Considering P&O Next Year

[bds1958]

Having cruised 3 times previously with Thomson we feel it's time to "upgrade".

We are considering the Arcadia next year (2015) for 2 weeks in August for Northern Europe, Iceland, Norway etc.

We want an "adults only" cruise and this fits the bill for our itinerary.

We are considering a balcony.

So tips from P&O seasoned cruisers would be welcome regarding the ship, choice of cabin, dining options (including dress code), drinks and anything else that will persuade us to go with P&O.

 

Thanks.:)

[jeanlyon]

Can't help you with cabins as we always have an inside. Got better things to spend my money on and can't help but feel, especially in northern climes, that I wouldn't spend time on the balcony. We loved Arcadia, food, entertainment was excellent.

[majortom10]

You might find a lot of people who have cruised with both Thomson and P&O might disagree that it is classified as an upgrade and you might be disappointed think very carefully. The ships are more modern and glitzy with P&O but have a lot of friends who say the entertainment and the food is better with Thomsons.

Edited July 26, 2014 by majortom10

[insanemagnet]

I found the food on P&O quite average.

 

Food in the cafeteria buffets was lukewarm and seemed to attract those who valued volume over quality.

 

Food in the main dining rooms was ambitious, but rarely actually delivered. I guessed it was down to pressure in the kitchen, cold food that was already prepared was fine, but hot mains were very random.

[the english lady]

My pennysworth, having cruised with both.

As I have read elsewhere if Thomsons had newer ships they would win hands down against the opposition. However they don't. The ships are older, no real problem, but its like your old sofa. There are nicer sofas out there.

Entertainment -probably say Thomsons have it. However we rarely go to the shows etc, so maybe I shouldn't comment on that.

Food-well the food we had on Arcadia April/May (where it is now plated) was the best I have ever had on a cruise ship.

I would also say I am a fan of set dining...When we were on Thomson, you did not have that option . You went to the dining room and were sat on the next table being filled.

We had AI -free with booking, however there is a rumour Pando might be thinking of bringing that in, so evens stevens if they do.

Dress code.....well Thomsons do not have one. You have one evening a week where if the mood takes you, you can wear something up from jeans.

P and O do have a dress code and on Arcadia 98%+ will adhere to it. As it is northern Europe there would only be a small minority who don't. There will also be some bars that you will not be able to go in unless you are in the dress code.

You could dress casual for the whole cruise if you wish, but you would be in the minority and would not be able to eat in the MDR every night.

Which would I prefer out of the two-P and O and Arcadia ,by a long chalk.

First Pando ship we went on I thought-yes this is better.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Have to say when I tried costing up a Thomsons cruise, by the time we added in cabin choice, grade of cabin etc, it ended up not far short of p and o.

[lake5298]

You may well miss the personal touch that Thomsons offer.

 

You will probably find the cabin far more spacious.

 

Don't think of P&O as "better" - just "different".

Edited July 26, 2014 by lake5298

[janny444]

I have sailed with different cruise lines...P&O...Thomson included. The initial difference that I found sailing with Thomson is that it doesn't have a WOW factor...comfortable yes but nothing stylish or glitzy.The Thomson ships are old and it shows but if they had newer ships I think it would really compete with the "big boys".

The entertainment with Thomson is the best I have seen...very high standard. The food in the buffet is far better than P&O but not in the MDR.

Also I would say that P&O handle large passenger numbers far better especially at POC and disembarkation.... a bit of a fiasco with Thomson....they need to take " lessons" from the larger cruise companies.

[macren]

We to have cruised with both and other companies and whilst they all have good and bad points for me P&O is better than Thomson's in the ships are lovely and glitzy ,balcony (warm climes) is a nice bonus ,more bars and we think the food in MDR far better ,we don't go in the buffet so can't say ,the staff on board both are very friendly and helpful for me the entertainment on P&O is better because there is more choice in more areas ,finally price Thomson is very expensive now for the ships they use,in Jan we are doing a 15 night Caribbean cruise on P&O in a midship balcony cabin ,almost the same itinerary with Thomson in and outside cabin was quite a bit more so have to look at that aspect as well enjoy whichever you choose x

[1160451]

We have cruised Thomson, P and O, RCI, Fred Olsen and HAL.

