P&O disappointment at poor treatment to disabled child

Hi,

My husband and I have done 3 previous P&O cruises. Last time my mom and our two children came. We had a site and my mom an inside cabin just outside ours. We were allowed to use the White Room for breakfast and they allowed my mom to dine with us and disembark with our fast pass gold tickets.

Our daughter is eleven years old and disabled and we've just booked to go away next October in a suite on Britannia and also booked a single room for my husbands cousin who lives with us. I asked to get out booking joined and for permission for him to eat breakfast with us and embark and disembark with us. PandO have come back yesterday saying no!

This will mean our family can't dine for breakfast together. Therefore we will have to eat elsewhere which will mean our daughter will have to be in her wheelchair. If we know she hasn't got to stand fir long she can walk and be independent but if she has to queue it will mean using her wheelchair. She wants to be mobile but PandO won't help facilitate. Equally we will have to queue to get off as they will only give us four priority tickets. I find it crazy one person will make no difference but will make a huge difference to or daughters independence and mobility.

We are gutted had plans to take our daughter in the masterclass kitchen and now our ideas are shattered. Shocked that PandO will not consider it a reasonable adjustment for a disabked child. Really tainted my view on the company.

What's your views? Thanks

Sorry but I'm really not sure why the cousin should be allowed in as well. What has this got to do with the title? The cousin is not disabled and P and O are certainly correct. What happened on your 2008 cruise when your daughter would only be two?

I went for a nose operation and found they wouldn't do it because of a dodgy heart valve. I did try and explain they had the wrong guy. I walk an hour every morning, dance 3 times a week and walked up Ben Nevis a year ago in 2 1/2 hours. I love the cruises, especially Britannia, for dancing.

Anyway, we're well off track now.

I use the weight machines on the ship.At home in our garage i have a curling bar with weights on.

I can curl the weight but i struggle to put the bar back down onto the ground with my hip problem.

The other point I would make about stairs is that I can mostly (except for an occasional dodgy knee) manage these but going to dinner in the evening when I am wearing heels I want to avoid the stairs - up and down - as I am concerned about tripping

On Celebrity Eclipse a couple of months back I stood back (as I always do) to give a lady in a wheelchair priority. However she wouldn't move her chair forward once on the lift even though there was loads of room in front of her so several of us couldn't get onto the lift at all around her and her companion. I think it just needs consideration all round

The other point I would make about stairs is that I can mostly (except for an occasional dodgy knee) manage these but going to dinner in the evening when I am wearing heels I want to avoid the stairs - up and down - as I am concerned about tripping

 

On Celebrity Eclipse a couple of months back I stood back (as I always do) to give a lady in a wheelchair priority. However she wouldn't move her chair forward once on the lift even though there was loads of room in front of her so several of us couldn't get onto the lift at all around her and her companion. I think it just needs consideration all round

Says it all. Just the point I was making. We need consideration all round.

I went for a nose operation and found they wouldn't do it because of a dodgy heart valve. I did try and explain they had the wrong guy. I walk an hour every morning, dance 3 times a week and walked up Ben Nevis a year ago in 2 1/2 hours. I love the cruises, especially Britannia, for dancing.

Anyway, we're well off track now.

I hope they can sort your heart valve.

All the other exercise will do you good.

Says it all. Just the point I was making. We need consideration all round.

I agree,i often hold doors open for people and rarely get a thank you.

I agree,i often hold doors open for people and rarely get a thank you.

Me too. When that happens, I say “You’re welcome”. Sometimes it results in an embarrassed “Oh, thank you”. Other times a puzzled look. Makes me feel better anyway :')

As a gesture of goodwill, my understanding is That P&O let a non suite passenger have some of the suite privilege. Does the original poster feel they are now entitled to these privileges? Do they feel the need to complain on this forum when they do not get the same gesture of goodwill?

I know what I would do if I was P&O and I had seen this thread. No more gestures of goodwill for this poster in the future.

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Me too. When that happens, I say “You’re welcome”. Sometimes it results in an embarrassed “Oh, thank you”. Other times a puzzled look. Makes me feel better anyway :')

I sometimes say Thank You if they don't and get a surprised look or ignored.

Me too. When that happens, I say “You’re welcome”. Sometimes it results in an embarrassed “Oh, thank you”. Other times a puzzled look. Makes me feel better anyway :')

And me - I sometimes say "Don't mention it ........ Oh, you didn't, did you".

Certainly the story bears no resemblance to the title.

I would agree. P & O seem to have been quite fair, including offering a refund which they don't need to do.

I'm sorry, but these types of posts really anger me! The title is written to be emotive, but from what I've read in this case P&O have been fair!

The cousin has not booked a suite so why should they get the benefits?!

The disabled child is NOT suffering as a result of P&O's behaviour - they will receive everything they've paid for!

I would understand if they hadn't received what they paid for - I should know as this happened to me but with a different Cruise line!

I am registered disabled, although the disability is not always visible, therefore I took a great amount of time checking that the company understood my needs and could accommodate them. They said they could so I booked. However, when the Cruise came I was refused Priority/ Assisted Embarkation (although previously agreed) as well as being prevented from eating in any of the main restaurants (despite assurances they would be able to accommodate me and the Purser sending a reminder to the restaurant whilst I was on board)!!! This is just a few of the issues I faced!

Therefore, these posts annoy and anger me! As a disabled person, all I want is to be treated fairly and equally with a few small adjustments to enable this to happen. I do NOT want special treatment or to be singled out.

I appreciate that the poster is a poppy seller/ collector and this is admirable, but it's not fair to label P&O with poor treatment!

Sorry, I've written a lot and I don't want to cause any offence - I'm just really annoyed! :-(

The OP is based entirely on emotive blackmail (Disability, child, poppy seller etc) and it seems to me that P and O have been entirely fair. I know a few people who have taken disabled children aboard and they have always been very satisfied with the care, consideration and flexibility with which their children have been treated and the families' needs have been met.

Agreed. In fact the whole thread should be removed as it is not genuine.

We should just stop posting on this thread.

Every time a thread is removed all our posts that we have taken time and cost to do are lost and a genuine person might find our posts helpful.