Early saver fare v saver fare...

[asda]

Hi we have booked our june cruise on an EARLY SAVER fare. ( the one that you pay just 15% deposit,2cd priory for dining choices. Etc) we have been given our cabin number early as its a cabin for 4 guests.

but today it's change to a SAVER fare and gone down about £75 all together. Do people who book on the saver fare get a better cabin position or even a upgrade.

 

Select fare. =

Early saver fare=

Saver fare=

[sueandphil]

Asda, as I understand it a saver fare will get third choice for cabin position and dining choice. Also you cannot make any amendments to a saver fare as it will be treated as a cancellation. You have to pay the whole amount upfront as well but as I believe you are on N413b with us the balance is due next week anyway so that's not much consolation

[asda]

Asda, as I understand it a saver fare will get third choice for cabin position and dining choice. Also you cannot make any amendments to a saver fare as it will be treated as a cancellation. You have to pay the whole amount upfront as well but as I believe you are on N413b with us the balance is due next week anyway so that's not much consolation

 

Hi. Thanks for quick answer. My parents are on the cruise with us and they have booked a SELECT fare balcony cabin , I was just wondering if there was a chance that they could be upgraded ( select fare chance of upgrade if available).

[clivep]

When talking about upgrades it's important to distinguish between cabin types and cabin grades. Cabin types are Suite, Balcony, Outside and Inside. Cabin grades vary by ship but the more expensive ones are midships and/or on a higher deck.

 

Early Savers, when offered, are for bookings more than 3 months before departure. If they need to fill the ship, Savers are offered within the last 3 months and will almost always be cheaper than the Early Savers and generally (but not always) reduce in price as the sailing approaches until the ship is full.

 

Most cruise lines offer guarantee cabins in the last 2-3 months prior to sailing and often offer a guarantee of a certain type of cabin even if none are actually available on the basis that any booking is better than none and someone will be given a free upgrade (unless they can find someone to pay for it).

 

Last year P&O offered guarantee cabins under their Getaway fares. These were for certain cabin types and grades although the ones I looked at only showed availablilty of the lowest grade in the cabin type. Late Getaway fare cabins were usually allocated about 2 week before departure. P&O state "Guarantee cabins are available for this grade. A guarantee cabin means that you will at least be given a cabin of the type you are booking, and in some instances of a higher rate." The most efficient way of allocating these cabins led to people on Getaway's getting upgrades to the cabin grade and even cabin type much to the annoyance of those having paid the higher Vantage prices.

 

In order to encourage people to book the Select or Early Saver fares they have said that there will not be any upgrades for Saver bookings.

 

The T's & C's are:

 

Select:

choice of cabin number (subject to availability)

First priority for upgrades (where available)

 

Early Saver:

Early Saver bookings are made at the relevant grade and a cabin number is allocated by P&O Cruises prior to departure

Second priority for upgrades (where available)

 

Saver:

Bookings are made at the relevant cabin type and a cabin number is allocated by P&O Cruises prior to departure

Upgrades not applicable

 

Early Saver cabin allocations would appear to be being given out not long after booking whereas Saver ones will presumably still be made about a fortnight before departure.

 

In the face of it this all looks straightforward but as with their misleading "price promise" last year the devil is in the detail.

 

This year when booking a Saver fare you can only select a cabin type. There is no longer any option to select a cabin grade and indeed there is no indication of what grade you may get. Consequently, according to the rules, someone on a Saver fare cannot have an upgrade to their cabin type but may well find they have been given a much better cabin grade than they were expecting. This is why for Saver fares they say "Upgrades not applicable" rather than "No upgrades" or "Upgrades not available" as it is impossible for a Saver fare cabin allocation to be an upgraded grade.

 

The result of this is that those paying Select prices and not getting upgraded will see Saver fare passengers once again be given better grades of cabin. I anticipate plenty of complaints on the forum about this later in the year when this is discovered by those not having read the fine print.

[asda]

When talking about upgrades it's important to distinguish between cabin types and cabin grades. Cabin types are Suite, Balcony, Outside and Inside. Cabin grades vary by ship but the more expensive ones are midships and/or on a higher deck.

