Vantage vs Getaway fares

[justoorjo]

As a solo traveller I did a dummy booking and put in my name and date of birth as traveller 1 and 2 and it put me through as far as payment being made. It would be interesting if the computer would have picked it up later that we were one and the same person.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hope you didn't request a table for two. That could get a bit lonely if one of you doesn't turn up!

[Manoverboard]

Booking a table for one was the giveaway

ps ... Hello and Welcome

[Mervyn and Trish]

While I do think this is a simple matter of cruising economics on present ships, there must be a significant demand out there from single cruisers, especially among the older passengers, for whom it seems an ideal holiday with plenty of opportunity to socialise with like minded people.

P&O have gone some way to recognise this by building some single cabins which, by being smaller, means you can get more single travellers in than using double cabins for single occupancy, and therefore makes the economics work better.

But there are clearly still too few for the demand. I wonder if any cruise line will recognise this and try to meet this demand by upping the number of such cabins? It seems a relatively poorly tapped market and one where good money could be made by someone who recognises it.

[Andrea S]

I have commented on this before. There are many people who travel alone but there must be a large number who travel as a couple now who could be left on their own. Cruising is something they are comfortable with and it is a shame when massive supplements could deter them from booking again. To socialise on board and to go on organised excursions is a safe way to travel. Single travellers that I know spend far more on board than we do ( and that isn't light ). They meet in the bars, they join others to go speciality dining and they do more excursions .Single people spend very little time in their cabin so I'm sure being small wouldn't be a problem for them.

[Dancing Queen]

My friend looked at a recently reduced cruise on Oceana in May, and it was actually cheaper to book 2 Getaway fares than one Vantage fare with the single supplement! How can that be right? Can a single traveller book for 2 people, then the 'other person' just not turn up?

I cannot see why not. It is not impossible for one passenger to have had a last minute change in circumstances or priorities which caused them to forgo the cruise which they had paid for. I am personally aware of such a case. The friend with whom he was to share a cabin cruised alone but did not change the booking after discovering that it would cost him more changing the booking to a single than leaving it as a double. He simply informed check in on boarding that his companion had been unable to travel.

It will be interesting if single people do book a getaway with + 1 because it works out cheaper than the vantage fare and then have the +1 as a no show, what can P&O do about it, they have no idea whether it is a genuine situation or not, I can't imagine they would turn them away, in fact as each individual has their own e-ticket are there any rules that if you are travelling with someone that you have to actually board together

[Mervyn and Trish]

No rules about checking in together at all. I have friends who often cruise together as mates but live in different places so arrive at the ship independently at different times.

[Capt Black]

I was previously encouraged by the idea of booking a Getaway for two names, and one of them "no showing" on the day, if it worked out cheaper than Vantage single supplement. Then I read the T & Cs:

5. A Passenger shall not have the right to exclusive occupancy of a cabin with two or more
berths unless the single person supplement is paid. If a cancellation results in a Passenger
becoming the sole occupant of a cabin with two or more berths, he/she shall be liable to pay the
single person supplement. If a cancellation reduces the number of Passengers originally booked
in a cabin together, the remaining Passengers shall each be liable to pay any increase in the price
arising as the result of such reduction. In the event that all Passengers who are booked in a cabin
permanently disembark the ship before the end of the Cruise, then the cabin will revert to P&O
Cruises’ inventory.

38......

Getaway Fares:
Period before departure within which written notice of cancellation is received by P&O Cruises
Cancellation charges (percentage of price)
From the date of booking until departure, including failure to embark.
100%

Everyone accepts that if you no show at the terminal, you lose that fare. But does the clause at para 15, allow P & O to slap the the single supplement on top?

I'm no legal eagle nor Professor of the English language, but I do wonder if that clause allows P & O to do that. Food for thought.

[Manoverboard]

Indeed so ... P&O are not fools and will be onto every trick in the book imo.

[Dancing Queen]

I don't doubt P&O will be on to it but surely they need to look at the getaway fares because at the moment they are discriminating against singles and families and even though I don't fall into either of these categories I do think it is unfair.

[Capt Black]

I don't doubt P&O will be on to it but surely they need to look at the getaway fares because at the moment they are discriminating against singles and families and even though I don't fall into either of these categories I do think it is unfair.

