Britboys

On 6/30/2023 at 3:42 PM, davecttr said:

Plated items served from behind glass screens is the best solution but as it involves more staff the cheap cruise lines won't do it...

I'm sure you make a good point there but on the Ambassador Ambience, which could be described as "cheap", the buffet is set out 'food court' style with the vast majority of food being dispensed by staff behind the counters. Not sure if their second ship is of the same style.

The behaviour of a number of people at my brother-in-law's wake last Wednesday left me aghast. There was a buffet equipped with tongs, spoons and forks but so many people just shoved their hands in to pick up food...

1 hour ago, Aulanis said:

LOL!   I did look at what we were paying and adjusted our expectations accordingly.

compared to our  P&O 14 day cruise Tenerife to Malta in March including flights it was expensive but in view of the hype  they give themselves  offering Great food Great Entertainment  Great Ports  thought paying the extra for a Premium service acceptable.

    Presumably  we now have to adjust our expectations  to the price the cruise is now  

so are  expected to accept Poor food  Poor Entertainment and  Poor Service.

Fortunately the ports will be whatever we make of them.

The marketing could be a bit clearer as what they are saying is they offer 'premium value' rather than a 'premium experience'. I've only sailed with them once so far but would say they offer a solid 3-star experience. I found the food to be decent without being exceptional, the entertainment very good quality in a simpler way and the service to be pretty good.

I am sailing with them again for 6 nights later this year and did look at booking again for next year but found the itineraries heavily weighted to Norway and Round-Britain or significantly longer cruises, which is not what I want for next year.

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

Well I was supposed to be out of isolation early this morning. The isolation letter I have clearly stated that and I had been repeatedly assured by the medical team this was the case. No one called this morning. At just before 11am, hours later than promised, I was informed isolation was now 48 hours.

 

I am now stuck in for another 24 hours which has nothing to do with my health, I am perfectly fine now. The German port authorities require 48 hours isolation after the last symptom so I am stuck in a claustrophobic little cabin for another 24 hours so that others can get into Warnamude. If it was actually to do with “health” it would have been implemented days ago as there have certainly been many cases, so clearly it is not. It’s purely commercial in my opinion as they received an email from the Port of Rostock at 7 pm last night (someone was indiscreet enough to tell me that).

 

Add to that the fact that I didn’t order breakfast or lunch as I thought I would free. The menu is extremely limited anyway, papp really as I’m not allowed to order from the normal menu. As I now feel perfectly fine I am really hungry so add starvation to the list of complaints.

 

I don’t feel well treated by Fred Olsen at all and feel that I have been locked in for another 24 hours just so they can enter a port. I also feel that I am being punished for doing the right thing, those like me who are responsible and report the issue get locked down and those who are not get to actually enjoy their cruise once they feel better, they just wander back out and about.

 

So I am bored rigid, hungry and stuck in for another 24 hours for no sound medical reason. Some holiday!

 

So sorry to hear this and hope things are back to normal for you really quickly now. As you say, it seems to be luck of the draw. I've been on several P&O cruises where there has been a significant outbreak and walked past many cabins near mine that are receiving isolation treatment but so far 🤞🏻 I've not been struck down with it.

19 hours ago, Aulanis said:

 

Ambassador pester you to leave a review on trust pilot - I recommend you read some

of them.  Interestingly they dont respond to bad reviews .

 

For me it is so far so bad, we have no experience of cruising with Ambassador but the recent round of price cuts has meant we have paid well over the odds as a reward for booking early.   Also mentioned in reviews on TP

We have been away on a cruise and on our return thought we would get up to speed with
Ambassador.

Have to say I was shocked to find we paid around £400 each more for our standard plus inside cabin than they are now offering it at although the category is showing as wait listed???   So why still advertise it?

That is more then I have ever seen in a price drop on our 30 previous cruise.

I understand the price paid  is contractual so as I have seen other lines sometimes
cover the price drop with OBC  or an upgrade  I have asked our TA to see if anything is available.

