FangedRose

That the food poisoning was contracted on board was certainly implied because you added to the list of criticisms of the cruise.

You say that 'surely this was the highlight', maybe for you, it certainly wouldn't be for me and many others. I, as a solo traveller, would not feel safe in any strange city at night. I'm not surprised that only a few got off. People go on these P&O tours because they do not feel confident or safe on their own in new places.

Sickness and diarrhoea is a symptom of Covid. I certainly had an upset stomach in the early days of my covid infection and the others who shared my taxi home also suffered similarly to a greater or lesser degree. i also thought the food bland and tasteless for several days before I tested. My cough I also blamed on the air conditioning. Everything described can be attributed to the covid infection. I very much doubt the op would be the only ones affected if it was food poisoning.

Choosing your dining preferences is one of the perks of paying select fare. Even then it is still not guaranteed. (Though select fare preferences come top of the list).There would be a lot of upset select fare passengers if they didn't get their dining preference when someone on a saver fare did. In the past everyone paid 'select' fare, everyone could choose dining and cabin. Saver fares were introduced (at a lower price) to fill empty (unpopular) cabins and fill empty dining slots. If you want choice you need to pay select fare.

From my experience of several cruise lines, if anything suspicious shows up when the suitcases are scanned you get called to the "naughty room" and you open the suitcase in the presence of the security staff. Only in the most extreme circumstances would anyone open your suitcases without you there.

Never experienced, or talked to anyone, that this happened to. If one person in the cabin is entitled to priority boarding everybody in the same cabin boarded with them at the earlier time. I personally have boarded early as I happened to be talking to someone who had priority boarding as we entered the terminal. Despite my protestations that I was not entitled to be in that particular lane i was told "Ithink you are assisting her therefore you board with her", I stopped arguing then and went with the flow 😁.

Just carry a wrap. The interior is usually kept at a constant temperature wherever in the world you are. But certain areas of the ship, and certain seats in certain venues can be chilly due to air conditioning.

That has got nothing to do with the fact that even if they gave same information it could change at a couple of hours notice once on board.

Title says £70, comment by op says £10. That is not a typo, the numbers are nowhere near each other. Drink packages are expensive when compared to paygo prices on P&O. Very rarely worth it. They are optional. If you do go for it all adults in the cabin need to purchase it. A six month old should only drinking milk (breast or formula if necessary) or plain water.

Only if they can predict the weather for one day, or the vagaries of port authorities, months in advance.

This. Celebration/formal nights are usually scheduled for sea days if possible. If the itinerary changes due to "operational reasons" and what was a sea day is now a port day, or if the sea is going to be exceptionally "lumpy" they will move the celebration night.

Not quite. It proves it was a tick box exercise. The steward was more interested in getting ratings, not by doing his job properly, but by guilt tripping the guests.

I remember being asked by a cabin steward to mark him excellent. So i immediately deducted one star. Instead of doing his job properly (which would have got him at least 4 stars) he was badgering the guests to fill the form in "properly". I made sure I put the form in the box in reception, instead of leaving it my cabin, as I didn't quite trust him!

Yes, that's what I remember.

Thought it was P&O but not entirely sure.

Maybe it was a different cruise line I'm thinking of. I remember talking to tablemates who were sitting in the atrium, near reception, filling in a form to remove gratuities. Different cruise lines, different procedures.

It is optional, but you have to queue and fill in forms at reception to remove them. And, I think I'm right, you can only remove them for future days, so if you want to remove them for the whole cruise you need to do so on the first day, hence the queue.

But, it does mean that Eggs Benedict is available every morning, not just on Monday

Thanks

Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to know. 😊

I am interested in doing a Saga Cruise as a refugee from another cruise line. As can be seen from my profile I live outside the distance limits for car transfers. How does that work? Am I left to make my own way to the ship? Can I travel to a pick up point? Can I pay extra to bridge the gap as it were?

I use the buffet for a quick breakfast or lunch inbetween other activities. I can't imagine going back to the cabin before and after for my tray. On Arvia or Iona (even Britannia) that could be adding an extra 20 minutes to my mealtime (which only took 10 minutes anyway). The inconvenience would outweigh any advantage.

I assume that gt also indicates "guarantee", there is only two spaces allocated for deck number, so it is abbreviated to two letters. Also, cabins can be allocated at any time up to, and including, check in.

I saw a family on Aurora in July with their own trays. They were only half the size of the normal trays. Could only fit one large plate on it so, in my opinion, a waste of time and effort. As a solo traveller I worried about how I would cope, but I managed fine. Got meal, left it on table with obviously unused napkin and cutlery, a nod to a neighbouring table, which indicated my intention, and got my tea and/or dessert. Never had any problems.

Have you got that the right way round? Surely hand towels should be changed more frequently! If you use a flannel or sponge in the shower all skin flakes are removed then and washed away. That is not true when washing hands and therefore skin flakes are transferred to the hand towel. It is more important to keep your hands clean than other parts of your body surely?