Caribbean Tier Members

[jeanlyon]

It's quite amazing. What do people do who stay in a hotel and then have to get to an airport for a 1400 checkin? No difference surely?

[laurakdy]

It's quite amazing. What do people do who stay in a hotel and then have to get to an airport for a 1400 checkin? No difference surely?

I totally agree. I'm totally perplexed by the fuss but if someone did offer something which made go, yes I definitely get why your upset, I would seriously welcome it.

So far all it has been is whining and moaning with no real reasoning at all. Not anything of real concern anyhow.

[bee-ess]

While the Caribbeans are still getting their knickers in a total twist.

What about suites/mini suites. Until now they also have had priority boarding.

What will happen to those poor people.

If you are talking about loyalty, who is more loyal, someone who always books an inside, on a saver fare 3/4 times a year, or someone in a suite/mini suite who pays a select fare but only cruises once/twice a year.

 

I am disappointed about losing this perk but I have always said it should be suites then Caribbean (and +) . What I don't agree with is the suggestions that Selects should be first. I think they should give the suites and Caribbean (and +) the earliest slots for loyalty reasons

[majortom10]

Maybe you would like your car broken into but I for one would not. Have you never heard or read the Police advice about not leaving valuables in your car. Silly remark:rolleyes:

 

I agree 100% well said.

[majortom10]

:D:D

Seems I've touched a nerve. As someone pointed out earlier, people are definitely getting touchy over this matter. Just because I disagree with what your saying doesn't mean I am spouting (love that word) anymore than you are spouting off.

If you are going to post these things for all to see, people will reply to them, as I have done. Whether you like it or not.

Why would you need to leave you cases in the car all night? No I can't be bothered to go back and look at the other posts. An answer would be suffice? Do you not arrive the night before and park up and take your cases into the hotel?

 

Nobody is and I certainly wasnt on about leaving suitcases in car overnight. My post said when leaving hotel I either have to sit for 4 hrs from vacating my room in hotel lounge or as some have suggested go into Southampton at 10am and look around the shops. I do not think it would be very secure to park my car on a public car park with bags on show because not all my suitcases and luggage will fit into my boot. With reference a thief wouldnt want my suitcases full of dirty clothes is a silly statement because nobody knows what is in the bags and a thief would take a chance because I like many others take valuable electrical items onboard and dont fancy wandering around Southampton carrying these bags.

[wilson2579]

Nobody is and I certainly wasnt on about leaving suitcases in car overnight. My post said when leaving hotel I either have to sit for 4 hrs from vacating my room in hotel lounge or as some have suggested go into Southampton at 10am and look around the shops. I do not think it would be very secure to park my car on a public car park with bags on show because not all my suitcases and luggage will fit into my boot. With reference a thief wouldnt want my suitcases full of dirty clothes is a silly statement because nobody knows what is in the bags and a thief would take a chance because I like many others take valuable electrical items onboard and dont fancy wandering around Southampton carrying these bags.

 

Exactly how I feel majortom. Don't think insurance would pay out either if bags are on show.:(

[cruisebore]

Hmmmm interesting how post/topics develop a life of their own ;)

 

As far as we are concerned and being only fly cruisers these days. the 'loyalty' scheme is not something we get too excited about. We don't enjoy any embarkation or disembarkation benefits. The escalating drink prices over the last few years, 15%, have more than swallowed up our 'loyalty discount. On board shop prices are invariably more expensive than onshore (Caribbean) So if the scheme ended tomorrow I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Whilst P&O continue to supply a product, imperfect as it may be but meets our requirements, we will continue to cruise with them.

[terrierjohn]

A few people coming on here and moaning about the new boarding arrangements , or the dining arrangements ,or on facebook will not be scareing them too much at the moment.

Too many people like their prices-compared to other brands with the 15% per drink etc added and higher grats.

Also a great number of their customers will not be internet savvy, so will still book as they have always done.

New cruisers will take things as they are, as they would not know what it was like before.

