Cheshire Blue

Thanks understand. I thought the £60 was an additional benefit (on top of the shareholder benefit) - hence my FOMO 😀.

My wife has similar issues - whilst we won't need a wheel chair it would be helpful to get some form of fast track type assistance though the terminal and on to the ship (rather than having to queue for any time) ? If so - who do we ask ?

Any reason why you received this ? Just so we can all jump on the bandwagon and claim it !

On a related point - the difference between the Classic Package and the Deluxe Package appears to be approx £9 or £10 per day. Appreciate everyone will be different but looking at the new menus - I'm not convinced the additional drinks available on the Deluxe Package are worth the extra ? Might be better to keep the £9 / £10 per day back and spend it on the occasional extra (PAYG) Anyone have any views on this ? It may be that I've not seen all the menus yet (and there are better drinks available somewhere which might change my view). I had hoped to see champagne by the glass available on the Deluxe (as per the Celebrity Premium offering) but alas both packages have only the prosecco. The additional cocktails (which I've seen) do not seem to give that much more either ?

Sorry - think I now understand why the website shows an advance price of £40.45 per day for me. I think this must already include not only the advance purchase 10% discount but also my own club tier discount ?

Not sure it alters the principle - but I thought the Classic Package bought in advance was £40.45 (and on board would be £44.95) ? More generally I can see from your calculation that the two "net" figures come out pretty similar (£1,132 versus £1,150). However to get to the on board figure of £1,150 you have to "spend" £120 of your OBC. This amount is still available to you to spend in the first calculation - so provided you are able to spend this amount on other things when on board (speciality dining / excursions / Spa etc) then the first calculation (advance purchase) is better.

OBC is not always free. If you have taken a Select Fare (and so paid the upgrade) you have in effect paid for the OBC

I will fail on all criteria - not loaded and will not be in a suite nor top tier

In terms of actually buying the packages - am I correct that the Deluxe Package on board is approx £55 per person per day and the Classic Package on board is approx £45 per person per day. I appreciate the above prices ignore any loyalty tier discounts - but think these apply both on board and in advance - so no material difference. If I buy in advance - I save approx £5 per day on these prices, but cannot use my OBC for this (and so have to pay in advance by credit card). If I do this (buy in advance) between my wife and I on an 18 night voyage, we would "save" £180 - so worthwhile doing. However am then left with OBC to spend (which I assume is non refundable) ? I can use this on excursions / speciality dining - but really wanted to use it on the drinks. Any ideas ?

How do you qualify for "priority boarding " We have some (albeit limited) mobility issues - which essentially means we cannot stand in a queue (but are happy to wait if seated), so wondering if that would be enough to get the priority boarding - or at least guarantee some seating if we arrive a bit earlier than stated ?

Seems to be a lot of confusion and conjecture about the new packages - the Ts and Cs for which are not as clear as they might be (e.g. does the 15 drinks limit mean 15 alcoholic drinks (plus any number of soft drinks / waters / coffees) as I think is the current system ? or do we now have to count all bottles of water etc within the 15 drinks ?). If it does now include all drinks (alcoholic and soft), it becomes much more likely that you will exceed the 15 drink limit. What happens then ? Am sure all this (and much more) will become clearer in the coming weeks once the new packages become operational. I will look forward to hearing real life experiences from people on the ships in the coming weeks, rather than the current well intentioned guess work. After this we can all do the maths and decide whether to buy a new package (or not).

Thanks for the concern but as its late in the year (October / November) should be ok Still hoping for a discount code ?

Any way of getting a discount (code ?) for these - P & O cruise later this year ?

If you are light drinkers - the package will not work for you and you are probably best just doing a PAYG. The drinks prices on P & O (at present anyway) are very reasonable.

Thanks again - we don't have (young) children to consider so that's not a problem (but appreciate the "late booking" tactic can backfire if the ship is then getting full !

Thanks for the advice - helpful - although unlikely we would be sufficiently organised to book on day 1 When you say book late - do you mean : after the payment date (i.e. in the 6 / 8 weeks pre cruise) or do you mean before that My experience is that 8 /9 months out was indeed a bad time 🙃- but 6 months out now appears rather better 🙂 I will watch to see where the prices go in the next 3 - 4 months etc

If you book on board and so only pay a reduced deposit (say £50) is it just that deposit (£50) that you lose if you subsequently cancel ? or are you obliged to pay the full deposit (as sort of cancellation charge) ?

Thanks for everyone's input Looks like best advice is to wait and see what happens between now and final payment date. Cancel and re book may prove the way forward then but depends what prices do. The idea of transferring existing deposit to a future cruise may appeal (and re booking original cruise at lower price) as this ensures I do not "lose" the original deposit - although prices for 2024 / 2025 seem a bit high at present.

You have a good travel agent

8 months out Not sure it matters

Where / when can I find details of the new package proposals ? Current package is much too restrictive (single measures / small glasses of wine etc) so I'd happily pay a bit more to loosen these up (come in to line with Princess / Celebrity). Appreciate the package is not for everyone but .............my wife and I (and our travelling companions) will generally achieve the £45 per day (most days anyway - we don't "count") so think the package is good value for us. Note : we are not alcoholics - we drink very moderately at home but a few coffees during the morning, glass (or 2) of wine at lunch, a couple of beers in the afternoon and then pre dinner drinks / cocktails and 1/2 bottle of wine each at dinner - we are pretty much there. Add a post dinner drink (or 2) and a couple of bottles of water / soft drinks throughout the day and think we are well there ! The only issue in the past has been the restrictions on cocktails / mixers - so hopefully this will now be improved. md ar

No - exactly the same deal as to to OBC / Select benefits

I agree there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to the differences between some Saver and some Select prices. The prices I quoted above are all Select Prices - hence I have chosen my rooms and can see I could now choose the same (or at least next door) for a considerable saving (on a Select price)

That may be the way forward in future ! If we had only booked £50 per person now - losing £200 and then re booking the same cruise at £1100 lower would be a good deal 🙂 We live and learn

Thanks for that (and the subsequent responses from others also) which are helpful. I fully expect the prices to fall in the immediate run up to a cruise (if its not full) but the difference then is that you cannot choose your cabin (and you get whatever is left). At this stage (6 months out) pretty much the same cabins / locations are available - hence annoying that the price has fallen by 12.5% I do appreciate however there may yet be further price falls - so maybe bide my time for now. I assume no one has any suggestions as to how to get P & O to offer something by way of compensation (OBC etc)