P&O New Pricing

[RA10]

20 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

 

I've been looking at some pricing data which I saved from last year. Comparing prices at 26 Feb 23 (I have nothing earlier than that) vs 15 Jan 24.

 

If we look at the Top 40 cruises on sale ranked by price per night. In Feb 2023, 10 of the Top 40 cheapest cruises were within 60 days of sailing. Today, only there are only 4 in the Top 40.

 

This does suggest that P&O aren't lowering their prices at the 'last minute' quite like they used to. Instead, it could be argued they are lowering them earlier instead! 

 

In terms of overall pricing, not a lot has changed. The cheapest cruise to book last February on a per night basis was as 14 night Iona cruise sailing 23-Nov-24 for £699 (£49.93/night). Today, the cheapest is another 14 night Iona cruise sailing 6-Dec-25 for £729 (£52.07). Given inflation is currently 4%, this is exactly the price you would expect. Effectively, there has been no change in the 'cheapest'.

 

Looking another way at the Top 40 cheapest per night, last February the mean price per night was £59.32, the range £49.93-£64.14 and median £60.83. Whereas today, the mean is £63.55, the range £52.07-£69.93 and median £64.21. This is about 5-6% increase, which given inflation is around 4% (and previously a lot higher) means that there has effectively been very little increase in pricing. 

 

Finally, looking at overall pricing (of all cruises on sale) for the cheapest cabin. In February, the mean was £100.86/pn, the median £92.79/pn. Today it is £106.37/pn with the median being £99.86/pn. Again, just above inflation.

 

Will be interesting to see what the situation is like at the end of February when 'Late' Saver fares for late April and May will be on sale, when the two ships will be back from the Caribbean and Arcadia is back from her world cruise (world cruises and Caribbean tending to be more expensive per night) 

 

Also, out of the 817 cruises currently on sale, 429 of them are under £100/pn. 

 

Wow, Navy Panda.  I am so impressed by your analysis.  Not only have you kept the data from last year but how you do the comparisons. Genuinely interesting !

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, sweep2907 said:

Not sure why people cast doubt over peoples claims of appalling behaviour. I've witnessed it 3 times, got involved once to help the victim and apologise I didn't film it for you.

 

Knowing someone who is Cruise Security Manager and not just one, they let me know exactly what goes on. Obviously P&O try and keep it quiet as doesn't give a great impression. Always dealt with swiftly, confine to cabin and handed over to police at next port and banned from cruise company for life.

I guess if you have never seen any appalling behaviour on nearly 40 cruises, like us, then it is a little hard to believe that you have so lucky.

[Bazrat]

On 1/16/2024 at 8:27 AM, Harry Peterson said:

Maybe because they’d prefer not to get punched?

In this day and age most people carry a phone, so I doubt if the trouble maker would run around the venue punching everyone with a phone.

[Bazrat]

On 1/16/2024 at 12:53 PM, sweep2907 said:

Not sure why people cast doubt over peoples claims of appalling behaviour. I've witnessed it 3 times, got involved once to help the victim and apologise I didn't film it for you.

 

Knowing someone who is Cruise Security Manager and not just one, they let me know exactly what goes on. Obviously P&O try and keep it quiet as doesn't give a great impression. Always dealt with swiftly, confine to cabin and handed over to police at next port and banned from cruise company for life.

I have no doubt you have seen multiple occasions of appalling behaviour on your p&o cruises, reminds me of the legendary clown incident we’re there was also multiple claims of bad behaviour, on our recent cruise someone posted on another site of there being bad behaviour but no one saw it or mentioned  it.

[Tomcruise92]

If P&O increase their prices to pre pandemic levels, fine that's their choice. However, they really must then return to the premium cruise lines category and improve their service (dining,  evening turndown, coffee with room service breakfast (baffling), a proper app, ability to pre-book a table in the MDR and generally be a little more consistent across the line). Some of the new cruises are the same prices as Princess, HAL and Celebrity, yet with a significantly lower category product.

