P&O Greed.

P&O have launched details of their 2014 cruise programme this week and  they have really let down families with their new family pricing.

Ventura is marketed as a family ship yet for her school holiday sailings the child reductions are appalling. She sails a 14 night Caribbean Christmas Cruise on the 19th December 2014 and originally they offered zero child reduction for children sharing a cabin with their parents. Faced with pressure from travel agents they have amended this and are now offering children a 5% reduction from the adult cost.

‘Rude’ is how we described it at Cruise.co.uk today.

For the summer holidays the discount is not much better, P&O are offering Ventura’s children a 20% discount.

Last year passengers booking for 2013 were offered 35% reduction from the adult cost for both August and Christmas.

Ventura isn’t the only ship hit by this sharp increase in child prices, Aurora another family friendly ship is also only offering a 5% redcution for children on her 25th July Central Mediterranean sailing.

Personally I think P&O are being plain greedy with these child reductions. These children are occupying a cabin with their parents, do they really need to charge so much?

Interestingly last year they tried to charge 100% single supplements on the Christmas sailing but quickly changed this policy following outrage from customers and agenst. It will be interesting to see if they change these discounts under pressure, before the sailings go on sail in April.

Watch this space.