terrierjohn

Unfortunately many TAs now only show discounts on your final invoice, I guess they are a bit cagey about providing a paper quote if they suspect you're going to use it to price match with the cruise line. They will of course give you a quote of the cruise line price, which I am sure P&O are only too happy to confirm they will PRICE MATCH.

Never known the price to increase before the TAs have booked all their clients, and rather strangely TAs get first pick of the cabins since they start at 8:00am, whereas P&O don't commence bookings until 9:00am.

But not really of much real benefit to you, since you have the drinks package.

It certainly did take forever via the priority channel, which was at the furthest end of the terminal, and involved a trek both from the main entrance to security, and from the security scanners all the way back to the exit to the gangway, and then same again to the start of the air bridge and then several layers of swichback to the actual entry to the ship. Or at least it did pushing a wheelchair.

If this is Arvia's menu then it seems very odd that having increased the seating capacity for the Olive Grove from Iona because it was so popular, they have then decimated its menu. One can only wonder what on earth P&O were thinking.

I know I am out of touch with the music scene nowadays, but I can usually recognise artists from their media coverage. But somehow P&O manage to find Limelight entertainers that I have never heard of.

Pete, you're a right private Frazer when it comes to P&O's future.

They are no more shaded than any of the other balconies on A and B deck and they have no overhang as most of the Riviera deck balconies have

No indication that they are offering you a free dinner in one of the upmarket speciality restaurants, as compensation then. We were treated to a free Japanese hibashii meal on RCIs Independence in 2019 after merely commenting that we had less than their usual stellar service in the Sorrento pizza restaurant.

I wonder if the advertised refreshing of both Aurora and Arcadia help to maintain their popularity, whether P&O might extend the refurbishment even further. If so it is possible that both ships could continue for much longer than has been the expectation on this forum. It will be expensive for P&O if they are to improve the onboard experience, but the likes of Oceania and Azamara do manage to maintain a luxury pricing on ships that are quite elderly.

Wowzz what is going on, please don't tell me that the Princess experience is going downhill, what about the wonderful Medallion system is it not working properly?

Have you been able to book an accessible cabin on a saver fare? We did ask out TA to try that for us once but no way, granted it was a balcony cabin which may be different, but really why should it.

+1

With the well known north Midlands on line TA the balance is only requested 7 days early, and even that can be later if you request it, as I just did for a Princess cruise. However if booking a saver fare and not requesting a specific cabin the added knowledge that a TA possesses is not really required.

Who the heck is Keith Lemon?

We don't mind visiting the same ports, as wheelchair users we have done most of the accessible shore excursions, and now just prefer to have a casual stroll, hopefully along a level promenade, and then a coffee or beer, depending on the weather, at a sidewalk cafe, and then spend the rest of the day relaxing on board. But I accept that will not suit everyone.

I suspect Oceana might be a has bean can now!!!

It would be preferable for us if they did, my DW needs access from the right hand side and likes the L/H side flush with the wall, it makes her feel safer. The set up on Azura, Ventura and Britannia's balcony cabins is her ideal bedroom configuration.

Very useful photos TigerB, although I don't think we would want an inside cabin, do you know how that cabin would be set up as 2 single beds, would both beds be pushed up against the walls, or have a gap on both sides?

But was it an accessible cabin, my DW could not cope with a standard bathroom, she needs a wheel in bathroom and the extra space that an accessible cabin provides for moving around the cabin in her wheelchair .

It can feel very annoying when prices are lowered late on to fill up empty cabins, but often the advertised prices are only for guarantee cabins where you have no choice in cabin location, and you could end up in a very undesirable location. We normally have to book early to ensure we obtain an accessible cabin, and can never take advantage of last minute bargains, however for several years before covid, we benefitted because prices generally increased nearer to cruise date.

Along with most phones boxes.

Wheelchair users can use tenders on Royal caribbean and Celebrity, and sometimes Princess, that of course is if they use shore side tenders with roll on/off facilities. Not sure why P&O did not have the same sort of stair lift arrangement as Celebrities Solstice ships do, or the ramped arrangement that Freedom class Royal Caribbean ships have?

Like all the pre booking systems on the app, the experience is only as good as those using it. Possibly the main reason for its failure could be the software programme, on our first Iona cruise it was showing as fully booked, although it did pop up occasionally on the virtual queue, which I did book one night. We were ready about 6:30 so we joined the queue, and immediately our table was ready, it was fairly empty when we arrived, and still only just over half full as we left about 75 minutes later. I can only surmise that a lot of early bookers decided not to go, but never cancelled the booking. On our most recent cruise in Feb, we pre booked for 2 nights and each time it was fairly full, maybe Moley is correct and passengers are beginning to learn how to use the app., and the restaurant was still managing to accept some walk ins, even if they had to wait up to 30 minutes for a table.

We were also alongside on Ventura.