P&O versus Cunard

[MawganTr]

Having sailed on all 3 Cunard Queens I am now trying to persuade my husband to try P&O. (In particular Ventura Venice - Genoa) We've loved Cunard - as 2, 40 something teachers travelling without my children we enjoy the grown up feel of the ships. The question is, though, how does P&O compare? Don't get me wrong, we're most definitely not anti children so that's not the issue. How does the quality of food, entertainment, staterooms, staff, price of drinks etc compare? Thank you in advance!

 

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[wilson2579]

I am trying the opposite to you. I normally sail with P and O but I have booked a mini cruise on Queen Victoria in October. I am a bit worried it might be a bit stuffy. I work in a school also so have to sail in school holidays.

I found the drink prices to be very reasonable on P and O ships, £13.50 for a bottle of white wine but don't drink anything else so can't help you there. We like the tribute bands on board and have just come off the Oriana which had a fantastic Beatles tribute. Their 'Headliners' productions are of good quality too but unfortunately I cannot compare with Cunard until I have sailed with them.

[soobs]

We've don a TA on the QM and 2 Caribbean with P & O, 2 very different holidays, the TA was in December with very rough sea's to do a bit of shopping in NY, is was one of those trips that you never forget.

Cunard is a lot more glamorous and slightly stuffy - not in a bad way though than P & O even though P & O is formal it is a bit more relaxed than Cunard but they are both very British we found P & O a little more friendly.

We wouldn't want to do a TA in a P & O ship Cunard ticked all the boxes if they did fly cruises to the Caribbean we would try them.

Food better on Cunard fillet instead of sirloin

Staff friendlier on P & O

Bedding and pillows win hands down on Cunard

Drinks are cheaper on P & O no SC like Cunard

Staterooms v cabins Cunard wins

Entertainment 50/50

I don't think the 2 products can be compared they are different types of ship but Cunard is more formal and could be seen as a bit stuffy but we loved it for what it was and wouldn't change a thing about either product

[MawganTr]

Thank you for your comments. I'm not afraid of less formal but keen not to find it too 'Butlins at sea'. Not in a snobby way, just not our thing ( especially minus the kids!). I like the idea of cheaper drinks and friendly staff. ( I guess that 'no SC' means no service charge - that must make a real difference as that's what adds to the price on Cunard). I'm sold....now to convince my husband!

 

 

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[Monorail Orange]

I've only sailed with P&O and its far from 'Butlins at Sea' - believe me I wouldn't go if it was.

[wilson2579]

I've only sailed with P&O and its far from 'Butlins at Sea' - believe me I wouldn't go if it was.

 

and I agree as I wouldn't go either. All I can say when I read this remark is that Butlins must have upped their game.:eek:

[Elviex]

I am finally driven to make a comment about this Butlins thing!! Poor old Butlins gets so many derogatory remarks, but.......what is the product? ... Lots of people on holiday who have bought an inclusive package....accommodation, food, entertainment etc etc all in one place...humm! Sound familiar?! I went to Butlins fifty years ago with a friend and her parents and enjoyed it.

[Host Sharon]

Having sailed many times with both Cunard and P&O I have to confess I prefer P&O - the adult-only ships that is!

 

I have more fun on P&O, especially when travelling alone. OK - the food is more British (nursery puddings etc) but the meat is the same on both. and I find the crew and ent. officers more willing to go the extra mile to make sure you are enjoying yourself.

 

I am not too sure the OP will enjoy Ventura though. Aurora, Oriana and Adonia are closer to the Cunard experience and the smaller ships have better service IMO.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Host Sharon

[tartanexile81]

We're (just) retired teachers and we cruise on different lines, so maybe have the advantage that we can compare them from our own experience rather than from hearsay. We've cruised 200 nights on P&O and I can assure you we wouldn't have done that if we found it to be like a holiday camp at sea.

 

The main differences are that all the passengers (well, 99.9% of them) are British and the stewards and waiting staff are predominantly from Mumbai and Goa which means they are perhaps quieter but just as efficient and warm as their counterparts on other lines; the drinks are cheaper than any line we've been on with no service charge, and you can bring your own duty free on board, for use in your cabin; the entertainment is comparable to any other line so some you will really enjoy and some won't be your cup of tea; and finally the daily gratuities are lower than other lines.

 

Ventura is one of the newer ships and popular with families especially during school holidays of course. The cabins are well equipped and well laid out and C deck and aft cabins have especially generous balconies. These newer ships also have a good choice of entertainment venues and speciality restaurants.

 

On the down side, we don't like the buffets on P&O at all so we avoid them as much as we can.

 

If you're anything like us, you'll enjoy your week because you're on holiday and you're cruising. It's only 7 days and if, after that, you decide you prefer Cunard then you'll have lost nothing.

Edited May 4, 2014 by tartanexile81

[Midsomer Madness]

Have sailed on both Cunard and P&O and definitely prefer Cunard of the 2, I'm not being a snob but do feel that some of the newer cruisers now cruising on p&o just don't care about how they dress or how they act, you only have to go on different forums to see the amount of people saying they won't be taking a suit and will be wearing jeans and tee shirts in the evening..p&o to me are now more like holidays at sea rather than cruising.

