mygo1999
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Posts posted by mygo1999
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On 2/3/2019 at 3:50 PM, mrsroller180 said:
My hubby and I are looking to do a caribbean cruise sailing from Southampton and returning from Barbados by air. Ive seen a very reasonably priced one on Brittannia leaving 26th October this year. Has anyone done this sort of cruise as most seem to fly to Barbados and cruise home. We have been on Arcadia twice but I really fancy Brittannia as I like a larger ship. My question is how is the crossing at that time of year (going via Madeira), rocky wise and weather? Any other suggestions as to best deck or cabins ?
Thanking you in anticipation
Kath
Hi Kath.
We did the Transatlantic from Barbados back to the UK back in March 2016. We enjoyed it but there is a downside going west to east. The ship sets off from a time zone 4 hours behind the UK and during the cruise the clocks went forward to BST. So out of the 12 days you have 5 days that are 23 hour days. Something I hadn't thought of but should have. It's tiring and throws your body clock out you stay up until 1am and it turns into 2am. We really want to try it going the other way from Southampton to Barbados 25 hour days. Stay up until 2am. And it turns into 1 am. 😂😂
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Love all the negativity. If you have a complaint have it sorted when you are on the ship. I do and have never had anything held over. Are you telling us that the other lines do not have the same problems?
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The difference is on other cruise lines if I have complained about something they have dealt with it. P&O don't they just say nice words. Like. We are really sorry but We know about the mirror but we haven't got one, we can't do anything about it and same with the chair. I bet it's still the same now. There is an 'it'll do attitude' to be quite frank I am coming to the conclusion that I will never go with P&O again partly because of people defending the indefensible. Weird people.
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Sorry to upset you but I am a Ligurian tier cruiser.
What you seem to misunderstand that if you read the comments on this forum is that P&O have nothing good going for them.
Tired Ships
Problems with Online Booking
Fare Prices and conditions
Poor Food
Same Itineraries
Embarkation Problems
All of which we do not agree with.
You don't upset me at all, you are quite entitled defend P&O and to go on whatever cruise you want just as other people are entitled to say how they feel. Your loyalty level means NOTHING! It just means you have done a lot of cruises with P&O
However I actually do care about P&O and I care that they are letting standards slip, are you and P&O saying that having a cabin with a broken mirror, ripped chair and worn stained carpet is acceptable, does that show that P&O respect their customers or are they treating them as cash cows.
When people complain about things companies can either ignore it.....as P&O seem to do, or look at the complaints to see if they are valid then address the problems and improve, or just say 'tough' let them complain. Which do you think is the best business model?
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Unfortunately having just come off Azura I have to say things are going the wrong way. The cabin stewards are now looking after eighteen cabins and they are working their socks off. However we had A618 (balcony) it had a broken mirror in the unit, the carpet was well past it's best and stained and the chair was ripped and fraying. This is more two star than four star.
The choice food in the MDR was such, we frequently resorted to the everyday sirloin steak I'm not saying the food was bad it was okay but the choices sometimes were strange and you couldn't tell what you would get and we like exotic food. The best meal was in Sindhu's. The buffet was generally better than the MDR.
The entertainment was very good, overall we try to look past the minuses and just enjoy the cruise so yes we really enjoyed it overall but we came away with the feeling it was okay, which today isn't good enough. I like P&O and I wish them well. I want them to be great not just okay but our next cruise will be with another cruise line.
Anyone who only cruises with P&O cannot make any valid comparison because you cannot know what other cruise lines standards are. Our last cruises with Princess and Royal Caribbean we came away from those feeling they were a fantastic ship and cruise.
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I don't gamble but I have passed through the casino and it is pounds sterling. Formal nights and casual nights only no semi formal. There are no bathrobes in the balcony cabins.
