drinks package on Azura

We drink, but nowhere near to the extent that this package would be of benefit. We would be massively out of pocket. You don’t get free drinks at higher loyalty tiers (other than the odd loyalty club function, but it’s cheap plonk).

 

Even if you did consume as many drinks in a day you describe in your example, you would still only break even on the package, so I fail to see the incentive. Why pay up front for a package that you might struggle to get value from every single day when you can pay as you go, at reasonable prices, and have no restrictions?

 

BTW am I still in a minority of two in having noticed that the article in Moments magazine does not refer to a trial or Azura, but implies that it is being implemented fleet wide?

I took particular note of the comment in Moments magazine, too, Selbourne that there was no mention of the new drinks package being a trial or only on Azura at the moment.We don t drink a lot and wouldn t be interested in a drinks package at the price they state.I don t mind if it is an option for other passengers to purchase.What i hope doesn t happen, as others have suggested is that the price of drinks increases or that the Costa and soft drinks cards are stopped as I find those useful.

I've seen people in bar areas sitting all night, taking seats that others could of used, but not buying or drinking anything. While 'paying customers' went elsewhere. Sometimes to another bar but sometimes to their cabin.

Not sure what I'm trying to say, but is one worse than the other?

Hang on a minute, are you suggesting that passengers should not be permitted to sit in lounges unless they are drinking,what about the show lounges?

£40 per day on Cunard would be great value !!

Tell me about it! 2 years ago $13 for a Chilean Chardonnay 🤨

 

 

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Hang on a minute, are you suggesting that passengers should not be permitted to sit in lounges unless they are drinking,what about the show lounges?

My thoughts as well. We are all "paying customers". We have paid to be on the cruise. Surely we are allowed to sit anywhere there is a spare seat. Some people don't always want a drink at any given opportunity.

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My thoughts as well. We are all "paying customers". We have paid to be on the cruise. Surely we are allowed to sit anywhere there is a spare seat. Some people don't always want a drink at any given opportunity.

 

 

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Fair enough but I must admit it annoyed me last year on Azura when we struggled on several days to get a table in the Glass House for lunch and lots of tables were taken up with pax reading or playing cards and not eating or drinking.

There did seem to me though to be a lack of places on board to sit and read but nonetheless annoying when you wanted to order lunch

Fair enough but I must admit it annoyed me last year on Azura when we struggled on several days to get a table in the Glass House for lunch and lots of tables were taken up with pax reading or playing cards and not eating or drinking.

 

There did seem to me though to be a lack of places on board to sit and read but nonetheless annoying when you wanted to order lunch

I agree - if I wanted to buy lunch or a drink in a restaurant or bar and I couldn’t get a table because people were not eating/drinking but playing cards I’d be annoyed too! I don’t know why it’s permitted frankly

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Fair enough but I must admit it annoyed me last year on Azura when we struggled on several days to get a table in the Glass House for lunch and lots of tables were taken up with pax reading or playing cards and not eating or drinking.

There did seem to me though to be a lack of places on board to sit and read but nonetheless annoying when you wanted to order lunch

That would annoy me as well, especially as the Glasshouse is essentially a restaurant. There are plenty of places to sit on a ship without selfishly hogging tables in locations where fellow passengers are wanting to eat or drink.

P&O don’t help matters when they use bars for activities. When we were on Arcadia the other week, we took a pager whilst waiting for a table of four for dinner. We found a nice table in the very pleasant adjacent Spinnaker bar for a pre dinner drink, but no sooner had we ordered then a quiz began. As with anything that came through the tannoy on that ship, the volume was deafening, so we had no option but to leave. We then realised that this quiz was scheduled for 6.45pm every evening, thus rendering the main bar adjacent to the Freedom Dining Restaurant unusable for many. Infuriating, especially as there were plenty of other places on the ship where the quiz could have been held without impacting on other passengers.

Fair enough but I must admit it annoyed me last year on Azura when we struggled on several days to get a table in the Glass House for lunch and lots of tables were taken up with pax reading or playing cards and not eating or drinking.

There did seem to me though to be a lack of places on board to sit and read but nonetheless annoying when you wanted to order lunch

Those people blocking tables in the glasshouse are the ones who used to block tables in the lounge section of the main bar before that section was converted to single cabins. there is a lack of spaces to sit and read because people sitting and reading are not spending money and passengers spending money is very important for company profits

As far as drinks packages are concerned P&O will eventually follow the market trends because offering a package is good for profits. Having that package 'free' in the fare is even better for profits and surprise surprise the passengers actually like it!

Does it not depend on the Glasshouse. On Azura there are a number of seats and coffee type tables which do not lend themselves to comfortable eating. On Ventura they have a separate room for dining I am sure they have some sort of notice as you enter that area. I am also sure that because the glasshouse is open all day it would be very difficult to determine when it is just for diners and when it is not.

I don’t remember not being able to get a table when I wanted to eat. When I drink in there I sit up at the bar.

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Does it not depend on the Glasshouse. On Azura there are a number of seats and coffee type tables which do not lend themselves to comfortable eating. On Ventura they have a separate room for dining I am sure they have some sort of notice as you enter that area. I am also sure that because the glasshouse is open all day it would be very difficult to determine when it is just for diners and when it is not.

 

I don’t remember not being able to get a table when I wanted to eat. When I drink in there I sit up at the bar.

