Carnival Cruise Line to Absorb P&O Australia

[ceeceeDee]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I found my husband's account number with Carnival but not mine so I phoned them this morning. The answer was simple. They had my birthdate incorrectly recorded. It is the 5th December, but Carnival had it as the 12th May 🤣 so when I entered my details to search for the number, of course the system couldn't find it. All fixed now.

Mine's December 6th! Go the Sagitterians 🙂

[Sparky74]

5 minutes ago, Mycruiseobsession said:

The Carnival Media release says

 

"P&O Cruises Australia guests will also be invited to participate in Carnival’s loyalty program and promotional offerings specific to Carnival ships sailing in the region.” 

 

I am going to guess (hope) that it means past P&O cruises will  count towards VIFP once P&O ceases in 2025 rather than just being invited  to start again!

Yes, when I read that I wondered if Cruislings would have their points transferred across to VIFP or if they’d be invited to start from scratch. 🤔

And what if those of us who have earned points in both systems. I wonder if we can add our Cruisling points to our VIFP points. 🤔
 

Of course, the problem with any loyalty program is that there are eventually too many people in the upper tiers and they have to either water down the benefits or move the goalposts. Either way there are winners and losers and people get upset. 🤷‍♂️

But as Gilbert and Sullivan said, “If everybody’s somebody, nobody’s anybody!"

[NSWP]

3 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

Yes, when I read that I wondered if Cruislings would have their points transferred across to VIFP or if they’d be invited to start from scratch. 🤔

And what if those of us who have earned points in both systems. I wonder if we can add our Cruisling points to our VIFP points. 🤔
 

Of course, the problem with any loyalty program is that there are eventually too many people in the upper tiers and they have to either water down the benefits or move the goalposts. Either way there are winners and losers and people get upset. 🤷‍♂️

But as Gilbert and Sullivan said, “If everybody’s somebody, nobody’s anybody!"

correct too many in upper tiers, pax on Coral wc, reporting a week turn around for elite comp laundry.

[NSWP]

21 minutes ago, NSWP said:

and chiko rolls on formal night. lol.

[Vader1111]

17 hours ago, 2022cruisey said:

On the weekend I booked a P&O for September, glad nothing is changing before then.

Have also booked RCI for next April, haven’t been on them, hoping they are not too American.

RCI are VERY American

[ceeceeDee]

4 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

No doubt P&O will be missed, despite many not liking to sail on her. With Carnival taking over, time will tell if they change things too much but I doubt people who cruised regularly with P&O will just stop cruising altogether. They may not like it as much but I think with no other choice they will just cruise Carnival.

Depends how they stack up against Princess

[cruiser3775]

I'm booked on a P & O cruise this December, which I gather is still going ahead. However, P & O hasn't bothered to let me know. Instead I got a message from my travel insurer, with the details of the changes.

[ceeceeDee]

2 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

I'm booked on a P & O cruise this December, which I gather is still going ahead. However, P & O hasn't bothered to let me know. Instead I got a message from my travel insurer, with the details of the changes.

Yep, we're on Encounter in December. Silence from P&O is deafening. We got a message from a travel insurer we haven't even used! Obviously I'm somehow on their mailing list. Only thing from P&O was an email a few days back advising a change to embarkation and disembarkation times. Don't know about Cruislings, I think we're Mushrooms.🙄

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, Mycruiseobsession said:

The Carnival Media release says

 

"P&O Cruises Australia guests will also be invited to participate in Carnival’s loyalty program and promotional offerings specific to Carnival ships sailing in the region.” 

 

I am going to guess (hope) that it means past P&O cruises will  count towards VIFP once P&O ceases in 2025 rather than just being invited  to start again!

As it reads, it just means that any cruise you do on Carnival will count to their loyalty program, which is somewhat of a new concept for 100% P&O cruisers.

 

Keep hoping, there is quite a bit of conjecture about past cruises counting. They haven't said yes, they haven't said no. There is no way they that past cruises can count to double-dipping on both Princess and Carnival. If they took Princess points away to do this for Carnival, there will be a lot of unhappy cruisers out there to.

 

This has been all the talk overnight. Looking at JH's Q&A session, everyone talking about yesterday's news is asking about VIFP credits for past P&O cruises.

[ceeceeDee]

Just a thought. I wonder if the P&O fan sites members are slashing their wrists yet or at the very least donning black and going into mourning.

[arxcards]

Pinched from the Carnival discussion of this topic, which was pinched from elsewhere.

 

Not an official render:

[reeves35]

53 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Yep, we're on Encounter in December. Silence from P&O is deafening. We got a message from a travel insurer we haven't even used! Obviously I'm somehow on their mailing list. Only thing from P&O was an email a few days back advising a change to embarkation and disembarkation times. Don't know about Cruislings, I think we're Mushrooms.🙄

I guess that, since your cruise is well in advance of P&O's scheduled "sunset", you are unlikely to hear anything from P&O.  For you, hopefully, the cruise will be just as you had booked.  I assume those that are being contacted are where the cruise is being cancelled which is all Explorer cruises post-March and a couple Adventure and Encounter cruises across March.

