First P&O Cruise - a couple of questions

[techwatcher]

We have cruised a number of times, mostly with Celebrity and a couple with Royal Caribbean. Now a P&O cruise has attracted our interest (5 day to Amsterdam, Bruges and Guernsey on Arcadia) and we have a couple of questions:

 

1. Can we get breakfast served to us in the Main Dining Room? Ideally on a table for two? (we're not very sociable at breakfast...!)

2. Does the MDR open for lunch? On Celebrity this was only the case on sea days.

3. We don't really drink tea or coffee but drink soft drinks instead. I understand P&O do a Soft Drinks Package '...which includes 20 refills of 330ml soft drinks from any bar (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Lemonade). ' Are the soft drinks provided with the package cans or from a soft drinks 'gun'?

 

Many thanks in advance for any information.

[lindyloo22]

Yes you can get breakfast in dining room also open for lunch.

Don't know about drinks package.

[techwatcher]

Wow - that was quick! Many thanks lindyloo22.

[BrianI]

The main dining restaurants are open for breakfast, lunch, including when in port, afternoon tea and dinner.

Brian

[gadabout60]

I think the soft drinks are from the gun and not cans. I always take a couple of boxes of cans on board at Southampton and stock up as needed in ports

[scifimonkey]

Make sure that you ask for a table to yourselves when you arrive as the standard practice at breakfast on the P&O cruises we have been on has been to fill up the larger tables as people arrive. We generally travel as a three and have occasionally been sat as a family but it has not been the norm. I suspect that it will be down to how many small tables Britannia's restaurants have. Celebrity tends to have a lot of small tables in rows (although even a table for two is often hemmed in between others so does not always feel that separate).P&O has generally had a lot of circular or elliptical tables for larger numbers related to the majority traditional evening dining strategy. Perhaps Britannia ,with its emphasis on freedom dining, will have more smaller tables? Anyone who has been on it already able to shed any light on this?

[the english lady]

We have cruised a number of times, mostly with Celebrity and a couple with Royal Caribbean. Now a P&O cruise has attracted our interest (5 day to Amsterdam, Bruges and Guernsey on Arcadia) and we have a couple of questions:

 

1. Can we get breakfast served to us in the Main Dining Room? Ideally on a table for two? (we're not very sociable at breakfast...!)

2. Does the MDR open for lunch? On Celebrity this was only the case on sea days.

3. We don't really drink tea or coffee but drink soft drinks instead. I understand P&O do a Soft Drinks Package '...which includes 20 refills of 330ml soft drinks from any bar (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Lemonade). ' Are the soft drinks provided with the package cans or from a soft drinks 'gun'?

 

Many thanks in advance for any information.

We always have a table for 2 in the MDR ,if we go there for breakfast. Just say to the waiter as you go in and you may have to wait a couple of minutes, but they will take you to a table for 2.

MDR open for all meals, all days.

I don't think the freedom part (upstairs) is open though, its just the downstairs part..I am sure someone will confirm.

Might be worth you boarding with some cans you like (you will have to wheel/carry them around until your cabin is ready-about 2pm). Any port you stop at you can stock up ashore as well.

I think the small cans of drink onboard-tonic lets say- are about 95p-£1.05 each, but if you purchase 6, you usually only get charged for 5. This is via your cabin steward.

I hope you like Arcadia. At the moment she is our favourite ship.

[Ehg]

You can get breakfast in the MDR every day although depending on what time you arrive you may have a lengthy wait for a table for 2. Because of this we tended to eat breakfast in the Belvedere. Some people don't like the buffet restaurant but it suited us well, we'd get our food and drinks and take them to the tables by the covered pool, which was never busy.

 

Don't know about the drinks package either, sorry.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Ehg

[gadabout60]

We always have a table for 2 in the MDR ,if we go there for breakfast. Just say to the waiter as you go in and you may have to wait a couple of minutes, but they will take you to a table for 2.

MDR open for all meals, all days.

I don't think the freedom part (upstairs) is open though, its just the downstairs part..I am sure someone will confirm.

Might be worth you boarding with some cans you like (you will have to wheel/carry them around until your cabin is ready-about 2pm). Any port you stop at you can stock up ashore as well.

I think the small cans of drink onboard-tonic lets say- are about 95p-£1.05 each, but if you purchase 6, you usually only get charged for 5. This is via your cabin steward.

I hope you like Arcadia. At the moment she is our favourite ship.

 

I believe you are right but the cans are tiny and anyone who is a regular soft drink imbiber will find them inadequate. They are fine as a mixer for a spirit though

[Ehg]

We always have a table for 2 in the MDR ,if we go there for breakfast. Just say to the waiter as you go in and you may have to wait a couple of minutes, but they will take you to a table for 2.

 

MDR open for all meals, all days.

 

I don't think the freedom part (upstairs) is open though, its just the downstairs part..I am sure someone will confirm.

 

Might be worth you boarding with some cans you like (you will have to wheel/carry them around until your cabin is ready-about 2pm). Any port you stop at you can stock up ashore as well.

 

I think the small cans of drink onboard-tonic lets say- are about 95p-£1.05 each, but if you purchase 6, you usually only get charged for 5. This is via your cabin steward.

 

I hope you like Arcadia. At the moment she is our favourite ship.

 

 

Yes, you're right, only downstairs open for lunch. [emoji4]

[cocosumi]

The drinks on PO are reasonable- but- I think the price of the mini mixer cans is extortionate, hence always take my own and stock in port as we go along. only of course for in cabin consumption.

[dee_laah]

When we have boarded at Southampton we take a cabin sized case with cans of drink and bottles of water. We have never carried it around , checked it in with our other cases. My hubby doesn't rate the value of P&O drinks package and If we fly he'll buy cans in port.

[spideygirl]

The only problem with checking luggage full of drink is the damage it may do it bursts. Make sure they are packed well and no glass [emoji4]