Drinks package/policy changes?

[doog442]

18 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Agree.  Fred Olsen do not allow any alcohol to be brought on board at all.  There must be others.

 

Freds bar prices seem reasonable unlike Celebrity, Princess etc who are double.

P&O seem stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. 

 

 

Fred. Olsen Drinks Prices	Price From
Glass of wine (175ml)	£6
Pint of lager	£5
Cocktails	£7
Glass of champagne	£14
Spirits (25ml)	£4
Soft drinks	£2.50
Cappuccino	£3
Americano	£3

[Bazrat]

On another site P&O have sent an email out to a cruiser that there is no change in there policy on taking drinks onboard.

[posford]

Which site Bazrat

[Lee Jones Jnr]

It seems P&O are operating Schrodingers cruise ships.

Some people (I am one) think that P&O are trying to appeal more and more to the 3 star package holiday audience and are becoming more and more of a cheap and cheerful product and some claim that costs are rocketing and value is less and less. 

[Bazrat]

35 minutes ago, posford said:

Which site Bazrat

Facecloth 

[Bazrat]

26 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

It seems P&O are operating Schrodingers cruise ships.

Some people (I am one) think that P&O are trying to appeal more and more to the 3 star package holiday audience and are becoming more and more of a cheap and cheerful product and some claim that costs are rocketing and value is less and less. 

Luckily you have a choice to go on a more upmarket line then cheap and cheerful P&O

[Lee Jones Jnr]

4 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Luckily you have a choice to go on a more upmarket line then cheap and cheerful P&O

Are you offended by that comment? How do you see it?

 

I have three future cruises booked with P&O but I’m waiting to see what my next trip is like before I book any more, my next trip is QM next week.

i suspect that I will be using other lines more and cruising less with P&O. I feel a little that P&O is moving in a direction that I don’t really want to move in, I am not complaining or doing what many of the ‘new’ P&O customers seem to do when they book a trip which includes a formal night then sit in the MDR in leggings loudly saying how they will ‘holiday their way’ etc, I’ll just either accept the new product or book with a line that suits me better.

 

[JiggeryPokery]

We've just come back from a cruise on Arvia. 

 

I didn't notice anything like folks taking their own drinks from their rooms to the bars etc, but then I was not expecting or looking for it.

 

If folk have been doing this ,well they have only themselves to blame!

 

I was expecting P&O to be like Celebrity Cruises, but, to be honest, I was disappointed.

 

Food was not as good, nice enough but not..special Entertainment was generally, poor. The Skydome was just loud and raucous. I feel it was a grade down from Celebrity,but, then it was a lot cheaper

[Bazrat]

7 hours ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

Are you offended by that comment? How do you see it?

 

I have three future cruises booked with P&O but I’m waiting to see what my next trip is like before I book any more, my next trip is QM next week.

i suspect that I will be using other lines more and cruising less with P&O. I feel a little that P&O is moving in a direction that I don’t really want to move in, I am not complaining or doing what many of the ‘new’ P&O customers seem to do when they book a trip which includes a formal night then sit in the MDR in leggings loudly saying how they will ‘holiday their way’ etc, I’ll just either accept the new product or book with a line that suits me better.

 

Not offended at all like yourself I was just giving my views on your original statement, we also have multiple cruises booked with P&O, and there quest to gain a younger market is not really a problem for us, standards is really subjective dependent on your views, which at the end of your statement agrees with my original comment.

[Libby3723]

10 hours ago, Bazrat said:

On another site P&O have sent an email out to a cruiser that there is no change in there policy on taking drinks onboard.

I also emailed them and they replied ( copied and pasted) we go next Friday on Britannia on the Baltic cruise like many others we enjoy a pre dinner drink on the balcony but we also purchase drinks in the restaurant bars etc.

 

Thank you for your email.

A change in policy is not something we are aware of. We believe that responsible drinking is a valued and enjoyable part of a cruise. However, we ask that our policy for the responsible consumption of alcohol is adhered to at all times. We reserve the right to deny access to the ship to anyone who appears to be heavily under the influence of alcohol. We may also confiscate alcohol in the terminal and at the gangway.

Each guest aged 18 years (21 years in United States of America ports) and older may bring up to one litre of wine, Champagne, beer, spirit, or liqueur on board as they embark the ship for the first time only. Alcohol over the one litre limit will be stored and returned to the guest prior to the end of the cruise. If this alcohol is consumed in the dining rooms, bars, restaurants or lounge areas, it will be subject to a corkage fee of £20* per bottle, per occasion which will be charged to the guest’s on-board account.

I hope this has put your mind at ease. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.
 

[Angel57]

20 minutes ago, Libby3723 said:

I also emailed them and they replied ( copied and pasted) we go next Friday on Britannia on the Baltic cruise like many others we enjoy a pre dinner drink on the balcony but we also purchase drinks in the restaurant bars etc.

