P&O Oceana vs Ocean Village

[Denarius]

As a P&O regular of some years standing - a goldie no less - I would love it if P&O assigned formal nights to the dustbin of history. They are the one thing about P&O that I dislike. It would be wrong, as is often implied (particularly on P&Os own site) to take as read that that P&O regulars sail with them because of the formality - many of us cruise with them despite it, because we like the rest of the package.

[Denarius]

That is exactly the point..............formal nights are just that on P&O, formal! Remove them, and you might as well book Easy Cruise, if it is still operational.

 

I am sure that previous OV cruisers will find P&O to their liking as long as they can accept that formal nights are proscribed,on certain evenings. This them and us is absurd, IMO.

I agree, formal nights should definately be proscribed!

[butterflytiger]

I agree, formal nights should definately be proscribed!

I think as more and more ex OV passengers venture onto P & O (Ventura & Oceana) the formal nights will be a thing of the past. Especially with a certain Captain who will be on Oceana not a stalwart for formalities. :p

Also it is about time P & O realised it is the 21st century.:D

[SueFrankuk]

We have just got back from another Ventura cruise to be honest we have only gone with them on a very discounted cruises as you see we are Princes fans and to endure the chaos of embarkation today just wish they would learn from their american friends.

I despair with the P&O addicts the food is just about OK the waiters a miserable lot and I was mortified to see on formal night if you were not in formal dress you were banned from some bars, We did dress up but it is quite acceptable on an American ship to change after dinner and dress for comfort, after all you have paid, and we are in the new millenium.

Can I just have a liitle moan that has driven me bananas on this ship, why everytime I got in the lift does someone get in and say are we going up or down, I stopped saying the arrow is a clue and to suggest one ding was up and two for down as that seemed beyond them all

Roll on November!!!!

[Merlin7]

Oops a typo.

 

Not, 'proscribed' rather, prescribed. Yes, I know they have entirely opposite meanings, but it is the latter that was intended in my post of October 1st.

[David&Heather]

Do they have a Simon Bates or Tony Blackburn left? I would prefer a Wogan but I bet they've all gone:D

 

No doubt all gone on Artemis:D

[David&Heather]

We have just got back from another Ventura cruise to be honest we have only gone with them on a very discounted cruises as you see we are Princes fans and to endure the chaos of embarkation today just wish they would learn from their american friends.

I despair with the P&O addicts the food is just about OK the waiters a miserable lot and I was mortified to see on formal night if you were not in formal dress you were banned from some bars, We did dress up but it is quite acceptable on an American ship to change after dinner and dress for comfort, after all you have paid, and we are in the new millenium.

Can I just have a liitle moan that has driven me bananas on this ship, why everytime I got in the lift does someone get in and say are we going up or down, I stopped saying the arrow is a clue and to suggest one ding was up and two for down as that seemed beyond them all

Roll on November!!!!

 

We found Princess to our liking, yes there are formal evenings but you do have an alternative, we did dress up for dinner (no dreadful pingu suit as I refuse to wear such a hideous garment) but I lost the jacket, tie and undid a few buttons for the rest of the evening. P&O need to get their act together and stop sending out the mixed messages.

[u2cruiser]

We have just got back from another Ventura cruise to be honest we have only gone with them on a very discounted cruises as you see we are Princes fans and to endure the chaos of embarkation today just wish they would learn from their american friends.

I despair with the P&O addicts the food is just about OK the waiters a miserable lot and I was mortified to see on formal night if you were not in formal dress you were banned from some bars, We did dress up but it is quite acceptable on an American ship to change after dinner and dress for comfort, after all you have paid, and we are in the new millenium.

Can I just have a liitle moan that has driven me bananas on this ship, why everytime I got in the lift does someone get in and say are we going up or down, I stopped saying the arrow is a clue and to suggest one ding was up and two for down as that seemed beyond them all

Roll on November!!!!

 

Our worst ever embarkation was the Emerald Princess in Fort Lauderdale last year. Absolute chaos! I think it can happen on any line.

 

Was it just this time that you were disappointed with the food and waiters, as I see you've been on Ventura 3 times? I'm a Princess fan about to try P&O for the first time in 2 weeks. :(

[cruisebore]

I think as more and more ex OV passengers venture onto P & O (Ventura & Oceana) the formal nights will be a thing of the past. Especially with a certain Captain who will be on Oceana not a stalwart for formalities. :p

Also it is about time P & O realised it is the 21st century.:D

 

Not at all; ex OV passengers will find their formal evenings experience culturally uplifting, and wonder why they denied themselves this elevating adventure for so long.

 

Cb

[butterflytiger]

Not at all; ex OV passengers will find their formal evenings experience culturally uplifting, and wonder why they denied themselves this elevating adventure for so long.

 

Cb

 

As I am holiday I go to relax and unwind not play at dressing up. My Career involves many Black Tie and Formal events and the idea of doing it on holiday is not at all appealing.:eek:

[cruisebore]

As I am holiday I go to relax and unwind not play at dressing up. My Career involves many Black Tie and Formal events and the idea of doing it on holiday is not at all appealing.:eek:

 

 

Sorry butterflytiger, I should have said " many ex OV passengers will.............;)

 

Regards

Cb

[Single Cruiser]

Sorry butterflytiger, I should have said " many ex OV passengers will.............;)

 

Regards

Cb

 

Sorry Cb I think you mean to say "A small minority of ex OV passengers will............... :D

 

After all, if they had wanted to do formal nights then they would have cruised on the budget-priced P&O in previous years rather than the more expensive OV cruises ... wouldn't they? :confused:

[OldJerseycruiser]

 

If that's the case, why don't they go on NCL or RCI and stop moaning about the way P & O does these things.