Fully agree with you DQ. Mum's off on her first P&O cruise this year and having to pay the single supp. Which admittedly at time of booking was slightly cheaper than 2 Getaways. Since then single Vantages for her cruise have actually increased by about £200. Her fare is still blooming pricey for 2 weeks in the med. As for ourselves, we've been hit by the 2 person only rule for Getaways, so had to book Vantage for our next cruise as we need a 3 berth for this one. Hey ho, we knew that when we booked it, just should have done the trip last year!

No third person in tow next time!

[Denarius]

5. A Passenger shall not have the right to exclusive occupancy of a cabin with two or more
berths unless the single person supplement is paid. If a cancellation results in a Passenger
becoming the sole occupant of a cabin with two or more berths, he/she shall be liable to pay the
single person supplement. If a cancellation reduces the number of Passengers originally booked
in a cabin together, the remaining Passengers shall each be liable to pay any increase in the price
arising as the result of such reduction. In the event that all Passengers who are booked in a cabin
permanently disembark the ship before the end of the Cruise, then the cabin will revert to P&O
Cruises’ inventory.
I believe that this refers to a situation where 2 people book a cabin then one of them cancels and loses his deposit. If the other passenger decides to continue his cruise then he must pay the single supplement, which is logical. He cannot expect to pay the twin occupancy fare. This is a different situation to one where there is no cancellation, where one passenger just does not turn up but both berths are paid for.

[davecttr]

It is reported elsewhere that Cunard have dropped the restrictions on families and solos booking Getaway fares from September this year.

The corporate idiots have finally realised it was costing them business.

[jacksparrow]

This is a reply that I have received from P & O to my email....

Thank you for your email



I can confirm that as of 1st September single travellers and 3 berth cabins are now available to book on Getaway fares.



I do have to name of the person who sent the email if required.

[Whynd1]

Can anyone confirm if P and O are applying this as from 1st Sept, looking at the prices on the P and O web site this morning it does not seem to have been updated to reflect the e mail send to Jacksparrow. May have to give them a ring.

[jacksparrow]

Hi Whynd,

I can confirm that P & O are letting the singles do the getaways, whilst I cannot book yet due to insurance issues, when I ring up for a price they are quoting both vantage and double getaway fares...

[Capt Black]

I priced up a cruise for next year for my mum who requires a single cabin. Although it has now gone to a Getaway fare, it is about £320 cheaper for her to book Vantage for single occupancy and still get either parking or OBC. It would need for the Getaway fare to drop by about another £200 for that fare to be cheaper, in her circumstances.

[Ms B]

Captian Black
It may have been wiser to wait 8 weeks before the cruise date before booking, as some cruises drop to about half the brochure price. So a getaway priced at say, £800 would cost a single person £1,600.

[steve21959]

My friend looked at a recently reduced cruise on Oceana in May, and it was actually cheaper to book 2 Getaway fares than one Vantage fare with the single supplement! How can that be right? Can a single traveller book for 2 people, then the 'other person' just not turn up?

Yes They can do that ...

[ZepHead]

Hi All

I was looking at Getaway fares (now called Saver fares, if I recall correctly) the other day, as I'm considering one of the 7 night Med fly-cruises on Ventura, as my first cruise on my tod. I expected to pay a supplement for being a Billy no-mates but as far as I can tell, P&O expect me to pay for TWO flights as well! I did a dummy booking on the P&O website, with number of passengers set as 2, then did exactly the same with number of passengers set as 1; the result was that the price for one person was exactly the same as it would be for two people (added together). How can this be right?!

I was wondering if it was still possible to book a "cruise only" option and then book my flights independently (much more of a faff, but I refuse to pay for two people when I only need one seat on the plane. If I booked through a travel agent, would I receive a more sensible response, do you think? Or am I being unduly optimistic/unrealistic?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

D.

[david63]

The only way that you would know whether it would be the same price by booking through a travel agent would be to try and do it - and then argue the point with them. They just might be able to talk some sense into P&O - but I would not hold my breath.

I would also find out what the price of the flight(s) would be beforehand as well as depending on the flight there may not be that much of a saving. Another point to remember is that if you were to book your own flight and there was a problem with the flight being late then you would, literally, be left "high and dry". You may have some recourse doing that way if you did it via a travel agent but only if it was all booked together at the same time and on the same invoice - in other words as a package.