 

[Bazrat]

On 1/26/2024 at 7:25 AM, Tomcruise92 said:

If P&O increase their prices to pre pandemic levels, fine that's their choice. However, they really must then return to the premium cruise lines category and improve their service (dining,  evening turndown, coffee with room service breakfast (baffling), a proper app, ability to pre-book a table in the MDR and generally be a little more consistent across the line). Some of the new cruises are the same prices as Princess, HAL and Celebrity, yet with a significantly lower category product.

 

To be honest we are happy to pay for what we get, we have no idea about the good old days of p&o just the fact the cruises we have now we have enjoyed to the point we have booked further cruises for this year and next, the price we pay seam reasonable for what we get if not we would very happily move to another cruise line.

[Tomcruise92]

3 hours ago, Bazrat said:

To be honest we are happy to pay for what we get, we have no idea about the good old days of p&o just the fact the cruises we have now we have enjoyed to the point we have booked further cruises for this year and next, the price we pay seam reasonable for what we get if not we would very happily move to another cruise line.

That's completely understandable, I'm not saying it's bad at all and I'm glad you are happy with the service. All I'm saying is, if P&O up their prices again to similar prices to competitors/other lines in the premium line category, they should reflect that by upping their product to match. If you can pay the same and get more elsewhere, they may start to lose business. Ps. I'm in my 30s so I too have no idea about the good old days, my only comparison is with other lines.

[Bazrat]

5 hours ago, Tomcruise92 said:

That's completely understandable, I'm not saying it's bad at all and I'm glad you are happy with the service. All I'm saying is, if P&O up their prices again to similar prices to competitors/other lines in the premium line category, they should reflect that by upping their product to match. If you can pay the same and get more elsewhere, they may start to lose business. Ps. I'm in my 30s so I too have no idea about the good old days, my only comparison is with other lines.

I get we’re your coming from about them increasing prices but like I said if it becomes expensive and in my view not good value for money I would just switch cruise lines.

[Fionboard]

Have been looking at Aurora and Arcadia prices for this Summer and they are ridiculously high, especially for solos. Will keep my eye on them but doubt they will  reduce as they are so popular. 

[zap99]

14 hours ago, Bazrat said:

To be honest we are happy to pay for what we get, we have no idea about the good old days of p&o just the fact the cruises we have now we have enjoyed to the point we have booked further cruises for this year and next, the price we pay seam reasonable for what we get if not we would very happily move to another cruise line.

We have no idea about the good old days with cheese wheels, drinks with the captain, gin and IT before dinner. We just enjoy things as they are now.

[Selbourne]

Just now, Fionboard said:

Have been looking at Aurora and Arcadia prices for this Summer and they are ridiculously high, especially for solos. Will keep my eye on them but doubt they will  reduce as they are so popular. 

If you can be flexible and book late, 7 weeks before sailing there are still great bargains to be had, even on Aurora. 

[Bazrat]

23 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We have no idea about the good old days with cheese wheels, drinks with the captain, gin and IT before dinner. We just enjoy things as they are now.

Why did you have to mention the cheese wheels ?, you know that will bring up endless conversations about falling standards 

[84k]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

If you can be flexible and book late, 7 weeks before sailing there are still great bargains to be had, even on Aurora. 

I always thought the sweet spot was 3 months out.

Always got my best prices then, then see a slight jump up 2 months out.

 

Still bargaining on this as we're holding out to book a May sailing for a couple of weeks!

[yorkshirephil]

3 hours ago, 84k said:

I always thought the sweet spot was 3 months out.

Always got my best prices then, then see a slight jump up 2 months out.

 

Still bargaining on this as we're holding out to book a May sailing for a couple of weeks!

In my experience it varies, three months is a cut off point as the balance is due if booked direct, so people may have changed their minds, seen something more preferable, financial issues or simply died. For one off cruises on Arcadia and Aurora three months may be too late and booking at launch can be the sweet spot as currently the case with out 2026 Aurora cruise as was the case with our 19 night med cruise on Aurora last year. 

I feel those that were able to book very late have had a good run since covid, we have picked up some good deals, and always had a plan B in case. We have also hung on in the past and the price has gone up or the OBC has been greatly reduced, hence plan B or accept the new price. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, 84k said:

I always thought the sweet spot was 3 months out.

