Loyalty benefits

[Queenshi]

Hello all, it's some time since writing on the P&O Community site. As a fairly regular cruiser with P&O I wonder if it is time that the Loyalty benefits are reviewed. Have to say I like the discount for on board spend, the champagne at sailaway and first formal evening, enjoy the party but not sure about the slippers and lapel pin. What do you think about the special event lunch for Caribbean tier and above.
So, what new and existing Loyalty benefits would you like to see being offered. Also have they got the tiers right or should they be tweaked a bit. Do the other cruise lines offer Loyalty benefits and are they better.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Like you I welcome the discount and free champagne and the party. I find the slippers handy - one less thing to pack - but the tacky badge is a joke. What would I like instead - hard to say really. Things that would be nice, such as priority booking and boarding are there for higher grades anyway.

[Quizzical Bob]

Champagne ok, pin & slippers a joke, special lunches are usually fun but all that really matters is extra cash in your account.

[Kendhni]

P&O reviewed these quite recently and changed from 'Portunus' to 'Peninsular' .. I believe other lines have also revamped their packages.
My problem with many of these 'freebies' is that they will be built into the cost of the cruise .. whether or not you use them. So in the main my preference would be to have the basic cost of the cruise as low as possible while including the most traditional elements (cabin, dining, ambiance, entertainment, port charges etc.) and letting those that need/want the extras pay for them (e.g. internet, laundry, OBC, specialty coffee, sail away champagne, cocktail parties etc. etc.).

However if we are to have these things built into the price then for me discount of onboard spend, some laundry (smalls/tee-shirts) and internet would be the main items that would help.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Now we no longer have the 'free' use of P&O Cruise forum on board (the forum having been closed down) I would welcome some free or discounted internet time.

~~~

A question:

I purchased recently an I-Pad. It is an entry-level one. If I buy Internet time on board Oriana next month will I be able to use my pad (preseumably within the wi-fi zone(s))?

Up to now I have never gone further than the back garden with it.

[david63]

If I buy Internet time on board Oriana next month will I be able to use my pad (preseumably within the wi-fi zone(s))?

Yes

[Dancing Queen]

Now we no longer have the 'free' use of P&O Cruise forum on board (the forum having been closed down) I would welcome some free or discounted internet time.

~~~

A question:

I purchased recently an I-Pad. It is an entry-level one. If I buy Internet time on board Oriana next month will I be able to use my pad (preseumably within the wi-fi zone(s))?

Up to now I have never gone further than the back garden with it.

You might find this helpful Derek, easy to follow instructions on how to get connected onboard, I enlarged the instructions then laminated them and now keep them in the ipad case so they go with us each time.

http://www.cruises.co.uk/674-cruise_que ... board.html

[royalprincess]

Free internet use for say an hour. More per grade as per Cunard's loyalty scheme.

[Quizzical Bob]

Free internet use for say an hour. More per grade as per Cunard's loyalty scheme.

The way it's going an hour is just about long enough to log on and then off again.

[Gill W]

Now we no longer have the 'free' use of P&O Cruise forum on board (the forum having been closed down) I would welcome some free or discounted internet time.

~~~

A question:

I purchased recently an I-Pad. It is an entry-level one. If I buy Internet time on board Oriana next month will I be able to use my pad (preseumably within the wi-fi zone(s))?

Up to now I have never gone further than the back garden with it.

I got an iPad mini last November, and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I'll be taking mine on Azura next month. I'm thinking seeing if the terminal buildings have free Wi-Fi, and checking my emails when we are in port. I'm intending to type my reports on my iPad while I'm away, and posting them in bulk when I get home.

Are you thinking of doing reports or a review again Derek? I hope so, they are always a good read

[Quizzical Bob]

Now we no longer have the 'free' use of P&O Cruise forum on board (the forum having been closed down) I would welcome some free or discounted internet time.

~~~

A question:

I purchased recently an I-Pad. It is an entry-level one. If I buy Internet time on board Oriana next month will I be able to use my pad (preseumably within the wi-fi zone(s))?

Up to now I have never gone further than the back garden with it.

I got an iPad mini last November, and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I'll be taking mine on Azura next month. I'm thinking seeing if the terminal buildings have free Wi-Fi, and checking my emails when we are in port. I'm intending to type my reports on my iPad while I'm away, and posting them in bulk when I get home.

Are you thinking of doing reports or a review again Derek? I hope so, they are always a good read

Wonderful toys. I bumped into Sue and Gary Kersh on a Barbados beach on Boxing Day (I know, I know, name-dropping again!) and they had been video talking to their family at home via wifi and Skype on their ipad, all for free.

[Dark Knight]

free car parking
a small amount of free laundry time
and free shuttle buses

after that not really bothered

[david63]

I thought that shuttle buses were already free

[Dark Knight]

they are for now, but was there not talk of introducing a charge for them, depending on which deal you booked?
I would like to see them kept free of charge

[Boris+]

I have (in my sticky mitts) an official printed brochure, and in it there is a table which compares the 'benefits' of early booking vs vantage vs getaway fares.

