Dining allocation

Has anyone who booked early saver or saver been able to change their dining allocation time as it didn't suit them?

P&o have said that you won't be able too but I'm sure people will have asked .

I am sure people will try there luck and also try and get free shuttle buses but if they wanted a full choice they shouldnt book "early saver" or "saver" they should have booked "select". P&O have bought this in because of the uproar of those that paid full price and booked early are being ripped off when late bookers are getting choice of dining and cabins and free shuttle buses at a fraction of the price. It is to encourage people if they want these choices they should book early and dont leave it late get it cheap and expect same conditions as others.

I think Fred's way of doing it is better. Saver fares can get their choice of dining by paying a bit extra for it. £2 pppd.

Has anyone who booked early saver or saver been able to change their dining allocation time as it didn't suit them?

P&o have said that you won't be able too but I'm sure people will have asked .

We are on Arcadia at the moment. Judging by the q to see the MD on 30/4, I think a lot of people were asking. Sorry cannot tell you the result as we were select and knew what we had. I think they may have been given freedom dining, as one lady said she was told she could not change what she was given, and she was on freedom.

I think Fred's way of doing it is better. Saver fares can get their choice of dining by paying a bit extra for it. £2 pppd.

Oh but then they moan!

Who does?

Who does?

Because we're cruising with FO for the first time next year, we've been reading lots of reviews and I can assure you there are MANY complaints about Fred Olsen charging for a change of dining time for those on early saver deals

I think P&O have shot themselves in the foot again on this one. They are trying to get more people to pay the higher fares by making the lower priced fares less attractive rather than giving better benefits to the higher priced ones. They may get some people to bite but far more will jump ship leading to them having an even harder time in filling ships near departure and the late price coming down even further - e.g. look at Ventura's 14 night 23 April sailing now at £829 for a balcony cabin including flights.

Most of the drawbacks for those on Saver fares are fair enough... no choice of cabin number, no extra benefits, payment in full when booking, paying for SOME shuttles. I think for choice of dining it would have been better to have made it "lowest priority" rather than "no choice".

I'm sure someone will say "pay the saver fare if you want a dining choice, you knew the t's & c's when you booked". That didn't stop plenty of complaints on these boards over the Vantage price promise last year despite P&O following their t's & c's to the letter.

If you click on P&O's Saver fare t's & c's it says "Dinner seating as allocated on board". It does not say that you cannot request it to be changed and I thought that this would be possible once on board if it could be accomodated.

I've now booked for Adonia next month and only when the cruise documentation has come through does it inform me that "In line with the applicable Terms and Conditions, your dining arrangements will be confirmed on board AND CANNOT BE CHANGED". I think it's a bit naughty to only add the "and cannot be changed" bit AFTER booking rather than in the t's & c's displayed before booking.

We like late seating and I know this is in less demand than early. If we get assigned early then I'll try to request a change. If they won't allow it I'll try to swap with a couple who have been assigned late but want early. There is no reason under the t's & c's applicable when I booked to prevent me swapping my table allocation with other passengers. However, if they try to apply the "AND CANNOT BE CHANGED" bit retrospectively to disallow table swapping then there'll be trouble.

I can imagine that if the restaurant managers are not allowed to accomodate changes for those on Saver fares then there will be many people who think their dining experience has suffered and will withhold their gratuities.

Is there anyone out there who's returned from being on a Saver fare and can enlighten us about the ability/inability of getting dining room changes?

 

We like late seating and I know this is in less demand than early. If we get assigned early then I'll try to request a change. If they won't allow it I'll try to swap with a couple who have been assigned late but want early. There is no reason under the t's & c's applicable when I booked to prevent me swapping my table allocation with other passengers. However, if they try to apply the "AND CANNOT BE CHANGED" bit retrospectively to disallow table swapping then there'll be trouble.

 

I can imagine that if the restaurant managers are not allowed to accomodate changes for those on Saver fares then there will be many people who think their dining experience has suffered and will withhold their gratuities.

 

I disagree with much of what you have written clivep. Going round passengers asking them to change their dining arrangements to suit you sounds faintly ridiculous and I think it is unfair to put them in an uncomfortable position of having to say no. I cannot imagine what you mean by saying 'there'll be trouble' if you cannot change.

As for suggesting that many people will withold their gratuities to the waiting staff who serve those allocated to their tables just because they have opted to pay a saver fare thereby not being given a choice of sitting, I only hope this doesn't happen because it would be hitting those who have done nothing wrong.

