Bruges switch, own up, who complained?

[Tarquin]

Received notification that our cruise to Bruge - Friday and St Peter Port - Saturday were to be switched to avoid congestion as Guernsey celebrates Liberation day on Saturday.

 

Received notification today that its been switched back due to passenger response. To be honest we're not bothered either way but curious as to what events if any are planned for StPeterPorts special day?

[AchileLauro]

You may not be bothered but I would think that there may be quite a few people that would particullarly like to see the celebrations and would feel quite disappointed if they arrived the day after the party. They could very well have booked this cruise specifically to experience the event.

Seems like P&O are listening for once.

 

I would love to be on a cruise that called at Gibraltar for Gibraltar day, now that would be something but probably quite manic and impractical unless it was a full day or even an extended day visit.

Edited February 28, 2015 by AchileLauro

[bee-ess]

You may not be bothered but I would think that there may be quite a few people that would particullarly like to see the celebrations and would feel quite disappointed if they arrived the day after the party. They could very well have booked this cruise specifically to experience the event.

Seems like P&O are listening for once.

 

I would love to be on a cruise that called at Gibraltar for Gibraltar day, now that would be something but probably quite manic and impractical unless it was a full day or even an extended day visit.

 

We were there for Gibraltar Day last year and yes it was a bit manic - it was odd being the only 4 people not dressed in red !!

[Tarquin]

You may not be bothered but I would think that there may be quite a few people that would particullarly like to see the celebrations and would feel quite disappointed if they arrived the day after the party. They could very well have booked this cruise specifically to experience the event.

 

Yes, I gathered that and meant we weren't bothered/complaining about the changes:rolleyes:

[Luvs2Crooze]

We was in St. Peter's port on liberation day on last cruise, although it was nice it was over crowded, ended up taking a bus round the island for not much money.

 

Should of mentioned also that few stalls selling local crafts and food and a procession almost all shops will be closed apart from sports direct and the very odd coffee shop

 

Hayley

Edited February 28, 2015 by Luvs2Crooze

[AchileLauro]

I think the fact that some passengers specifically book a particular cruise because of a destination or significant date/celebration is often overlooked or disregarded by cruise companies who these days seem to make last minute changes at very short or even no notice at all.

I think most of us realise that changes occasionally need to be made for valid operational reasons but sometimes these changes could have been anticipated or avoided in the first place with better forward planning. They seem to take the view that the majority of passengers simply want a holiday and are not too fussed about particular destinations or dates and in some cases would be happy enough simply to cruise in a big circle never dropping anchor for the whole of the cruise.

Some years back we shared a table one lunchtime with a lady and her daughter who booked the cruise because it was visiting a port in Italy within easy taxi ride of her husband’s war grave. The daughter had never met her father as she was born while he was serving overseas and the widow was beginning to think that age and health were conspiring against her and that it was to be now or never, she had never visited the grave before. The lady also mentioned some significant anniversary regarding her husband’s death but I forget what that was.

Both ladies were so relieved that the ship had been able to make that particular port of call and that they could make the journey to the grave, there had been some doubts about it due to time lost earlier in the cruise due to a medical emergency playing havoc with the schedule. When they told us over lunch the day after their journey to the grave we could see immediately that their pilgrimage had a significant meaning to them both, and it left both my wife and I with lumps in our throats.

Edited February 28, 2015 by AchileLauro

[Tarquin]

Maybe cruise lines make more changes than most but its surely a very small percentage that book for specific occasions?

 

In respect of the Bruge switch how many of the 2000+ folk on board will be overjoyed to find that StPeterPort is effectively shut for the day and overcrowded?

[AchileLauro]

Agreed that only a few of the passengers on a ship will have picked the cruise because of a specific event/port of call/celebration but it will mean a lot to them and the booking T&C are heavily loaded in favour of the cruise line. It would not normally be possible for the passenger to cancel the contract for what is seen by the cruise line as an insignificant change but it is quite acceptable to the cruise company or so it seems to change perhaps one or two ports of call or even the departure date or return date by a day or so after the cruise is booked. In cases like this I think it would only be fair to allow a cancellation of contract without penalty.

 

Thinking back a bit, of the last eight cruises that we have made with P&O changes were made to ports of call or other changes made on three occasions of the eight. Twice we were disappointed by the changes as they were ports that we would have very much liked to visit or the time that we would have had ashore was severely curtailed (full to half day announced many months after booking but two months before departure), but on one occasion the changes made were to our liking.

Edited March 1, 2015 by AchileLauro

[themanwithahat]

Some years back we shared a table one lunchtime with a lady and her daughter who booked the cruise because it was visiting a port in Italy within easy taxi ride of her husband’s war grave. The daughter had never met her father as she was born while he was serving overseas and the widow was beginning to think that age and health were conspiring against her and that it was to be now or never, she had never visited the grave before. The lady also mentioned some significant anniversary regarding her husband’s death but I forget what that was.

 

Whilst it is nice they got there, if it is *that* important then a cruise is the wrong choice.

 

P&O are in a bit of a lose lose situation. Some may like the celebrations, some may find they get in the way of doing what they want. However, unless unavoidable, they should stick to the itinerary.