new loyalty club

[Manoverboard]

The new ship in 2015 will herald a new begining and the way forward for passengers of the future ... the mememe mindset for being first on board etc belongs to the dwindling few who still believe in out moded values.

We enjoy the discount but ignore the trappings of status because they are shallow, meaningless and smack of one upmanship at the expense of other passengers.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Quite so Moby. Just so long as they let me on to Britannia before you. When we get to the bar, however, I am quite happy to let you get there first. Mine's a malt whiskey please. I have no worries about status whatever.

[Manoverboard]

Good man ... a G&T it is then

[arcadialover]

Before they start messing with the loyalty club they need to sort out other more pressing issues like vantage fares and look at rewarding early bookers..

[Manoverboard]

I do tend to agree ... but ... why give additional discounts to early bookers when they are happy / astute / daft enough to book early without getting such discounts.

[davecttr]

Because not letting early bookers get the best deal viz cabin grade etc etc has apparently proved to be a public relations disaster. No, not apparently, P&O are now actively seeking a way out of the mess they created for themselves.

Example, i book a long time ahead and usually go for a lowish grade inside. I do NOT find it amusing to see P&O selling balcony cabins at a lower price than I paid for my inside.

OK, they have unbooked balconies, so offer me a free balcony upgrade and sell my original cabin at a knock down price.

[Kendhni]

Assuming they are not willing to go down the route that the Americans have then an alternative would be that if a better deal is spotted then, for an administration fee (say £50-100 plus immediate full payment) the person could transfer their booking to that deal ... but they could only do this once .. so the onus (and gamble) would be on the customer to judge the timing correctly.

In fact this is exactly the sort of 'value-add' a high street TA could do ... monitor the prices on behalf of their customers.
I still believe the actual number that monitor prices is probably a very very tiny proportion of all bookers, therefore this should not open the 'flood gates'.

[emjay45]

Because not letting early bookers get the best deal viz cabin grade etc etc has apparently proved to be a public relations disaster. No, not apparently, P&O are now actively seeking a way out of the mess they created for themselves.

Example, i book a long time ahead and usually go for a lowish grade inside. I do NOT find it amusing to see P&O selling balcony cabins at a lower price than I paid for my inside.

OK, they have unbooked balconies, so offer me a free balcony upgrade and sell my original cabin at a knock down price.

That's EXACTLY what they should do. It's adding insult to injury to people like yourself. Since we started cruising in 2011 the logic used by P&O in upgrading and selling cheaply in such a way to antagonise and alienate customers has always bemused me.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I certainly think the minimum they should do if it is apparent that premium cabins are unsold is to allow early bookers to upgrade, if not free, then on payment of the current difference in cabin price, rather than the price when they booked. I also think a perk of early booking on one cruise could be priority access to the latest Getaway deals on a further cruise before they are released for public sale.

What I think are actually doing, looking at prices on the site, is slowly but surely reducing the difference between Vantage and Getaways so the incentive to leave it late, and annoyance ot early bookers, is slowly diminishing

[Manoverboard]

The price difference is still there, witness the deals on offer now ... £499 for 12 days seems like a bargain to me. What is going on, imo, is an earlier and earlier declaration of Getaway deals so that some take them at a time when the price is still around a £1,000 rather than waiting for further price drops in case they dip out.

Unless or until P&O scrap the Getaway deals then they MUST be happy with them ... a PR disaster is fine, empty ships less so. It's a sign of the times and dog eat dog, however I am sure that P&O are well pleased with those who pay the full price.

Incentives to book early are possible but are meaningless while Getaway deals remain. They could offer an addition 10% to book early, plus 5% as a repeat customer and another 5% for booking a second cruise in the same year and another 5% for groups over eight, Great stuff but the price will increase to achieve it and the result in this financial climate will be .... even more Getaway deals.

As stated many times we have experienced the problem of paying full fares and the benefit of Getaway deals, we all presently have that choice but if not then book with somebody else.

[david63]

The Vantage/Getaway debate has been done to death on every fora/social media that there is so there is no point going over old ground - but surely the point is, as with anything else, if you are happy with the price on offer for what you are buying then you buy, otherwise you don't - simples.

The discount argument about any type of holiday has been going on since Thomas Cook was a lad and is no different today (apart from the fact that the numbers are bigger!)

[Kendhni]

... I think it is also that with the internet prices are more obvious and easier to check ... pre-internet negotiations were done in private and nobody knew what others paid unless they asked ... and that was considered 'vulgar'.

[Ray Scully]

I certainly think the minimum they should do if it is apparent that premium cabins are unsold is to allow early bookers to upgrade, if not free, then on payment of the current difference in cabin price, rather than the price when they booked. I also think a perk of early booking on one cruise could be priority access to the latest Getaway deals on a further cruise before they are released for public sale.

What I think are actually doing, looking at prices on the site, is slowly but surely reducing the difference between Vantage and Getaways so the incentive to leave it late, and annoyance ot early bookers, is slowly diminishing

M&T

I most certainty agree with you but not necessarily for the same reason. Presuming P&O attract new customers to cruising by offering the cruise at a knock down price and then making that offer for a balcony cabin, at say half of what the going rate is. I doubt any repeat business at the full rate, and having experienced a balcony few may be prepared to 'downgrade'
I wonder if P&O will ever employ a marketing manager

[arcadialover]

Because not letting early bookers get the best deal viz cabin grade etc etc has apparently proved to be a public relations disaster. No, not apparently, P&O are now actively seeking a way out of the mess they created for themselves.

Example, i book a long time ahead and usually go for a lowish grade inside. I do NOT find it amusing to see P&O selling balcony cabins at a lower price than I paid for my inside.

OK, they have unbooked balconies, so offer me a free balcony upgrade and sell my original cabin at a knock down price.

Here here, well said.