Always got my best prices then, then see a slight jump up 2 months out.

 

Still bargaining on this as we're holding out to book a May sailing for a couple of weeks!

Not from my experience over the last 6 months or so. One week after balance due date is when the ultra cheap late savers can kick in. We also got a cheap Select fare a week after balance due date as well. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, yorkshirephil said:

For one off cruises on Arcadia and Aurora three months may be too late and booking at launch can be the sweet spot

Yet we booked a late saver for Aurora’s current 65 night Grand Voyage for less than half the Select fare. Quite a few folk on here saying they got their fingers burnt by booking at launch. 

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Yet we booked a late saver for Aurora’s current 65 night Grand Voyage for less than half the Select fare. Quite a few folk on here saying they got their fingers burnt by booking at launch. 

There has been a lot of complaining on facecloth about both this cruise and the Canada one, they used to get booked up quite quickly pre covid but that has changed the last couple of years. We have booked the 75 night South America cruise, the select price is considerably less for 2026 than we have seen it in previous years even when it was 65 nights. It is a bucket list cruise for us and we booked as soon as it was released, it is currently more than what we paid, nearer the sailing date it may be less but we won't loose any sleep over it. 

[84k]

18 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Not from my experience over the last 6 months or so. One week after balance due date is when the ultra cheap late savers can kick in. We also got a cheap Select fare a week after balance due date as well. 

 

When is balance due date?

 

I've only ever booked around 3 months out and paid in full.

This is since the late 2000's, not cruised much post COVID.

[yorkshirephil]

1 minute ago, 84k said:

 

When is balance due date?

 

I've only ever booked around 3 months out and paid in full.

This is since the late 2000's, not cruised much post COVID.

If you book direct with P&O the balance due is three months before the cruise, if with a TA it will be approx 2-3 weeks before this, that is why three months before can be a good time to book

[Fionboard]

6 hours ago, Selbourne said:

If you can be flexible and book late, 7 weeks before sailing there are still great bargains to be had, even on Aurora. 

Yes. Have been caught out before when prices have been reduced after final balance date. Notably Arcadia Canada cruise when they removed single supplement! On the other hand, some cruises sell out. It is a gamble. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, 84k said:

 

When is balance due date?

 

I've only ever booked around 3 months out and paid in full.

This is since the late 2000's, not cruised much post COVID.

P&O give a week or so grace after their balance due date, so it’s best to book just after that. We have nabbed two cruises now, one on Britannia and one on Aurora both less than 3 months out, and that’s even for accessible balcony cabins which are very difficult to come by. 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

P&O give a week or so grace after their balance due date, so it’s best to book just after that. We have nabbed two cruises now, one on Britannia and one on Aurora both less than 3 months out, and that’s even for accessible balcony cabins which are very difficult to come by. 

Probably the only time accessible cabins are available on P&O is on launch, or just after balance due date, when there might be cancellations.

[Andy24v]

10 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Probably the only time accessible cabins are available on P&O is on launch, or just after balance due date, when there might be cancellations.

The cynic in me thinks it's more the case that once the balance has been paid, there's no refund, so P&O can drop the price if the cruise hasn't sold well.

Happened to us last year, price dropped by £1300 a week after due date.

 

If they'd dropped If before, we could have cancelled, lost deposit and rebooked.

[Paddymunich]

On 1/14/2024 at 5:25 PM, sweep2907 said:

Nothing worse though is there when you show your loyalty to a company on opening day. Then 12 months later see your balcony is £1000 cheaper. Personally I prefer the way Princess now operate where it will not be cheaper than at opening day price. 

Unfortunately not quite true for Princess. Booked last year a Suite on Regal for next July. Price dropped over 30% in November and stays at that lower price to this day.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Paddymunich said:

Unfortunately not quite true for Princess. Booked last year a Suite on Regal for next July. Price dropped over 30% in November and stays at that lower price to this day.

I imagine that all cruise companies would like to think that their launch prices will always be the best, but life is not that simple.  All holiday companies will need to discount some of their poorer selling offerings, if they are to ensure they don't operate at a loss.