P&O fobbing someone off who moaned about Getaway fares?

[kevinyork]

A friend of ours booked a 12 day Ventura cruise 6 months ahead on a vantage fare through a travel agent. Last week he got an email from that TA which included getaway fares for his exact cruise at £400 pp less. He called P&O directly since he believed he would be covered by the Price Promise and they rather cheekily said the price difference was because that TA was discounting the cruise and it wasnt anything to do with P&Os pricing. When he told me this I immediately checked on P&Os site and there was the same lower Getaway fare showing as the agent was advertising.

 

I explained the Vantage fare issue to him and of course they are disgusted with P&O.

 

Now of course Vantage/Getaway fare issues have been discussed many times but this misinformation seems to me to be a way of deflecting complaints about the 'Price Promise'.

 

 

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[davecttr]

A friend of ours booked a 12 day Ventura cruise 6 months ahead on a vantage fare through a travel agent. Last week he got an email from that TA which included getaway fares for his exact cruise at £400 pp less. He called P&O directly since he believed he would be covered by the Price Promise and they rather cheekily said the price difference was because that TA was discounting the cruise and it wasnt anything to do with P&Os pricing. When he told me this I immediately checked on P&Os site and there was the same lower Getaway fare showing as the agent was advertising.

I explained the Vantage fare issue to him and of course they are disgusted with P&O.

 

Now of course Vantage/Getaway fare issues have been discussed many times but this misinformation seems to me to be a way of deflecting complaints about the 'Price Promise'.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

It seems P&O are just not learning from their mistakes are they!

 

 

As I mentioned elswhere, IMO they are rudderless and don't know their future course, wake up, there are rocks and icebergs out there and circling sharks just waiting!

[Scriv]

I think P&O are now quite skilled at fobbing off complaints about Vantage v Getaway.

[wilson2579]

They must have had plenty practice by now.:rolleyes:

[majortom10]

I have been saying for a number of years now that once you are on a cruise we have very little complaint but head office at Southampton havent got a clue and are totally incompetent.

[C at Sea]

I thought TAs couldn't discount P&O anymore or is this wrong?

[SAMMIBLACK]

A friend of ours booked a 12 day Ventura cruise 6 months ahead on a vantage fare through a travel agent. Last week he got an email from that TA which included getaway fares for his exact cruise at £400 pp less. He called P&O directly since he believed he would be covered by the Price Promise and they rather cheekily said the price difference was because that TA was discounting the cruise and it wasnt anything to do with P&Os pricing. When he told me this I immediately checked on P&Os site and there was the same lower Getaway fare showing as the agent was advertising.

 

I explained the Vantage fare issue to him and of course they are disgusted with P&O.

 

Now of course Vantage/Getaway fare issues have been discussed many times but this misinformation seems to me to be a way of deflecting complaints about the 'Price Promise'.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I don't know why your friend should be complaining. It is quite clear in the Vantage conditions re Price Promise that Getaway fares are excluded. Thay should have waited and booked a getaway fare when available.

 

Too easy to moan after the event!!

 

Ian

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

I thought TAs couldn't discount P&O anymore or is this wrong?

You've lost me on that one...sorry:confused:

[kevinyork]

I don't know why your friend should be complaining. It is quite clear in the Vantage conditions re Price Promise that Getaway fares are excluded. Thay should have waited and booked a getaway fare when available.

 

Too easy to moan after the event!!

 

Ian

 

They are moaning because of the misinformation given by P&O customer service when they queried much lower fares appearing in travel agents email promotions for their cruise. Instead of P&O explaimg Vantage v Getaway they told them the lower price was a discounted price a travel agent was offering.

 

I think there are many on these boards who would beg to differ that the Price Promise was 'quite clear'.

 

 

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[kevinyork]

I don't know why your friend should be complaining. It is quite clear in the Vantage conditions re Price Promise that Getaway fares are excluded. Thay should have waited and booked a getaway fare when available.

 

Too easy to moan after the event!!

 

Ian

 

P&O cut agents commission from 10% to 5% last year. They also take a dim view of agents discounting therefore there is often little to choose between agents and P&O directly.

