Your (re)views on P&O's land-side service, please.

There are countless reviews of on-board activities.

But relatively little is written about the land side of cruise lines - the shore-based operations that promise what the ships endeavour to deliver.

What are your views of P&O before you get to the ship, please?

E.g. their marketing, the booking process, pre-cruise information, web-friendliness, direct communication, focus, diligence, openness, availability, trust, empathy, timeliness, etc.

I'm not really asking about price or value for money here - which speaks more to the product - the cruise itself.

You might also have impressions about dealings after the cruise.

It could be as little as a score out of 5, say, or as much as you might like to write...

There are countless reviews of on-board activities.

But relatively little is written about the land side of cruise lines - the shore-based operations that promise what the ships endeavour to deliver.

 

What are your views of P&O before you get to the ship, please?

E.g. their marketing, the booking process, pre-cruise information, web-friendliness, direct communication, focus, diligence, openness, availability, trust, empathy, timeliness, etc.

I'm not really asking about price or value for money here - which speaks more to the product - the cruise itself.

 

You might also have impressions about dealings after the cruise.

 

It could be as little as a score out of 5, say, or as much as you might like to write...

Difficult question to answer as I have some very positive opinions on some aspects and negative opinions on others.

Booking - I only ever book with P&O direct and do so via phone. I find that aspect First Class. First of all, it's a UK call centre, so you don't have the infuriating language challenges that you get with the overseas call centres. Secondly, all staff, bar none, are warm, friendly, incredibly helpful, never rush you and (usually) have excellent knowledge of the ships. And you can always get through in a relatively short time. So 5/5 On that aspect.

Web Friendliness - One of the reasons that I don't book online is that on board credit is never properly expressed (I usually end up with much more than the website implies when I eventually phone to book) and for the last few years the 'search for a specific cabin' function hasn't worked (it does now, at last). I have come to the conclusion that P&O's IT department is not a strong one. So, for bookings 1/5 but for researching info 4/5 as the search facilities and detailed answers (sample menus etc) are good.

Brochures - These are very poor nowadays compared to those of the past. I preferred it when cruises were listed in date order with a clear route map and day by day itinerary. Now cruises are all over the place. But the two main complaints I have are that prices for all cabin categories for each cruise are no longer shown (they used to be) and the deck plans are now so small I struggle even with a magnifying glass. They are so small and useless now I find I have to look at them on the website and zoom in to them. Not good. 1/5

Pre Cruise Information - I like the Cruise Personaliser but it is very slow and clunky to use and is frustrating as a result. The pre cruise brochure that arrives isn't as good as it used to be as it's almost all an advert for excursions. 3/5.

Complaint Resolution - A major weakness. I've had cause to write to them a few times and it's a major battle. You have to keep going back and challenging them time after time before they eventually back down. Even then, they won't apologise of acknowledge that they are in the wrong, but the fact that they do eventually give you some compensation makes me feel a bit better, but sadly the damage is done by then and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. 1/5

Post Cruise - Another weakness I'm afraid. I spend ages diligently filling in the end of Cruise questionnaire - good and bad. Do I think that it makes any difference? No! I don't believe that they genuinely act upon the feedback. That said, I spent years making comments that they should ban smoking on balconies and eventually they did, but they were several years too late doing so. 2/5

Hope that helps?

Again, spot on by Selbourne.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Have to agree with Selbourne yet again! :D

Three points especially -

Booking - we always book direct and, as Selbourne has said, always a first class experience.

Brochures - so so agree with this. I have actually kept the brochure from 2013 as this is the last time it had proper pictures and descriptions of each cabin at the back. It is such a shame they no longer have the cruises listed as Selbourne says, plus we preferred it when they listed by ship - it's so difficult to follow now.

Pre-cruise booklet - totally agree. Not a lot of point to it really if it's just going to be full of excursion stuff.

The only thing I slightly disagree with is the Cruise Personaliser. I do actually think it has improved over the last few years.

1. I would quite like brochures to feature each ship separately, not necessarily in paper form but web version would be good.

2. Would like a more simpler on-line booking system which show what cabins are available on deck view.

3. My husband books by telephone, he always trys to get more OBC and a cheaper price.

4. We haven't had cause to contact P&O on our return but friends of ours left their dinner suits in the cabins before departure and they tried to get them back, but never did.

