P&O suite vs premium cruise line.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’ve heard exceptionally good reports of Saga from friends who’ve switched from P&O and won’t now go back.

 

Saga’s handling of their recent Norovirus (seems almost a triviality now, doesn’t it) outbreaks has rather dampened their enthusiasm though, and I can see why.

Yes, I must admit the way Saga handled the situation seemed poor. I'm hoping that they will have learnt from the experience. 

[Guest ccpm]

As a single passenger its taken me a while to book a suite on P&O just because it doesn't bring you a lot extra other than space and things that have been mentioned. Also for a single it is a 100% supplement every time. BUT I tried premium lines for 4 cruises and the costs were eye watering even with some lower single supplements. I also prefer a bit of formality (many don't I know) Regent especially was very shall we say "relaxed" I like to get changed for dinner and have a formal night or 4. So taking in the larger cabin, better balcony and a few other bits I also add on eating in the speciality dining every lunch and dinner and I still did not pay 1/2 of what I did on Regent. I think its has to be horses for courses, buy it if you think you can make it work for you and look elsewhere if you don't. A special occasion is just that, something to be celebrated. May be labelled an alcoholic but a bottle or 2 of Dom Perignon added in each day for my 65th birthday cruise in a suite on Ventura did it for me.

 

[pete14]

Having looked at prices from 2 other more expensive lines, I think I prefer a suite on 3 P&O cruises to one from a more upmarket one. It is hard to justify paying £6K per person for a cruise that you can get on P&O for £2K with the advantage of starting and ending in Southampton.

[wowzz]

36 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Having looked at prices from 2 other more expensive lines, I think I prefer a suite on 3 P&O cruises to one from a more upmarket one. It is hard to justify paying £6K per person for a cruise that you can get on P&O for £2K with the advantage of starting and ending in Southampton.

Suites normally come in at around £7k for a 14 night cruise ( just based on a few random cruises that I've looked at). So you are talking about £20k - I can certainly get two upmarket cruises for that amount, which will include all drinks, better food, better service, and a smaller ship.

But it is, as always, down to personal choice - when we fly long haul, we always fly Premium Economy, at roughly twice the price of economy - some people would say that it is a waste of money, but we believe it is worth every penny. 

[pete14]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Suites normally come in at around £7k for a 14 night cruise ( just based on a few random cruises that I've looked at). So you are talking about £20k - I can certainly get two upmarket cruises for that amount, which will include all drinks, better food, better service, and a smaller ship.

But it is, as always, down to personal choice - when we fly long haul, we always fly Premium Economy, at roughly twice the price of economy - some people would say that it is a waste of money, but we believe it is worth every penny. 

Working off Ventura Canaries cruise end of October that I am booked on (£2.1K pp), Britannia Barbados to Southampton in March 2021 (14 nights £2.4K pp inc flight) and Iona November 2021 Spain and Portugal (14 nights just over £2K pp). All 3 are full suites which I booked either on launch or soon after. 

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Working off Ventura Canaries cruise end of October that I am booked on (£2.1K pp), Britannia Barbados to Southampton in March 2021 (14 nights £2.4K pp inc flight) and Iona November 2021 Spain and Portugal (14 nights just over £2K pp). All 3 are full suites which I booked either on launch or soon after. 

I stand corrected then - I have never seen suite prices that low, even at launch.

[pete14]

41 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I stand corrected then - I have never seen suite prices that low, even at launch.

I must admit I was surprised. We have chosen suites because my brother in law is coming with us as the third occupant, sleeping on the bed settee. Clearly the extra space in a suite makes this a comfortable arrangement. On the Ventura cruise, there is no charge for a third person and the Iona one is £199 (I think). The Caribbean is about £700 because of the flight. I have not factored this in to the prices I posted previously but it is fantastic value.

Edited May 24, 2020 by pete14

[Harry Peterson]

40 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I stand corrected then - I have never seen suite prices that low, even at launch.

I can confirm that it was (was being the key word) possible to book full suites on Azura and Ventura for around the £5000 mark for 14 days for 2020, but this was the opening price.  Had a couple booked in fact.  Price was very much the deciding factor.

 

All that’s changed now I guess.

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I must admit I was surprised. We have chosen suites because my brother in law is coming with us as the third occupant, sleeping on the bed settee. Clearly the extra space in a suite makes this a comfortable arrangement. On the Ventura cruise, there is no charge for a third person and the Iona one is £199 (I think). The Caribbean is about £700 because of the flight. I have not factored this in to the prices I posted previously but it is fantastic value.

The fact that you have quoted a per person price, with three of you sharing, obviously makes a significant difference. You did not make that clear, initially, hence my amazement at the prices. 