 

Early Savers, when offered, are for bookings more than 3 months before departure. If they need to fill the ship, Savers are offered within the last 3 months and will almost always be cheaper than the Early Savers and generally (but not always) reduce in price as the sailing approaches until the ship is full.

 

Most cruise lines offer guarantee cabins in the last 2-3 months prior to sailing and often offer a guarantee of a certain type of cabin even if none are actually available on the basis that any booking is better than none and someone will be given a free upgrade (unless they can find someone to pay for it).

 

Last year P&O offered guarantee cabins under their Getaway fares. These were for certain cabin types and grades although the ones I looked at only showed availablilty of the lowest grade in the cabin type. Late Getaway fare cabins were usually allocated about 2 week before departure. P&O state "Guarantee cabins are available for this grade. A guarantee cabin means that you will at least be given a cabin of the type you are booking, and in some instances of a higher rate." The most efficient way of allocating these cabins led to people on Getaway's getting upgrades to the cabin grade and even cabin type much to the annoyance of those having paid the higher Vantage prices.

 

In order to encourage people to book the Select or Early Saver fares they have said that there will not be any upgrades for Saver bookings.

 

The T's & C's are:

 

Select:

choice of cabin number (subject to availability)

First priority for upgrades (where available)

 

Early Saver:

Early Saver bookings are made at the relevant grade and a cabin number is allocated by P&O Cruises prior to departure

Second priority for upgrades (where available)

 

Saver:

Bookings are made at the relevant cabin type and a cabin number is allocated by P&O Cruises prior to departure

Upgrades not applicable

 

Early Saver cabin allocations would appear to be being given out not long after booking whereas Saver ones will presumably still be made about a fortnight before departure.

 

In the face of it this all looks straightforward but as with their misleading "price promise" last year the devil is in the detail.

 

This year when booking a Saver fare you can only select a cabin type. There is no longer any option to select a cabin grade and indeed there is no indication of what grade you may get. Consequently, according to the rules, someone on a Saver fare cannot have an upgrade to their cabin type but may well find they have been given a much better cabin grade than they were expecting. This is why for Saver fares they say "Upgrades not applicable" rather than "No upgrades" or "Upgrades not available" as it is impossible for a Saver fare cabin allocation to be an upgraded grade.

 

The result of this is that those paying Select prices and not getting upgraded will see Saver fare passengers once again be given better grades of cabin. I anticipate plenty of complaints on the forum about this later in the year when this is discovered by those not having read the fine print.

 

Thanks That is how I understood it. So really the passengers that book the SAVER fare may well end up getting the better cabins.

My parents have booked an SELECT fare midship Balcony cabin and its approx £1000 more than the saver fare. If they were to be upgraded the next level would be deluxe balcony cabin.

But according to the SAVER fare a deluxe /balcony cabin comes into the same category, so someone booking a SAVER fare could get a deluxe cabin , rather than p&o upgrading the SELECT fare passengers.

[wilson2579]

So confusing. I was led to believe that savers would not get any upgrades and the upgrades would go to the select passengers then early savers next:confused::confused::confused::confused:

[asda]

So confusing. I was led to believe that savers would not get any upgrades and the upgrades would go to the select passengers then early savers next:confused::confused::confused::confused:

 

That is what we all thought. But when you look at the saver fare structure . They don't get a choice of grade just a type of cabin, ie inside, window, balcony.

Hopefully p&o will upgrade all select passengers to the next best available cabins then offer the lower grades to the saver passengers as this would be more fair.

[davecttr]

I just booked a cruise with a select fare and IIRC there were 3 options available for upgrades.

 

1. Upgrade

2. Upgrade only to different cabin type

3. No upgrade

 

As there was no explanation of what all this meant I now feel a little cheated despite choosing option 3.

 

I should have gone for option 2 and maybe my inside would have been upgraded to an outside or a balcony :(

 

Yet again those paying the highest fares might well see Saver passengers get better cabins at a cheaper price :mad:

 

I think if you choose no upgrade you should be able to change your selection up until the cabins are allocated.

