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Southampton Sailaways.


GirlyCruiser
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Good afternoon, I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube of Southampton sailaways and I’ve noticed on nearly all of them the prom decks always look deserted. The videos always capture the port side of the ships which always used to be packed out on previous cruises I’ve been on. Does everyone just go up to top decks now? You can always see people up there. The last cruise we went on we went up to a bar at the stern and we was the only ones there. Am interested to find out what other people have noticed at their sailaways. Is the prom deck for sailaway day not the ‘in’ place to be now? Don’t want to head there after muster when we go and there’s no one else there as that means there won’t be any champagne there either :')

Sam.

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Since the demise of the sailaway band and the muster taking longer and later, the sailaway is now nearer to dinner time.

Also a lot of people used to try to get onboard around 12 noon, where as now some people are till waiting to get onboard after 4.00.

If the weather is good there will be people there.

I must admit we have not been to a Southampton sailaway since 2012 and tend to watch from our balcony.

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My first cruise was on Arcadia in 2007. We sailed away to a band playing on the dockside, the prom deck was packed and fizz was being sold and drunk in large amounts. Next cruise was on Ventura the following year and the sail away was just about the same. Eventually I did a couple of Caribbean's on Ventura and there was nothing happening as we sailed away from Bridgetown. The next cruise out of Southampton it had all changed and there was no sail away celebration. So it seems to continue today and I expect it coincides with a change in senior management who seem to think everything should be "dumbed" down.

 

I miss those sail ways, they made you feel that it was a special holiday.

 

Peter

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Good afternoon, I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube of Southampton sailaways and I’ve noticed on nearly all of them the prom decks always look deserted. The videos always capture the port side of the ships which always used to be packed out on previous cruises I’ve been on. Does everyone just go up to top decks now? You can always see people up there. The last cruise we went on we went up to a bar at the stern and we was the only ones there. Am interested to find out what other people have noticed at their sailaways. Is the prom deck for sailaway day not the ‘in’ place to be now? Don’t want to head there after muster when we go and there’s no one else there as that means there won’t be any champagne there either :')

Sam.

You are now encouraged by the captain and ents people to go up top. That's where most go I think

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

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They organise a sailaway party run by the Ents team, but by the time you've attended muster there is not much time before dinner if you're on first fixed sitting, or if you've had a long day, were not on board in time for lunch and want to grab an early dinner in Freedom dining or the buffet. We're either freshening up before dinner or unpacking.

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It’s such a shame they got rid of the band, it always used to add the atmosphere. I agree with Peter, it did make the holiday feel a bit more special. I remember the first cruise we went on and they gave us streamers to throw from the side. That was on Artemis. Wouldn’t want to do that now though, not very environmentally friendly and I imagine they probably had to send someone out in a boat to clean it up. Sounds like we will probably head up to the top then for a glass of sailaway fizz

Sam.

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I think it must depend on the ship. Aurora & Oriana seem to have music at the aft decks, where there are a couple of bars, sometimes with some of the Ents Team. On the larger ships, most of the deck bars are on the upper decks. I do miss the sailaways of 'yesteryear', having enjoyed not just the quayside brass bands but also the streamers! They really made it feel like an occasion. It is a bit of a non-event now.

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I think it must depend on the ship. Aurora & Oriana seem to have music at the aft decks, where there are a couple of bars, sometimes with some of the Ents Team. On the larger ships, most of the deck bars are on the upper decks. I do miss the sailaways of 'yesteryear', having enjoyed not just the quayside brass bands but also the streamers! They really made it feel like an occasion. It is a bit of a non-event now.

 

They’d need to be special biodegradable streamers now if they ever thought of bringing them back! I guess with so many ships departing from Southampton now the bands were probably deemed to be not cost effective.

Sam.

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Indeed Sam. I do acknowledge that the streamers were not very ecologically friendly - but they were fun :D. With the number of ships sailing out of Southampton now, they probably couldn't even find enough bands to attend any more.