On the very long thread about boarding there are good comments now.

Not sure why you think P&O prices are less than competition, sometimes their late saver fares are cheaper, but not always and even then you lose quite a few select perks which does not happen on most other lines. As for drinks prices you need to be a borderline alcoholic before you would notice a big difference.

For me the main issue with current P&O policy is that they seem to have lost all vestige of good customer service, on the boarding issue alone I question why they cannot cope with allowing all Peninsular passengers to board when they want, just as Celebrity do. It seems that they deliberately set out to annoy their regular passengers.

[the english lady]

Exactly how I feel majortom. Don't think insurance would pay out either if bags are on show.:(

 

Does anyone not own an old blanket of some sort. We had an old check thing OH used in the scouts squillions of years ago. When we had our Fiat ,there was no boot...all on show..so we loaded stuff up, threw the blanket over the top.

so then if anyone should want to break in they would have to decide if what was under the blanket was worth breaking a window for.

[wilson2579]

Does anyone not own an old blanket of some sort. We had an old check thing OH used in the scouts squillions of years ago. When we had our Fiat ,there was no boot...all on show..so we loaded stuff up, threw the blanket over the top.

so then if anyone should want to break in they would have to decide if what was under the blanket was worth breaking a window for.

 

but how gutted would you feel if you returned to your car and found the cases missing.:eek::eek: This is why I like them to be tucked up with me in my hotel room, haha.

Edited October 11, 2015 by wilson2579
spelling

[ravenscourt]

Not sure why you think P&O prices are less than competition, sometimes their late saver fares are cheaper, but not always and even then you lose quite a few select perks which does not happen on most other lines. As for drinks prices you need to be a borderline alcoholic before you would notice a big difference.

For me the main issue with current P&O policy is that they seem to have lost all vestige of good customer service, on the boarding issue alone I question why they cannot cope with allowing all Peninsular passengers to board when they want, just as Celebrity do. It seems that they deliberately set out to annoy their regular passengers.

 

Agree with you completely John.

I'm boarding Azura on 16/10/15 at Southampton.

 

I will arrive at Noon ( as usual for a Caribbean Tier + passenger)

For every hour I'm delayed embarkation ( allocated time 3.30 ) I will be deducting 10 % from my Automating Tipping.

This is the only thing P&O listen to. Money - the bottom line.

They can make up the shortfall to Staff.

Contracts with their staff force P&O to make up the difference.

If they don't want to reward loyalty why should I ?

If Royal Caribbean, Princess,& Celebrity can all board their much larger ships without allocated times at Southampton,what is it doing wrong ?

Why can they not achieve this without penalising loyal Caribbean Tier + passengers.l

[Henderson1]

That's my point too - if ships bigger than Britannia can have passengers disembarked and new passengers boarding by 11 a.m./12 noon why can't P & O? Surely someone at the top needs to put some serious attention to it, it's not rocket science!

[majortom10]

Agree with you completely John.

I'm boarding Azura on 16/10/15 at Southampton.

 

I will arrive at Noon ( as usual for a Caribbean Tier + passenger)

For every hour I'm delayed embarkation ( allocated time 3.30 ) I will be deducting 10 % from my Automating Tipping.

This is the only thing P&O listen to. Money - the bottom line.

They can make up the shortfall to Staff.

Contracts with their staff force P&O to make up the difference.

If they don't want to reward loyalty why should I ?

If Royal Caribbean, Princess,& Celebrity can all board their much larger ships without allocated times at Southampton,what is it doing wrong ?

Why can they not achieve this without penalising loyal Caribbean Tier + passengers.l

 

I agree completely we regularly travel with Princess from Southampton with similar size ships as an Elite members and their embarkation service is superb and far superior to P&O.

[bee-ess]

I agree completely we regularly travel with Princess from Southampton with similar size ships as an Elite members and their embarkation service is superb and far superior to P&O.

