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Aurora adults only


simonpjd
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We've just had this email too. Guess there was never a good time to implement this change but they will no doubt be altering the kids area into another venue or cabins during the refit. I can't see them operating 3 adult only ships long term so I wonder if the next big announcement will be disposal of Oriana with potential to switch those guests to Aurora.

 

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Excellent news. We have been hoping for this as we love Aurora, not least because the Accessible balcony cabins are excellent. Oriana (which we also love) is really out of bounds for us now that my wife is in a wheelchair, as there are no accessible balcony cabins - and we don't like the accessible balcony cabins on Arcadia as the balconies are at an angle. We have three more cruises booked on Aurora prior to the refit and I think we are on the last one before the refit and the first one after it. I am hoping for an Epicurean Restaurant as we don't like Sindhu on Aurora, so only really have the Beach House & Glasshouse (both of which are excellent) as alternatives to the (also excellent) main dining room.

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Well our 14 year old daughter will be somewhat gutted.

 

Favourite ship, she never used the kids facilities so not bothered about those, and like us she prefers the smaller, more ship-like ships and not the floating monolithic structures.

 

Disappointed :/

 

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I suspect like on Oriana, they will replace the children's areas with cabins. On Oriana they installed 12 balcony cabins, 4 outsides and 11 insides, 2 of which are singles. Cabins make more money than restaurants...

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It was always to be expected as the 'drive' by the education authorities to stop out of term vacations for children took effect. Resulting in the children's area being almost empty during term time, except for a very small number of those home taught. Indeed, as part of the consultation process before its last refit, I included the children's area conversion as part of my submission, with relevant calculations.

In any case, great efforts will be needed to fill the large resort ships that are coming to the fleet with more childlike attractions.

On a sad note, the Senior Officers who have young children will loose their opportunity to be accompanied by them whilst serving on MV Aurora.

 

49 cruises 17 ships 3 liners

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Very sad news for me. It's my favourite ship in the fleet. Sailed Oriana with my family 4 times before that became adult only. Sailed Aurora 3 times but no more :'):'). Sailed Ventura and Azura once each and really didn't like them. Doub't I'll ever go near Britannia. Sailed Fred Olsen last year which doesn't have a dedicated kids club but did have a club for kids during the school holidays - it worked great. Time to look more closely at other cruise lines

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Yes great news, we are on her after the refit. Maybe they will keep all three,, as they will have so many of the huge ones that take families? There are many adults who like Adult only.

 

Sadly - no they won't. Oriana will need very expensive mechanical upgrades very soon.

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It was always to be expected as the 'drive' by the education authorities to stop out of term vacations for children took effect. Resulting in the children's area being almost empty during term time, except for a very small number of those home taught. Indeed, as part of the consultation process before its last refit, I included the children's area conversion as part of my submission, with relevant calculations.

In any case, great efforts will be needed to fill the large resort ships that are coming to the fleet with more childlike attractions.

On a sad note, the Senior Officers who have young children will loose their opportunity to be accompanied by them whilst serving on MV Aurora.

 

49 cruises 17 ships 3 liners

 

We haven't been on an adult only ship yet as our two cruises on Oriana were prior to the changes and we are on Arcadia for the first time this year, but I had wondered about the children of senior crew. I presume that they aren't allowed on board as that would somewhat defeat the objective of a child free ship and would result in constant comment?

 

As a point of interest, on our last Aurora cruise we weren't troubled by children at all, even though it was a half term cruise, until the last morning. One of the children on the table next to us at breakfast kept getting up and walking around, brushing against our table (where there were hot drinks etc), which I find incredibly irritating and discourteous to other passengers and the waiting staff. We never let our children do that when they were young. The mother did nothing to stop it, even when I suggested to her (very politely) that it might be safer if the child sat down. Eventually, the dad arrived. It was the Deputy Captain!

 

On a more serious note though, whilst I am (perhaps somewhat selfishly) delighted that Aurora is to become Adult only, I feel very sorry for those, with children, who had booked cruises which will now be cancelled.

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I suspect like on Oriana, they will replace the children's areas with cabins. On Oriana they installed 12 balcony cabins, 4 outsides and 11 insides, 2 of which are singles. Cabins make more money than restaurants...

 

I suspect that you are spot on Andrew, especially as Aurora is almost identical to Oriana, so the format of conversion to adult only is already proven. I can live in hope for a fine dining restaurant but suspect that your assessment is much closer to the reality of what we can expect.

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I’ve sailed on Aurora twice and if it is going to be adults only it looks like I won’t sail on her again. Such a shame, I liked the ship but after sailing on Oriana I can not do another adults only cruise. I don’t want rowdy children running around but I also don’t want to sail on what was almost a care home at sea. Aurora had a good mix of ages onboard and suited everyone who didn’t like the massive ships.

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Really sad but not surprised to hear this news. Even though our DD is now an adult (only just though) we have no intention of ever sailing on an adult only ship.

 

Looks like Aurora will now be out of bounds to us as well as Oriana (which is was our favourite ship).

 

Sad times for us and another nail in the coffin for P&O as far our future sailings are concerned :(

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Well I can honestly say that it will make no difference to us at all. We will continue to sail on all the ships at any time.

 

I like sailing with children and without. But to be honest as we sail outside the summer and on longish cruises we find very few children on our cruises even on child friendly ships. Last time we were on Aurora on a long September cruise there were 3 children.

 

However we would quite happily book Britannia in August. In fact we have booked her in July next year.

 

 

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Will be interesting to see if they can fill all the cabins being adult only, hopefully the prices may come down or it is just wishful thinking.

 

I'm sure they won't have any trouble filling the cabins. I've been on several cruises on Aurora, all during term time, and there were only a handful of children (all I think under-fives) on board.

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Well what a morning we’ve had. It looks like we have managed to find some child places on Azura, just waiting for confirmation. We are still sad as we were looking forward to the cruise we had booked on aurora but there’s nothing we can do about it. We are booked on aurora for Christmas and so that will be the first and last time we sail on her.

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Well what a morning we’ve had. It looks like we have managed to find some child places on Azura, just waiting for confirmation. We are still sad as we were looking forward to the cruise we had booked on aurora but there’s nothing we can do about it. We are booked on aurora for Christmas and so that will be the first and last time we sail on her.

 

That's great news. I am pleased for you as that must have been a worry. I gather that a future cruise deposit equating to 5% of the total cruise price of your cancelled cruise is being offered - at least that's what the trade press are reporting? For what it's worth, when our children were younger they much preferred the bigger ships as there were far better facilities, far more people of their age (so they felt less 'out of place') and a more informal feel. As young adults they still feel the same. We are taking them on Arcadia later this year (first time for all of us) and I am awaiting the 'it's like a floating old peoples home' comments!

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