 

Thank you for your email.

A change in policy is not something we are aware of. We believe that responsible drinking is a valued and enjoyable part of a cruise. However, we ask that our policy for the responsible consumption of alcohol is adhered to at all times. We reserve the right to deny access to the ship to anyone who appears to be heavily under the influence of alcohol. We may also confiscate alcohol in the terminal and at the gangway.

Each guest aged 18 years (21 years in United States of America ports) and older may bring up to one litre of wine, Champagne, beer, spirit, or liqueur on board as they embark the ship for the first time only. Alcohol over the one litre limit will be stored and returned to the guest prior to the end of the cruise. If this alcohol is consumed in the dining rooms, bars, restaurants or lounge areas, it will be subject to a corkage fee of £20* per bottle, per occasion which will be charged to the guest’s on-board account.

I hope this has put your mind at ease. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.
 

I hope you are right, and I suspect that the content of their email is currently correct in that the staff have probably not been made “officially” aware of any changes to come, but my gut feeling is that it will happen.

Enjoy your cruise…..

[Bazrat]

26 minutes ago, Libby3723 said:

I also emailed them and they replied ( copied and pasted) we go next Friday on Britannia on the Baltic cruise like many others we enjoy a pre dinner drink on the balcony but we also purchase drinks in the restaurant bars etc.

 

Thank you for your email.

A change in policy is not something we are aware of. We believe that responsible drinking is a valued and enjoyable part of a cruise. However, we ask that our policy for the responsible consumption of alcohol is adhered to at all times. We reserve the right to deny access to the ship to anyone who appears to be heavily under the influence of alcohol. We may also confiscate alcohol in the terminal and at the gangway.

Each guest aged 18 years (21 years in United States of America ports) and older may bring up to one litre of wine, Champagne, beer, spirit, or liqueur on board as they embark the ship for the first time only. Alcohol over the one litre limit will be stored and returned to the guest prior to the end of the cruise. If this alcohol is consumed in the dining rooms, bars, restaurants or lounge areas, it will be subject to a corkage fee of £20* per bottle, per occasion which will be charged to the guest’s on-board account.

I hope this has put your mind at ease. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.
 

Thanks for the reply, looks to me it another clown story which was seized on here to bring up falling standards on P&O, whoever started the rumour achieved there aim.

 

[Bazrat]

2 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

I hope you are right, and I suspect that the content of their email is currently correct in that the staff have probably not been made “officially” aware of any changes to come, but my gut feeling is that it will happen.

Enjoy your cruise…..

I really doubt a change like that would be kept secret from there own staff, so they could look like idiots giving out false information and it being seized on like sites like this.

[david63]

1 minute ago, Bazrat said:

Thanks for the reply, looks to me it another clown story which was seized on here to bring up falling standards on P&O, whoever started the rumour achieved there aim.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

I really doubt a change like that would be kept secret from there own staff, so they could look like idiots giving out false information and it being seized on like sites like this.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with those statements. The reply was/is correct at the time that it was written, and is still correct today. As Moley has said until there is an announcement then the original policy is still in force. That is not to say that the policy will not change tomorrow, or the day after or next week.

 

The staff can only respond with the information that is pertinent at that moment in time irrespective of what they may know as to what is happening in the future.

[GSPG]

26 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Thanks for the reply, looks to me it another clown story which was seized on here to bring up falling standards on P&O, whoever started the rumour achieved there aim.

 

In this regard, if you look back I believe this subject came about due to a ‘communication’ sent to TA’s about stopping spirit’s being brought on board. But it appears this was a scam of some sort, for whatever reason, and it’s been acknowledged as that.

I’m sure it was messages being passed on for information purposes for other guests only rightly or wrongly, and there was no more to it than that.

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

3 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Not offended at all like yourself I was just giving my views on your original statement, we also have multiple cruises booked with P&O, and there quest to gain a younger market is not really a problem for us, standards is really subjective dependent on your views, which at the end of your statement agrees with my original comment.

 

How old are you? I am 40, I don't think its the age of the passengers that is the primary difference in the line that P&O is becoming, just aiming to be more of a 'value' brand than before.

[S1971]

13 hours ago, Goosebear Mum said:

Silly question. Of course not, but people who have taken a bottle onboard for evening balcony drinks, don’t suddenly expect to be told days beforehand that ‘you now can’t’.  (We never have, but were about to pack a few miniature bottles of his favourite Edinburgh gin, for my husband, for when sitting on the balcony for the evening Fjord sails, which are idyllic at 10/11pm)  Will we go up to to a bar to buy a g&t and bring back down to the balcony? NO!  Will we pay for room service to deliver one glass of g&t? NO! 

