Ventura Cruise Dec17th - 31st Dec Caribbean, New Orleans

[blackcar56]

We have just come back and before we kick off we would like to applaud 4 people and a band for their exceptional service and it was down to them that we had a good time they are :- Paul and Jean Durham the dance instructors, Ruth the wine server in the Cinnamon resturant, Micky the singer with Ocean 5 and Ocean 5 themselves - exceptional and are not being paid half enough, thank you guys!!!!

 

We booked this cruise for two things the Cayman Islands and New Orleans - what we did not know is that 9 times out of ten cruise ships do call into the Cayman Islands.

 

What P&O dont tell you is that you WONT spend your last full day in New Orleans because you will spend it imprisoned on the ship until you go through Immigration - it took us 7 hours from the time we picked up our numbered voucher (9) to be called to go through immigration. Some guys did not get off the ship until gone 19:00.They do not give priority to those on their last day - only those that have paid for a P&O day trip. Again be aware that the public information says that you can start picking up the vouchers at 07:15 in the Exchange bar - in reality they start issueing them at 06:00.

 

P&O know that New Orleans is a nightmare because the Captain announced the night before that it would as usual be a "painful and long process".

 

We booked a mini suit - No flowers, No fruit, No pamper pack and even though we went to reception nothing was done about it - the balcony light did not work and it took then 5 days to get it fixed.

 

New Orleans is dirty, smells like a public toilet and most unpleasent (according to some reports its the most dangerous city in the USA) but Bourbon street is fantastic after dark with a great atmosphere and wonderful places to eat.

 

The day you leave again you will have to pick up your cases after you leave the ship and wheel them to the bus - you might have to queue again if immigration take the wrong forms off you the day before - then you will have to queue for the bus - sadly the expression comes to mind "could not organise a piss up in a brewery" the airport at New Orleans is OK as long as you dont get pushed into an internal departure lounge if you are there will be no Duty Free and very poor service as they dont know how to treat International passingers.

 

At 08:59 there was an announcement tellings us that our flight was delayed- the captain must have known hours before - but as everyone was ready to vacate their cabin they announced the delay - not good customer relations!!!!

 

The flight back after waiting 5 hours with no information or help from P&O the plane was cold with most of us using the blankets and most of the screens did not work correctly. If you want to be woken an hour and a half before you land for a dry cereal bar and a biscuit then ask them not to wake you up.

 

So sadly no more P&O for us the cruise cost us just under £6000 and we feel cheated, hoodwinked, robbed.

[Elaine0138]

Please do not blame P&O for the slow progress at Immigration. The cruise lines are at the mercy of US border control, we had the same problem in Fort Lauderdale after a Celebrity cruise.

 

I agree it does take the shine off your cruise

[u2cruiser]

Wow! That sounds like one itinerary to avoid!

 

May I ask, did you have a superior balcony cabin, a spa cabin or a suite? I'm surprised your steward didn't attend to what was missing immediately once you pointed it out. Did you enjoy the rest of the cruise?

[blackcar56]

I do blame P&O other, other liners ship immigration in to save time and disruption for their clients - we paid over £6000 so it was not cheap. A whole day to get off on your last day!!!!!!! The itinerey says "full day in New Orleans" and they know that you do not have a full day there - I would have screamed if I was ticket 52. The Captain admitted the day before that it was going to be a long and painful experiance - P&O DON'T GO TO THE USA on a Caribbean cruise it really is not worth it. The bus drivers poor things had not been told there was a four hour delay and had been waiting for us to board from 09:00. Five hour flight delay and no food vouchers or information they would not get away with it in Europe.

[blackcar56]

We had booked what was called a mini suit - to find when we got there that they no longer call them that, they are now superior balcony rooms - we never seen our steward so we went straight to reception and did their attitude stink!

[ROSEBASKETS]

We have booked what was called a mini suit - to find when we got there that they no longer call them that they are now superior balcony rooms - we never seen our steward so we went straight to reception and did their attitude stink!

 

If you specifically booked a mini suite and paid a deposit and P&O subsequently changed their description and what was included then they should have notified you in writing prior to departure. I assume the cabin was on D deck as these were indeed classed as mini suites last summer and offered all of the items mentioned earlier. I can also confirm that gowns and binoculars were provided to those cabins on Ventura on the 8th November 2010 cruise as I saw the cabins below us on c deck using these items on my cruise.

 

P&O should have offered you a discount, or the chance to change, amend or cancel your booking without penalty. If they did not then you should be entitled to compensation as this will be classed as a significant change to your booking. Take it up with your travel agent or speak to consumer direct who will be able to give you specific related advice.

[tom_uk]

I'm sorry you had a bad encounter with US immigration at New Orleans. However, I don't think that can be blamed on P&O. I gather from other forums and sources (e.g. John Heald's blog) that it's very variable. He tells stories of disembarkation at Miami going very smoothly for five weeks out of six, but occasionally being a nightmare and taking many hours. I gather it all depends on how seriously the US Immigration staff decide to apply the rules, and that seems to be random.

 

As regards the Ventura D deck cabins, I can't see that they've ever officially been called 'mini suites'. The 2008 brochure referred to them as 'Deluxe Stateroom Balcony Bath/Shower'; since then they've appeared as 'Superior Deluxe Balcony Stateroom'. But they've never been termed mini-suites. Oceana, Arcadia, Oriana and Aurora all have what are officially described as mini-suites, but not Ventura or Azura.

[Gerrym]

Tom, I agree, but I have seen Travel Agents label them as mini-siuites, perhaps that is where the confusion comes from, although still not P&O's fault.

