Windsurfboy

9 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Yes, I can see the logic, as long as runners don’t feel that they have priority and everyone else has to stop, move to the side etc. Walkers are in the majority and the runners should run in such a way to avoid them, not the other way around. If they want a completely unhindered running route then I would have thought that the running machines in the gym are a better bet!

It all depends,  yes runners should  give way and clearly not force their way through. On the otherhand, walkers should also consider others, walking 4 abreast at half a mile an hour is equally inconsiderate.

I've  actually never had a problem .  I  don't recall the anti clockwise rule on other ships, things just worked. 

As to running machines , runners and power walkers are just as deserving of fresh air and a sea view as everyone else. 

I see half of cruise critic is on this cruise. So exactly right people to answer questions. 

How does QA compare to the Vistas. 

How is off menu ordering in QG, is it just as flexible as normal. 

How is QG dining room , how have people found the banquette seating. 

I've  heard PG is a nicer room, what do you think. 

What's the speciality dining like, is it good , how easy is it to get into, do you have to book days in advance. 

What is the grills deck like, is the service good

It is far safer for runners to go against flow, because as you say you can see them coming. 

Hope you have a  great time. Favourite ship. 

Last time I was on Spirit of  Discovery in November last year had a great cruise,  but it was still suffering from aftermath of previous disastrous cruise. One noticeable thing , very few steamer chairs on promenade deck , less than half versus on our previous Saga cruise. I think a lot got swept overboard even though tied down.  What's the situation now,  is there enough to fill both sides of ship on prom deck.

Sorry  this is a a cruise not the local pub .

One should expect better food accompanied by better wine than your local pub .

If you want a cheap meal then you can get a microwave meal and cheap wine from supermarket. That's not why you go on a cruise. 

I've  been looking at the P&O wine list , the mark up varies,  some are 300% , notably those wines in the £ low 20s. However there most expensive wine Gervey Chambertin has a mark up of well under 200%, better than many restaurants on land

21 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

You may well be able to and I do, but if you have to be in a certain place on a certain date it is extremely difficult.  If it's so simple perhaps you can find me a 4* hotel in London for 12-14 June with easy tube access to Hornchurch? Best I get is various Travelodges way out on the outskirts such as Wembley (nothing wrong with them I hasten to add).  

 

As I said £98 average Harrogate in a whole range of hotels which is good value.  Within 30 miles of London very little hope of anything under £200 a night for anything other than the cheaper chain end of the market.

Yes but this is about hotels for a UK holiday versus cruise  ships. Sorry but I don't think 30 mins from Hornchurch on a specific date qualifies as typical.

We wanted to stay overnight  this time last year in North West,  but noticed it was Eurovision in Liverpool.  Oops no cheap deals for 50miles of Liverpool. 

Prices are supply and demand . Pre Covid there was just over 600,000 thousand hotel rooms in UK (excluding air bnb etc) . This fell by up to 50,000  due to covid, the government has also taken 50,000 off the market.  So prices have gone up. Would be even more but for the expansion of air bnb etc

Hence the cheapest cruise prices are very good value compared to hotel,  but at top end even P&O suites prices still plenty of exceptional UK hotels for that money.  Unless you want a holiday in Central London. (Nightmare) 

On 5/10/2024 at 1:55 PM, ScotchBoy said:

Or you could just drink the stuff from Tesco that is offered in the restaurant. In Epicurean last week, we were served a Yellowtail Chardonnay, that is available in Tesco (and the like), for less than £8 a bottle. I was astonished. 

When you say "you were served " a Yellowtail Chardonnay, is it now on the wine list and you choose it. Or was it served as part of a package. 

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

We arrived by taxi at our designated time of 12.30 to find a chaotic scene of lots of people milling about outside. However we were flapped through to check in very quickly because of Grills priority, and they had already started boarding so there weren’t a lot of people sitting round waiting. However, I was somewhat peeved to notice the person in front of us in the check in queue had an arrival time of 2.30. After that things got worse, with a long queue for security, which did move quickly, until it stopped altogether for about ten minutes, and then, something I’ve never known before, a long queue on the air bridge to get on board. I kept thinking of St. Nazaire.

Had same, in trying to please early arrivals and not leave them outside, staff forget they are actually making it worse for those who have a genuine early arrival time and arrive on time.

I think although a bit harsh, the system adopted by P&O because of it's mega ships, that of not letting early arrivals in terminal is best. But lots disagree.

I agree,  but the move over , ever increasing inducement takes time, this seems last minute, but given right wording shouldn't take more than a few days if inducement was enough. 

But nothing stopping Cunard emailing everyone with balcony, offering healthy inducement and asking for volunteers.  I'm sure if they emailed what must be hundreds, they would get enough willing to have a refund and OBC. This would  be easier for those they can email to directly not via TA. 

Nowt you can do but concentrate on own hygiene,  and remember Covid lessons keep hands away from face. 

Avoid buffet 

They have limited  resources to check on washing,  but I'd concentrate them on the buffet,  most risk of cross contamination. 

For other restaurants it's more important for supervisors to check on staff.

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Great re the dining.

