Midsomer Madness

:confused: Sorry- I don't understand. Do you mean that people don't make an effort to dress appropriately if it is evening casual dress?

 

Unfortunately that is exactly what happens with some people, they don't understand the meaning of the wording evening casual and think it means they can slouch around in anything..shame really..perhaps they can't read? ;)

Get the shuttle bus into blankenburg and then get the train into Brugge, around 11 minutes past the hour going and around 35 minutes past the hour returning, cost is approx 6 euros return, although it was cheaper at the weekend, very reliable clean trains, journey on the train takes 10 minutes or so. You can then either walk into Brugge centre from the train station which is around 15 minutes or get a taxi or bus..we do it this way whenever we visit Brugge. We tend to get the earliest shuttle bus and train, have a few hours in Brugge, then return around 1:30 and have a wander around blankenburg before getting the shuttle back to the ship. Brugge is very expensive, we paid 11.50 euros for a gin and lemonade and 19 euros for 2 medium beers..the waffles are fabulous! Have a good trip!

my comment was aimed at the fact that you choose to ignore the dress code by wearing trainers, when it asks people to refrain from doing so....

And that is the sort of people that p&o are attracting these days..enough said really!

It's irrelevant how much they cost....trainers are trainers..

Trainers? 😳 why can't people just comply with the dress code, it's been dumbed down enough over the years..some won't be happy until they can wear their shorts and vests around the ship at night!

They don't, or at least I don't. I have a dinner jacket and a linen jacket so if needed I am fully equipped for any P&O cruise. For my Ventura fly cruise i will be leaving the jackets at home and eat in the buffet/Glasshouse/Beach house on formal nights. Being banned from the Red Bar and Metropolis is not important.

 

But they do! I've read the comments and spoken to people on Thomson cruises who say just that..i have no problem with smart casual but feel it should be smart and should be only on smart casual nights...I like to see everybody dressed up. Some people dress like they are off to do weekly shopping at Asda, and I have to say it's often the women letting the side down, men in dinner suits and their wife/partner in the sort of dress I'd wear to the beach or a BBQ! Just because a dress is long it doesn't make it formal..

 

But we must stop hijacking this thread!

The thing that annoys me and will continue to annoy me is that passengers who enjoy the casualness of Thomson cruises think it's perfectly acceptable to dress the same on p&o. You could of course say that p&o are to blame for not enforcing the dress code..in my opinion, and it is only my opinion, the tv channels that sell cruises and say "oh you don't need to dress up" are to blame . There is a dress code on all p&o ships and if people don't want to comply with that code there are plenty of casual cruiselines out there.

 

Anyway I digress...Both p&o and Cunard have their plus points,personally I can't find any negatives with Cunard but unfortunately now fine more than a few with p&o

We did 14 nights on Thomson Dream earlier this year around the Caribbean had a great time but that was mainly due to the brilliant crew and the places we visited..along with the people we went with..the entertainment was poor in our opinion but the drinks package was brilliant ;) having sailed on Thomson once before we knew what to expect, it does have to be said though that a lot of Thomson passengers are now going over to p&o. Read into that what you will!

Have sailed on both Cunard and P&O and definitely prefer Cunard of the 2, I'm not being a snob but do feel that some of the newer cruisers now cruising on p&o just don't care about how they dress or how they act, you only have to go on different forums to see the amount of people saying they won't be taking a suit and will be wearing jeans and tee shirts in the evening..p&o to me are now more like holidays at sea rather than cruising.

 

We still like p&o and are off again on Azura around the Caribbean next March but I just feel the product is more downmarket now than it used to be...however in the end any cruise or holiday is what you make it, so go and have a good time!

We love Cunard sailaways, the reggae band play live music and you drink champagne, or the drink of your choice..not as cheesey as p&o but we always have a good time!

We have used the courtyard by marriott at Gatwick the past 2 years, can recommend it..we will be booking it again for March!

 

Just checked and currently showing as a 788 which is a Dreamliner. Hope this helps.

Our posts must have crossed lol

 

If flying from Gatwick and it's a Thomson flight it probably will be a Dreamliner..we flew to Barbados in February this year with Thomson (for a Thomson cruise) and that was a Dreamliner.. I had reservations because of all the problems but was a brilliant flight, knocked 30+ minutes of the flight time and loads of leg room in economy.

 

I usually put in the flight number on google and see if it brings up the plane, but it maybe too early to do that at the moment..

We're flying from Gatwick as Midsomer is. No idea what P&O are playing at. I've never had to wait this late in the day to see flight details. We want to sort airport hotels, book seats together and the like as we get Married 2 days before the cruise.

 

Have you checked under flights on your cruise personaliser? Not teaching you to such eggs as you probably have, but if nothing there maybe give p&o a ring, they might be able to tell you?

Our flights are also showing on our cruise personaliser, we fly next March, we are 9.45 flight from Gatwick with Thomson, which I presume will probably be a Dreamliner, and the 5pm flight home, these were the same flight time as we had in 2012. Thankfully our friends who are on two separate bookings are on the same flights as us!

Not sure what P&O are doing this year, we've been told we are provisionally on a thomson flight, but they can't confirm we will be on the same flight as friends are bookings are linked with...I was originally told I could find out 11 months before our flight, but when I rang and asked all the above is all they could tell me and said to ring back in a few months.

 

previously its been on our cruise personaliser as soon as we have booked. Its rather annoying!

Yes disembarkation was a bit chaotic......... but yippee to being able to finally keep cruise cards!:D No idea why it took so long to offload luggage when most people took their own off. :rolleyes:

 

My daughter and I had a good giggle at the Hen parties. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves......... as did the Stag dos! ;)

 

We ignored what they said about cases not being in the luggage hall and were amongst the first off and yes our luggage was there waiting for us,think they said that to stop literally everybody getting off at once. Never been back to Southampton so late before though!

I don't think fancy dress is really suitable for dinner in the main restaurant nor parading a blow up,Dolly around the corridors or bars...rather chavvy behaviour and if it had been my first time on p&o I probably wouldn't rush to book another..it was akin to a weekend in Blackpool at times!

 

Oriana deserves so much better! However we enjoyed our weekend away but you can certainly tell the staff don't like these weekenders!

Didn't like the fiasco of disembarkation nor all the rowdy hen parties on board..however Oriana is still our favourite ship and we had a great time 👍

We have just come back from a 2 nighter on Oriana and got the train into Bruges, we always do this, tend to get up early and get the earliest train we can (this time it was the 9.11. It was a Saturday and easter so trains were busier. We didn't have to be back on board Oriana until 6pm although we returned around 2. Be aware Bruges is very expensive, we had 2 medium beers..cost 19 euros! Can't remember it being that expensive previously!

Quite possible the original poster asked for it to be removed, dress code and smoking threads can often get quite heated! Some people take things too personally, they ask a question then if they don't like some of the answers they get their knickers in a bit of a twist..personally I love a good dress code thread so am disappointed that one has disappeared!

We too loved the deck 10 outside bar area and spent every evening up there...I think Neil has moved down to Argo lounge now or may even be on leave but he and Carlos were brilliant, we enjoyed their company! I agree about the staff using that area though. We found the selling a bit of a pain. They are getting like p&o!

I know a few who booked early savers who got upgrades and also someone was able to change their dinner sitting, so it appears p&o are just carrying on the way they did with vantage and getaway fares...

We have a formal night on our upcoming 2 nighter so I'm pretty sure you will have one in a 3 nighter..if you have a sea day it is more than likely that will both formal night. Have a great time.

It's because they aren't in general sale yet. The correct prices will show when bookings opening for us plebs next week ;)