 

[ceeceeDee]

15 minutes ago, reeves35 said:

I guess that, since your cruise is well in advance of P&O's scheduled "sunset", you are unlikely to hear anything from P&O.  For you, hopefully, the cruise will be just as you had booked.  I assume those that are being contacted are where the cruise is being cancelled which is all Explorer cruises post-March and a couple Adventure and Encounter cruises across March.

 

Yes, we're well within the cutoff point so our cruise is not affected per se. Just that with a major change like that in the not so distant future, it would be good PR to send current cruisers a blanket email with the announcement. Then again, I guess the care factor at this stage is fast approaching zero. Given that P&O Australia's parent company is Carnival, one could be forgiven for thinking that P&O customers might rate a bit of PR to give them confidence in the changeover next March. At this point, other cruise lines are looking good.

[CountessCookie]

1 hour ago, ceeceeDee said:

Just a thought. I wonder if the P&O fan sites members are slashing their wrists yet or at the very least donning black and going into mourning.

I'm now imagining everyone on the last few P&O sailing decked out in full victorian mourning gear. An absolutely halarious mental image.

[ceeceeDee]

7 minutes ago, CountessCookie said:

I'm now imagining everyone on the last few P&O sailing decked out in full victorian mourning gear. An absolutely halarious mental image.

Maybe Bianco Night will be Noire Night

[icat2000]

And how many ships in Melbourne. 

[ceeceeDee]

Out of curiosity I just nipped across to the Carnival forum to see the reaction to Carnival absorbing P&O Australia. Many of the posters are rubbing their hands in glee and speculating which ships they are going to get. Ye gods and little fishes. Don't they have enough choice as it is? 🙄

At the rate cruise lines are 'dumping' Australia (Cunard and Virgin I'm looking at you) we may have to settle for a ferry ride to Bribie Island! 😂

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, Mycruiseobsession said:

The Carnival Media release says

 

"P&O Cruises Australia guests will also be invited to participate in Carnival’s loyalty program and promotional offerings specific to Carnival ships sailing in the region.” 

 

I am going to guess (hope) that it means past P&O cruises will  count towards VIFP once P&O ceases in 2025 rather than just being invited  to start again!

Can hope, but as P&O didn't have a loyalty program, it may not be so easy. Carnival may do nought.

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

Depends how they stack up against Princess

Except Princess isn't hanging around all year round

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

Just a thought. I wonder if the P&O fan sites members are slashing their wrists yet or at the very least donning black and going into mourning.

Many are mourning.

[SinbadThePorter]

16 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

we may have to settle for a ferry ride to Bribie Island!

 

I've already done the ferry ride to Bribie Island on the Lady Brisbane.

 

I'd rather go to Tangalooma. 😁

[ceeceeDee]

15 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Except Princess isn't hanging around all year round

True ☹️

Oh, dear.

[ceeceeDee]

Better late than never (or else P&O are reading this forum and me whinging).

 

Just received this email:

 

5 June 2024 

  

We have announced that P&O Cruises Australia (POA) will become part of our sister company Carnival Cruise Line, in March 2025.  As a valued guest, we are writing to confirm that your cruise I462  is unimpacted by the announcement. 
 
Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter will be taken out of service for two weeks in March to undergo some technology and systems upgrades, and when they return, they will be rebranded and sail as part of the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.  Post-integration, the Carnival Cruise Line year-round fleet in Australia will include Carnival Splendor, Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, as well as Carnival Luminosa - which will sail from Brisbane seasonally.  All the ships will feature Carnival’s popular HubApp onboard technology to enhance the cruise experience, and POA guests will be invited to participate in the Carnival loyalty program, among other benefits. 
 
Carnival Cruise Line is committed to carrying on the legacy of outstanding service and memorable holidays that our guests have loved for more than 90 years, and this integration plan provides many career opportunities for our great onboard team, which will soon be sailing for the world’s largest cruise line.  Carnival Corporation will remain the largest cruise operator in the South Pacific, with 17 ships across seven brands calling on 78 destinations in the region.  
 
While inventory is limited, there’s still time to book additional holidays with P&O Cruises Australia before the ships convert to Carnival!  To book visit www.pocruises.com.au or speak to your travel agent.  
 
And cruises after March 2025 that will be operated by Carnival Cruise Line can also be booked at www.pocruises.com.au. 
 
For more information on the announcement about P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival, you can read the company’s news release here. 
 
 
P&O Cruises  

[MicCanberra]

So one less ship all year round from next year.

[Sparky74]

When DW read the P&O email she queried if "unimpacted" is a word. I suggested that it’s a dental diagnosis. 😬