Thomson long Haul- free Drinks

[fairmiler]

Anyone seen the latest Thomson brochure. It states they are introducing free drinks on long haul flights from November 2014. They obviously ignored this on flights TOM 138/139 Glasgow/Barbados on 30 Jan/ 13 Feb as they were charging for every drink.

Also on the outward leg I tried to buy a bottle of brandy for the cabin but was refused as the girl said P&O had asked them not to sell to passengers but yet you can bring bottles on from the shops in the Carribean.

[BrianI]

If the flight is a P&O charter, then the inflight service is controlled by P&O, which at the moment is no free drinks.

It is irrelevant what Thomson do on their own flights.

Brian

[NauticalMiss]

Just free drinks if you book (and pay for) the premium cabin. The cabin crew were very generous at Christmas/New Year; we had to decline several times, which is practically unheard of in our household....................

[janieb1962]

Just free drinks if you book (and pay for) the premium cabin. The cabin crew were very generous at Christmas/New Year; we had to decline several times, which is practically unheard of in our household....................

 

You were lucky ... They ran out of tonic and ginger mixers after serving the first three rows in premium! Even I can't drink my gin or brandy neat. Quite surly cabin crew on our flight back on 6th Feb. they couldn't be bothered. No one coming down the aisle for a while so buzzed twice over a 15 minute period from my seat but they just ignored it... I was too scared to try again. Not the premium service I felt I'd paid for.

[caber]

No free drinks as it was a P&O charter. A few years ago the drink was plentiful on P&O charters. Just another cutback. :(

[Denarius]

No free drinks as it was a P&O charter. A few years ago the drink was plentiful on P&O charters. Just another cutback. :(

 

It was. Up to two years ago you got complimentary apperitifs before dinner, and more drinks with it. Then last year it was only complimentary drinks with dinner. This year it was complimentary nothing. Just another example of P&Os steady descent from the premium to the budget sector.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Perhaps if P&O were to reinstate all the small things they have cut back on, such as complimentary drinks they would have to increase The price of their cruises.

I started cruising with P&O in 2005 and taking everything into account I am not paying much more than I did ten years ago.

On a Caribbean cruise there are approx eight flights carrying approx 250 per flight bearing in mind most of these passengers will be old enought to drink that is 2000 pass x 3 drinks at £2.00 per drink = £12000 per cruise just for complimentary drinks. Bear in mind this may not be actual cost as I have been on flights where more drinks were consumed by some passengers.

We as cruisers cannot have it all our own way, we seem to expect more for less every year, P&O like other lines area business not a charity.

[silver wedding]

Perhaps if P&O were to reinstate all the small things they have cut back on, such as complimentary drinks they would have to increase The price of their cruises.

I started cruising with P&O in 2005 and taking everything into account I am not paying much more than I did ten years ago.

On a Caribbean cruise there are approx eight flights carrying approx 250 per flight bearing in mind most of these passengers will be old enought to drink that is 2000 pass x 3 drinks at £2.00 per drink = £12000 per cruise just for complimentary drinks. Bear in mind this may not be actual cost as I have been on flights where more drinks were consumed by some passengers.

We as cruisers cannot have it all our own way, we seem to expect more for less every year, P&O like other lines area business not a charity.

We started cruising for our silver wedding 15 years ago and we are doing the same trans Atlantic for our ruby. This year's is only £300 more but we have two more days. I'll pay for the couple of drinks I will have on the flight. If P&O keep the prices the same we will probably be able to afford a cruise for our golden.

[annieuk]

I agree absolutely. People keep on about cut-backs - well let them see what the price of fares would be if all those things they moan have gone were re-instated - including free drinks in economy on the charter flights. Surely it's obvious that if all those little extras were brought back then fares would go up. People can't have it both ways - P&O and all the cruise lines are in business - to make a profit.

 

Personally I think the balance is about right. We are hardly paying more now than we paid when we first started cruising in 2003 - you can't say that about many things.

[richleeds]

I agree absolutely. People keep on about cut-backs - well let them see what the price of fares would be if all those things they moan have gone were re-instated - including free drinks in economy on the charter flights. Surely it's obvious that if all those little extras were brought back then fares would go up. People can't have it both ways - P&O and all the cruise lines are in business - to make a profit.

