Britannia July 2016

Hi folks, we've seen a cruise that we like for next July. 7 nights to the Fjords from Southampton. From past experience, will we get a better deal booking this in January? I'm wondering if there will be a January Sale as such?

Thanks 👍

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Sorry, the title should say 2017!

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Can't answer your question re when best to book (I've never fathomed when it's best to book a P&O cruise), but we got amazing on board credit booking a 2 week summer 17 cruise a few months ago. For a suite and a balcony cabin, we got over £1,000 on board credit, which should pretty much cover all spending money.

We did a 7 night Fjord cruise on Britannia in July and loved it. BUT, be aware that due to her size, Britannia is getting bumped a lot from the scenic fjords and doing mostly the more coastal ports. We were due to do Flaam and Olden and BOTH were replaced with less scenic locations. I did some investigations and found that Britannia had cancelled 6 scheduled stops to Flaam in 2016 alone. So, going on Britannia you probably won't see the best of the fjords and may end up with different ports to those advertised but if, like us, it was your first Fjord cruise you will love it. And we have a good excuse to go again on another ship now!

We've never cruised with Fred Olsen but some people we know did so this year and their itinerary was far better than P&O. Being much smaller ships, they navigate the narrower (more scenic) channels that P&O ships can't and, rather than cancel ports, they added lots of extras, including visits into additional unscheduled fjords. That sort of customer service (exceeding expectations) really appeals to me but sadly evades P&O these days.

Thanks for the info. Interesting you mentioning Flaam, as this is one place I really want to see and it was missing on the original date we picked, but it is there on the second date.

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Thanks for the info. Interesting you mentioning Flaam, as this is one place I really want to see and it was missing on the original date we picked, but it is there on the second date.

 

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Hmmm. If it's Britannia, assume that you won't end up going there. Our itinerary change was communicated around 6 weeks before, yet the stop in Flaam had been cancelled over 6 months earlier. P&O had continued to sell the cruise knowing that it wasn't going there, which is appalling. The decision had been made by Carnival who cancelled Britannia in favour of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth :mad:

You should look at going on Adonia to the fjords. She's a lovely ship and small so goes to places the bigger ships can't.

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You should look at going on Adonia to the fjords. She's a lovely ship and small so goes to places the bigger ships can't.

 

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Yes I'd love to. We did a ship tour and thought she was fabulous, but then she got dispatched to that farcical 'save the planet' mission before we could cruise on her. Delighted that she is returning.

Very tempted indeed to book a cruise on her, but we aren't yet retired yet have 5 future cruises booked, so holiday entitlement is starting to become a challenge!

However, have just received an email from P&O offering 50% off Adonia next summer and there's a couple of cruises I like the look of. Decisions, decisions.

Yes I'd love to. We did a ship tour and thought she was fabulous, but then she got dispatched to that farcical 'save the planet' mission before we could cruise on her. Delighted that she is returning.

 

Very tempted indeed to book a cruise on her, but we aren't yet retired yet have 5 future cruises booked, so holiday entitlement is starting to become a challenge!

 

However, have just received an email from P&O offering 50% off Adonia next summer and there's a couple of cruises I like the look of. Decisions, decisions.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know why you've had an email from them? Should I be expecting one? :rolleyes:

Many thanks.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know why you've had an email from them? Should I be expecting one? :rolleyes:

 

Many thanks.

Don't mind you asking at all. It's because of the future cruises we have booked. I will paste below the conditions, so if you qualify the booking codes are there for you;

50% saving is based on two adults sharing and is only applicable to new Adonia Select Price bookings made on cruises departing between 16 June 2017 and 2 October 2017. Bookings must be made between 7 December 2016 and 28 February 2017. Promotional code must be quoted when booking. Offer is only valid to selected guests who already have a qualifying future P&O Cruises holiday booked of 7 nights or more, on board Arcadia, Aurora and Oriana, departing from 1 January 2017. If any existing booking on a qualifying cruise is cancelled, then the new Adonia cruise booking will revert to full price. Offer is also applicable to 3rd and 4th berths. This offer is in addition to your Select Price benefits. Guests paying a single occupancy supplement will receive a 35% saving off of the single occupancy Select Price. Offer is not combinable with any other offers, discounts or promotions including Peninsular Club discounts and combination savers on consecutive cruises. Offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. ‡ Promotional code ‘P1A’ must be quoted when booking 50% discount with on-board spending money, 'P2A' for 50% discount and free car parking and 'P3A' for 50% discount and free coach travel.

Hi Selbourne,

Many thanks. Very helpful.

We do have an Arcadia cruise booked next July, but maybe it is not a 'qualifying' one. Not sure how anyone would find out which ones were and which were not!?! :rolleyes:

We're looking to book Adonia this week, but are a little annoyed that they still have not released the itineraries yet. Bewildering.......:confused: