PO Cruises are now too expensive

[JimJam39]

So is the general consensus to book asap rather then wait? I'm wanting to book a honeymoon cruise for Nov 2018 to coincide with a 40th birthday so cannot be flexible on dates. What would seasoned cruisers suggest? Another little question if I may include it is: Would people recommend booking direct with P&O, a shop TA or an online TA? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Jaime

[wowzz]

Personally, if you are looking to book a specific date - which it seems you are -I would book sooner rather than later. As regards who you book with, if in doubt book through the cruise company. There are some bad Internet agents out there - Google them before paying any money.

 

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[JimJam39]

Personally, if you are looking to book a specific date - which it seems you are -I would book sooner rather than later. As regards who you book with, if in doubt book through the cruise company. There are some bad Internet agents out there - Google them before paying any money.

 

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Thank you, just got to wait until the 27th now then to view prices and book (y):)

[daiB]

P&O brochure prices always look expensive to start but if you wait till closer to cruise time there are often plenty of reduced pricing.

 

love sailing with RCCL

 

 

I think you are a bit out of date with P&O pricing. There is not now deep discounting as there was a few years ago.

 

The only time of year that may not be true is from early to mid November up until just before Christmas.

 

You can see how many cruise we have booked, all have gone up in price some a little some considerably.

 

Looking at FB this pattern is common hence the OP's posting here. There are far more posts saying that the price never came down on a cruise someone had been watching.

 

 

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[Selbourne]

So is the general consensus to book asap rather then wait? I'm wanting to book a honeymoon cruise for Nov 2018 to coincide with a 40th birthday so cannot be flexible on dates. What would seasoned cruisers suggest? Another little question if I may include it is: Would people recommend booking direct with P&O, a shop TA or an online TA? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Jaime

 

Given your circumstances, I would book as soon as they are released. I have 5 cruises booked over a 2 year period of varying lengths and on different ships and they are ALL now more expensive than when I booked them (taking price and on board credit together), some by quite a lot. Most were booked when released. There are small savings to be made with saver fares, but they miss out on key benefits (worth ££'s) and in total (when you take all of them into consideration) don't seem worth it. Also, the later you leave it, regardless of the type of booking you make, you are left with the less desireable cabin locations. Seasoned cruisers snap up the best ones early. So for me, it's always Select fare and book as early as you can. If I am spending thousands on a holiday I want the absolute best for my money. Saving a few hundred quid and ending up with a bad cabin location would be false economy for me.

[janny444]

I agree ...if you are inflexible on dates book as soon as the dates are released. If you wait for Saver fares you may ...or may not...pay a cheaper price but for special occasions do you really want 2nd(3rd) best.

At the moment TAs are offering very little incentive to book through them and if you book direct with the cruise company you have direct control over your booking so if you have any query...special requests...changes...you can deal directly with P&O instead of having to go through a 3rd party.

[JimJam39]

Thank you so much for those last two comments, I'm really grateful. I certainly do want to book the best I can afford and would love to book my cabin on the non-smoking side also. Unfortunately I can't afford a suite but would like a balcony on B deck at least if I could. I'm not one to sit and wait for things I want and like to be ahead of the game if I can. (I'm sure you can tell by all my recent postings on here since joining, hope I'm not being too much of a pest :halo::D)

[Selbourne]

I forgot to add in my last post a response to your final question about whether or not to use a travel agent or book direct. Many years ago, when living on the South Coast, I used an excellent travel company called Bath Travel, as they offered up to 10% discount on top of the best you could get from P&O. Nowadays, I always book direct and by phone.

 

I remain unconvinced that there is any benefit to be derived from using a travel agent, as every offer I have ever seen from one is a P&O offer dressed up as something exclusive to them, which it isn't. Sadly, for reasons that I do not agree with, the rules of this forum prevent people from sharing deals, which would be the biggest single benefit that the site could offer, so if I am wrong nobody can disprove it!

 

The problem is that P&O are rubbish at promoting their own offers clearly, especially cumulative discounts (e.g. early booking plus past passenger) and the value of on board credit and relationship to free parking. Travel Agents are far better at presenting this information clearly and in a far more impactful way and therefore look, at first glance, as though they are offering something far better! As an example, we did a dummy on line booking via the P&O website for a 2 week cruise on Britannia for a suite plus an adjoining balcony cabin. The website, right up to the final stage, looked as though we were getting around £400 on board credit. We decided that we were happy with the price and OBC so I called P&O to book with a person. Much to my surprise, the fare was the same but we ended up with over £1,000 on board credit and free parking worth around £160. I do wonder how many people who don't go ahead and make a booking might be tempted to do so if they were presented with the information in a much clearer way.