5. Cruise personaliser and excursions. Some excursions have videos and some don't. It would be good to give a lot more details regarding these as they are usually quite expensive and to us are an important part of a cruise.

6. Marketing & after sales - P&O miss a trick (in my opinion) by not getting in touch with you after a cruise to offer a discount on booking a future cruise as this is a time when most people will book another.

7. Website - has improved and you can usually get an answer to any queries.

8. The biggest problem is pricing structure which I know exists everywhere, you really don't know when the best time to book and if you are getting a good deal.

9. Pre-cruise booklet, arrives usually too late as we have booked our excursions when they become available and are cheaper before-hand.

1. I would quite like brochures to feature each ship separately, not necessarily in paper form but web version would be good.

2. Would like a more simpler on-line booking system which show what cabins are available on deck view.

3. My husband books by telephone, he always trys to get more OBC and a cheaper price.

4. We haven't had cause to contact P&O on our return but friends of ours left their dinner suits in the cabins before departure and they tried to get them back, but never did.

5. Cruise personaliser and excursions. Some excursions have videos and some don't. It would be good to give a lot more details regarding these as they are usually quite expensive and to us are an important part of a cruise.

6. Marketing & after sales - P&O miss a trick (in my opinion) by not getting in touch with you after a cruise to offer a discount on booking a future cruise as this is a time when most people will book another.

7. Website - has improved and you can usually get an answer to any queries.

8. The biggest problem is pricing structure which I know exists everywhere, you really don't know when the best time to book and if you are getting a good deal.

9. Pre-cruise booklet, arrives usually too late as we have booked our excursions when they become available and are cheaper before-hand.

I agree with every single point. I forgot to mention pricing structures in my post. It's almost impossible to work out when is best to book, although the 5 future cruises we have booked are all more expensive now than when we booked them.

I absolutely love your idea of showing available cabins on a deck view basis. That would be SO much easier and ten times better than the present system. Surely in 2017 that should be possible. But, as I said in my post, IT is not a strength at P&O.

I agree with every single point. I forgot to mention pricing structures in my post. It's almost impossible to work out when is best to book, although the 5 future cruises we have booked are all more expensive now than when we booked them.

 

I absolutely love your idea of showing available cabins on a deck view basis. That would be SO much easier and ten times better than the present system. Surely in 2017 that should be possible. But, as I said in my post, IT is not a strength at P&O.

Clearly I do not know how to use this site.

I pressed the wrong button.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I have said for many years since I started cruising with P&O in 2000 and some 30 cruises later that they are like 2 different companies at sea have never had many problems and ones that I have had have been resolved. Landside I think the service they give is at best average and on occasions very poor and seemed to have got worse this last 2-3 yrs. Have never booked direct with P&O always used a cruise specialist TA who are first class and have always been cheaper than if I had booked direct with P&O. Sadly now due to IMO a declining in standards I now prefer to sail with Cunard & Princess.

Clearly I do not know how to use this site.

 

I pressed the wrong button.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Don't go losing the plot now Dai. I always find your posts very helpful!

1 Brochure, not as good as it was but if you produced one as I say 2006. It would be 500 to 700 pages long. Clearly because of more ships.

2 never booked on line. Don't see the point when I have an excellent TA to do the work. And of course pay less.

3 see above

4 booklet, has in it what we want don't remember it having much else in it.

5 only ever had a major problem once and that was sorted on the ship within a day or so, very efficiently and to our satisfaction.

6 cruise personalisor a bit fiddly but does what I want

7 sales, well must be doing something right as cruising from the UK is up by 9% and the days of very cheap deals is gone.

This new CC website is a pain in the ****** taken me for ever to post the above. Want to say a lot more but lost the will to live

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I have said for many years since I started cruising with P&O in 2000 and some 30 cruises later that they are like 2 different companies at sea have never had many problems and ones that I have had have been resolved. Landside I think the service they give is at best average and on occasions very poor and seemed to have got worse this last 2-3 yrs. Have never booked direct with P&O always used a cruise specialist TA who are first class and have always been cheaper than if I had booked direct with P&O. Sadly now due to IMO a declining in standards I now prefer to sail with Cunard & Princess.

