Early Saver and Select differences?

[Big Stevie]

Im trying to plan my first cruise for our family. Could someone please explain the differences between these two booking options. I realise that Early Saver might be the cheaper deal, but why?

 

Thanks

[john watson]

A number of choices such as which specific cabin you are going to be in, which dining sitting you are on etc. are not available on the cheaper option. Realistically if it is your first cruise it would be difficult to know which is the better choice. Having said that some people would very much like the less popular option of dining because it suits them better. The exact details are on the website when you book. I should go cheaper rate and try for a balcony cabin if it's within budget. You will not get the "best" balcony position but they are all better than oceanview. Some people go "inside" cabin and get more money to spend elsewhere on voyage. Not a lot of point in cabins between these two formats because you are not in cabin much if you are you should be sat on balcony.

 

Regards John

Edited February 15, 2015 by john watson

[Big Stevie]

Thanks. So I'm I right in assuming that whilst Saver is a lower price your cabin and dining isn't allocated until after the Select customers have chosen their preference?

[john watson]

Yes Stevie,

They get first dibs at choosing. You still get a "Balcony" if you book one, it's the specific balcony you have no control over. Another downside is "shuttle buses into town" small charge levied. Again dependant on which ports it's not a big deal. Vigo walk straight in to town. It is next to terminal. Do not confuse "shuttle bus" with the excursion coaches. Shuttle buses just get you safely out of the dockside area to the shopping area or town. Excursion coaches are for booked trips. Some dock side areas do not allow pedestrians as container traffic lorries are a hazard others are set up safer, mostly safer in my experience.

 

Regards John

 

Regards Keith

Edited February 15, 2015 by john watson

[john watson]

Cabins are often sold guarantee which is "Minimum Grade Guaranteed Cabin" so you book say "inside" they will give you the lowest grade inside. If you are lucky you get a bit higher grade but still "inside". If you were very very lucky your upgrade might get to next level "obstructed oceanview" or better and so on.

 

Regards John

Edited February 15, 2015 by john watson

[Big Stevie]

So if booking Saver I need to expect to be given the lowest grade cabin within its class, but I may get an upgrade?

 

When do i get to find out which cabin Ive been allocated, is it upon boarding?

[kathsmum]

At the moment I am looking at a particular cruise, if I book by the end of February I will get extra OBC which added to the normal OBC would mean that the cruise would end up costing me just £10 more to go select with the choices guaranteed. This is for an inside cabin. A friend who has just booked a mini-suite on this cruise has got £3000.00 OBC (per cabin not each).

[kevinyork]

So if booking Saver I need to expect to be given the lowest grade cabin within its class, but I may get an upgrade?

 

 

 

When do i get to find out which cabin Ive been allocated, is it upon boarding?

 

 

It can be anytime from after booking to check in. However you cannot change it so I suppose its pretty irrelevant.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[john watson]

So if booking Saver I need to expect to be given the lowest grade cabin within its class, but I may get an upgrade?

 

When do i get to find out which cabin Ive been allocated, is it upon boarding?

 

 

Generally the exact cabin number gets advised through the cruise lines "Cruise personaliser" which you access after booking; using your name and booking reference as advised. The cabin number might be stated in your information initially or left as not yet advised. It then later would be advised and published on your cruise personaliser. It may later be changed to a higher graded different number. Once they are certain its the final one you will be able to print off "baggage tags". In very very rare instances it can be advised upon boarding but generally few days or so at the latest. The idea is you put the cabin numbered tagged suitcases through the wall at Southampton and these get delivered to your cabin couple of hours after boarding. Take immediately needed stuff in as hand baggage through the airport security style scanners but no liquid problems as you are not flying.

 

Regards John

Edited February 15, 2015 by john watson

[shallwe]

So if booking Saver I need to expect to be given the lowest grade cabin within its class, but I may get an upgrade?

 

When do i get to find out which cabin Ive been allocated, is it upon boarding?

 

We booked a saver fare inside cabin the first time we sailed last year as we were new to this cruise lark.

 

We got upgraded to a higher deck although still inside. It was perfect for us as we spent most of our time out of the cabin joining in with all the activities.

 

We were allocated the cabin a few weeks before the cruise.

[BrianI]

This link gives the difference in fare types

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/fare_types

If you book an early saver you will be guaranteed a cabin of the grade booked but may get a higher grade.

Note on Britannia there are six grades of balcony cabins with shower and sofa from GA to GF. These cabins are all exactly the same with the same facilities. The only difference is location. The higher grade cabins are in the middle of the ship and the lower grades at the front of the ship where you are likely to get the most movement. However Britannia is is big that any movement will be small so it should not matter where you are, other than you have to walk a long way if you are at one end or the other.

 

Normally P&O will advise you of your cabin number two weeks before departure.

 

Brian

[Dryce]

So if booking Saver I need to expect to be given the lowest grade cabin within its class, but I may get an upgrade?

 

Yes. But bear in mind that because of miniscule or almost intangible differences in 'grades' of cabin and what constitutes a higher (or lower) grade might not actually count for much to some passengers - a deck up or a few cabins nearer midships.