 

We have not tried SAGA as yet. We are finding MSC Yacht club suits us well.

 

Yes you can pay for the mini bar but on P&O not pre booked theatre seats nor a nice quiet private lounge and restaurant which we enjoy. I also really enjoy avoiding almost every queue but others may not find that an issue.

We'll  put YC on our list, but  we like to sail out of UK. 

4 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

If that’s what suits you then great. I hope you manage to get the dining reservations. It would be interesting to hear how your experiment goes.

 

You don’t however get the same as other suites eg on MSC

 

Boarding at 10 am with a butler to collect you and take you straight to your private lounge. Drinks and snacks all day.

 

Full service YC pool and sunbeds area with food & drinks service.

 

Evening entertainment in the suites only lounge

 

Reserved seats in the theatre every night and butler takes you there to bypass any queues.

 

Priority lift call

 

Priority off and back on at every port

 

Stocked and replenished mini bar / bottle of choice for the cabin / premier extra drinks package/ treats in cabin every night

 

Daily printed newspaper of choice

 

Private restaurant for all meals 

 

etc etc etc

 

Thats not to knock P&O, it’s just a different package that they don’t do

Luckily I  have got dinning booked.  It is a one off experiment so far Sagabis our go to line.

Never tried Yacht club,  much of what you quote , mini bar etc can be paid for . 

My one reservation is plan to use own balcony,  I  think my wife may miss the YC sun deck , she always ends up chaaway to neighbours. 

Sorry you can get much better hotels in UK than premier Inn,  or holiday in  express for £200 a night.  Stayed in a great 4 star hotel outside Worcester on way up to northwest for that money.

But I'm not arguing that Cruises can not be great value. 

It depends on what you  book.  Very hard to beat the quality you get on P&O for the money on a inside cabin.

But once you are spending £500 a night on a P&O suite or £1000 night on a Cunard or Saga suite, can get exceptional land holidays for that money. It is then a matter of personal preference to cruise or UK or fly.

51 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

We used to book suites on P&O but many years ago decided it was not value for money as they offer so few extras. Now we book standard cabins for the odd P&O we do and suites on lines that offer much more for the money 

 

It’s all choices and what is important to me may not be to others. What annoys others may not even register for me.

I think suites on P&O are great value . Physically as good as any other.

Price wise half the price of say Cunard QG or a Saga midship suite.

Yes you don't get much as other lines in extras , but even with the cost of speciality restaurants every night, plus excellent wine and champagne. You can create everything you get on others for less. Anyway that's the experiment I'm  trying. The only negative is gamble in hoping to book restaurants.  With the huge rear balcony on aft suites you can avoid sunbed wars

A lot of people are saying  they will leave P&O,  some quote Saga.

Saga just published latest 6 months.  Average per deim was £331 per passenger.  OK this includes suites,  singles. When you take into account the numbers of each type of cabin, average for standard balcony  cabin in last 6 months is £285pppn . Many including myself still think Saga is worth it. But it's a huge step up in cost to P&O.  P&O is still  value, but its a different line to what it was.

Good news

Get your TA to create hell. Let the TA know you wonder if you'd have been better to book direct ,  but given the stress you expect Cunard to make up fot it , and sorting this out is why you use a TA in the future  and not book direct

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

The youngsters in our group were tired out from the walk to Haugesund last week! It was a very hot day and there’s no shade at all as you walk through the port area to town. 
 

On the app, under shore excursions, P&O were offering a transfer into town for £10 (I think). Took 30 minutes and included two photo stops. I think I’ve got the details right as I only had a quick look. 

See comments above 

I thought a shuttle  bus was included in Select  fare.

950 meters is enough to justify a shuttle bus.

6 minutes ago, david63 said:

Not sure that Cunard will talk directly about such things when the booking is via a TA

Under normal  circumstances no , but this is not normal. 

Talk to  cunard directly as well as getting TA to, let them know it's your honeymoon and how let down  you feel.  As well as the refund there is a lot Cunard can do to make you feel extra special on board. Explain you specifically wanted a balcony because your wife doesn't like crowded spaces. I'd push for access to the grills deck.

Start off nice , always be polite,  but if push comes to shove explain it  would be a PR disaster if this spread across media and social media. Cunard ruins honeymoon by selling  balcony cabin twice (doesn't have to be true but sounds gòd)

More seriously,  say OK I'll accept  cabin downgrade, only  if I am upgraded to the QG dining room , allowed to use grills deck etc, plus what ever perks other people here could suggest , premium drinks packages...

PS still insist on full compensation,  which by the way if it was airline  by law you should get 75% of fare

The Captain has a very nice Cabin, tell Cunard that if they truly believe in customer service then perhaps he/she would like to try out a sea view Cabin.

The silly thing is if P&O had increased prices by even just £2pppn no one would have noticed,  no fuss , yet  it would cost you more than the impact of 1 bottle per person vs room service cost 

Given P&O and Cunard were the last few lines to let you take drink on board, it's  surprising it's taken so long for this to be tightened up.

It was a benefit not a right.

The only complaint is the short notice.

Yes prices on older all adults ships have gone up, but that's market forces, if the demand wasn't there, they wouldn't have.