They say it is unlikely but will try- could take 7 days for an answer!  Having since read TP

I think I know the answer.

Moving on from that I have been trying to find out when embarkation time is and find that the web site is pretty abysmal.   3 differing suggestions as to that!   Not our exact time but just an indication of when embarkation might BEGIN would help.  I have emailed them.
Auto response suggests 14 days for a reply.   Daft thing is it says I can request a callback
within 2 days??   go figure!   I might even try that.

More great news  Guest act  ” Mr Showbiz ”   Jimmy Nairn  been in the entertainment business  for 50 years .....   never heard of him,  anyone else?

So no good points so far including "for my convenience and comfort they are fixing the inside temperature on the ship at 21/22 deg " so doesnt sound ideal for sleeping.

Anyway its not true according to several reviews of winter cruises.   I think it must be

ambassador speak for  if its hot you cant cool it and if its cold you cant make it warmer.

   I am going to use this as the start of my review tho it will end up  TLTR.

I have seen massive price cuts on many lines this summer, including Fred Olsen, P&O, Cunard and Princess. Much more so than in previous years. So far it does seem that Ambassador are quite good at upgrading early-bookers.

Embarkation times are done by deck with the higher decks starting earliest, generally from about midday onwards. They do ask pax not to arrive early (certainly at Tilbury) as the Terminal has limited facilities.

It may be easier to call them. Most people seem to get through quite quickly and get their questions answered.

Parakeets are taking over the bird world... Be afraid...😂

6 hours ago, laslomas said:

Before making any significant purchase I always ensure the product meets what I want to buy with my hard earned cash. This includes when I buy a cruise holiday. I do a bit of research and reading. Doesn't everyone? Why buy something that is not really what you are happy with and then try to bend or break the rules and guidelines?

There are cruise lines out there to suit everyone. Just research the product as you would with any big purchase. I got it wrong once, and learnt from that and didn't book with them again.

 

In respect of "Doesn't everyone?", sadly the answer is no. Not particularly this forum but on other Social Media groups I am on, it is really scary how little some people know about what they have booked in respect of cruises. People book on line or through a tv sales company and sometimes have no idea of what to expect. With the introduction of ever-bigger ships and lower prices, the industry is attracting new to cruise customers who previously may have only done hotel holiday packages and some assume that a cruise is no different to that...

14 hours ago, snaefell said:

I really don't care what anyone wears anywhere,anytime,people should be able to wear what they want anytime.

We all have our own views on this issue. I respect yours and hopefully you respect mine.

48 minutes ago, david63 said:

I would not altogether disagree but once you start having one system for one ship and/or terminal and another system for another ship and/or terminal then you start getting confusion so I can understand the reasoning behind one system for all ships at all terminals.

 

That is not to say that I believe that the current system is ideal - in fact far from it.

 

Basically this is hole that P&O have dug for themselves by not enforcing arrival times in the past

Agreed. Joe & Jane Public can be really difficult, as over 13 years in a customer service type role proved to me. Whilst it may not be likely, it is quite possible that operating different systems could lead to near riots at check-in for the big ships if loads of pax turn up expecting to get on the minute they arrive, regardless of their embarkation time...

1 minute ago, Snow Hill said:

Wouldn’t bother me, when we shared tables on a short cruise I wore my one and only suit, whilst others on the table were in dinner suits, did get a few muttering though, good job wasn’t wearing smart casual they would have had be swab the decks or worse still walking the plank . 😂

I don't have any issues with people wearing lounge/business suits on Formal Nights...

2 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

A bit of Heras fencing down the middle, smart casual one side formal the other. 😂

No, definitely a solid fence so you wouldn't have to look at the scruffs... 😉😂

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Allow smart casual everywhere . Folk can still dress up if they want.

That wouldn't work for everyone, me included. Whilst I don't judge the person by the clothes, I wouldn't want to sit in the mdr on Formal Night in Black Tie gear with the person next to me being in smart jeans and short-sleeve shirt. It would just ruin any sense of occasion for me.

