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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
See Here

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I found this quote amusing:
"It was just the thought of going on a virgin ship that appealed to us. We wanted to use facilities that had not been used before and sleep in beds that had not been slept in."

Is this not an unrealistic expectation as cruise lines often do a number of pre-inaugural voyages for staff/ media/ travel agents and VIPs?

I think I would be more upset if I paid for a maiden voyage but the party cruise got all the premium swag that those on a Maiden Voyage might expect to get.

Very rarely are those guests on a maiden voyage the "first" - just the first that a paying full whack to sail.

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Originally posted by Jekyll:
This to me sounds like someone has lost their "bragging" rights and is sees an opportunity to get some $$$ back. Their rationale seems weak to me.

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Maybe they were going to brag to all their friends at the Homeless Shelter they volunteer at, or the folks standing in line at the Food Pantry receiving their weekly donations because their families are going hungry. Or maybe their friends at church as they pass over the collections plate. How sad...

"It is just pure greed on the part of P&O, who wanted to make some extra cash." Now thats the pot calling the kettle black!

These people are in a fantasy world at best. Come on..."This would have been my third maiden voyage but now it has been ruined for me." Are you serious? Give them financial compensation then ban them from the cruise line forever!

They obviously dont have anything else going on in their lives that is more important? Maybe they're assuming they wont be alive in 2 years when the next one comes out?

This is another example of a rediculous lawsuit that will spawn new wording in brochures and cruise documents. Maybe the cruise lines out to just put "We promise you a bed, food, and you'll get to see some water. Anything else is just in your head".

And somehow, it's just got to be NCL's fault.

Subsequently the additonal 'open-market' fare paying cruise was added at short notice, of course this is bound to upset some people, having paid extra to be on the first fare paying cruise, the Maiden Cruise for them. Yes, they want to be the first proper passengers using all the facilities and not the 2nd set.. freebies and knees up bashes for the media & industry don't mean anything, they are going to take place anyhow.

So those who paid the added extra to be the first and find they are now not, want a refund of the additional paid for the priviliege now withdrawn. I do not see this as something to be sneered at.

However, I do not think it appropriate to sue. If P&O are not willing to step down & admit they were off the mark in the case of some, maybe not all pax, and refund some of the additional premium paid, one should just make one's feeling well known & walk with one's feet; not to sail them again. There are many lines out there and if one upsets you then take another.

P&O's definition of a Maiden Cruise is worded to fit their purpose. What is the Maiden? In most people's eyes it the first cruise with fare paying pax on sale to the general public. Some ships do not even have a naming ceremony, first hurdle.

RCI changed Independence of the Seas Maiden and offered all those on the original Maiden first choice to transfer. P&O did not do this or even acknowledge the fact some may wish to do this. Indy's first cruise after naming was not the Maiden, but a charity event. The Maiden was 2nd May.
Eurodam's Maiden is curiously advertised as 5th July, however she is named prior to a 3 night "prelude cruise", before what they are terming the Maiden and those booked on the prelude cruise can pay for an excursion to the naming ceremony, what cheek. Those on the Maiden however knew full well of that 3 nighter before booking and indeed HAL were trying to make people do the 3 nights and then stay on for the Maiden. I expect although open to the public there will be the industry on the 3 nights, that will upset some too.

These people should just walk away from P&O and tell them no more. Their angst has been made public, some will agree and some not, there is no correct answer I feel. I do not see this as complaining for complaining sake at all, those types come into the bottom feeder category.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
See Here

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I knew somebody would ask me that! (Yes it's my Mum and Dad - no only joking ).

I think P&O could have handled this affair much better. P&O can play with 'words' (maiden and non-maiden, party cruise etc) all they like, but it does not change the fact that they have some dissatisfied passengers.

P&O may have collected a couple of days extra cruise fare and onboard spend, but the negative publicity must have damaged their reputation a little.

[ 05-21-2008: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Ernst:
I would compare it to a first night of a theater performance. There are rehearsals and some rehearsals are even done with audience (paying or not paying audience) - but the opening night is the opening night.

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Most theatre opening nights, in the West End of London and on Broadway, follow several days or even weeks of "preview" performances, for which the audience is expected to pay.

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Originally posted by greybeard:

Most theatre opening nights, in the West End of London and on Broadway, follow several days or even weeks of "preview" performances, for which the audience is expected to pay.

