Arvia Pre-Booking Dining and Entertainment

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

‘Joymongering’

 

I will be borrowing that word 

Joymongering beats scaremongering every time 

[Happy afloat]

42 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

GlassHouse you mostly had to get pagers on the smaller ships. Can't remember what we did on  Arvia. Didn't try on Iona

 

Thinking back I'm sure we just used the app for GlassHouse same as the rest on Arvia? 

 

Can't remember having to use a pager?

 

Definitely had to use pager on the smaller ships. 

As I said earlier, no pagers or queueing were required on Aurora in April. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

9 minutes ago, zap99 said:

When we arrive in Barbados on the Friday  we will book stuff that we couldn't in advance. If it's full up when the Saturday folk arrive, I promise not to gloat.

I'm booking Friday to Friday 14 nights Caribbean next Feb even if it's more expensive than Saturday to Saturday

 

 Purely for first chance to book 710 club

 

And will sacrifice the chance to do Oistins fish fry on our last Friday as we will be flying back instead 

 

You weigh up the options and take your choices 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Yes, I fly premium, there are limited two seats. Much fought over. The website crashes when they open at midnight. Was 3.00am I got mine last year- as you've probably guessed I don't sleep a lot hence it being very precious.  I also book my dining and entertainment at midnight along with great many others. You may think it's odd but for some of others it removes worry.  To some of us if we are paying £405pp for premium economy plus £50 odd per person to choose a seat we want to sit together not one in front of each other.  Full flights at that time of year too.

We are in PE and will book seats as soon as we are able. We fly BA to Majorca in a couple of weeks. We can choose our seats 7 days before the flight , normal booking opens 24 hours. I have a look every day and if the flight looks like its filling up, I will pay £35 to pick some early.

[zap99]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I'm booking Friday to Friday 14 nights Caribbean next Feb even if it's more expensive than Saturday to Saturday

 

 Purely for first chance to book 710 club

Fish fry on the first Friday is worth paying a few quid extra for.

[Interestedcruisefan]

Just now, zap99 said:

Fish fry on the first Friday is worth paying a few quid extra for.

Our posts crossed.

 

I had already considered it. But we did on the last night of our Feb  cruise. Loved it.

 

But don't want the problem of getting there on our first night

 

So I'm putting  710 club ahead of Oistins next time

 

I wouldn't be surprised if 710 club rules of booking somehow change between now and then though. 

 

But as things stand that's my plan

 

 

[zap99]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Our posts crossed.

 

 

 

But as things stand that's my plan

 

 

I guess you are very much like us. Expect things to change and adapt.

[Interestedcruisefan]

18 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I guess you are very much like us. Expect things to change and adapt.

Yep have a Plan A and Plan B

 

Plan A starts with getting there safely!!! (Which is always out of our hands of course!)

 

Then once you are there stay safe and  make sure you have a great holiday whatever it takes!! That's where you might need some Plan B"s, C"s and D's

 

Life is too short not to enjoy every second you can!

 

It wasn't that long ago we seriously wondered if cruising would be allowed again full stop!!!I

 

Problems with apps become insignificant after problems with pandemics and quarantine hotels!! Stuff like that really was horrendous not so long ago at all.

 

Let's be honest! 

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

Nevermind FOMO I will try and book online as soon as it opens. If we can't get what we want will try as soon as we get on.

 

Question once you board is it better to 

 

Go straight to the Epicurean 

Or

Can you book at suites/peninsula club lunch

Or

Go straight to Pursers desk 

[zap99]

31 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Yep have a Plan A and Plan B

 

Plan A starts with getting there safely!!! (Which is always out of our hands of course!)

 

Then once you are there stay safe and  make sure you have a great holiday whatever it takes!! That's where you might need some Plan B"s, C"s and D's

 

Life is too short not to enjoy every second you can!

 

It wasn't that long ago we seriously wondered if cruising would be allowed again full stop!!!I

 

Problems with apps become insignificant after problems with pandemics and quarantine hotels!! Stuff like that really was horrendous not so long ago at all.

 

Let's be honest! 

 

 

We took 3 staycation cruises when they started  2 on Britannia and 1 on Iona. Did the app work ? Can't remember. It was so good to be on a cruise again. 3 last year and 2 so far this. All magic. Several UK holidays and a few flyaway. Not everything was perfect, but we enjoyed them all. I don't care about the apps. We had them on some of the hotels and also uk caravan parks. If that is the future, so be it. I can't really worship the old days as they are gone.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by zap99

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Nevermind FOMO I will try and book online as soon as it opens. If we can't get what we want will try as soon as we get on.

