An increase in marketing?

[AndyMichelle]

Obviously, in business, marketing naturally increases when you have something you need to sell. 

Iona needs filling, but with the change of Oceanas itinerary, this has had a knock on effect as well. 

7 nights on Aurora or Oceana for £391 available at the moment is a direct result of this. 

Many thought Aurora prices would rocket since going adult only and I'm sure that will be the case for the more popular itineraries, but increase in capacity leads to better deals across the fleet for bargain hunters like us. 

We are squeezing one in for that price. 

Andy

[snaefell]

34 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

One of the key reasons for the Thomas Cook collapse is being given as Brexit uncertainty.

 

I'm sure it is given as the reason for pretty much everything that happens at the moment,I wonder if that is why the paperboy is late!

[majortom10]

I think TC have been struggling for many years way before Brexit due to the change in people's attitude to package holidays and the ease of booking online and also down to poor senior management who have conveniently blamed Brexit  and used it  as an excuse for their own incompetence. There is of course some Remoaners who will use any excuse to blame Brexit and before there is a backlash I voted to Remain and now cannot wait to get out of the EU the sooner the better.

[Britboys]

Let's not take this thread down the route of politics eh?  That's a recipe for disaster!

TC have indeed been struggling for a number of years and I am sure much of it is down to the issue of people booking on-line and putting together their own packages.  Budget airlines like Easyjet and Jet2 also offer package holidays.  Check out the local High Street and see how many Travel Agents still exist...

[Britboys]

14 hours ago, wowzz said:

I admit that I am not the most seasoned of cruisers,  but I find if hard to understand why people would dislike Arcadia.  Full prom deck, excellent theatre,  not too big, what is there to dislike?

I completely agree and like Arcadia myself.  Some of the  most common dislikes I have seen/heard are that "she's very beige" and "I don't like that all the public rooms seem to be on a corridor with people walking past all the time".  I shall look forward to my cruise aboard her in 2021!

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

I completely agree and like Arcadia myself.  Some of the  most common dislikes I have seen/heard are that "she's very beige" and "I don't like that all the public rooms seem to be on a corridor with people walking past all the time".  I shall look forward to my cruise aboard her in 2021!

The "true" die hard P&Oers didnt like her because she wasnt built for P&O. She was originally going to be Queen Victoria and then Cunard passed her onto Holland America who then passed her onto P&O during the design and build. We were on the maiden cruise and there were many complaints and the usual "she is not like Canberra" which is now been superseded by "she is not like Oriana". We havent been on her for a number of years but from the maiden cruise we did a few cruises on Arcadia and the only problem initially was and I believe still is the small size of the cinema.

[wowzz]

33 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

small size of the cinema

If that is all that some people can find wrong, when they are on a cruise(!), it shows the rest of the ship must be pretty good.

[Harry Peterson]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

If that is all that some people can find wrong, when they are on a cruise(!), it shows the rest of the ship must be pretty good.

I'm impressed that it has a separate cinema. We expected proper indoor cinemas on Ventura and Azura but they don't exist and very little was on offer in the way of films.

 

Much more chance though of early booking the precise type of suite you want though, and that's not as likely on the smaller ships because of the limited supply. 

[emam]

Maybe all the troubles with flying might be a good thing for P&O cruises from Southampton. People might look at holidays starting and finishing in the UK.

[Host Sharon]

9 hours ago, Britboys said:

I completely agree and like Arcadia myself.  Some of the  most common dislikes I have seen/heard are that "she's very beige" and "I don't like that all the public rooms seem to be on a corridor with people walking past all the time".  I shall look forward to my cruise aboard her in 2021!

 

Personally I don't like Arcadia because they have to hold cocktail parties round the swimming pool with insufficient seating and either wind or humidity depending on whether the roof is open or shut, and dancing is now up in The Retreat rather than The Globe (not that I can dance any more with my back and knees!). My other dislike is that the only dining room is right at the stern so it is a long walk to the theatre after dinner - but that's a personal mobility issue.

[Host Sharon]

7 hours ago, majortom10 said:

The "true" die hard P&Oers didnt like her because she wasnt built for P&O. She was originally going to be Queen Victoria and then Cunard passed her onto Holland America who then passed her onto P&O during the design and build. We were on the maiden cruise and there were many complaints and the usual "she is not like Canberra" which is now been superseded by "she is not like Oriana". We havent been on her for a number of years but from the maiden cruise we did a few cruises on Arcadia and the only problem initially was and I believe still is the small size of the cinema.

Actually it was the other way round - HAL first, then Cunard, then P&O.

[wowzz]

29 minutes ago, emam said:

People might look at holidays starting and finishing in the UK.

Not that useful for those of us looking to have some proper winter sun.  There is a limit to where you can go somewhere warm from Southampton and back in 14 days in January! 

[terrierjohn]

15 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Actually it was the other way round - HAL first, then Cunard, then P&O.

But the result was an orphan child that no one really wanted to adopt, so P&O became its long term foster parent.

