majortom10

But a very small number of 5000-6000 onboard needed to fill those restaurants.

But the younger people that P&O are seeming to attract to Arvia & Iona are the ones that want 15 drinks a day on the alcohol package and have no interest in any other part of the ship except Skydome area. With reference to your thoughts on Princess you may be correct with regards to British cruiser's on ships based during summer in UK. A lot of disgruntled P&Oers are migrating to Princess. Also don't forget Princess is a very small selection of their ships where the majority based in Med, Alaska and the Far East are very popular with Americans as that is Princess main market.

Yes it certainly gives the impression that they don't want be co-operative with their customers and give information. Makes you think have they got something to hide.

That is fine if P&O want to go down the road of people having no interest but "camping out" by the pool all day long making full use of the drinks package. I don't think many of those on Arvia recently cared about balcony or higher grades just cheapest cabin possible and a drinks package. Don't think they will be booking speciality restaurants or excursions and paying no extra than drinks package. Some were there every time we walked through I was beginning to think they were sleeping there on sunbeds. If that is the way P&O is going then I am afraid after cruising on all their ships in last 23yrs then I am afraid my days like many regulars are numbered on P&O as it is not my idea of cruising.

Still had no reply from P4C from my e mail where they actually park the cars these days. Have heard of at least 2 sites they have used so whether they have moved or expanded nobody knows and they seem to be very secretive in letting people actually know.

Why don't you just book direct with P4C with even less stress.

More important factor is not about occupancy but at what prices are you selling those cruises to get that occupancy. No good sailing at 100% occupancy if you have to reduce prices to a lower level to achieve it. Currently advertising 14nt cruise on Arvia in April at under £700, that cannot be a sustainable level of pricing and even more worrying that the cruise is 6 months away.

Not necessarily P&O are advertising 14 nt cruises in April from under £700pp on Arvia. So in effect with drinks package you could get a 14mt holiday for £1200pp approx with as much as you can eat and drink at any time of the day. They aren't bothered about position of cabin or having a balcony because they spend most of day in SkyDome around the pool.

You wouldn't say that if you were on Arvia recently large families rearranging sunbeds around the pool in the SkyDome. They would spend all day there had no interest in what was elsewhere on the cruise except to go to buffet or 360 for food and drink constantly to get value out of drinks package heard one guy late afternoon saying he had had 11 pints that day.

I don't understand how P&O go from one corporate disaster to the next on a very regular basis and treat their loyal customers with contempt yet people still book with them. Open your eyes there are plenty of cruise lines who would willingly accept your business and not treat you the same way as P&O do. The worst of it all the numpty in charge gets promoted while talking twaddle to the press the most famous one i.e 99.9%.

But that is no excuse for P&O to treat their customers as they do often on a regular basis. It need a number to take action on there own and the press get hold of it. They deserve all they get.

Don't think you can or at least I have never known it.

We did exactly the same in March on Iona and even with loss of deposit was £100s better off with OBC. Did slightly different with our cruise next April on Arvia. We have transferred our cruise to one prior so instead of going on 28th going on 14th. Same cruise just meant we get free parking and £660 OBC where originally all we had was free parking. Both these cruises were booked at launch so proves launch prices are not always the best. Surprisingly the Arvia cruise is second time we have moved cruise and P&O allowed it.

The best speciality restaurant we have ever been to on a cruise was XV11 (Seventeen) on Azura. Fantastic atmosphere, service and menu every time, unfortunately the only P&O ship to have XV11 and soon became Epicurean.

We will not be booking next week for 2025. We already have 2 cruises booked for spring and summer and looking for autumn time so will wait to see other cruise lines schedules and prices.

You don't have chance in the terminal these days as if you arrive at time on boarding pass you go straight to check in, security and then on the ship. The seating in the terminal was completely empty. If you didn't arrive at time on boarding pass and arrived early you have to queue outside terminal and then when your time is right you go through same procedure as above.

Both ways every time done it a few times and is a great experience.

We were amazed at the poor clearing of tables in buffet on Arvia recently. Many tables were left for some time covered in used plates and some people were clearing tables were being cleared by cruiser's and piling them up on a nearby tables. When tables were finally cleared they were never wiped down properly just wiped over and any crumbs brushed on floor using a used serviette left on the table. This happened on more than one occasion.

I am sure they will appreciate it because you are actually paying tips twice once included in cruise fare and once in cash.

P&O have never as long as I have never served silver service in the true meaning since we started cruising with them in 2000. It was just a poor imitation and serving plates with meat/fish on and then going round serving vegetables off serving dishes is not silver service. If you were on a table of 6/8 by the time everyone had been served if you had manners and waited before you started if you were served first your vegetables were soon cold. IMO moving to plated service was one of P&Os better moves.

Poor service, poor food and very poor availability of drinks from the minute we got on the ship and there is no excuse and cannot be blamed on needing a dry dock. When you have purchased a drinks package and after asking for 3-4 drinks which were not available and then being asked by the waiter "would sir like a glass of water" is not good.

If so why didn't they respond tot e mail and others. It gives the impression that they do not want you to know where they are parking your car and have something to hide.

E You don't have to go down on first day to cancel gratuities you can do it anytime during the cruise and there are no forms to fill in they fill in form and you just sign it.

That's no good if you don't like Eggs Benedict but you like the ones that are sadly no more.

One thing that I didn't like is that there were no omelettes on the menu but they were available if you asked. Also didn't realise until our last full day that plum tomatoes were available as they were also not on the menu but a gentleman on the next table asked for them.