P & O compared to Princess?

[darknightsdespiser]

Hi, I'm new here, just stumbled on the site and hoping someone can advise. Not going to spend hours browsing for a possible answer to my queries!

 

Just back from my third Princess Cruise to the Caribbean and almost entirely happy with the experience; LOVE being away at this time of year (see my ID!). Next year's needs to be as perfect as possible as it is for a "big" birthday. My problem with Princess is that they are discontinuing their regional flights from the UK - as I cruise with my elderly mother, travelling via Heathrow from Scotland is a non starter. Have noticed that P & O do the regional flights and seem very broadly similar in itineraries, ship layout etc, possibly more modern. Wondering if anyone has been on both? The reviews I have read have led to concerns re food on P & O.

Also

Things I LOVE about Princess and worried won't be on P & O:

Promenade Deck (with deckchairs) that you can walk right round

Exceptional service in bars and restaurants

Premiership matches in Sports Bar

Things I HATE about (Sea) Princess that I would like to NOT be on P & O:

Early morning announcements confirming we have arrived in port - woken up on several occasions

Outside movie screen dominating throughout the afternoon - hardly any outdoor seating to avoid the noise.

 

Anyone have any thoughts? (or suggestions of different companies to try!) Most grateful...

[cruiseluvva]

We have done both and I must admit we do tend to prefer Princess.

 

For us, the food is better - although P&O provide more vegetables - the sevice is quicker and they have more of a "can do" attitude. However, P&O have mainly Brits if you like this - we don't - and they provide tea/coffee trays in the cabins. The officers are sometimes more sociable. Only Azura has a sea screen so the other ships would be less troublesome on deck. There are more formal evenings with P&O.

 

I'm afraid you WILL have the arrival/disembarkation announcements, but they don't come into the cabins - though you can hear them in the corridors.

 

Given the same itinerary and a similar ship, we would personally choose Princess, but unless you try for yourself, you won't know if it suits you.

 

Good luck.

[daiB]

Hi, I'm new here, just stumbled on the site and hoping someone can advise. Not going to spend hours browsing for a possible answer to my queries!

 

Just back from my third Princess Cruise to the Caribbean and almost entirely happy with the experience; LOVE being away at this time of year (see my ID!). Next year's needs to be as perfect as possible as it is for a "big" birthday. My problem with Princess is that they are discontinuing their regional flights from the UK - as I cruise with my elderly mother, travelling via Heathrow from Scotland is a non starter. Have noticed that P & O do the regional flights and seem very broadly similar in itineraries, ship layout etc, possibly more modern. Wondering if anyone has been on both? The reviews I have read have led to concerns re food on P & O.

Also

Things I LOVE about Princess and worried won't be on P & O:

Promenade Deck (with deckchairs) that you can walk right round

Exceptional service in bars and restaurants

Premiership matches in Sports Bar

Things I HATE about (Sea) Princess that I would like to NOT be on P & O:

Early morning announcements confirming we have arrived in port - woken up on several occasions

Outside movie screen dominating throughout the afternoon - hardly any outdoor seating to avoid the noise.

 

Anyone have any thoughts? (or suggestions of different companies to try!) Most grateful...

 

 

Given that you need the regional flights I think your options are somewhat limited.

 

My understanding of the differences are as follows:-

 

P&O bar prices are cheaper.. more like bar prices at home.

 

Excursions are cheaper. I compared like for like on our last cruise and some of princess trips were up to 30% more.

 

P&O ships are full of Brits.

 

Service is a personal thing...I have not received any poor service on my P&O cruises, in the main excellent.

 

No anouncements into cabins on P&O

 

Premiership matches in Sports Bar on P&O as well.

 

Azura has an outdoor screen.

 

All ships have a promenade deck although on Ventura and Azura there are stairs at the Bow (front end) up one deck, but you can get all of the way around. A number of Princess ships are the same as this.

 

 

Go with an open mind and you will have a great time.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[u2cruiser]

Welcome to CC darknightsdespiser (lol). I hate these horrid short days too :( Snowing up here now!

 

We had our first P&O cruise this year, Oct Transatlantic on Ventura, after sailing with Princess previously. We wanted to try sailing from Southampton and on a British ship for a change, and we weren't disappointed.

 

I would say Ventura was more similar to Princess (identical ship to Emerald and Ruby) than dissimilar. We spent the first 3 days calling all the places and decks on the ship Princess names eg Red Bar was Crooners and Metropolis was Skywalkers lol!

 

The ship has a brilliant personality of its own and we absolutely loved it. P&O has organisation down to a fine art and we were very impressed from start (coach from Manchester) to finish (flying from Barbados).

 

1. Promenade deck is same as Emerald, with stairs one deck up and back down again at the bow. Lots of chairs/loungers on that deck; great for a sundown drink after promenade walking.

2. Exceptional service throughout the ship.

3. Don't know about Premiership matches

 

Announcements not in cabin. We had to go on the balcony to hear them.