 

We still like p&o and are off again on Azura around the Caribbean next March but I just feel the product is more downmarket now than it used to be...however in the end any cruise or holiday is what you make it, so go and have a good time!

[canny_cruiser]

I am no snob but on my Azura cruise there were an awful lot of beer-bellies and tattoos on show - and that was just the women :eek: - and I didn't get to meet any interesting well-travelled conversationalists like I usually meet on Cunard.

 

I don't object to observing a dress code but I do find Cunard's insistence on jackets for men, even on casual/informal nights a bit OTT especially in tropical climes.

 

Other than some of the passengers, I have no complaints about my P&O cruise and would travel again.

Edited May 5, 2014 by canny_cruiser

[arbhorseal]

Interesting question here ! We are just about to embark on our second Cunard trip (Baltic on Queen V). My wife and I adored our b2b TA on Queen Mary 2.

 

Between the two we took a trip (no way was that a cruise) on the Thomson Spirt around Norway. Norway was magnificent. The Spirt was a nightmare. Benidorm meets the the Wheel Tappers and Shunters club on an aged bathtub that should have been scrapped years ago !

 

We have also booked P&O's Oriana for September to celibrate Wifey's 50th....will be very interested to see how it matches up to Cunard.

[Midsomer Madness]

We did 14 nights on Thomson Dream earlier this year around the Caribbean had a great time but that was mainly due to the brilliant crew and the places we visited..along with the people we went with..the entertainment was poor in our opinion but the drinks package was brilliant ;) having sailed on Thomson once before we knew what to expect, it does have to be said though that a lot of Thomson passengers are now going over to p&o. Read into that what you will!

[richleeds]

We did 14 nights on Thomson Dream earlier this year around the Caribbean had a great time but that was mainly due to the brilliant crew and the places we visited..along with the people we went with..the entertainment was poor in our opinion but the drinks package was brilliant ;) having sailed on Thomson once before we knew what to expect, it does have to be said though that a lot of Thomson passengers are now going over to p&o. Read into that what you will!

 

On that point a couple we know who have been loyal P&O customers for years say that P&O has really gone downhill of late and they dont mean to sound snobby but they say its "very common" these days. They partly blame adverts which are now placed for P&O cruises in certain newspapers with eye catching bargain bucket prices where they never advertised before and they are reaching a new undesirable audience!

[davecttr]

We did 14 nights on Thomson Dream earlier this year around the Caribbean had a great time but that was mainly due to the brilliant crew and the places we visited..along with the people we went with..the entertainment was poor in our opinion but the drinks package was brilliant ;) having sailed on Thomson once before we knew what to expect, it does have to be said though that a lot of Thomson passengers are now going over to p&o. Read into that what you will!

check out my signature and you will see i have cruises 12 times on Thomson and enjoyed every one.

 

Why do i cruise with P&O? because i don't like anymore the location of the single cabins on Thomsons ships, with the exception of Majesty, which i might well cruise on again depending on the itinery. If i wanted a cabin in a better location I would have to pay 100% single supplement compared with the normal 30% approx. With P&O i can get a cabin anywhere i want at almost all grades.

 

I had an excellent cruise last year on Spirit to the North Cape, except on 2 nights when the low speed resulted in my cabin sounding and feeling like the inside of a cement mixer. Of course i could not be moved and the experience led to me boycotting Thomson ships with single cabins back by the engines. This does not happen on P&O, Yes it does. I tried the single cabins on Ventura and they were awful, Worse than Thomson Spirit because the squeaking and creaking was every night, even in the cabin i was moved to when I complained.

 

So, if you don't like the social aspects of Thomson cruises perhaps the Downton line (Cunard) would be more suitable, Grills class of course :rolleyes:;)

[P&O SUE]

I am no snob but on my Azura cruise there were an awful lot of beer-bellies and tattoos on show - and that was just the women :eek: .

 

That really made me laugh :D :D

[davecttr]

On that point a couple we know who have been loyal P&O customers for years say that P&O has really gone downhill of late and they dont mean to sound snobby but they say its "very common" these days. They partly blame adverts which are now placed for P&O cruises in certain newspapers with eye catching bargain bucket prices where they never advertised before and they are reaching a new undesirable audience!

 

they are snobby :eek:

 

the undesirable audience is obvoiusly not undesirable to P&O ;)

 

plus of course they can always cruise with a 'posher line' where the peasants are not in evidence, unless they are rich peasants when the 'posh' line will be fawning all over them.

[Midsomer Madness]

The thing that annoys me and will continue to annoy me is that passengers who enjoy the casualness of Thomson cruises think it's perfectly acceptable to dress the same on p&o. You could of course say that p&o are to blame for not enforcing the dress code..in my opinion, and it is only my opinion, the tv channels that sell cruises and say "oh you don't need to dress up" are to blame . There is a dress code on all p&o ships and if people don't want to comply with that code there are plenty of casual cruiselines out there.

