Clodia

I always pack 2 formal dresses and one cocktail dress, with appropriate shoes/bags. That works for most cruises and then I just wait and see what transpires.

Actually no. I've tried the 6 star lines where everything including decent champagne is constantly on offer, but the prices since the pandemic are eye watering for solos though I am looking at one such line for 2025. In the end, P and O is good value if you get a good cabin (I sometimes do a suite), use the speciality restaurants most nights, and get the deluxe drinks package because I drink quality rather than quantity. I'd never get to 15 alcoholic drinks but I like the more expensive ones. I do the sums, and will continue to cruise with P and O. Just not every time, whereas before the pandemic I was very much a P and O girl!

Goading again. Well, for a start, Southern Comfort, Liqueurs like Grand Marnier, a wider range of vodkas and cognacs because unfortunately the discerning palate CAN taste the difference. As I have said more than once, I have no objection to buying from P and O, or I would go back to the truly all inclusive lines at their prices, but I expect a good choice. At least the fact that I can buy a fairly decent cognac onboard means I can take a decent bottle of champagne on with me instead.

Thank you to those who posted the list of room service drinks. I am perfectly happy with Courvoisier VSOP cognac as opposed to what they used to sell, so will buy a bottle from Room Service for balcony nightcaps. They DO need to widen the range though; gin and whisky drinkers are adequately catered for but not the rest. I shall be writing to P and O on this point.

I prefer small ships, Aurora being my P and O favourite, but was surprised at how much I liked Iona. The smallest ship I've been on is Silversea Silver Whisper, at 295 pax. Gorgeous ship, but you do not want to be on her in a storm, and I'm a good sailor.

Ambassador are still charging passenger 1 with the second going free. I've never tried them. Attracted by traditional smaller ships and a great range of UK ports from which to sail. (strongly coloured by journey to Southampton being affected by train strike this week) But are they any good. I had a bad P and O cruise in 2017, the only bad one I've ever had since 1999, and went to the other extreme trying Silversea. They were wonderful until the pandemic, but the prices! Since 2021 their quality especially in food has deteriorated but prices have jumped even further. Their main restaurant fare used to be exquisite but actually the Epicurean is as good or better.

Email them . Maybe I've just been lucky but the staff dealing with emails seem to be pretty good. I got 2 with a can do attitude and my problem was sorted in 48 hours. If not resolved then you have 90 days to initiate a charge back with your credit card company on the grounds of an unrecognised transaction. Doing so will incur a fee for P and O too. It would be easier for them just to sort it out.

Wow! That glacier has really receded since my daughter and I walked to it about 16 years ago; we had a photo taken standing on it!

Each ingredient added.At the Sunset bar.

Yes, that would make a LOT of sense and I've been with more than one line who does it that way.

Im' always pleased if I know it's going to be Robert Camby, Neil Turnbull , Paul Brown or Wesley Dunlop as I find them all personable and able to create a good atmosphere and a happy crew. There is also one with whom I will avoid sailing after he ruined one cruise for me. Not saying whom.

After years of trying P and O on the phone and actually breaking one phone in frustration at being kept on hold, I have switched to emailing; the customer services form or address is on the My P and O cruises website. I'm all sorted for my 2 back to backs on Britannia starting on Friday, but wanted to look at excursions for the next cruise on Aurora. I couldn't get in; the personaliser just kept saying "invalid booking reference" so I emailed. I got an answer the same day suggesting that the problem might be my name being misspelt on their records for that cruise, and asking me to confirm all the names on my passport in correct order. They then came back the next day saying they had corrected their records and I should be able to access my personaliser. Great service, and it worked!

That's odd, because I had several frozen cocktails on Iona on my last cruise and watched them being made in front of me as I was sitting at the bar.

Yes. I decided not to have the drinks package on my last cruise, and bought gin, vodka and mixers to drink on my balcony. Mixers are expensive but spirits quite reasonably priced; you just call Room Service who deliver them usually within half an hour.

I've bought the drinks packages for the back to back cruises on 10th and 24th May at the present prices, so really not bothered except that I like a good cognac as a nightcap watching the sea on my private balcony. I've always taken on a 70cl bottle just for that purpose, so I may still sneak it on in a rum runner simply because the brand sold by room service is not my favourite. I have no objection at all to buying in cabin drinks from room service; since I've paid in advance for the package I can use my onboard spend for that and speciaity bookings, but P and O have really got to increase the range of drinks available; "covid" just doesn't cut it any more.

I was told last cruise that they no longer enforce this; too many complaints about bottles "disappearing" and being stolen at end of cruise. I think if you just bring one bottle of something locally produced back in your bag, they ignore it. That was certainly my experience on my last 2 cruises.

I'm on this cruise and I expect it to changed to 22nd; indeed I've booked the Beach House on the 23rd on the assumption it will. Doesn't make much difference to me because on a sudden impulse a few weeks ago I booked to stay on for the cruise on the 24th. Have to move cabins, to the one a deck immediately below me so not too far.

I literally cannot stop laughing at the thought of a queue of cats waiting to board....

Some ladies do dress up for these lunches, more so than men. I always keep a smart dress for them.

THe unexpected early booking had a significant impact on what was left for my 10th May cruise on Britannia; I had to be a bit flexible with timings when I booked on Thursday!

I am allergic to the hand gel and cannot use it, and have never caught anything in 25 years of cruising, because I wash my hands all the time. In fact I have to take a special hand cream because the soap and water makes them dry. A friend who is a nurse tells me that this is the correct way to avoid infections as much as possible.

Good to read this as I have 15735 next spring.

I had the deluxe package on Iona recently and just ordered a 250 ml glass. If I ran out I asked for another; no problem and usually took 10 minutes or so to arrive.

Pre registered for that one this morning, not easy from Fuerteventura. Couldn't resist as it'll be a one time experience.

Finally got an email from them and changed excursions.