Hello and welcome to my November update!
Wow, what a week it’s been! At last, we have seen the long-awaited launch of P&O Cruises’ Summer 2023 and Winter 2023/24 programmes and once again we have achieved record bookings and market share. On the first day alone, we booked almost a thousand passengers and achieved virtually half of the market share for bookings placed through agents, and it’s been a similar story for every launch day thereafter. This really is positive news and is testament to the exceptionally strong demand for future cruise holidays.
I would like to personally thank everyone who has trusted us with their advance registration to make their booking this week, a process that puts us streets ahead of our competitors, as confirmed by our almost 100% booking success rate. I will cover the advance registration process later as this is one of our major strengths, particularly when you are trying to book popular cabins on high-demand cruises.
Staying on the subject of this latest launch, I recently came across an ongoing chat on a popular social media group discussing the issue of booking with travel agents. I was both surprised at the level of misinformation but delighted to see so many posts from you complimenting the quality of service you receive from Bolsover Cruise Club. It is no exaggeration how much we stood out from competitors, and it’s because of this level of recognition we label and market ourselves as “Your Favourite Cruise Agent”.
I would like to cover a couple of the items of misinformation. Numerous posts were negatively suggesting agents ask for your balance many weeks before the true date set by the operator, and whilst I know this is the case for several of our competitors, this is certainly not true when booking through ourselves. We simply ask for your balance just a week prior to the operator due date, providing enough time to safely process the settlement before it is due and avoiding a potential automatic cancellation.
Additionally, I should mention we are one of the few agents that operate direct payments with P&O Cruises. This means we input your card details directly into a secure system linked to the operator, and therefore your actual payment goes directly to them. In other words, we don’t sit on your money for even a second, giving you maximum and unbeatable peace of mind.
The other hot subject was the price you pay, and many posts were similarly tarring agents with the same brush, suggesting there are often hidden charges. Again, this is not a true and fair reflection when you book through us, as we make absolutely no additional charges. I make no apology for making a few knocks at our competitors; our team of highly experienced staff continue to offer unbeatable service, don’t ask for your balance until it is due, don’t have an armoury of hidden extras in the background and, of course, our own ‘launch cashback’ provides you with better fares than booking direct. No wonder so many of you have trusted us again to handle your latest P&O Cruise holiday!
By the way, our payment date policy and no hidden fees apply to all operators and not just P&O Cruises. Furthermore, the ‘direct payments’ I mentioned also apply to most other operators including Cunard, Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean to name just a few, giving you optimum financial peace of mind! Another great reason to choose Bolsover Cruise Club as your favourite booking agent.
I mentioned ‘advance registrations’ earlier and this is a process where we take all of your booking details in advance to then book your holiday as soon as it’s released for sale. We have designed our own bespoke system to record these registrations, and our Sales Team process the bookings at record speed once the programme goes on sale! It’s a system we have deployed and perfected over a number of years and no other agent has this level of technology. The combination of this technology and a highly experienced Sales Team means we can book thousands of cabins in a short timeframe, enabling us to secure our client’s main preference in the majority of cases. Whilst we can never promise 100% as some accommodation is very limited, our success over the years has been second to none. On that note, the P&O Winter 2023/24 programme goes on sale from Monday 22nd November onwards so please be sure to pre-register now if you’re interested.
With so much positivity around I’m pleased to say I had my booster vaccination last weekend and it’s great to see nearly 11 million people in the UK have also received theirs, ensuring vital protection over the coming months. I urge you to make sure you get yours; despite all the negative press about bookings, I simply waited until 182 days after my second vaccine as instructed, walked into one of the major centres accepting walk-ins on a Sunday morning and with no queues or fuss, was jabbed within a few minutes of my arrival.
To conclude, can I remind you that cruising is now well and truly underway with over 200 ocean ships back in service, and this figure is set to build significantly as we move into 2022. So as the winter months are upon us, there are plenty of opportunities to catch some winter sunshine and our Sales Team would love to hear from you and help you find the right holiday.
My personal favourite to consider for a great interesting destination, guaranteed sunshine, value for money and ease of travel is the P&O Cruises Caribbean programme that’s just started featuring Britannia and Azura. Below are some of the highlights and if I’m tempting you, be sure to call one of our experienced team on 01246 819 819 and take your first move to stepping back on board!
** Highlights include **
- November ‘21 to April ‘22 two-week round-trip sailings from Barbados
- Featuring Britannia and Azura, P&O Cruises superliners
- Visit a host of Caribbean islands starting from the heart of the region
- Fly on dedicated charter flights arranged by P&O Cruises from Gatwick, Birmingham, and Manchester (subject to availability – other regional departures also available)
- Bonded luggage – delivered directly to your cabin from airport check-in
- Fast-tracked upon arrival – no need to pass through immigration, coaches will be waiting to transfer you directly to the cruise terminal
- Prices from only £989pp including flights
- Book a Select Price and benefit from additional onboard spending money
Thanks for following my updates and I wish everyone travelling over the next month Bon Voyage and have a great holiday.