Every cruise is different with each having its plus and negatives.

It's like saying which whisky is best.

Within P and O, there is a difference between ships.

But as you are going on Arcadia then that is our favourite P and O ship.

We had a restricted view outside cabin and was very pleased with it. Food was very good but that was two years ago. We cruised on Azura set Christmas and I thought the food was rather poor.

Always had first sitting but changed for a Norway cruise to second now we always ask for second, gives you more time to relax before dinner.

P and O at Formal night will be adhered to with Black tie. Thomson if I recall was not adhered to 100%.

Entertainment on both is pretty British orientated. Both were good for us.

Would cruise on both again and probably will do so.

Our favourite overall is Fred Olsen by the way, although we accept the age of passengers is higher than P and O or Thomson.

Have a good time.

[jeanlyon]

I'm confused, have done 6 cruises with P&O and don't understand the word "glitzy". What does it mean? I have sailed on Artemis twice, Arcadia, Oriana and Azura (hated it). I cannot describe any of them as glitzy?

[majortom10]

I'm confused, have done 6 cruises with P&O and don't understand the word "glitzy". What does it mean? I have sailed on Artemis twice, Arcadia, Oriana and Azura (hated it). I cannot describe any of them as glitzy?

 

More modern in decor and facilities like theatre, show lounges with up to date lighting not like on ships built 30-40 yrs ago.

[Denarius]

What is all this "wow factor"? Personally, I prefer understated elegance.

[Mysticalmother]

Having cruised 3 times previously with Thomson we feel it's time to "upgrade".

We are considering the Arcadia next year (2015) for 2 weeks in August for Northern Europe, Iceland, Norway etc.

We want an "adults only" cruise and this fits the bill for our itinerary.

We are considering a balcony.

So tips from P&O seasoned cruisers would be welcome regarding the ship, choice of cabin, dining options (including dress code), drinks and anything else that will persuade us to go with P&O.

 

Thanks.:)

You will see from below that I have only cruised with P & O and Cunard so cant help you with Thomson.

But IMHO....my personal view is

1. Balcony wins every time - espcially the itinerary you are doing - midnight sun etc. and there is nothing better than a pre dinner drink or breakfast on ones balcony! rumour has it the fjords are beautiful and a balcony is really the way to see them. The Balcony cabins on Arcadia are realtively spacious, with plenty of storage and the bath/shower is a bonus. There are some niggles - the wardrobes could be better placed but....(Avoid A deck though as it is below the buffet and pool deck so you get early morning noise.)

2. My recent cruise on Azura reassured me about P & O despite many detrimental comments i had read on this forum - the buffet was good, (although we didnt use it that much) the MDR plated meals were excellent - better than Cunard. And much much better than the previous "silver service" where quite often the veg didn't match the meat/fish, and you could sometimes end up with lukewarm food whilst waiting for veg. The alternative dining choices were excellent too and well worth the small supplements.

3. Entertainment is very much a matter of personal choice but whatever your taste you will find something to suit.

4. Drinks prices are very reasonable.

5. The "auto tip" charges are very reasonable and allow you to tip over and above if you wish for other excellent service. Cunards are much higher (I know you aren't considering Cunard!)

5. We prefer a set dining time, and prefer late sitting. Others prefer early sitting or "freedom" dining so that you can chose the time of the shows but this doesn't bother us - we much prefer the time before dinner to relax rather than rushing for early sitting, especially on port days. Set dining means you are with the same people every night - freedom dining means you meet new people every night. Again, rather down to personalpreference. And if you really can't stand your dining companions with set dining you can always discreetly ask to be moved! With Freedom dining you can be stuck for the evening!

6. Dress code - others have covered this. Its quite nice to dress up occasionally!

 

As you can see we have booked Arcadia for a similar itinerary next year and are thoroughly looking forward to it!

So, if you decide on Arcadia I am sure you wont be dissappointed. Dont take too much notice of the general moaners on this forum, some people moan for the sake of it!