 

Anyway I digress...Both p&o and Cunard have their plus points,personally I can't find any negatives with Cunard but unfortunately now fine more than a few with p&o

[davecttr]

The thing that annoys me and will continue to annoy me is that passengers who enjoy the casualness of Thomson cruises think it's perfectly acceptable to dress the same on p&o. You could of course say that p&o are to blame for not enforcing the dress code..in my opinion, and it is only my opinion, the tv channels that sell cruises and say "oh you don't need to dress up" are to blame . There is a dress code on all p&o ships and if people don't want to comply with that code there are plenty of casual cruiselines out there.

 

Anyway I digress...Both p&o and Cunard have their plus points,personally I can't find any negatives with Cunard but unfortunately now fine more than a few with p&o

They don't, or at least I don't. I have a dinner jacket and a linen jacket so if needed I am fully equipped for any P&O cruise. For my Ventura fly cruise i will be leaving the jackets at home and eat in the buffet/Glasshouse/Beach house on formal nights. Being banned from the Red Bar and Metropolis is not important.

[Midsomer Madness]

They don't, or at least I don't. I have a dinner jacket and a linen jacket so if needed I am fully equipped for any P&O cruise. For my Ventura fly cruise i will be leaving the jackets at home and eat in the buffet/Glasshouse/Beach house on formal nights. Being banned from the Red Bar and Metropolis is not important.

 

But they do! I've read the comments and spoken to people on Thomson cruises who say just that..i have no problem with smart casual but feel it should be smart and should be only on smart casual nights...I like to see everybody dressed up. Some people dress like they are off to do weekly shopping at Asda, and I have to say it's often the women letting the side down, men in dinner suits and their wife/partner in the sort of dress I'd wear to the beach or a BBQ! Just because a dress is long it doesn't make it formal..

 

But we must stop hijacking this thread!

[davecttr]

But they do! I've read the comments and spoken to people on Thomson cruises who say just that..i have no problem with smart casual but feel it should be smart and should be only on smart casual nights...I like to see everybody dressed up. Some people dress like they are off to do weekly shopping at Asda, and I have to say it's often the women letting the side down, men in dinner suits and their wife/partner in the sort of dress I'd wear to the beach or a BBQ! Just because a dress is long it doesn't make it formal..

 

But we must stop hijacking this thread!

yes we must. anyway everything ready and off to Ventura on Wednesday :D

[richleeds]

they are snobby :eek:

 

the undesirable audience is obvoiusly not undesirable to P&O ;)

 

plus of course they can always cruise with a 'posher line' where the peasants are not in evidence, unless they are rich peasants when the 'posh' line will be fawning all over them.

 

No, not snobby, very down to earth but they have seen a deterioration in cruise standards for the many years they have sailed with P&O - but maybe that's just a reflection on society.

 

Yes, P&O are happy to take the £££ and probably couldnt care where it comes from.......until they start losing their loyal high spending customers and find their ships full with the bargain bucket brigade!

 

I think in the "good old days" cruising wasnt very main stream and wasnt really seen as an option by many but then Thomson and Airtours both launched cruise programmes and gave people who may not have cruised a way into cruising and those people have been moving from line to line bringing some undesirable elements with them.

 

Its the same in the USA, in the old days youths on spring break didnt really cruise and if they did they went with Carnival. We were on Princess in March and it was full of spring breakers - how times have changed!

[heywood]

I used to follow the Cunard threads a few years ago and people were very worried there that standards were slipping as the transatlantics got cheaper.

Unfortunately, cheaper prices enabled the tattooed, tabloid reading crowds to sail!

It quite upset the regulars to see coloured bow ties; cream dinner jackets, sometimes worn with black shirts :eek: and women in wedding guest outfits purporting to be evening wear!

It's a sad world for some folk.

 

Sorry, I forgot to mention the ready made bow ties!

Edited May 5, 2014 by heywood

[heywood]

Re previous post, I should add that I loved Cunard. I do think there was a lot of hype to convince you that it was a cut above the rest.

I enjoyed the mix of passengers on the transatlantics. There was a definite change in atmosphere, on the East Coast section of one trip when more USA holiday makers boarded for a few days break. There was more 'fun' - we enjoyed that also.

I was quite worried when we then sailed with P and O but that was also good- more friendly, I think.

Last year, I was concerned about Fred Olsen - would it be like a nursing home? No we had a good time also ;)

Perhaps, we are just easy to please.

[Mickb]

We have cruised with both.

This is just my opinion ( before I get shot down!!!)

 

In my opinion Cunard wins hands down.

The food was better - wider choice - more international dishes

The cabins and bedding are better - I spilt coffee on the sheet on Oceana ( in a suite!) and the bed was remade with the dirty wet sheet!

The entertainment is probably slightly better on P&O.

The Oceana buffet restaurant was like a motorway canteen with people pushing and shoving as if it was the last meal they would ever eat.

..never again!