im confused about fares

[locks84]

hi guys were cruising for the first time in jan we booked it the start off the year with the vantage fare, im confussed why ppl are not happy ive tried to see if price has gone down but our type off cabin has sold out so cant compare it what are we meant to get from vantage if things change??

[majortom10]

If its sold out you wont get anything.

[Thejuggler]

And if they hadn't sold out and fares were now £100 for two weeks you wouldn't get anything either.

[the english lady]

hi guys were cruising for the first time in jan we booked it the start off the year with the vantage fare, im confussed why ppl are not happy ive tried to see if price has gone down but our type off cabin has sold out so cant compare it what are we meant to get from vantage if things change??

 

Pando annoyed a lot of people by having the vantage fare (which you paid) with the promise that if prices were reduced they would get money back as OBS or an upgrade. Instead of which they brought in getaway fares (With a whole lot of different T and C's) which could be half the price of the vantage fare.

However getaway fares only came in if a cruise was not selling well. Also as you have discovered if all the cabins in a certain grade sold out at vantage fares , then getaway for that grade would never appear. It does happen, we were looking at a cruise approx. a year in advance and all the cabins in the grade we wanted sold out, so no getaway fares ever appeared with them.

Also what annoyed a lot of people was that people who paid the getaway fare ,were also the ones who got the upgrades.

Pando has tried to amend things now with their new 3 tier structure.

Select fares-pay top whack and get all the bells whistles/choice of dining/and first pick of upgrades.

Early savers-pay slightly less and get pickings for things after the select fare people have had their choices.

getaways-will not appear now until 90 days and under before a cruise-if there are still cabins to sell -and you will have no choices (except which grade of cabin).

OBS will only be given to select fare paying people if the select fare itself drops in price-not if any of the other fares are cheaper.

Slightly muddy at the moment as if people paid a vantage fare for a cruise after next april (when the new fares come in) and the select fare for that cruise is cheaper then OBS is being given to them-and quite a few have posted that they have received money.

Some people who paid vantage fare for cruises that are sailing before next april (and the new fare structure)are not happy, However they are in the position they have been in since vantage /getaway brought in..which is they paid £XXXXXXX for a cruise and months before sailing somebody purchases the same cruise on a getaway for £xxx, and the vantage payer gets nothing.

All as clear as mud

[davecttr]

Pando annoyed a lot of people by having the vantage fare (which you paid) with the promise that if prices were reduced they would get money back as OBS or an upgrade. Instead of which they brought in getaway fares (With a whole lot of different T and C's) which could be half the price of the vantage fare.

However getaway fares only came in if a cruise was not selling well. Also as you have discovered if all the cabins in a certain grade sold out at vantage fares , then getaway for that grade would never appear. It does happen, we were looking at a cruise approx. a year in advance and all the cabins in the grade we wanted sold out, so no getaway fares ever appeared with them.

Also what annoyed a lot of people was that people who paid the getaway fare ,were also the ones who got the upgrades.

Pando has tried to amend things now with their new 3 tier structure.

Select fares-pay top whack and get all the bells whistles/choice of dining/and first pick of upgrades.

Early savers-pay slightly less and get pickings for things after the select fare people have had their choices.

getaways-will not appear now until 90 days and under before a cruise-if there are still cabins to sell -and you will have no choices (except which grade of cabin).

OBS will only be given to select fare paying people if the select fare itself drops in price-not if any of the other fares are cheaper.

Slightly muddy at the moment as if people paid a vantage fare for a cruise after next april (when the new fares come in) and the select fare for that cruise is cheaper then OBS is being given to them-and quite a few have posted that they have received money.

Some people who paid vantage fare for cruises that are sailing before next april (and the new fare structure)are not happy, However they are in the position they have been in since vantage /getaway brought in..which is they paid £XXXXXXX for a cruise and months before sailing somebody purchases the same cruise on a getaway for £xxx, and the vantage payer gets nothing.

All as clear as mud

 

P&O had better be very careful that they don't just alienate select fares passengers in the same way as vantage victims.

 

Select Fare is one price, Early Saver is a lower price and Getaways will be lower again but only after 90 days before departure.

 

Early Saver fares will be available from the launch date but surely they cannot reduce them before getaways kick in. If they reduce them the situation is the same as the Vantage fiasco. Select fare customers will not be happy and everyone else will just play chicken and wait for a lower price. Then there will be the pressure to introduce getaways before the 90 days as those not needing a Select fare just wait for the last minute bargains.

