GirlyCruiser

If you read the link from EXPAT you will see they were NOT my words. That was the opinion of the person who wrote the article. I do not assume that all people who remove the gratuities pay nothing.

I wasn't saying they were your words, apologies if you got that impression. I just meant it seems to be the thinking by some people; not just on here but on other forums as well.

Sam.

I had a card through the post today too. I haven't had emails from P&O for a good few years now and looking at my account could never figure out why as I hadn't opted out of being contacted. Anyway, today I tried to log in to update as they said on the card but had to re-register for an account as going through the 'forgot password' route didn't work. So I've again ticked boxes to remain in Peninsular and for emails so I'll see if I start getting them again.

Off topic but I've just booked a couple of tours for our Iceland cruise in June, can't wait!! :D I tried to book yesterday but the cruise personaliser decided to go down and then 'under maintenance' so was glad to get them booked today.

Sam.

If they could not be adjusted to zero then there is a compulsory element to it, once there is a compulsory element, then the price HAS to be reflected in the cruise price, if the contract is being enacted by any UK agent, by law.

I see what you are saying there. You could adjust it to zero but you would have to go to reception to do so like we do now. This would possibly just make the ques a bit shorter. One day they may decide to include tips in the fare, or even give you the option to include it in the fare. You never know :)

Sam.

You still seem to think that those who remove tips are miserly. We remove tips, and tip accordingly. It may not be how you do it, please don’t judge others by what you do.

 

 

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I didn't want to add that to my last comment, but yes, I agree that it does seem that on here and other forums there seems to be an opinion that if you remove the auto tips then it is assumed that you won't be tipping much or anything at all. I know there is a minority that this certainly will apply to but it is wrong to try and tar everyone with the same brush. At the end of the day is it really our business as to who opts out and why (unless they have already stated on a public forum ;))?

Sam.

Believe me Mary I think I understood exactly what you were saying and I really didn't think it was that you thought the gratuities should be included in the price of the cruise. I have been saying on this thread and the other thread that I want the gratuities included in the price of the cruise. You are certainly not the first on this forum to say that.

Afternoon everyone. I love reading about gratuities on forums, always interesting to read other peoples reactions and points of view! So, here is mine. I know it'll never happen but what if P&O started at a base rate for auto tips at, for example £5, and then it was up to the passenger to raise or lower the amount as they see fit. P&O could set a minimum maybe so that it couldn't be zero. If you feel the staff really do go above and beyond then you can raise the amount as you see fit. In an ideal world you could do this on the in cabin tv so no waiting at reception unless you wanted to go back to tipping the old (and still much used) way.

I do agree that it would be useful to include the tips in the price or maybe somehow add them to the cruise personaliser to pay at a date before you sail.

Sam.

Someone once suggested to me to take tablets a day or 2 before your cruise to get it into your system and then the first day or two onboard. Only ever did it the first year and thankfully not had many problems since. I agree with the ginger (or the ginger biscuits in your cabin) and I also found getting outside on to the prom deck helped me on Oceana once, midships of course :)

I think in regards to this we all have our own preference as to what time we arrive. Some of us have to travel quite a distance and can't risk traffic and hold ups from accidents etc. We're sailing from Mayflower next week and as I'm at work all week travelling down the day before is not possible. We will still leave our normal time and I'll take a magazine or my kindle to read in the terminal as we could arrive a good hour or more before our boarding time. I've not sailed from Mayflower for years as always been Ocean terminal or QE2. Just give me a glass of bubbly at sail away and I'll be a happy bunny :D

Just wondered whether Arcadia has the Red/White & Blue flag pain job on the front as the picture on here from March seems to not have it, yet I thought the whole fleet were done last year. :)

http://www.shipparade.com/az/Arcadia/Arcadia.htm#Photos

 

Keith (Southend)

Hi Southendweather, I've found a video on you tube that's about a month old and it looks as though the funnel has been painted blue but no Union Jack yet. I believe it's one of those ongoing jobs as I'm sure one or two other ships were painted up in ports instead of going for a refurb and spruce up in dry dock.

Like Presto2 I've been sitting on my hands too. I've read this on a previous post not too long ago. It is not always possible to adjust arrangements as a previous poster has suggested, especially for those with quite a distance to travel and having to allow for any possible hold ups etc on the roads. I'm afraid I'll probably be one of those awful "selfish" passengers and turn up before my given time on the e tickets. And yes, I know I'll have to sit and wait in the terminal for a while but I don't care as for me main thing is that I'm at the terminal and not stuck in traffic somewhere panicking about missing check in. As for lunch on the ship on embark day, im not worried about lunch as long as I get a glass of bubbly at sail away :D

I sometimes find I have to refresh the page and then it shows the current picture. Unless you clear the history every time you close your browser it will often show the page more or less as it was last viewed. I find this happens quite a lot using Safari on the iPad.

We always book a Select Fare direct with P&O, and we always have a book with luggage labels, excursion information, etc. Nice touch, I think.

Obviously we have managed without the book and printing our own labels but I agree the book is a nice touch and something they should do for everyone.

It must have been something to do with our TA then why we've received one this year as we've not tried the saver fare option yet and always gone with select fare. We've booked with other TA's in the past and also direct with p&o. I'm starting to think that the last time we had a book could have the last time we used Thomson. Maybe the other TA's have clicked the go green button without asking us. My other half's parents have always had the pre cruise book and labels and they have used the same TA for years.

We've always booked select fare so far or what ever they've called it over the years lol! The only other thing I can think of is that we booked with Thomson or TUI as I think they're now known, and we've not used them for quite some time but I can't imagine that who we book through should make any difference. I won't miss stapling the labels and smothering them in celotape this year that's for sure! I've still got last year's on the cases!