[Thejuggler]

We had a balcony on Celebrity Eclipse for a similar trip and it is worth having for just sitting and watching the fjord go by, there is however no midnight sun in August.

[Elviex]

I agree with all mysticalmother says. We have just had the three nighter on Arcadia and loved it all. Lucky enough to be upgraded from mini suite to suite. The two weeks on Azura in May was also lovely and I like both ships for different reasons. We are late to cruising having only started two years ago and have had two other short cruises, on Aurora and Azura. We have decided we will stick with P&O.

 

 

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[jeanlyon]

Well Oriana is about 30 years old and I've sailed on ships very much older than that with lovely décor and theatre, still wouldn't call it glitzy, but no matter :-)

[daiB]

Well Oriana is about 30 years old and I've sailed on ships very much older than that with lovely décor and theatre, still wouldn't call it glitzy, but no matter :-)

 

 

Errr built 1995. Makes her 19. Still a teenager. :) :)

 

 

 

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[bds1958]

Thanks for the information so far.

 

Positives and negatives are appreciated as everyone has different opinions.

 

We are considering P&O and the Arcadia because we are tied to Summer Holidays (Wife a Teacher), Thomson don't do the itinerary we wanted and we want "adults only" for a change.

 

Regarding "dress code" is it "formal" for the restaurant or "smart casual"?

 

Keep the advice coming.:)

[Growler5010]

Thanks for the information so far.

 

Positives and negatives are appreciated as everyone has different opinions.

 

We are considering P&O and the Arcadia because we are tied to Summer Holidays (Wife a Teacher), Thomson don't do the itinerary we wanted and we want "adults only" for a change.

 

Regarding "dress code" is it "formal" for the restaurant or "smart casual"?

 

Keep the advice coming.:)

 

They have different dress codes - some nights it will be Formal ie. suit/dinner suit for men, long or cocktail dresses for ladies. The Formal nights average 1 per week & are adhered to in the MDR, some bars & some theatres. Another dress code is Smart Jacket required - average 2 per week & again, adhered to in the same places. The third dress code is Casual & this is for the remaining nights of the cruise - no jeans or beachwear allowed. So a 2 week cruise would probably be 2 Formal nights, 4 Smart Jacket nights & 8 Casual nights. Of course, if you don't want to dress up you can eat in the buffet.

 

Having done several P & O cruises & 1 Thomson cruise I agree with most of the comments. We love P & O for the newer ships, more elegant surroundings, more choice of restaurants, larger cabins. Thomsons we loved for the fantastic entertainment & the more relaxed ambiance. The food on both, for us, was roughly the same quality. We equate Thomsons to being 'a comfy old slipper that you enjoy wearing at the end of the day' whereas P & O are the 'favourite pair of shoes you like to go out in'. For me, what would sway my decision is the itinerary, cost & ability to have a balcony & be Adult Only although our Thomson cruise was to the Baltic &, due to the itinerary, there were no children on board.

[majortom10]

Well Oriana is about 30 years old and I've sailed on ships very much older than that with lovely décor and theatre, still wouldn't call it glitzy, but no matter :-)

 

Think again Oriana is nowhere near 30yrs old.

[Scriv]

Yes, Oriana is 19 years old - 'born' in 1995 so still a young lady.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Scriv

[davecttr]

Two formal nights per week on Arcadia

[Thejuggler]

Thanks for the information so far.

 

Positives and negatives are appreciated as everyone has different opinions.

 

We are considering P&O and the Arcadia because we are tied to Summer Holidays (Wife a Teacher), Thomson don't do the itinerary we wanted and we want "adults only" for a change.

 

Regarding "dress code" is it "formal" for the restaurant or "smart casual"?

 

Keep the advice coming.:)

 

Don't dismiss family ships as northern trips aren't as popular with families. We did Iceland/ Fjords trip on Celebrity Eclipse last August and there were only about 100 children on board.

[Scriv]

Oriana is 2 formal nights and 2 smart and 3 smart casual a week and adult only. That's why we love her. She is 19 years old and is elegant and comfortable and just what we call a 'proper ship' :)