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Good afternoon, I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube of Southampton sailaways and I’ve noticed on nearly all of them the prom decks always look deserted. The videos always capture the port side of the ships which always used to be packed out on previous cruises I’ve been on. Does everyone just go up to top decks now? You can always see people up there. The last cruise we went on we went up to a bar at the stern and we was the only ones there. Am interested to find out what other people have noticed at their sailaways. Is the prom deck for sailaway day not the ‘in’ place to be now? Don’t want to head there after muster when we go and there’s no one else there as that means there won’t be any champagne there either :')

Sam.

They banned the streamers that everyone used to throw plus there was always a band used to play on the dockside.

The sailaways are good but now are on a pool deck with the ships music blaring.

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Is there still a sailaway party out of Southampton? Must admit, after muster we usually go up for a cup of tea before changing for the early evening drink. I don't remember a sailaway in April.
They are always announced after the muster.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

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Every time we've sailed from Southampton on any P&O ship there has been a sailaway 'party' - basically the entertainment team singing some catching songs. The free Champagne is there for those on the loyalty package who have a free one or a glass to buy for everyone else. Have never sailed out without some sort of an atmosphere.

 

We always book Freedom Dining though so there is no need to stick to dining times, so this must make a difference as we go to muster, up to the top deck for sailaway, back to the cabin for an hour or so and then to the evening meal when we are ready

 

Having said that - our first cruise on P&O was when they had the band playing before we sailed. It had been a tough time for us and my elderly parents were ill. Our cabin was port side by the band. I will never forget the band playing 'One Moment in Time' as I unpacked .......

 

It made P&O special - as did the Champagne Fountain (YES they did do it on Oceana for those of you who doubt me) .

 

Listening to the band playing as we set sail for the first time is a memory we will keep forever ....... and the DJ playing 'Singing in the Rain' as it hammered it down with rain not long after ... :-)

 

So sad that this tradition is gone ----------

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Is there still a sailaway party out of Southampton? Must admit, after muster we usually go up for a cup of tea before changing for the early evening drink. I don't remember a sailaway in April.
I will tell you after August for sure but yes on our last Ventura cruise there was and we enjoyed our free loyalty champagne on deck.
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I had forgotten the champagne fountain! sigh!

 

Glad you remember it too. The last time I mentioned it others questioned if it had happened ;-)

 

Brunch and the Chocolate Buffet also come to mind .... sigh

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On our first cruise (Oriana 1996) we had streamers and a full military band. Over the years the streamers went and the band got smaller and smaller until it was two or three enthusiastic amateurs who could play mostly correct notes. Nowadays, as well as there being no atmosphere (other than the tacky sailaway parties which we avoid like the plague), we often find that by the time we have returned our life jackets to the cabin after muster the ship is pulling away, so we would have missed the sailaway even if there was something to see!

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I remember we had a champagne fountain on Artemis. The one and only time we ever saw them do one. Don't think it was too many years ago they stopped the chocoholics buffet but we only went once to have a look and then never bothered with them after that. After finding out about the Southampton sailaways I've advised my mum to head up to the top bars if she wants a glass of fizz. She always liked being on the prom deck as the ship left.

Sam

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  • 1 year later...

Our first cruise was in 2005 from Southampton on Oceana. As has been said by others, there used to be a band playing as we departed and the entertainment staff used to hand out Union Jack flags and streamers. We were supposed to leave first but our sailaway was held back so that Arcadia, who was in her maiden season, was allowed to majestically sail past us. It was a raucous occasion for both set of passengers to say the least.
In 2007 we did a 22 day round trip Christmas cruise from Southampton to the Caribbean and a children's choir sang carols as we sailed away, bringing tears to many an eye.
We do agree that things have changed a lot, partly due to health & safety, environment reasons, and changing circumstances, but to be honest we did, and still do,  enjoy a good sailaway.

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