Ventura Panama Canal glitch

[blueboo]

Has anyone else received the news that the 2020 Jan 3rd sailing on Ventura will no longer feature the half transit of the Panama Canal ?  Heard today that apparently the ship will not fit so they are now offering a free shore excursion instead !  What a disappointment.  Hubby is furious as we only booked that cruise to do the canal, we have done Caribbean before so not too worried about that but Panama Canal was the highlight for us.  Guess what...P and O are also not making it easy to cancel...they want us to book another cruise for same value or lose our deposit ( of over £2000 )...Just putting it out there how unfair they are being.  I am not letting them walk all over us and I will pursue this further.

[brian1]

It'll definatly fit in the new locks.Apparently,the cruiselines pay up front,months in advance for a slot,sounds BS to me.

Edited November 1, 2018 by brian1

[Balaena]

Back in April I queried if we would be going into the Gatun Lake as the brochure also used the words 'sail by'.  Like you I wanted to do the transit so contacted P&O and this was their emailed reply to me.  Clearly the cost of the transit has become an issue with the hierarchy so have withdrawn from their promise to us.

 

Further to our recent telephone conversation, I can confirm that having spoken to our Fleet department,  I can confirm that the itinerary will transit through the Gatun lock into the Gatun lake and then transit back again as a partial transit.  

• 
  
• Kind regards
  
  Sam (Samuel) Constable
  Guest Relations Representative, Office of Christopher Edgington, Carnival UK
  
   

[FiftyOnePlus]

9 hours ago, blueboo said:

Has anyone else received the news that the 2020 Jan 3rd sailing on Ventura will no longer feature the half transit of the Panama Canal ?  Heard today that apparently the ship will not fit so they are now offering a free shore excursion instead !  What a disappointment.  Hubby is furious as we only booked that cruise to do the canal, we have done Caribbean before so not too worried about that but Panama Canal was the highlight for us.  Guess what...P and O are also not making it easy to cancel...they want us to book another cruise for same value or lose our deposit ( of over £2000 )...Just putting it out there how unfair they are being.  I am not letting them walk all over us and I will pursue this further.

 

 

Unfortunately, thats the problem with partial transits, as they can easily opt out of it. A full transit is hard to get out of.

 

The trouble you face is that T&Cs state they can change the itinerary for any reason and don't have to compensate.  Its also advised not to book a cruise based on ports of call or areas advertised as travelling to due to the same reason.

You are lucky they offered you anything as quite often, cruise companies dont offer anything at all,

 

You should, however, been able to cancel without penalty.

 

Whilst P&O Cruises will do its best not to cancel or to make any significant alteration after a booking has been made, it shall nevertheless be entitled at any time prior to departure to cancel the Contract or to change and/or curtail the Package where this reasonably becomes necessary on operational, commercial or other grounds. P&O Cruises will inform the Guest of any such cancellation or change of Package as quickly as possible (with, where appropriate, written confirmation as soon as reasonably possible thereafter). If P&O Cruises makes a significant alteration to the Package it will inform the Guest or his/her travel agent as soon as reasonably possible. The Guest will have the choice of either accepting the alteration, accepting an offer of an alternative Package of comparable standard if available (P&O Cruises will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value) or cancelling the Package and receiving a full refund of all monies paid.

Edited November 1, 2018 by FiftyOnePlus

[Chris+Sue]

We too are booked on the same cruise but only received a letter from P+O on the 30th October 

They say the Ventura is too large to fit in the canal!

They are offering a small bottle of water and a muffin,a free excursion to the canal by coach as compensation!!

We booked this cruise purposely to see the canal

What a let down by P+O

 

[john watson]

I think 8 Jan 2018 or thereabouts Caribbean Princess did a partial transit.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[john watson]

The problem of Grand Class ships transiting the Panama Canal completely using the new locks seems to be inadequate headroom under the Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific end.  It would be possible to modify the superstructure in my opinion but the cost would not justify it unless they scheduled a world cruise.

 

There seems to be a Caribbean Princess partial transit season coming up but for full transits Princess looks a good option with full transits occasionally. Full transits are about £1200 inside and £1950 balcony per person cruise only, book your own flights.  Coral, Island and Pacific are the more frequent ships they use.

 

Regards John

Edited November 1, 2018 by john watson

[Scriv]

I am not suggesting this as a satisfactory answer/alternative to your disappointment  but just saying that if you do go on your cruise and end up in Colon, there are full day excursions on and through part of the canal and through 2 locks on a small ferry boat from Colon.

 

I am going there in a couple of weeks time with TUI Marella and doing this tour. I will report back in case it is of help to anyone, as it would seem that these excursions would be available for your cruise too?

Edited November 1, 2018 by Scriv

[Chris+Sue]

Many thanks 

will look out for your report 

chris+sue

[Scriv]

We are paying £108 pp for our TUI all day canal tour .. including lunch, just to give you an idea of potential cost.

 

There are some half day trips  by coach and/or train  to view the canal structures, but not actually to go on it.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Scriv

[Threeleggedtoad]

As a matter of interest the 2020 Jan 3rd cruise on Ventura is still showing on their website, that the ports you will visit include on  the 19 January the Panama Canal Half Transit. Once again P&O show incompetence with their communication.  

[AchileLauro]

3 hours ago, FiftyOnePlus said:

 

 

Unfortunately, thats the problem with partial transits, as they can easily opt out of it. A full transit is hard to get out of.

 

The trouble you face is that T&Cs state they can change the itinerary for any reason and don't have to compensate.  Its also advised not to book a cruise based on ports of call or areas advertised as travelling to due to the same reason.

