Worried about food

I still find it hard to believe it's comparable with 2 for a tenner, although I'll stand corrected after I've been if it is the case. In the meantime, if you know anywhere I can get lobster (plus a starter and a dessert) for a fiver please can I have directions? :-)

I still find it hard to believe it's comparable with 2 for a tenner, although I'll stand corrected after I've been if it is the case. In the meantime, if you know anywhere I can get lobster (plus a starter and a dessert) for a fiver please can I have directions? :-)

Its not but you'll be able to make your own mind up. At the end of the day its different opinions and all are valid but there are thousands of people on the Forum and the vast majority either never comment or have given up.

I still find it hard to believe it's comparable with 2 for a tenner, although I'll stand corrected after I've been if it is the case. In the meantime, if you know anywhere I can get lobster (plus a starter and a dessert) for a fiver please can I have directions? :-)

It is indeed hard to believe, because it's not true! Yes, I have described it as underwhelming and yes I am in the category that cruised with P&O years ago when they did it much better. But, you get a perfectly acceptable meal. I would liken it to a 3 star hotel and possibly 4 star on gala nights. It used to be 4 star every night. Like others, I have had the privelige of dining in many Michelin starred restaurants over the years. Does it match those? Obviously not. But, I have to say that The Epicurean on Britannia does. The one on Ventura fell short, mostly down to service, but the food was still very good. So, if you aren't a 'foodie' and are content with a pretty good meal from (in my view) a good and varied selection each day, then the MDR will not dissapoint. If, however, you want to enjoy a top notch meal where both food and service are excellent, then just fork out a few pounds extra and use the Select Dining restaurants.

It is indeed hard to believe, because it's not true! Yes, I have described it as underwhelming and yes I am in the category that cruised with P&O years ago when they did it much better. But, you get a perfectly acceptable meal. I would liken it to a 3 star hotel and possibly 4 star on gala nights. It used to be 4 star every night. Like others, I have had the privelige of dining in many Michelin starred restaurants over the years. Does it match those? Obviously not. But, I have to say that The Epicurean on Britannia does. The one on Ventura fell short, mostly down to service, but the food was still very good. So, if you aren't a 'foodie' and are content with a pretty good meal from (in my view) a good and varied selection each day, then the MDR will not dissapoint. If, however, you want to enjoy a top notch meal where both food and service are excellent, then just fork out a few pounds extra and use the Select Dining restaurants.

Your description is correct IMO.

43 cruises and counting.

I'm looking forward to it and the Epicurean is on my list, we're actually sailing on Britannia but I'm reading all the threads with interest. Of course everybody is entitled to their opinion and I understand that people have niggles and not everything can be perfect, but I expected a P&O forum to be largely utilised by people who rate the brand and I seem to read more negative comments than good! It's quite disheartening really! Ah well...

It is indeed hard to believe, because it's not true! Yes, I have described it as underwhelming and yes I am in the category that cruised with P&O years ago when they did it much better. But, you get a perfectly acceptable meal. I would liken it to a 3 star hotel and possibly 4 star on gala nights. It used to be 4 star every night. Like others, I have had the privelige of dining in many Michelin starred restaurants over the years. Does it match those? Obviously not. But, I have to say that The Epicurean on Britannia does. The one on Ventura fell short, mostly down to service, but the food was still very good. So, if you aren't a 'foodie' and are content with a pretty good meal from (in my view) a good and varied selection each day, then the MDR will not dissapoint. If, however, you want to enjoy a top notch meal where both food and service are excellent, then just fork out a few pounds extra and use the Select Dining restaurants.

I also agree that yours is a fair description and I would agree with you as well. Well said !!

I'm looking forward to it and the Epicurean is on my list, we're actually sailing on Britannia but I'm reading all the threads with interest. Of course everybody is entitled to their opinion and I understand that people have niggles and not everything can be perfect, but I expected a P&O forum to be largely utilised by people who rate the brand and I seem to read more negative comments than good! It's quite disheartening really! Ah well...

Apologies for going off the topic.

We have been on the Britannia several times and are back on her for Christmas and New Year. IMO she is a beautiful ship with a very contemporary design. I love the atrium and the theatre and in particular the Crystal Room for the dancing. I think Shelbourne's comments about the dining are a fair assessment. The buffet on Britannia is very well laid out compared to Azura and Ventura and I find the food there to be good. The Epicurean, Sindhu and Glasshouse are all well worth a visit.

Like you I thought this Forum would be more positive but a lot of people like myself who love P&O have given up commenting.

I'm looking forward to it and the Epicurean is on my list, we're actually sailing on Britannia but I'm reading all the threads with interest. Of course everybody is entitled to their opinion and I understand that people have niggles and not everything can be perfect, but I expected a P&O forum to be largely utilised by people who rate the brand and I seem to read more negative comments than good! It's quite disheartening really! Ah well...