[JimJam39]

As an example, we did a dummy on line booking via the P&O website for a 2 week cruise on Britannia for a suite plus an adjoining balcony cabin. The website, right up to the final stage, looked as though we were getting around £400 on board credit. We decided that we were happy with the price and OBC so I called P&O to book with a person. Much to my surprise, the fare was the same but we ended up with over £1,000 on board credit and free parking worth around £160. I do wonder how many people who don't go ahead and make a booking might be tempted to do so if they were presented with the information in a much clearer way.

 

I've done a dummy booking recently based on this years prices just to get an idea of overall cost as we also need to filter in flying from Manchester at an additional cost. however when it comes to actually booking I'd do so over the telephone as I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions to ask.

As I can only afford a balcony room (hoping for B deck), would you suggest I select the offer to upgrade option (not the guarantee cabin as I want to pick my cabin) in the hope that when I tell them its my honeymoon and 40th birthday whilst on board they may offer me a decent upgrade?

[Selbourne]

I've done a dummy booking recently based on this years prices just to get an idea of overall cost as we also need to filter in flying from Manchester at an additional cost. however when it comes to actually booking I'd do so over the telephone as I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions to ask.

As I can only afford a balcony room (hoping for B deck), would you suggest I select the offer to upgrade option (not the guarantee cabin as I want to pick my cabin) in the hope that when I tell them its my honeymoon and 40th birthday whilst on board they may offer me a decent upgrade?

 

Others may be better placed to answer your question as we always opt for 'no upgrade', as we spend so long researching the best cabin locations we would hate to be moved to a potentially noisy location. P&O deem an 'upgrade' to be a move to a higher grade within the same cabin type. To me, that's not an upgrade, that's a relocation.

 

However (and this is relevant in your case), I have recently discovered (thanks to others on this forum, whom I initially doubted) that there are two types of upgrade option. The default one is as I describe above and, in my opinion, very high risk. The other (which few people know about) allows you to opt for 'only upgrade me to a different cabin type'. In other words, if you book a balcony cabin and you are upgraded, it will be a 'proper' upgrade (e.g. to a Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin, Mini Suite or even Suite). Obviously, you can't pick the location (the best spots will have been booked already) but you will get a better cabin. Although it is implied that you are moved automatically and cannot change, it is my understanding that with this type of proper upgrade P&O will call you and offer it to you, which you can decline if it's in a bad place (under pool decks etc). Friends of ours were recently called by P&O and offered an upgrade from a Deluxe Balcony to a full Suite for just £100 per person. Bargain!

 

Just to manage your expectations, I don't believe that your honeymoon or 40th birthday will make any difference at all, as I believe that all upgrades are done by computer and not selected with particular reasons in mind. In your case, I would probably book the best I can afford and then opt for 'upgrade but only if a different category'. You never know!

[Vitalsign]

JimJam39

Sorry for the late reply The Dreamliner flies to Montego Bay and Barbados from Manchester Gatwick Birmingham and sometimes from Glasgow.

[Vitalsign]

JimJam39

The Nov 18 cruises are repositioning cruises from Palma, Malaga and Canary Islands to the Caribbean (and as well as Jamaica and Barbados include the Dominican Republic) They are Available to book from 22nd April.

[JimJam39]

Thanks Selbourne and Vitalsign.

Edited March 13, 2017 by JimJam39

[petewithgill]

Just compared Celebrity Eclipse, PO Britannia and PO Azura for February 2018. Completely gobsmacked PO are charging £1950 more for a balcony cabin than Celebrity. The Celebrity price includes the Classic Drinks package but excluding the flight which costs only £850 for a couple. HAL prices are even better, now that balcony smoking has been banned definitely worth considering. Both are a cut above P&O in all the cruise ratings.

 

Why are PO Cruises prices so high ?

all cruise lines are high at moment but we allways look for bargains normaly late saver with p&o you can save thousand pounds or so we dont mind paying for shuttles norm about£5 and if we gotta walk along way from cabin to get any where we think how much we save

we got a bargain on navigator 27 aug junior suite £800 each now there selling it at £2100 you have got to keep looking all the time and if you see good deal jump at it

[daiB]

all cruise lines are high at moment but we allways look for bargains normaly late saver with p&o you can save thousand pounds or so we dont mind paying for shuttles norm about£5 and if we gotta walk along way from cabin to get any where we think how much we save

we got a bargain on navigator 27 aug junior suite £800 each now there selling it at £2100 you have got to keep looking all the time and if you see good deal jump at it

 

 

Interesting what you say and that was true for P&O however I have been looking at prices for cruises in April, not for me, and the first ones I looked at set me thinking. In most grade of cabin there were no saver fares at all and where there were savers the difference between them and select was very close when you added in OBC or car parking. So I looked at some more and in April, a month which I would expect some bargains, the same thing was found in all the cruises. Most of those I looked at were 7+ days, not sure if the same would be found in shorter cruises

 

Example Azura A710 for a balcony cabin, high grade, the saver fare is £75 than select when you add in the OBC.

