Ventura Weekender Sept12-14 08

[Sparkle 123]

Well i'm assuming I did. The guy who is dealing with it was still busy so I spoke to one of his colleagues who then checked with him. I did have the D Afts as 3/4th choice so it may be one of them. Will just have to wait until he calls to find out for sure.

I Hate waiting for the phone!!!

Don't be disheartened I'm sure you will get your choice as the December cruise won't be so busy as the Xmas one, I'm sure, so if I got my choice for the Christmas cruise, you should have more chance for yours!!!

Good luck

Lisa

[E201]

We are still waiting tried calling our TA but was engaged! Its very exciting and at the same time very scary, we will be very disapointed if we do not get on our chosen cruise!

 

Has any one else heard yet?

 

E201

[Sparkle 123]

Just been on P&O's website to see what availability there is and it looks like the Ventura booking system is down when you click to book. So it looks like patience is the order of the day, although that is not one of my strongpoints!

[bandit0000]

I guess the only consoation there is that if my TA cannot book because site is down, then no one else can either.

I had things to do this afternoon as well, but cannot risk leaving the phone.

Hopefully by this evening we will all be happy bunnies!

Lisa:)

[E201]

I have a friend who's mum works for P & O and they said it is manic there today! They must be taking so many bookings, i think the amount of TA's booking has shut the systems down!

 

I am at work at the moment and i am carry my phone around with me!

[daiB]

Hi all,

 

Well it is all going on today, so no one got booked yet,:eek: come on what are you doing.

 

Over on CC (P&O) 6 members are reporting, or is it gloating, that they have booked on Ventura. I love all this activity as I want to book on Aurora/Oriana and it should be a little quieter then.

 

Looking at it from here Ventura looks to be a hit already, I would not be surprised if P&O were able to announce some full sailings by the end of the day.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

Dai

[Angie1961]

I am also waiting to hear from my agents as well, I want 2 aft balcony cabins for this mini cruise............Its very stressful just waiting to hear if we have got a cabin of any kind!!

Someone on 'Ship Happens' website managed to book onto this one directly with P&O this morning, everyone else is just playing the waiting game!!:(

[GABY1]

my husband just phoned me from work and tells me we are now booked for the xmas & new year caribbean cruise 08. i believe we got the cabin we requested as well. its our first cruise with p&o though we have sailed before with princes and rcl. we are now two very happy people!!!

[daiB]

my husband just phoned me from work and tells me we are now booked for the xmas & new year Caribbean cruise 08. i believe we got the cabin we requested as well. its our first cruise with p&o though we have sailed before with princes and rcl. we are now two very happy people!!!

 

 

Well done,

 

First reported on here and the Christmas and New Year cruise as well.

 

You realise a full report will be required.;)

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

Dai

[katiecoos]

Yippee., Just had a phonecall from our Agents, to say we are booked too.

[bandit0000]

Hi,

Had a call from my TA. All flights sold out for EMA 5th Dec 08. I am really upset.

I know I could go from a different airport, but that was all part of the package for me, that I could fly from my local airport.

Do you know if they are likely to charter another plane if the flights get booked up this early.

Thanks, hope you all get your chosen cruise, I'm off to lick my wounds!

Lisa

[Sparkle 123]

Oh dear Lisa

Thats bad news. I still haven't heard for sure if I have got the East Midlands flights for the Xmas cruise yet, although Birmingham would do.Left a message on my TA's voicemail, hes obviously still busy.

Will not be able to rest till I know for definite which cabin and flights we have got.

Gaby

Which cabin are you in on the Christmas cruise?

[flea b]

Hi all, my stupid agent not been in touch all day. I am disgusted. If there was a problem its not given me the chance to try elsewhere. So much for priority pre-registering.

[bandit0000]

Hi all, my stupid agent not been in touch all day. I am disgusted. If there was a problem its not given me the chance to try elsewhere. So much for priority pre-registering.

 

Have you tried ringing them?

I know they have been busy, but I think they should have rang you by now.

I think it has been a nightmare day for the agents as apparently P&O have cut the phones off & the website is very hit & miss.

Surely there must be a better way than this, although this whips up the frenzy they want with a new ship.

