DamianG

Interestingly my mum and sister have been advised that the departure time for their coach down to Southampton for our forthcoming Arvia cruise will leave Leeds at 7:45am. We've never known anything other than the coaches always leaving at 6:30am so we're now wondering if this is to assist with staggering boarding times as well.

Another great update and particularly lovely to see the photos of Vigeland Park which we’ve visited a few times in the past. It’s very different in winter but equally spectacular especially if there is snow around. We had a similar tram problem in Rotterdam until I fortunately found an actual paper ticket machine but only in a station.

Thanks @Selbourne, I thoroughly enjoyed reading that and am glad that the majority of your experiences so far have been positive. I hope that things remain the same for the rest of your cruise.

Anyone following the test match will know what kind of weather we have here today. Luckily I am a big fan of @zap99's lawn care tips so I also cut the grass last night. Happy weekend all. Smug from Leeds.

Such sad news, deepest condolences to you and your family.

Thanks for all the comparisons, a lot of them echo the experiences of my in-laws on both lines. We'd love to try Princess but their prices for school holiday cruises are way more than P&O so we'll have to hold off for now.

As above we've had G616 (standard balcony cabin complete with sofa bed) on Britannia previously.

This is a fair review of a conservatory mini suite on deck 8:

Happy Birthday Michelle (from me and my Michelle)! Hopefully the ship is well stocked so that you don't have this problem tomorrow!

Andy You've always been a champion of saying people should enjoy their cruise their way so it must have been pretty bad for it to spoil your dining experience (especially in a venue where you paid a supplementary charge). It sounds miles off the description on P&O's website: Dining experiences don’t come any finer than Epicurean. Marvel as each exquisite dish, inspired by classic British ingredients and given a modern twist by expert chefs, is presented at your table. The experience is complete with fine wines, flawless service, elegant surroundings and stunning ocean views. I wouldn't let it drop and would make a formal complaint. I've not had cause to do that on many cruises and can let things slide a lot of the time but I wouldn't on this one, particularly because of the supplementary cost. Glad that you are not letting this or the weather spoil things for you, I hope that the rest of the cruise meets or exceeds expectations in every way. Best regards to you both. Damian

I was just thinking about this for our Arvia cruise in August. If we do miss Marseille I'd be happy with Cartagena even if we'd be swapping a new port for us to one where we've been twice before. Thanks for the thread and all the replies.

Otherwise you may end up with a nice pair of Farahs…😀

Good things come to those who wait and good things happen to good people..... Anyway, enough of wasting your precious cruise time reading proverbs, now carry on cruising. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise.

I’m on a later train than usual down to London today so just passing time having breakfast in Wetherspoons. Much as I may not care for the owner you can’t beat the prices, £4.43 including unlimited refills. I don’t think the refills applies to pints though (and I couldn’t face one at this time anyway)!

Sounds like you’ll need a holiday after all that. Oh, hang on a minute…!

Congratulations to Derek and to you. One of our neighbours does the same, their first Labrador didn’t make the grade so has stayed as a family pet, the second did well and has been placed and a third is now in training. All such lovely dogs.

Another video about a conservatory mini suite cabin (albeit on a different deck).

This summary was posted on Cruise Critic previously, 2023 P&O Drink Package Summary.pdf

We are, I'll make sure any niggles are resolved and that the ship is in tip top shape ready for you before we disembark! I can't be responsible for what anyone does to the ship on the cruise in between though!

Have you booked Ventura cruise N520 in August 2025 by any chance?

Again a personal choice but we avoid the buffet as much as possible. The food is fine, we just don't enjoy the hustle and bustle. We much prefer having breakfast in the MDR with table service and menus that have plenty of choice. We also prefer the tea or coffee in there (though the latter is often a little strong for my taste). If we miss the cut (closing time) for the MDR we also really liked the Quays which has a great choice. As Sarah already said you can easily move away from the crowd by walking to the seating areas furthest away from the serving stations or even by sitting outside.

Great video, that cabin looks fantastic. I priced up a conservatory mini suite for our Arvia cruise this year but it was out of our budget. Our son would love the conservatory part (as would we all) so hopefully we'll be able to book one in future.

I do remember that conversation, feels like another lifetime ago! I’ve been annoyed about supermarket prices for ages, they did nothing to stop panic buying in the early days of COVID and my local Sainsburys blatantly exploited it with displays of toilet rolls under a banner stating “When they’re gone, they’re gone.” Needless to say they made record profits but now things are tighter for so many people they’ve hiked the prices to protect their profits. Inflation is a complicated calculation but on a very simple level how can the soap I used to buy for £1 a pack now be £2.50, or the coffee that was £3 now be £6.50? Let’s Rock Leeds is a one day retro festival and we’ve been lucky with the weather over the last few years so I’ve not experienced any mud sliding (yet). Lucky for us Temple Newsam estate is in the park where we take Teddy every day so it’s just a (wobbly) 1 mile walk home (though maybe we clock up more than a mile if we can’t walk in a straight line).

Last year it was £6 for a pint of Carling & £27 for a bottle of Prosecco. This year it was £6.50 for a can of Madri, £8 for a pint of Carling & £8.50 for a tiny can of Prosecco. Even allowing for logistical costs the prices were extortionate.