What next? Demanding a suite because you prefer one to the saver fare inside cabin you have booked? Removing gratuities from your steward if you don't get your own way? As I said, faintly ridiculous.

Going round passengers asking them to change their dining arrangements to suit you sounds faintly ridiculous and I think it is unfair to put them in an uncomfortable position of having to say no. I cannot imagine what you mean by saying 'there'll be trouble' if you cannot change.

The english lady said "Judging by the q to see the MD on 30/4, I think a lot of people were asking". If this is the case and P&O staff are refusing to help then passengers arranging it themselves seems sensible to me. If someone wants to switch with me to suit us both then how is that putting them in an uncomfortable position?

As for suggesting that many people will withold their gratuities to the waiting staff who serve those allocated to their tables just because they have opted to pay a saver fare thereby not being given a choice of sitting, I only hope this doesn't happen because it would be hitting those who have done nothing wrong.

Please note that I was making the observation that this may well happen. I was certainly NOT suggesting that I would endose the withholding of tips from the deserving staff.

What next? Demanding a suite because you prefer one to the saver fare inside cabin you have booked? Removing gratuities from your steward if you don't get your own way? As I said, faintly ridiculous.

Not worthy of response.

We were given freedom dining on a saver fare - eat anytime between 6-9.30

If you don't get the time you want, you can use the buffet at any time or pay to eat in the select restaurants at your preferred time - still cheaper than the select fare

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Freedom dining would be our favourite if available.

We've just booked to go back on Adonia next month. Unfortunately Adonia does not have freedom dining. The buffet is only available for less than half the evenings as it's turned into a select restaurant on the other evenings. As you say, we can always use the select restaurants with the savings made (Saver fare is well under half the Select price).

Well there is an interesting idea.

A saver fare payer is saying that they should not be penalised for paying half as much and maybe the full select fare payer should get more.

Maybe a bit of each would work.

Select Fare Payers

One free meal in one of the speciality restaurants a week

Reserved seats at the front of the theatre

Priority check-in and disembark

Savers

Give them a badge so we know who they are

Sit at the back in the shows

If in doubt they get an inside cabin

When they whinge a slap around the chops with a wet haddock usually does the trick

BUT priority first in line on karaoke night.

Any other ideas please

Well there is an interesting idea.

A saver fare payer is saying that they should not be penalised for paying half as much and maybe the full select fare payer should get more.

Maybe a bit of each would work.

Select Fare Payers

One free meal in one of the speciality restaurants a week

Reserved seats at the front of the theatre

Priority check-in and disembark

Savers

Give them a badge so we know who they are

Sit at the back in the shows

If in doubt they get an inside cabin

When they whinge a slap around the chops with a wet haddock usually does the trick

BUT priority first in line on karaoke night.

 

Any other ideas please

There is not the capacity in any of the speciality restaurants if you give all select bookers a free meal in there.

I appreicate that saver fares get the last choice of dining, but it would be "punishing" them to say that they must take what they are given. They are still fare paying passengers who P&O should be trying to accommodate as far as possible

If a cruise sails and there are 1000 saver passengers on board then P&O know they are all entitled to a meal in the MDR. If they have expressed a preference, then surely P&O can try and accommodate this in so far as it is possible. This is not affecting select passengers who have what they want.

Obviously if someone books a saver fare and there is no place left on their first choice then they won't get it.

I don't think it helps just to say that if mealtime is important then book a select fare. Some people can't afford to. IMHO many select fares are overpriced and not value for money. P&O like other cruisleines need to fill their ship - they won't on select fares so last minute savers are always going to be needed.

Select passengers shouldn't turn their noses down at saver passengers - without them many ships wouldn't sail

I appreicate that saver fares get the last choice of dining, but it would be "punishing" them to say that they must take what they are given. They are still fare paying passengers who P&O should be trying to accommodate as far as possible

 

If a cruise sails and there are 1000 saver passengers on board then P&O know they are all entitled to a meal in the MDR. If they have expressed a preference, then surely P&O can try and accommodate this in so far as it is possible. This is not affecting select passengers who have what they want.

 

Obviously if someone books a saver fare and there is no place left on their first choice then they won't get it.

 

I don't think it helps just to say that if mealtime is important then book a select fare. Some people can't afford to. IMHO many select fares are overpriced and not value for money. P&O like other cruisleines need to fill their ship - they won't on select fares so last minute savers are always going to be needed.