 

 

 

Personally I think the balance is about right. We are hardly paying more now than we paid when we first started cruising in 2003 - you can't say that about many things.

 

 

You are paying around the same now for your cruise as in 2003 and it's not because P&O have stopped free drinks on charter - it's because of market saturation.

 

Carnival profits are up and this is due to cutting back on costs and economies of scale - now over 100 ships under the Carnival umbrella.

 

Flying is actually cheaper now than it was (save taxes and security surcharges etc which the airline doesn't get) years ago but BA still manage to dish out unlimited G&T's.

 

 

 

 

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[the english lady]

You are paying around the same now for your cruise as in 2003 and it's not because P&O have stopped free drinks on charter - it's because of market saturation.

 

Carnival profits are up and this is due to cutting back on costs and economies of scale - now over 100 ships under the Carnival umbrella.

 

Flying is actually cheaper now than it was (save taxes and security surcharges etc which the airline doesn't get) years ago but BA still manage to dish out unlimited G&T's.

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About 15 years ago when I used to look at cruises I realised we could never afford one.

Spin forward 5 and we could just about afford a Thomson one, to see if we liked it.

The likes of Fred, P and O etc were still outside of our money.

Pay at work went up, all the middle of the road cruise lines realised they would have to do things to adopt new cruisers...so we got to the point where we could afford Fred, then P and O.

If Carnival buys up lots of companies and their bean counters want things cut back is that down to P and O's , or Fred's fault, or Carnival.

We probably caught the tail end of lots of freebies. Do I notice now they are gone...not really. I miss the biscuits ,but that is about it.

Pretend silver service...I think the meals are a lot better now, and hot.

Do I normally in in 5* places ashore, no, but then again I do not expect bulk catering to be that. I am more than happy with the choice and what is served.

Do the people who come on hear and moan about the food eat in 5* places ashore, and assume that is what they will get on a ship.

I would love to go on a 6* line...I would expect the food to be better..a cabin is a cabin...soft furnishings might be a bit better but that is it.

A lot of people fly easy jet etc because they do not want to pay BA's prices (yes I have compared on some flights we have done) Those people who do fly with them are the ones providing the free drinks..there is no such thing as a free lunch.

[richleeds]

I would love to go on a 6* line...I would expect the food to be better..a cabin is a cabin...soft furnishings might be a bit better but that is it.

 

A lot of people fly easy jet etc because they do not want to pay BA's prices (yes I have compared on some flights we have done) Those people who do fly with them are the ones providing the free drinks..there is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

 

You should try Silversea, our line of choice, it's worlds away from any of the mid market offering - you would be pleasantly surprised.

 

If you compare BA out of LHR with EZY out of LGW then you are not comparing like for like.

 

Compare both out of LGW and you will often find BA are cheaper when you put baggage into the equation and pre bookable seats etc.

 

Many a credible article out there on low cost are actually as or if not more expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

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[caber]

I agree that the cost of a cruise has not increased very much in the 20 years we have been cruising. I have noticed quite a lot of little things that have changed.

We are just off Ventura. The little things I have noticed did not make any difference to the cruise and if it had been our first cruise we would not have even noticed them but, for instance, in the morning when we entered the restaurant for breakfast and asked for a table for two we were partially taken to our table then a finger would point "over there".

It is no big deal but different. In the evening you were however shown to a table and the chair was pulled out.

I did also notice that the waiters, and in particular the wine waiters, had a lot more tables to look after. This lead to a lot of frustrated wine drinkers. The waiters told us that in future they would be serving the wine with no wine waiters, as you get in Princess.

Edited February 24, 2015 by caber

[richleeds]

The waiters told us that in future they would be serving the wine with no wine waiters, as you get in Princess.

 

 

Works better.

 

 

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[Denarius]

Perhaps if P&O were to reinstate all the small things they have cut back on, such as complimentary drinks they would have to increase The price of their cruises.

I started cruising with P&O in 2005 and taking everything into account I am not paying much more than I did ten years ago.

