnight. I obviously don’t know how much this would cost but it might be  a low amount. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

24 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Totally agree with your point about the interconnecting cabin and children not being able to eat with their parents.

Yes, Cunard does have some very small areas not accessible to those in standard cabins - but so do Celebrity, MSC, NCL and possibly Royal Caribbean (?). More and more cruise lines are adding exclusive restaurants or areas for suite pax, so let's not berate poor old Cunard.

And just out of interest, I've only sailed with Cunard twice and I've never sailed in a suite on any ship - so no agenda here.

Me neither. In 17 cruises we have had two balconies and two outside. The rest have been inside cabins as we prefer to spend our money on other things rather than on a cabin where we spend little time. Sorry if you felt I singled out Cunard In all honest wasn't aware that several other lines had exclusive areas. I was aware you could book places like the "Retreat" although at £20 per head per person I'll pass on that thanks. 

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Me neither. In 17 cruises we have had two balconies and two outside. The rest have been inside cabins as we prefer to spend our money on other things rather than on a cabin where we spend little time. Sorry if you felt I singled out Cunard In all honest wasn't aware that several other lines had exclusive areas. I was aware you could book places like the "Retreat" although at £20 per head per person I'll pass on that thanks. 

Celebrity, MSC and NCL are moving to a "ship within a ship" format on their newer ships.  These areas need keys to access them and are taking quite a chunk of outside space - on Celebrity Edge they had their own pool so only one available for non suite guests. There was no forward outside space for anyone else.

[Pink-belle]

Iona doesn’t have Family suites.  Only guests in a suite are entitled to suite amenities.  Therefore those amenities will not be available to others in your travel party.

 

Epicurean is open for suite breakfast. 
 

Have you filled in the medical form on P&O?  I am sure they would be able to work with you before sailing regarding facilities for your son. 

[Windsurfboy]

Iona has just two family suites, BA grade forward on promenade deck . As these are B grade they will get suite privileges.  

[Pink-belle]

I had completely missed those.  Not the same 2bedroom 2 bathroom set up of Azura and Ventura though.

[cruising_daddy]

Thanks guys; after 3hr30 in a P&O Call Centre queue this agent confirmed Epicurean is open for Suit B'fast only.

 

IMO; its a P&O specific problem. We sailed on Celebrity earlier in the year and all venues where open.

 

The full story re 2nd bedroom is we have an autistic child who cannot sleep in the same "room" as us, so no one sleeps...we tried it once; never again. When we booked in 2019 no one could confirm if there was a door to the bedroom so the boys could use that, so it was agreed we would book and interconnected inside and at the time it was confirmed we would all get suite perks; but this was 2019 and several cruise changes have sinced occured and I fear notes have been lost; bottom line we have paid more to have an interconnected cabin to our suiterather than having them as 3rd and 4th passengers

 

Also, its not two adults in the suite; P&O (unlike Celebrity) forced us to have one adult and child per room/suite; even when its interconnected and clearly for children..so as it stands myself and youngest are in steerage class..gonna be an intersting conversation on board :-(..not a great start to a holiday

[Windsurfboy]

Did you book over phone , if so it will be recorded digitally and kept. You have a legal right to ask for a copy of that conversation. 

 

I had a similiar issue with sister company Cunard, a hone call which said I was entitled to a discount,  then a denial.  I asked for a copy of phone call , instant change in my favour.

[JDB78]

On 8/8/2022 at 10:11 PM, cruising_daddy said:

Thanks guys; after 3hr30 in a P&O Call Centre queue this agent confirmed Epicurean is open for Suit B'fast only.

 

IMO; its a P&O specific problem. We sailed on Celebrity earlier in the year and all venues where open.

 

The full story re 2nd bedroom is we have an autistic child who cannot sleep in the same "room" as us, so no one sleeps...we tried it once; never again. When we booked in 2019 no one could confirm if there was a door to the bedroom so the boys could use that, so it was agreed we would book and interconnected inside and at the time it was confirmed we would all get suite perks; but this was 2019 and several cruise changes have sinced occured and I fear notes have been lost; bottom line we have paid more to have an interconnected cabin to our suiterather than having them as 3rd and 4th passengers

 

Also, its not two adults in the suite; P&O (unlike Celebrity) forced us to have one adult and child per room/suite; even when its interconnected and clearly for children..so as it stands myself and youngest are in steerage class..gonna be an intersting conversation on board :-(..not a great start to a holiday

Surely no-one will force you to sleep in a particular place? No cctv in place

 

A little bit naughty but we did turn our twin beds in a double / king size on Ventura. Quickly turned back into twin beds before we left for the day.

 

Still don't understand the logic in P&O building ships that only seem to offer twin beds when 3rd or 4th passenger is in the room. Certainly on the Independence, it wasn't a problem. Not the be all and and all, but surely 95% of family rooms on any other holiday would be a double??