[pete14]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

The fact that you have quoted a per person price, with three of you sharing, obviously makes a significant difference. You did not make that clear, initially, hence my amazement at the prices. 

Sorry, I thought I had made it clear but obviously not. 
 

The prices I originally quoted were the published prices for just two people in the cabin. The third person’s price has not been included in the calculation of the original post. 
 

For the Ventura one, if I was dividing the three person total (approx £4.2K) between three people, it would be around £1.4 K each as would the Iona one. The third person does not get any OBC though, persons 1and 2 do. This is specified on the booking confirmation. 

The current select price for three people totals £4687, slightly more because person 3 is now £349. It is cruise N035 if you want to do a dummy booking to check.

Edited May 24, 2020 by pete14

[sueandphil]

On 5/22/2020 at 8:43 PM, Rawmac said:

We are long-time cruisers with P&O (Caribbean loyalty level) and new P&O before the Carnival takeover. A few years ago, we tried Viking.  And again.  And again.  How to describe the difference?  "Chalk and cheese" comes to mind.  Viking have beautiful modern ships (only 930 pax), all cabins have balconies, and which P&O ships have heated bathroom floors?  Included are wifi, specialist restaurants, real coffee/tea, drinks with lunch and dinner, free excursions, etc, and excluded are photographers, casino, children, junk tables and black ties.  We tried P&O again last year but were really not impressed (especially with the free addition of norovirus).  On the subject of virus, no Viking Ocean ships suffered from/with coronavirus.

 

So, in my mind, there is no comparison, especially as the comparative final cost delta is relatively small.  For a special occasion, try Premium.  And they do do river cruises too, to the same quality.  A drawback is that your lady will not allow you to return to P&O in future.  Mine doesn't.

I think you have summed up the differences here but to add the food in the dining room is far superior to P&O and there is no charge for Speciality dinning but you need to book in advance. You are guaranteed a couple of bookings though and the themed menus change regularly. The Silver spirits package is attractively priced at $20pp a day and you can then have unlimited premium spirits and wines. Cocktails round the pool are Sues favourite. We have had a standard midships Balcony which are comparable in size to a Balcony cabin on Britannia. Bathroom is slightly larger though. Having said that we have 2 more holidays booked with P&O in a suite which we really enjoy as you have the extra room to keep yourself to yourself if you want. We will also cruise Viking again when the world returns to some sort of normality

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, pete14 said:

Sorry, I thought I had made it clear but obviously not. 
 

The prices I originally quoted were the published prices for just two people in the cabin. The third person’s price has not been included in the calculation of the original post. 
 

For the Ventura one, if I was dividing the three person total (approx £4.2K) between three people, it would be around £1.4 K each as would the Iona one. The third person does not get any OBC though, persons 1and 2 do. This is specified on the booking confirmation. 

The current select price for three people totals £4687, slightly more because person 3 is now £349. It is cruise N035 if you want to do a dummy booking to check.

Pete - thank you. Perhaps I did not read your post carefully enough.

The suite price you quoted is really good value. Unfortunately I can't see the cruise happening,  otherwise I would book it tomorrow! 

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by wowzz

[pete14]

18 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Pete - thank you. Perhaps I did not read your post carefully enough.

The suite price you quoted is really good value. Unfortunately I can't see the cruise happening,  otherwise I would book it tomorrow! 

 

I am ever the optimist so I have a sneaking suspicion that it will happen. Probably wishful thinking though, especially having spent the last couple of weeks at home rather than at sea.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, sueandphil said:

I think you have summed up the differences here but to add the food in the dining room is far superior to P&O and there is no charge for Speciality dinning but you need to book in advance. You are guaranteed a couple of bookings though and the themed menus change regularly. The Silver spirits package is attractively priced at $20pp a day and you can then have unlimited premium spirits and wines. Cocktails round the pool are Sues favourite. We have had a standard midships Balcony which are comparable in size to a Balcony cabin on Britannia. Bathroom is slightly larger though. Having said that we have 2 more holidays booked with P&O in a suite which we really enjoy as you have the extra room to keep yourself to yourself if you want. We will also cruise Viking again when the world returns to some sort of normality

Thank you for your reply. I must admit that Viking is on the top of our list. We are not too worried about the cabin size - Arcadia balcony or Princess mini-suite is big enough for us. We just like less people!!

[downsmead]

I was interested in this thread as we have booked a suite on the Britannia for a Caribbean cruise in December 2021. One of the reasons is that various family members will also be travelling in inside cabins, and I thought it would be good to have the space where we could meet, and allow my grandson who will be almost two, somewhere to have a little pool and daylight to play around in. 
We have been on Britannia before (a short cruise), though usually cruise on the premium lines, though not in suites. We liked Britannia and so hope the suite will be a pleasant experience, though like all cruises, it is really what you make of it.

