Mis leading promotion

[silver service]

The current p&o promotion, is advertising loads of obc, for basic

Cabin prices. We have all seen this. We know this is rubish.

Opinions please.

[Sunshine Boy]

Do we?

[cruisebore]

The current p&o promotion, is advertising loads of obc, for basic

Cabin prices. We have all seen this. We know this is rubish.

Opinions please.

 

 

what do ou mean by 'basic'

[daiB]

The current p&o promotion, is advertising loads of obc, for basic

 

Cabin prices. We have all seen this. We know this is rubish.

 

Opinions please.

 

 

Or a clue what you are on about.

[jeanlyon]

My cruise in October now has loads of OBC, BUT, we paid a lot less than the current prices even on Select, so................

[Thejuggler]

Its called swings and roundabouts. Some people aren't aware of the marketing games played by cruise companies and believe there is such a thing as a free lunch, so they get hooked on the offer.

 

Before Christmas Princess were doing third person for £10 a night, it looks appealing. I priced a cruise up. After Christmas third person cost was 50% reduction on full fare, so it cost more than £10 a night, but the price was about the same as the first two passenger fares had reduced.

 

Same last year with Celebrity, the cheapest fare was a price in about April. No freebies whatsoever, but far less than the prices were with 'free' drinks, 'free' OBC, 'free' parking etc.

[Florry]

The current offer seems to more or less even out the select and saver fare. We all know the advantages of select, we all know the prices will probably drop and other better offers may be applied. I suppose it is what it is, marketing offers adjusted around supply and demand and passengers trying to weigh up the advantages of a particular offer at a particular time, depending on their particular circumstances. In some respects these complexities are frustrating when all we really want is to feel as if we have a fair deal. What I would say is that all companies do such things, loss leader offers in supermarkets, 'special purchase' offers in the sales etc. Would I book under this particular offer? Probably not, I'd wait for the balcony for the price of an inside offer - these offers are probably on a cycle we really aught to track them and trend spot.

[jeanlyon]

The Saver Fare on my cruise is £200 pp more than we paid for Select. Other cruises we have done have been lower than we paid, but as someone said, swings and roundabouts.

[staygulf]

The Saver Fare on my cruise is £200 pp more than we paid for Select. Other cruises we have done have been lower than we paid, but as someone said, swings and roundabouts.

 

Did you book your select fare really earl? If so how far before sail date?

[tartanexile81]

We booked select fare just after the new brochure was launched and not only did we get a great price, we've got loads of obc. Not enough details for me to comment on the OP's post

Edited January 14, 2016 by tartanexile81

[Mysticalmother]

For my cruise in May, we booked early saver, with no OBC. The current Select price, taking into account the OBC offer is still a couple of hundred more expensive. (Both select and saver fares are the same as they were back in November)

The cabin grade I booked does not seem to be selling particularly well, so I can foresee the select price coming down in the not too distant future...whether we will gain or lose by it, who knows. But have to take that chance when cruising I guess! We could have waited, but then might have run the risk of not getting the cabin grade we wanted.

But was it misleading? In a way yes, becasue it was advertised as a special "Black Friday " deal...and it clearly was not a special deal. Was i taken in by it? No. Been cruising with P &O too long!

Edited January 15, 2016 by Mysticalmother

[groovechick]

Possibly what Silver Service is referring to (I'm sure I'll be corrected if wrong) is the headline offer of

 

"Family holidays from £999 pp, 7 nights with £390 OBC per cabin."

 

In the small print it says "Based on Britannia cruise B624, 2 adults in a JE grade balcony cabin."

 

This is the Select price, in the lowest grade of balcony cabin, on a cruise to Norway, on 13 August - so actually less likely to attract families than a Med or Canaries cruise, I would think. It also includes the OBC that would be offered for a Select fare anyway.

 

The most OBC I can find in the booklet P&O sent us is £700 for an outside cabin on Aurora, 17 nights, Southampton - Cadiz - Valletta - Messina - Corfu - Dubrovnik - Venice - Gib - Southampton. The Select price is £2,199 pp - I'd love to do it if the budget would allow.

 

Out of interest I priced the OBC for an Inside (the cabin type we usually have) for a couple of summer Med cruises that I liked the look of, and it was a paltry £30 - wouldn't even cover the auto-grats for a week!

[the english lady]

Time was when the brochures were printed with prices in, you could usually get it cheaper via a TA, and no OBS from what I remember.

Times move on. Now it is very very cloudy.

I did write a letter of complaint when they did away with vantage, changed to select, but then added a hefty wad of OBS, which effectively made the cruise cheaper (talking into 4 figures OBS here). We did get the OBS added to our cruise (booked under vantage terms)

Now I must admit I do not sit and watch prices. If a cruise is going where we would like to go, and we are happy (as you can be) with the price, we book.

Unfortunately since OH developed a taste for mini suites, they never go down to saver fares now, so we either book at select , or they are all gone.

I think someone on here said the booking algoritham?? is called POLAR? It a very clever piece of software that knows how each grade of cabin is selling and and at what price, if not selling well, just that grade made be offered at some special deal.

Much much too complicated for me.

[silver service]

Thanks groove chick. This is exactly what I am on about.

The hand is faster than the eye.

[tartanexile81]

Don't all travel companies do that? What about airlines? Don't think it's smoke and mirrors / sleight of hand - call it what you will. It's advertising, as long as they're not being dishonest, this is common practice in the travel industry whether we like it or not

 

p.s. We're on Oceana in just 23 days. So excited :)

Edited January 15, 2016 by tartanexile81

[jeanlyon]

We booked ours straight away on launch. It really does depend on the popularity of the cruise. Ours is a Music festival at Sea, so very popular. Suites and balconies were sold out about a long time ago. If its Canaries or Caribbean, then there are loads of those, so more difficult to fill.