 

Question once you board is it better to 

 

Go straight to the Epicurean 

Or

Can you book at suites/peninsula club lunch

Or

Go straight to Pursers desk 

Probably the My Holiday ‘app that isn’t an app’ is the best option, but I don’t know if you can book for the whole cruise on day 1 or if it’s only day by day. I doubt that there will be anyone in Epicurean when you board. There always used to be staff members in the priority lunch who could take bookings, but that may be something that’s gone with the advent of the app. I’ve never made restaurant reservations at reception, but I suppose that’s a good fall back option. 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

That wasn't my experience of the theatre on Azura. We had to turn up very close to opening time to get seats together. We were a family of 4 then. Then hang around for approaching 30 mins with 2 bored  kids waiting for the show to start. 

 

Remember we had front row for Roy Walker on Azura. It was all we could get 

 

On azura do people not complain about not being able to book speciality restaurants then?

 

They only complain about it on Arvia and Iona?

 

It's almost like the app was only brought in by Arvia and Iona and they are the bad guys?

 

I 100 per cent couldn't get bookings when we were on. But I wasn't on here back then to know any better or complain to anyone?

 

And that's at least 8 years ago?

Bcck in the day, or pre pandemic, long queues on Ventura, Britannia and Azura might have been the case for some theatre shows which were very popular, but by no means all of them, and only for the 8:30 shows.

However I do agree that especially with Iona and Arvia some sort of pre booking is required, but it does need to be seat specific if it is to maximise the capacity and avoid any unnecessary queuing. Same applies to the restaurants, but again if you are choosing between sharing tables and tables for 2, then you need some sort of table identifier, and you may need to add in other requirements like near a window, or with wheelchair access. And you need non smart phone users and technophobes to also be catered for.

Unfortunately the P&O app fails these requirements on far too many levels, and until it is improved and acceptable to the vast majority of passengers, then I see nothing but continued complaints about the way it operates.

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Probably the My Holiday ‘app that isn’t an app’ is the best option, but I don’t know if you can book for the whole cruise on day 1 or if it’s only day by day. I doubt that there will be anyone in Epicurean when you board. There always used to be staff members in the priority lunch who could take bookings, but that may be something that’s gone with the advent of the app. I’ve never made restaurant reservations at reception, but I suppose that’s a good fall back option. 

Using reception on day one, or even day 2 or 3, is definitely not an option unless you have several hours to waste.

[happy v]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I have to say that I don’t recall ever getting any pre-booking discount (beyond loyalty discount) but that was pre Covid when things were more straightforward 😂 However, I am certain that several posters have referred to the pre-cruise speciality restaurant bookings having a discount versus the price that you pay on board and loyalty discount is given on top of that. In fact, one or two posters have shown the maths showing what they ended up paying. Can anyone clarify?

I have just checked my orders and Epicurean and Limelight were cheaper and loyalty discount was also applied.

Epicurean was £24 instead of £28 onboard 

Limelight £28 instead of £35 onboard. So with discount a significant saving 

[zap99]

6 minutes ago, happy v said:

I have just checked my orders and Epicurean and Limelight were cheaper and loyalty discount was also applied.

Epicurean was £24 instead of £28 onboard 

Limelight £28 instead of £35 onboard. So with discount a significant saving 

I'll book those on board and use OBC, not proper money. We normally pretty much get the booking we want. Being nice to the folk at the restaurant desk normally works. On Azura the man told us if we come down to the Glass House at 6.00 he will.find us a nice table for 2, sit us down with a drink and take our food order a 6.45

 As we had booked the 10.30 show, that gave us time to see pulse for a while, or one of the other acts. Worked for us. No stress. Quite good actually .

 

 

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I have to say that I don’t recall ever getting any pre-booking discount (beyond loyalty discount) but that was pre Covid when things were more straightforward 😂 However, I am certain that several posters have referred to the pre-cruise speciality restaurant bookings having a discount versus the price that you pay on board and loyalty discount is given on top of that. In fact, one or two posters have shown the maths showing what they ended up paying. Can anyone clarify?

 

I know happy v has replied at post #139, but just to expand on that:

 

If you book a speciality restaurant for which there is a single charge for the whole experience, you get a 20% discount. So, Epicurean, which is currently £30, will be discounted to £24. As happy v writes, if the price onboard for the Limelight Club is £35, it will be discounted to £28. After that initial discount you then get your Peninsular discount.

