Vantage & Getaway fares scrapped

[the english lady]

The whole debacle of vantage/getaway fares could certainly be used as an educational feature on how to seriously damage a brand, and how to allienate what was a very loyal customer base.

I would make an assumption that the majority of people were not so much upset by the fact that their chosen cruise reduced in price (that will always stand a chance of happening) but that they felt conned by a price promise that was probably not the most honest and probably not P & O's finest hour.

Today there appears to be a move straight into saying that the prices will not come down and that those are the prices full stop. Should that not be the case and prices fall, then we are back to square one with people feeling conned again. I hope that doesn't happen, but am cynical as to whether anyone can promise that prices will not fall if a cruise has not sold well.

I think that it is possible that you may see heavily discounted cruises sold through online offers/travel agents but not directly by P & O on their website. They can then respond to all complaints saying that how a third party chooses to sell their product is beyond their control, and infact it would be illegal for them to try and control selling prices by a third party.

 

not quite right, you will have 3 classes of fare-select all the bells and whistles you could wish for, and if that fare drops you get extra OBC, and people have, so that side works..note it must be the select fare that drops, not any other.

then there is a 2nd fare, which I can't remember what that is called. then you will have the final fare less than 90 days prior to sailing but will not have choice of cabin, or dining, plus you will pay for shuttle buses, and finally they are saying upgrades will go to select bookers first, so no upgrade possibly with this fare.

[Scriv]

I think that sounds a lot fairer...

[jeanlyon]

The difference is that when anyone books now, they will have both prices in front of them. P&O still reserve the right to introduce lower fares nearer to the time though!

 

But I have already looked at my cruise next October and it is called a Select Fare - there is no Early Saver fare with it, just the Select one?

 

Ah, just re-read my email from P&O. Only some cruises will have Early Saver Fares. The Select Fares will be in the brochure. Sounds about as complicated as the current system to me. And what a strange name - Early Saver to me means those who book early? Not those that want a cheap fare?

Edited November 4, 2013 by jeanlyon

[Thejuggler]

No change then. Book early and pay for the right to choose a few things or wait, take what is given and save a shedload of cash.

 

You can be certain P&O will not be hostage to fortune if it means empty cabins.

 

£399 for 10 nights is currently being advertised for a trip leaving in a couple of weeks.

[Wiltonian]

But I have already looked at my cruise next October and it is called a Select Fare - there is no Early Saver fare with it, just the Select one?

 

Ah, just re-read my email from P&O. Only some cruises will have Early Saver Fares. The Select Fares will be in the brochure. Sounds about as complicated as the current system to me. And what a strange name - Early Saver to me means those who book early? Not those that want a cheap fare?

 

I'm looking at next October; early saver fares run to September ATM, so give if a month.

 

Stuart

[jeanlyon]

OK, have just done a search for April 2014 and some cruises are showing both Select and Early Saver fares. I fail to see the difference from Vantage and Getaway.

[jeanlyon]

and what are they going to do when everybody starts booking Early Savers instead of Select! LOL I have just done a test booking for a cruise and looked at the differences. Actually on most of them there is only about £100 difference in the actual fare, so with no OBC or car parking most will book Select, but wait for them to drop the Early Savers!

Edited November 4, 2013 by jeanlyon

[Wiltonian]

On 14 day Fly-Meds, savings are typically £400 - £700, so I think will prove popular..

 

Stuart

[Scriv]

To correct my earlier post to Vixxygal, my today's email said the OBC was on top of existing credit and never mentioned discounts etc.

 

'As mentioned above, we are reducing the Select Price on a number of departures and your cruise is one that has been reduced. We will continue to fulfill our Price Promise to you and because the Select Price has been reduced, we will be applying a complimentary on board spend to your booking, the amount of which is shown below.

This is the total amount that will be added for the booking as a whole, and is in addition to any other credit you may have already been entitled to receive'

 

Sorry to mislead.