Morning all, had a surprise come through in the post a couple of days ago. We've actually received a holiday information brochure. We've got actual luggage labels!! I won't have to print my own ones!! :D If I sound over excited its because we've not had one of these brochures for years. I can't remember the last one they sent us. I'm just wondering how come they've sent us one this year and not for past cruises? We're only doing a 7 night cruise this year and the only thing I've done differently is that I've not booked any excursions yet. I've filled in all the pre cruise info online so can't think what else could be their reason. Anyone else experienced this sort of thing??

I did think to myself this morning; I wonder what embarkation time the cruise winners from Saturday Night Takeaway have got?! Lol!!

Eeek! Apologies! I've posted on here and seemed to have muddled together 2 different posts I'd been reading into one response on here. Feel a total numpty now lol!

Don't forget your cruise was on adult only ship, and was 'out of season' with a lot people on the ship who are not restricted to when & where they holiday with no work commitments. I know it was a Northern Lights cruise (hopefully you got to see them and it looked fantastic) but if I was on Oriana at this time of the year I'd expect it to a bit "floating old folks home" too!! I know the older people tend to prefer the adult only ships as there's no children but am hoping for a slightly better mix of ages when we go in June. We haven't been on an adult only ship since Arcadia about 10 years ago so we usually sail out of school holidays so there's not as many children on board. We have to factor in each others jobs when choosing a cruise so are a bit restricted to when we go.

As for the food, as other people have said & sorry if I've missed your answer, did you mention to it anyone on board? Am hoping food will be good when we go!

With a 4 hour long car journey, we usually leave home about 8am (allowing for delays etc) and after stopping somewhere for a break we usually get to the terminal about 1pm-ish. As long as I get to Southampton a good time I'm not bothered about waiting in the que for the CPS parking,waiting in the terminal or when my cabin is ready. The main thing is I am THERE in time. Once we arrive I feel my holiday has started & I can relax. The car journey always stresses me out a little so I'd hate to leave later just to arrive at an allocated time. It's personal preference at the end of the day & if you're prepared to arrive a bit earlier and wait then that's what you do. The main fact is we have got there & I can see the SHIP!!! :)

On our first night on Britannia last year we were woken up at about 11.30pm by the whistle going and the Captain asking all crew to go to muster stations due to smoke in the Engine Room. Believe me, it frightened the life out of us - as it did those passengers who saw crew in the bar areas just down tools and put life jackets on etc!

 

Thankfully, this was not a real emergency (smoke had been sucked in to the Engine Room and this had been seen on a camera so the crew member on watch had hit the emergency button in line with procedure) and it was handled brilliantly by the Captain and his senior officers. Quite a lot of people complained about the fright they received, but I would prefer that to the Captain of the Concordia's approach. Just because the Captain on that ship was an idiot doesn't mean that we should think that they all are ....

 

Have to say, that sitting up in bed in the dark with all of the messages from the Captain coming over the in cabin system that night we both agreed that in between messages we were thinking of the Muster Drill - i.e. what to wear, what we needed to take with us and the route to our Muster Station if we needed to move.

 

We found the Muster Drills were taken far more seriously on P&O than on Celebrity and RCI. I do think that they need to take note of who does and does not turn up though.

We had that last year on Ventura. Middle of the night the whistle sounded and they called crew down to deck 2. They thought it was fire in one of the washing machines but was just smoke from the faulty machine. Does make you think though! Took me ages to get back to sleep! Agree with previous reply though that if pax are doing back to back then they don't need to go. I must admit I kind of enjoy muster drills, all part of the experience for me.

I remember one cruise we did, we were in the muster drill at Southampton and there were people walking around outside. One couple even had a child in a pushchair with them. You could tell they weren't bothered about the drill as they didn't appear to be carrying life jackets. I can't recall which ship we were on (def P&O though) but I remember we had to meet at the show lounge at the rear of the ship so you had a good view of people walking around the prom deck.

Our nextdoor neighbours received their pre-cruise book yesterday with luggage labels, I'm not sure if they ever fill their details online or just wait for the book. My sister & her OH are going on their first cruise with us next weekend so I thought they might get a book but they haven't. They hadn't clicked the 'go green' button online but had filled in their details so maybe by giving pre-cruise info online we are automatically taking ourselves off the mailing list :confused:

Sam.

Thanks for that shipmiss. Glad its nothing major for everyone on board. I guess that is one of the hazards of a such a tall ship being unable to dock due to the wind. I imagine everyone onboard is enjoying the extra time in Oslo.

Sam.

Has anyone else noticed that Britannia is in Oslo a day early? Have just been looking through webcamsinnorway.com and came across her berthed on the Oslo cam. According to P&O's website she was meant to be in Kristiansand today and Oslo tomorrow. Maybe they have had to swap ports for some reason or maybe there has been poor weather at sea so they are there for the night. Hopefully that it is the only reason for Britannia being there and they have not had any other problems.

Sam.

We bought the luggage tags in April for our cruise on Ventura the same month and tags were fine folded

Were your labels the new style ones? As we didn't cruise last year I don't know when the luggage labels changed to the new style ones.

Sam x

We have booked one cruise direct with P&O in the past, had no problems at all. Also have used a cruise specialist agent, though at the time there were no discounts and where ever I looked everyone was charging the same price as apparently there was no discounts passed to agents by cruise companies. I would definitely book direct again but wouldn't rule out using a travel agent either. We are booked with co-op travel this year as my dad has booked for six of us. I guess sometimes you go where the best deals are or you stay loyal to a local agent if they give you fantastic service. I know our neighbours have booked with the same travel agent for a good few years now.

Sam.