2 hours ago, Denarius said:

Or more logically allow smart casual dress in one of the (freedom dining) MDRs.

Not sure how that would work on the two smaller ships though as they only have one Freedom Dining restaurant/area... Could be a good solution on all the ships with 2+ Freedom Dining mdr's though.

5 minutes ago, Summergee said:

How stable are Ambassador's ships?

I've only sailed on Ambience and we didn't encounter any lively seas. I have seen on another forum that when the weather has become particularly bad, Ambassador have made seasickness tablets available free of charge at the reception.

Ambition is only on her maybe third or fourth cruise with Ambassador...

On 6/19/2023 at 4:53 PM, yekram said:

We have pre booked cabin number 3725 and I believe it is right under the live room. Could any advise if they encountered any noise from above. Really thinking of changing to deck six or seven just need some advice - Thanks

I was in something like 3035 on Discovery 2 in 2018 and found it very quiet.

Fred's launch and early prices are crazy - and even moreso for solos. I totally agree with many comments above that the strategy doesn't seem to be working.

I must say however that there have been major price cuts/late deals on all the lines sailing ex uk and indeed further afield this summer.

On 6/19/2023 at 9:49 PM, Mrscw said:

Hi we are due to sail in July to the Artic circle land of the midnight sun cruise, I thought the Ambition was a new ship in the Ambassador line. 

We have sailed to many places around the world and was really looking for ward to this one. We used to use Cruise and Maritime before they ceased trading.

She is new to Ambassador but began her service in 1999. Her last major refit as far as cabins/public rooms is concerned was in 2019 when she went into service with Aida Cruises.

On 6/20/2023 at 2:18 PM, Summergee said:

We love Cunard but having seen the adverts for Ambassador we want to find out more. Has anyone had experience of this cruise line?

You can't make a direct comparison between Cunard and Ambassador. Ambassador offer a budget option in cruising aboard older ships. Food is fine but not gourmet. Cabins comfortable but neither luxurious nor contemporary. Entertainment is very good and the crew are lovely.

Feel free to ask any specific questions.

On 6/20/2023 at 12:14 PM, gsmt47471015 said:

Having just returned from a two week Med cruise on Azura, these are our thoughts .

We last sailed on her in 2018 and although she has had some refurbishment and various colour scheme changes in places, the layout was vary familiar and we soon found our way around.

Check in at Malta was swift ,we were onboard by 1300 and our cabin was ready for us, a quick drink and bite to eat and out for a wander around .

First impressions were that the ship appeared busy but staff were doing a good job of guiding incoming passengers to muster station registration and helping people find their way around.

Back on board ,luggage delivered to cabin , shower ,change and down to the Meridian for evening meal, and managed to get a table for two without a pager and by and large the meal was good, all good so far but the recurring theme was the luke warm vegetables and the choices were less than before and smaller portions.

Next day was a sea day and then it hit us just how busy the ship was, trying to get a sunbed after 10 am , pah dream on ,eventually found two near the outdoor cinema upper deck but crammed in like sardines, next stop buffet, are you kidding, not a seat to be had anywhere (we never go in before 10am to avoid the rush) ,in time we blagged a table and ate around 10.45 ,food choice has decreased considerably and has been mentioned before, no trays, forward planning needed to make sure you don't have multiple trips to the counter , waited until 14.15 to go for lunch and ended up in another free for all with tables etc ,food choice again very limited .Back outside and cinema now in full swing and so many people in such a tight space made it pretty awkward to concentrate on reading.

Decided to try the Meridian again for evening meal , pager required for table for two ,no worries Question, when is a table for two not a table for two? Answer when ten are lined up side by side so close you could converse with nearly all the other diners, vegetable's once again sparingly and not overly hot with only one different main from the previous evening.

All  the ports we visited were excellent and getting on and off the ship was fairly easy considering how many folk were on her, ate out every lunchtime as couldn't face the limited and monotonous choice in the buffet, however on one sea day we ate in the restaurant but again the choices were so pro vegetarian / vegan/gluton free we , me in particular, struggled to find anything we would like , and once again sat in a line of ten two seat tables.

