Bryn@man

Thank you very much for the helpful replies... Just to be clear it will be their cases that we'll be sending via BHC and not the 'in laws' themselves.

Looking to use this service for the 'in laws' in July...

Can I ask what happens to the cases at the end of the cruise?

You can drive yourself nuts following the P&O prices... We booked Dubai for Feb 2019 in 2017. When I checked a week or so back we could now book the same grade cabin £600 cheaper. We're currently on X802 and the same grade cabin 'like for like' for next year is presently +£2k on what we paid for this year..

Not on RCI - a couple of years ago we took off the grats in the middle of the cruise. We were going to Speciality restaurants every night and decided that portion of tips should go there. The entire amount was refunded to our account.

Exactly the same on P&O...

In August they were Friday (Sea Day) & Tuesday (Non Sea Day)

I wonder if the OBC collecting Carnival shareholders on here ever reflect as to why they are investing in an organisation who apparently under pay their service staff by such an amount they have to rely on discretionary tips. Seems plenty are happy with receiving OBC and dividends but not so happy when others are suspected of not making up the alleged salary deficit...

I find the concept of up front auto gratuities incredulous. The whole and true cost of crews wages should be incorporated into the fare. Absolutely no reason for this blanket gratuity nonsense. I've always removed auto gratuities and will continue to do so. In fact I've done so this afternoon whilst on Oceana. I'm comfortable with cash tipping and always do so on the last night/morning as I see fit. Cash has certainly never been frowned upon by the deserving stewards/speciality restaurant teams...

Re spending the night in the Ice Hotel................. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Apart from the expense, the bedrooms were very poky and also I agree with happy v in a post above - whiffy!!! Someone told me that was because of reindeer pellets used in the mattresses... smelt like a hamster cage to me lol . AND with having to pop across the courtyard to the loo in the night in very very sub zero temperatures, that makes it a NO No for me. They told us that a lot of people who go to the loo in the night stay over there sleeping on a bench in the warm . It was a fabulous trip to the Ice Hotel and so worthwhile..... but it was nice to come back to a nice warm cabin on the ship to sleep.

Thanks all for the advice ... Think we'll opt for the day trip just to see (and smell) it.

Has anyone done the overnight at the Igloo Hotel..

Would really like to do it but not cheap at £389 each...

This thread has spurred us on to get a Northern Lights cruise booked... X802 here come.

Stayed in G406 above Glass House a month or so ago and can thoroughly recommend it. No direct obstruction and good value. As others have said the odd number cabins are above Java. Those I've spoken to who have stayed in them have had no issues with noise or odour. .

We left Gibraltar at 13.00hrs Tuesday. Unfortunately F10 headwinds most of the way back limited safe progress to 16 to 17 knots. Captain announced Wednesday afternoon that we would be late into Southampton with an ETA of midday Friday. A bit bumpy on the way up but certainly not as bad as it can be. Whilst it was great to be on deck for a sunny sail in to Southampton the Friday afternoon drive home soon erased that memory...

If Ok is Excellent and less than OK is Good, Fair or Poor then P&O will never improve... May even regress as customer expectations are being continually exceeded despite the service being just Ok...

We always complete the questionnaire honestly and put the cross firmly where it deserves to be. There is no offset applied due to guilt of staff losing out. Whilst P&O have many exceptional staff they also have as many average and substandard crew members, if not more.

It's a kick in the teeth to those exceptional 'double bagger' crew members if all are scored as exceptional...

As far as I can see the past passenger discount is just that. If she's sailed before and has a URN then she'll get the 5% regardless...

Given the number of threads on this forum relating to obtaining the lowest priced fare and the maximum OBC it's quite humorous to read some of the comments relating to passengers wishing to opt out of the discretionary gratuities...

It would be interesting to know just many passengers actually just roll with the default gratuities on P&O. Given the service reward is voluntary and is meant to reward those who provide great service then opting out of the auto payment and taking the time to directly tip and thank crew members seems far more benefical...