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Hi all,
My husband and I are going on our first cruise with P&O in October and I'm panicking like mad about what to wear for the formal evening. I've bought a gorgeous off white Joe Brown's dress with grey/teal flowers. Its a 50's style tea length dress but not sure it's suitable. I don't really wear cocktail dresses or that style of dress but want to dress nicely. Will the flowery dress be suitable? I also have the 50's style net skirt for under it to push it out.
Help!
And thanks!
I am sure it will be fine. Women can really get away with anything that looks nice. Just be aware there are more than just one formal evening.
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Maybe they tried it when booking for Britannia, decided it worked and are continuing to use it.
Thinking about it (which I shouldn't) I guess it means they can sell some cabins more than once, for a cruise.
If you book select and specify you want x cabin and no upgrades , that will take that cabin out of the equation.
Take those out and I guess they can keep on selling that grade. If they sell more at that grade than they actually have, that's when upgrades come in.
I would still think it would be wrong though to upgrade the guarantee fare payer rather than a select fare payer, who picked a cabin, but said upgrades would be accepted.
I would never book early saver . I think you lose too much over what you have paid.
I think you have to weigh up the pro's and con's for every cruise. Our last cruise I booked a select fare. On our next cruise which I had been planning for a long time, I booked an early saver because it was an incredible deal on 'black Friday weekend'. The onboard spend and the other perks with a select fare just didn't seem worth the extra that was being charged. Yes I took a risk with which balcony cabin we were allocated and without a doubt there are some I wouldn't be happy with, but we don't spend much time in our cabin and I am very happy with the cabin we have been allocated.
At then end of the day the cruise lines want to fill their ships so they will tailor their offerings to that end. The 'guaranteed cabin' suits them because it gives them the flexibility to move people around and sell more cabins, if it didn't they wouldn't do it.
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We were on Ventura in October and we both came back with a chest infection but I very much doubt that the ship was to blame, there were lots of people on the ship who were coughing from the start of the cruise. We use the hand sanitizer and wash our hand regularly but when you are in a confined space theater, lifts etc. There is always a chance of picking something up.
It would be easy to say people who are sick shouldn't get on a ship, but that's not realistic because travel insurance will never pay out if you don't go if you have a cold or a cough and who is going to throw away a couple of thousand pounds or more by not going if they have a cough of cold.
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Freedom dining basically you turn up at the restaurant at a time that suits you. If there is a queue you may have to wait a while, normally they give you a pager so you don't have to hang around. If you are flexible and don't mind dining with other people you will be seated quicker. We have always found because we dine later we have never had to queue.
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We have been on Azura to the best of my recollection there are just British 3 pin sockets.
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Do they still insist on men taking there trouser belts off when going through the screening ? Its impossible to carry hand luggage and hold up your trousers at the same time.....can lead to some awkward moments !!! I am thinking of walking through with just my underpants. It will save a lot of time and embarrassment. Any Ideas,please ?
I haven't had to going on ship, but at airport yes you do unless you get a belt with a plastic buckle
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Mygo1999 As I am still trying to work out the muddy waters of booking.
What actual grade/position of cabin did you pay for. ie fore/aft balcony , and what did you end up with ie mid ships balcony. Was it the same grade of cabin, just in a better position?
The cruise in October was an extra last year because my sister in law wanted to try a cruise. So I just booked an inside cabins, we got an inside cabins in a forward midships and they were fine but not close together although numbered next to each other, it might just have been someone inexperienced allocating the cabins and they didn't now odd are starboard and evens are port. It was just an bit iritating.
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But was that some time ago?
It seems to me that in the last year or so they have given the better upgrades to the Select Bookings, sticking to their pledges in their blurb?
No it was October this year.
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Mygo1999 - were your cabins in the same grade you booked?
They were slightly higher but I have been upgraded to a higher grade of cabin when booking an early saver.
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Has anyone any experience of booking a Select Fare in a particular grade but getting a Guaranteed Cabin instead and not being able to choose the cabin?
