Cruise Itinerary

[richleeds]

You need to do your homework Richleeds....both Saga and Fred O run mystery cruises! The latest one departed in November 2014 and Saga's next is in August 2015. [emoji23]

 

 

Sorry, I thought I was talking about P&O starting them?

[bee-ess]

Can anyone explain why P&O will not publish arrival and departure times of their ports of call on their Caribbean cruises. How can this be acceptable practice ?

 

Totally agree, could it be that they don't want you booking independant tours.

[richleeds]

Totally agree, could it be that they don't want you booking independant tours.

 

 

Certainly could be seen that way.

[the english lady]

Totally agree, could it be that they don't want you booking independant tours.

 

Oh my goodness when we were on our transatlantic Caribbean we managed to book private tours without knowing our arrival.departure time. Now how did we manage that. I don't know. There seemed to be loads of other people from the ship who had booked them as well......and all without knowing what time we would arrive..I really wish I knew how we did that.

[richleeds]

English Lady, are you a member of your local Am Dram society by any chance?

 

The point here, which seems to be continuing to elude you is that people like to know the info, P&O know the info, so in common with ALL other mainstream cruise lines, why not share that info?

 

There could be a million and one reasons why someone wants to know the times - booking advance train tickets for an DIY excursion, checking if there will be enough time to go shopping after an excursion, letting back home know what time they are likely to Skype home that day so home can all sit around the pc, knowing friends on another ship that is docking the same day and wanting to know what time to meet up etc etc etc

 

Just like P&O put the evenings menu out after lunch for people to peruse (and many do) even though you could say, why bother, they will see it when then sit down for dinner, people do like to be informed of the times in advance.

 

Yes, I am sure people will manage without knowing and we are all big and clever enough on here to book an excursion without knowing but as this thread shows, people would like to know.

[daiB]

English Lady, are you a member of your local Am Dram society by any chance?

 

 

 

The point here, which seems to be continuing to elude you is that people like to know the info, P&O know the info, so in common with ALL other mainstream cruise lines, why not share that info?

 

 

 

There could be a million and one reasons why someone wants to know the times - booking advance train tickets for an DIY excursion, checking if there will be enough time to go shopping after an excursion, letting back home know what time they are likely to Skype home that day so home can all sit around the pc, knowing friends on another ship that is docking the same day and wanting to know what time to meet up etc etc etc

 

 

 

Just like P&O put the evenings menu out after lunch for people to peruse (and many do) even though you could say, why bother, they will see it when then sit down for dinner, people do like to be informed of the times in advance.

 

 

 

Yes, I am sure people will manage without knowing and we are all big and clever enough on here to book an excursion without knowing but as this thread shows, people would like to know.

 

 

Well of all the moans on the ship I can say this one does not come up very often, so there cannot be that many who are concerned.

 

I still like your pervious idea of the two week cruise which may or may stop anywhere.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[richleeds]

Well of all the moans on the ship I can say this one does not come up very often, so there cannot be that many who are concerned.

 

I still like your pervious idea of the two week cruise which may or may stop anywhere.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I'm not saying it is a major concern - just a nice to know and bizarre why they do not publish.

[dreadnought101]

I'd rank it pretty high. Certainly higher than the "sunbed hogging" that some people bleat on about. Particularly when you have 9 sea days in 14 night trip. Its an inconvenience that can so easily be remedied.

 

Anyway the topic has been done to death. Sensible line is; P&O should publish them , but don't... Presumably to try to influence people to purchase P&O excursions. This is the only serious reason I can think of. Does tarnish the name a bit imo.

Edited January 30, 2015 by dreadnought101

[dgs1956]

I couldn't care less if they publish the times or not. When you book an excursion with a private company the always sort it out anyway. Perhaps P&O don't publish times is to give the persistent moaners something else to go on and on about. :):):)

Edited January 30, 2015 by dgs1956

[richleeds]

I couldn't care less if they publish the times or not. When you book an excursion with a private company the always sort it out anyway. Perhaps P&O don't publish times is to give the persistent moaners something else to go on and on about. :):):)

 

 

People on here are questioning why P&O don't publish the times and what the reasoning for not publishing might be. Hardly a moan is it?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kathsmum]

Although it might probably be nice to know precise times for docking and sailing, I have never known it to be a problem. If I want to book an independent tour or meet friends etc, I look at the trips that P&O are offering and book whatever I want within that time scale - it has hardly varied in all the years I've been cruising. People should just relax a bit more and go with the flow..... your on holiday..... chill.