[Midsomer Madness]

not quite right, you will have 3 classes of fare-select all the bells and whistles you could wish for, and if that fare drops you get extra OBC, and people have, so that side works..note it must be the select fare that drops, not any other.

then there is a 2nd fare, which I can't remember what that is called. then you will have the final fare less than 90 days prior to sailing but will not have choice of cabin, or dining, plus you will pay for shuttle buses, and finally they are saying upgrades will go to select bookers first, so no upgrade possibly with this fare.

 

The select fare no longer has the price promise, if it drops, those who have booked get nothing..the OBC which is being given at the moment is for passengers who have already booked a vantage fair, if the new select price is now lower than the vantage price paid you get the difference in OBC. You won't get OBC if you book select and the select price drops..I booked a vantage fair to the Caribbean, the select price is £150 pp less so we get £300 additional OBC. If that select fare drops further we will get the difference..I doubt it will though..

 

Early savers are available on a lot, but not all, cruises. You can now book a early saver fare next April on a Ventura fly cruise for £599 including flights..that's a good price! You only need to pay a deposit at the time of booking,

 

My TA has said they much nearer to sailing if there is availability saver fares may come out on some cruises,but they will be very restrictive and won't come in until 90 days or less prior to sailing....

 

So you can hang on for a very late deal and see if you get what you want..if you're not fussed where you go or on what ship the choice will possibly still be there, however I don't know if the prices will be as low as the getaway fares we have seen.

[callow]

I have had a quick look at the Early Savers and I can't find any for a cabin for 3 ( I tried various dates). Perhaps someone else will have better luck.

 

They say they are available but they probably only offer 1 or 2 on the whole ship. Once it is gone that is it and back to the higher select fare.

 

Can't see myself choosing P&O as my first choice cruise line till I can have 2 in a cabin.

[leylander]

The select fare no longer has the price promise, if it drops, those who have booked get nothing..the OBC which is being given at the moment is for passengers who have already booked a vantage fair, if the new select price is now lower than the vantage price paid you get the difference in OBC. You won't get OBC if you book select and the select price drops..I booked a vantage fair to the Caribbean, the select price is £150 pp less so we get £300 additional OBC. If that select fare drops further we will get the difference..I doubt it will though..

 

.........and us top paying Vantage fare folk who sail this winter or spring, get nothing. This isn't fair is it - people sailing from next spring onwards, who booked a vantage fare earlier this year are subject to further discounts, while people sailing under a vantage fare booked at the same time - under the same t&c's, but sail before next spring, get nothing.

 

Bah.

Edited November 4, 2013 by leylander

[kevinyork]

A lot of the positive comments re the changes could easily disappear once the late availability prices start appearing given it was when getaway fares appeared that Vantage fare passengers started to become irked. 'Select' may become another name for ' the most expensive'.

 

For me I wouldnt book an Early Bookers fare as it makes me feel like a second class passenger...no guarentee of location or dining and no free shuttles. Surely Early Bookers should get the best price and deal? I wouldnt book a Select fare as its too pricey and I know late deals will massively undercut them. I may book a late deal but the lack of dining choice would probably stop me even if I could cope with a cabin anywhere on board and no shuttles. Im never going to be hungry at, or ready for, dinner at 6 or 6.30. They have reinforced a two class passenger system...pay through the nose and we will provide what a cruise line should, pay a reduced fare and we will make you feel inferior by limiting your choice. End result? I will probably sail with another line despite five cruises with P&O.

 

They have taken a mess and stirred it up, given things different names and made another mess. Roll on next Spring/Summer when people start reporting the cheap late deals on offer.

 

Whilst Im critical I am also disappinted. Ive enjoyed our P&O cruises but I feel they have lost me as a passenger.

[leylander]

Has anyone got an email address for someone with influence within P&O cruises please?

[Scriv]

I don't have an email address, but the signatory on the bottom of our emails today was Christopher Edgington, Director, P&O Cruises. Maybe that's a start? I guess he is the new person.

 

I wouldn't hold out much hope though leylander, as a great number of us have already complained about your very same issue and got nowhere. Nonetheless I wish you well with it.

 

The reason people are today getting OBC if the Select prices are lower than Vantage on cruises after Spring is because the Select prices do not come into effect until the after Spring sailings.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Scriv

[Presto2]

Help. Can anyone clarify this for us as we are confused.