 

For those restaurants that only require a deposit, examples being Sindhu and Green & Co. (Arvia) where the deposit is £10, you only get the Peninsular discount. However, once you are at the restaurant, you get an additional 20% off all food items. We've found this works well at Sindhu, where some of the dishes can be about £10 or more.

 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

6 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

I know happy v has replied at post #139, but just to expand on that:

 

If you book a speciality restaurant for which there is a single charge for the whole experience, you get a 20% discount. So, Epicurean, which is currently £30, will be discounted to £24. As happy v writes, if the price onboard for the Limelight Club is £35, it will be discounted to £28. After that initial discount you then get your Peninsular discount.

 

For those restaurants that only require a deposit, examples being Sindhu and Green & Co. (Arvia) where the deposit is £10, you only get the Peninsular discount. However, once you are at the restaurant, you get an additional 20% off all food items. We've found this works well at Sindhu, where some of the dishes can be about £10 or more.

 

 

I guess that's a positive for using the app then on all the ships rather than just turning up once on board

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Bcck in the day, or pre pandemic, long queues on Ventura, Britannia and Azura might have been the case for some theatre shows which were very popular, but by no means all of them, and only for the 8:30 shows.

However I do agree that especially with Iona and Arvia some sort of pre booking is required, but it does need to be seat specific if it is to maximise the capacity and avoid any unnecessary queuing. Same applies to the restaurants, but again if you are choosing between sharing tables and tables for 2, then you need some sort of table identifier, and you may need to add in other requirements like near a window, or with wheelchair access. And you need non smart phone users and technophobes to also be catered for.

Unfortunately the P&O app fails these requirements on far too many levels, and until it is improved and acceptable to the vast majority of passengers, then I see nothing but continued complaints about the way it operates.

I honestly don't think seat specific is needed

 

It works now as it  is and saves a lot of messing about with people having to look for seats or be shown to seats and the normal having to apologise to people so much as you walk past them 

 

Everyone gets sat down far far quicker as a result of not having allocated seat numbers they need to find - especially later arrivals

 

You would also have people having to get points out and needless discussion that you've got my seats etc?

 

Seat numbers being allocated would just complicate it IMO

 

And I can't really see what benefit it would bring compared to how it is now John?

 

What am I missing that would improve with allocated seat numbers?

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I guess that's a positive for using the app then on all the ships rather than just turning up once on board

 

 

Nothing to do with the app. These are bookings made from home up to 2 weeks in advance via your Cruise Personaliser. If you book on board using the app (the only time you can use it) you don’t get the 20% discount.
 

Some may have large slugs of OBC so that won’t matter, but P&O tend to use OBC as a marketing tool that often makes the net price the same (e.g. cruise price may be £2,000 with no OBC, next month may be £2,500 with £500 OBC). I never consider OBC to be ‘free’ money as you’ve usually paid a higher base price to get it. I work out my net cruise price as the fare less OBC, so if I have booked when there is no additional OBC, but a lower headline price, the 20% becomes very useful. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Nothing to do with the app. These are bookings made from home up to 2 weeks in advance via your Cruise Personaliser. If you book on board using the app (the only time you can use it) you don’t get the 20% discount.
 

Some may have large slugs of OBC so that won’t matter, but P&O tend to use OBC as a marketing tool that often makes the net price the same (e.g. cruise price may be £2,000 with no OBC, next month may be £2,500 with £500 OBC). I never consider OBC to be ‘free’ money as you’ve usually paid a higher base price to get it. I work out my net cruise price as the fare less OBC, so if I have booked when there is no additional OBC, but a lower headline price, the 20% becomes very useful. 

Sorry in my head I'm classing anyone using pre-booking at all as embracing the booking app

 

And being rewarded as a result

 

But I see what you mean

 

You still go into the same booking pool though don't you?

 

Not being able to use OBC  for those pre-cruise bookings is annoying for some I imagine

 

We don't get OBC with saver bookings to have to factor that in

 

So OBC can't be used for shore excursions if you book them in advance of the cruise either?

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Sorry in my head I'm classing anyone using pre-booking at all as embracing the booking app

 

And being rewarded as a result

 

But I see what you mean

 

You still go into the same booking pool though don't you?

 

Not being able to use OBC  for those pre-cruise bookings is annoying for some I imagine

 

We don't get OBC with saver bookings to have to factor that in

 

So OBC can't be used for shore excursions if you book them in advance of the cruise either?