On a Caribbean cruise there are approx eight flights carrying approx 250 per flight bearing in mind most of these passengers will be old enought to drink that is 2000 pass x 3 drinks at £2.00 per drink = £12000 per cruise just for complimentary drinks. Bear in mind this may not be actual cost as I have been on flights where more drinks were consumed by some passengers.

We as cruisers cannot have it all our own way, we seem to expect more for less every year, P&O like other lines area business not a charity.

 

Ventura and Azura each hold 3,000 passengers. £12,000 equates to £4 per passenger. I personally would prefer complimentary drinks in flight to paying £4 less for my cruise. I am more concerned with getting a quality product than getting a cheap price. I may however, sadly be in a minority on P&O nowadays.

[richleeds]

Ventura and Azura each hold 3,000 passengers. £12,000 equates to £4 per passenger. I personally would prefer complimentary drinks in flight to paying £4 less for my cruise. I am more concerned with getting a quality product than getting a cheap price. I may however, sadly be in a minority on P&O nowadays.

 

 

I know what you are saying but where does it end?

 

Another passengers would prefer better cuts of meat, another fluffier towels, another better biscuits, another more staff/passenger ratio, better entertainment, better toiletries, clotted cream etc and all might be willing to pay extra for what concerns them the most.

 

 

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[Itsbeentoolong]

they dont do them nice biscuits no more?? my mums going to be gutted!

[the english lady]

they dont do them nice biscuits no more?? my mums going to be gutted!

No they don't.

No more priory crumbles.

Richleeds I have looked at Silversea many times. Problem is for many reasons do not like flying now. They do not do any/many that are ex UK

Also agree that if p and o did what would you like us to bring back, and they brought back all that was requested the cruisers would then say ..the cruises are too expensive for me.

You only have to read on here the number of people wanting the cheapest deal to realise its the money these days not the biscuits.

I fear a lot of today's cruisers know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.

[balf]

Ventura and Azura each hold 3,000 passengers. £12,000 equates to £4 per passenger. I personally would prefer complimentary drinks in flight to paying £4 less for my cruise. I am more concerned with getting a quality product than getting a cheap price. I may however, sadly be in a minority on P&O nowadays.

 

On our Thomas Cook flight back from Barbados the couple in front of us ordered drinks and handed over £25 plus a bit of loose change. One drink for £4 might be sufficient for some but the idea with many passengers seems to be a bit more than that.

 

Anaesthetic for the hard seats maybe.

 

David.

[balf]

Richleeds I have looked at Silversea many times. Problem is for many reasons do not like flying now. They do not do any/many that are ex UK

.

 

No and most are just 7night deals. I have hardly settled in properly in that time.

 

David

[richleeds]

No and most are just 7night deals. I have hardly settled in properly in that time.

 

David

 

Deals? This is Silversea not Safestyle UK.

 

One would never just turn up and cruise. One would for example on a Venice departure have a 4 night pre cruise stay in Venice.

[PORT ROYAL]

Deals? This is Silversea not Safestyle UK.

 

One would never just turn up and cruise. One would for example on a Venice departure have a 4 night pre cruise stay in Venice.

 

 

Some prefer 2 nights in Tuscany to dine at Cantina di Toia with friends, for the ambience, followed by 2 nights in Venice to dine at Westin Europa and watch the river traffic pass by.

[richleeds]

Some prefer 2 nights in Tuscany to dine at Cantina di Toia with friends, for the ambience, followed by 2 nights in Venice to dine at Westin Europa and watch the river traffic pass by.

 

A Westin, dear God? One might as well stay at a Travelodge.

 

 

In Venice it has to be the Cipriani.

[PORT ROYAL]

A Westin, dear God? One might as well stay at a Travelodge.

 

 

In Venice it has to be the Cipriani.

 

Sorry, but not deliberately slumming it with a cheapo, but DW prefers WE as it has a romantic connection, being our first Venice Hotel.

Does one have absolution for this perceived sin?;)

[richleeds]

Sorry, but not deliberately slumming it with a cheapo, but DW prefers WE as it has a romantic connection, being our first Venice Hotel.

 

Does one have absolution for this perceived sin?;)

 

 

Of course. A royal pardon in this instance.

 

 

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