As cruiseluvva said about sea screen - only on Azura so far.

Chair hogs were in full force on our cruise, but we always found a quiet spot up on deck 19.

The food was very similar style to Princess with more veg, but we didn't enjoy the meats as much. I think Americans are more picky about meat quality? Same kind of desserts. The waiters were fantastic.

Cabins excellent, maintained beautifully and the luxury of your own kettle and tea/coffee/biscuits. No bathrobes in normal cabins; just superior balconies and above.

Captain, Officers, CD and all crew were amazing. Very interactive with the passengers.

Cheap spirits for cabin use and good price drinks in bars with no added gratuity on top. Tipping at the end is easy and very well deserved.

Room service excellent.

Nightlife was excellent too, with good quality comedians and other acts.

Embarking/disembarking was a doddle. A bit of a wait to board at Southampton, but a very organised wait.

 

I will sail on Princess again as I really enjoy cruising with Americans, but I have to say that the Brits were very friendly indeed and the cameraderie onboard was great. My one complaint would be the amount of whining people. There were over 1000 new cruisers on our sailing and they could (and did) moan for England!

We've booked again for next year. Hope this helps :)

[tom_uk]

....Just back from my third Princess Cruise to the Caribbean and almost entirely happy with the experience.....

 

Which Princess ship was it? Where was the cruise from? And how long?

[u2cruiser]

Which Princess ship was it? Where was the cruise from? And how long?

 

Why didn't I think to ask that? :o

 

Has the snow arrived Tom?

[darknightsdespiser]

Wow what a quick and useful response!

 

I am just back from Sea Princess 2 weeks from Barbados, was absolutely great apart my 2 picky issues, really want to try a bigger ship next time as will be travelling with different ages and outlooks. Have previously been on Emerald Princess and although really enjoy the company of Americans did feel completely outnumbered, this is where the smaller one with the 5 flightloads of Brits scored, but did have (very slight) sense of Blackpool at Sea on occasions (which we just laughed about, nothing wrong with Blackpool!)

 

I think we all have too much choice nowadays and expect everything to be perfect, thanks to person reminding about open minds!

 

Will almost certainly check out Ventura/Azura as they offer Edinburgh/Glasgow/Manchester.

 

Thanks to all responders so far...

[tom_uk]

Has the snow arrived Tom?

 

Oh yes. I work at home so I can just sit here and look at it, but my wife has just rung and may come home as well - she too can work at home.

[tom_uk]

I am just back from Sea Princess 2 weeks from Barbados, was absolutely great apart my 2 picky issues, really want to try a bigger ship next time as will be travelling with different ages and outlooks. Have previously been on Emerald Princess and although really enjoy the company of Americans did feel completely outnumbered, this is where the smaller one with the 5 flightloads of Brits scored, but did have (very slight) sense of Blackpool at Sea on occasions (which we just laughed about, nothing wrong with Blackpool!)

 

I think we all have too much choice nowadays and expect everything to be perfect, thanks to person reminding about open minds!

 

Will almost certainly check out Ventura/Azura as they offer Edinburgh/Glasgow/Manchester.

 

Thanks to all responders so far...

 

Oceana is a perfect twin to Sea Princess, of course: indeed Oceana was built as Ocean Princess. (And Sea Princess served as Adonia for a while.)

 

Ventura is quite like Emerald Princess. It does have a sort-of wrap rund promenade, although you do have to go up/down some steps to get onto the bow section. Note however that Azura doesn't have this: you have to go back inside, up an internal staircase and back out onto the bow section. Apparently there are some crew quarter balconies where the outide steps are on Ventura.

 

Ventura has a covered pool (sliding roof), Azura doesn't - Azura has the movie screen instead (Ventura doesn't). Both have UK drinks prices and proper measures; and of course neither has the dreaded 15% gratuity add-on.

[jocap]

Our first cruise was on Sea Princess, and like most people, she'll always be our "special" ship because of that.

Moving on to P&O via other lines, we found Ventura the most like Princess so far....interchangeable crew, identical ships, same sort of decor...fabrics made in the same Dewsbury mill!... yes, it can be strange travelling with only Brits and Irish, but no less pleasurable. We have never felt hustled to spend in the way some US ships do, and the bar prices minus 15% are a big plus.

Jo.

[C at Sea]

We sailed on Crown Princess in September. Our first Princess cruise after cruising P&O. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it cos we are very loyal P&Oers! Liked it much better than the Queen Victoria in May. Friendlier(Americans are soooo much friendlier!) Cheaper than Cunard even though they both suffer from dollars and tax and service charges! Princess did do some special priced drinks after 8pm, a bit like P&O cocktail of the day but more choice. I wouldnt hesitate to go with Princess again. Wouldn't crave to go with Cunard though! Tips taken off at source onto your account but unlike Cunard, we didnt feel it affected service, which was excellent. On QV we felt like the attitude was we've got your tips already so we wont put ourselves out!