I am interested to know what people have ended up with and whether Select bookings have any preference to the Savers when it comes to allocation of the cabins?
Thank you.:)
Yes the last cruise on Ventura I booked a select fare but because we wanted two inside cabins together they said they would arrange it. It didn't turn out well one cabin was even the other odd so they were next to each other back to back but a long way by corridor, I might as well have saved money by just booking a guaranteed cabins.
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We were on Royal Princess loved it she was also on a TV programme last week called Sea Cities. We will watch the new program.
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Hi there, wondering if any family cruisers can offer advice.
We are interested in doing a cruise later this year from Southampton when our youngest will be 6/7 months and our oldest child will be 2.
Can anyone offer advice on what type of room we would need. Ideally we are after a double bed for the adults, sofa bed for the 2 yr old and space for travel cot for the baby. A mini suite looks expensive but perhaps this is our only option?
We went on Britannia with our daughter last May to Norway when she was just over a year old and it was a great holiday. As we just had her in a travel cot we were able to book a balcony cabin.
If anyone has done a cruise with two children this age, I would love to hear if it worked out OK or was it stressful!?
Thanks in advance.
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I was reading a thread on CC a couple of weeks ago which was discussing that most cruise lines don't allow babies under a certain age which I just checked with P&O it's six months, but some cruises are twelve months. On P&O a deluxe cabin should meet your requirements.
Hello, we've done a number of cruises with our children (6 year old and almost 2 year old). We didn't cruise with eldest until he was two, as he was used to going to nursery at home he loved kids club.We have always had a standard inside cabin. The compromise we have made is not having a double bed so if this is important to you a super deluxe balcony cabin maybe the best option for you. This has a double bed and a sofa bed and I think enough room for a cot also.
Since we had the youngest we have cruised since she was 4 months,Thomson cruises allow younger babies than other cruise lines. Again we have only had inside cabins. She has never liked travel cots so we have done a few unconventional things to make the cabin work for us. On one cruise we took a double height single air bed and inflated it between the two lower bunks making one huge bed the width of the cabin, this was because the beds were fixed and couldn't be pushed together, my wife and children slept in this and I slept on a pull down bed from the roof.
The last two cruises we have asked the cabin steward to only make up one of the upper pull down beds (for me) and just pushed the lower beds together for my wife and children. Again this may not suit you but prices of school holiday cruises can be quite high and having the cheaper inside cabin allows us to afford to cruise.
We are going on Britannia in 8 weeks and have booked an obstructed balcony cabin g405. Seems to have very little obstruction. This cabin has a double bed, a sofa bed which I think is a single and a pull down bed. Study the symbols in the brochure carefully and I think you will see what I mean. I'm sure there would be room for a cot. So this could possibly work for you, single bed for 2 year old, cot and double for the adults. Hope this helps a little. Please feel free to ask me anything if I can help I will.
We have loved cruising with our children and find it works well for us. I like been out on deck walking around which is good when you have a baby who needs naps. Also width of pushchair for getting in and out of cabin. We have a baby jogger mini city for holidays which is too wide for the cabin doors until we quick release the back wheels off.
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The retreat is primarily sold as a cruise package....about £200 i think for a 2 week cruise. You can get day passes if there is space but as you are going in the school holidays i suspect demand will be high. Numbers are strictly limited. Unless they start selling in advance of the cruise, you will need to get up to the spa when you embark.
But the pool is for any adult to use....its not big, but can be a useful cooling off pool! No charge.
The last two cruises on Azura and Ventura I never saw anyone in the retreat and used the adult pools most days.
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We are considering visiting Scotland before embarking on a 2 week cruise out of Amsterdam. There is no way we can spend any time in the land of my grandparents without DH purchasing Scotch that isn't available at home. We do not have the option of going to Scotland after the cruise.
