Midsomer Madness

I have no idea about the cabanas but I am very disappointed that P&O are doing excursions to places where whales and dolphins are kept in captivity. They stopped all this previously so have no idea why they have started it up again just at this particular port of call. :mad:

Totally agree. I am sure wheelchair users will still have priority.

I asked this very question of P&O recently to a customer services manager who I have had dealings with and she advised that wheelchair users were requested to arrive at the time on their etickets and then to ask for assistance....

Flew to St Lucia a few years ago, I don't remember anything wrong with it.

A few have mentioned the cruise terminal is well over an hour from the airport up hill and down dell, so to speak

Seems strange they have released these when the original cruises have already been on sale since April this year...I'm wondering I'd perhaps they are having problems filling britannia..what about people already booked on the existing dates? I've also heard that flying into And out of St LuCia is not a very good experience. I wouldn't consider 7 nights in the Caribbean the flights are too long for such a short time...all seems a little strange to me

I would add there is a thread over on the official P&O Facebook page whereby people are leaving their comments and suggestions. Its rather large now! Perhaps those who are not happy with the new arrangements may like to add their thoughts to it, the more people who do, the more likely (I live in hope) P&O take notice!

I can't understand for the life of me why they can't do on line check in like the other cruise lines, it saves so much time!

I emailed a contact at p&o towers and asked about embarkation and she has confirmed that the new boarding arrangements currently on Britannia, Azura and Ventura will be rolled out fleet wide in November, with an aim of getting from kerb to cabin in 30 minutes eventually although she appreciates it's not quite working that well at the moment....she also said she had read and received comments that not everyone is happy with the new system!

But Kevin the rest of them will do exactly the same from April next year. I am already hearing reports of this. So Royal will do it and Celebrity. And Cunard and Princess. I cannot see why you would stop cruising with any company just because of this.

Dai but Celebrity, and I suspect RCI too as they are part of the same company, already ask you what time you think you will arrive and what time you wish to disembark, so will be no different for them. RCI do check in on line and it all saves time at the terminal. We have never had such a smooth embarkation or disemarkation as we did with celebrity, it was brilliant and if they can do it why can't p&o?

Cunard have always managed to have cabins ready when you embark, never could understand why p&o couldn't manage it, but they seem incapable of sorting it. Cunard do Queens Grills. Princess Grills. Diamond members, platinum members and then normal boarding commences...we would certainly not consider any further short cruises with p&o now as if you get a 3.30 slot most Of your first day is gone before you even get on board...

And I'm with Dai (for a change :eek:) people should be making their voices heard on the questionnaires and on the official facebook and Twitter pages

And also P&O seem incapable of knowing when people are on linked bookings and possibly be travelling together. We went on Oriana in August and were given a 2pm check in, as were our friends in the next cabin. Her elderly parents who were on a diffeeent deck were given a 3pm check in despite needing help and assistance from their daughter to get on board. Plus they also don't know how people are going to arrive at the terminal,,they might give people an early check in times but all those people might be arriving in coaches at 2pm..therefore loads of space at early check in with no passengers!

I seem to remember P&O posting on their website, sometime in the last 12 months, about some new benefits they were going to introduce and I am sure selecting your boarding time was one of them. Surely that would be the best way to go as Kevin suggests, and do on a first come first serve basis.

I asked them about this in their official facebook page a couple of months ago and they said they did trial it (I never read or heard from anybody who had taking part in alleged trial) and they decided they were not going to implement it, instead going with this new one which is apparently what passengers have requested (having cabins readynon embarkation), again I've not read or heard of anybody who has actually given them this feedback!

We cruised with celebrity this year and were asked during the booking process which time we were likely to arrive and what time we would like to disembark, we were on board by 11.15 and off by 7.45... No problems at all.

P&O are useless and couldn't organise a booze up in a brewery

I think the way they do it now is open to abuse. When you used to send your documents off the proof was seen. Now they say take it with you and show at reception, every time we have done this they say they don't need to see it. I have mentioned it a couple of times in emails and on the phone and the answer I get is..."but we may ask you to show it and if you don't have the proof with you the OBC will be removed and may not get added for future cruises" fair enough I suppose but I do wonder if they have ever asked anyone!

They used to allow the defence discount card as proof until they were advised by many of us that anyone can get one of those cards and you don't need to have been in the military!

The new year one will be a party atmosphere but doubt many hens or stags as usually too expensive..,the one in February you may well encounter a few and/or big parties celebrating different things, we have just come back from a 3 nighter on Oriana and there were a fair few hen and stag parties on board, although this time they appeared well behaved!

Thank you everyone for your help!

Cruisers are such helpful people!

I can't see p&o introducing an AI drinks pacakage..they are conscious of the amount of bad feeedback they are getting lately from their short booze cruises I'm sure they wouldn't want this sort of behaviour creeping over into their longer cruises...unfortunately a british cruise line with almost all british cruisers with a drinks package would only be a disaster!