 

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On Britannia the Glasshouse has an area specifically only for those dining. Table companions were asked to move from that area as they only wanted drinks.

On various other ships the Java cafe had notices on tables reserving them specifically for Java customers.

I agree that people should not be able to sit in lounges and bars in public houses on land but it is a different situation at sea. It is more akin to being a resident in a hotel. In that situation lounges would be used for guests to drink coffee, alcohol, simply read the paper or converse with fellow guests. At sea not all passengers have picture windows or balconies to withdraw to and so it would seem reasonable to utilise lounges on board. I do not see that the same argument can be applied to restaurant or buffet facilities.

I agree that people should not be able to sit in lounges and bars in public houses on land but it is a different situation at sea. It is more akin to being a resident in a hotel. In that situation lounges would be used for guests to drink coffee, alcohol, simply read the paper or converse with fellow guests.

I have only ever had a problem once sitting in a bar on a ship reading a book and not drinking. That was on a Costa ship which had a dedicated wine bar, slightly similar to the Glasshouse but instead of a bar the room was surrounded by hundreds of the 'serve yourself by swiping your card' bottles.

The issue was that everyone on board had an AI drinks package, but it didn't include the wine served in this bar! That meant the bar was empty the vast majority of the time and the only people who used it were the officers in the evening when they set out a cold meat and cheese selection you could enjoy if you did buy wine in there (I assume the officers were not on AI, although being Costa...).

The room in the evening was run by an Italian officer who acted as the sommelier, but had the exact manners of Basil Fawlty; sucking up to those he thought were posh and looking down his nose at anyone he perceived as beneath him.

He loathed it if anyone sat there reading and not drinking wine, making slightly snide comments. I found taking a coffee and whisky in after dinner could brink him to the point of almost spontaneous combustion. So I did. Every night.

Has anyone paid for the new drinks package and if so what are your thoughts on it?

Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

EDITQUOTE

Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

 

EDITQUOTE

I would have thought that those who were interested in it would have purchased it on day one to get the most out of it.

Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

 

EDITQUOTE

My thoughts entirely.

To be honest I see no harm in P&O offering it to passengers as an option as they currently do with their other packages.

For us and our cruising companions it has no appeal whatsoever.

I don't believe that it was for sale on day one.

I don't believe that it was for sale on day one.

Really! I'm sure that those in the know would have bought direct from bar staff. I can't imagine that they would be refused.

Coffee and ice cream cards are not actively promoted via table sales but those in the know ask for them.

Was it not mentioned in the Horizon paper?

I probably wouldn’t buy on day one as not there a full day and lots to do but will buy on 2nd day on my next cruise on 25th August.

I probably wouldn’t buy on day one as not there a full day and lots to do but will buy on 2nd day on my next cruise on 25th August.

If I were to buy it I would get it as soon as I could. I always have a glass of wine or two at dinner, and a nice coffee after breakfast. That's at least a tenner wasted if I bought the package later that day. You pay the same on day one or two. You have to buy for the full cruise. But I probably won't cos unlikely to be worth it.

I guess that it is all down to individual choice, and it may work for some and not for others.

Personally I am pretty sure I will be buying it for my 2 week cruise in November, as I have done the sums and based upon our cruise a couple of months ago and it will make sense for us. 2/3 Coffees a day, 3/4 bottles of water a day plus alcohol per person soon adds up.

I think that some of the silly rules and limits are a bit ridiculous/restrictive compared to say Royal Caribbean.

I guess that it is all down to individual choice, and it may work for some and not for others.

 

Personally I am pretty sure I will be buying it for my 2 week cruise in November, as I have done the sums and based upon our cruise a couple of months ago and it will make sense for us. 2/3 Coffees a day, 3/4 bottles of water a day plus alcohol per person soon adds up.

 

I think that some of the silly rules and limits are a bit ridiculous/restrictive compared to say Royal Caribbean.

I don't know if I could spend £40 per day on any drinks. I would certainly balk at £80 per couple.

I guess that it is all down to individual choice, and it may work for some and not for others.

 

Personally I am pretty sure I will be buying it for my 2 week cruise in November, as I have done the sums and based upon our cruise a couple of months ago and it will make sense for us. 2/3 Coffees a day, 3/4 bottles of water a day plus alcohol per person soon adds up.

 

I think that some of the silly rules and limits are a bit ridiculous/restrictive compared to say Royal Caribbean.

It is the silly rules that will stop us buying it.

Cannot have cans of mixer is a show stopper

We drink G&T Perfect Serves and cannot have either the gin or the FT tonic.

Cannot get large waters

Not sure how effective Wine by the Glass will be on P&O.

etc.

Also not sure if you can use OBC to purchase, if not, it's no use as as that is what we spend our OBC on

It is the silly rules that will stop us buying it.

Cannot have cans of mixer is a show stopper

We drink G&T Perfect Serves and cannot have either the gin or the FT tonic.

Cannot get large waters

Not sure how effective Wine by the Glass will be on P&O.

etc.

 

Also not sure if you can use OBC to purchase, if not, it's no use as as that is what we spend our OBC on

I agree, I would always have a double measure spirit so this rule is really putting me off, tied in with the tonic for my wife.

If I remember correctly when we were on Royal Caribbean, if a drink was over the limit (ie £6.95 in P&O's case) you just paid the difference, not only get 20% off, so much better in my opinion.

Having said that, doing some sums, I reckon by taking the package we would save close to £40 a day by taking the package.