We booked the Beach house as we always enjoy the food there ,however the cover charge has increased and the menu has changed to a more spicy Mexica/Caribbean theme with some of the popular deserts removed ,so not quite as we expected ( perhaps we should have taken a look at the menu before booking).

We ate mostly in the Glasshouse and this was one area of the ship that felt just as it used to ,friendly ,good value and well staffed with excellent service and good choices of HOT food, it did get busier the longer the cruise went on but we always managed to get a table.

So as for Azura how is she looking?  For her age pretty good but if you look hard enough there are signs of wear and tear, the plumbing has a mind of its own and the most awful raw sewage smell is often present on the open decks at times

The biggest difference we noted from 2018 is the clientele , its a while since we did a cruise without it been adults only and we now know why, the behaviour of some kids was unacceptable ,one group had to be told by another guest to stop jumping in the aft pool even though their mother was filming them with the no jumping or diving sign right in front of them, they were not overly impressed at been asked to stop, next day they were in the main pool as we sat and had a drink at breakers bar ,jumping, diving ,throwing towels in and there is mother filming them again under the no jumping /diving signs ,lo and behold two of her party join her and they all start throwing themselves in repeatedly, staff did nothing to stop it.

A lad with his mother and another lady attempted to access the meridian wearing shorts, the maitre d informed him it was smart casual evening and he would have to change to enter , he agitated that his shorts were smart casual and would not give in but neither would the maitre d, his mother stood like a wet lettuce and let him give the staff grief before he stomped off to get changed, people clicking fingers at staff to get there attention in bars and in one case whistling at them , it is so embarrassing, in most cases the staff are more educated than those they are asked to serve and better mannered.

In closing its fair to say that a vast amount of people on this cruise were first timers ,more so in the first week and this was evident as the Baltic/Ligurian lunch had just 18 of us.

Will we sail on Azura again? current thinking is no ,same with the other big ships if the type of passengers who are the target for P and O are as we witnessed in the first week, the difference in our recent 65nighter on Aurora and 14nights on Azura are like chalk and cheese, World cruise next and then we will see if standards have slipped on Arcadia .

These are just our personal observations and thoughts ,others will have a different view so please don't shoot the messenger    

We've had a similar experience of Azura but at different times. I felt she was very crowded on both the cruises I did on her. Also, I agree about the current menus- they really don't work sell for me...

On 6/14/2023 at 2:49 PM, PurpleMoonlight said:

Wait, what!

 

You have to use the blasted app for breakfast or queue for a table?

To be fair to P&O, queuing for a table in the mdr for breakfast has happened for many years on the smaller ships anyway...

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Wonder what on earth could have caused a false report?

Maybe a crew member or passenger thought they might have seen someone go overboard or perhaps a passenger missing on the ship. If the latter however there would have been a number of announcements asking them to call reception...

Looks like Russell Robson is at the helm for my cruise this year. A new name to me, so it will be interesting. Simon Love is the primary Captain for Aurora these days it seems. He did a great job on her last summer - especially the day we went nowhere mid-mediterranean when having to rescue some migrants from a broken down boat.

1 hour ago, daiB said:

Which for cruising are next to usless. We used them for our first 4/5 cruises but by then I knew more than them. Changed to a cruise specialist.

I went to them in 2018 Dai, purely because I was booking a cruise that was their own brand. They proudly told me that they could match the price on their own website but would have to levy a £30 booking fee. I promptly went home and booked it online...

1 hour ago, david63 said:

But it does not mean that they dealt with a cruise specialist

Indeed - my post was actually meant to imply that they definitely didn't book with a cruise specialist.

19 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Our friends from Boston Lincs came over yesterday so we went out for dinner and the usual loads of drinks.They've got this dodgy firestick with 100s of channels on it.Might borrow it tonight,felt a bit groggy this morning,don't really fancy another heavy session,lol.OTOH though.

If you borrow the Firestick, make sure you borrow the remote for it too. Take it from someone who knows... 😉