[Single Cruiser]

 

If that's the case, why don't they go on NCL or RCI and stop moaning about the way P & O does these things.

 

Points to countdown clocks... Can't speak for others. The problem is P&O are aggressively marketting P&O to ex-OVs.

 

So if a company says to you buy my product, buy my product. But there is a small thing you don't like with the product wouldn't you ask the company if they were willing to change?

[Denarius]

If P&O wish to attract the OV customer, it is obvious that they must move with the times and relax their traditional dress codes. On the other hand, some people do enjoy dressing up in formal attire.

NCL and Regent seem to have come to a suitable compromise on this. All nights are smart casual, but on some those who would like to dress formally are invited to do so - I understand NCL call it "dress up or not", Regent call it "optional formal". This allows those who wish to dress up to do so without feeling overdressed, and those who do not so wish to dress casually.

Is this the way forward?

[1160451]

Wow..

 

Hard work this cruising lark, this never happens in land based hotels.

 

Would not go in shorts to the Pheonixa in Malta but there are no posts on that from the holiday makers who holiday in 3 star hotels in Quawra.

 

We always cruise with Thomson or FO and will be P&O next year on a 3 week cruise in the far East.

 

We "dress up" at every possible opportunity, but happy to sit next to someone in designer jeans and stylish shirt.

 

Its how you define "dressing up", I dress up in DJ and suits but can accept that dressing up in jeans and shirts is a fact for some people.

 

Remember fashion is today style is forever.

 

What I hate is people trying to change other people and styles.

 

I would not go onto the OV site and demanded you all wear DJ so really you should not go onto the P&O site and demand they all accept shorts and flip flops, then claim they are stuffy if they react.

 

So what, they may be stuffy but that's there choice, so do not try to change them or ridicule them. Define stuffy? Define laid back?

 

FO is like the Marie Celeste after midnight but we know that, so we often go on Thomson Destiny if we want a cruise with more particular "action".

 

I am not going to ridicule the FO people for not doing a conga at 1 am.

 

Every one take it easy and enjoy youself.

 

Ahoy.

[Smee]

It would be nice to find a cruise line where there were no hoipolloi and people knew how to dress in the evening.......:eek::cool:

[butterflytiger]

Wow..

 

Hard work this cruising lark, this never happens in land based hotels.

 

Would not go in shorts to the Pheonixa in Malta but there are no posts on that from the holiday makers who holiday in 3 star hotels in Quawra.

 

We always cruise with Thomson or FO and will be P&O next year on a 3 week cruise in the far East.

 

We "dress up" at every possible opportunity, but happy to sit next to someone in designer jeans and stylish shirt.

 

Its how you define "dressing up", I dress up in DJ and suits but can accept that dressing up in jeans and shirts is a fact for some people.

 

Remember fashion is today style is forever.

 

What I hate is people trying to change other people and styles.

 

I would not go onto the OV site and demanded you all wear DJ so really you should not go onto the P&O site and demand they all accept shorts and flip flops, then claim they are stuffy if they react.

 

So what, they may be stuffy but that's there choice, so do not try to change them or ridicule them. Define stuffy? Define laid back?

 

FO is like the Marie Celeste after midnight but we know that, so we often go on Thomson Destiny if we want a cruise with more particular "action".

 

I am not going to ridicule the FO people for not doing a conga at 1 am.

 

Every one take it easy and enjoy youself.

 

Ahoy.

 

Who exactly has ever demanded that shorts and flip flops should be allowed for dinner?:confused: This is the problem when assumptions are made. If you had ever been on either of the OV ships you would have seen many gentlemen wearing smart trousers and shirts some in suits and many ladies in their cocktail dresses.

As Craig said earlier P & O are doing the hard sell to ex OV passengers and part of the reason they went with OV was the casual style but not as some on this site assume is scruffy. I have never seen anyone in beachwear in the dining rooms in the evening.

Like it or not many ex OV passengers are going to become P & O passengers and so the old P & O brigade had better get used to mixing with the riff raff.:D

[Smee]

We are already looking for an alternative line.............:D:D:D:D:D

[butterflytiger]

We are already looking for an alternative line.............:D:D:D:D:D

 

Don't worry Smee, the ex OV passengers have spread far and wide. You will always be close to one no matter which alternative you choose.:p

[Single Cruiser]

We are already looking for an alternative line.............:D:D:D:D:D

 

Well you have three queens to choose from now.. If they meet your standards that is.. :D

[cruisebore]

Don't worry Smee, the ex OV passengers have spread far and wide. You will always be close to one no matter which alternative you choose.:p

 

butterflytiger

 

Shouldn't be a problem recognising them in their union jack shorts

smart vest and knotted hanky (clean) ;)

 

Cb

[Smee]

Shouldn't be a problem recognising them in their union jack shorts

smart vest and knotted hanky (clean) ;)

 

 

You said it...................:eek:

[1160451]

Hi Di Hi:)

 

Got it at last....

 

All OV wear flip flops, union jack vests, hankies on head and love Game Shows

And all P&O are old, stuffy, intolerant and wear DJ's around the pool.

 

That's it sticking, with FO or Thomson, just a minute I seem to rememeber enjoying game shows on Thomsons and also dressing up in DJ on FO.

 

Oh no, what ever can I do now, stop Cruising? No just lets take it easy guys and girls or lets pick on them Cunard folk:)

[Smee]

Cunard looks good.....................:D