 

 

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[Denarius]

It seems P&O are just not learning from their mistakes are they!

 

 

As I mentioned elswhere, IMO they are rudderless and don't know their future course, wake up, there are rocks and icebergs out there and circling sharks just waiting!

I agree entirely Dave. For a few years now P&O have given the impression of spinning like a weather vane in a gale with no clear idea as to where they see themselves in the expanding cruise market. I suspect that when Carnival acquired them it was a knee jerk reaction to avoid Princess combining with RCI/Celebrity and challenging their dominance of the US market. They got P&O as well and are unsure as to what to do with them. Until they are and give P&O management clear advice as to where they fit in the Carnival group and what their future strategy should be, I fear that this situation will continue.

[tom_uk]

I agree entirely Dave. For a few years now P&O have given the impression of spinning like a weather vane in a gale with no clear idea as to where they see themselves in the expanding cruise market. I suspect that when Carnival acquired them it was a knee jerk reaction to avoid Princess combining with RCI/Celebrity and challenging their dominance of the US market. They got P&O as well and are unsure as to what to do with them. Until they are and give P&O management clear advice as to where they fit in the Carnival group and what their future strategy should be, I fear that this situation will continue.

 

This is getting off the original topic, but I disagree. I think Carnival know exactly what they're trying to do with P&O - make it the default choice for UK-based cruise passengers, of all types, ages and incomes. Hence the growing differentiation between the ships, both in style and size. In 2015 P&O will have ships from 30,000 to 130,000 tons, and a range of dress-code (i.e. formality) policies and cruising styles. P&O are Carnival's only line where the on-board expenditure is in UK Pounds; that doesn't add the 15% service charge automatically; and which is very 'British' in food and entertainment. (Too much so, sometimes, for this P&O passenger - we avoid the 'Great British Sailaway'.)

 

As to how well they're achieving their aim, well that's a different question: there have been a number of comments here in the past about P&O trying to be all things to all men and not succeeding. But it looks like a sensible strategy to me. I know you can point at the discounting of fares to fill the ships (Getaway Fares) as evidence of failure, but my view is that is more likely to be the recession than anything else: there was a report just the other day about the effective wages drop experienced in the UK over the last few years.

 

So I reckon they know exactly what they're trying to achieve.

[simonpjd]

I agree - P&O are trying to make sure that whatever you want from a cruise - one of their ships will be able to provide it. And they seem to be doing a good job. It just may not be obvious to first time cruisers - lets hope they get good advice fromTAs and P&O.

[sooby63]

Hi. Yes I am another disgruntled passenger. They seem to be covering their backs by using the Getaway fare. I did a mini cruise in May on Getaway but I was offered this at the time. I wasn't. When I booked my August cruise. I know people are saying should have looked before the event but I did not see it and was not offered this choice. With vantage we were told we had more choice, again with myself this was not the case. I have contacted P & O but they quoted this Getaway fare which I explained had not been offered. I will know for future cruises and be more careful. Hey ho got to make the best if it. I'm not letting it spoil my cruise. Happy cruising to all those going. Soo

[davecttr]

I agree - P&O are trying to make sure that whatever you want from a cruise - one of their ships will be able to provide it. And they seem to be doing a good job. It just may not be obvious to first time cruisers - lets hope they get good advice fromTAs and P&O.

I think differentating the ships does cause confusion to some. OK, we have the difference between adults and family which should be straightforward but then you have the example from my last cruise on Oceana with complaints that there were too many kids aboard, on a family ship :rolleyes:

[kevinyork]

I think differentating the ships does cause confusion to some. OK, we have the difference between adults and family which should be straightforward but then you have the example from my last cruise on Oceana with complaints that there were too many kids aboard, on a family ship :rolleyes:

 

I agree. Its hard to target the 'British Market" and try and cover all bases across the fleet. As an example, Azura and Ventura are marketed as family friendly but I reckon you will get a more aged clientelle on Azura and more 'child haters' (sorry couldnt think of a different term) as well even though they are pretty much identical.