And to take the analogy a step further, films are shown to test audiences, press and trade before the glittering red carpet premiere.

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
I don't know if this is still done at Fincantieri shipyards, but up at Wartsila and Turku there used to be all-out bashes for the shipyard workers and their families aboard brand new ships before they were turned over to the cruise line. Those beds and facilities were certainly not "virgin" by the time any real passengers were on board!

Rich

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Not to mention the employee parties. Back when I worked for Carnival there were some pretty amazing employee parties onboard. I'm not sure if they still do this? In any case, the ship was well broken in before the first paying passenger ever reached the gangway.

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Originally posted by eroller:

Not to mention the employee parties. Back when I worked for Carnival there were some pretty amazing employee parties onboard. I'm not sure if they still do this? In any case, the ship was well broken in before the first paying passenger ever reached the gangway.
Ernie

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Ah yes, you and I were both at Carnival during the '80s for some remarkable employee parties on the new ships, as well as Christmas parties on board whichever was back from drydock. But those days are long gone; too many drunken employees wrecking the ships and themselves! Many, many stories and "skeletons in the closet" from those times!

Except it turned out to be her second 'adventure', even for paying customers, and I can see how people who'd bought into the hype might be upset.

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
But many people think that being the first paying customers on a new ship is a bit special, and the cruise lines encourage this. ....

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I rememebr in the early 90s when I was in reservations, I often encouraged people to book on maiden voyages not with the expectation of going - but with the expectation it would cancel. The cruise lines often did this (esp. RCI) and would often refund 100% and give a free cruise. The agents would get commission protection on the cancelled cruise and make it again on the new cruise booiked w/ the refunded dollars.

Often those who booked on a "Maiden Voyage" seemed further ahead and if they never expected to go in the first place - laughed all the way to the bank.

This used to be P&O's defination in the 80's and 90's.

They should have given the pax the choice to change or buy the additonal days, they should also have had the right to cancel and they could easily have given them an onboard credit for a small amount, frankly what they did smacks of greed and arragance ESPECIALLY as so many of the pax are bound to have been loyal P&O fans.

However having read now MANY revues it seems that she is basically being rated as a 3 star experience mainly due to the food and that many facilities are overcrowded especially the theatre. It would seem that Independence of the Seas is however getting much better revues.

West End / Broadway show previews are generally sold at discounted rates prior to first night as the show can and does quite often stop and restart etc. as well as it will often change considerably before the opening night.

I agree with the passengers that feel they have been ripped off.

Personally I dont see corportates, travel agents, special guests that preview the ship as "passengers" nor have the experienced the full packaged cruise product. They have certainly seen it, probably wined and dined on it and traveled on it. But it was not a real cruise.

As I see it P&O sold thise cruise as a commercial/publicly available holiday to purchase. This cruise on Ventura regardless of the fact that it was named or not became the first publicly sold holiday on that particular new ship.

Maybe P&O did it to cause controversy and get it in the media to attract the passengers they are after - "publicity/advertising"

Some retired friends of mine, who cruise three or four times a year with P&O, are just back from their cruise on Ventura.

They said the ship is very nice and although there was about 180 children on board they gave no problems.

They did say that during the half term school holidays there would be over 400 children on board which they would not like !

(Sounds like the days of the £ 10.00p emigrant trips from the UK to Australia )

Food had been excellent in the main restaurants but several of their friends had not thought the food in the other dining options was worth the cover charge or better than the food in the main restaurants !

They said it was just the extra number of staff serving you !

The entertainment and shows had also been very good

They hope to cruise again on Ventura, but not during the school holidays !

They were not bothered about it not being the ships first cruise !

It has obviously stirred up troube that they do not want. Lets just say for argument sake that these people taking them to court win - stranger things have happened. What kind of loss would it be if this happend to P&O? How much is it costing P&O to actually defend it in court?

I can understand how people become sentimental about cruises - we all get this way.

In 2006 on Oriana I booked a cruise to go to Egypt and the pyramids was the ultimate destination. Unfortunately I got norovirus. I didnt get to see the pyramids at all, or be on deck for the suez canal transit. I now have cruises booked until February 2009 and have not found another suitable itinerary to Egypt yet. It is unlikely I will get to go there untill 2010 or later.

The ms Rotterdam 6 made such cruises called shake down cruises before she was christened in Miami back in 1997. No one complains then.

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
Coming back to this, I think overall that it was the way P&O did it that's rankling.

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