Prices- A poor show P&O

[oldtimer]

I have just looked at P&O's new web site format and entered my details including peninsular club number to find out the prices for a cruise in April. I ticked the box for free car parking, and when finally reaching the last page, was told the amount for a balcony cabin, however no mention of any OBC, I have always received free parking and some OBC before.
Out of interest I keyed in details again using a made up name and no peninsular club membership, the final price was exactly the same. So it now seems there is no OBC and no price discount for regular P&O peninsular club members.

[Peter D]

I thought if you book a select price you get a choice of either, car parking, OBC or coach travel. Not a choice of two out of three, if you book a saver there are no extras. The only time I have seen extra extras is when there is a special promotion on.

[towny44]

Why not ring up a few TA's, and check out their prices?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Select fares include a choice of parking OBC or coach. Early Savers get nothing. Some cruises give extra perks for Peninsular club members but not all.

[david63]

When I look at a cruise on the first page when you start a booking and it lists all the features of Select fare it says:

On cruises of 7+ nights, choice of
Free parking in Southampton / Free Coach Transfer OR
£xxxpp Free Spending Money

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes I think the clue Old Timer is you say you ticked the box for free parking. Therefore under the terms as listed by David above, unless there is a special promotion on you don't get OBC as well.

[oldtimer]

I must have been on 9 cruises with special promotions then! Last cruise free parking and £150 each OBC. Still does not explain why there are no price advantages for Peninsular club members, previously had received and extra £50 of basic price quoted for first timers.

[david63]

Peninsular Club cruises do attract additional benefits (not sure how much - either OBC or extra discount) - but it has to be on those specifically designated cruises.

[Mervyn and Trish]

There were price advantages on some cruises for Peninsular members booking before a specified date. 5% I seem to recall. But not across the board and not recently.

[barney]

I think the last time I got parking and OBC was about 2011

Ever since then it's been choose either one.

I opt for the parking personally.

Other companies seem to offer the world, free parking, free drinks, free gratuities etc but when you cost it all in, it quite often turns out not to be the bargain it first seemed.

[daib GC]

I must have been on 9 cruises with special promotions then! Last cruise free parking and £150 each OBC. Still does not explain why there are no price advantages for Peninsular club members, previously had received and extra £50 of basic price quoted for first timers.

If you book when booking opens in April you get extra discount, 5%. Some cruises you get an extra 5% for being a past passenger. The deals you are talking about have not been available for a few years.

The way the cruises are sold changes.

Dai

[towny44]

There were price advantages on some cruises for Peninsular members booking before a specified date. 5% I seem to recall. But not across the board and not recently.

We received a 5% discount when we booked our next P&O cruises during the launch period in April/May this year. This is given to all past passengers for any cruise but only during the launch phase, which this year, I think, ran till 30th June. In addition we could have one of the 3 select extras.
I would be surprised if P&O did not offer the same perk for early booking again this coming year but overall, with their 15% non refundable deposit and lack of any additional OBC or other perks, they do lag behind most other cruise lines sailing from the UK. However they do have by far the largest number of sailings and the most diverse itineraries, so for those of us who can't or don't want to fly they tend to have the best choices.

[oldtimer]

Why when you book on line do P&O ask for your Peninsular club number if there is no difference in price or OBC?

[david63]

Why when you book on line do P&O ask for your Peninsular club number if there is no difference in price or OBC?

To make sure that your Peninsular discount is applied to your account

[Mervyn and Trish]

And to confirm that, I've just booked and paid for some excursions etc for our 2015 cruise on line and when I got to the checkout bit our discount of 8.5% was applied.

Plus of course, as already said, there are some times and some cruises where membership does get a discount on the cruise price. The booking software needs to cope with that possibility without needing to be amended every time an offer is added or removed.

[Manoverboard]

And to confirm that, I've just booked and paid for some excursions etc for our 2015 cruise on line and when I got to the checkout bit our discount of 8.5% was applied ...

And it worked exactly the same way since 2012 following the introduction of the new online Personaliser type system.

[oldtimer]

Yes I think the clue Old Timer is you say you ticked the box for free parking. Therefore under the terms as listed by David above, unless there is a special promotion on you don't get OBC as well.

I thought I was not mistaken in saying I have always had free parking and OBC, and not just a Peninsular club cruise. Looked at a particular cruise for April 2015 before Xmas and no OBC hence my first post. Checked now and exactly same grade cabin same deck etc same price, but free parking and £130 each OBC. The moral is don't book early.

[barney]

I'm also a victim of that oldtimer but take consolation in the fact that I was happy with what I booked in the first place, so why worry?

I got the cabin, dining etc that we wanted. It may have still been available but we'll never know.

The price may go up, the price may go down. That's just the way of the world now

By the way, our cruise has gone up £70 per person, then they offer £130 OBC for the cabin.
Is that really any better?

[Mervyn and Trish]

The moral is don't book early.

Sorry to disagree Old Timer, but it's not. The moral is book when it suits you and you are happy with the price and don't look again.

Prices go up, prices go down. If a cruise is selling well they go up, if they are selling slowly it goes down. It's not just P&O, it's all the cruise companies. In fact it's not just cruise companies, it's everyone trying to sell anything in the competitive market which is the 21st century.

We booked early for 2015 and our cruise never went down and is now sold out. If we'd waited for a better deal we'd be staying at home.

[daib GC]

The moral is don't book early.

Sorry to disagree Old Timer, but it's not. The moral is book when it suits you and you are happy with the price and don't look again.

Prices go up, prices go down. If a cruise is selling well they go up, if they are selling slowly it goes down. It's not just P&O, it's all the cruise companies. In fact it's not just cruise companies, it's everyone trying to sell anything in the competitive market which is the 21st century.

We booked early for 2015 and our cruise never went down and is now sold out. If we'd waited for a better deal we'd be staying at home.

Correct.

A number of people on the F/B forum did exactly that, convinced themselves the price would come down and it did not and then it was full. They then switched to other cruises and found they still payed full price. If you want to cruise in Nov/Dec then waiting is a good tactic as cruises then seem always to heavily discounted. But hat is the only time I have identified recently.

Of course if you want a suite or mini suite then no point in waiting as they now do not go to saver. Any not sold are given as upgrades.

[Dark Knight]

it goes in circles this debate
we book early and get exactly what we want, we have booked as far as 18 months in advance to get the launch deals, such as drinks and tips included, the cabin we wanted etc and more important than all of that, the Itinerary we want
we would only book late if we just fancied a cheap week away and did not care about any of the above

[Grando]

Why when you book on line do P&O ask for your Peninsular club number if there is no difference in price or OBC?

To make sure that your Peninsular discount is applied to your account

Also if you have made a future cruise deposit it adjusts the onboard credit and your deposit. Doreen