 

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Edited March 15, 2017 by daiB

[daiB]

I wonder if this is the reason. These are the cruising figures from the CLIA. -

 

Observers expect the total of UK and Irish cruisers to break 2million this year – a 50 per cent increase in just ten years.

 

Nearly half of British cruisers last year started their voyage from a home port – 912,000 passengers, up nine per cent.

 

As P&O are the largest of the Cruise companies offering UK based cruises then a 9% increase would certainly prevent prices going down.

 

 

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[kevinyork]

We've done two Caribbean fly cruises in the past with P&O and not paid more than £1700 pp for a balcony. This was around 4 years ago. P&O saved prices for next Jan/Feb are in the £2,200-£2,400 range so quite an increase. We've just returned from 2 fantastic weeks on Oasis Of The Seas. Cost was £1300 pp for the balcony cabin and £450pp for direct flights with Virgin. Add on an overnight hotel the night before and the total came to £1825 including tips and the free drinks package. Certainly wouldn't pay £400 more for P&O plus drinks and tips when it's possible to experience a ship like Oasis for a lot less. Had a stunning time. Truly was a ship that offers something for everyone, young and old.

 

 

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[daiB]

We've done two Caribbean fly cruises in the past with P&O and not paid more than £1700 pp for a balcony. This was around 4 years ago. P&O saved prices for next Jan/Feb are in the £2,200-£2,400 range so quite an increase. We've just returned from 2 fantastic weeks on Oasis Of The Seas. Cost was £1300 pp for the balcony cabin and £450pp for direct flights with Virgin. Add on an overnight hotel the night before and the total came to £1825 including tips and the free drinks package. Certainly wouldn't pay £400 more for P&O plus drinks and tips when it's possible to experience a ship like Oasis for a lot less. Had a stunning time. Truly was a ship that offers something for everyone, young and old.

 

 

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Backs up what I have been saying Kevin. The days of very cheap P&O cruises have passed. However I am still able to cruise with them and pay less than I did in 2001 in a much better accommodation .

 

For we non flyers they fit the bill.

 

I would love to go on one of those big ones not sure I would be able to take part in many activities but I would go. But not flying.

 

 

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[tartanexile81]

We've registered our interest for 35 days on Ventura in 2019. It's £800 less than the one we're going on next year and the same as we paid this year. I definitely think it pays to book early, for the price and getting the cabin and dining you want which is really important to us.

 

I disagree that it's best to book with direct. If you know which TA to use there are still discounts available

[daiB]

We've registered our interest for 35 days on Ventura in 2019. It's £800 less than the one we're going on next year and the same as we paid this year. I definitely think it pays to book early, for the price and getting the cabin and dining you want which is really important to us.

 

I disagree that it's best to book with direct. If you know which TA to use there are still discounts available

 

 

Agreed I am looking at the P&O price less 3/4% from our TA.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

We've registered our interest for 35 days on Ventura in 2019. It's £800 less than the one we're going on next year and the same as we paid this year. I definitely think it pays to book early, for the price and getting the cabin and dining you want which is really important to us.

 

I disagree that it's best to book with direct. If you know which TA to use there are still discounts available

The lowest grade balcony cabin on 2019's 35 night cruise is £400 more than the launch brochure price for 2018, although £400 less than its current price., but there is a large amount of OBC with the current offer for 2018.

[terrierjohn]

The lowest grade balcony cabin on 2019's 35 night cruise is £400 more than the launch brochure price for 2018, although £400 less than its current price., but there is a large amount of OBC with the current offer for 2018.

PS And despite the £600 OBC offer for balconies, their website says they only have inside cabins available.

[grapau27]

P&O brochure prices always seem high but usually there is a raft of P&O special offers which look like big discounts but really only bring them down to realistic prices.

 

love sailing with RCCL

[daiB]

P&O brochure prices always seem high but usually there is a raft of P&O special offers which look like big discounts but really only bring them down to realistic prices.

 

love sailing with RCCL

Not true now. The 'offers' are now higher than opening prices. BTW there are no brochure prices. Just from prices.

 

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[terrierjohn]

P&O brochure prices always seem high but usually there is a raft of P&O special offers which look like big discounts but really only bring them down to realistic prices.

 

love sailing with RCCL

I tend to agree with Dai on this, however we always cruise out of school holidays where the prices are lower anyway.

If you really want to see high prices then look at a Princess brochure, these are always much higher than P&O for similar cruises and timings. But they have been known to price match when lower offers are advertised.