Can we declare the bottles upon embarkation? Is there a limit to how much we can bring, not a case but I would guess 4 - 750ml bottles. Is there a charge? I know, well I think, I remember reading here that security will hold the bottles. What I don't know if this is a bad thing, meaning frowned upon. I would not be trying to sneak the bottles onboard.
Just remember if you are taking them back home they will have to go in your checked luggage, so you need some protection for them.
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We recently found out about the ex military onboard credit offer.
We have been given £75 each that's hubby and I, we must have his Red Book for when we arrive onboard for it to be confirmed and then be able to spend it.
Go into P&go web site type in benefits for ex service . It will give you a code, call their customer service team ..you will need your booking ref ::D:D:D:D
:-) already done we got £30 each because ours is a 13 night cruise. Still nice though.
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Click on full intineary
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You do not choose the grade of cabin on a Saver fare just inside, oceanview or balcony P&O actually pick the actual grade of cabin.
Sorry I stand corrected.
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I would add that I would always choose the main dining room over the buffet for dinner the food is better and so is environment. The buffet is ok if you're in a hurry.
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Hello please forgive these questions as I am still a little new to the cruise holidays and never been with p&o. This will also be my girlfriends first cruise so I want it to be a good one.
I am currently looking at a cruise on the oceana and it has the saver fare and select fare. On the cruise I went on before I could go to eat at anytime to the buffet. While there was never anyone checking on when you could eat I knew people had select times. Is that for all restaurants or ones you order? The princess was just help yourself and grab a seat. I would much rather eat when we wanted rather than select times. And is there a buffet there or just a menu and waiter? I tried looking at photos but it was not clear
You have three types of fare. SELECT where you can choose your cabin and how it's set up twin or queen. you can choose if you want early sitting 6:30. late sitting 8:30 or freedom dining when you go when you please. These all refer to eating in the main dining room. You can always use the buffet restaurant at any time if you don't want to use the main dining room. With select you also get onboard credit.
Early Saver P&O you choose your grade of cabin but P&O choose which cabin. You can choose how it's set up twin or single and you can request which dining you would like. There is no onboard credit.
Late saver. You choose the grade of cabin P&O choose the cabin how it's set up and what dining you will get. No onboard credit.
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More bad publicity for P&O
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted
We have just come off Iona, she had exactly the same problems. There were too many passengers and not enough crew. We enjoyed the cruise but the dining experience was extremely poor. Unless you were lucky enough to book dinner at 5:30 (but we don't like to eat dinner at 5:30 maybe we are not old enough) on the first formal night after waiting for almost 2 hours for a table in the mdr we gave up and went to the Horizon buffet. The next day the hotel manager made a tannoy announcement blaming the passengers for the problems. She said passengers must use the 'MyHoliday' to join the virtual queue and wait in their cabins until called.
On Christmas day it was another formal dinner we were told the virtual queue would open from 7:30pm it didn't open until 8pm we joined the queue but weren't called until 9:05. The table wasn't set other tables had Christmas crackers when we asked about them they just Brough a pile and threw them on the table, and I really mean threw! The service was very slow and we didn't finish the meal until 11:15pm and that's without coffee/tea. So we missed all the entertainment for that night.
We gave up on eating in the MDR's either using speciality restaurants or Horizon buffet.
New Year's eve, we just ate fish and chips in the Quays so we could enjoy the shows we ended up in the Club House and Pulse were amazing it was a great atmosphere and evening. If we had gone to the MDR's we would have missed it all! Now I'm sure all the P&O fans will find all this is completely acceptable but unfortunately I don't! For the ones who say "Oh they're only looking for compensation, No I'm not! but not everyone is like you who will accept anything P&O throws at you! Some people have an expectation of a good quality of service and don't mind if somethings aren't perfect. The dining situation on Iona was not minor, it was AWFUL! Will I say we will never go on Iona again.... Well no, but if we did, we would assume we would only eat in the Horizon buffet or speciality restaurants and I don't like that idea very much.