Anyone pre-registering ready to book late 2022/early 2023?

[purplesea]

17 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

I’ve pre registered for Arvia 6 th January Caribbean with my travel agent picked a few cabins I wanted in the Same grade and got the price of those cabins so fingers crossed, not overly keen on the cruise but it was my husband’s choice and it will be our first fly home cruise 

That's the one I'm thinking about too. Just need to persuade hubby!!

[MX-Drew]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I'm still not sure if that is correct. In your other post you said you were told that cabins had not yet been allocated, and this would be done later, in tier priority order.

There are, I think, 8 cabins in the grade I want. How can P&O guarantee me the cabin grade I  want, when they will not know at the moment I pre-register, what the waiting list is, in terms of priority tiers?

I do see your point so my only assumption is, if 8 cabins of that grade are pre registered then they are not available to the elite that can book on priority day. 

As I say if you have paid a deposit and P&O have accepted it you will have a notification stating a cabin grade and that forms your contract for P&O to supply. If you have not paid a deposit and it is your (no doubt) good word with your TA then you have no legal contract for P&O to supply so, in your case I don't think you will get your chosen cabin. This is one very good reason to pre register direct in my opinion.

I asked a total of three TAs, and not one gave me confidence I would get anything like I wanted let along offering discounts which, at best made their price the same as P&O's price.

As an aside, I see P&O moving away from using TAs and handling the whole thing themselves. I believe they learnt a lot when the oldest TA went bust. 

 

Just my opinion and based on my own experience and talking direct to P&O. 

[MX-Drew]

3 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Suites sold out on our January Azura cruise too

I said they were a good price!

Seems to me that anyone considering these (to me) well-priced offers should jump in now, if they can.  I think there’s likely to be a significant price hike once those cabins which are left go on general sale

Hmmm seems to fit with my idea, of course they may have held some back.

[Purdey16]

2 hours ago, purplesea said:

That's the one I'm thinking about too. Just need to persuade hubby!!

Treat him to his favourite dinner and wine ,  a way to a mans heart is through his tummy 😁 might work 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, MX-Drew said:

I do see your point so my only assumption is, if 8 cabins of that grade are pre registered then they are not available to the elite that can book on priority day. 

As I say if you have paid a deposit and P&O have accepted it you will have a notification stating a cabin grade and that forms your contract for P&O to supply. If you have not paid a deposit and it is your (no doubt) good word with your TA then you have no legal contract for P&O to supply so, in your case I don't think you will get your chosen cabin. This is one very good reason to pre register direct in my opinion.

I asked a total of three TAs, and not one gave me confidence I would get anything like I wanted let along offering discounts which, at best made their price the same as P&O's price.

As an aside, I see P&O moving away from using TAs and handling the whole thing themselves. I believe they learnt a lot when the oldest TA went bust. 

 

Just my opinion and based on my own experience and talking direct to P&O. 

It really is a confused situation, and I would agree that by paying P&O you are probably in a stronger situation than with a verbal contract with a TA . Did P&O actually take payment, or just put a "hold"  on your card for the amount? Given the demand for certain cabins,  P&O could be making a great number of refunds after April 29th, if they actually took payment.

Given the number of suites available, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be disappointed, and given my lowly loyalty status, I don't think it would have mattered how I registered.

Anyway, now to wait for the Princess brochure launch for the Caribbean in 2023. 

[wowzz]

32 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

 a way to a mans heart is through his tummy

Other options are available!!!!

[Converted to cruising]

I’ve priced up a solo balcony on Britannia and tried to do the same for Arvera 😆 for any date to the Caribbean and its way over my price range even with the discount and I’m used to paying solo fares. 😨.....will wait and see what happens. Fortunately I’ve got a couple booked which have been transferred from last and this year (thank goodness) so all is not lost. Will keep trying though 😊

[jake 26]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

It really is a confused situation, and I would agree that by paying P&O you are probably in a stronger situation than with a verbal contract with a TA . Did P&O actually take payment, or just put a "hold"  on your card for the amount? Given the demand for certain cabins,  P&O could be making a great number of refunds after April 29th, if they actually took payment.

Given the number of suites available, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be disappointed, and given my lowly loyalty status, I don't think it would have mattered how I registered.

Anyway, now to wait for the Princess brochure launch for the Caribbean in 2023. 

Suites are also now showing as sold out on Azura 6 Oct 2022 16 night repo Malta to Tenerife.

P&O took a 5% deposit and have issued a confirmation receipt showing final balance for our suite pre registration. Grade of suite shown but no actual name of number.

[Eddie99]

Ditto for me, though for Canaries in January

[MX-Drew]

36 minutes ago, wowzz said:

It really is a confused situation, and I would agree that by paying P&O you are probably in a stronger situation than with a verbal contract with a TA . Did P&O actually take payment, or just put a "hold"  on your card for the amount? Given the demand for certain cabins,  P&O could be making a great number of refunds after April 29th, if they actually took payment.

Given the number of suites available, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be disappointed, and given my lowly loyalty status, I don't think it would have mattered how I registered.

Anyway, now to wait for the Princess brochure launch for the Caribbean in 2023. 

An actual payment was taken. As for lowly loyalty status, you can't get much lower than mine with only 14 nights on P&O although there have been about 3 cruises with them cancelled.

Given the cabin grade I have gone for and the number of cabins in that grade I feel secure enough.

I wish you luck with your choice. On the other hand, they have not even built the ship I have booked on so loads could go wrong.

[Purdey16]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Other options are available!!!!

Correct 😉

[tring]

4 hours ago, jake 26 said:

Suites are also now showing as sold out on Azura 6 Oct 2022 16 night repo Malta to Tenerife.

