After we returned from our recent P&O cruise I felt that somethings on board could be improved so I wrote a quite lengthy email to their customer service. The main issues were:
- Not enough room in the accommodation corridors to manoeuvre a wheelchair or walker around housekeeping trolleys without scrapping wheels along walls or damaging your knuckles. To ask a cabin steward to move his trolley into an alcove was like talking to a brick wall, apart from one or two that were extremely helpful.
- Lack of information for passengers who had registered a disability with regard to gangways at ports, emergency procedures and access to the sports deck via a lift on deck 17.
- The Cookery Club is not accessible to anyone who is disabled as they do not have an adapted workspace.
When you contact P&O customer service you have to give them up to 28 days to reply and I just knew that they would take that time to get back to me especially as I had requested that I spoke with someone. As I foretold their customer service contacted me on 27th day. The chap that I spoke with was very polite and we discussed my issues to which he has given me proposals of how the issues will be tackled.
The issue of cabin stewards not manoeuvring their housekeeping trolleys so that people can pass is going to be addressed by giving the stewards some awareness training. I was a bit astounded to be told they are the only crew members who do not receive this. Being as they are the ones who have day to day contact with passengers I found this a bit odd?
Lack of information for passengers who have registered a disability will be looked into and the proposal is that P&O will produce a pre-cruise information pack for passengers.
The issues with The Cookery Club were still being looked into so this was not really discussed but was happy to leave that there for the moment.
The main surprise was that as the call was ending the chap said that he would like to give me some on board credit which would be added to my next cruise and I accepted the £100 credit. I was promised that a confirmation email would be sent detailing our conversation and I was more than happy to leave it there. That was on 16th June and by the 20th June I had still not received a confirmation email and so I sent an email asking in a polite but firm manner for confirmation of the OBC offer and details of what we had discussed. I did receive an email on the 26th June as promised and some more information regarding TheT
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| The Cookery Club |
Cookery Club, my comments and concerns have been passed onto the Disability and Mobility Management Team for further investigation as P&O who are fully committed to providing all their passengers with equal facilities and opportunities. The email states that they will be able to take action with regard to this.
On so many occasions I am told something will change and it never does, but with this I am determined to get it changed. I have the chaps direct email and will be contacting him again shortly if I don't receive an undate. For far too long disabled people have been happy with their lot but I am not and I will continue to fight for equality.
How disappointed I am with P&O is an understatement. I really thought they tried hard to make all activities onboard their ships available to all passengers whether abled or disabled but apparently not. In my earlier post "Britannia's Cookery Club" I had said that I believed after studying photographs of the work stations that none had been adapted for use for disabled people.
My cruise agent has reported back to me after spending a couple of days onboard Britannia and has confirmed that The Cookery Club does not have an adapted work station.
I am lost for words. My agent did say that they would probably try to help people with mobility problems but that is unrealistic.
Anyone who lives with someone who is in a wheelchair or who uses a perching stool will know that you need a rise and fall unit or a work surface with space underneath so that you can wheel under or sit up close if using a stool. If I were to contact them about attending a class I wouldn't be suprised if they quoted health and safety at me for not allowing me to attend or as a resaon for not having an adapted station.
I often wonder who P&O engage to come onto their ships and advise them on equipment and adaptions that are currently available for people with disabilities or mobility issues. I have heard that often it is advisors that are able bodied and have never spent one day in a wheelchair, on crutches or used a scooter and so actually do not know the challenges we face on a day to day basis.
My friends often joke that I would make a great mystery shopper, Someone needs to do it.
