P&O booking limitations - help!

[groovechick]

With apologies if I am duplicating an issue raised in other threads... We are trying to book a Christmas 2015/2016 Caribbean cruise on Britannia, for our silver anniversary. The four berth insides to which we thought our budget would stretch have all been allocated, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it would stretch to 2 x 2 berth insides, good news as our children by then will be 20 and 15.

 

Despite the fact that we are booking so early, P&O are refusing to allocate us specific cabins, and only to guarantee a grade of cabin. Furthermore, they won't even guarantee that our cabins will be in the same part of the ship. Whilst we don't want the children tied to our apron strings, there ARE practical reasons for wanting them to be next door/ a few doors away/across the corridor. According to P&O, if we get an upgrade, the upgrade will not necessarily apply to both cabins, and upgraded cabins may be in completely different parts of the ship.

 

Also, yesterday, the cruise consultant told us there were loads of our preferred cabin grade available; today, apparently there are none. Funnily enough, we were told we could book specific balcony cabins, but DH is not prepared to pay the extra £1 K for a tiny balcony obstructed by a lifeboat, stanchion or similar.

 

My question is - do any of you wonderful, experienced CCers know of a way round this? Is it really too much to ask to expect to have specific cabins, in a certain location when booking 20 months in advance and paying a hefty deposit? Although a shorter cruise and less interesting itinerary, at the moment it is looking as though Celebrity will be getting our business instead...

Thanks

[daiB]

With apologies if I am duplicating an issue raised in other threads... We are trying to book a Christmas 2015/2016 Caribbean cruise on Britannia, for our silver anniversary. The four berth insides to which we thought our budget would stretch have all been allocated, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it would stretch to 2 x 2 berth insides, good news as our children by then will be 20 and 15.

 

 

 

Despite the fact that we are booking so early, P&O are refusing to allocate us specific cabins, and only to guarantee a grade of cabin. Furthermore, they won't even guarantee that our cabins will be in the same part of the ship. Whilst we don't want the children tied to our apron strings, there ARE practical reasons for wanting them to be next door/ a few doors away/across the corridor. According to P&O, if we get an upgrade, the upgrade will not necessarily apply to both cabins, and upgraded cabins may be in completely different parts of the ship.

 

 

 

Also, yesterday, the cruise consultant told us there were loads of our preferred cabin grade available; today, apparently there are none. Funnily enough, we were told we could book specific balcony cabins, but DH is not prepared to pay the extra £1 K for a tiny balcony obstructed by a lifeboat, stanchion or similar.

 

 

 

My question is - do any of you wonderful, experienced CCers know of a way round this? Is it really too much to ask to expect to have specific cabins, in a certain location when booking 20 months in advance and paying a hefty deposit? Although a shorter cruise and less interesting itinerary, at the moment it is looking as though Celebrity will be getting our business instead...

 

Thanks

 

 

Daft as it may seem but I think you are a little late in booking for this cruise with your specific needs. It was always said that the Christmas cruise on Britannia would be one of those to go first. Are you booking a full fare or a early saver? If you former you should be able to choose a cabin now if the latter then you will only be offered a guarantee. Sorry if that is so negative and does not help that much.

 

Just had a look, as I suspected the ship is almost full. You would have difficulty in getting cabins together if those which are left are spread over the ship.

 

The only availability is a suite, for normal booking.

 

 

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Edited April 14, 2014 by daiB

[BrianI]

I would suggest you try a specialist cruise travel agency. We are not allowed to name any but the cruise club in Derbyshire is very good.

Brian

[davecttr]

Just checked as well. The insides are almost sold out with only guarantees available in 2 grades. There are balconies available at lots of grades . Only Select fares are available and as daiB writes, the cruise is almost sold out.

[groovechick]

No, Dai, your comments are absolutely valid. We actually tried last year to book for Christmas 2014 in the Caribbean on Azura, but a consultant at P&O gave us incorrect information and we failed to get a booking.

