What is the Portunus Club?

[StLucia]

We have just booked our first P & O cruise, on the Ventura transatlantic in October. I have noticed mention of this on the booking confirmation and in their brochure but am not sure what it means. Can anyone help?

[Pontius Navigator]

StLucia you will become a memberof the Portunus Club (a customer loyalty programme) only after your first cruise.

 

On your subsequent cruises you will receive a 5% discount on all your onboard spend, including excursions. After you have cruised for over 50 days the discount increases to 7.5%.

 

Later, after many more cruises, you get 10%. Now I believe you have to cruise once every 3 years. If you can afford to cruise a lot more frequently you wouldn't need the 10% anyway.:D

 

I am not sure but you may also get a benefit on your booking fee too.

 

We didn't know about the PC when we made our first cruise booking and only found out after our first 3-day taster cruise which, fortunately, preceded out more expensive first booked cruise. Our already generous on-board credit of £660 became worth £693!

 

In other words it is a good loyalty benefit.

 

If you can slip in a short taster, Venturer Party Time on April 11th, you would be members by the time of your first big cruise.

 

PS,

 

As you are already booked on Venturer in Oct I cannot recommend the 2 day Party Cruise too highly. As an army adage has it, time spent of reconnaisance is seldom wasted. On your second cruise it would be like going home. :)

[LibraLass41]

I have a Portunis Question...

 

On the Ventura Weekender on 12th Sept (the one and only 2008 weekender until this new one came up pre-maiden) i will reach 500 points on the last night of this 2n cruise (50 cruising nights sailed). The next stage - Sapphire is 501 nights (damn!) SO MY QUESTION IS, when I go on another cruise after this, will I still be Ruby or will I hit Sapphire after one night the first of the cruise (clocking 510 points and thus taking me into Sapphire) or will that whole cruise count still as Ruby until I get home?

 

Hope that makes sense ! :confused:

 

Sue

[jeanlyon]

There wouldn't be any point in going on an expensive weekender surely just to gain a benefit on a longer cruise. The price of the weekend would far outweigh any savings?

[old git]

LibraLass41I have a Portunis Question...

 

On the Ventura Weekender on 12th Sept (the one and only 2008 weekender until this new one came up pre-maiden) i will reach 500 points on the last night of this 2n cruise (50 cruising nights sailed). The next stage - Sapphire is 501 nights (damn!) SO MY QUESTION IS, when I go on another cruise after this, will I still be Ruby or will I hit Sapphire after one night the first of the cruise (clocking 510 points and thus taking me into Sapphire) or will that whole cruise count still as Ruby until I get home?

 

Hope that makes sense ! :confused:

 

Sue

sue from what i can gather you don't become sapphire until you finished the cruise that you actually get over 5oo points,i think!!!!!!!

[LibraLass41]

Jean

I'm already going on the 12 Sept weekender regardless of the points but see where you are coming from. We chose this weekender so we would have a chance to 'look over' the latest and biggest edition to the PandO fleet - and actually got a great deal. £239pp for a balcony cabin. + free car parking and £50 obc - which will cover our bar bill for 2 nights! We only live 2hrs from Southampton and quite enjoy the short cruises.

 

So when we come off that cruise we will have acculalated 500 points and Sapphire is 501+ (DAMN!) So if we did a 14n cruise after that all of it would still be at ruby rate 5% disc obc, I see. Although someone else told me we will get our Sapphire gift whilst onboard after the first night (when we will be 510points.)

 

Sue

[loobylouuk]

Jean

I'm already going on the 12 Sept weekender regardless of the points but see where you are coming from. We chose this weekender so we would have a chance to 'look over' the latest and biggest edition to the PandO fleet - and actually got a great deal. £239pp for a balcony cabin. + free car parking and £50 obc - which will cover our bar bill for 2 nights! We only live 2hrs from Southampton and quite enjoy the short cruises.

 

So when we come off that cruise we will have acculalated 500 points and Sapphire is 501+ (DAMN!) So if we did a 14n cruise after that all of it would still be at ruby rate 5% disc obc, I see. Although someone else told me we will get our Sapphire gift whilst onboard after the first night (when we will be 510points.)

 

Sue

 

Sue, you could always ring P&0 and ask for one extra point...i was chatting to some-one on Oriana who had done this and they gave it to her..........might be worth a try.

Lou

[LEESRE]

Sue,

When we sailed as Ruby and went over to Sapphire we got the gift but did not get Sapphire till our next cruise. Like you we needed just one more night but they made us wait.

 

Rex

[StLucia]

The weekender sounds good except we have already booked a weekend to Bruges. We normally do this during the spring and link it to a Calais booze run! We have actually paid more for this 2 nighter in a 4 star hotel than an inside for this Ventura party cruise!

 

I notice you live in Lincs, not far from us in Notts. How do you normally get to Southhampton? We are thinking of taking the coach recommended by P and O as we will be flying back into East Midlands; have you any experience of this?

[LEESRE]

StLucia,

I would recommend using the coach provided by P & O.

If you are on a transatlantic then the coach will be FREE because you will fly back to an airport of your choice.

 

We have used the coach many times and found them to be less hassle than trains etc.

[StLucia]

StLucia,

I would recommend using the coach provided by P & O.

If you are on a transatlantic then the coach will be FREE because you will fly back to an airport of your choice.

 

We have used the coach many times and found them to be less hassle than trains etc.

 

We booked direct with P and O but have not been offered the option of a free coach. I think its about £38 each?

[BrianI]

We booked direct with P and O but have not been offered the option of a free coach. I think its about £38 each?

You have to pay for the normal Evesway bus to/from Southampton but if you are on a sail/fly cruise there is a complimentary bus from your arrival airport to Southampton, so you can either leave your car there or be dropped off there. Details are on the P&O website on this link.

 

http://www.pocruises.com/before-you-sail/faq-Before-You-Sail/Fly-Cruise-Arrangements.aspx

 

Brian

[LibraLass41]

Rex

in my post I said :

 

'''So when we come off that cruise we will have acculalated 500 points and Sapphire is 501+ (DAMN!) So if we did a 14n cruise after that all of it would still be at ruby rate 5% disc obc, I see. Although someone else told me we will get our Sapphire gift whilst onboard after the first night (when we will be 510points.) '''

 

So I agree and accept you comment that all I will get is the Sapphire gift but NOT the sapphire disc rate on a future cruise...

 

Never mind, might be worth ring up and asking for 1 point though - good idea :D LOL

 

Sue x

 

Sue

[StLucia]

You have to pay for the normal Evesway bus to/from Southampton but if you are on a sail/fly cruise there is a complimentary bus from your arrival airport to Southampton, so you can either leave your car there or be dropped off there. Details are on the P&O website on this link.

 

http://www.pocruises.com/before-you-sail/faq-Before-You-Sail/Fly-Cruise-Arrangements.aspx

 

Brian

Thank you BrianI for this information. The cruise we are on N818 is not actually listed so I have sent an enquiry to P and O

[Pontius Navigator]

StLucia,

 

We are well east of you in the middle of the county. We drive to Soton but then we are returning there too. In your position I would probably go by coach but as we are off the beaten track it is less easy.

 

Friends of ours, even further from the hustle and bustle of the midlands did a Manchester-Soton cruise. They drove to Manchester and flew out to Florida. They sailed back to Soton. Initially they planned to take the P&O coach until they discovered it was both cheaper and quicker to fly to Manchester.

 

I am sure you find that EMA, like Humberside, has a strictly limited number of destinations and also offers the more expensive flights. :(