 

We booked a cruise for next April as a Vantage fare. We have received an e-mail today saying that our cruise was not affected by the new changes at all so we don't have a price drop.

 

What does this mean --- or am I being totally stupid. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry if we are but the whole Vantage / Getaway thing confused us, and now this is making things more confusing. On Celebrity we paid a price when we booked and if there was a price drop we got our money back. Simple -- :(:confused:

[Midsomer Madness]

Help. Can anyone clarify this for us as we are confused.

 

We booked a cruise for next April as a Vantage fare. We have received an e-mail today saying that our cruise was not affected by the new changes at all so we don't have a price drop.

 

What does this mean --- or am I being totally stupid. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry if we are but the whole Vantage / Getaway thing confused us, and now this is making things more confusing. On Celebrity we paid a price when we booked and if there was a price drop we got our money back. Simple -- :(:confused:

 

It means that the cruise price has not altered.

 

Unfortunately p&o don't do things the same as celebrity, mores the pity!

[Scriv]

Hi Presto2.....

 

The new price structure starts for sailings from Spring 2014, as a part of which they are reducing the price on a number of cruises.

 

If your cruise is one that has been reduced, they are fulfilling their Price Promise and will be giving you complimentary On Board Spend to make up the difference in price.

 

They are telling you here that the price of your cruise has not been affected by the new structure. Your price has not been reduced, so there is no price difference to make up.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Scriv

[leylander]

I don't have an email address, but the signatory on the bottom of our emails today was Christopher Edgington, Director, P&O Cruises. Maybe that's a start? I guess he is the new person.

 

I wouldn't hold out much hope though leylander, as a great number of us have already complained about your very same issue and got nowhere. Nonetheless I wish you well with it.

 

The reason people are today getting OBC if the Select prices are lower than Vantage on cruises after Spring is because the Select prices do not come into effect until the after Spring sailings.

 

Thank you Scriv. I appreciate why some vantage fares are open to reductions and others aren't, but when two people book a vantage fare at the same time, albeit for different cruises, it seems unfair that one of those people benefits from subsequent price drops, while the other doesn't. The person who booked a vantage fare, but sails before spring, will still see getaway fares dropping but gets nothing as a means of compensation, while the other person, who booked at the same time, under the same t&c's, but sails after spring, will be compensated. Does that make sense?

[the english lady]

A lot of the positive comments re the changes could easily disappear once the late availability prices start appearing given it was when getaway fares appeared that Vantage fare passengers started to become irked. 'Select' may become another name for ' the most expensive'.

 

For me I wouldnt book an Early Bookers fare as it makes me feel like a second class passenger...no guarentee of location or dining and no free shuttles. Surely Early Bookers should get the best price and deal? I wouldnt book a Select fare as its too pricey and I know late deals will massively undercut them. I may book a late deal but the lack of dining choice would probably stop me even if I could cope with a cabin anywhere on board and no shuttles. Im never going to be hungry at, or ready for, dinner at 6 or 6.30. They have reinforced a two class passenger system...pay through the nose and we will provide what a cruise line should, pay a reduced fare and we will make you feel inferior by limiting your choice. End result? I will probably sail with another line despite five cruises with P&O.

 

They have taken a mess and stirred it up, given things different names and made another mess. Roll on next Spring/Summer when people start reporting the cheap late deals on offer.

 

Whilst Im critical I am also disappinted. Ive enjoyed our P&O cruises but I feel they have lost me as a passenger.

sorry about that.

Unfortunately no cruise line can continue to make a profit with the getaway fares. It really needs more people to book at higher prices so that it can make a profit. Any company is there to 1 make a profit 2 make a profit.

if it does not do 1 and 2 ,it will not be around for long.

Select passengers will get the bells and whistles as they are paying the most. Is it not fairest that they should get the bells and whistles and free upgrades.

Early savers (if they are available for the cruise) will be slightly cheaper than the select

Early savers will have to wait until select fare passengers get their choice of dining,otherwise it will again not be fair if you pay top wack and do not get your choices.