I know most of us are responsible people but unfortunately as is usually the case, the minority spoil it for the majority.

I know Christopher Edgington did state last year that there were no plans to introduce anything

Thank you, I reckon p&o have just put the wrong bar name in, nothing would surprise me with them, the left hand rarely knows what the right hand is doing! :confused:

Think we will take our chances and book it, when funds permit!

This is happening quite a lot with P&o they need to get it sorted...

Amanda

 

When we did it in 2014 it was at Whites Bay where the Soggy Dollar Bar is - its only about 200 yards to the Soggy Dollar from drop off. I posted a photo, the dropoff is over on the left and the SD is right over on the right, so not far.

Have to warn you that the lunch at the bar we used with the P&O trip was awful and we had lunch at the Soggy Dollar.

We also went to JVD privately in 2011 and that time then moored offshore and we had to swim in. I don't swim so that was fun and it was 8 foot deep where we moored. On he P&O trip you could either swim in or they took you ashore on a smaller boat.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/107693552597250328299/Carib11Photos#5586256566115884706

Thank you so much for this..,the excursion descriptions says snack drink at oceans 7 beach bar., but according to the Soggy Dollar there isn't an oceans 7 beach bar on JVD.. so did you stop off there or somewhere else? We stopped at oceans 7 beach bar when we did Virgin Island sailaway on Tortola a year or so again but it wasn't in JVD!

we also did an independent trip to JVD in 2011 where we had to swim from the boat to the beach!

I'd stick and go on the organised trip with P&O rather than risking the ferry as the ship will be long gone without you if not back on time whereas you'll be covered on a P&O trip. Did the organised trip a couple of years ago and loved it. Think you get about 2 1/2 hours there which will be plenty. Make sure you try the Soggy Dollar Bar which is at he opposite end of the beach to where you land, it's ace😀. Enjoy

Can you tell me how far the soggy dollar bar is from where you are dropped? I have bad knees and can't walk that far. We went to soggy dollar bar on a private charter a few years ago and loved it but it was a rush to get back to the ship on time and we only just made it!

Annie,

 

Having had another look I think there is some confusion. The OP on the FB page was interested in the suggested new system of people picking there own boarding time. The more I look the more I think that it is this idea which has been abandoned. I suppose time will tell. The post above regarding the coach travel does not seem to be an abandonment of later boarding.

That was me asking p&o about the pick your own boarding time and they confirmed they did trial it (although i have never seen any posts about it) but they decided to not go forward with it..shame really as could have been a good selling point for booking early...you pick your time when you book, far too simple for p&o though! :rolleyes:

Did you point this out to your waiters? If so did they change it for you? If not did you complain to the restaurant manager?

If none of these then its your own fault you were unhappy.

yes I pointed it out, yes they changed it, yes it was still tepid! Yes I complained to the restaurant manager, made no difference, every night was the same...it was dreadful! Things have hopefully improved!

Doesn't it depend on which ship? Sure we had a bottle of fizz when we had a superior delux cabin on Azura....

Just seen ship is Oriana.. So,probably doesn't apply!

Grand Harbour is currently undergoing refurbishment. We stayed there in May and had a lovely room, nice breakfast and a free drop off to the cruise terminal as we were doing a cruise and park package. The bar was expensive but that is pretty standard in hotels. It is no longer part of the De Vere group.

We would certainly return if the price/package was good.

We usually stay in Novotel and that's where we will be staying pre cruise in November, got a good deal at £65 for room including breakfast.

P&o, in their infinite wisdom once again, thought it a good idea to make two of the three restaurants on Britannia, Azura and Ventura, freedom dining, therefore there is now only one club restaurant in each ship. If you want club dining the chances are you are going to have to book early now in order to secure it..i personally don't like freedom dining, but can out up with it on a short cruise if I had to. If I was on 14 nights on Azura and was given freedom dining i would be eating in the glasshouse and sindhu a lot! I just dind service is not as good on freedom dining and the times I've done it most of the food has arrived tepid at best...

Unfortunately some parents take no notice of this anyway. The other year we were flying back from Barbados with Thomson and had Damian and Damian aged around 4 and 6 sat in front of us and their parents two rows back in the middle aisle section..parents read and slept all the way home while their bratty kids were jumping up and down and running up and down aisles for the entire 8 hour flight... Obviously one parent was supposed to sit with each child, but they just changed around once we had taken off...

I really so think more people need to let p&o know how they feel over all these hen and stag parties..it must be difficult for them to actually know because no doubt they all book separately and then link up bookings or just link up once on board... the powers that be need to start clamping down on the anti social behaviour though regardless of how much they might spend in the bars. We spend a lot in the bars when we are on board but still know how to act and behave!