Getaway Fare slashed............

[Cosmic Rays]

At the suggestion of my TA I booked a cruise for July back at the end of March paying £1639pp. Today it has plummeted to £1199, a reduction of £440pp.

 

I called her and she suggested I send a letter to P&O!! Has anybody else had this happen to them and what might be suggested as the gist of the letter, or not to bother wasting my time given the stance of P&O these days.

 

Yes, I do understand the T&C's when booked, but £880.............. and we have yet to be assigned a stateroom.

[AnnieC]

Sue your travel agent?:rolleyes:

 

Alternatively, accept that you gambled and got it wrong. Hardly in the same league as those who were told their Vantage fares would be price matched.

 

Cabin numbers this year are being allocated about 2 weeks before sailing.

 

Annie

 

NB I see you've been a member of CC since 2004. Have you never heard of this happening before?

[Brayman]

It's happened! Complaints about Getaways being reduced!

 

What do people really want?

[daiB]

It's happened! Complaints about Getaways being reduced!

 

What do people really want?

 

Is it not called a Dutch auction you wait for the price to discuss op and then bid/book.

 

 

Perhaps a big warning sign getaways can go down.

 

And another saying getaways can run out.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[Essexlass2]

We booked a Getaway at £1299 and its now gone down to £849. Its the name of the game and we have to accept it.

[Cosmic Rays]

Yup, once bitten!!! However I won't fall for it again as I see a Princess cruise round Britain today down to £399 for 12 nights................

[carhirer]

 

Perhaps a big warning sign getaways can go down.

 

And another saying getaways can run out.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

Yes. We booked a getaway a little more than 3 months ahead of a Family Friendly cruise in the middle of the school holidays.

 

3 days later the price dropped. (with hindsight we should have waited for the 3 month deadline for final payment or cancellation.)

 

A week later tbe getaways were "sold out". (Phew)

 

A few days later they reappeared.

 

And now they are still available but the price has crept up a little.

 

Is the Getaway computer having a nervous breakdown? Or are Vantage customers cancelling?

[west2000]

Is it not called a Dutch auction you wait for the price to discuss op and then bid/book.

 

 

Perhaps a big warning sign getaways can go down.

 

And another saying getaways can run out.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

What this actually highlights is that certain Carnival lines have commited business suicide with reports that Princess are offering a 12 night cruise in June for £399! The solution is lower lead in fares with a view to offering the best prices to early bookers. Those continually backing P and O still fail to see the issue is not just simply the choice of early or late booking it is also that there is discrimination as to who can book getaways fares.

P and O needs to act quickly as lack of early bookings is already seeing silly prices that cannot be susutained long term if the brand is to survive. The market is flooded and people are getting better deals and better service elsewhere.

[daiB]

Yup, once bitten!!! However I won't fall for it again as I see a Princess cruise round Britain today down to £399 for 12 nights................

 

I would wait then it could come down

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[daiB]

What this actually highlights is that certain Carnival lines have commited business suicide with reports that Princess are offering a 12 night cruise in June for £399! The solution is lower lead in fares with a view to offering the best prices to early bookers. Those continually backing P and O still fail to see the issue is not just simply the choice of early or late booking it is also that there is discrimination as to who can book getaways fares.

P and O needs to act quickly as lack of early bookings is already seeing silly prices that cannot be susutained long term if the brand is to survive. The market is flooded and people are getting better deals and better service elsewhere.

 

Sorry you are mistaken the cruises taken now were first put on sale 13 month ago. Thats were the early bookings were for todays cruises. So nothing to do with what is happening now. Those booking now are for 2014.

 

At it has little to do with P&O, Carnival, Princess, RCI or any one cruise line. All cruise lines are discounting heavily now. Seabourn 11June 80% down on a 7 night cruise. 25th June Oceania 66% down Holland America 73% down

 

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[west2000]

Sorry you are mistaken the cruises taken now were first put on sale 13 month ago. Thats were the early bookings were for todays cruises. So nothing to do with what is happening now. Those booking now are for 2014.

