Poor Customer Service Experience

[Samm11uk]

I've not even  sailed yet and am left feeling disappointed and upset. Really disappointed in the service I've received from P&O. Trying to book two surprises for my partner on his 40th whilst we are on the cruise and being met with brick walls. No offers of complimentary items for the special occasions which we did get on Princess. I was also told the wrong date for booking flight seats, so missed out and had to pay £120 to book the seats, just so we can sit together. We now have two seats we didn't want. P&O did give me £120 OBC but now the problems with the surprises have left me feeling like I don't want to sail with them. Really hoping the experience once on board will be much better? :( 

[Selbourne]

You don’t get free gifts from P&O for a birthday (neither should you IMO) but there are plenty of surprise presents that you can arrange (at cost) through your cruise personaliser. For example, I arranged for a bouquet of roses to be delivered to our cabin on my wife’s birthday. 

[jeanlyon]

yes I agree.  Why would you expect free gifts.  Imagine the number of people on the cruise having birthdays, wedding anniversaries etc.

[Samm11uk]

I don’t expect anything for free in this world but when we’ve spent an awful lot of money on premium flights and superior deluxe balcony, the little touches are what make it. Be that a free gift or even a “congratulations” greeting by the call centre staff, neither of which I’ve had. We’ve chosen to spend 2 very special life events with P&O and that’s not even been acknowledged. 

 

I tried to book a surprise gift (prepared to pay obvs.) but told that the only way to arrange is to book now and get a voucher in the cabin, propped up on the desk on our arrival. Spoiling said surprise which isn’t needed until 11 days in to our cruise. They can’t put it in an envelope or alter their system so looks like I’m gonna have to do some sneaking around when on board instead- worrying that it’s gonna show up on our on board account - not what I particularly want on my holiday. This on its own isn’t a big deal but following the problems with my flights I’m not left with a good experience of P&O

[Selbourne]

Nothing is ever ‘free’. The cost has to be absorbed somewhere. Perhaps it was just me, but I didn’t consider my 40th birthday to be a big deal at all and I certainly didn’t expect freebies. We had our silver wedding anniversary on a P&O cruise last year and, again, I wouldn’t have expected anything. We had a nice meal in a Select Dining Restaurant, which we paid for. 

 

I think I ordered my wife’s flowers on board (there are forms to do so) and they duly arrived on the morning. It was a complete surprise to her, as was the nice card that she received from P&O. 

 

I fully appreciate your frustration regarding the flights, but with all due respect I think that your expectations that P&O should in some way provide freebies or do special things for the countless special ocassions that are celebrated on board all their ships every day are unreasonable. If you let the restaurant manager know when the special day is, the waiters will all gather around and sing their somewhat unique version of ‘Happy Birthday’. You will be pleased to know that they don’t charge for the privelige!

[Samm11uk]

Well I guess we have different expectations of what makes a customer feel special. The cruise market is highly competitive and I could easily have given my business to a competitor and probably will do in the future.

 

They couldn’t pay me to have waiters singing. My partner (and I) would hate it! But that’s just us. I guess we’re all different and you can’t please everyone 

[Selbourne]

24 minutes ago, Samm11uk said:

Well I guess we have different expectations of what makes a customer feel special. The cruise market is highly competitive and I could easily have given my business to a competitor and probably will do in the future.

 

They couldn’t pay me to have waiters singing. My partner (and I) would hate it! But that’s just us. I guess we’re all different and you can’t please everyone 

 

Rest assured, we don’t let on in the restaurant when it’s one of our special ocassions either!

 

I think that P&O would say that they do make customers feel special if, for example, you have a Suite and get the few privileges that affords (although having booked one quite a few times, we could do without butlers) and if you Cruise with them enough to get higher tier loyalty benefits. In both cases, in order to get these special touches you have paid very handsomely. 

 

It may well be that other cruise lines may be better at the sort of things you are expecting but P&O, as an increasingly mass-market operator, offers very little by way of ‘extra’s’ for nothing. 

