New P&O Website.

[daiB]

46 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

No we haven't changed our minds, we have actually cancelled with P&O for next year and rebooked with Princess for 1 cruise and Cunard for the other.  We have kept our booking for November this year for the Northern Lights.  I have recently tried to help friends to research and book their first cruise because they wanted to look at P&O but the new website is so not user friendly that they have now given up and we have booked with them to go on Princess. 

 

The current site does not let us to properly research what cabins are available and at what price, it simply allows us to book a balcony cabin without choosing the cabin number, I have tried a number of cruises in this year, 2020 and 2021 (Jan - April) on the off chance that it was because there were only guarantee cabins available on the cruise that our friends wanted to do.  I just cannot believe that the 20 cruises that I checked have only guarantee cabins especially as other posters are reporting similar problems.

 

I have tried to access my details on the new site and cannot see anything so unless I waste time and money to call P&O I cannot change my contact preferences so I guess I have to put up with having mailings that I no longer want. 

 

It would be interesting to know how the new site is impacting bookings because most seasoned cruisers will probably prefer to choose their cabin unless they are taking a saver price and cruisers who are new to P&O may simply go elsewhere if they are faced with a system that is so restrictive.

Don’t know why you put yourself through all this grief. Use a TA let them have the hassle.

[Josy1953]

45 minutes ago, docco said:

How right you are - if you want to research what's available with P&O before booking it's now impossible!  That makes no sense at all, and they must be losing large numbers of bookings because of it.

 

If you talk to the customer service people over the phone they'll tell you that they're aware of the problems caused by the new website, and they have a team of people working on it.  P&O being P&O, I suspect that will take some time, but every day that goes by must be costing them dearly.

It will take a while for them to sort the system problems out because when a new IT system is implemented and some areas work while other areas fail it is not usually possible to back out the new system and reinstate the old one because there maybe file formats that have changed and the data that has been entered using the new system will be in stored the new formats. My guess would be that they will be fire fighting at the moment and trying to work out how to  ensure the data integrity before implementing any further updates because it is a system that is visible to customers so they will not want to make customer perception any worse that it is at the moment.  When they think that they have corrected everything I would expect that they will have a very comprehensive system test plan to ensure that the system is completely stable and usable.  My opinion over the years has been that P&O IT developers are lax on system testing.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Josy1953

[Harry Peterson]

23 minutes ago, daiB said:

Don’t know why you put yourself through all this grief. Use a TA let them have the hassle.

Using a TA for the additional discount and better service is fine.  But it's far better to have done the research first via the website, so that you know all the options, all the prices, inside out - then go to the TA, but not before if you want the most efficient and cost-effective way to book.

 

But at the moment that's just not possible because of the website fiasco - and it will cost them bookings.  

[daiB]

1 minute ago, docco said:

Using a TA for the additional discount and better service is fine.  But it's far better to have done the research first via the website, so that you know all the options, all the prices, inside out - then go to the TA, but not before if you want the most efficient and cost-effective way to book.

 

But at the moment that's just not possible because of the website fiasco - and it will cost them bookings.  

I do all my research online as well on a number of TA sites. I get all the information I need before I ring up. 

 

The only difference is that this is all done when the cruises first come out. So I get the information and then preregister with my TA and he gets on with it. However this information is available all the time. 

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, daiB said:

I do all my research online as well on a number of TA sites. I get all the information I need before I ring up. 

 

The only difference is that this is all done when the cruises first come out. So I get the information and then preregister with my TA and he gets on with it. However this information is available all the time. 

Except that it isn't available now - which is the whole point of this thread. Not everybody can book when cruises are first released, and not everybody wants to.

[daiB]

6 minutes ago, docco said:

Except that it isn't available now - which is the whole point of this thread. Not everybody can book when cruises are first released, and not everybody wants to.

Well missed, once again. What part of “the information is always available” do you not understand.

 

The way I research can be used at any time in the booking period. Including a web site which gives cabin available information, which of course I don’t need when booking on day one 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

No we haven't changed our minds, we have actually cancelled with P&O for next year and rebooked with Princess for 1 cruise and Cunard for the other.  We have kept our booking for November this year for the Northern Lights.  I have recently tried to help friends to research and book their first cruise because they wanted to look at P&O but the new website is so not user friendly that they have now given up and we have booked with them to go on Princess. 

 

The current site does not let us to properly research what cabins are available and at what price, it simply allows us to book a balcony cabin without choosing the cabin number, I have tried a number of cruises in this year, 2020 and 2021 (Jan - April) on the off chance that it was because there were only guarantee cabins available on the cruise that our friends wanted to do.  I just cannot believe that the 20 cruises that I checked have only guarantee cabins especially as other posters are reporting similar problems.

 

I have tried to access my details on the new site and cannot see anything so unless I waste time and money to call P&O I cannot change my contact preferences so I guess I have to put up with having mailings that I no longer want. 

 

It would be interesting to know how the new site is impacting bookings because most seasoned cruisers will probably prefer to choose their cabin unless they are taking a saver price and cruisers who are new to P&O may simply go elsewhere if they are faced with a system that is so restrictive.

I did a trial booking and this is it.

 

[miniyorkie]

6 minutes ago, docco said:

Except that it isn't available now - which is the whole point of this thread. Not everybody can book when cruises are first released, and not everybody wants to.

Exactly - If the new website is to stay in its current format  then even on first release for future cruises  it may be difficult to peruse various cruise options for research prior to contacting a T.A. I wonder if T.A's are using the same booking system?

