Britannia is off and Running

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Britannia is off and Running

#1

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

Britannia booking is off and running at 8am tomorrow Wednesday 26th for Peninsular Club Members and opening for general sale at 8am on Thursday the 27th.

So the next few days will prove interesting.

I am hoping that Carnival will be able to give me some statistics by the weekend, so stay tuned!!
John

Qui descendunt mare in navibus.

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#2

Post by Jan Rosser »

John that's not quite right - it's only Peninsular members in the Caribbean tier (the old Goldies) and Baltic and Ligurian who can book on Wednesday - the rest on Thursday with the general public.
Janis

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#3

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

Janis, I stand corrected, well perhaps just more confused!! That is assuming that your information is correct.

I have had three different offerings given to me by P&O sales staff. God knows what they are up to.

Hopefully, I will discover more tomorrow as I am due to have an online video conference with their marketing department. By then, of course it will be too late to make any material difference.

I have never received so much miss-information from a cruise line in my life before.

As you are an old hand with P&O, let me rephrase that, well-traveled with P&O, are they normally as badly organised as this, or is this a new trend?
John

Qui descendunt mare in navibus.

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david63
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#4

Post by david63 »

ITWA Travel Writer wrote:
... , are they normally as badly organised as this, or is this a new trend?
You are seeing them on a good day :sarcasm: :moresarcasm:

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Dancing Queen
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#5

Post by Dancing Queen »

Oh there's time for it to get worse yet, I remember the day the Ventura maiden went on sale and the computer system crashed for several hours :o :o
Jo


Andrea S
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#6

Post by Andrea S »

Too many cooks.??

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barney
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#7

Post by barney »

Anything you want to know John, don't ask P&O, just ask on this forum, someone wll have the answer for sure.

If P&O's admin etc. was as good as their crew, they'd have it nailed.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Dark Knight
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#8

Post by Dark Knight »

is there not a conflict of interest here?
you have been commisioned to write for PandO , yet you are passing information to an open forum, based on information you are recieving in confidence from your employer?
and no doubt passing information ,gleaned from this forum back to PandO
sounds slightly dubious to me
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Kenmo1
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#9

Post by Kenmo1 »

Just had an e-mail from PO quoting our Peninsular number inviting us to book today - unfortunately such a large ship does not appeal to us. However, we will be down on Cowes seafront when she sails past on her first trip out so will wave to all the people lucky enough to be on her.

Wouldn't mind an invitation to the naming ceremony though. :lol:

Maureen

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#10

Post by Dancing Queen »

Soooo the travel agents supposedly got first chance at booking from 8.00am this morning, has anyone been contacted yet and got what they asked for.

Hope everyone is successful.
Jo

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#11

Post by Dancing Queen »

Dark Knight wrote:
is there not a conflict of interest here?
you have been commisioned to write for PandO , yet you are passing information to an open forum, based on information you are recieving in confidence from your employer?
and no doubt passing information ,gleaned from this forum back to PandO
sounds slightly dubious to me
DK I don't believe John has ever said he has been commissioned by P&O to write for them, this is what he has said.

Quote:I have been commissioned to write about Britannia’s first year of cruising, her first season in the Caribbean and a repositioning cruise aboard Britannia, so I will be on cruises B605 back to back with B606.

28 days of sheer pleasure.

It’s a tough life being a travel writer End Quote:

Maybe you should have asked before saying something sounds dubious, I'm sure as always P&O will only give information on a need to know basis so if anything were 'top secret' they wouldn't be discussing it with anyone until they decide it can be made public knowledge.
Jo

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#12

Post by Dark Knight »

DQ
I will let John answer, if you dont mind
i doubt he has been comissioned to write about Britannia by the kennel club or oxfam, do you?
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#13

Post by Dancing Queen »

Kenmo1 wrote:
Just had an e-mail from PO quoting our Peninsular number inviting us to book today - unfortunately such a large ship does not appeal to us. However, we will be down on Cowes seafront when she sails past on her first trip out so will wave to all the people lucky enough to be on her.