 

We have been looking at other lines, but we can get 2 weeks on Britannia for the same price as a maximum of 9 nights on other lines. I know all that has been said on these forums about declines in P&O quality and standards, but we have a limited budget and hope to get the maximum bang for our buck.

 

We are booking full fare, which is why I was surprised we could not choose a specific cabin. The P&O consultant has told us they are heavily overbooking - quite an admission!

 

Also why were we told we could book a specific balcony cabin, but not a specific inside cabin? Surely either all bookings should be for specific cabins if paying full fare, or none?

 

BrianI - unfortunately the very good specialist cruise agency we have used in the past no longer deals with P&O, who treated them very badly last year. Hubby went into town this pm to try booking through a TA, but got exactly the same story. So much for the other threads on CC where OPs have said they have managed to secure specific cabins booking through a TA.

 

Davecttr - if we decide to proceed knowing the limitations, we can only hope that there are lots of cancellations between now and next Christmas and we get our choice of 2 insides close to each other. I will happily settle for that, although wouldn't say no to a luxury upgrade.:D Alternatively, I'll hope for a lottery win and we'll book the Presidential Suite, or whatever it is on Britannia.

 

I'll look forward to reading OPs reviews of Britannia. Will you be one of the first to sail on her Dai? ;)

[daiB]

No, Dai, your comments are absolutely valid. We actually tried last year to book for Christmas 2014 in the Caribbean on Azura, but a consultant at P&O gave us incorrect information and we failed to get a booking.

 

 

 

We have been looking at other lines, but we can get 2 weeks on Britannia for the same price as a maximum of 9 nights on other lines. I know all that has been said on these forums about declines in P&O quality and standards, but we have a limited budget and hope to get the maximum bang for our buck.

 

 

 

We are booking full fare, which is why I was surprised we could not choose a specific cabin. The P&O consultant has told us they are heavily overbooking - quite an admission!

 

 

 

Also why were we told we could book a specific balcony cabin, but not a specific inside cabin? Surely either all bookings should be for specific cabins if paying full fare, or none?

 

 

 

BrianI - unfortunately the very good specialist cruise agency we have used in the past no longer deals with P&O, who treated them very badly last year. Hubby went into town this pm to try booking through a TA, but got exactly the same story. So much for the other threads on CC where OPs have said they have managed to secure specific cabins booking through a TA.

 

 

 

Davecttr - if we decide to proceed knowing the limitations, we can only hope that there are lots of cancellations between now and next Christmas and we get our choice of 2 insides close to each other. I will happily settle for that, although wouldn't say no to a luxury upgrade.:D Alternatively, I'll hope for a lottery win and we'll book the Presidential Suite, or whatever it is on Britannia.

 

 

 

I'll look forward to reading OPs reviews of Britannia. Will you be one of the first to sail on her Dai? ;)

 

 

No we have never done a maiden and do not intend to start now. We have booked for September/October. We booked on day one of top tier bookings and the grade of cabin we wanted, and got, was sold out on that day.

 

I did think that the bog standard cruises on Britannia were reasonably priced but the ones at Christmas and the maiden were higher.

 

Have a great cruise, we always do. :) :) :)

 

 

 

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[davecttr]

On saturday i booked a 7 night Fjords on Britannia next May, surprisingly there were a lot of inside single cabins available.

 

My reasoning was

Try new ship

lots of superb fjord sail byes

hardly any promenade deck

those singles are on Lido deck, yards from the bar and Lido deck

Crows Nest just forward.

 

I am surprised all the singles have not gone already :confused:

[groovechick]

Well, we decided to cross everything and risk it. We got the last 2 PB grade insides, it looks as though by tomorrow the inside cabins will be sold out.

Although we have reservations about her size (and it sounds as though she will be at absolute full capacity), we are looking forward to being on a new ship and returning to the Caribbean, where we honeymooned.

 

Thanks Dai, I'm sure we will have a great cruise. We have on our two recent P&O jaunts and always enjoy ourselves, no matter what. We're glass half full kind of people. ;)

 

I hope you both have a fantastic time and I look forward to reading your reviews of Britannia.