Don't be we have always enjoyed our P&O cruises and I'm sure you will too.The pluses far exceed the minuses and for me a big meat eater it is only the lack of hot meat choice in the lunchtime buffet that stops it being almost perfect.

43 cruises and counting.

Rightly or wrongly, P&O has moved from offering a set dining experience to offering set dining, freedom dining; and select dining.

I would expect the select dining experience to be better than the set/freedom, if not why would I pay the premium.

If ever I am offered food which is below the standard I would expect, I would complain. I hear people on this forum complaining about ridiculous things such as the food is not seasoned enough - I can honestly say that I have NEVER added any additional seasoning on P&o and would therefore complain if it were over seasoned to deal with those who in my experience add salt before they even taste the food.

Joining the fish/batter debate, I can only say that I have no recollection of receiving fish where the batter to fish ratio was unacceptable. However, I don't doubt that it happens sometimes.

The Epicurean on Britannia was an extreme disappointment as we were expecting fine dining with fine service. That it wasn't, their menu was so restrictive, why put Chateaubriand on the menu with no other meat choice and say for 2 only. My wife only eats fish so little or no choice for me. Suggest their take the Celebrity approach, whatever the customer wants they can have (obviously within reason). Their Murano restaurant will knock spots off any restaurant aboard Britannia and they are there too please. Wake up P&O, your customer deserve better.

Totally agree about Murano. The best food that we have experienced at sea. In fact all food on Celebrity was excellent.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I know I am one of those Dai considers a moaner. However I am not anti P&O- I want to love them. Yes as it happens for me Celebrity is a far superior cruise line - however they don't operate year round from Southampton. I want P&O to up their game and provide food in the MDR to the standard it was 4 or 5 years ago, and if that costs a bit extra so be it. I want to be able to go on a cruise from Southampton and know that I'll get a lovely dinner. Yes I don't mind occasionally paying extra for a better experience (and I agree Murano would be hard to beat) but I want the standard experience to be good. I personally would like more non-fish choices but I can live with less choice for quality meat and veg etc cooked well

Veg on board is always a disappointment to me...never enough choice....and as for green beans with just about any offering...yuk, whatever happened to green cabbage (my favourite).

As the green beans are from a tin or frozen (or both) it is just a cheap easy option imho.

Now as for salad choices........:evilsmile:

On our recent 35 night cruise on Oceana we found the food in the MDR to be very good, there was not a lot of repetition (apart from the green beans of course). We felt it slightly better than previous cruises on Azura, Britannia and Arcadia. We can only assume that the menu was set up for a longer cruise? We were on a table for 6 and dined in the MDR every evening except 1 where we went to the buffer which was good, not a massive choice but tasty. Our table companions went to the Beach house on 1 occasion each, one couple said it was very good the other said they found it so-so. We all agreed that the food overall was good.

Having cruised for over 20 years with various cruise lines I consider that food standards have fallen, however I feel we may have been hoisted by our own petards by driving prices down. In real terms we are paying less for cruises now than we did in the mid nineties.

It may seem that way but when you get the same people saying the same things over and over again then it does get monotonous. I can accept that the MDR food is not up to standard for some but others are perfectly happy with it but how anyone can say the food in the Epicurean is poor astounds me. Of course we all want top notch at a knock down price but that isn't going to happen.

We've always had really hit-and-miss experiences in Epicurean, and it's previous incarnation. We've had everything from stale bread, cheese from the buffet, undercooked potatos to the most nights where everything has been top-notch. So i can understand how some people can leave thinking the food is poor. I think it's a consistency issue, which top resturants tend to not suffer.

I have also had a poor experience in the Epicurean, we went on my wife's 60th.

No complaints about the food but the service was bad, especially for the dinning experience we were expecting.

The restaurant was 3/4 empty (8.30 pm) we had the starter, then main course and by then there were only a hand full of people left. Our plates were taken away and we sat there for about 10 minutes 5 of which were without a drink and no staff in sight, I then got up took our bottle out of the ice bucket and fill up our glasses myself. At this point a waitress came over saying allow me to do that but I just said no thank you as I was half way through it.

I thought maybe the service would get better after that but no. We sat there for another 5 minutes with no mention of a sweet and so just got up and left.

The trouble was that I had forgotten that they had my card and so I had to returned later in the evening to retrieve it.

I should have said something at that stage but had had a few drinks and being the sort of person who either says nothing or goes over the top decided to leave it and put it down to experience.

Love Sindu and Beach House, service is great in both.

Last year was our 25th wedding anniversary and so we went on Britannia to the fjords. Loved the cruise and we dined in Epicurean, Sindu, as well as the Limelight club. We loved Sindu, a lot, really nice meal. But we were slightly disappointed with Epicurean. Food was good, if some of the food combinations were a little odd, service was excellent, it just seeemd to lack something. Neither my wife or myself could put our finger on what but we left feeling a little underawed. We will give it another go on Ventura in June.