RICO72

Having read some months ago that individual trays were being phased out in all P&O ship's buffets, and not having cruised since before COVID, I have a query.

I always remember things like pies, crumbles etc. being served in large, individual ramekins which would sit on the hotplates, potentially for some time, and become volcanically hot to the touch. Then the trick of using an unwieldy pie slice to slide said pie/crumble to a waiting tray without a glancing blow on any unprotected skin. I'm not necessarily complaining about the lack of trays (I've read the reasons why) but would love to know how people deal with this 'first world problem' of getting said items to their tables without third degree burns!

I've just realised that, this post included, my post count total has risen by roughly 10% this evening. I'm feeling rather giddy and feel the need to lie down in a darkened room.

I bid you all a good night. Speak again when more positive refund news arrives.

5 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Most of the complaints are from second home owners who can't come down to Devon.  Some of their emails are beyond belief.  I am hoping I will allowed back to the office in 2nd week of June and not left at home because of my age 😞

If, as employers should, experience is valued first and foremost before any other factors including age, then I'm sure you will be back 'at work' before you know it.

16 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you.

Pauline and I love cruising and wish our cruise hadn't been cancelled and then having a long wait for a refund.

I'm pleased your job is safe which is fantastic news.

I always post on my Android phone  which makes it easy for me to post often and being part retired I have more time to post.

Graham.

Am I the last person in the first world who still does not possess a Smart Phone ?  😂 Just a dumb phone for me.

8 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I am very lucky too.  Still working from home, salary coming in every month.  Very lucky.   We are getting awful customers though.  Because they can't use their moorings, they demand a pro rata refund, even though their huge yacht is on its mooring and being looked after by our guys.

Blessed indeed Jean, blessed indeed. Stay positive.

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Great post,you should post more often.

Graham

Thank you Graham. I probably would post more if I had the time. I thank the Lord that I have retained my job, in the face of so many who have been furloughed or worse, and that means I rarely get the spare minutes to follow the various musings. Suffice to say, I enjoy 99% of what I read on here, find most people's experience and advice most useful (yours most definitely), and can often use the pictures created in my mind to bring to life happier times at sea. I'm sure those moments and memories will return in time.

RICO72

As you'll all see from my post count, I infrequently post on this forum but follow it quite religiously for the wonderful advice and knowledge that exists from most. I though I would add my experience for anyone's interest.

I booked direct last year for a sailing on 28th March 2020.

Paid in full on 2 separate cards - one for deposit, one for the balance.

Upon receiving the P&O e-mail cancellation for my cruise on Monday 16th March, I completed the online form requesting full refund within a few hours on that day.

Received first e-mail cancellation booking notification on 20th March - the one that said the next invoice would have charges but to disregard as we would get a full refund.

Received that 'incorrect' invoice on e-mail on the 25th March.

Received full refund back on the 2 original payment cards on Friday 15th May.

Not once have I made contact in any way with P&O since this whole debacle began. That doesn't mean I didn't care - I did but had a multitude of other concerns that were needing my attention also. I have checked this forum thread virtually every day to update myself on others' progress and felt that I may wind myself up further if I posted in my angst. I am blessed that the money, although significant, was not required back within the original 45 days stated on the screen when I cancelled. I sat tight and watched it all play out. 

My feelings now ? Well, first and foremost I'm glad to have the monies returned and pray that all others affected will get the same in the coming days. Do I think these are unprecedented times and a wait of many, many weeks was inevitable ? YES. Am I happy with how P&O have handled this ? NO, not one jot. The complete lack of communication on how things were proceeding was horrendously bad. I would most definitely have been calmer with at least some knowledge of how they were processing claims - date of cruise order, date of cancellation etc. The process seems completely random to me. Will I cruise with them again ? Possibly, at the right price but one takes time to forget a poor customer experience and there are 'other fish in the sea'.

All the best everyone.

Wife and I live in a large(ish) town in Berkshire. Praise the Lord we are still in gainful employment and we are still travelling to work every day as we have key worker jobs. I may be redeployed into another role in around a week to cope with demand elsewhere. The roads are vastly quieter - so nice for journey times and it must be doing wonders for the air quality.

Like many others state, major grocery stores are  depleted, although better in the last 24 hours or so. Having chatted to a couple of small store owners, they are doing a roaring trade - biggest revenues ever. Silver lining for the 'little man/woman'.

Town centre very quiet all week but surprisingly busy on Saturday even though all the eateries had closed and a number of other retail stores had opted to close.

Had a 7 to 8 mile walk in a local forest early morning and was pretty much deserted. Could not attend Baptist Church this morning - CLOSED - but listened to service online instead.

Had cruises booked on Ventura imminently (cancelled and waiting for requested refund) and Arcadia in July (waiting for the P&O cancellation so we can get the full refund also). Not the end of the world - I'm sure she'll have a long list of things for me to do instead !!!!!