Hope you get it,

Lisa

[Sparkle 123]

Just come off the phone to my travel agent. He couldnt get me any aft balconies at all. He said its been a nightmare, the system has been crashing on and off all day. The only cabin near my chosen one was C735 but thats not an aft. I am not going to compromise so I told him to leave it and I will wait for the Arcadia Christmas 2008 itineraries to come out and see if i can get an aft balcony on that if the price is right!

Unfortunately these aft balconies are addictive so I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

[flea b]

Lisa, Yes I tried ringing them ALL afternoon. Finally spoke to someone who told me they were still trawling through the bookings and I had to wait to be contacted and it may take til tomorrow. The annoying thing is my sister and her family booked no problem through another agent and it all happened smoothly this morning, then they rang her on her mobile at my house this afternoon to give her the cabin numbers etc and could have booked for me also but I could'nt go for it as I did'nt know what was happening as I'd pre-registered with the other agent and they had my card details. Could'nt risk loosing the deposit. Got to wait and see now but got a bad feeling and now hearing all East Midlands flights booked up etc is making it worse.

[GABY1]

abbafan we have got r508 under the swimming pool i think. its an inside what we chose our agent told us we may get an upgrade to an outside but on a lower deck. im not really bothered either way we are onboard:) good luck in getting your chosen cabin i know there,s still alot waiting to hear.

[bandit0000]

Oh Lisa, I am so sorry. Especially after thinking you had got one of your chosen cabins. You must be very disappointed.

I have just found out for my sailing they are doing a flight from Doncaster also (less than 10 mins more away), so I am giving that a try, although I am sure by now even if the flights are still there the cabins I want won't be.

I'll just give it this one last try and like you I am not willing to compromise anymore.

Looks like quite a few disappointments.

It makes me wonder if we would have just been better off ringing today rather than pre-registering?

My best to you all,

Lisa:)

[Sparkle 123]

Yes the whole thing has been a bit of a farce hasn't it? Why bother letting you pre register then have a free for all. Hope you get something sorted out. There are lots of ships out there!

[bandit0000]

Thanks, I'm not holding out too much hope though. I'll let you know.

Like you say there are lots of very nice, big & lovely ships out there. I am not so upset now, in fact it will be a relief to know for sure & then I can just move on!

Have a lovely Christmas cruise, whichever ship you choose.

Regards,

Lisa:)

[Sparkle 123]

Thanks. I just remembered Celebrity is launching a new ship, the Solstice in late 2008 so thats something I can look forward to. Plus I have some nice cruises this year coming up and we are planning to spend Christmas with our dear friends in the US and then do a 5 night new years eve cruise on the Navigator of the seas together, so thats this Xmas/New year arranged! So its not that bad is it!!

Bye for now

Lisa

[bandit0000]

Well I have not heard back from my TA, so I assume I am not booked. I think it has been one big farce!

Lisa:mad:

[flea b]

Hi all, Just read an e mail from my Travel Agent, I am booked on the Ventura Christmas Cruise as they promised, right grade, everything. So I am really really pleased. Obviously they were just too busy to notify me, I did'nt find the e mail til this morning. Would have appreciated a quick call, but not to worry now. Good Luck to everyone trying to make their bookings, Regards flea b x

[bandit0000]

Hi,

So glad you got what you wanted, I am still waiting to hear from my TA & they do not open until 9am:mad: , when no doubt more cabins have been sold & I'll stand even less of a chance.

I am furious, I think P&O should have been better organised & made sure their system was up to scratch & they had enough telephone lines. I wish I could just walk away, but something keeps drawing me back.

I am not prepared to spend another day by the phone. I do not know if I am booked or not & cannot go to another agent because of this, they have my card details for the deposit, so cannot take the risk.

Please someone tell me that P&O are not that good & the ship will be like a thousand others, just so that I can move on!

Sorry for ranting-it helps!

Lisa:)

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

I phone five TA,s yesterday,

 

told them I wanted to book 4 cruises 2 mini cruises for this year 1 in 2008 and 1 in 2009,

 

no one came back to me with Prices apart ftom Liverpool Cruise Club who quoted prices for P&O but could not process a booking.

 

Why do we need TA,s

 

 

yours Shogun