 

Select passengers shouldn't turn their noses down at saver passengers - without them many ships wouldn't sail

Saver fare buyers can't have a choice. if they did the only advantage a Select fare would give would be to have the choice of cabin number and perhaps first chance at an upgrade. As saver fares can be hundreds of pounds cheaper than select it hardly looks fare to charge someone a large sum to book a specific cabin.

P&O are trying not to repeat the Vantage fare fiasco which upset so many of the early booking passengers. If they start relaxing the system there will be justified anger.

Look at it this way. If you want to pay the cheapest fare and are angry about not getting the same perks as someone paying a lot more why book in the first place?

This is the usual whinge and moan from saver bookers who, despite paying hundreds of pounds less, want everything that a select fare payer gets. And, of course, under the old vantage fare scheme, they got it and often more besides.

I feel sorry for the head waiter having to deal with this. It must be a nightmare .

I really do wish those who want to pay the lower fare would accept the lesser benefits.

Put up or shut up as they say.

This is the usual whinge and moan from saver bookers who, despite paying hundreds of pounds less, want everything that a select fare payer gets. And, of course, under the old vantage fare scheme, they got it and often more besides.

I know my place.

I realise that some people on these boards treat people booking saver fares as second class citizens.

I just wish that P&O would honour the actual terms and conditions rather to insert extra bits after getting bookings.

The t's and c's of Saver fares from P&O's site are:

"Saver Fares require a 100% deposit at the time of booking and are subject to a 100% cancellation fee. No amendments are permitted once booked; any amendment will be treated as a cancellation. Bookings are made at the relevant cabin type and a cabin number is allocated by P&O Cruises prior to departure. Dinner seating as allocated on board. Shuttle buses in ports are an additional cost. Saver Fares apply to new bookings only. These terms and conditions vary, where relevant, the applicable booking conditions which are otherwise unchanged".

So the only bit about dining is "Dinner seating as allocated on board". In my experience all dinner seating is allocated on board at the discretion of the restaurant manager. It is only preferences that are taken prior to departure and it is fair that those paying Select fare get highest priority and those paying Early Saver fares get next priority. There is nothing in these t's & c's that say the restaurant manager cannot change the seating of someone on a Saver fare.

My "whinge" is that it is only AFTER booking a Saver fare that the booking confirmation states: "In line with the applicable Terms and Conditions, your dining arrangements will be confirmed on board AND CANNOT BE CHANGED".

If you speak to the restaurant manager they may be happy to consider it. We sailed as saver fare on Oceana a couple of weeks ago & they were more than happy to take a note and put us on a waiting list for our preferred sitting. It didn't come through & we were freedom dining anyway so not a huge issue but there was certainly no issue with us requesting it.

If you speak to the restaurant manager they may be happy to consider it. We sailed as saver fare on Oceana a couple of weeks ago & they were more than happy to take a note and put us on a waiting list for our preferred sitting. It didn't come through & we were freedom dining anyway so not a huge issue but there was certainly no issue with us requesting it.

Thanks for the info. Was this definitely a Saver fare not an Early Saver one?

I completely accept that any such requests are subject to availablity and of having lowest priority compared to others having paid higher fares but are in line with the t's & c's before booking. The "AND CANNOT BE CHANGED" bit that they add on AFTER booking would mean that, if enforced, the restaurant manager would not have the authority to even consider any requests for changes from those on Saver fares.

there is no issue with requesting a dining change, just don't think it is a right and be prepared to be refused. Obviously an obliging restaurant manager might make changes if they have matching groups of passengers, resulting in a simple swop.

In a similar way people should not expect that they will get a cabin upgrade, it is not a right and is at the complete discretion of P&O.

Or look at it this way. If a saver passenger requests a dining time change immediately on boarding how can they get one if all the select and early saver passengers have not yet had an opportunity to request a change? After all, saver buyers should be last in the queue because they paid the least.

There is not the capacity in any of the speciality restaurants if you give all select bookers a free meal in there.

I think that deserves a whoosh ;)

Thanks for the info. Was this definitely a Saver fare not an Early Saver one?

 

I completely accept that any such requests are subject to availablity and of having lowest priority compared to others having paid higher fares but are in line with the t's & c's before booking. The "AND CANNOT BE CHANGED" bit that they add on AFTER booking would mean that, if enforced, the restaurant manager would not have the authority to even consider any requests for changes from those on Saver fares.

Definitely saver - only booked 3 weeks before sailing. As Davecttr says though, be prepared to be turned down, the restaurant manager has the right to say no under the terms of booking. It's entirely at their discretion.