Future Cruise Deposit

[kevinyork]

Looking for a bit of advice. If you put down a cruise deposit whilst onboard, which I believe can then be picked up by any agent and used against your next cruise, do they restrict the cruises you can use it against.

 

The reason I am asking is the last two cruises Ive booked have been Getaway deals which are not discounted further by agents and you pay for in full when booking. I didnt want to put a future cruise deposit only to find we cant take advantage of similar Getaway deals should we wish to use the deposit against our next cruise.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

Also, what is the benefit in terms of OBC by putting down a FCD?

[Marmaduke]

The information sheet given out by the Future Cruise Desk on board ship states " You can book any P & O Cruises holiday of any duration however please be advised that your future cruise deposit cannot be used in conjunction with net rate fares or with Tesco Vouchers "

 

When on Azura last week I enquired at the Future Cruise Desk as to what exactly was a 'net fare'.

 

The reply was " if you book a cruise six weeks before departure or umm, may be its twelve weeks, anyhow your travel agent will be able to tell you if it is a net fare".

 

Needless to say I didn't bother to buy any future cruise deposits nor will I be booking any cruises direct with P & O. If their own sales staff don't know what the terms and conditions they haven't a hope of doing a way with Travel Agents.

[kevinyork]

Thanks for that. That does sound like a get out clause for them. Not sure I will bother.

[southwinds]

We to have a future cruise deposit paid and the other day I asked my agent ( Bolsover cruise club) if we could book a getaway deal and the answer was yes.. although you pay in full they deduct what you have paid already. Simples :D

 

When you book your Portunus membership number finds the deposit... and the OBC finds its way to your account when you join the ship ( sometimes it appears day two on board)

Edited February 5, 2012 by southwinds

[BrianI]

I asked my travel agent what a net fare was in this context. He said a net fare was used by travel agents or travel companies to build a package together and offer the package at a single price. This rarely used for cruises. He said that any cruise in the P&O brochure should qualify for FCD.

Brian

[kevinyork]

Ah that doesnt sound too bad then. How much OBC do you get by putting down a FCD?

[daiB]

Ah that doesnt sound too bad then. How much OBC do you get by putting down a FCD?

 

You put down £50 pp and get £100 pp obc. If you are going to book anyway a no brainer.

 

Gan canny

 

 

Dai

[BrianI]

Ah that doesnt sound too bad then. How much OBC do you get by putting down a FCD?

It depends on the length of cruise you book.

2-7 nights £25

8-14 nights £50

15-21 nights £75

22+ nights £100

 

The above is per person per FCD so if two of you buy a FCD you each get the above.

Brian

[southwinds]

We booked at the weekend on the four day deal pay for inside cabin and get a balcony... and our agent found our deposit ( via your Portunus club number) and took it off the deposit ... so it can be done..

[supergran]

Hello southwinds,

 

It is not the agents fault that our details were not on P & O system correctly. P & O had my husbands first name with my middle name and surname and his Portunus number. When my husband spoke to them they didn't say it was too late to apply the prepaid deposit, they said we couldn't have it because the cruise was being sold too cheaply to qualify. That would have been the case whoever we booked with as all the agents were very similar prices. They are making the offer on the 2 and 3 night cruises so why not on the one we booked? I just want my own money back and I'm not prepared to book a cruise by Sept to get it.

[southwinds]

This is is simalar to the Share Holders OBC if the cruise is greatly discounted you dont get that either... its in the terms and conditions...

 

small print :(

[Marmaduke]

This is is simalar to the Share Holders OBC if the cruise is greatly discounted you dont get that either... its in the terms and conditions...

 

small print :(

Shareholders OBC is totally different it that offered by the FCD scheme.

The terms and conditions for Shareholders state " Employees, travel agents cruising at travel agent rates, tour conductors or anyone cruising on a reduced rate or complimentary basis are excluded from this offer" This does not apply to the discounted fares offered to the general public.

 

I often book last minute deals and have never yet been refused Shareholder OBC. When I booked a cruise and paid 90% of the costs with Tesco vouchers I was unable to use my FCD (as per P & O T&C's) but I still got my shareholders OBC.