[bee-ess]

Oh my goodness when we were on our transatlantic Caribbean we managed to book private tours without knowing our arrival.departure time. Now how did we manage that. I don't know. There seemed to be loads of other people from the ship who had booked them as well......and all without knowing what time we would arrive..I really wish I knew how we did that.

 

Probably because you are far more knowledgeable than me

[the english lady]

There could be a million and one reasons why someone wants to know the times - booking advance train tickets for an DIY excursion, checking if there will be enough time to go shopping after an excursion, letting back home know what time they are likely to Skype home that day so home can all sit around the pc, knowing friends on another ship that is docking the same day and wanting to know what time to meet up etc etc etc

 

Bearing in mind that no stop is guaranteed. We have missed Bergen out in the past (pilot strike),one of the Azores islands (storm)..if you booked train tickets in advance for a stop, what do you do if you don't actually stop there.

When you get off the ship everyone from the Captain down tells you what time you have to be back on board by, so it is up to you at the end of your private tour to decide if you have shopping time.

skyping -pick a time between 11am and 2pm at any stop and you will be able to say you will be ringing then.

Friends on another ship..well they will know what time they are getting in, so they tell you a time after 9am and you will be there. Unless ofcourse you end up not stopping there at all, then all bets are off.

No I am not a member of an am dram.

I worry a bit about bad storms , anything else will sort itself out.

I have no idea why p and O do not publish..maybe as people do not moan about fares so much these days, so this is the alternative moan.

[richleeds]

There could be a million and one reasons why someone wants to know the times - booking advance train tickets for an DIY excursion, checking if there will be enough time to go shopping after an excursion, letting back home know what time they are likely to Skype home that day so home can all sit around the pc, knowing friends on another ship that is docking the same day and wanting to know what time to meet up etc etc etc

 

Bearing in mind that no stop is guaranteed. We have missed Bergen out in the past (pilot strike),one of the Azores islands (storm)..if you booked train tickets in advance for a stop, what do you do if you don't actually stop there.

When you get off the ship everyone from the Captain down tells you what time you have to be back on board by, so it is up to you at the end of your private tour to decide if you have shopping time.

skyping -pick a time between 11am and 2pm at any stop and you will be able to say you will be ringing then.

Friends on another ship..well they will know what time they are getting in, so they tell you a time after 9am and you will be there. Unless ofcourse you end up not stopping there at all, then all bets are off.

No I am not a member of an am dram.

I worry a bit about bad storms , anything else will sort itself out.

I have no idea why p and O do not publish..maybe as people do not moan about fares so much these days, so this is the alternative moan.

 

 

....wow, I really believe you could solve all of the world's problems.

 

I listed 4 potential issues out of a million and one, if you can now list the other 999,997 and answer each of them in turn I and the rest of CC, would be most grateful - I'll even suggest to CC that your answers a made a sticky.

 

But still you miss the point!

Edited January 31, 2015 by richleeds

[dreadnought101]

Its quite amusing and slightly ironic the people that say "go with the flow, you're on holiday".

 

The whole point of knowing about this beforehand is so you can plan the day and therefore aren't doing things ad hoc and worrying about missing excursions/the boat departing when you're on the holiday!

 

The argument that the ship might cancel the port is quite a weak one. Cancellation doesn't happen very often...

 

Anyhow, we'll work around it but its certainly a negative point when comparing P&O to HAL for example.

Edited January 31, 2015 by dreadnought101

[dreadnought101]

I guess some people just happy to lob a load of money at official excursions or don't want to maximise their time on the island.

[richleeds]

Its quite amusing and slightly ironic the people that say "go with the flow, you're on holiday".

 

The whole point of knowing about this beforehand is so you can plan the day and therefore aren't doing things ad hoc and worrying about missing excursions/the boat departing when you're on the holiday!

 

Indeed. Cruising is probably one of the most regimented, time bound vacations you can take!

 

How many posts on here about boarding times? How many posts about the critical need to eat at a certain time in the evening?