Where standards are declining. Well according to the CC boards of Celebrity and Princess.

This new Celebrity ship looks interesting however.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

We always book directly with P and O. I have found them very helpful. For our next cruise I kept checking the website for a cabin in a particular location but couldn't find it and assumed it wasn't available. I decided to ring P and O to check and have managed to book the cabin I wanted. The aftercare is also very good if you have a problem/complaint.

Booked a cruise the other day and the service was excellent. I spent an afternoon checking prices and P&O was best for what I wanted.

I haven't had a complaint so can't comment on that.

I am easily pleased and I do like getting the booklet, it makes me feel excited about the holiday.

As I said easily pleased I like the personaliser too.

The new brochure is really a pamphlet. However I think Dai raises a valid point. I also have an old brochure which I am reluctant to throw out.

I think the FAQ section on the web is amazing, so informative.

I did follow up a cruise with a complaint that I sent to them by Facebook message.

They sent a holding reply and then a few more holding response.

I then got a very detailed and well written reply, which addressed my specific concerns and wasn't just a generic reply. That did impress me very much.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I did follow up a cruise with a complaint that I sent to them by Facebook message.

 

They sent a holding reply and then a few more holding response.

 

I then got a very detailed and well written reply, which addressed my specific concerns and wasn't just a generic reply. That did impress me very much.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I think that a lot of the hold up is the fact that shore side have to check with the ship and check the details. If there are a number of staff involved it only takes one to have gone home for the delay to build up.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Difficult question to answer as I have some very positive opinions on some aspects and negative opinions on others.

 

Booking - I only ever book with P&O direct and do so via phone. I find that aspect First Class. First of all, it's a UK call centre, so you don't have the infuriating language challenges that you get with the overseas call centres. Secondly, all staff, bar none, are warm, friendly, incredibly helpful, never rush you and (usually) have excellent knowledge of the ships. And you can always get through in a relatively short time. So 5/5 On that aspect.

 

Web Friendliness - One of the reasons that I don't book online is that on board credit is never properly expressed (I usually end up with much more than the website implies when I eventually phone to book) and for the last few years the 'search for a specific cabin' function hasn't worked (it does now, at last). I have come to the conclusion that P&O's IT department is not a strong one. So, for bookings 1/5 but for researching info 4/5 as the search facilities and detailed answers (sample menus etc) are good.

 

Brochures - These are very poor nowadays compared to those of the past. I preferred it when cruises were listed in date order with a clear route map and day by day itinerary. Now cruises are all over the place. But the two main complaints I have are that prices for all cabin categories for each cruise are no longer shown (they used to be) and the deck plans are now so small I struggle even with a magnifying glass. They are so small and useless now I find I have to look at them on the website and zoom in to them. Not good. 1/5

 

Pre Cruise Information - I like the Cruise Personaliser but it is very slow and clunky to use and is frustrating as a result. The pre cruise brochure that arrives isn't as good as it used to be as it's almost all an advert for excursions. 3/5.

 

Complaint Resolution - A major weakness. I've had cause to write to them a few times and it's a major battle. You have to keep going back and challenging them time after time before they eventually back down. Even then, they won't apologise of acknowledge that they are in the wrong, but the fact that they do eventually give you some compensation makes me feel a bit better, but sadly the damage is done by then and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. 1/5

 

Post Cruise - Another weakness I'm afraid. I spend ages diligently filling in the end of Cruise questionnaire - good and bad. Do I think that it makes any difference? No! I don't believe that they genuinely act upon the feedback. That said, I spent years making comments that they should ban smoking on balconies and eventually they did, but they were several years too late doing so. 2/5

 

Hope that helps?

Absolutely spot on. Exactly our experience of the company also.

They need to step back 20 years with the brochures, I used to enjoy reading the brochure now its hard to navigate and certainly not an enjoyable read.

Web Friendliness - One of the reasons that I don't book online is that on board credit is never properly expressed (I usually end up with much more than the website implies when I eventually phone to book) and for the last few years the 'search for a specific cabin' function hasn't worked (it does now, at last).

