mklions

We get picked up Friday morning to fly out to join Britannia. Just realised we still have no immigration form sent over for us to fill in. Should this come via our travel agent or from P&O? We only have tomorrow to sort this out! Please advise?

I have had a bad experience recently with Silversea when choosing their door to door service which includes fights. The flight in question took me from London to Dakar via Istanbul. When I said to them that no way am I flying to Istanbul a extra 5 hours flying time they rearrange a more direct flight via but at much more cost. It appears that the cruise lines ( Silversea in this instance) picked the cheapest flight going , not taking in consideration the customers requirements wait times between flights or the flight duration. Being able to choose my own airline and flight times is what I now prefer, plus I can shop around for the best deals. Mklions

All booked, and have taken the advice and booked a Concierge Suite cabin 913. Apparently tomorrow when my TA receives the booking reference from Regent I will be able to book the excursions and the speciallity restaurants. Having a concierge suite gives us a pre night stay in Singapore ( hotel not yet confirmed) We also have a post 3 night stay in Sydney staying at the Four Seasons Hotel close to the harbour bridge! Decided to arrange our own flights as we want to fly business and I feel I could get a better deal myself. Thanks for all the help. Millions.

Hi, We are just about to press the button on booking a cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager sailing next Jan 2025. Cruise leaves from Singapore and finishes at Sydney. ( 18 nights) Our deal is an entry level two grade room upgrade and wondered if any previous cruisers have any opinions on what cabin is best? There is still a lot of cabin choice available, we are conscious of the cabins that overlook the tender life boats so want to avoid these. We also have a 3 night pre/post cruise land tour included and we think we will go for the 3 nights post tour in Sydney any one done this? I have seen some included excursions that we would really like to book are these always available and how soon after booking can we secure these? I have read mixed reviews about the Voyager ship which is a slight worry as this will be by far our most expensive cruise ever! Any hints and tips will be most welcome. Mklions.

I think P&O are now targeting the mass market sectors where affordability is on the level of a half decent land holiday abroad, to which many working class people can afford. I have no problem with that and I like the idea of more people being able to go on a cruise holiday, but it does sometimes attract the undesirables in our society, people who drink to much, get drunk and abusive. As a traditional long term cruiser some of the things I have seen more recently are totally alien to what I expect from a cruise holiday. Football shirts being worn in the MDR, chair hogging, foul language, kids running around the buffet area bumping into people, I can go on. P&O standards have plummeted along with the general service and quality of food. Benidorm at sea is what it has been called on many occasions and I for one am beginning to agree with this statement. Take a look at the various reviews posted around the web and you will see for yourself what people are saying. Maybe it's time to look elsewhere, pay a little more and get a cruise similar to how P&O used to be?

Could well be the case!

I understand what you are saying it’s the little stealth things that they think we don’t notice. I agree the canapés are a waste of time and so are maybe are the upgraded soaps. We used to have a small box of chocolates on arrival, these have now gone, again no big thing but another cut back on the most premium cabins. Last November the butler ( Ventura) who again I’m not sure we need, informed us that where there were once three of us , now it’s only two Butler’s on the ship, so service via the butler has been diluted. This information came about having to wait a hour for room service one lunchtime.

It’s important to me because I have seen a lot of stealth cut back going on. When you book a suite you pay top dollar for a certain level of enhanced service. If that service is being diluted then the question comes to mind should I look elsewhere for what I expect for the increased monies paid. I like to book a suite because of the added perks, breakfast in the Epicurean and a large balcony being the two main reasons. However recently I have noticed that the daily canapés have now been taken away and only provided on formal nights. The one time take home box of the white company lotions have now been taken out. I could go on. If they continue to dilute the suite services then maybe it’s time to take my money and look at cruise lines that provide me with a level of service I have been accustomed to in the past with P&O.

I know they used to, just wondered with all the cut backs if they still do. David 63 when was you last in a suite?

Do suite guests still have a daily turn down service?

Do you need to print out this immigration form or can it be saved to mobile? Thanks.

You can use it to buy bottles of spirits from the duty free shop to take home at the end of the cruise . I think the allowance is 4 litre bottles per couple. That should take care of around £100. Pack well in your suitcase though!!

We had the same reply from Stockperks for our holiday next November. Basically too early to request OBC come back nearer the time. I guess they want to be sure you still hold the stocks closer to the sailing date.

Some advice please. We are sailing on Britannia on 26th Jan and remember from previous cruises that the Glass House food was always very good. I am aware that you cannot book the Glass House in advance, but what is the protocol for booking a table once you are aboard the ship? Do you just turn up and hope that a table is available? which is what we have done previously as I recall. Thanks, Mklions.

We are sailing on Britannia on 26th Jan on a two week cruise will the limelight have a different show each week or the same show for the fortnight? Is it also best to book in advance pre cruise? I take it it’s first to arrive have the pick of the seating? and are there tables for two? thanks.

Thanks for all the replies, our current mattress is around 15 years old and although we paid as I remember around £2000 for it, it has started to sag a little. ( especially on my side, LOL) I've always found that top five star hotels and cruise ship have the best mattresses. Oceania ships have amazing comfortable beds! I will check out Bensons for Beds and the Sealy website and do some digging! Thanks again.

Having sailed on many cruise lines , my wife and I have always found the mattresses on the beds in general extremely comfortable. The premium lines tend to be slightly better than P&O but never the less we have always found P&O beds very comfortable also. I am now in the market to replace our bed at home and wondered what mattresses the cruise lines use and can they be purchased in the UK. Interested to hear what others think on cruise ship beds?

We have just received a request for final payment on our forthcoming cruise which sails in May 2024. Stating that the payment must be paid in full by 2nd Jan 2024. Is this normal to ask for final payment five months in an advance? On previous cruise lines that we have been on the norm is 3 months prior to sailing. MKlions

Beer and wine is served at lunch and dinner, but does that have time limit? Or if you decide to have a late lunch for example or a burger around the pool in the afternoon is that also included?

We normally book a suite with P&O and an aft cabin is our preference. The secret we found is book early if you want a suite as they tend to get snapped up quite quickly ( especially the aft ones) Prices were around the £2k price PP pre covid, you would do well to get one under £3k PP now.

Suite guests previously had a nice box of White Company lotions to take home should they wish, these have now gone. Also daily canopies from the butler, these have now gone to canopies only on formal nights. Even suite guests are being squeezed! Little things but noticeable.

I have also found out that deck 5 (V1) suites have a slightly longer balcony, how much longer I am not sure? Millions.

We have just booked on the Encore 17 nights Dubai to Singapore sailing on 21/11/24. Cruise only £4100 pp for a V1 cabin. Im trying to find out a bit more about these cabin on deck 5 as they have a steel balcony frontage. Any pictures or reviews would be most appreciated. MKlions

I am guessing that P&O get in touch with all passengers a couple of weeks prior to sailing to let them know about the immigration form?, as this was never mentioned to me when booking the cruise. I've flew to Barbados many times in the past and this is the first I have heard of this pre on-line immigration form normally the cabin staff issue the forms on the flight to fill in.

Don't we fill this out on the plane before landing? Ive never had to fill out an immigration form pre flight. Or am I missing something?