[asda]

I just booked a cruise with a select fare and IIRC there were 3 options available for upgrades.

 

1. Upgrade

2. Upgrade only to different cabin type

3. No upgrade

 

As there was no explanation of what all this meant I now feel a little cheated despite choosing option 3.

 

I should have gone for option 2 and maybe my inside would have been upgraded to an outside or a balcony :(

 

Yet again those paying the highest fares might well see Saver passengers get better cabins at a cheaper price :mad:

 

I think if you choose no upgrade you should be able to change yogur selection up until the cabins are allocated.

 

Hi why don't you contact p&o or your travel agent and ask to remove the no upgrade option. As with select fare you can make alterations.

 

We are going with my parents they have booked a balcony (SELECT FARE) they have chosen there cabin number but opted for upgrade if one was offered. and we have booked a inside (EARLY SAVER FARE) we have already been allocated our cabin as its for 4 passengers we have been given the cabin category we booked. Now our cruise as gone to SAVER FARE my parents balcony cabin is about £1000 cheaper. So hopefully p&o will upgrade them before offering to the saver fare passengers.

[davecttr]

Hi why don't you contact p&o or your travel agent and ask to remove the no upgrade option. As with select fare you can make alterations.

 

We are going with my parents they have booked a balcony (SELECT FARE) they have chosen there cabin number but opted for upgrade if one was offered. and we have booked a inside (EARLY SAVER FARE) we have already been allocated our cabin as its for 4 passengers we have been given the cabin category we booked. Now our cruise as gone to SAVER FARE my parents balcony cabin is about £1000 cheaper. So hopefully p&o will upgrade them before offering to the saver fare passengers.

 

good idea, i will pop into the TA tomorrow and see if i can change my choice on the 4 cruises which have not yet reached final payment date.

[Cappers]

Well this cabin thing is extremely complicated. I booked the 3 nighter to Bruges on Azura about 2 weeks ago on the cheap option, not entirely sure what we are calling it now but I know it as the Getaway fare. I booked a balcony cabin and have had an email today with the cabin number etc, we've been given a midships cabin on Riviera deck. I'm happy with that but then again it doesn't bother me where we are really just for 3 nights. I hope that this cabin allocation issue doesn't become the main topic of conversation with fellow passengers!

[asda]

Just noticed on p&o Facebook page that the SAVER fare passengers have been getting upgrades has any SELECT OR EARLY SAVER passengers received an upgrade?

 

Saver being upgraded from GE TO GA. and GA TO DA. ( i don't blame the passengers I'm glad for them but hope they upgrade select passengers as well) if p&o they keep doing this nobody will book early anymore.

Edited March 23, 2014 by asda
Thought of something else

[wilson2579]

I have an early saver booked for May, so will see what I end up with.:(

[clivep]

Just noticed on p&o Facebook page that the SAVER fare passengers have been getting upgrades has any SELECT OR EARLY SAVER passengers received an upgrade?

 

Saver being upgraded from GE TO GA. and GA TO DA. ( i don't blame the passengers I'm glad for them but hope they upgrade select passengers as well) if p&o they keep doing this nobody will book early anymore.

 

In P&O speak these are NOT upgrades as the passengers can have only booked a balcony rather than any particular cabin grade such as GE or GA. An upgrade would be to a different cabin type in this case to a suite. This has not happened so they have not been upgraded but simply been allocated a cabin that is not the lowest grade.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks That is how I understood it. So really the passengers that book the SAVER fare may well end up getting the better cabins.

My parents have booked an SELECT fare midship Balcony cabin and its approx £1000 more than the saver fare. If they were to be upgraded the next level would be deluxe balcony cabin.

But according to the SAVER fare a deluxe /balcony cabin comes into the same category, so someone booking a SAVER fare could get a deluxe cabin , rather than p&o upgrading the SELECT fare passengers.

 

 

I've booked a deluxe balcony on a saver fare. It wasn't shown via P&O but my TA found it.

