Keep it simple P&O

Now I don’t normally like using my blog to have a rant at cruise lines but I’m writing this not only for myself but for the majority of my P&O clients attempting to book a cruise this year.

I’m sure myself like other agents used to find booking a P&O cruise quite a pleasurable experience, straight forward, passenger happy, knows exactly what they’re getting and when they are getting it.

Last year was fairly easy with the vantage fares and getaway fare promotions; main problem was that customers were a little miffed as P&O advised passengers booking on the Vantage fare that they had the wonderful..

‘Price promise’ If the price of their cruise reduced they would refund the difference by an upgrade or on board credit. It would have been very helpful if they put in very large print

‘IF THE PRICE REDUCES ON THE VANTAGE FARE YOU HAVE BOOKED ON – NOT THE GETAWAY FARE WHICH WE CHANGE EVERY TIME THE WIND BLOWS, WE WILL REFUND THE DIFFERENCE’

But hey ho, you can’t have everything. So that was 20 hours of administration calls I dealt with last year explaining to customers again that it is not applicable as the getaway fare has reduced not the vantage fare.

This year P&O take a different approach with the ‘Select fare’, ‘Early saver’ and ‘Saver’ fares.

Select fare – Choose your cabin + choose your dining option + on board credit/coach or car parking

Early saver – Guarantee cabin, dining allocated closer to departure, pay for shuttles

Saver – Guarantee cabin, guarantee dining, pay for shuttles

Then on top of these standard promotions there are the monthly sporadic campaigns such as ‘Category upgrades’ and the fantastic ‘Drinks on us’

The ‘Drinks on us’ campaign being the most confusing yet, well done P&O, basically just additional on board credit. Why…………need I explain!!!

Are you following me so far, if not it’s not a surprise as this is the standard call now to every passenger when booking a P&O cruise. Which promotion do I choose?????

I tend to find majority of my P&O passengers are quite easy going, straight forward, like things fairly simple and do not want to be baffled by confusing promotions before they’ve even set foot on board.

I think are P&O doing this on purpose so when customers discuss on board how much they’ve paid, they have no idea if what they got was better than the person sat next to them as nobody’s booked the same promotion????

I’m sure there’s a logical reason somewhere.

A bit of constructive feedback for you P&O which I’m sure you’ve already had from your own staff. Please stop confusing your customers. I’m very thorough with passengers when booking a cruise, explaining the promotion in full and having a full invoice page to thoroughly describe the promotion they have booked.

This does not stop my voicemails and Inbox being backed up most days with questions from my passengers for example.

When did you say I get my cabin number?

What did you say about the dining?

When you said I pay for my shuttles, do I still get the transfer from the airport or do I have to pay for that to?

Can I put in a request for first dining?

Can I request to be as high up as possible?

Which ports will I need to pay for the shuttle coach?

How much will the shuttles be?

The list goes on, so all I ask please P&O from the majority of my P&O customers and myself next year please just’ keep it simple’ before you lose more loyal passengers to your competitors  as they are getting tired and baffled by your ever changing confusing promotions.

The way I see it is the simpler you keep your promotions, the less time I spend speaking to confused customers, the more time I have to sell your cruises…..

Simples me thinks……