Ventura broken down?

[AndyMichelle]

6 hours ago, beachmad123 said:

As regards port taxes although they obviously were not paid for our missed ports we have been in a port all day so it's not quite as clear cut.  However 25 on board credit is peanuts to a cruise company in real terms. At the moment the priority is to solve the problem for ourselves and the next cruise the logistics of what they have had to organize and cancel would I imagine have been huge. I'm not defending them but trying to be reasonable and hopefully they will sort out a fair compensation for all passengers. 

Wise words. 

Enjoy it the best you can and worry about compensation etc later. 

It is standard business practice to not show your hand too early, at least until the problem is solved. 

What they have effectively done so far is buy you a few drinks as a good will gesture. 

Andy 

[beachmad123]

Update  problem still on going more engineers and parts are being flown out today.  The onboard time now is 8pm tonight. 

[the english lady]

10 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Have you thought about going to reception and asking if you will be reimbursed the port fees/taxes that you have paid for ports that you are not going to call at now and P&O will not have to pay. I can assure you it will be more than the lousy £25 obc so P&O will be in profit for ports not stopped in.

P and O do not refund port fees and taxes as it is not listed as separate items on the invoice. The £25 compo is a starter ,from what someone has posted on FB.(letter sent out) Ship will be going direct to Southampton, no stops when they get her moving.

[eddie11]

Ho hum everybody on board.  Enjoy your lovely weather & don’t stress

There are worse places to be stuck than The Canaries in mid December

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, eddie11 said:

Ho hum everybody on board.  Enjoy your lovely weather & don’t stress

There are worse places to be stuck than The Canaries in mid December

Yes, don’t be in a rush to get back to the cold,  the wet and the endless, ubiquitous political jibber jabber! Enjoy the sun.

 

It is a shame though that folks lost out on those nice ports though, always disappointing to miss out on something you were looking forward to: compensation does not make up for that.

[jeanlyon]

Sorry for those on board.  They always said it was Oriana that broke down.  Apparently not!!

[daiB]

14 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Have you thought about going to reception and asking if you will be reimbursed the port fees/taxes that you have paid for ports that you are not going to call at now and P&O will not have to pay. I can assure you it will be more than the lousy £25 obc so P&O will be in profit for ports not stopped in.

Not wise to jump in and criticise until the full compensation is known. P&O now seem to give a £25 OBC as a first payment and then adjust the amount when the full extent of the problem is known.

 

But you are not the only one.

Edited December 9, 2019 by daiB

[Lottie A]

Update from a passenger onboard. Ventura is still in Tenerife for repairs and passengers have been told she will not be getting back to Southampton until next Tuesday. This will obviously severely impact the next cruise, as passengers were expecting to board this Friday. Feel very sorry for them...but the passengers already onboard Ventura are enjoying their extended cruise and the sunshine of Tenerife. 
Must be quite significant engine propulsion problems though. 

[CarlaMarie]

I have just seen the P&O post. The 4 night cruise has been cancelled this weekend and Ventura will be back next Tuesday. 

[daiB]

4 minutes ago, Lottie A said:

Update from a passenger onboard. Ventura is still in Tenerife for repairs and passengers have been told she will not be getting back to Southampton until next Tuesday. This will obviously severely impact the next cruise, as passengers were expecting to board this Friday. Feel very sorry for them...but the passengers already onboard Ventura are enjoying their extended cruise and the sunshine of Tenerife. 
Must be quite significant engine propulsion problems though. 

The next cruise leaving on Friday has been cancelled. 20% of a future cruise and a full refund.

[Lottie A]

I hope they also compensate the passengers for travel arrangements and hotels booked. Often with the excess on travel insurance it is not worth claiming smaller amounts but no passengers should be out of pocket due to the problems with Ventura. 

[tring]

20 minutes ago, Lottie A said:

Update from a passenger onboard. Ventura is still in Tenerife for repairs and passengers have been told she will not be getting back to Southampton until next Tuesday. This will obviously severely impact the next cruise, as passengers were expecting to board this Friday. Feel very sorry for them...but the passengers already onboard Ventura are enjoying their extended cruise and the sunshine of Tenerife. 
Must be quite significant engine propulsion problems though. 

 

Gosh looks like they will be holed up there a while then, though they may yet make one or more of the missed ports in that time.  Bit of a mess for people needing to be home for work or some other reason, but at least P&O should be able to fly them back easily from Tenerife.

 

As I mentioned in #14 there is a lot you can do from that port, so well worth talking to the tourist info people (in a booth near the exit to the port).  If you get the tram to La Laguna (about half an hour's ride), you will need to take a jacket as it is uphill and much cooler at this time of year, but is a lovely small historic city with lots of churches/museums.  Tenerife seems a better location than heading straight to the BOB IMO, much worse places to be stranded.  Good job they were not out in the middle of an Ocean.

Edited December 9, 2019 by tring

[majortom10]

5 hours ago, the english lady said:

P and O do not refund port fees and taxes as it is not listed as separate items on the invoice. The £25 compo is a starter ,from what someone has posted on FB.(letter sent out) Ship will be going direct to Southampton, no stops when they get her moving.

That is a poor excuse passengers have still paid them whether they are included in cruise fare or separately listed they have still been paid and P&O will now not need to pay them so over 3000 passengers will be a considerable amount straight into P&O coffers as profit.

[P&O SUE]

Oh how disappointing for the weekend cruise people. I’d much rather be ‘stuck’ in Tenerife!

[gazwag]

27 minutes ago, Lottie A said:

I hope they also compensate the passengers for travel arrangements and hotels booked. Often with the excess on travel insurance it is not worth claiming smaller amounts but no passengers should be out of pocket due to the problems with Ventura. 