Stay safe everyone - in my prayers ☺️

8 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Britannia is the same and you need a plug converter.

Aah but, having been on Britannia and confirming info on the P&O faq section, the bathroom on Britannia has a specific shaver point. Thus, as long as you posess the correct adaptor, which I do, you can use a mains and/or rechargeable shaver in the bathroom. Not so on Iona - unless you book a suite or recharge out in the main cabin then take the shaver back in the bathroom. I have a mains shaver so cannot do this - thus will have to shave in the main cabin - still a silly idea P&O.

I have the adaptor that allows a 3 pin UK plug to convert to either US or EU style plugs including shaver points but it does seem that will not be sufficient to use in the bathroom on Iona - only within the cabin area. I maintain this is a silly oversight.

....and, of course, P-L-B, your idea only works for individuals who have rechargeable shavers rather than mains only - still can't use the bathroom for the latter.

Whilst researching cabin socket availability/location for my upcoming Arcadia cruise, I noticed this line printed on the P&O page from their FAQ section :

'Shaving sockets on Iona are only available in Suites'

Seems rather a lack of foresight in planning to me. Fine if you can recharge your shaver in the cabin elsewhere but no luck plugging in directly in the bathroom for this ship. What do you think?

I haven't been on Ventura but really valued the interactive TV on Azura - I spend more time than average in my cabin and the 'on demand' films etc made my down-time more enjoyable (especially when in an inside cabin). :(

Let me refer you to an earlier quote of mine in this thread, where I said.........there were a couple of pay-per-view films but I counted around 30 films across multiple genres that were available free

You will still have a good choice of films but the account-viewing facility has gone.

Have they changed the TVs and if so are they now widescreen and bigger? If not why have they just changed the system which was working fine in March as we left the ship before its refit.

Still the same old 4:3 TV but now with no interactive services.

what no movies in cabin now ? !!!

Yes, there were a couple of pay-per-view films but I counted around 30 films across multiple genres that were available free. Having said that, it was not at all easy on the eye looking at Ventura's micro-TV's with a very limited volume to boot.

Are there any inputs on the TV? Can an HDMI or USB device be plugged in and used?

 

Not that I intend to spend too long in the cabin of course.

Having just returned from Ventura's first post-refit cruise, I can confirm that neither of those inputs are available - trust me, I looked.

Seeing your account was a useful feature, why on earth would they remove it. Must cause more work at reception with people requesting an interim statement instead of just looking it up for themselves.

If you can't easily see what you've spent, without lining up at Guest Services, is there a chance you'll spend more ? Just the cynical marketer in me but I tend to believe it warrants some truth.

The union jacks on the front of the ships aren't exactly discreet.

The Union FLAGS on the front of the ships.................it only becomes a JACK when hoisted on a flagpole:D:D:D

.............. and now, due to the cancelled Azores port call, she is due back even earlier. Southampton VTS have Ventura tied up alongside by 2200 on 11 March. I'm sure everyone trying to nod off in their balcony cabins that are shoreside will appreciate the 'kerfuffle' going on as all the elements for her refit are loaded for the next day departure !!!

I call them cabins but, hey, 'whatever floats your boat'........or is that ship ?

Well they do have Sky, albeit just Sky News. Sometimes, big sporting events are shown in lounges but, being a Box Office event, it is doubtful P&O will gain the rights to show it live.

Absolutely yes - just ask the cabin steward to open it up on arrival.

Ventura, currently on her Caribbean/USA sojourn, appears to be arriving back a smidge early according to Sothampton VTS. She was due on 12th March but now showing as alongside by 2345hrs on 11th March. Is this simply to give crew more time in preparation for her departure 12th March to refit, or does anyone know for sure why this is ?

OP.......please be advised that Crown and Sapphire are both 'Grand Class' vessels. The major difference is that the latter has one less deck which equates to approximately 500 fewer passengers aboard. Bearing in mind that both vessels have the same area of public space, both inside and out, Sapphire will have a far less crowded feel to her.

As for past reports and how Princess deal with children/teenagers, I cannot comment.

Good luck deciding !

Walkable in around 45 minutes along footpaths at the side of the roads. Cheap as chips then !!!

You're not alone - wife and I are on there.

What an incredibly subjective question, and answers too !

Ship movement is massively dependent on wind strength, wind direction, swell size and direction of travel, a ship's beam and keel length and its relation to the wavelength. Yes, there are other factors from a ship design but these pale in comparison to the afore mentioned variables of weather and sea state.

It is certainly true that the longer the craft, the less movement will be felt on decks closer to the waterline and more midships but, even then, a different combination of the weather/sea variables from above can reduce this benefit.

It is also true that craft designed with liner hulls (deep draught and shaped to cut through each wave, such as QM2, rather than continually ride) are less susceptible to the movement experienced by the vast majority of cruise ships designed with shallower, flat-bottomed hulls.

Whatever.....enjoy your cruise !