Yours sincerely
Michael Wilson
25 thoughts on “Your November Update from Michael Wilson”
I found my booster jab details have been added to my NHS app. Had it on 6th November.
I have booked with Bolsover for over 30 years they are excellent and always respond promptly to any enquiry. Having cruised almost 50 times with p & o over the years I have seen the standards decline. Customers should not book if they do not wish to accept the standard required. Thank you Bolsover for all the help you have provided over the years
We are going on a fly cruise to the Caribbean in December 2021. Can you tell me that once we have had our LFT and checked in, and got our boarding passes will we be allowed to spend the time in the airport as we wish or will we all be held in a bubble?
Hi Julie, yes you will be able to spend time in the airport, although some shops and facilites may have restrictions in place and you are required to wear a mask throughout.
We returned from our cruise on Ventura last week and were very happy with everything. Things were different from previous cruises but this was only to be expected during these current covid times. We were especially pleased with their protocols and sanitising regimes. Everyone worked so hard. The cleanliness was next to none. No complaints from us whatsoever!
Embarkation at Southampton including covid testing was very efficient. From arrival at the terminal to getting to our cabin took only 45 minutes- brilliant!
It goes without saying that we have always had good service from Bolsover and are grateful for the help you have given over the years.
Hi Jean, we’re really pleased to hear you had such an enjoyable cruise on Ventura. We’ll pass on your comments to the team.
J. Williams. Bolsover are an excellent agent which we have used for many years. However we were very dissaponted with P&O on Ventura in October. Quality of food and standards have slipped all wrapped up in a covid excuse. P&O need to up their game considerably.
Thank you for your uplifting and informative message. Many congratulations to the Bolsover team and this is testament to their hard work and fantastic customer service. We have several cruise’s already in the pipeline for 2022 and 2023 and we simply would not book with anybody other than Bolsover.
Hi Ronald, thank you very much for your kind words. I’ll pass them on to all the team. Thank you.
We have booked all of our cruises with Bolsover for the last 20 years, why use anyone else when we’ve always received the best advice and service in the industry.
Friendly, highly knowledgeable staff, super efficient and never fail to ring you back.
Emily has always looked after us so well but must say Francesca is superb too.
Hi Christine, thank you for your kind words. You’re certainly in safe hands with Francesca. Thank you.
Thank you for your positive, helpful and encouraging newsletter. We have been stung by one of your competitors during the last year amid the endless cancellations and FCCs so learning of your processes has totally reassured us.
We have booked with Bolsover for January 2023 to experience the new P&O ship Arvia and a visit to the Caribbean for the first time, so pleased we have booked with Bolsover.
Thank you again. Kind regards Diane & Terry Clancy
Hi Diane, we’re really sorry to hear you’ve been stung in the past. We hope you’re looking forward to your sailing on Arvia. She looks incredible!
I have been trying to access confirmation of my booster jab through my NHS App. Eventually was told that it will not appear anywhere and that cruise operators only require proof of the first two main jabs. Can you please confirm ?
Hi Barrie, in most cases you need to be be double vaccinated, but it would be worth checking for your specific cruise line what their requirements are. Thank you.
Dear Michael, forgive me for being forward and using your first name, but I feel like one of the family having booked with you for 10 years. Thank you for your updates however the one that we are waiting for is the one where you tell us that the office is once again well and truly open for us to visit.
Thank you once again for your updates I for one look forward to reading them.
We are also looking forward to sailing away again, having booked with you in May 2022.
Jane
Hi Jane, thank you for your lovely comment. At the minute we don’t have a date in which we plan to open our Cruise Centre. We will certainly let you know when we have a date to do so. Thank you.
As a fan of P and O ,I have already booked 3 cruises. 2 for next year and one for 2023. Can I ask if your time to answer calls would be quicker than directly phoning P and O, as I’ve had to wait quite a long time to get through. It’s just something for me to keep in mind when we look at booking again. Also do you use my personal cruise number that is linked to P and O and would I still be able to use the cruise personaliser to enter details, book trips etc etc. Sorry for the amount of questions but would like to be informed for when we are ready to book again.
Good morning. It usually is a lot quicker to get in touch with us, and we have a system in place where we can call you back if we miss your call. We would use your Peninsular Number to book your cruise and the Cruise Personaliser works in the same way for you to book excursiosn etc. We look forward to hearing from you in future. Thank you
Would love to get back to cruising but not for at least another year or until the requirement to wear masks and the ability to wander freely at destinations returns
I can still drssm
Hi Paul, hopefully it won’t be too long until you’re back cruising.
Is the Bolsover Cruise Club travel centre at Barlborough now open or are you only taking telephone or on line enquiries.
Hi Christine, at the minute our Cruise Centre is closed. We are available on the telephone and online enquires. We will certainly let you know when we are able to open our Cruise Centre again.
Bolsover are the best of the best as agents. My concern is that P&O have let standards slide using COVID as the excuse. Our trip in October on Ventura was below what we expected and that causes concern about future bookings.
Hi Michael, thank you for your kind words. We’re sorry to hear you were slightly disappointed with your Ventura cruise. We hope you’re still looking forward to your future bookings as Covid requirements are slowly easing onboard. Thank you.