If you pre-book from home using the Cruise Personaliser you are ahead of those who rely on the App, as the latter can’t be used until you are on board. According to Megabear’s experience, this may mean (on Arvia) that you are disappointed. Restaurants may be sold out or you may not be able to get times that suit.

 

Whilst OBC is very nice to have, there are some limitations. You can’t use it in advance to pre-book via the Cruise Personaliser (so you don’t benefit from the 20% discount) and when you spend on the ship your OBC is used up first and no loyalty discount is applied until after it is all used up. That’s why I am a bit of an anorak and monitor cruise prices very carefully, working out the net price after OBC.
 

Using my previous example, if I have paid £2,000 but got no OBC, I will get 20% pre booking discount on restaurants and 10% loyalty discount on top, plus 10% discount on excursions, spa treatments etc booked in advance. Once on board, all my drinks etc will get the 10% loyalty discount. Conversely, if I’d paid £2,500 but received £500 OBC (so the same net price), I might be inclined to wait until I’m on board to book anything, so as to use my OBC. This means that I get none of the discounts. Also, none of my on board spend attracts loyalty discount until it is all used up. 
 

Hope that all makes sense? Basically, if you were to work out after the cruise your total net expenditure - cruise price less OBC plus on board spend (less any loyalty discount that applied), you could find that a cruise with a large slug of OBC may have cost you more, which is why it’s such a good marketing tool for P&O. 

[CarlaMarie]

24 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Sorry in my head I'm classing anyone using pre-booking at all as embracing the booking app

 

And being rewarded as a result

 

But I see what you mean

 

You still go into the same booking pool though don't you?

 

Not being able to use OBC  for those pre-cruise bookings is annoying for some I imagine

 

We don't get OBC with saver bookings to have to factor that in

 

So OBC can't be used for shore excursions if you book them in advance of the cruise either?

 

Onboard credit is what it says it is, credit to be used onboard. Anything booked onboard is taken from your OBC first. Anything booked at home - excursions, dining etc... you pay for before you travel. 

 

Pre booking would be classed as booking anything before you get onboard. Using the app doesn't come into that. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by CarlaMarie

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

If you pre-book from home using the Cruise Personaliser you are ahead of those who rely on the App, as the latter can’t be used until you are on board. According to Megabear’s experience, this may mean (on Arvia) that you are disappointed. Restaurants may be sold out or you may not be able to get times that suit.

 

Whilst OBC is very nice to have, there are some limitations. You can’t use it in advance to pre-book via the Cruise Personaliser (so you don’t benefit from the 20% discount) and when you spend on the ship your OBC is used up first and no loyalty discount is applied until after it is all used up. That’s why I am a bit of an anorak and monitor cruise prices very carefully, working out the net price after OBC.
 

Using my previous example, if I have paid £2,000 but got no OBC, I will get 20% pre booking discount on restaurants and 10% loyalty discount on top, plus 10% discount on excursions, spa treatments etc booked in advance. Once on board, all my drinks etc will get the 10% loyalty discount. Conversely, if I’d paid £2,500 but received £500 OBC (so the same net price), I might be inclined to wait until I’m on board to book anything, so as to use my OBC. This means that I get none of the discounts. Also, none of my on board spend attracts loyalty discount until it is all used up. 
 

Hope that all makes sense? Basically, if you were to work out after the cruise your total net expenditure - cruise price less OBC plus on board spend (less any loyalty discount that applied), you could find that a cruise with a large slug of OBC may have cost you more, which is why it’s such a good marketing tool for P&O. 

Clever stuff from you and PandO!

 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

I'm wondering if OBC is what allows such hig prices to be charged for the shops on board

 

The drinks and speciality restaurants are reasonably priced in copmparison

 

But some people must be having  to buy things in shops to spend their OBC in full

Edited May 29, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Clever stuff from you and PandO!

 

 

Of course, the trick (from a consumers perspective) is to nab a cruise at at time when there is both a very low headline price and additional OBC. We’ve managed that on Britannia in July by booking after balance due date. I will still make pre-bookings to get all the discounts and just use the OBC for drinks on board.
 

In the past it was always a case of OBC just being used to ‘balance’ the cruise price (higher cruise price with more OBC, lower cruise price with no OBC - net virtually the same), but different rules seem to be applying now, especially after balance due dates. P&O now has a heck of a lot more capacity to fill and the key is to get bums on seats (or berths), at knockdown last minute prices if necessary, with the profit coming from on board spend.