 

At it has little to do with P&O, Carnival, Princess, RCI or any one cruise line. All cruise lines are discounting heavily now. Seabourn 11June 80% down on a 7 night cruise. 25th June Oceania 66% down Holland America 73% down

 

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

 

Dai

 

Totally agree Dai it was bookings made 13 months ago that were early bookers. I booked April 2012 for August 2013 Norway with RCI. Same cabin specification £1200 lower than P and O on the lead in fare. Price has gone up but OBC now offered but not to the value of the price increase. Third person sharing cabin less than 50%. Early bookings for P and O were down due to high lead in fares for 2013 before Vantage/Getaway and the introduction of these has not helped P and O in the slightest. The price difference quoted included prepaid gratuities before the cries of higher gratuities on RCI/Celebrity come flooding in.

[daiB]

Totally agree Dai it was bookings made 13 months ago that were early bookers. I booked April 2012 for August 2013 Norway with RCI. Same cabin specification £1200 lower than P and O on the lead in fare. Price has gone up but OBC now offered but not to the value of the price increase. Third person sharing cabin less than 50%. Early bookings for P and O were down due to high lead in fares for 2013 before Vantage/Getaway and the introduction of these has not helped P and O in the slightest. The price difference quoted included prepaid gratuities before the cries of higher gratuities on RCI/Celebrity come flooding in.

 

Well to say the lead in fares were high is just not correct.

 

We have a 21 day back to back on Azura which is £600 less than a 17 day Ventura booked 2 years ago with the departure date a week different. Therefore they will be 2 years apart. BTW the cruise is also £10 less than when we first cruised in 2001 per night with a cabin 3 grades up.

 

So please do not tell me the prices are high.

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[simonpjd]

P&O - listen to me.

You have made a bit of a mess of all this but the answer is simple.

1 Until 12 weeks before sailing only allow Vantage fares to be sold. And honour the price promise if you decide to lower the price, which I would imagine would onl;y happen when the sales are very poor.

2 12 weeks to go. Final balance has been paid by Vantage fare pax. OR NOT and P&O pocket their deposit. Now you can set a Getaway fare and promote it. And this fare may even be reduced further to clear unsold cabins (as is clearly happening here and there).

This would mean Getaway fares genuinely become 'last minute' fares as they should be - the term Getaway implies a late deal.

Passengers also know where they stand. Pay more for the added benefits of a Vantage fare. Or hang on and play a bit of Russian Roulette with the Getaway system. Prices carry on falling and you may get a great deal. But they may run out and P&O take them away. That is the risk you take.

But it should stop all this WHINGING and MOANING.

[bee-ess]

P&O - listen to me.

You have made a bit of a mess of all this but the answer is simple.

1 Until 12 weeks before sailing only allow Vantage fares to be sold. And honour the price promise if you decide to lower the price, which I would imagine would onl;y happen when the sales are very poor.

2 12 weeks to go. Final balance has been paid by Vantage fare pax. OR NOT and P&O pocket their deposit. Now you can set a Getaway fare and promote it. And this fare may even be reduced further to clear unsold cabins (as is clearly happening here and there).

This would mean Getaway fares genuinely become 'last minute' fares as they should be - the term Getaway implies a late deal.

Passengers also know where they stand. Pay more for the added benefits of a Vantage fare. Or hang on and play a bit of Russian Roulette with the Getaway system. Prices carry on falling and you may get a great deal. But they may run out and P&O take them away. That is the risk you take.

But it should stop all this WHINGING and MOANING.

 

I don't know if it will happen this year but I booked a Getaway for a Ventura Caribbean departing in March 2013 in July 2012, nearly 8 months before the cruise at a substantial reduction. That was hardly a last minute getaway and the price didn't reduce further at all in that 8 months. Perhaps Getaway meant something different last year.