Wouldn't mind an invitation to the naming ceremony though. :lol:

Maureen
It doesn't appeal to me either Maureen, think I must be out of favour with P&O as I haven't had an email but then I haven't had a new brochure either, of course if P&O want to tempt me back an invite to the naming ceremony might just do it :lol: :lol:
Jo

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#14

Post by Dancing Queen »

Dark Knight wrote:
DQ
I will let John answer, if you dont mind
i doubt he has been comissioned to write about Britannia by the kennel club or oxfam, do you?
No problem DK I don't mind at all, I just thought ( but then we all know what 'thought' did ) :lol:

Quite correct .. as he is a travel writer a commission wouldn't be forthcoming from oxfam or the kennel club unless of course it was a commission from Cunard to write about their kennels on board QM2 :lol: :lol:
Jo

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#15

Post by Dark Knight »

Jo
if Cunard took dogs I would book my 3 on one and would be banned for life, from every Carnival ship afloat
oh but it would be such fun for a couple of weeks :D :lol:
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#16

Post by Manoverboard »

Dancing Queen wrote:
Oh there's time for it to get worse yet, I remember the day the Ventura maiden went on sale and the computer system crashed for several hours :o :o
Losing my very early booking in the process ... :thumbdown:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being

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Dennis The Menace
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#17

Post by Dennis The Menace »

John, as others have said, you really have caught them on a good day :crazy:

And, having not seen any of the literature, pictures or floor plan on Britannia, or anything at all in connection with her really, can I just be the first to utter those immortal words "she's not like Oriana" :moresarcasm:

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#18

Post by Dancing Queen »

Dark Knight wrote:
Jo
if Cunard took dogs I would book my 3 on one and would be banned for life, from every Carnival ship afloat
oh but it would be such fun for a couple of weeks :D :lol:
They do but ony TA I believe :thumbup: :thumbup:

I read somewhere a while ago that Robbie Williams had transported his pooch(s) back to the UK on QM2 and it cost a 'silly' amount of money :o
Jo

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#19

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Surely Dennis you mean "Not like Canberra"!!!!!!!!!!!! :sarcasm:

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#20

Post by GillD46 »

Dancing Queen wrote:
Dark Knight wrote:
Jo
if Cunard took dogs I would book my 3 on one and would be banned for life, from every Carnival ship afloat
oh but it would be such fun for a couple of weeks :D :lol:
They do but ony TA I believe :thumbup: :thumbup:

I read somewhere a while ago that Robbie Williams had transported his pooch(s) back to the UK on QM2 and it cost a 'silly' amount of money :o
It is very disconcerting walking on deck and hearing the dogs barking while being walked in their exercise area.
Gill

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#21

Post by Dennis The Menace »

I stand corrected M&T :-)

Although, in my defence, I'm not quite old enough to have cruised in the days when "can you pass the soap" was the first thing you said to a fellow passenger. ;-)

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#22

Post by Jan Rosser »

Dancing Queen wrote:
Soooo the travel agents supposedly got first chance at booking from 8.00am this morning, has anyone been contacted yet and got what they asked for.

Hope everyone is successful.
Hi Jo yes yes yes (sounds like something from Harry met Sally doesn't it :roll: ) I have got the cabin I want and so have my son's in-laws but we are on tenterhooks until my son gets what he wants tomorrow. Interestingly my TA who I have been friendly with for many years has been monitoring the bookings and cabins are closed for booking then suddenly become available. It seems as if P&O are releasing so many at a time may be after the fiasco when the computer system crashed before.

Roll on tomorrow - fingers crossed everything will be ok :thumbup:
Janis

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#23

Post by Dancing Queen »

Brilliant Jan, everything crossed for your son tomorrow I'm sure it will be fine :thumbup: :thumbup:
Jo

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#24

Post by ChrisB »

Dancing Queen. We booked this morning. We did ask Thomas Cook to book for us but they phoned me early this morning and said that all the cabins in the grade we requested had gone and they only had suites and GA balcony cabins left. I then phoned Bolsover and they said there were DA and DB grades still available. So we booked with Bolsover. We got the cabin and freedom dining that we wanted. So I have no idea what Thomas Cook were doing. The have certainly lost us as customers.

Hope everyone else gets what that want.
Regards
Chris

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Re: Britannia is off and Running

#25

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

Please let me clarify my position as DK appears to have misunderstood my intentions.

Jo is correct; I am an independent freelance travel writer commissioned by magazine and newspaper editors to produce some specific articles on definitive subjects relating to Britannia. I am in no way contracted to P&O.

In addition to commissioned articles, I will write a travel article on any subject that I find interesting, should I stumble upon one.

Perhaps DK has read my piece, on who am I on my blog, about my niece who is a film director and who was commissioned by MSC cruises to produce their adverts which I scripted. That was perhaps what may have misled him.

It is the first rule for any writer to form as many contacts, as they can, with as many insiders of the organisation, ship, sales team, marketing team and press office. This is only common sense.

If per chance I come across information which I believe might be of interest to those aficionados on this site, whether I use it in an article or not, I will pass it on.

You are once again correct Jo in stating that a cruise line will only, officially, give out information on a need to know basis. They are after all running a commercial business.

I hope that this clarifies my presence!!
John

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