2013 Cabin gradings....something fishy going on?

[kevinyork]

I received the 2013 brochure today and noticed something interesting in terms of cabin categories.

 

Taking Azura/Ventura for example, they have reduced the number of price categories for standard balconies from 6 to 3. Instead of having more higher grade cabins on the higher decks (following the tradition that the higher you are the more you pay) the cabin grade layout is identical for decks Riviera down to C deck. So a midship cabin on C deck is now the same (high) category as a midship on A deck whereas this same cabin position would have been a grade down from the top previously.

 

The second thing I noticed is that with the reduction to just three standard balcony price grades, the number of grades per deck has reduced. Whereas each deck would have had three grades of balcony cabins per deck, there are now two. Previously those cabins midships would be the highest, those fore and aft, the lowest and those in between would be.......in between in terms of pricing. Now, they have extended the midship (highest) category to absorb the middle grade of cabins. Therefore 52 cabins on A deck for instance have moved up from being in the middle price bracket for that deck up to the highest price bracket.

 

As an example cabin A642 is right by the aft lifts and only 15 cabins from the back of the ship and yet it is now priced and described as a Midship cabin despite being 24 cabins away from the midship position. Interestingly all those previously mid category cabins have moved up to the top price midship cabins. To be fare, shouldnt half have moved up to midship and half to fore or aft cabin grading?

 

I am all for simplification of the fare structure but not when its another back door price increase. Also, P&O are effectivley tampering with nautical descriptions; midship means midship 'at or near or toward the centre of a ship'. Half of those middle priced cabins that have now been consumed into the highest midship category are physically closer to the fore of aft than they are to the midship position.

 

If I were booking without looking at a deck plan and was offered a top grade midship cabin only to find out I was closer to the fore or aft than to midships I would feel it had been miss-sold to me.

 

What do others reckon? :confused:

[Host Sharon]

I can understand where you are coming from, although it is worth pointing out some cabins have gone down in price as a result. Fore, aft and midship I do see the issue, but I have never understood why it is seen as a better grade to be higher up. On one cruise where we had extremely rough seas, an elderly couple were vitually imprisoned in their top suite due to his walking difficulties, whereas those lower down could still get out with comparative ease. Unless it is a hangover of course from the days of steerage and first class!

[davecttr]

On Oceana considerable numbers of fore/aft outside balconies have now become 'midships' as well.

 

Obviously this is a crafty way of increasing the total revenue without a significant price rise per cabin.

 

In other words a price increase:eek:

 

not that it bothers me as i go for a inside anyway :)

[kevinyork]

I can understand where you are coming from, although it is worth pointing out some cabins have gone down in price as a result. Fore, aft and midship I do see the issue, but I have never understood why it is seen as a better grade to be higher up. On one cruise where we had extremely rough seas, an elderly couple were vitually imprisoned in their top suite due to his walking difficulties, whereas those lower down could still get out with comparative ease. Unless it is a hangover of course from the days of steerage and first class!

 

 

Hi Sharon, out of interest which cabins have come down in price as a result.

[Britchic4]

I'm told most of the 4 berths have also moved to the higher categories so yet another price increase for families on top of the decreased child discounts.

[davecttr]

It is not as simple as it looks

I compared 'B' deck on Ventura

7 nights, Fjords

18 May last year, brochure prices with discounts

13 May this year, prices from P&O site

 

The old midships JB cabins have gone up by less than 1%!

The old JD cabins plus 4.8%

The old fore/aft Jc's 5.2%

 

A increase in revenue take for B deck of 3.5%

 

Horror!, the old inside OF category has gone up by 7.3% :eek:

 

It appears that they are loading the price increases towards the lower priced cabins?

[LibraLass41]

In todays Sunday papers there is talk of huge price drops after bookings dropped in last few months because of the Concordia accident... I think p&o are being a bit optimistic doing this and putting cabin prices up.... look at the huge discounts about at the moment a 20+n cruise £899 in a inside cabin I saw last week to the Caribbean....

I'm not going to book early thats for sure.!

[kevinyork]

It seems to be a case of try and make as much money as possible by heavily loading prices for early bookings then just discount as necessary nearer the time. If prices were more reasonable and steady throughout the booking period neither would be necessary and more people may book early to secure their preferences.

 

Remember these price increases are on top of the extra 5% P&O are retaining by cutting agents fees.

[davedex]

....

I'm not going to book early thats for sure.!

 

Me neither!!

[tom_uk]

In todays Sunday papers there is talk of huge price drops after bookings dropped in last few months because of the Concordia accident... I think p&o are being a bit optimistic doing this and putting cabin prices up.... look at the huge discounts about at the moment a 20+n cruise £899 in a inside cabin I saw last week to the Caribbean....

I'm not going to book early thats for sure.!

 

We probably will, for the usual reasons: we get the cabin we want, the dinner sitting we want, free car parking, and we'll know what the price is, a year or more in advance. We'd rather do that than suffer all the angst of 'where will the cabin be?' 'will we get x dining/y sitting?'

[jeanlyon]

Tom, I'm with you. I'm booking now, then I can enjoy thinking about it, planning excursions etc.

[davecttr]

I will probably book next month after I have sampled Oceana and had a good read of the brochures. Price changes don't really bother me as once the money is budgeted for and committed, thats it :)

[jeanlyon]

Agree, that's how we feel. However, so far, i've not seen the price of any of our cruises go much below what we paid, but then we usually do the more unusual longer cruises, Black Sea, Egypt etc.

[Host Sharon]

Hi Sharon, out of interest which cabins have come down in price as a result.

 

To be honest I haven't looked as I always go for cheapest inside (due to single supplement,) but a friend told me some of the ones he was looking at had.

[kevinyork]

To be honest I haven't looked as I always go for cheapest inside (due to single supplement,) but a friend told me some of the ones he was looking at had.

 

Thanks. I think judging by Davecttr's post above, insides have gone up a fair bit too. However it does seem by some of the posts above, many are happy to pay higher fares to secure their preferences. I suppose ultimately this allows others, like me, to benefit from the cheaper, late availability deals.