Yorkypete

.We had exactly the same e-mail except it was for Britannia only. Is everyone getting it?

Many thanks to Megabear and all other who mentioned the need to have the GHIC card. We have just received ours (Takes about 3/4 weeks to receive it). Until Megabear posted the info on here we had never heard of this card replacing the old European one as no-one officially told us. It is a vital necessity so once more thank you.

My point is the 'people' bit. It makes it sound as though it is a consensus of opinion when it is only a tiny, tiny minority view. I do take notice of the covid figures and other news about cruises as the companies don't like telling their customers. Incidentally, several people have recently mentioned'sites which cannot be named'. Why not? It is a critics forum is it not?

Remember that 'many of us here' only accounts for perhaps a microscopic number of cruisers many who have had problems according to the media. Anyone on here, myself included, only speak for themselves and no-one else.

Got ours moved yesterday from March next year on Iona to Britannia in May 2024 and it was much lesser value. Good timing.I hope all problems with P&O have cleared up by then.

Actually I am not under any type of stress and we always go out to make the best of, and enjoy, all our cruises (except the Magellan a few years ago which was ridiculous). It just annoys me that nowadays the English accept anything that is thrown at them without a peep. We only complain to each other, rarely to the initiators of the problem (fuel crisis a good example). It is frustration that P&O do not learn at all about customer relations..

I have always wondered why petrol stations do not use the American System. Go in, pay what you want and come out and fill up to that amount and it then cuts off. Simple.

You can't sue them for lying as they are based abroad. It would cost a fortune which I have not got. I have proof on e-mails.

Maybe not....but how many cruise lines openly lie to us?

Thanks. The only problem is we only cruise between Sept and May as I cannot stand really hot weather. Norway, Iceland and the Baltic are the only summer ones we go on but P&O being ruled out as their ship cannot go to many ports due to 'operational reasons' and they lied to us which is not on.

Our cruise on Iona next March will not take place, however in order to save our deposit we may move the cruise forward to a smaller one in about 18 months to two years time. If P&O have not improved then it will be goodbye and we will cancel and lose our deposit. I take your points Megabear but anyone can see the behaviour is letting P&O down. I am sorry to say it as we have loved Britannia, although I must be honest and say my fav. ship is Independance of the Seas. It is just a shame that not that many cruise lines use Southampton therefor the choice is not very wide. Time to try others though and see what happens after September. AS an afterthought Megabear, we have been openly lied to by P&O and that I cannot let go.

My feelings about P&O are the same as those about any company that promises one thing and does not deliver. I have had two reasonable cruises with them on Britannia and Iona. I have also had several on RCI which were exceptional and 1 on Magellan which was disastrous. P&O are a disaster waiting to happen. Look at their recent record of missed ports, not informing people of changes until after they have paid etc etc.They leave a lot to be desired in PR.

I would honestly guess that P&O are definately in trouble. I don't believe they care about passengers and certainly can't be bothered about checking berthing before publishing an itinerary.Could the problem be financial as they seem determined to get your money before changing port visits?

It seems that P&O are using every excuse in the book for their cancellations/missed ports. I wonder which are the truth and which are lies? OBC is a way of saving money on having to re-pay people for spoilt cruises as some of the people will not sail P&O again. Boy am I glad we cancelled our March cruise. The only problem is do we lose the deposit or move the cruise forward a couple of years?

In that case Gerainger should not be in the itinery from now on.You would think that someone would check out the route before the schedules were produced to ensure that the vessel could actually use the ports. On the assumption they do not(or has someone been sacked) then might I suggest a good alternative would be Whitby!

No 1: Arcadia...30 nights USA and Canada ..6th Sept. No 2: 18th Sept Aurora 24n to Canada and USA. Booking by 22nd August.

I have had an e-mail about the pilots from the Officer in charge. We have been told that Britannia can only be piloted in during daylight. This means the pilots come on board at 5.30 am and the transition time is 5 hours giving a berthing time of 10.30 am. Apparently the claim by P&O re the 'availability' of pilots is hogwash. .

With respect your timings are not correct as of today. The Stockholm Port Authority have told me that the timings of arrival are 10.30am on the 23rd and the departure is 2.45 on the 24th. These are the times they have been given by P&O as of today.I still wonder where your timings come from as we cannot find any?

No. We don't arrive in Stockholm until 10.30 and leave at 2.45 the following day. Pilot availability is the reason given.Where did you get these times from as Stockholm Port Authority say they have had no times until two days ago when they were changed from 'morning' of the 23rd and 'afternoon' on the 24th.

There will not be many on the second day as we are now due to leave (according to the port authorities) at 2.45, thus being due back at the ship at 1.45 at the latest.

The port authorities have told me that P&O are not posting any times but they have now been told it will arrive at 10.30 am and leave at 2.45 the following day. They have just been told this and say that other cruise lines usually give times earlier but not P&O! It is strange timing so I don't know what is going on. As there were no times given at booking or on our conformation I have no idea what time it leaves its previous port or arrives at the next one.. We have no timings whatsoever. This is the sort of thing that is making me end my P&O cruises for the forseeable future.

How? I cannot book excursions due to not knowing any times.

None on ours...only arrive morning...depart afternoon. This could be arriving at 11am and leaving at 1pm. Not helpful for booking excursions.

I wondered if anyone else has a P&O e=mail to say the times of arrival and departure have changed. How will it affect excursions already booked? I cannot find the original times on my cruise details as they appear to have vanished.This is for the Sept.18th cruise.

500 passengers not paying the £1500 or so pounds each is quite a large amount they are not getting in their coffers.