 

In reality a whole cruise is pretty much a looking at your watch event, what time is sailaway, what time does the quiz start, what time do the shops open, what time do we need to leave the sun deck and get ready for dinner, what time does the show start, what's the all onboard time, what time are they doing the formal portraits, what time does the movie start, what time does the gym open, what time do I need to be at the Captains cocktail party to get maximum drinks, is afternoon tea still on, shall I set the alarm to get us those same spot sun loungers.......

 

We love cruising but compared to other holidays we take, say to Couples in Jamaica where you never really look at your watch the whole time you are there, cruising is a very regimented experience.

 

Look at the daily planner on any line and its likes a train timetable, something listed as happening every 5 minutes.

 

So again, its just bizarre that P&O choose not to publish these times in common with ALL other mainstream operators.

Edited January 31, 2015 by richleeds

[sparky166]

I logged on to youtube recently and viewed a site where passengers on various cruises videod other passengers running like the clappers along the dockside to catch the ship as it was pulling away, sad to see especially when children are involved, but the ships are not going to stop.

certainly makes you look at your watch when out and about.

Edited January 31, 2015 by sparky166

[dgs1956]

Most people don't seem bothered that times aren't published. They book either with P&O or private companies and all manage to find their way back to the ship in time. As far as I know there are very few miss the ship and most people do maximise their time ashore.

Edited January 31, 2015 by dgs1956

[richleeds]

Totally agree..I logged on to youtube recently and viewed a site where passengers on various cruises videod other passengers running like the clappers along the dockside to catch the ship as it was pulling away, sad to see especially when children are involved, but the ships are not going to stop.

certainly makes you look at your watch when out and about.

 

I'll have to look that video up!

 

In St Maarten once, after we had just left the dock, the coastguard came alongside and they lowered a door on the ship and the 2 people they had been PA'ing for jumped on - nice of the coastguard!

 

In Europe we saw bags getting offloaded on the ship docked next to us and handed to the port agent, it then departed, the whole of our ship then watched the 2 ladies return to find no ship, just their bags!

Edited January 31, 2015 by richleeds

[bee-ess]

I still stick by what I said about excursions - not publishing a leaving time will make some people question booking a private tour that returns at say 5PM. Not everyone on the tour may be on your ship, so they may not return to fit in with your departure time. We almost always book independent tours but find P&O's reluctance to publish time a frustration.

To Englishlady I resent my comments being treated with sarcasm as foolish, Everyone else publishes times why can't P&O - this forum is full of people that will defend P&O to the ends of the earth but this case they are wrong.

[daiB]

I still stick by what I said about excursions - not publishing a leaving time will make some people question booking a private tour that returns at say 5PM. Not everyone on the tour may be on your ship, so they may not return to fit in with your departure time. We almost always book independent tours but find P&O's reluctance to publish time a frustration.

 

To Englishlady I resent my comments being treated with sarcasm as foolish, Everyone else publishes times why can't P&O - this forum is full of people that will defend P&O to the ends of the earth but this case they are wrong.

 

 

Surely this is a matter of opinion. In some peoples opinion this not a major problem and in yours, it is. The company are not wrong, in your opinion they are wrong which is fine it is an opinion it is not necessarily a fact.

 

As I have said on board it is not a complaint I have any one making.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[richleeds]

I still stick by what I said about excursions - not publishing a leaving time will make some people question booking a private tour that returns at say 5PM. Not everyone on the tour may be on your ship, so they may not return to fit in with your departure time. We almost always book independent tours but find P&O's reluctance to publish time a frustration.

 

To Englishlady I resent my comments being treated with sarcasm as foolish, Everyone else publishes times why can't P&O - this forum is full of people that will defend P&O to the ends of the earth but this case they are wrong.

 

 

Correct. Having the times helps you build up a picture of your cruise in your mind, people on here check their cruise personaliser daily to see if anything has changed, they like the info.

 

People ask all sorts of questions on here as they like the info, it's just nice to know info that people appreciate.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kathsmum]

I'll have to look that video up!

 

In St Maarten once, after we had just left the dock, the coastguard came alongside and they lowered a door on the ship and the 2 people they had been PA'ing for jumped on - nice of the coastguard!

 

In Europe we saw bags getting offloaded on the ship docked next to us and handed to the port agent, it then departed, the whole of our ship then watched the 2 ladies return to find no ship, just their bags!

Were these P&O ships?

[richleeds]

Were these P&O ships?

 

No, the first incident was RCCL, the second we were on Ventura watching events unfold on the Carnival ship docked alongside us.