[stocktonmackem]

We have spent numerous special events over the years, 30th wedding anniversary and 65th and 60th birthdays and spent a lot of money along the way. It would cost P and O a small fortune if they gave everyone celebrating a free be. 

[ozzysdad]

1 hour ago, Samm11uk said:

I don’t expect anything for free in this world but when we’ve spent an awful lot of money on premium flights and superior deluxe balcony, the little touches are what make it. Be that a free gift or even a “congratulations” greeting by the call centre staff, neither of which I’ve had. We’ve chosen to spend 2 very special life events with P&O and that’s not even been acknowledged. 

 

Spent my birthday on board Azura last April and when I returned from breakfast I had a birthday card on the bed personally signed by the Captain which I thought was a nice touch, not sure it's fair to judge P & O on a poor customer service experiance based on your unrealistic expectations.

 

As others have posted celebratory packages can be purchased and there are packages to suit all budgets.

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, ozzysdad said:

Spent my birthday on board Azura last April and when I returned from breakfast I had a birthday card on the bed personally signed by the Captain which I thought was a nice touch, not sure it's fair to judge P & O on a poor customer service experiance based on your unrealistic expectations.

 

As others have posted celebratory packages can be purchased and there are packages to suit all budgets.

On Ventura last year we celebrated our SIL & BIL' s wedding anniversary, and were given a rather sweet decorated cake at the end of our meal, no great value but a rather nice touch.

[Samm11uk]

I’m really not bothered by the lack of freebies. That’s life. What annoys me is their inflexibility in their system - that makes what should be relatively easy - i.e booking a surprise, that bit more difficult for me. 

[kalos]

Maybe this could help you,plenty of options,gifts etc ...  

 

https://www.pocruises.com/gifts-and-luxuries/

Edited February 9, 2019 by kalos

[davecttr]

40 minutes ago, ozzysdad said:

Spent my birthday on board Azura last April and when I returned from breakfast I had a birthday card on the bed personally signed by the Captain which I thought was a nice touch, not sure it's fair to judge P & O on a poor customer service experiance based on your unrealistic expectations.

 

As others have posted celebratory packages can be purchased and there are packages to suit all budgets.

I got a personally signed card from Auroras captain on my 65th birthday, then I realised the 'signature' was stamped onto the card. It had never been anywhere near the captain!

[AndyMichelle]

It was my Birthday while on Aurora in December. I did not want or expect anything from P&O and did not tell anyone, but was pleasantly surprised to receive a card and chocolates in our cabin and a hilarious answerphone message from the reception staff singing Happy Birthday to me, where they couldn't seem to remember my name....

just nice touches that were really appreciated.

[Cristaltips]

We were on Aurora last January and had birthdays within a week of each other. We both had a card and chocolates, which was a lovely touch. It’s happened a number of times.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Samm11uk said:

I’m really not bothered by the lack of freebies. That’s life. What annoys me is their inflexibility in their system - that makes what should be relatively easy - i.e booking a surprise, that bit more difficult for me. 

Now here is something that I do agree with you regarding P&O passenger services, their attitude seems to be that passengers are an annoyance that stops them from having an easy job.  Unfortunately it won't improve until Carnival force them to adopt the more can do attitude that is normal on US run cruise lines.

[Tom Baker]

I think the OP is right to call her partners 40th birthday a special day. Just because most on here were working in the 1970's when they were 40 and can't even remember it shouldn't detract. They used to say Life begins at 40, so why not celebrate. If it ends in a zero it's a big birthday.

 

As far as surprising your partner on the specific day without getting sprung I suggest,

• Take cash with you and order any surprise which costs money on board and arrange with the reception manager to keep the details from you statement.
• Tell your table waiter in secret (if you have fixed dining) and they will arrange something FOC even if it's only a sparkler in a muffin
• Get your waiter to have a birthday message written in chocolate on a dinner plate (free, quick and easy)
• Have a word with the maitre D who runs afternoon tea, supply him/her with some streamers, balloons etc and they'll get you that done too.