[the english lady]

I think if you book a guarantee you are quoted the lowest price for that grade of cabin. So fore/aft low down deck. anything above that would be considered an upgrade so midships on same deck or higher deck, an upgrade. fore/aft higher deck upgrade. All still the same type of cabin (inside/outside/balcony) but position decrees its an upgrade.

Only problem with that is you could end up with what the select fare payers do not want..ie under public decks/swimming pools. above/under public areas. If you end up with a cabin near a large white space, you could be lucky and have no noise, or it could be trollies going in and out all the time (some people have stated they can be noisy).

As anyone who paid a select fare for your type of cabin would get upgraded before you, the most you could hope for as saver is fore (ship movement/anchor)/aft(engine noise) to midships .Maybe on a higher deck, but maybe not.

Probably all as clear as mud.

I will stand corrected (as is usual for me) but the days of paying saver fare for an inside and getting upgraded to a balcony are long gone...

[john watson]

I will stand corrected (as is usual for me) but the days of paying saver fare for an inside and getting upgraded to a balcony are long gone...

 

Realistically this is correct. In extreme cases a day before departure an extremely urgent technical repair might need doing which would take three days to complete for example a major lifts plant failure rendering a whole bank of lifts unserviceable. They do not have the technical people on board to complete repair so they draught in a pair of outside contractors who need billeting somewhere for the whole cruise as it is the cheapest option. They get allocated my cabin for example as it is absolutely best place for this next door to crew access area and very near lifts. They shift me straight into only cabin available which happens to have a balcony. This is done because it is too late to shift a knock on series of bookings up the chain, so it's route one to goal.

 

My friend told me this happened to him he does plant repairs and a sewage press plant had gone wrong which needed a long term repair which they could do as a specialist contractors. They were called in to Southampton admittedly for a Cunard ship where the failure had occurred. You have a day before sailing and a three day job. So they were given choice of a cabin in vicinity of repairs. They asked what about the displaced holiday makers aren't they going to be a bit miffed. No because they will get a much better cabin was the reply. Meanwhile my friend stayed on board for three days doing repair. They were on until end of voyage and just used all the ships facilities and had a on board credit account.

 

So anything can happen but it's as likely as winning the lottery.

 

Regards Keith

[BrianI]

In the last four years I have been upgraded twice to a balcony. I have never won the lottery.

Brian

[jeanlyon]

If you are travelling as a family, presumably you need two cabins? If you book Early Saver, I don't think you can guarantee that the cabins will be next to each other, nor that you dine on the same table.

[john watson]

If you are travelling as a family, presumably you need two cabins? If you book Early Saver, I don't think you can guarantee that the cabins will be next to each other, nor that you dine on the same table.

 

If a family of four; husband wife plus two boys aged 14 and 17 booked two cabins and were allocated separate dining arrangements as two couples might. I can see full fare payers being a bit miffed at getting their own sitting granted but then having two young lads sharing their table but no parents with them as they are on another table and or sitting. I think it more likely that the cruise line will sit them together but not on their preferred choice necessarily. This is because other diners need a proper set up as well as the aforementioned family.

 

Regards Keith

[Mysticalmother]

I am pretty certain that if the two cabins are booked & paid for by a parent and the bookings linked - as they should be - there would not be a problem with dining together . As any child 16 or under must be "escorted" by an adult aged 18 or over , the younger child in this instance would be expected to dine with the parents anyway and indeed the parents could and should insist on it.

 

The cabins however may not be together - or even close - and you are warned of this during the booking process. But even for a saver fare I would hope that P & O try to put the children's cabin not too far away from the parents.

[heathcharnock]

But even for a saver fare I would hope that P & O try to put the children's cabin not too far away from the parents.

 

Sadly some parents want their teenagers as far away from them as possible so that their children's partying can disturb someone else

[Sea Green]

Also I believe that the lead passenger in a cabin cannot be under 18, so mum will need to be in one cabin with one teen, and dad in the second cabin with the other teen.

 

If its possible to work it, might be worth trying for a balcony cabin everyone can hang out in during the day, and an inside one unlucky pair could sleep in? Would be great if P&O allocated an inside accross the hallway from a balcony...

[Mysticalmother]

Also I believe that the lead passenger in a cabin cannot be under 18, so mum will need to be in one cabin with one teen, and dad in the second cabin with the other teen.

 

If its possible to work it, might be worth trying for a balcony cabin everyone can hang out in during the day, and an inside one unlucky pair could sleep in? Would be great if P&O allocated an inside accross the hallway from a balcony...

 

Sea green - that's not quite correct - as long as one child is over 16 the other one can be younger. What you can't have is a (say) 12 and 14 year old in a cabin and the parents in another. The FAQ section states.....

 

"Children under the age of 16 years old are not permitted to travel in a cabin alone. Passengers under 16 years of age must be accompanied in the stateroom by a guest who is 16 years of age or older. Additionally, they must be 'escorted' with an adult aged over 18 in a separate cabin. "