2014/2015 "Special offer for past P&O cruisers"

[crompton21]

Hello all,

Just thought I would add my weight to some of the strange pricing strategies currently being employed by P&O. I looked at an Aurora Dec 2014 cruise yesterday (advertised but not on sale yet), the cost was shown as £2499.

Today I received an e-mail from P&O highlighting the opportunity to book 2014/2015 cruises and offering an extra 5% discount for past passengers.

The price has today gone up to £2631, which with a 5% discount is £2499. I work in retail, there are rules about increasing the price of a product and then advertising a discount.

I can't say that my desire to book has increased.....

[davecttr]

It worked for me this morning. I booked via a TA and the price included the early booking 5% discount offered by P&O. When the TA added my peninsular club number the price dropped by another 5%.

 

It may well be that some prices have increased from this morning as they are controlled by computer. Heavy bookings will automatically edge the price up as per the law of supply and demand.

 

for example I booked an outside obstructed for single occupancy and it was hundreds of pounds cheaper than the price for an outside single cabin. Inside singles were sold out before the bookings opened at 8am this morning!

[crompton21]

Hello,

 

That would be conceivable, other than the cruise isn't on sale yet...(I appreciate that top end Peninsular club members could have booked all the rooms, but how likely is that?). Also the maths worked out perfectly £2631 less 5% is £2499. To increase from £2499 to £2631 would involve a cunning plan of raising the price by 5.28%, which would have been a rather strange calculation.

[jeanlyon]

It did this last year. The prices are correct if you take off the 5% early booking discount.

[daiB]

Hello,

 

That would be conceivable, other than the cruise isn't on sale yet...(I appreciate that top end Peninsular club members could have booked all the rooms, but how likely is that?). Also the maths worked out perfectly £2631 less 5% is £2499. To increase from £2499 to £2631 would involve a cunning plan of raising the price by 5.28%, which would have been a rather strange calculation.

 

Sorry the price you saw originally was the price less the first discount. The second price is that without the discount as your figures prove. If you book you will get 5% early, 5% past passenger and if it is a peninsular cruise a further 5%. If you do 2 cruises back to back you get a further 10%. Each % is taken off in turn so it works out a little less than 25% or if they are not club cruises 20%. It looks like the mistake is in the 2 fares from P&O not being the same, one being the price and one with the 5% already off.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[Thejuggler]

All that matters is the price you pay. With fluid pricing a price with a discount today can be more than a price with no discount tomorrow.

[daiB]

All that matters is the price you pay. With fluid pricing a price with a discount today can be more than a price with no discount tomorrow.

 

Fluid pricing does not exist now. Except for getaways. No price change until the discounts come off.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[davecttr]

The Vantage fare could of course increase which would be fluid pricing, only in one direction, up :D

 

I can't see P&O holding the current Vantage launch prices for 9 months if cabin sales are less than expected. Or are they going to start introducing Getaway fares with 6 months to go!