[clivep]

I've booked a deluxe balcony on a saver fare. It wasn't shown via P&O but my TA found it.

 

This should not be possible and opens up a whole new can of worms. You definitely are talking about a Saver fare and not an Early Saver one (for which choice of cabin grades are available).

 

If somehow a TA can choose a better grade cabin on a Saver fare than one can get by booking direct online then it will certainly encourage more use of a TA for bookings but I don't think those paying the Select fare price are going to be happy.

[Host Hattie]

It was definitely a Saver. At least 2 different agents were showing a slightly higher fare for a Deluxe balcony.

[davecttr]

It is important that the new fare structure works as advertised or P&O will be seen as just repeating the Vantage fare fiasco.

 

If I book a Select fare inside in the grade and location I want I don't mind Saver purchasers getting a higher grade inside but what I don't want to see is Early Saver/Saver fares getting an upgrade to an outside or balcony without those cabins being offered to me first.

 

As you can refuse a upgrade offer P&O should offer all saver fare purchasers plus the equivalent Vantage fare purchasers the option of choosing the new 'upgrade only if to a different cabin type' option.

 

The new upgrade choices have not been explained at all as far as i know :(

[asda]

Who can we contact about this? The p&o website contact telephone staff don't seem interested, is there no one higher to email,write or phone? It just doesn't seem fare.

[daiB]

Who can we contact about this? The p&o website contact telephone staff don't seem interested, is there no one higher to email,write or phone? It just doesn't seem fare.

 

 

If you think of this logically, we do not know if what we are being told be the poster of the original post. Was it on FB, how do we know if they understood it. When are they going. As I understand it the new way of doing things only comes in with the new cruise year, so sometime in April. So this change could be under the 'old' way.

 

As has been said people on a saver do not actually get a grade to start with only a cabin type. So they cannot say they have had an upgrade, unless they have gone from inside to out or outside to balcony.

 

On every cruise there will be very last minute sales as people do drop out at people who book then will always get a very good deal. That is across the board on any cruise line anywhere.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[davecttr]

It is important that the new fare structure works as advertised or P&O will be seen as just repeating the Vantage fare fiasco.

 

If I book a Select fare inside in the grade and location I want I don't mind Saver purchasers getting a higher grade inside but what I don't want to see is Early Saver/Saver fares getting an upgrade to an outside or balcony without those cabins being offered to me first.

 

As you can refuse a upgrade offer P&O should offer all Select fare purchasers plus the equivalent Vantage fare purchasers the option of choosing the new 'upgrade only if to a different cabin type' option.

 

The new upgrade choices have not been explained at all as far as i know :(

Ooops, i meant Select :o

[mrmarley]

I have booked a cruise for July with an early saver. I booked balcony cabin grade GA. I doubt we'll get upgraded on that cruise as it's on Oceana and an upgrade would be to a mini suite and I can't see that happening. However we booked Select on Azura and were upgraded from deluxe balcony to a suite for a little bit extra so I'm not complaining :) I'm happy to take whatever comes along on the early saver.

[asda]

I have booked a cruise for July with an early saver. I booked balcony cabin grade GA. I doubt we'll get upgraded on that cruise as it's on Oceana and an upgrade would be to a mini suite and I can't see that happening. However we booked Select on Azura and were upgraded from deluxe balcony to a suite for a little bit extra so I'm not complaining :) I'm happy to take whatever comes along on the early saver.

 

Well done I'm so pleased for you. When is your cruise on Azura that you have been upgraded on. And how did they offer the upgrade was it your travel agent or a telephone call?

[mrmarley]

The Azura cruise is in June and I got a phone call from TA. We were happy with cabin we'd booked as I'd been in one before but we'd never had a suite before (too expensive) so thought we'd try one at bargain price.

[asda]

The Azura cruise is in June and I got a phone call from TA. We were happy with cabin we'd booked as I'd been in one before but we'd never had a suite before (too expensive) so thought we'd try one at bargain price.

 

Very good. Just hope my mum gets a call . Enjoy your cruises.