Well, very briefly, I am in the final throes of my undergraduate BSc at Southampton University, and ...
Well, very briefly, I am in the final throes of my undergraduate BSc at Southampton University, and am looking forward to having some time to myself to do what I want to do for a change! I like writing opinions on Ciao because I believe that the consum...
Member since:28.09.2000
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The story I am about to tell is one with which many of the older contributors to this section will aprreciate and identify with. I might well only be 21 years of age, but I am sufficiently astute to recognise that P&OCruises is not the company it was back in 1988 when I took my first cruise! Lord Sterling of Plaistow...now there's a title that should strike fear into any adversary...well, maybe not! Hardened cruisers of my parent's generation will have fond memories of cruising being days at sea, excellent food, superb company, and exotic destinations. I was fortunate enough to experience this for myself aboard P&O's legendary SS Canberra for five experiences I shall never forget. Canberra really was the last real ocean going cruise liner, and very few can match what she had to offer.
Sterling's empire may have grown, with his fleet of two £250 000 000 liners Oriana and Aurora, and the ageing Victoria, but the entreprenuer seems to have overlooked a very significant sector of the cruise market: that of the family. By definition, a family still remains somewhere between 2.3 and 2.6 children, but the availability of cabins to suit a sensible four people has become less and less. Instead, P&O are now trying to maximise the amount of profit by selling off all cabins as two berths.
A little insider information now...both Sterling's superliners have far more four berth cabins than are advertised in the brochures. Yes, that's right, so when you wanted a four berth to go on holiday with your kids and were told by your travel agent "sorry, the ship is booked up" you were sold porky pies. Hence the "massive" discounts offered by travel agants on "last remaining cabins". P&O often panic at the last minute as they have not filled the ship to capacity (although the brochure fares ensure that the vessels can run at a profit at just over half full.) When this happens, the cabins are released to travel agents with specific allocations.
Now I may be getting a little involved in this tale, but I just can't see why P&O persist in preventing families from sharing their holiday experience when the accommodation is available. Surely it would be better to satisfy the demands of the consumers when such large profit margins are concerned? I genuinely beleive that the atmosphere of the ships would become far less staid and SAGA if the ships were made less clinical and more family oriented. After all, we aren't dealing with delinquents here, we are talking about middle-upper class families from respectable walks of life. Are these people likely to turn your ships into a floating Butlin's? (no offence to Butlin's intended)
I would be interested to see some responses to this little thought provoker, as I would like to think that Joe public is not being conned left right and centre!
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I suspect that they are trying to pander to their customers. I have been on several cruises since our own children have grown up and personally quite enjoy the child free atmosphere and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. There are plenty of cruise lines that do cater for families especially in the US - so just because one cruise line may not welcome families doesn't mean you can't go on one.
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Advantages: Relaxing travel, good price, If you want a cruising taster a good option Disadvantages: Expensive onboard food, innacurate cabin, transfer bus confusion.
likka75 22.08.2008 (22.08.2008)
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Review of P&O Ferries
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Apr 5th, 2001
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