How do you get extra OBC please? The price quoted for a balcony room on Britannia sailing to the Caribbean in Nov 2018 is £70pp, when I rang to pre register I was told that the OBC was indeed £70pp. I'm a first time cruiser, so maybe its that.

Jaime

2 never booked on line. Don't see the point when I have an excellent TA to do the work. And of course pay less.

Who is your excellent TA please daiB? :D

How do you get extra OBC please? The price quoted for a balcony room on Britannia sailing to the Caribbean in Nov 2018 is £70pp, when I rang to pre register I was told that the OBC was indeed £70pp. I'm a first time cruiser, so maybe its that.

 

Jaime

I think the main time we found this was when the double on board credit promo was on. The website didn't seem to show the proper value of that during the dummy bookings we did. Also, if you've done a ships tour and you phone P&O to make a booking, they have a note on their system and will give you an additional £25pp OBC as well. They also don't make it clear that you can get free parking and OBC as well on the same cabin. We booked a Suite and a balcony cabin for a 2 week cruise this summer and were given, between the two cabins, £1010 OBC plus free parking worth around another £160. The dummy bookings were certainly not showing £1,170 worth of benefits and it was a very pleasant surprise when we phoned to book! I don't think it had anything to do with being a previous customer. Any past passenger discounts are built into the price, so that saving is in addition to any OBC. The whole thing is a minefield that I have yet to fathom. It seems that cruise prices and OBC go up and down with great regularity.

I agree with most of the thread and the first couple of posts say it all really. I have tried all ways of booking and the best experience IMO is direct with P&O via phone. There was an absolutely infuriating period in 2016 though (well most of 2016 actually) where you just couldn't get through on the phone.

I haven't had good experiences land side post cruise, and I've had some fairly troublesome ones onboard. I think this is because they are very process driven and don't always manage the customer experience very well when things go wrong.

I love the pre cruise booklet, I would be really upset if they stopped those, I like looking at excursions on paper and the 'holiday feeling' which ensues when it drops through the letterbox.

I get annoyed that you have to go through boxes asking for your name to check available cabins, even typing in random letters is still a pain - what happened to accessing info in 3 clicks? I think the website lends itself more to a booking process than a shopping experience if that makes sense. I do have to say though that it is a better website than many others.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Have had little need to ring P&O, like Dai we use a good online TA who does everything for us, (why have a dog and bark yourself - which is a bit of a harsh comment about the lovely Leigh who sorts out all my bookings) and gets our first choice cabins on launch, ahead of direct bookers I understand, since we got in ahead of a direct booker last September.

I am finding the new website a little improved, and it can provide a listing by ship for any period you want, if you follow the instructions.

It would be better if its cabin selection was similar to Princess, which IMO is the mass market leader in this.

My TA gives me the maximum discount, so no need to beg over the phone with P&O.

Recent experience on post cruise contact has been via e-mail and the 2 most recent were handled in days not weeks. I did need to send one e-mail to Chris Edgington regarding a complaint after not getting satisfaction from Cust Services, it was then handled speedily.

We use accessible excursions so not too bothered about the pre cruise brochure, other than for luggage labels.

Must admit we have never had a discount offer post cruise, although I understand some do get them, my name must have a X against it.

Pricing structure can be a mine field, but as we now need an accessible cabin its vital we book on launch to get our desired location, and again like Dai, we have never seen our price bettered late on. I do hope this continues.

Who is your excellent TA please daiB? :D

Well now if I told you I would have to come and shoot you as CC do not allow that kind of information to be circulated. Sorry.

I think it is shoot you and then me. I get the order mixed up.

I am all over the Internet you may find me elsewhere.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I think the main time we found this was when the double on board credit promo was on.

They also don't make it clear that you can get free parking and OBC as well on the same cabin.

Double on board credit promo sounds good :D

I'm looking to book next Wednesday, I've spoken to two P&O customer service advisors recently and neither of them mentioned free parking, is this something I need to mention when booking?

Well now if I told you I would have to come and shoot you as CC do not allow that kind of information to be circulated. Sorry.

 

I think it is shoot you and then me. I get the order mixed up.

 

I am all over the Internet you may find me elsewhere.

Hahaha, I will go search for you tomorrow at a more reasonable hour :D Don't fancy being shot :o;)