You are lucky they offered you anything as quite often, cruise companies dont offer anything at all,

 

You should, however, been able to cancel without penalty.

 

Whilst P&O Cruises will do its best not to cancel or to make any significant alteration after a booking has been made, it shall nevertheless be entitled at any time prior to departure to cancel the Contract or to change and/or curtail the Package where this reasonably becomes necessary on operational, commercial or other grounds. P&O Cruises will inform the Guest of any such cancellation or change of Package as quickly as possible (with, where appropriate, written confirmation as soon as reasonably possible thereafter). If P&O Cruises makes a significant alteration to the Package it will inform the Guest or his/her travel agent as soon as reasonably possible. The Guest will have the choice of either accepting the alteration, accepting an offer of an alternative Package of comparable standard if available (P&O Cruises will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value) or cancelling the Package and receiving a full refund of all monies paid.

 

I would strongly argue that cancelling the Canal constitutes a significant change and that by the very fact that they have informed you of the cancellation beforehand that they too consider it to be a significant change. Therefore in accordance with their own terms and conditions P&O should be offering to cancel the cruise with a full refund.

[Brayman]

A partial transit is a waste of time (and money) in my view, if you want to through a lock pop down to the Thames or any canal. A full transit is the only way you can say that you did the Panama Canal

Regarding this change, I imagine it is something to do with works going on in the lock that is preventing Ventura using it on that day.

Why is everybody so keen to jump on a company before they know the full facts?

[Chris+Sue]

The facts are that the letter we received from P+O stated that the problem is due to 

the size of Ventura,this must have been known by P+O months ago after all the cruise is over a year away!

[CCFC]

I did the partial transit of the Panama canal a couple of weeks ago on the Caribbean Princess, it fits easily. Ventura is a Grand class ship the same as Caribbean Princess

[Chris+Sue]

Thanks for the info,just as we thought,BS from P+O

[CCFC]

Go with Princess, its a great cruise.

[Chris+Sue]

Could do but would lose £720 deposit!

[Selbourne]

We seriously considered booking this cruise when it was released, the main reason being the partial transit of the Panama Canal. We decided against it as Ventura and Azura are our least favourite ships within the P&O fleet. I'm very glad that we didn't book, as this itinerary change would have resulted in us wanting to cancel. I agree that it seems incompetent of P&O to still be advertising this cruise as including a partial transit, but I have known them to continue to market cruises with cancelled ports many months after the itinerary change has been made.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Brayman said:

A partial transit is a waste of time (and money) in my view, if you want to through a lock pop down to the Thames or any canal. A full transit is the only way you can say that you did the Panama Canal

Regarding this change, I imagine it is something to do with works going on in the lock that is preventing Ventura using it on that day.

Why is everybody so keen to jump on a company before they know the full facts?

I disagree with your comments, we have done both and I still feel that the partial transit, which we did first, was the more exiting. That could have been because it was the first, but to suggest that you can only consider you have "done" the canal if you have done a full transit seems a bit pompous.

However unless the new locks are closed at the time Ventura will be there, then I think that P&O should be Moving heaven and earth to try to satisfy their passengers, as I imagine the canal transit figured very high in their decision to book this cruise.

[john watson]

I have been looking at a full transit ex UK and come to the conclusion that if you are able to fly one way a good itinerary would be:

 

Fly out to Los Angeles to embark Emerald Princess 29/2/2020. Could stay on the Queen Mary hotel a couple of days beforehand.  Emerald Princess sails: Los Angeles/Puerta Vallarta - Mexico/San Juan del Sur - Nicaragua/Puntarenas - Costa Rica/Fuerte Amador Panama (for Panama City)/Panama Canal - Full Transit/Fort Lauderdale arrive 15/3/2020 15 nights 7 ports £1700/2600 (inside/balcony)

 

Stay in hotel 1 night then Embark Queen Victoria 16/3/2020 Fort Lauderdale/Ponta Delgada - Azores/ Southampton arrive 30/3/2020 £1500/£1700 (inside/balcony)

 

Regards John

[Chris+Sue]

Many thanks John will look into this and confer with wife!

The main bugbear is losing £720 deposit

[brian1]

33 minutes ago, john watson said:

I have been looking at a full transit ex UK and come to the conclusion that if you are able to fly one way a good itinerary would be:

 

Fly out to Los Angeles to embark Emerald Princess 29/2/2020. Could stay on the Queen Mary hotel a couple of days beforehand.  Emerald Princess sails: Los Angeles/Puerta Vallarta - Mexico/San Juan del Sur - Nicaragua/Puntarenas - Costa Rica/Fuerte Amador Panama (for Panama City)/Panama Canal - Full Transit/Fort Lauderdale arrive 15/3/2020 15 nights 7 ports £1700/2600 (inside/balcony)

 

Stay in hotel 1 night then Embark Queen Victoria 16/3/2020 Fort Lauderdale/Ponta Delgada - Azores/ Southampton arrive 30/3/2020 £1500/£1700 (inside/balcony)

 

Regards John

 The Emerald is a Grand class with an extra deck.So it is possible to do a full transit and clear the BofA.

[Scriv]

27 minutes ago, Chris+Sue said:

Many thanks John will look into this and confer with wife!

The main bugbear is losing £720 deposit

 

A lady on P&O's official FB page has posted under Visitor Posts that P&O has let her cancel and has fully refunded her deposit... might be worth asking?

[john watson]

2 minutes ago, Scriv said:

 

A lady on P&O's official FB page has posted under Visitor Posts that P&O has let her cancel and has fully refunded her deposit... might be worth asking?

One could also ask if you can book a Princess cruise with the money being moved across if they decline a cash refund.

 

Regards John