Ok, it is a Cunard brochure, but I would bet anyone a nice sticky bun (serious talk that!) that if it is in the Cunard brochure, then there will be the same thing appearing in the P&O brochures.

It says without any doubt whatsoever, clearly and concisely that whilst the first two have shuttle buses as a complimentary thing, getaway fares will not have free shuttle buses where the shuttle buses are provided by the cruise line - and that a charge will be made for the use of them. It says nothing about tenders, though - so I suppose those will still be free.

Again - apologies that this is Cunard, but it is only brochure I have to hand - it says that this new idea will be in operation from Cunard voyages Q404, V403 and M404 onwards; so basically from the start of 2014. Oh joy!

It doesn't say how much these proposed charges are going to be, nor how the charges will be made. Maybe they will say that all passengers wishing to use a shuttle bus will need a ticket (available from the Tours Desk), and that at the point of standing in a queue and asking for a ticket then a charge will be levied or not as the case may be. I don't think it will be a wise move on the part of the cruise lines.

I don't know if it is my imagination or not, but I feel that this year there is less of a choice of excursions.

Em

[arcadialover]

Celebrity charge for the use of shuttles, and not cheap. You could buy them at reception at anytime and there was no queue.

[emjay45]

If P&O are to survive and I think most of us would want that surely? they must be profitable. They are probably looking at ways of making money and charging for shuttle buses is no doubt one.It wouldn't surprise me if they did. I always thought they were being rather generous by not doing so.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Interesting one the shuttle buses. A lot of them are provided by the port, rather than P&O, presumably covered by the berthing charge. So if they only charge for the ones they provide that won't be too many - unless they can persuade the ports to redsuce their charges and not provided buses? I I wonder how Celebrity justify charging for buses in the circumstances above? A bit like me deciding to charge you rent for living in someone else's house?

[Capt Black]

Current details of whether or not shuttle buses are provided can be found at: https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/on-sh ... uttle_Info.

I do like the glass of shampoo whilst gliding along the Solent, and more than a couple of drinks at the Peninsular party. The slippers and badges are just novelty. Actually, on our last two cruises we never even got our badges. Not that we would of worn them anyway.

These days, I think I would like to see some free internet time thrown in. On our last cruise I was only able to find one free wi-fi spot in 2 weeks. The ability to get some laundry done for free would be helpful as well. Although we haven't yet reached the dizzy heights of Caribbean, I think we would find the priority boarding useful, though I think a half bottle of shampoo is a bit mean, come on give people a full sized one!

[emjay45]

Current details of whether or not shuttle buses are provided can be found at: https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/on-sh ... uttle_Info.

I do like the glass of shampoo whilst gliding along the Solent, and more than a couple of drinks at the Peninsular party. The slippers and badges are just novelty. Actually, on our last two cruises we never even got our badges. Not that we would of worn them anyway.

These days, I think I would like to see some free internet time thrown in. On our last cruise I was only able to find one free wi-fi spot in 2 weeks. The ability to get some laundry done for free would be helpful as well. Although we haven't yet reached the dizzy heights of Caribbean, I think we would find the priority boarding useful, though I think a half bottle of shampoo is a bit mean, come on give people a full sized one!

Thanks that's new then and I think fair enough. (shuttle buses I mean). I know I keep saying this but I really think P&O should give suite passengers free laundry. I can't see them giving it to the Caribbean tier (too many on that now). Although the topmost tier do get it for half price.

[arcadialover]

Interesting one the shuttle buses. A lot of them are provided by the port, rather than P&O, presumably covered by the berthing charge. So if they only charge for the ones they provide that won't be too many - unless they can persuade the ports to redsuce their charges and not provided buses? I I wonder how Celebrity justify charging for buses in the circumstances above? A bit like me deciding to charge you rent for living in someone else's house?

We were in Stockholm on Celebrity and they charged us $15 each, what a rip off, for a few minutes journey into town. Next to us was oceana and their free shuttle. Good old P&O

[Denarius]

I would get rid of the loyalty club altogether and replace it with a system under which x% of the cost of the cruise you have just completed, inc onboard spending, is applied towards the next cruise you book. Would give a real incentive to book another P&O cruise.
If however, the Peninsular Club is here to stay free wifi would top my list of perks.

[jacksparrow]

I preferred the present as opposed to the lapel pin, and slippers... they are a total waste of time.

[skin8203]

I think a lot of people would plump for the free Wi-Fi - I certainly would! There are quite a few ports with locally free Wi-Fi, or simply buy a drink to access the internet. Trouble is that if the crew get there before you, they hog all the bandwidth using Skype. Get off early and go straight to the internet cafes before sightseeing or shopping. I also purchase on board internet time and simply log on to upload draft emails as well as download emails to read offline. I am only on for a few minutes then.

Derek