[simonpjd]

Just go on your cruise and have a fantastic time.

Don't talk about how much/little you paid as this is very annoying. Please remember the first rule of cruising.

Someone on board paid less than you. Just live with that.

And please try and post using English rather than lower case text speak. Good grammar costs nothing and separates us from the animals.

[SquishTheWhale]

Can I just clarify- did you say that people on getaway fares will not be able to choose their dining? We would only ever be able to afford getaway fares, as much as I would like to book early and get all the bells and whistles. But not even being able to request a dining preference seems mean- even if getaway passengers requests are only processed after everyone elses. Can you also not book select dining in advance? I haven't cruised yet, but have my eye on a P&O one for next year when we can afford it!

[Brayman]

Can I just clarify- did you say that people on getaway fares will not be able to choose their dining? We would only ever be able to afford getaway fares, as much as I would like to book early and get all the bells and whistles. But not even being able to request a dining preference seems mean- even if getaway passengers requests are only processed after everyone elses. Can you also not book select dining in advance? I haven't cruised yet, but have my eye on a P&O one for next year when we can afford it!

 

Yes, you can still book Select dining, ie the extra cost restaurants. What is mentioned above is that your normal dining will be allocated as either first or second sitting (6:30 or 8:30). I don't know if you can opt for Freedom dining, if it's available on your ship, with Getaway.

[SquishTheWhale]

Yes, you can still book Select dining, ie the extra cost restaurants. What is mentioned above is that your normal dining will be allocated as either first or second sitting (6:30 or 8:30). I don't know if you can opt for Freedom dining, if it's available on your ship, with Getaway.

 

I'm all for people who pay more getting more- but this seems like it will just create problems. If you can't make any kind of request for dining times, what if every getaway passenger who would have asked for early gets assigned late, and vice versa? Cue chaos on embarkation day with everyone trying to change their dining sittings. Not to take requests at all, even if they are considered last, sounds daft to me.

 

Again, I DO agree that people who pay more should get first consideration, but all this slightly puts me off booking with P&O- if I book a getaway fare, am I going to be treated like some kind of 3rd class steerage passenger?

[simonpjd]

While Getaway fares exist you will be treated better than Vantage fare payers and that does not seem fair either.

But Getaways will disappear from end March next year, then you can get a 'last minute' deal which they say MAY be available from 90 days before sailing. And that booking puts you bottom of the list for upgrades, dining requests etc etc.

 

For dining - probably will not make a lot of difference with freedom dining coming in. I am sure 99% of these passengers will be able to change their dining times as they wish. Don't panic on this one.

 

TBH if you have never cruised then, between me and you, I would avoid these forums. Just go with a completely open mind - most first timers come back with eyes wide open with amazement at how great a holiday they have just enjoyed. It is only those who have cruised many times who start going a bit bitter and twisted and almost look to find fault.

Go and enjoy yourself. I wish you a fantastic first cruise.

[SquishTheWhale]

While Getaway fares exist you will be treated better than Vantage fare payers and that does not seem fair either.

But Getaways will disappear from end March next year, then you can get a 'last minute' deal which they say MAY be available from 90 days before sailing. And that booking puts you bottom of the list for upgrades, dining requests etc etc.

 

For dining - probably will not make a lot of difference with freedom dining coming in. I am sure 99% of these passengers will be able to change their dining times as they wish. Don't panic on this one.

 

TBH if you have never cruised then, between me and you, I would avoid these forums. Just go with a completely open mind - most first timers come back with eyes wide open with amazement at how great a holiday they have just enjoyed. It is only those who have cruised many times who start going a bit bitter and twisted and almost look to find fault.

Go and enjoy yourself. I wish you a fantastic first cruise.

 

Thank you, that's very reassuring! I would prefer freedom dining so hopefully by next year it will be more widely available and we won't have a problem switching if we get stuck on late sitting. I'd never hear the end of how starving my partner was if we didn't eat until 8.30! I'm pretty sure he'd have a 'first dinner' in the buffet at 6 if that happened :p

 

I don't mind being at the bottom of the heap for things like dining reservations, as they certainly won't be essential to our enjoyment. Just being on holiday will be enough for me- seeing as we haven't had one in three years! If we get to cruise around the Caribbean it will literally be a dream come true.