 

Trying to target different markets with different ships within one brand isnt going to work. It would be like Mcdonalds in Stratford aiming for the discerning client and the Mcdonalds in say Slough aiming for a family market. Its just confusing. You have to have a brand identity so people know what you stand for.

 

I fear they are heading in a difficult situation with the new ship in 2015. They will try and please everyone and not target their preffered market. Regular stalwarts will cruise on her and say 'its too big' and families will sail on her and say 'there isnt enough fun'.

 

When I think of cruise lines I can associate the client base with the brand. I dont think you can subdivide a brand ship by ship and Im failing to understand the marketing ideology that P&O are adopting.

 

 

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[daiB]

I agree. Its hard to target the 'British Market" and try and cover all bases across the fleet. As an example, Azura and Ventura are marketed as family friendly but I reckon you will get a more aged clientelle on Azura and more 'child haters' (sorry couldnt think of a different term) as well even though they are pretty much identical.

 

Trying to target different markets with different ships within one brand isnt going to work. It would be like Mcdonalds in Stratford aiming for the discerning client and the Mcdonalds in say Slough aiming for a family market. Its just confusing. You have to have a brand identity so people know what you stand for.

 

I fear they are heading in a difficult situation with the new ship in 2015. They will try and please everyone and not target their preffered market. Regular stalwarts will cruise on her and say 'its too big' and families will sail on her and say 'there isnt enough fun'.

 

When I think of cruise lines I can associate the client base with the brand. I dont think you can subdivide a brand ship by ship and Im failing to understand the marketing ideology that P&O are adopting.

 

 

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And I think you are reading a massive amount into this situation. I have been on all the ships within the last 2 years, except Adonia, and apart from the fact that 2 of them were child free i find little difference between them. The greater difference comes with the date of the cruise.

 

As ever the great majority of people who cruise are retired. At least outside school holidays. This is what I mean by all of the ships feeling the same.

 

Now clearly a 3 night cruise in August will be totally different. But they are only a small % of the total nights of cruising on all the ships.

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[davecttr]

I agree. Its hard to target the 'British Market" and try and cover all bases across the fleet. As an example, Azura and Ventura are marketed as family friendly but I reckon you will get a more aged clientelle on Azura and more 'child haters' (sorry couldnt think of a different term) as well even though they are pretty much identical.

 

Trying to target different markets with different ships within one brand isnt going to work. It would be like Mcdonalds in Stratford aiming for the discerning client and the Mcdonalds in say Slough aiming for a family market. Its just confusing. You have to have a brand identity so people know what you stand for.

 

I fear they are heading in a difficult situation with the new ship in 2015. They will try and please everyone and not target their preffered market. Regular stalwarts will cruise on her and say 'its too big' and families will sail on her and say 'there isnt enough fun'.

 

When I think of cruise lines I can associate the client base with the brand. I dont think you can subdivide a brand ship by ship and Im failing to understand the marketing ideology that P&O are adopting.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

A interesting point. P&O have the obvious split of family friendly and adult only but even then there is the possibility of being confused.

 

Amongst the family friendly ships there are not always obvious grades of formality. Aurora possibly the most formal because the main bar is formal and there are no alternatives to the buffet? Azura next because it has 3 dress codes. Then Ventura but with both cover charge restaurants being formal but with 2 dress codes. Then the confusing Oceana whose dress code changes depending on season but which is the most informal ship in summer because so few of the venues require a 'dress ticket' to enter.

 

I presume the new ship will be family friendly but how many dress codes?. Maybe then the useless jacket required code will be dropped on family friendly ships.

[jeanlyon]

I wasn't even aware that there were different dress codes for each ship. We are on Oriana in September - and the dress codes are as they always have been. Formal, semi-formal (jacket required) and casual.

 

OK just looked at three other ships. All look the same except for Ventura which has not semi-formal.

[davecttr]

I wasn't even aware that there were different dress codes for each ship. We are on Oriana in September - and the dress codes are as they always have been. Formal, semi-formal (jacket required) and casual.

 

OK just looked at three other ships. All look the same except for Ventura which has not semi-formal.

Same for Oceana in the summer season. Same codes as Ventura