Megabear2

Not in the market for much at the moment as still using up bookings made a very long time ago. However: P&O December 16th 2022 - price now dropped £1,800 on my select fares plus extra £300OBC October 8th 2022 - price dropped by £250 with extra OBC - also smaller single supplement December 22 2023 - price dropped by £600 with extra OBC NCL August 2023 - price risen by £1,300 even with AI taken into account Celebrity May 2023 - price remains static but 60% of second person. However new bookings no always included Non cruising: 10 nights 5* Kefalonia with private pool July 2023 £3,600 total for 2 10 nights 5* Venice/Verona booked independentfly with flights, transfers, B&B - £1,100 for 2 Interesting pattern here - why would I choose to book more cruises???

But it's nice to have the option. Princess allow you to request it via the Medallion app.

I don't think the Caribbean protocols are known yet. Last year they were announced early October, just after a large number of people were due to pay their balances. I'm guessing that end of September early October will be the first we hear.

Not just any old chocs either. On posh nights we got little boxes of Belgian truffles - yummy!

It appears to be the new British disease! Recently in Kefalonia there were no sunbeds around either of the pools in our 5* adults only resort at 7.45am. There are some wonderful videos on the subject on YouTube as well.

As a frequent visitor to a particular Austrian village I was surprised one night to be introduced at a festival as one of the people visiting there the longest, in my case 30 years. I was asked to go on a stage to meet the Mayor of the village and given a box to mark the occasion. Imagine my surprise on opening it when I found 30 specially minted silver coins. I can now proudly boast that I am the recipient of a biblical 30 pieces of silver!

I never saw my account on Britannia, Celebrity Edge or Regal Princess save for emailed versions. Britannia was the quickest arriving on the morning of departure, Edge second at 24 hours and Princess only received 14 days after return. I had checked each account the night before departure but even then ended up with a query on Edge as the $100 "test" on boarding amount still showed up for 3 days.

Once did a Meet the Manager live on a station. We all told them we thought quiet carriages were a good idea. The manager nodded and wrote it down. The next week they announced televisions on trains would be introduced in every carriage carrying live tv and advertisements. Certainly another "We're listening experience".

Another reason why all this OBC isn't all it's cracked up to be! If you're the sort of person who doesn't drink much, use the spa or buy bags, jewellery, watches whatever you can find yourself scrambling to spend it. Excursions used to be able to be pre purchased with OBC (up until about 8 or 9 years ago if my memory serves me correct) and in light of P&O using OBC as a tool to entice bookings it would be nice if they could allow it again.

Hope you are enjoying it. Cost not a problem if it hopefully lives up to your expectations.

I think it depends on the cruise/ship if they are value. I booked at launch December 2023 Arvia Christmas Caribbean cruise. Price was very high but they offered £500 OBC which made it palatable. It was also only £200pp dearer than my Britannia Christmas 2022 booking. Remembering this is Arvia with all the deck 8 problems to avoid select seemed okay. Checked it out over the weekend in light of the extra OBC offer. Price has dropped on select by £600 and OBC increased to £780. We stuck with it purely because we have one of the cabins with a large balcony and the cost difference is minimal, but there is one. If we were prepared to risk deck 8 we could have saved £1900 which is a massive difference, and no way does the OBC go anyway to making select better value. I'm extremely loyal to P&O and book Christmas or just after on launch every year depending when it falls. With these sorts of differences there's absolutely no way I will commit to December 2024 when it goes on sale.

Agreed the fact it remains free to change is good. However before the pandemic P&O also charged £100pp administration fee and it had to be more expensive. I remember my aunt having to cancel a world cruise when uncle became too unwell to travel for such a long time and P&O wouldn't budge on letting them move their very large deposit to another shorter voyage in the future. Ended up claiming on insurance for cancellation and P&O lost their custom for 10 y3ars as a result.

I've only changed one and that was enforced. However many have chopped and changed merely due to P&O pricing changes and OBC. Seasoned cruisers were used to the old lock in rules, I'm not so sure the new wave cruisers will be so prepared or keen particularly with, as Zap says, silly prices for 2023 onwards.

I've no problem with it on my existing bookings but with new ones and the extortionate fares being quoted for select fares will certainly think twice before committing ahead and any new bookings for moving can only be select. I see Cunard also changed today to mirror this.

As mentioned by Dermotsgirl the booking conditions have now reverted today to only one free move to an equivalent or higher priced cruise. Just out of interest and for amusement only, how will this affect your attitude to booking cruises from today or indeed were you thinking of moving a cruise but now find yourself locked in.

It was inevitable. I hope everyone on here who was wavering or wanted to move managed to get it done before this happened.

Surely that's Virgin - airline and cruise company. In fact the displays and palaver on that Cruise programme rather render this topic redundant as surely Virgin win hands down ?

I'd like to ask him what price loyalty! Just seen my Christmas cruise £900 less plus £780obc and told nothing can be done.

Glad you aren't stressed as you certainly sounded it.

Good on you for being able to walk unhindered. I do not consider myself as depriving anyone when I use the lift, particularly as I say the ones I tend to use are normally empty. It is a common sense approach. I spent years pushing my mother in her wheelchair both on the ship and ashore and therefore fully appreciate the difficulties. I do not however judge anyone able bodied or not.

Believe me there's lots of days when I feel it! I've always had the good luck (or misfortune) to look far younger than I am and am constantly scowled at in lifts on cruise ships as a result.

I might also mention that often the middle lifts are the ones where the problems seem to occur. We always have a mid forward cabin on Britannia for instance and I can only recall crowding at the front lifts immediately after theatre turnout or on disembarkation day. My husband has several quite severe hidden disabilities (fibromyalgia, ME, myocardial bridging) and on good days walks down the stairs. However it is virtually impossible for him to climb even one flight of stairs without severe pain and yet anyone who sees him in the swimming pool may well think he's extremely able bodied. Despite all these problems he still gives way to people in wheelchairs as he says but for the grace of God that could be him.

The trouble is the bank may not accept an application from all pensioners. I have accounts with three banks, none will give me a personal credit card. I was early retired on health grounds and according to the banks am high risk as a result. I do however get to piggy back on my husband's credit cards as a user. Amex on the other hand do not judge me as I've been a personal and business user with them for nearly 40 years, and as such they kindly let me have accounts with them.

I believe it is still Britannia because of the history in the name and the royal connections. People just assume when a new ship comes along it automatically becomes the flagship. I doubt for instance Queen Anne will replace Queen Mary 2 over on Cunard.

Unfortunately people have hidden disabilities. Someone looking able bodied to you may have serious problems you can't see. It's very discriminatory to judge just by looks. And before you mention it, yes there are lanyards but why should those with hidden problems have to wear that label all the time, you wouldn't expect me at 66 to walk around with a label saying I'm old.