 

P&O are reducing the value of their product step by step.  Reduced food quality, greatly reduced meat/fish mdr menu choices, no flannels, no nightly turn down, no pillow chocolates, no lemon slices in buffet for use in water (I really miss these)  no conditioner, no paper port guides/maps, just the crappy online cafe/shop guides… no wine waiters in MDR, and ask for most non alcoholic drinks, and they grumble they’ll need to go and get them… no cheese board, and what arrives is sad,  no individual bathroom toiletries, just bottles shared from previous cabin occupants (yuck…) etc. etc…

… now being petty and stopping people even having their own choice of drinks in cabin…   Hotels don’t stop people having drinks in their cases for use in their rooms. Why should ships?

 

Each of these is small on its own, but drip by drip it builds up to reduced quality (yet, we’re paying more than we did in 2015)  and new passengers will not miss them (some I don’t miss either, like nightly turn down!)   We’ve just spent several thousand for 7 days on Iona.  I’d now rather a better value / higher quality product for most of our cruises.  P&O are very much “reduce quality as much as possible”, and “expect passengers to pay for extras over and above the bare minimum”.  

 

Of course, if you just use inside cabins, and pay saver fare; you have paid little for the cruise and think everyone else can spend more on all the extras too… 

 

We have almost paid off our mortgage and in 1-2 year’s time will try out other lines, one of which allows any alcohol to be taken on board, is not quite all inclusive, but doesn’t charge extra for most of what P&O does, £ for £ / day it’s nit that much more for far higher quality. 

 

Your post hits the nail on the head, many of those saying it's not a deal breaker really need to put all your points together to see how much P&O have changed post Covid.

 

Significantly poorer food quality and selection, radically reduced alcohol selection and now this supposedly, the list is endless.

 

The numerous withdrawal of once included services really has been a game changer for many loyal P&Oers, (me included to a certain extent) and they've moved on, time will tell if the younger generation will remain as loyal.

 

 

Edited May 6 by S1971

[Bazrat]

3 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

 

How old are you? I am 40, I don't think its the age of the passengers that is the primary difference in the line that P&O is becoming, just aiming to be more of a 'value' brand than before.

65 and you seam to think that no  comment deserves a reply

[Bazrat]

8 minutes ago, GSPG said:

In this regard, if you look back I believe this subject came about due to a ‘communication’ sent to TA’s about stopping spirit’s being brought on board. But it appears this was a scam of some sort, for whatever reason, and it’s been acknowledged as that.

I’m sure it was messages being passed on for information purposes for other guests only rightly or wrongly, and there was no more to it than that.

 

I would agree but this is not the first time it as happened 

[Bazrat]

37 minutes ago, david63 said:

 

I'm afraid I have to disagree with those statements. The reply was/is correct at the time that it was written, and is still correct today. As Moley has said until there is an announcement then the original policy is still in force. That is not to say that the policy will not change tomorrow, or the day after or next week.

 

The staff can only respond with the information that is pertinent at that moment in time irrespective of what they may know as to what is happening in the future.

Sorry I disagree there is a history on here of stories being seized on then turning out to be inaccurate, as for the staff not being told and allowed to give out false information,only time will tell which of us was correct.

[terrierjohn]

21 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Actually, the last stats I heard (before Starlink installation and the bundles Princess offerings) was that P&O sold more internet packages per 100 passengers than Princess.

 

Yes, I note about Gratuities, but that only needs to be a £10pppn reduction in price.

 

Princess have regular offers for their packages, and generally don’t offer OBC.

TBH if you have a drinks package, especially one like Princess Premier, then OBC becomes rather pointless.

[AndyMichelle]

26 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Sorry I disagree there is a history on here of stories being seized on then turning out to be inaccurate, as for the staff not being told and allowed to give out false information,only time will tell which of us was correct.

Yes, it's a tricky one to know what is true but I must add that, twice very recently, we have been given information in writing from P&O that turned out to be false, even after going away and checking...

I still wouldn't be surprised if there is some truth in it, despite the email denial, but time will tell. 

Andy 

[david63]

14 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

TBH if you have a drinks package, especially one like Princess Premier, then OBC becomes rather pointless.

I totally agree that with the Premier package that OBC is pointless but is OBC on Princess refundable (I know that some is)? However if you have the Plus package then the OBC allows you to upgrade once onboard to the Premier package although as we all know OBC is your own money anyway.

[Libby3723]

I suppose we will have to wait and see when we check in next Friday. I would like to think that if its true that P&O will email us this week to inform us of the change. 

[Megabear2]

Surely the answer is to wait until Thursday to see if anything happens, after all that's the first date in the supposed email in post 1?  Rather than speculating on what is or isn't happening if that date passes and nothing occurs that will settle the issue of whether it is a fact or not.  Until that time it would seem rather futile to stress over the issue.