Harry Peterson

With the P&O of 2022, with all its flaws, economies and stripped back service, isn’t it just a tad bizarre to be clinging on to this mythical ethos of luxury cruising in a Travelodge environment? Of course, it doesn’t cost P&O one penny, it creates an illusion, and it provides them with pictures and copy for the brochures - so all good for P&O! Once they’ve established that it’s costing them customers, probably very soon, that will be that.

I shall obviously refrain from any comment.

Not sure about that one, but there are pod coffee machines in suites - or maybe consider taking an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker?

It's perfectly OK - the same stuff you'd get in little bottles. You won't have a problem with it. 🙂

Presumably just the standard pump containers on the wall.

You may be right. And you may be wrong. Nobody knows how things will go, but the trend is certainly away from formal, in that, as reported today, smart casual is fine in many more locations than it used to be. And a few years back suits, as against formalwear, were in a tiny minority - not now.

That’s awful. Very disappointing for you. I hope you’ll be able to find another way to get one before then.

I looked it up on Google to see what a tea dance was/is: This might surprise a few older customers if they're not careful 😉 :

Good to hear from you, Andy. Hope you’re both well, and business, of course. Harry

And if you’ve been switched over to Digital Voice for your landline, and that’s soon going to be all of us (even rural Lincolnshire!), even the main landline phone won’t work because it relies on a mains router. BT’s approach is that you’ll still be able to make emergency calls from a mobile, but round here when the power goes down (not infrequently), so do the mobile transmitters! https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/broadband/article/digital-voice-and-the-landline-phone-switch-off-what-it-means-for-you-aPSOH8k1i6Vv

I think they were sold recently and got new jobs.

Wow! A seasoned cruiser at the age of 27! There’s some history in that article, and a huge contrast between old-style cruising and today’s. I suppose we have to remember that back then it was a luxury holiday that only the fairly affluent could afford.

We’re all different, aren’t we. Never ever been to a tea dance - not even sure what one is. But the guest lecturers were one of the main attractions of cruising. I’d been trying to persuade a friend of mine to take it up for the ‘free’ cruises, but I doubt there’s much call for it now.

Thanks for the information. That’s more or less it for me with P&O then. There were about 6 guest speakers on our first cruise with them, covering a very wide range of subjects, from film, through law to the history of cruise liners. All well delivered, all interesting, all educational in the widest sense of the word, and all well attended. Every sea day was a pleasure, always interesting things to see and do. Last time, however, sea days were pretty dull, with not a lot to do. There now seems to be even less. I know we can read our Kindles, which we do, but we can do that anywhere, at much lower cost.

Maybe the apparent difference in opinions between posters is that some remember P&O as it was (and not so long ago) and some aren’t able to make the comparison. I think also that Saga’s entrance into the market with new ships has upped the game way beyond the P&O offering. The abysmal customer service from P&O may also have swayed opinions.

I think I might know the answer to this, but how about the lectures? Used to enjoy those, but they were cut back even pre-Covid. Were there any/many?

So essentially, this isn't Butlins any more? It's Cruising Ryanair-style?

Exactly the way we feel about it. Adequate, rather than otherwise, but perfect in the gap between breakfast and dinner if you’ve been ashore and not had time for lunch.

I do hope not. Where did that information come from?

It will be interesting to see what effect, if any it has on crew infection rates - if the masks were air tight and of suitable quality they will have been providing considerable protection against infection for the crew.

Have they not used the usual environmental arguments for the jam and marmalade. As I recall it used to be the rather excellent Wilkins Tiptree conserves, but maybe I’m mistaken on that. I’d be interested to see the labels on the bulk supplies they’re now using!

Perhaps, John, but it's not just ports that will be affected. Time will tell. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/10/12/next-summers-holidays-face-threat-new-eu-fingerprint-checks/ The regime - which applies to entry through any EU port, airport or border checkpoint for non-EU travellers - is likely to have the biggest impact on Dover and Eurostar terminal at St Pancras where there are “juxtaposed” border checks by the French before holidaymakers cross the Channel.

Changes may be coming though: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/port-of-dover-passport-checks-eu-britain-biometric-delays-france-b1028870.html

Headline from a certain newspaper: “An INK-redible way to cheat! Spanish law student etched answers to exam questions onto his pens” Easy to misread things at first glance……..

I wonder if all this is a requirement of Carnival’s insurers and essentially back covering all round. There are some potentially extremely large but cloudy potential liabilities around Covid.