Were you satisfied when you booked?

[Rum Rat]

Got a price which you thought was right?

 

Got the cabin you thought was right?

 

Got the OBC you thought was right?

 

Got the free parking you thought was right?

 

So were fully satisfied when you signed on the dotted line and paid your deposit?

 

NO?

 

So you DIDN'T book?

 

Not fully satisfied but still you booked?

 

Well stop dripping now because a better deal came along later.

 

WHY DIDN'T YOU WAIT?

 

I book a cruise with the cabin and seating I WANT. I am satisfied at that. Pay my money and get on with it.

 

What happens after, price up/down, seating problems etc etc etc I don't give two hoots.

 

If you ain't satisfied with what you are offered. DON'T BOOK

 

:mad:

 

Mike

[jodanuke]

Yes, yes, yes and yes...

[jeanlyon]

and yes I agree. I book early because I want cabin choice, second sitting, OBC and Free Parking. I usually book long cruises to reasonably unusual places, so prices haven't dropped on any of my cruises yet, but don't care if they do, because as you say i made the decision when I booked.

[portiaqueen]

That's 4 yesses. :)

[silver service]

im totally in agreement. we need a wheelchair friendly cabin. so book as soon as possible in april. often 18 months in advance. yes we pay top dollar, but get those early fringe benifits, obc, and free parking. so also dont care a hoot about so called later bargains. regards, mike.:)

[BORDER REIVER]

We were new to cruising and we booked a cruise on Aurora 1 year in advance as cabins seemed to be getting sold out. We did it on-line with P&O, got a discount and were happy with the deal. About 3 months before the sailing date I saw an identical cabin directly opposite ours, available through a cruise agent, for just over half the price I paid. I rang them and it was the correct price. We just had to accept what we had and be happy, but it did make me wonder whether or not to book early or late, direct or through agent. I guess time and experience will make these decisions easier.

[portiaqueen]

Just wondering ....

I don't remember that significant price cuts used to happen - or certainly not to the extent that they do now.Is it something that started with the new big ships (Ventura & Azura) and so possibly down to the increased capacity. And does it happen mostly with these ships or is it happening across the fleet?

Apart from out last cruise which was a last minute impulse, we've always booked well in advance and I don't generally go back later and check the price. (On the one occasion I did, it had gone up because of the early bird discount running out).

[CASPALL]

The recent "good deals" have been on Azura.Ventura and Oceana transatlantic to Caribbean and Azura and Ventura Caribbean cruises.

So many cabins to fill.

Caryl

[Rum Rat]

Certainly happening on Cunard. I was offered Christmas and New Year on the new Queen Elizabeth at £600.00 per person!!

 

I took the family on QV for Christmas and the New Year 2007/2008 and it cost me £3000 each!!! Same itinerary as well!! BUT, I knew what I wanted and booked at 09.00 the morning bookings opened. Could I have got it cheaper later? Didn't take the chance. Does it matter? I was happy with the price at the time I booked :D:D:D

 

Mike

[u2cruiser]

Totally satisfied when we booked, and surprised to get complimentary coach travel thrown in! Only disappointment was no dining allocation until boarding, but that was due to booking only 2 months in advance and it was soon sorted once onboard.

 

My husband constantly checks the prices once we've booked, which is soooo annoying! :mad: Part of my cruise experience is looking forward to it and getting a cabin I want. Will have to book earlier next time to get Freedom Dining.

[portiaqueen]

I just mention it because if there's a definite pattern, then those people who are particularly bothered about it (and who are prepared to take the risk) can hold off booking till later.

As for me, my next two are already booked so I'm going to carry on with my usual philosophy - make the booking and then stop looking!:)

[cruiseanywhere2]

We have booked early and late and always been happy with our price. We have booked the Oceana for next March, happy with the price, OBC, freedom dining and free parking. Couldn't resist having a quick look and all grades of cabin we booked have sold out. We are so looking forward to our cruise.

[BORDER REIVER]

We have booked early and late and always been happy with our price. We have booked the Oceana for next March, happy with the price, OBC, freedom dining and free parking. Couldn't resist having a quick look and all grades of cabin we booked have sold out. We are so looking forward to our cruise.

 

As I said in my first post, we booked early as cabins were selling fast. I looked a short time later to see that all cabins in that grade had sold out, then some suddenly became available again a month or two later and there were still the odd one or two available through cruise agents at a much lower price - it takes some figuring out. What I did notice, was that the prices when booking direct with P&O did rise as the cruise time got nearer. In our case the same cabin was nearly 10% dearer than we paid 9 months earlier. But....there was that one identical cabin that could be booked through an agent which was almost half the price that P&O were charging.

Never mind - we enjoyed it all very much and still felt it was worth every penny.

[blitznbobs]

Whilst I agree with you in many ways, I do feel that we are penalised for having a child. As such we require a 3 person cabin (he's only 2) and this means that we have to book ages in advance of the cruise (this was even more so when he was under 2 and they severely limit numbers)... this means that we never really get a reduced price on the 'book rate'. Whilst I pay this price as I want to go on the cruise and know that this the only way to do it - it does bug me that a) we see the price drop dramatically close to the cruise... and b) we can no longer book it, pack it and **** off... waiting 12 months for a cruise I've just booked seems like forever to me. Having said this, with young children you can't beat the facilities of P&O so we'll be sticking with them for now... may try RCI at some point when he gets a bit older...

