AndyMichelle

Same on Britannia, but we did see a Japanese guy refuse the hand sanitiser, but he was the only one. The bigger worry for me was in the toilets. Lots of men do not wash their hands...

Not quite taking on your challenge MB, I am not that brave... 😊 But I have been comparing like for like for 7 nights Fjords next year and there isn't much between P&O, Princess and Cunard, if you take into account the expected better experience. Our balcony, select fare, same cabin as this year on Britannia is £350 dearer then we paid this year, with slightly less obc. Princess, including Plus, was obviously dearer, but if you take into account what we spent on board and if we used the WiFi, there was about £100 difference. (I would definitely drink more) 😂 Iona was slightly higher than Britannia, but had better ports (Flam). I know the bargains can still be found, but I think they are getting less and less on the popular cruises. Andy

Totally agree with all you say. It is nothing like the pre covid offering, but a lot of the cuts haven't really affected my ability to have a good holiday, but I drastically have to adapt my expectations. We are looking elsewhere and have Cunard booked, but as you have pointed out, things are changing there too. P&O still offer enough for me to have a good time, at the moment... The bigger worry for me is that like for like prices are creeping up, whilst standards continue to drop. The argument of being so much cheaper is diminishing. We did see a few instances of not great behaviour, but there is still thousands of lovely people having a great time without offending anyone. Andy

I agree it doesn't sound like a signature dish, you don't have to buy it though... The MDR on Britannia offers a signature 3 course meal for £14.95, it didn't look very inspiring, so we didn't buy it. It took nothing away from the included menu, and it seems like the Golden Lion is the same. These are not things that used to be free, at least not in recent history. Ice cream is not included on P&O, but many buy it. Is Costa Coffee 'premium'? Like everything on this thread, we have choices to make, and always have... If we don't like it, we know what to do. Andy

Portsmouth to Southampton is an easy journey with a few alternative routes, so no real worries there. I would allow about an hour. Be careful not to assume all hotels with a PO postcode are in Portsmouth, you could easily end up on the Isle of Wight... A suggestion for parking. Get hubby to drop you, the kids and your bags at the port and park in West Quay car park. It is a few minutes drive and 10-15 min walk back, costs £6 per day. You take your ticket with you, there is a barrier and pay when returning to your car. If you have the budget, the Loen skylift is worth doing. Exploring the snow covered mountains, going inside a real Igloo and messing about in the snow is great fun. Have a fantastic time. Andy

This is at Haugesund, which is only a 950m walk into the town, so for many, and in P&Os eyes, a shuttle bus is not required. The problem is, it's over a steep bridge, which obviously causes issues for some. I didn’t think the shuttle bus was anything to do with P&O, but I may be wrong. I don't see this one as a cutbacks, as I don't believe it was ever offered free, but again, I could be wrong. Andy

Yes, we struggled to get ' Grandad' over the bridge, so he got the bus back. Fortunately I am able, so managed to have a fantastic walk out to the lighthouse then a nice coffee in an independent bakery. I agree though, the town is uninspiring. Andy

Unless this has changed as well since last week, you can and they do encourage you to bring your own reusable cups and are happy to fill them. Obviously this is only for take aways, you still get a 'proper' cup if you drink in. Andy

And Wednesday when we were there. It made all the difference in Haugesund as last year the weather was miserable and didn't really take to the place but saw it in a completely different light in the sunshine. Andy

Do I still need to wear black tie😂

We compared 2 nearly identical Fjords cruises for next year on Britannia and Princess. Obviously Princess was more expensive as it included Plus, but adding on what we spent this year on Britannia, P&O were still a couple of hundred pounds cheaper. Obviously we would get WiFi etc on Princess that we didn't have or need on Britannia. I think it seems a very fair price and I would have a go at drinking that extra £200😂 From reports, that is not that big a difference for what sounds like a better offering, so we will give it a go. Andy

Have a great time, with or without your bottle. Andy

It is a chance you take, but we have had a few saver fares on other ships and mostly been good. You may be lucky, but I'm sure you will make the most of it. You are still at sea, being fed and entertained, I just hope you can get a good night's sleep. Andy

If they ban mini cheddars, all hell will break loose in my house😂

I bet that caused a stir in Olden. They wave flags and sing when I go😂