The cheapest fares of all are the ones you get no choices.(plus they may not be down to the level they have been the past couple of years) People are always saying they are waiting for the really cheap prices. Well they can still wait for them, but they will have no choices .

When you board a plane do you object to those who turn left . They pay more for their ticket than you, so they can have choices. How are cruise prices different.

At the moment ,whatever fare you book you can go all over the ship. If you want 2 class cruising, go on the ships that have whole parts only available to those that book a certain grade of cabin (Cunard comes to mind and "garden villas" on an American line-can't remember which one.

[kevinyork]

sorry about that.

Unfortunately no cruise line can continue to make a profit with the getaway fares. It really needs more people to book at higher prices so that it can make a profit. Any company is there to 1 make a profit 2 make a profit.

if it does not do 1 and 2 ,it will not be around for long.

Select passengers will get the bells and whistles as they are paying the most. Is it not fairest that they should get the bells and whistles and free upgrades.

Early savers (if they are available for the cruise) will be slightly cheaper than the select

Early savers will have to wait until select fare passengers get their choice of dining,otherwise it will again not be fair if you pay top wack and do not get your choices.

The cheapest fares of all are the ones you get no choices.(plus they may not be down to the level they have been the past couple of years) People are always saying they are waiting for the really cheap prices. Well they can still wait for them, but they will have no choices .

When you board a plane do you object to those who turn left . They pay more for their ticket than you, so they can have choices. How are cruise prices different.

At the moment ,whatever fare you book you can go all over the ship. If you want 2 class cruising, go on the ships that have whole parts only available to those that book a certain grade of cabin (Cunard comes to mind and "garden villas" on an American line-can't remember which one.

 

I respect your opinion however when we first came to P&O the fare we saw was the fare applicable at the time we booked, no cut backs because it was discounted. The US lines still operate on this fluid pricing basis and it works for them. It also works for all UK land based tour companies. Prices reflect supply and demand rather than offering a lower price with less frills. Whats next for P&O? Cheaper prices but you have to take shifts in the Laundry? Serve at tables or clean your own cabin? A fare price for a fair package............why is that so hard for P&O?

[jeanlyon]

I had the same email regarding my cruise next October. the price is the same as the Vantage fare I booked, so no extra OBC etc.

[Presto2]

Thanks for the replies to my question.

 

I must admit, Celebrity win on this one -

 

Oh well, am still looking forward to the cruise and can't wait to get back on Oceana. We got it at what we thought was a good price at the time, so if it drops we'll just have to live with it. :)

[Brayman]

Thanks for the replies to my question.

 

 

Oh well, am still looking forward to the cruise and can't wait to get back on Oceana. We got it at what we thought was a good price at the time, so if it drops we'll just have to live with it. :)

 

Quite so!

[Scriv]

I appreciate why some vantage fares are open to reductions and others aren't, but when two people book a vantage fare at the same time, albeit for different cruises, it seems unfair that one of those people benefits from subsequent price drops, while the other doesn't. The person who booked a vantage fare, but sails before spring, will still see getaway fares dropping but gets nothing as a means of compensation, while the other person, who booked at the same time, under the same t&c's, but sails after spring, will be compensated. Does that make sense?

 

The problem is though leylander that the whole price structure changes wef Spring 2014 (See P&O website) so the t&cs have changed too for the sailings after Spring and even the names of the fares eg Vantage and Getaway prices are no more.

 

A lot of us, me included, were in the very same position as you earlier in the year. On my cruise, I had to watch co cruisers get a balcony on Getaway for less than half what I paid on Vantage for an inside cabin. I asked and was not even allowed to pay for an upgrade, but they were upgraded on boarding to posher balconies and even got OBC. Yes, we complained bitterly and none of us got any compensation at all as P&O said this was not eligible for the Price Promise.

 

I do sympathise with you, believe me, and I do understand your anger, but I would imagine that your situation would get the same reply as all ours did - but if you did get compensation, there would be a lot of others on here who would also, justifiably feel that they should have got it too, and didn't.

 

I think that P&O have had to draw a line somewhere on that appalling old price structure which upset everyone and that line is Spring 2014 departures.