Military Benefits Curtailed

I have just been informed that for my Cruise on Oceana in September and my cruise on Oceana E908D in 2019 I will NOT be entitled to Military Benefit OBC.

Having not been informed of this at the time of booking i find this extremely disappointing, what i find deplorable is that P & O have now extended the limitations on Military benefit to more booking conditions without telling anyone and my Loyalty now becomes a penalty because they restrict the application of benefits.

Receiving welcome back incentives now precludes my application of Military Benefits.

Military Benefits were introduced to recognise the service of people like myself and they have now negated that recognition in my eyes, i have two cruises to sail but i have already booked my following two cruises with Princess and Royal Caribbean.

I see no reason i should continue to sail with P & O after my booked cruises while they show such disregard for serving Military Personnel and veterans (many of whom suffer from disabling injuries).:mad::mad::mad:

Disappointed

Peninsular Club membership no. DR37669R

I think you will find Royal Caribbean wont let you mix military benefits with on-board spend too.

We have a trip on the Azura on the 23rd March and have Military OBC as well as the OBC allocated on making the booking and have as of yet not been informed that I am losing the Military side of things? Any idea as to when this took affect before I contact my agent?

Just asking, but why should we expect ALL members of the forces to be given obc by a cruise line. To those who have actively served in combat, and particularly sustained injuries I would say yes. But the much larger percentage who have not should not expect benefits for what for them is or was, doing a job like any other in the country.

David.

I have just had a look at the P&O website and they are still advertising the Mil OBC BUT only on those bookings that were SELECT FARES as opposed to EARLY SAVERS. Could this be the reason why?

Princess allow you to combine all types of OBC inc. Military OBC.

The New rules regarding Military Benefit I believe came in on 1st August last year. You don't receive any if you are in receipt of any other offer e.g extra OBC for booking on board . There was quite a lot if discussion on other social media sites when this came into force.

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We have a trip on the Azura on the 23rd March and have Military OBC as well as the OBC allocated on making the booking and have as of yet not been informed that I am losing the Military side of things? Any idea as to when this took affect before I contact my agent?

Our MB has also been awarded for our March holiday but they explained it was because we booked the holiday prior to August 1st when new rules came in

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We still have our military OBC listed. Can I ask the OP what the reason is they are saying he can’t have it? I know new rules came in last year on P & O and Cunard and we still have our OBC because, I guess, we complied with them. Also are you getting military OBC on Royal Caribbean as we have sailed with them numerous times and despite 22 years service have never got any military benefit.

Just asking, but why should we expect ALL members of the forces to be given obc by a cruise line. To those who have actively served in combat, and particularly sustained injuries I would say yes. But the much larger percentage who have not should not expect benefits for what for them is or was, doing a job like any other in the country.

 

David.

Have to agree. Can't see why the military should get benefits. Do nurses get it? Midwives? Police? I could go on.

Have to agree. Can't see why the military should get benefits. Do nurses get it? Midwives? Police? I could go on.

I totally agree with you Jean - I do not see the relevance at all.

It should be remembered that P&O are a company within the Carnival Corporation based in the USA. The USA acknowledge their servicemen/women and veterans in a big way and as a result offer these additional perks to them.

A couple of years ago an approach was made to include British servicemen and women who as allies to the USA also served alongside the American servicemen. Carnival subsequently agreed that this was the case and all companies within the corporation included military OBC.

This is about the only thing in cruising where the UK is treated the same as the USA customers.

We still have our military OBC listed. Can I ask the OP what the reason is they are saying he can’t have it? I know new rules came in last year on P & O and Cunard and we still have our OBC because, I guess, we complied with them. Also are you getting military OBC on Royal Caribbean as we have sailed with them numerous times and despite 22 years service have never got any military benefit.

You don't get Military OBC with Royal Caribbean.

Military personnel have to go beyond what is expected in many other jobs. Do you remember G4S and the London Olympics. Many service personnel had to cancel there own holidays with their own families at very short notice. Some of those had just returned from Afghanistan. If my employer wanted me to do that I would have told them to .... Remember the Ebola outbreak in west Africa military personnel were sent out to build hospitals. I don’t think they volunteered for that job. I would have been far too scared. You could say the about police, prison and fire personnel too in many respects. Yes these people are well paid and have good pensions as do a lot of other people at the moment. If Carnival UK shareholders want to give a little back to our military personnel, who travel with them, I would not begrudge them the benefit. In effect it is a small discount on the price of the cruise in term of onboard credit.

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Have to agree. Can't see why the military should get benefits. Do nurses get it? Midwives? Police? I could go on.

Yes they do if they get a Blue Light Card which is for all services, Police, NHS, Fire etc. You can either get the Military Benefit or the Blue Light Card. It’s the same amount of OBC.

A Blue Light Card is £4.99 for 5 years and you get discounts in all sorts of places, holidays, restaurants, shops etc. Google it.

In answer to Newport Dave, RC are not part of the Carnival group.

Whilst nobody would question the fantastic job done by our armed forces, it is a career that, in this country at least, people choose voluntarily. P&O is a commercial organisation, not state owned, so I don’t see that it follows that they should be obliged to provide a discount or feel compelled to continue it if they have done so previously. Putting yourself in harms way is commendable, but the ability to retire 10 to 15 years earlier than those in the private sector, on a tax payer funded pension scheme that most people could only dream of, provides a just reward at the end which, I suspect, means that ex-military personnel have the opportunity to cruise without the need to be subsidised by others.