 

 

Cheers

 

Gerry

[ROSEBASKETS]

As regards the Ventura D deck cabins, I can't see that they've ever officially been called 'mini suites'. The 2008 brochure referred to them as 'Deluxe Stateroom Balcony Bath/Shower'; since then they've appeared as 'Superior Deluxe Balcony Stateroom'. But they've never been termed mini-suites. Oceana, Arcadia, Oriana and Aurora all have what are officially described as mini-suites, but not Ventura or Azura.

 

My father booked a "mini suite" on ventura last year, yes in the brochure they are described as 'Deluxe Stateroom Balcony with Bath/Shower' but both the travel agents and P&O direct have in the passed described them as "mini suites" and they specifically included the use of binoculars and robes as well as the provision of fresh fruit, free water, a bottle of champagne and chocolates on arrival (which he received) and canapes once per week and a "breakfast in bed" once during the 14 night cruise.

 

If P&O advertised these at the time of booking and the booking was made because these were included in the price and not provided then there is a ligitimate claim for compensation.

 

If you booked your holiday including "extras" and they were not provided or withdrawn without prior notice even though you paid for them in the price you would be agrieved too!

[Mandy DH]

We too were on the Ventura and were also very frustrated at not being able to get off the ship until 4.30 especially as we were travelling home the following day.

As anyone knows who has had to go through immigration in the US this is always a problem whether it be arriving by plane to start the cruise or wanting to visit St Thomas. It was unfortunate in New Orleans that so few officers were available for so many passengers and crew. I don't blame P&O for this but I do think they could have handled it better. Passengers departing the cruise the following day could have been given the opportunity to disembark earlier especially as Hamish had extended the departure for those people continuing with the cruise for a further two weeks so they could see the Mississippi in daylight.

It is also the case that you do usually have to retrieve your suitcase at the airport. We are spoilt going and leaving Barbados. I've also travelled with Princess and RC and alway had to 'look after' my case. Travelling to and from Barbados is definitely a plus.

Not getting to Grand Caymen was disappointing but again its a fact of cruising that this happens. We've missed several ports of call over the years with different lines at different times of the year. It happens. Shame you booked your cruise with only these two destinations in mind when the itinerary was excellent in my opinion.

Our cabin was nice and the white linen shampoo, shower gel etc was a nice touch which you don't get on Princess or RC. Plus this is the second time we have received a 'proper' Christmas present from the ship. The only other time was on the Oceana so I think a big thumbs up to P&O on that one.

I loved my holiday. There are 10 of us and most of the family (aged between 17 and 83) said this was the best cruise we had been on. Fingers crossed for next Christmas.

[kersh]

We were on the Azura xmas cruise and had similar problems with immigration. Ours was in St Thomas and the powers that be only sent 5 officers to deal with over 3000 pax and over 1000 crew. Disgusting and if we treated Americans like this they just wouldn't ever come to Britain. We were lucky and managed to be immigrated early but for some pax it was a nightmare and it took all day. P & O cannot be blamed for the ineptitude of the American Immigration system.

 

We were supposed to be in Grand Cayman at the same time as Ventura. I have to say that there is no way I would have got in a tender in those seas and Grand Cayman does not have docking facilities.

 

We loved New Orleans and it was one of the many highlights of a truly fantastic Xmas & New Year cruise.

 

Sue

[vizzog]

We joined this cruise in New Orleans and the experiance of entering the USA there, it was a nightmare to! From leaving the plane and going through immigration to arriving at the port. They did not allow P&O to offer any assistance to arrivals and they just could not cope, when reaching the port there was only one security screening post open and whether you were already onboard or just joining everyone had to go through it no organisation whatsoever it was chaotic.

I did hear rumours onboard that P&O may possibly not offer this type of itinerary again joining and leaving here due this, whether this is correct not sure but if they do be prepared for long queues, lots of waiting and disorganisation, joining and leaving in Barbados is a breeze in comparision.

[kevinyork]

Well I am at a loss. We were in a Superior Deluxe on D deck. We never saw them advertised as a Mini suite at all. They are called that on Princess Ships that have the same configuration but not on P&O. If your travel agent used that term take it up with them however the P&O brochure does picture them very well and lists dimensions and everything that is included so despite a mix up on the actual name the product remains the same.

 

We had everything listed: flowers, fruit, champagne, chocolates, robes, binoculors etc and felt that if anything was amiss our steward would sort it immediately. I cant believe Reception did nothing about it...they were overwhelmingly helpful on the occassions we sought their help.

 

Blame Grand Caymen for not having proper docking facilities and not P&O...........no ships docked that day and did you look at the seas to understand why we could not tender in?

 

Immigration in New Orleans was awful, I agree. However I dont blame P&O. The Americans have got their security and immigration policy completely wrong and we all suffered.

 

We found New Orleans to be clean, friendly and a wonderful end to our holiday. Most US cities can be dangerous if you stray off the beaten track.......if this P&O's fault?

 

Finally, why would you be entitled to food and drink to compensate you for the flight delay home since you spent the extra hours on the ship where all the facilities where still available to you??? You (and ourselves) were not stuck at the airport for that delay. You say the announcement re the flight delay wasnt made till 08.59. This is absolutely untrue. We had breakfast and returned to our cabin at 08.25. This was when the announcement was made and they said we could all stay in our cabin until 11am as a result. You have said there was no info or help from P&O??? They announced the flight day at 08.25, they had TV screens showing the revised times on screens around the atrium all day, all the restaurants and bars were still available to you and they re-arranged the transfer coaches so we were not dropped off at the airport too early.

 

 

Im sorry you didnt enjoy your holiday. We had the exact same holiday, same dates, same cabins, same itiniary and we loved it so hopefully this will provide some balance.