[grapau27]

44 minutes ago, daiB said:

Don’t know why you put yourself through all this grief. Use a TA let them have the hassle.

My post #207 shows a trial booking.

I agree with you daiB try a TA then if necessary get another TA to beat it.

[Josy1953]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

My post #207 shows a trial booking.

I agree with you daiB try a TA then if necessary get another TA to beat it.

What platform and browser are you using ?

[grapau27]

2 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

What platform and browser are you using ?

EE,Android phone on Google Chrome.

[Josy1953]

37 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

EE,Android phone on Google Chrome.

Thank you.  I tried using my husband's phone and got the same results as you.  I just find it a little strange that I had to select "change your cabin" before it worked because I had only chosen balcony cabin, no number but not a great problem.

[grapau27]

21 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Thank you.  I tried using my husband's phone and got the same results as you.  I just find it a little strange that I had to select "change your cabin" before it worked because I had only chosen balcony cabin, no number but not a great problem.

Your welcome.

At first it was forwarding me to saver  fares then to ring an 0345 number.

It is not user friendly.

[happy v]

I just want to say I can use the new site and find it shows all cabins available rather than a few with the old.

It takes a while if you want to check every deck but as most people know where they want to be it doesn't take too long,

I admit it took a few trial and errors. However once you've got it sussed it's fine.

 

I do think P&O could have provided a help list or prompt button though.

 

[terrierjohn]

Does anyone know how you access your loyalty points and past cruise data on the new site?

[happy v]

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Does anyone know how you access your loyalty points and past cruise data on the new site?

You just click on 'my details' 

but guess what..........it's not working at the moment!😉

[daiB]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Does anyone know how you access your loyalty points and past cruise data on the new site?

Have you done a Princess cruise? If so log into your Princess account and you will find your P&O history.

 

The  only part of the P&O site I use is the CP. if you have a cruise booked it will tell you on there which loyalty level you are at. 

 

I don't think i ever looked on the old site to find the information so I would have no idea about the new one.

 

Remember I have been on line 15/16 years and have used many versions of the P&O website. It was not good then and worse now. So I don’t use it.

[wowzz]

I navigated my way around the new web site,  found the cabin I wanted, and got as far as the final price and the amount of obc. Then rang my preferred TA, and booked the same cabin through her, at a lower price with considerably more obc.  I dont understand why anyone books directly with P&O when it is cheaper to book through a good TA.

[Bazrat]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

I navigated my way around the new web site,  found the cabin I wanted, and got as far as the final price and the amount of obc. Then rang my preferred TA, and booked the same cabin through her, at a lower price with considerably more obc.  I dont understand why anyone books directly with P&O when it is cheaper to book through a good TA.

Wish I could do that but our local one closed down it just left the 3 major chains.

[BarmyJackArmy]

I do sympathise with the TA situation we have one independent left locally and every time I to go there the shop is just teeming with people, and long waits, so I end up booking on line due to time constraints. However  just goes to prove that despite our all singing and dancing technological age  people still do enjoy sitting across the table from and advisor and getting the best deal possible. Often booking direct with any of the cruise companies I do feel you are not getting the best deal available, as you are in essence very much a captive audience.

[grapau27]

40 minutes ago, BarmyJackArmy said:

I do sympathise with the TA situation we have one independent left locally and every time I to go there the shop is just teeming with people, and long waits, so I end up booking on line due to time constraints. However  just goes to prove that despite our all singing and dancing technological age  people still do enjoy sitting across the table from and advisor and getting the best deal possible. Often booking direct with any of the cruise companies I do feel you are not getting the best deal available, as you are in essence very much a captive audience.

Why not ring them at opening time,tell them what you want and ask them to check for you and ring you back when they are quiet or make an appointment to call in later to discuss what they have came up with.

[daiB]

41 minutes ago, BarmyJackArmy said:

I do sympathise with the TA situation we have one independent left locally and every time I to go there the shop is just teeming with people, and long waits, so I end up booking on line due to time constraints. However  just goes to prove that despite our all singing and dancing technological age  people still do enjoy sitting across the table from and advisor and getting the best deal possible. Often booking direct with any of the cruise companies I do feel you are not getting the best deal available, as you are in essence very much a captive audience.

That’s the way I felt as well I do like face to face however I found that my local TA did not have the knowledge and the understanding of booking cruises to get the best deal. I now book with an Internet/phone TA but I have my own contact. I have followed him from his original TA. So I still have that personal touch.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Wish I could do that but our local one closed down it just left the 3 major chains.

Usually at the end of the month if the major TAs have not hit their targets they might give more discount for your business.

I understand they make around 15% comission so have some leeway on a better price.

Edited May 16, 2019 by grapau27

[terrierjohn]

8 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Why not ring them at opening time,tell them what you want and ask them to check for you and ring you back when they are quiet or make an appointment to call in later to discuss what they have came up with.

I expect that most regular cruisers are far more knowledgeable about cruise ships, best cabin locations and cruise destinations than the average agent in any high street TA. However the online cruise specialists are much more informed, and have much better computer links to all the cruise lines, and can sort out problems easier and faster than I can.

Edited May 16, 2019 by terrierjohn

[Harry Peterson]

5 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Usually at the end of the month if the major TAs have not hit their targets they might give more discount for your business.

I understand they make around 15% comission so have some leeway on a better price.

Is it really as high as that? I’ve always believed it to be around 10%, with maybe a small addition for volume, so it will doubtless vary from agent to agent.