AS I mentioned in an earlier comment this is a decision made by Carnival and they are NOT OBLIGED to offer this to service personnel as you say but chose to do so. As a retired serviceman I could not afford to retire on the pension received and as result had to take up other employment. I served as a police officer for many years afterwards. I would suggest that some people really believe that after 22 years service in the armed forces that the pension is enough to live on. This is not the case.

Whilst nobody would question the fantastic job done by our armed forces, it is a career that, in this country at least, people choose voluntarily. P&O is a commercial organisation, not state owned, so I don’t see that it follows that they should be obliged to provide a discount or feel compelled to continue it if they have done so previously. Putting yourself in harms way is commendable, but the ability to retire 10 to 15 years earlier than those in the private sector, on a tax payer funded pension scheme that most people could only dream of, provides a just reward at the end which, I suspect, means that ex-military personnel have the opportunity to cruise without the need to be subsidised by others.

Well noted

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I know an ex marine who was not injured on active service but on a training exercise. He was invalided out in his early 20's. I commend Carnival for offering some obc to these people who are doing what many of us do not want to do. Hope P&O relent.

Some comments here seem very mean spirited. Envious and bitter perhaps.

I get 20% if food and drinks at several chains of restaurants all for being a customer of a motor breakdown organisation. I have done nothing to deserve that perk. Many of us get discounts or perks for all sorts of things for being a member/customer of a club, society, union, bank, mobile phone provider or cruise company. It is nice if you qualify. Do we have to do something extra special to get these perks. Perhaps Groupon should require an OBE.

Why should service personnel have to deserve it.

Unfortunately these perks can always be taken away as it is suggested Carnival UK had done.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Whilst nobody would question the fantastic job done by our armed forces, it is a career that, in this country at least, people choose voluntarily. P&O is a commercial organisation, not state owned, so I don’t see that it follows that they should be obliged to provide a discount or feel compelled to continue it if they have done so previously. Putting yourself in harms way is commendable, but the ability to retire 10 to 15 years earlier than those in the private sector, on a tax payer funded pension scheme that most people could only dream of, provides a just reward at the end which, I suspect, means that ex-military personnel have the opportunity to cruise without the need to be subsidised by others.

A few things that I suspect you are misinformed on . Some of what these guys go through it's fair to say if you knew the things they know or have seen ,I doubt you would ever have a good nights sleep again . Your right why should P&O give them a discount ? Same as why should you be given a discount or OBC just because you may have sailed with them a few times.

Some leave the forces with all limbs intact but not always with their state of mind.

Just last night on TV we sat watching the parents of a man who served alongside Prince Harry .

He served his country well but as you say "had the ability to retire ." Watching his parents grief because their lad took his own life, never saying a word , it turned out he did not want to be a bother to anyone, that's how proud these guys are.

Not saying this has anything to do with P&O.

A close relative of mine has just served 25 years , his Mrs just worked casual for a national burger company , moving about the country and countries the company giving her work so she could have a job and rear her kids.

Last month he was marched out of their house and now in a private rented house and hopes to buy a house soon .He also works for the Burger company as a Handy Man . His part time job is helping others who leave the forces and are having a bad time of it.

Your Idea that the Pension is Tax payer Subsided leads me to think the same could be said for a lollypop lady's pension but we all know this to be wrong , they earned the pension .

Yes no one forced them into their jobs but armed forces, police , fire service NHS, coastguard or even the Lollypop lady or whoever gets a discount I say fair play and good luck to them .

A few things that I suspect you are misinformed on . Some of what these guys go through it's fair to say if you knew the things they know or have seen ,I doubt you would ever have a good nights sleep again . Your right why should P&O give them a discount ? Same as why should you be given a discount or OBC just because you may have sailed with them a few times.

 

Some leave the forces with all limbs intact but not always with their state of mind.

Just last night on TV we sat watching the parents of a man who served alongside Prince Harry .

He served his country well but as you say "had the ability to retire ." Watching his parents grief because their lad took his own life, never saying a word , it turned out he did not want to be a bother to anyone, that's how proud these guys are.

Not saying this has anything to do with P&O.

 

A close relative of mine has just served 25 years , his Mrs just worked casual for a national burger company , moving about the country and countries the company giving her work so she could have a job and rear her kids.

Last month he was marched out of their house and now in a private rented house and hopes to buy a house soon .He also works for the Burger company as a Handy Man . His part time job is helping others who leave the forces and are having a bad time of it.

 

Your Idea that the Pension is Tax payer Subsided leads me to think the same could be said for a lollypop lady's pension but we all know this to be wrong , they earned the pension .

Yes no one forced them into their jobs but armed forces, police , fire service NHS, coastguard or even the Lollypop lady or whoever gets a discount I say fair play and good luck to them .

Well said. I wish I was so eloquent.

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Well said. I wish I was so eloquent.

 

 

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Excellent, I agree totally.

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I think only proper military service should be eligible. I served in the merchant navy in the 70s and 80s and am eligible for this benefit but I am not going to claim it. It seems wrong to me. Keep it for army, RN and RAF only. It is a very small amount anyway.

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