P&O took a 5% deposit and have issued a confirmation receipt showing final balance for our suite pre registration. Grade of suite shown but no actual name of number.

 

We booked the same in a balcony cabin.  Our payment is still showing as pending, but would take a few days to go through anyway.  We have been given the code for the grade of balcony booked (HB), but yes details say cabin number will be confirmed on the 28th in our case. 

[tring]

The price of the new cruises has gone to our heads, realising we can book a balcony for less than an outside on Fred or other small ship lines.  Now also booked Aurora 28 night round trip Caribbean for November '22, which is apparently also a Peninsular club cruise.  Top grade of deluxe balcony for £119 pppn with £115 pp OBS, which we may change to parking, but thinking we may be better getting an hotel/parking deal and hang on to the OBS.  Gone with the beast for that as more picky about cabin numbers.

 

So we will return to Manchester airport on 22nd Oct and be heading to Southampton on the 10th November.  Then off on Azura again for 20 nights the following March.  Well, got to make up for the last year some how.............

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, tring said:

  Well, got to make up for the last year some how.............

Damn right

[terrierjohn]

11 hours ago, MX-Drew said:

Wowzz, having spoken directly to P&O this morning I can tell you that if you paid a deposit directly to P&O (or your TA has taken a deposit and pasted it on) you are guaranteed that grade cabin but it does appear not all TAs are working that way so no idea what you will get. 

I can't really see how your hypothesis would work if there were more provisional reservations for a cabin grade, than actual cabins, and that might easily happen if as seems possible P&O have cocked up their suite pricing.

[ToxM]

It will be very interesting to compare notes on who gets what on the 29th.

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, ToxM said:

It will be very interesting to compare notes on who gets what on the 29th.

I have a feeling that a lot will be disappointed, especially where there are not a lot of the type of cabins people want, cruise lines are reporting record registrations/bookings, one broker has upgraded Carnival shares to buy with a value of £21.00. Good luck to those who have registered.

[pete14]

14 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I can't really see how your hypothesis would work if there were more provisional reservations for a cabin grade, than actual cabins, and that might easily happen if as seems possible P&O have cocked up their suite pricing.

But they will not take pre registrations for more suites than the ship actually has. Once they reach the limit, it will show as sold out. If an agent takes a pre registration request and deposit, they, like those who book directly with P&O will have to process the pre registration with P&O straightaway. Not such a problem with other grades of cabin because they can be upgraded, suites cannot.

[Eddie99]

The 14 nights Canaries on Azura have sold out of suites for 14 and 21 January departures

 

So, you can’t pre-register (it is effectively booking, not registering - you pay a non-returnable deposit) for those.  I don’t know what the position is for those who have asked their TA to secure a suite?  I suppose they will be unlucky?  Plus high loyalty tier guests who intend to phone to book, or book on the website, once the booking period officially starts.

 

It feels to me that P&O have come up with a clever wheeze to give them maximum flexibility at this stage, as no one can stipulate an actual cabin/suite number.  They can take in the deposits and shuffle folk around to suit the company

[majortom10]

We have been considering booking Arvia for Christmas/New Year cruise but cannot make up our mind yet. Dont think there will be a problem with getting the cabin we want because we can book on 19th April and we will pre register with TA and give a choice of 6-8 cabins but not sure about doing Christmas cruise. Will the ship be packed with children and for last 30 yrs have always gone Austria in January so will be a big change for us. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by majortom10

[bobstheboy]

I have pre registered with an agent recommended to me, not main stream. She has not taken a deposit,  just name and past passenger number, with details of cabin requirements. Anyone else pre registered but not paid a deposit ?

[yorkshirephil]

44 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I have pre registered with an agent recommended to me, not main stream. She has not taken a deposit,  just name and past passenger number, with details of cabin requirements. Anyone else pre registered but not paid a deposit ?

We haven't paid a deposit as such but used our FCC.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, pete14 said:

But they will not take pre registrations for more suites than the ship actually has. Once they reach the limit, it will show as sold out. If an agent takes a pre registration request and deposit, they, like those who book directly with P&O will have to process the pre registration with P&O straightaway. Not such a problem with other grades of cabin because they can be upgraded, suites cannot.

Do you know this for certain?  My understanding is that the higher Peninsular club members get priority, and nothing is stated to say that the timing of a booking takes any precedence.

[pete14]

34 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Do you know this for certain?  My understanding is that the higher Peninsular club members get priority, and nothing is stated to say that the timing of a booking takes any precedence.

P&O’s promotional information makes it clear that they guarantee that pre registering secures a place on the cruise in a cabin within the grade booked. It is open to everybody to do. Some cabins in each grades are reserved for those who do not pre register and they will go on sale, along with the cabins set aside for pre registration which are not taken up, first to higher tiers and then to everybody else. This is also when those who pre register can change their allocated cabin to any other that is available to book, provided there are still some to choose from. If any agents choose to do it differently, perhaps not taking a deposit, they may be risking their client’s booking.

[Eddie99]

19 minutes ago, pete14 said:

P&O’s promotional information makes it clear that they guarantee that pre registering secures a place on the cruise in a cabin within the grade booked. It is open to everybody to do. Some cabins in each grades are reserved for those who do not pre register and they will go on sale, along with the cabins set aside for pre registration which are not taken up, first to higher tiers and then to everybody else. This is also when those who pre register can change their allocated cabin to any other that is available to book, provided there are still some to choose from. If any agents choose to do it differently, perhaps not taking a deposit, they may be risking their client’s booking.

Pete

I am not doubting you.  You have set it out so clearly it sounds eminently correct.

Do you have a source though?  Is there something in the promotional blurb, or has someone from P&O confirmed this to you?