The staff, once aboard are extremely accommodating and you'll get a much better response from them rather than the negative response you've got from shoreside staff (and some folks on here)

 

Just for info, on my 40th Birthday on Carnival Legend the staff put signs and balloons on my cabin door, sent a birthday card and the Cruise Director (John Heald) sent chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of fizz ... but hey, I am VERY special!

[Samm11uk]

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Now here is something that I do agree with you regarding P&O passenger services, their attitude seems to be that passengers are an annoyance that stops them from having an easy job.  Unfortunately it won't improve until Carnival force them to adopt the more can do attitude that is normal on US run cruise lines.

Exactly. Something their competitors seem to do much better

[Samm11uk]

7 hours ago, herbertvwright said:

too bad we had to pay £120 to book the seats and P&O did give £120 OBC . too bad for customer experience.

Sorry? Not quite clear what you’re getting at?

[woodley]

I do have some understanding of what the Samm11uk is trying to say.  On a recent cruise my son sent gifts  a cheese platter with wine, platter of  small snacks and chocolate dipped strawberries as well as a cake.  When we came back from muster drill they were all in the cabin.  My husbands birthday was not for another 5 days and there was no way we as a couple could eat all those items.  We called room service and had them taken away and arranged that we would call when we wanted them.  This was supposed to be a birthday suprise (at least the cruise line worked with us to get us the gifts one at a time later).  The cards stated " Happy Birthday dad"  and of course the cruise line has your birth date so it would have been nice if they had delivered on the birth date.

Some cruise lines ask on booking is it to celebrate something special and then do something, we have had cards and sparkling wine left on birthdays.

On another cruise NCL we celebrated our 25th wedding and the cabin was decorated with rose petal heart on the bed with two large towel swans.  It was on the actual day and was a complete surprise.

 

 

[Highpeaklad]

15 hours ago, Samm11uk said:

Well I guess we have different expectations of what makes a customer feel special. The cruise market is highly competitive and I could easily have given my business to a competitor and probably will do in the future.

 

They couldn’t pay me to have waiters singing. My partner (and I) would hate it! But that’s just us. I guess we’re all different and you can’t please everyone 

 

Except all the competitors are more expensive. You get what you pay for. 

[Samm11uk]

The princess one we considered as an alternative was priced very similarly. It was only the itinerary and dates that swung P&O for us

[darknightsdespiser]

Surely a high percentage of people on board are celebrating something?  I had a " big" birthday on NCL and when it was mentioned to the bartender I got a free cocktail but would never have expected it!  (that said when you are cruising from New York on a ship that is 90 per cent American it is likely that the bar staff will make a fuss of Brits as their main route to sales and tips so I know the gesture was not entirely "free"!)

[SquishTheWhale]

We sailed with Princess in December, it was my birthday during the cruise and I got a card and sign on my door with balloons which I really liked. I seem to remember I also got some birthday 'offers' such as a discount on the spa, but no gift or complimentary items. There was also a card you could hand in at dinner to get a birthday dessert, but hey it's not like there's much shortage on dessert normally!

 

Have to say by the end of the 10 day cruise a good 50% of the cabin doors had a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion sign on the door- lots of people time cruises to coincide with a special event! So I don't blame them for not doing so much.

[mds143]

I was on the Azura in November and my birthday was during the cruise. I gave DW explicit instructions not to do anything or tell anyone.

Anyway after we boarded I received an Invitation to the events room (that place where they do the weddings) to celebrate.

It turned out that everyone who had a birthday during the cruise had been invited (with a +1) and we were all given a glass of champagne (the good stuff too). Then, they brought out a chocolate gatow and we all tucked in. It was very pleasent and I thought it was a really nice gesture on the part of P&O.

 

There were about 10 Birthdays on that cruise (based on the attendance).