 

I also agree - other cruise line manage to board passengers with no problem. I can see a small case for a change with Britannia due to size maybe, but Anthem boards OK, why not Britannia.

Another point, none of the other P&O ships have suddenly changed in size, so why change the procedures for them, the old system has worked just fine

Another case of P&O complicating things with strict rules and regulations where the previous system OK without.

Edited October 12, 2015 by bee-ess

[cruisebore]

I also agree - other cruise line manage to board passengers with no problem. I can see a small case for a change with Britannia due to size maybe, but Anthem boards OK, why not Britannia.

Another point, none of the other P&O ships have suddenly changed in size, so why change the procedures for them, the old system has worked just fine

Another case of P&O complicating things with strict rules and regulations where the previous system OK without.

 

 

Do you think the changes are an attempt to reduce staff/cost?

 

Cb

[FAB1]

I can only think of two reasons for changing a procedure that on the face of it seems to work well:-

 

1) to improve the boarding experience for their passengers - doesn't appear to be working if this is the case

 

2) to save money for the cruise line in some way, possibly less checkin staff and luggage handlers than other companies pay for - quite possibly

 

Sue

[bee-ess]

Do you think the changes are an attempt to reduce staff/cost?

 

Cb

 

Could be, maybe reduce the amount of cabin staff required to get cabins ready.

 

I think the check in staff are employed by the port, so cannot see a saving there, unless P&O pay less if less staff are used.

Edited October 12, 2015 by bee-ess

[wilson2579]

Could be, maybe reduce the amount of cabin staff required to get cabins ready.

 

I think the check in staff are employed by the port, so cannot see a saving there, unless P&O pay less if less staff are used.

 

I haven't heard anyone say that there were less check in desks open just that they were starting later than previous.

[bee-ess]

I haven't heard anyone say that there were less check in desks open just that they were starting later than previous.

 

I'm not sure that it is to do with saving money. I think it is just P&O trying to over-organise and complicate a process that was already working OK.

[jeanlyon]

But it cannot work OK if more and more people ignore the time given and arrive at 11.30.

[frenchmartiniplease]

Agree with you completely John.

I'm boarding Azura on 16/10/15 at Southampton.

 

I will arrive at Noon ( as usual for a Caribbean Tier + passenger)

For every hour I'm delayed embarkation ( allocated time 3.30 ) I will be deducting 10 % from my Automating Tipping.

This is the only thing P&O listen to. Money - the bottom line.

They can make up the shortfall to Staff.

Contracts with their staff force P&O to make up the difference.

If they don't want to reward loyalty why should I ?

If Royal Caribbean, Princess,& Celebrity can all board their much larger ships without allocated times at Southampton,what is it doing wrong ?

Why can they not achieve this without penalising loyal Caribbean Tier + passengers.l

 

In our experience of the new system, when Caribbean Tier + arrive, you will be given a priority check in card and will be called up before main checkin starts. Suites and Ligurian first, then Baltic and Caribbean. If you turn up after, you will be fast tracked. Others below Caribbean will get a card according to the time on their ticket. Yes, check in starts later so that cabins are available. I saw people wandering around with clipboards so I'm sure they are aware of things in the new system that need tweaking.

[ravenscourt]

But it cannot work OK if more and more people ignore the time given and arrive at 11.30.

 

Mindblowing ! Heard rumour that the 8.5% discount on cabin spends is the next to go.

[wilson2579]

Mindblowing ! Heard rumour that the 8.5% discount on cabin spends is the next to go.

 

Wish I was lucky enough to get 8.5% discount;)

[terrierjohn]

But it cannot work OK if more and more people ignore the time given and arrive at 11.30.

Jean, you miss the point, Celebrity and RCI manage to allow all their Captains club members to board anytime between 11:30 and 3:30, and they often start boarding before 11:00, so how come P&O need so much longer to get cabins ready, and delay boarding until much later.

Clearly they need a major management shake up.

[FAB1]

Have to agree with you there John.