Paid my deposit

[david63]

Whatever happens in respect of pre-registering/"Goldies" one thing is for sure and that it will end in tears.

If the Goldies don't get first/best choice they will be moaning like there is no tomorrow.

If the Goldies take all the pre-registrations then everyone else will be moaning.

This has all the makings of another fine mess that P&O are getting themselves into.

[Mervyn and Trish]

So how are the Goldies, or whatever they're called, going to react if they haven't pre-registered when then ring up at crack of dawn on the day they, but not us peasants, can book and find some cabins already sold out? Ours not to reason why. Just very happy.

I put that in the category of "who cares"
Maybe all us peasants get a free upgrade if the goldies take our cabins

Sounds good Ken.

Well if it happens we'll invite you to cocktails in our free upgrade suite! If not it might have to be a beer in a bar!

[Mariner Mike]

I've been weighing up what to do as I fancy the Maiden - All TAs including Bolsover, Thomas Cook and Iglu - say they have specially rung P&O Management about this and they insist that the P&O pre registration will have no priority over main TA pre reg come 26th/27th in spite of asking for up front payment of deposit which no-one else is doing!! Who do you believe and Baltic/Ligurian etc still get preference come 26th??

[david63]

My guess is that booking will be in the following order:

1. Pre-registered Baltic/Ligurian
2. Non pre-registered Baltic/Ligurian
3. Pre-registered others
4. Non pre-registered others

As to whether TAs will get preference over direct P&O pre-registrations is another matter. Remember that it is Carnival's booking system and they can process in whatever order that they see fit. Based on previous year's pre-registrations I seem to recall that they all went through at the same time.

[haveabeer]

As i was told by P&O that i would be guaranteed my grade but not a cabin number and that the prices will be fluid once general release is opened

[Andy2461]

Hi all first post
Booed onto b510 as it takes in some lovely places

[haveabeer]

Hi all first post
Booed onto b510 as it takes in some lovely places

Welcome Andy and glad you are joining us are you new to cruising as well as new to the forum

[Andy2461]

No not new to cruising used to ge on the p&o forum
This will be our sixth cruisr

[Queasy]

I have just pre registered a single outside balcony direct with P and O.
It is my understanding that only pre registering direct ensures the booking as "pre registration" with a TA only means they will do the donkey work on the day bookings open to the general public and that the TAs cannot guarantee that you will get a cabin ( this is particularly important to me as there are only 15 single balcony cabins) though in grades where there are plenty available TAs will probably not have a problem getting them (maiden voyage excepted ).

Alan

[Gill W]

I have just pre registered a single outside balcony direct with P and O.
It is my understanding that only pre registering direct ensures the booking as "pre registration" with a TA only means they will do the donkey work on the day bookings open to the general public and that the TAs cannot guarantee that you will get a cabin ( this is particularly important to me as there are only 15 single balcony cabins) though in grades where there are plenty available TAs will probably not have a problem getting them (maiden voyage excepted ).

Alan

That is my understanding too.

[towny44]

Well after a lot of thought we decided to book a Britannia cruise B504, never been on as new a ship before but since the pricing for early booking looks quite reasonable we thought we would give it a try.
We are using a TA and she advises that bookings for them will open at 8:00am on 27th March giving them an hour start on P&O reservations, however we shall see. Caribbean tier and above (old Goldies) will of course have had first "dibs" on bookings on the 26th.
We need an accessible cabin and these are bigger than normal cabins, so the negative comments about all the cabin grades being smaller than Azura/Ventura should not impact us as much, but those tiny balconies might take some getting used to!

[stocktonmackem]

I hope to book 510 but like you Towny we need an accessible cabin. We usually use C deck on Azura/Ventura and I understand that they are tiny balconies on Brittannia. Hopefully my ta manages to get me what I want but if not I will have to make do with Azura/Ventura. I am limited as to when I can go because of child minding but I will get on Brittannia one day.

[Andy2461]

We have pre registered with P&O for B510 for a larger inside cabin

[stocktonmackem]

We need an accessible cabin and so we cant pre register. We need to wait till the morning that the cruise goes on sale and hope that my ta gets the specific cabins. Fingers crossed I will be on the same ship as you.

[davecttr]

I would be happier if i could actually see some deck plans. Real ones, not just cabins with lots of large empty spaces.

Anyway my TA has suggested i might like to try Princess/Royal Caribbean/NCL etc next year.

[towny44]

I would be happier if i could actually see some deck plans. Real ones, not just cabins with lots of large empty spaces.

Anyway my TA has suggested i might like to try Princess/Royal Caribbean/NCL etc next year.

Dave, we were thinking about another Princess cruise for next year after we ended up getting a 40% price drop against one booked for this May, however the starting prices frightened me off. I know we secured a price drop this time but there is no guarantee that Princess will discount as heavily next year.

[ChrisB]

Hi Dave. I don't believe we are both going on the same cruise again. A couple on Ventura, Eclipse in September and we too are going on the Maiden.

We have not pre booked but as we are Caribbean we can book on 26th March, one day before it goes on general sale. Our travel agent has all our details and our cabin number request and she will book for us on 26th.

We did the Ventura and Azura Maidens. We did say we wouldn't go back on P & O after our last cruise to Venice, last year, which you were on. However, we are making this one exception.

[ChrisB]

Just booked the Maiden with Bolsover. We manage to get the grade we wanted and the cabin we wanted. I had asked Thomas Cook to book for us today. They phoned me just after 8.00am this morning to say that all the DA and DB cabins were sold out. They said there was only Suites and GA balcony cabins still available. So I phoned Bolsover and they managed to book what we had asked for. So I have no idea what has happened to Thomas Cook. Thank you Abbey at Bolsover, a job well done.

[haveabeer]

Should get our cabin number today

[haveabeer]

Hi Chris
Shows we have good taste in cruises

[ChrisB]

HI Dave. Yes we must have great taste. See you on Eclipse in September. We are on Princess at the end of May, don't tell me you are on that one too!!!!

I hope you get the cabin and grade you wanted on Britannia. As you see from my pervious post we managed to get what we wanted yesterday.

[haveabeer]

Strange thing is it was a cruise we had in mind but wife has
A hospital appointment
So got to wait till eclipse but good thing is March not long after we are so looking forward to it
As never been on a maiden voyage before
Wife is looking forward to meeting James Martin so that her sorted be interesting to see if
What they do on the day

[haveabeer]

Cabin all sorted did not like the look of the first one but no prob in changing it it appears cabins nearly all gone

[haveabeer]

Phoned today to ask a question and the guy said Britannia all grades are sold out

[towny44]

I have just read on CruiseBulletin, from Cruise UK, that all Britannia bathrooms will have frosted glass shower doors which in my view is a major step up from plastic shower curtains. However I suspect that our accessible cabins will still have curtains, but if the shower cubicle is as large as those on AZ/VE then I will not complain.