 

Bx

[bogofman]

Are the discounts everyone talks about only ever available via agents?

 

if so which ones should i be looking at? , online agents no one has ever heard of, or the high street shops?

 

The prices with P+O direct down seem to be discounted or do i need to phone them up?

 

Do P+O offer discounts closer to the date or only via agents?

[daiB]

Are the discounts everyone talks about only ever available via agents?

 

if so which ones should i be looking at? , online agents no one has ever heard of, or the high street shops?

 

The prices with P+O direct down seem to be discounted or do i need to phone them up?

 

Do P+O offer discounts closer to the date or only via agents?

 

 

Generally you will get a better deal from a TA than direct from the cruise line. Indeed if you book on a P&O ship and get OBC or a discount because you are booking there, they will tell you to take your booking to your TA and get further discount.

 

Up untill now if you want the best deal then book on the first day of booking, or wait untill very close to the cruise and take pot luck when the cabins which had not been taken up come on sale.

 

Outside these times you will pay more.

 

I cannot give the names of the TA's to look at but pick 4 or 5 from the web and see which comes up with the best deal.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[graham.100]

It is a fact that times have changed and the current economic climate, together with so many more cruise ships means the early booking benefits have mostly disappeared.

 

This year even the Christmas cruises have been heavily discounted during the last month. A balcony on the Aurora 23 night cruise to the Caribbean was available for around £2500, plus £400 (per cabin) on board credit. As said above, the new Queen Elizabeth was discounted and had balcony cabins on the similar Caribbean cruise for £2500.

 

You cannot get away from the fact that if the person in the cabin next door has paid half the amount you paid, it is only natural to feel you were a fool to book early. (Unless of course, money is not an issue.)

 

It was so much more reassuring in the past, when you knew that by booking early, you got the choice of cabins AND the knowledge that as cabins were sold the prices increased, as with seats on airlines.

 

By the way, am I the only person who does not get their comments shown on the P&O forums if the company feels you are being too critical?

[jeanlyon]

Well our cruise next year is now discounted for the second time. However, it is still £300 pp more than when we booked at launch. So far, I'm quite happy. Actually I won't be unhappy either, because I made the choice when I booked. But it's quite interesting.

[BrianI]

Personally I think you get a better deal by using a cruise specialist travel agency rather than a high street one and certainly better than P&O direct.

You can get a list of P&O "preferred" travel agents by going to the P&O website, scroll down to the bottom right hand corner and click on travel agents.

Brian

[Rum Rat]

Personally I think you get a better deal by using a cruise specialist travel agency rather than a high street one and certainly better than P&O direct.

You can get a list of P&O "preferred" travel agents by going to the P&O website, scroll down to the bottom right hand corner and click on travel agents.

Brian

 

Now there's a funny thing :D

 

I have been using one of these for a long time :D

 

But try telling others :eek:

 

One particular cruising website is in the back pockets of a Travel Agent :( Do you think THEY are going to 'Bite the hand that feeds them?' Pigs will fly

 

:eek:

 

Mike

[jeanlyon]

This time I used Co-operative Cruises online and got the best deal of all the ones I asked. I will also get my Co-op points once I pay the final money.

[1160451]

Got a price which you thought was right?

 

Got the cabin you thought was right?

 

Got the OBC you thought was right?

 

Got the free parking you thought was right?

 

So were fully satisfied when you signed on the dotted line and paid your deposit?

 

NO?

 

So you DIDN'T book?

Not fully satisfied but still you booked?

 

Well stop dripping now because a better deal came along later.

 

WHY DIDN'T YOU WAIT?

 

I book a cruise with the cabin and seating I WANT. I am satisfied at that. Pay my money and get on with it.

 

What happens after, price up/down, seating problems etc etc etc I don't give two hoots.

 

If you ain't satisfied with what you are offered. DON'T BOOK

 

:mad:

 

Agree.:)

 

wow i thought i was the only one that thought that way.

 

You pays your money for what's on offer, so you must be happy with that.

 

A better deal comes along tough.

 

We always book well in advance cause part of the experience is looking foward and checking the poc.

 

Would not feel right going down to the TA, or internet and booking a cruise for next week.

 

Just our way.

 

Take it easy

[daiB]

We always book well in advance cause part of the experience is looking foward and checking the poc.

 

Would not feel right going down to the TA, or internet and booking a cruise for next week.

 

Just our way.

 

Take it easy

 

When a certain member of my family finally leaves work we will book early and late but never in the middle.:D:D

 

 

 

:)Happy Cruising:)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[capasamari]

Another aspect of a fly cruise that needs to be considered is your preferred choice of airport, as sometimes there will be cabins still available but all the seats on a certain flight are full.

 

We booked Ventura's Christmas and New Year cruise 20 months ahead one year on a Monday and by the Friday that week the Manchester flights were full.

 

Carol x