Not sure why, hotel costs and travel arrangements are a persons free choice P&O haven't forced anybody to stay in a hotel beforehand.

[gazwag]

25 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

That is a poor excuse passengers have still paid them whether they are included in cruise fare or separately listed they have still been paid and P&O will now not need to pay them so over 3000 passengers will be a considerable amount straight into P&O coffers as profit.

Is the ship staying at the port in Tenerife for free then

[Eglesbrech]

12 minutes ago, gazwag said:

Not sure why, hotel costs and travel arrangements are a persons free choice P&O haven't forced anybody to stay in a hotel beforehand.

No they have not forced anyone to book a hotel but they have made a very last minute cancellation, breaking their contract with customers. 
 

If I was on a short cruise I would have booked flights and a hotel and would not be best pleased to say the least to be left to have to deal with it via insurance, the excess etc not to mention the disappointment at the last minute cancellation. 
 

I feel sorry for all involved, including the staff having to deal with it all.

[Lottie A]

11 minutes ago, gazwag said:

Not sure why, hotel costs and travel arrangements are a persons free choice P&O haven't forced anybody to stay in a hotel beforehand.

Many passengers travelling a long distance to Southampton have no choice but to stay in a hotel overnight. Why SHOULD they be out of pocket when their cruise is cancelled through no fault of their own? P&O are notorious for not compensating passengers properly...for example it is very rare for them to refund the port fees for missed ports, which many other cruise lines do routinely. 

It seems that Ventura is staying in port in Tenerife for the repairs to be undertaken. Then presumably a slow return to Southampton arriving next Tuesday.
 

I’d much rather be stuck in Tenerife too  P&O Sue ....LOL but I do feel very sorry for the passengers who had their little pre Christmas jaunt cancelled. 

[insidecabin]

8 minutes ago, gazwag said:

Not sure why, hotel costs and travel arrangements are a persons free choice P&O haven't forced anybody to stay in a hotel beforehand.

Package travel regulations apply to the cruise(as it does to all cruises booked in the the uk).

 

If the cruise line cancels as they have done to the weekend cruisers, they can claim out of pocket expenses.

[FluffyFiFi]

I know worse things can and do happen but to find out your cruise is cancelled 4 days before is awful. We were going as a family of four (2 grown up children) we had to organise work and holidays to get the time off together and as it is so close to the end of the year we still have to take it. We booked a year ago at a brilliant price so no chance being able to get anything else this weekend at a similar price. Also have bought clothes, shoes and accessories. My daughter and I also had our nails and hair done. 

[P&O SUE]

51 minutes ago, Lottie A said:

Many passengers travelling a long distance to Southampton have no choice but to stay in a hotel overnight. Why SHOULD they be out of pocket when their cruise is cancelled through no fault of their own? P&O are notorious for not compensating passengers properly...for example it is very rare for them to refund the port fees for missed ports, which many other cruise lines do routinely. 

It seems that Ventura is staying in port in Tenerife for the repairs to be undertaken. Then presumably a slow return to Southampton arriving next Tuesday.
 

I’d much rather be stuck in Tenerife too  P&O Sue ....LOL but I do feel very sorry for the passengers who had their little pre Christmas jaunt cancelled. 

 
I’m gutted for them too I had a four day cruise cancelled once and we had a few months notice and that was still very disappointing.

I would also be rather stressed about phoning my employer and telling them I needed another couple of days off if I was on the delayed one.

Nightmare all round.

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, gazwag said:

Not sure why, hotel costs and travel arrangements are a persons free choice P&O haven't forced anybody to stay in a hotel beforehand.

I’m sure P&O have paid out before. Personally I normally book with Premier Inn and you can cancel them up til the day.

[Lottie A]

14 minutes ago, FluffyFiFi said:

I know worse things can and do happen but to find out your cruise is cancelled 4 days before is awful. We were going as a family of four (2 grown up children) we had to organise work and holidays to get the time off together and as it is so close to the end of the year we still have to take it. We booked a year ago at a brilliant price so no chance being able to get anything else this weekend at a similar price. Also have bought clothes, shoes and accessories. My daughter and I also had our nails and hair done. 

Very sorry to hear that FluffyFiFi. I know how difficult it is to organise everything like time off work together. You must be so disappointed.

I bet you and your daughter look gorgeous though! Why not go out for a special meal as a family.... just to show off the hair and manicures? 

[Eglesbrech]

20 minutes ago, FluffyFiFi said:

I know worse things can and do happen but to find out your cruise is cancelled 4 days before is awful. We were going as a family of four (2 grown up children) we had to organise work and holidays to get the time off together and as it is so close to the end of the year we still have to take it. We booked a year ago at a brilliant price so no chance being able to get anything else this weekend at a similar price. Also have bought clothes, shoes and accessories. My daughter and I also had our nails and hair done. 

Sorry to hear that. I hope you can find something else to do. This time of year is actually good for country house hotels (the ones that don’t do Christmas party nights etc) as they tend to be quieter as people are busy preparing for Christmas. Why not try to book a couple of nights always, not the same I know but at least you could enjoy some time as a family together and show off the new threads etc.

[the english lady]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

That is a poor excuse passengers have still paid them whether they are included in cruise fare or separately listed they have still been paid and P&O will now not need to pay them so over 3000 passengers will be a considerable amount straight into P&O coffers as profit.

For what this is going to cost them...the port fees are small. They have cancelled the next cruise..that should leave this Friday, as Ventura will not get back until next Tues. So they will have flight costs dom the current cruise if people need to get back. They are going to b paying more comp. The £25 Is just a starter. Then for the next cruise...cancelled ...they will be doing full refunds plus 20% of what they paid for the 4 night cruise..for another cruise. Plus if any of those have hotel..trains etc they have booked that can not be cancelled they normally deal with case by case.