[galeforce9]

I think the prices quoted for premium lines are on the high side. If you shop around and book late (contra your p&o) I have had two weeks on Seabourn in the med for £2699 in 2016,  one week in the Black Sea for £1399 (before the invasion of Ukraine) etc. These are the exceptions but it’s a good way to try them. 

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, galeforce9 said:

I think the prices quoted for premium lines are on the high side. If you shop around and book late (contra your p&o) I have had two weeks on Seabourn in the med for £2699 in 2016,  one week in the Black Sea for £1399 (before the invasion of Ukraine) etc. These are the exceptions but it’s a good way to try them. 

For the sake of clarity,  is that per cabin?  I've already been caught by someone quoting a great price, but then saying it was for 3 in a suite.

My wife would divorce me if I suggested sharing a suite with anyone! 

[galeforce9]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

For the sake of clarity,  is that per cabin?  I've already been caught by someone quoting a great price, but then saying it was for 3 in a suite.

My wife would divorce me if I suggested sharing a suite with anyone! 

That is per person in a balcony cabin (large, effectively at least a mini suite on p&o, all inclusive)  for 2 and flights are extra. I must stress that 7 days pp would usually be much higher (at least over £2k). We went to the Caribbean with them last December and paid around £3500 each.  The flights were a good price. Usually a ta would give you 10% off. Of course much of this will probably change in the future.  Sometimes there are deals with on board credit, free flights etc

[pete14]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

For the sake of clarity,  is that per cabin?  I've already been caught by someone quoting a great price, but then saying it was for 3 in a suite.

My wife would divorce me if I suggested sharing a suite with anyone! 

wowzz, as I explained later, the prices I quoted were for the two who paid, prices that are only a little less than the current prices (approx £2.1K each for 2 week Canaries cruise). If only two of us travelled, that would be the price for a full suite on the aft of the ship. The third person does not affect that calculation at all. You were not caught out because I was not averaging the total for two people between three people, the £2.1K was the published price per head for two people sharing the suite. If you and your wife had booked it for the two of you, that is what you would have paid (£2.1K x 2 so £4.2K)

Edited May 27, 2020 by pete14

[Harry Peterson]

3 minutes ago, pete14 said:

wowzz, as I explained later, the prices I quoted were for the two who paid, prices that are only a little less than the current prices (approx £2.1K each for 2 week Canaries cruise). If only two of us travelled, that would be the price for a full suite on the aft of the ship. The third person does not affect that calculation at all. You were not caught out because I was not averaging the total for two people between three people, the £2.1K was the published price per head for two people sharing the suite. If you and your wife had booked it for the two of you, that is what you would have paid.

It was possible to book full suites on Azura and Ventura for around the £5000 mark for 14 days for 2020 at the outset.  We had a couple booked.

[pete14]

34 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

It was possible to book full suites on Azura and Ventura for around the £5000 mark for 14 days for 2020 at the outset.  We had a couple booked.

Presumably £5000 being the total for the suite and not per person.

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Presumably £5000 being the total for the suite and not per person.

That’s it.  That was the price, or thereabouts, for both of us.  Not in peak season though. Shoulder season.

[Bazrat]

Interesting to read how some people are comparing P&O to saga and Viking are they direct competitors or do you pay an awfull lot extra to sail with themI could be wrong.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Bazrat

[terrierjohn]

8 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Interesting to read how some people are comparing P&O to saga and Viking are they direct competitors or do you pay an awfull lot extra to sail with themI could be wrong.

I think the comparison was a suite on P&O or standard balcony on a premium cruise line, which is where prices are more comparable.

[wowzz]

37 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Interesting to read how some people are comparing P&O to saga and Viking are they direct competitors or do you pay an awfull lot extra to sail with themI could be wrong.

As the OP, I was looking at suites on P&O versus "standard" cabins on Viking, Saga, Oceania etc. If you book early enough, suites on P&O do appear to be quite a bit cheaper than cabins on the premium lines, but at the end of the day, suite or no suite, you are still on a mass market ship, with thousands of other pax, compared to 900 or so on a luxury line. Also, you have to factor in the cost of specialty dining, drinks etc on P&O, whereas these are normally included with the other lines.

For what it's worth, my current position is that I do not think that the extra cost of a suite on P&O is value for money, unless you can snap up a bargain at launch, because you do not get the total onboard ambiance of a premium ship. We will book on a premium line if we want to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary, and revert to a "normal" balcony cabin on P&O for run of the mill cruises. 

Obviously just our personal point of view, as is always the case in these sort of discussions.