[clivep]

OBS will only be given to select fare paying people if the select fare itself drops in price-not if any of the other fares are cheaper.

Slightly muddy at the moment as if people paid a vantage fare for a cruise after next april (when the new fares come in) and the select fare for that cruise is cheaper then OBS is being given to them-and quite a few have posted that they have received money.

 

The price promise has been done away with with the select fares. If the select price drops then no OBS for those already booked with select fares.

 

For those booked on vantage fares for cruises after April then they seem to be treating the select fare as if it were vantage fare pricing for the purpose of the price guarantee. i.e. if the select fare is lower than the vantage one paid then these people have been given OBC. If the select prices drop between now and sailing then the vantage bookings will get OBC if they paid more but those booking on select pricing will not.

[the english lady]

From what I read of the t and c for the getaway fares you could not change your dining when on board. Part of the deal of getting the low cruise fare was that you could,t change. Of course they could have moved the goal posts again, but that is how I read it. As hopefully there will be fewer getaway fares next year there will not be too much of a problem with the dining.

Remember getaways will not come through for every cruise, or if they do at the grade you want.

[locks84]

Just go on your cruise and have a fantastic time.

Don't talk about how much/little you paid as this is very annoying. Please remember the first rule of cruising.

Someone on board paid less than you. Just live with that.

And please try and post using English rather than lower case text speak. Good grammar costs nothing and separates us from the animals.

 

I'm not fussed if someone has paid less then us we worked hard to pay for our honeymoon.

I am fussed though that your being rude and making unnecessary comments about my grammer do you comment on everyone who shorten down things??

 

thanks to everyone who have explained it all out for me

[soobs]

don't be put off by comments lock84, I have been subject to the odd comment for things I have said or asked - I just ignore them they are the ones with the bad manners - would they say it to your face?? if so I hope we never have to dine on a table with people like that.

[Eastbourne]

Just go on your cruise and have a fantastic time.

Don't talk about how much/little you paid as this is very annoying. Please remember the first rule of cruising.

Someone on board paid less than you. Just live with that.

And please try and post using English rather than lower case text speak. Good grammar costs nothing and separates us from the animals.

 

 

 

I sincerely hope you regret your rude, unnecessary and obnoxious comment.

Don't bother responding to me unless you are apologising for belittling another forum user.

[L & S]

I sincerely hope you regret your rude, unnecessary and obnoxious comment.

Don't bother responding to me unless you are apologising for belittling another forum user.

 

Hear, hear. Well said Eastbourne.!!!!

 

I must admit when I read those comments, I felt embarrassed that someone new to cruising, came on here to ask advice, and got taken to task about their use of grammar. It would have certainly put me off posting ever again and it would make me wonder if this was the flavour of how things would be on a cruise.

 

locks84 - go enjoy your cruise, forget about the price, and you WILL meet some lovely people.!:D

[davecttr]

Hear, hear. Well said Eastbourne.!!!!

 

I must admit when I read those comments, I felt embarrassed that someone new to cruising, came on here to ask advice, and got taken to task about their use of grammar. It would have certainly put me off posting ever again and it would make me wonder if this was the flavour of how things would be on a cruise.

 

locks84 - go enjoy your cruise, forget about the price, and you WILL meet some lovely people.!:D

I was embarrassed as well but held off from commenting as I did not want to start a slanging match. The poster has probably got the message by now!.

 

On a similar theme a reply which irritates me is 'use the search' or 'search for it'. I think forum members should get a properly helpful reply even if they are asking a question for the thousandth time.

 

On the subject of grammar. i often type i rather than I, to me it makes no difference to the meaning of the sentence so why bother with 'I'?

Edited November 15, 2013 by davecttr

[locks84]

thanks guys ive not been put off at all as there are a lot more people on here that are helpful then the rude ones hope I do get to sit with some nice ppl lol

[simonpjd]

grrrr

[majortom10]

grrrr

 

Like the saying goes "the more the monkey climbs the tree the more it shows its ****" so simonpjd stop climbing you were totally out of order and very rude.

[wilson2579]

It is certainly a shame if new cruisers are put off by one arrogant, rude poster. To all you new cruisers have a fab time but just beware cruising is addictive.:cool:

[locks84]

Like the saying goes "the more the monkey climbs the tree the more it shows its ****" so simonpjd stop climbing you were totally out of order and very rude.

never heard that before but love it