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Not that useful for those of us looking to have some proper winter sun.  There is a limit to where you can go somewhere warm from Southampton and back in 14 days in January! 

The temperature inside P&O ships is about the same winter or summer, and too much outdoor sun too soon is not good for you.

[wowzz]

18 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Personally I don't like Arcadia because they have to hold cocktail parties round the swimming pool with insufficient seating and either wind or humidity depending on whether the roof is open or shut,

As I have never had the chance to go to a cocktail party  (whatever that is) I suppose that in future I must avoid Arcadia!

Seriously - I know you are a host, but is that  a serious reason for disliking a ship?

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

The temperature inside P&O ships is about the same winter or summer, and too much outdoor sun too soon is not good for you.

Yes, but I can stay in a Holiday Inn for a constant temperature.  I want to be outside,  and feel the sun on my skin in January,  and I'm not going  to get that cruising from Southampton. 

PS  I don't need your advice on sun protection  - my consultant gives me professional advice, thank you.

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Yes, but I can stay in a Holiday Inn for a constant temperature.  I want to be outside,  and feel the sun on my skin in January,  and I'm not going  to get that cruising from Southampton. 

PS  I don't need your advice on sun protection  - my consultant gives me professional advice, thank you.

You're in a grumpy mood tonight Wowzz, first Sharon then me, even though I did add a lighthearted emoji.🙂

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

You're in a grumpy mood tonight Wowzz, first Sharon then me, even though I did add a lighthearted emoji.🙂

I just want to go somewhere warm, and I don't want to go to a cocktail party!

Sorry for being  grumpy!

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I just want to go somewhere warm, and I don't want to go to a cocktail party!

Sorry for being  grumpy!

I thought maybe you were a Lincoln City supporter in which case I would sympathise after today's result, although your old management team have yet to make on impact on my team.

But back on track we can no longer fly so if we want to cruise in the cooler months, then it has to be from a UK port, fortunately I am no longer a sun worshipper, although I do like it to be warm, but not too hot.

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I thought maybe you were a Lincoln City supporter in which case I would sympathise after today's result, although your old management team have yet to make on impact on my team.

But back on track we can no longer fly so if we want to cruise in the cooler months, then it has to be from a UK port, fortunately I am no longer a sun worshipper, although I do like it to be warm, but not too hot.

Fortunately I support Colchester United and Essex Cricket Club, so tonight I am very, very happy!

 

[Host Sharon]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

As I have never had the chance to go to a cocktail party  (whatever that is) I suppose that in future I must avoid Arcadia!

Seriously - I know you are a host, but is that  a serious reason for disliking a ship?

 

Yes.

[snaefell]

I would support the idea of sailing from the UK as we are pretty sick of flying but.......

Absolutely right ,time is a problem with sailing & it takes too long to get anywhere warm in Winter from the UK..

And it would be nice if they sailed from somewhere further North in the UK,our last sailing into Southampton saw a coach journey back to Manchester that took 7 hours due to delays,not fun!

[Eglesbrech]

13 minutes ago, snaefell said:

I would support the idea of sailing from the UK as we are pretty sick of flying but.......

Absolutely right ,time is a problem with sailing & it takes too long to get anywhere warm in Winter from the UK..

And it would be nice if they sailed from somewhere further North in the UK,our last sailing into Southampton saw a coach journey back to Manchester that took 7 hours due to delays,not fun!

Amen to the sailing from further north. The long journey south is a complete pain and it makes you wonder why they don’t at least try to do something for those us who don’t live in the south - there are many of us.

 

We booked a fortnight with Marella this year because it went from North Shields, we would have preferred P&O but it saved the journey. We have also sailed with Fred Olsen for the same reason.

 

P&O have lots of berths to fill, perhaps they could fill them by sailing from Hull, Newcastle, Liverpool, Rosyth or Greenock?

[snaefell]

4 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Amen to the sailing from further north. The long journey south is a complete pain and it makes you wonder why they don’t at least try to do something for those us who don’t live in the south - there are many of us.

 

We booked a fortnight with Marella this year because it went from North Shields, we would have preferred P&O but it saved the journey. We have also sailed with Fred Olsen for the same reason.

 

P&O have lots of berths to fill, perhaps they could fill them by sailing from Hull, Newcastle, Liverpool, Rosyth or Greenock?

P&O don't even seem to visit Liverpool anymore,don't know about other ports but I'm not sure we are going to see any suitable terminal built at Liverpool in my lifetime,the use of the Cunard building seemed a wonderful idea but they seem to have found that they can't afford it anymore,sadly.

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, snaefell said:

P&O don't even seem to visit Liverpool anymore,don't know about other ports but I'm not sure we are going to see any suitable terminal built at Liverpool in my lifetime,the use of the Cunard building seemed a wonderful idea but they seem to have found that they can't afford it anymore,sadly.

Wasn't there a press release recently about a new cruise terminal building being planned for Liverpool?