[southwinds]

Im confused :confused:

[southwinds]

Supergran... moaning at the girl on the future cruise desk it pointless as she wont have made the rules up.. You should take it up with HQ ..but not the staff.

[Jammy Bun]

I've not been at all tempted by this this future cruise credit deal - why commit youself to P&O - after all, "There's a world out there" (to quote their own slogan!)

[supergran]

Hi southwinds,

 

I don't intend to spend my holiday moaning at the girl on the future cruise desk but I do intend to ask her for the 'rules' so I don't get caught out on another occasion. My husband has written to P & O and someone from Head office phoned him with their explanation which he was not satisfied with. Basically the letter they send now when they confirm that you have made a FCD is not the same letter that we received. The new one talks about Tesco clubcard vouchers but there is no mention of these in our letter. Seems like they have reviewed the terms after we paid our money. I think they should refund my FCD if they are not going to accept it on this cruise. How do we know that they won't say the same thing if we book another one?

[Auld Reekie]

In August 2011 we were on Ventura and paid for FCD.

 

We booked Adonia Xmas cruise approx 7-8 weeks before cruise via P & O and were not allowed to use FCD.

 

Couldn't resist the offer for Arcadia Cape Town to Southampton, free flights, sails 11th April. Booked this on 10th February, again we were not allowed to use FCD.

 

It has to be used by August, if not it is £100 down the drain.

 

Tom

[supergran]

Perhaps we should ask for a list of cruises that we can use FCD on. Seems like it may onlybe allowed on full price cruises. Wonder what Trading standards would say?

[Somerset Cruiser]

Perhaps we should ask for a list of cruises that we can use FCD on. Seems like it may onlybe allowed on full price cruises. Wonder what Trading standards would say?

 

 

I didn't think there was a restriction other than the packages, ie cruise and tour via a travel agent.

[Auld Reekie]

We were told when we bought it that it was only disallowed on certain discounted cruises when booking with a travel agent.

 

We booked Directly with P & O, therefore were surprised.

 

Tom

[supergran]

No response from P& O so we have sent our correspondence to Trading standards. Hope e get some advice as to how to proceed.

[kevinyork]

In August 2011 we were on Ventura and paid for FCD.

 

We booked Adonia Xmas cruise approx 7-8 weeks before cruise via P & O and were not allowed to use FCD.

 

Couldn't resist the offer for Arcadia Cape Town to Southampton, free flights, sails 11th April. Booked this on 10th February, again we were not allowed to use FCD.

 

It has to be used by August, if not it is £100 down the drain.

 

Tom

 

Just checked back in on this thread. Its appalling that P&O want to secure your custom by getting you to put down a deposit on a future cruise and then restrict the use of that deposit to higher profit cruises.

 

Tom, I would be very unhappy if I were you and would demand to see the full terms and conditions of FCDs as it seems they can pick and choose which cruises to allow you to use it against.

[Auld Reekie]

We are back at home this weekend and will have a look at paperwork which was sent to our cabin after we paid for FCD.

 

Suspect there will be some "get out" clause. We asked questions and accepted that the answers we were given were correct. Would definitely advise anyone else doing this.

 

One of the reasons for sticking with P&O at moment is because of smoking policy. We usually have a balcony, and I can still smoke there

 

Tom

[cheshirepen]

The OBC you get depends on the length of the cruise you take using your FCD. 2-7 nights you get £25 each, 8-14 nights, £50, 15-21 nights £75 and 22+ nights, £100. So don't book a week's cruise expecting to get £100 OBC each!!! The FCD is usable with late deals and getaway offers but does not apply to net fares. Yes, you have to book within the 12 months of paying the deposit but you can travel after that time limit has expired. Hope this clears a few points up.

[supergran]

Hi cheshirepen

 

We were not expecting £100 but we were expecting £50 for a booking of 14 nights. We were not even getting the money we paid as a deposit credited against our cruise. Nobody mentioned a net fare. P & O said that the cruise was too cheap so we couldn't have the OBC, fair enough but to hang on to my money is not on. Having booked and paid for a cruise, cheap or not, I probably won't book another this year, especially as I have a wedding to pay for. Someone posted earlier that they had booked two cruises and not been allowed to use the money they had already paid to reduce the balance on either.Also they have changed the wording of the letter since we paid our money last year.