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[Scriv]

We had a wonderful time and made friends with the cabin next door and also had some great dining companions, so we had a very nice sociable time.

 

Tartanexile81, it was really weird about Captain Vago - we never saw or heard from him after an aborted indistinct Muster Drill announcement (We are not sure if that was a recording or not) which was interrrupted by a Medical Emergency announcement. (This was a very serious medical emergency, so I won't go into it any more as I hope you will all understand)

 

He was conspicuous by his absence over the tannoy and in person, particularly noticeable on New Year's Eve at 12 o clock when there was silence from The Bridge. I think we were all disappointed as we had expected a ship's announcement or countdown to New Year and a sounding of the horn, but there was nothing. People were wondering if he was ill or even on board. Very puzzling.

 

PS I have just read on a FB page that the Captain did make an announcement on New Year's Day and apologised for his absence but said he was busy doing 'other things'. I didn't hear that announcement. I am gobsmacked!

Edited January 3, 2016 by Scriv

[Scriv]

P&O Sue, yes it was Hamburg. Hamburg was very good because it was different, but you have to be aware that it is a busy port and not really a 'pretty' place. The fireworks display watched from the ship was excellent and sailing away, albeit at 01 30, was beautiful along the river with all the lights and people partying on the docks and waving at the ship. Not sure how many people watched this. We were out on deck with coats over our posh frocks lol.

 

On board, there was a noticeable lack of overall direction as to the welcoming in of the New Year, which was very disappointing. Unless you were in a venue which announced the New Year, you had to do your own thing and mark it from your own watch. A ship's announcement like the 12 noon broadcast from the bridge would have been so nice.

 

Unfortunately, it rained whilst we were actually in Hamburg, so walking around the streets was not as good as it might have been. Also as it was New Year's Eve, a lot of the shops/taverns were closed for the holidays and those that were open closed at 3 pm.

 

Still had a great time though and met some very nice people.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Scriv

[P&O SUE]

Thanks for your reply Scriv, odd about not hearing a New Year announcement from the Captain, perhaps it was to do with the medical emergency!

The fireworks sounds good - at least you got to see them unlike Ventura not making it to Amsterdam. Might consider a New Year cruise in future years - not yet though, DH can't get time off that time off year.

 

I said in P&O surveys a couple of times I wish they would do the shorter Scandanivian/Hamburg cruises in Spring/Summer, as well as the 14 night Baltic ones but they don't. For that reason I may be trying Princess next year!

[Scriv]

We had heard through the grapevine that the Medical Emergency was completed before sailing from Southampton, but yes, it did cross our minds that this may have had something to do with it.

[tartanexile81]

P&O Sue, yes it was Hamburg. Hamburg was very good because it was different, but you have to be aware that it is a busy port and not really a 'pretty' place.

 

Unfortunately, it rained whilst we were actually in Hamburg, so walking around the streets was not as good as it might have been. Also as it was New Year's Eve, a lot of the shops/taverns were closed for the holidays and those that were open closed at 3 pm.

 

Glad you had a good time. That's what I love about P&O - you meet so many friendly sociable people. You never have to be on your own if you don't want to. As I said in our previous chat elsewhere, it's a huge pity about the lovely Angelo. My husband still tells everybody how the ladies had a huge crush on him. We used to chat over drinks and dinner about who had seen him and what he had been up to. The staff all said they liked him too and he was always around the ship. Wonder why he's changed so much? I read on others posts a few months ago that he wasn't very visible round the ship. Just think these days a Captain has to be good at PR as well

 

We used to live near Hamburg and the shopping was amazing. There are some beautiful parts to the city and it is a very wealthy area. The area around the docks was always notorious with the Reeperbahn the same as the Red Light district in Amsterdam but with a huge Bierkeller, the Zillertal. There are some beautiful places to visit on ship's tours as well. We'd go back in a minute if P&O did a short cruise in the Summer.

[Scriv]

We hadn't realised that the shops would close early on NYE - our husbands were quite pleased really, I think. We had spent the morning at Miniatur Wunderland in the Warehouse District http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/ which was truly amazing. It is billed as a miniature model railway, but it is oh so much more.

We came out of there for a bite to eat and I had looked out a nice place in the Warehouse district, but as I said earlier, it was raining and these were all closed so we walked up to the Rathaus and looked for lunch, eventually finding a Bavarian Keller type place. So in Hamburg we had Bavarian specialies lol ( Nuremberger sausages!) and beer/Gluehwein. However, by the time we came out of the restaurant the shops had closed!!! There was still a market by the river which was nice though.

We got the shutttle back to the ship and had afternoon tea before getting ready for dinner. We were early dinner and our new found friends from the cabin next door on late sitting, so we used to go to a show and then meet them for the second later show - and then to the Crow's Nest for a nightcap. And then bed in the early hours. Perhaps that's why we are tired now, eh?

Oh it was great though, absolutely lovely.

[groovechick]

We were on Britannia over Christmas and received the Monopoly set. It never occurred to us that P&O would give us a Christmas pressie and we were delighted, although we did hear people grumbling and describing it as c**p. Our teenage son also received a bag just for signing up with The Reef kids' club, a very nice watch for Christmas and a very good quality hoody with a discreet P&O logo for being a Pacific tier cruiser - all totally unexpected. It's very rare you get owt for nowt these days - yes of course we'd paid for the holiday, but we haven't received freebies on other P&O cruises - so the gifts were a pleasant surprise and appreciated, whether they were to our taste or not.

[Stitchman]

They always give a Christmas gift. It's a lovely gesture.

Don't know what there is to moan about really ...

[Itsbeentoolong]

Hahaha how can you moan....mine will be on EBay soon [emoji23][emoji23] was 50 quid on Azura too.

[davecttr]

I got a Monopoly set as well. Now as i am a miserable old codger cruising solo it was as much use to me as a catflap in a submarine. However it all turned out well as I gave it to the lovely cabin steward Annabel as a present for her 10 year old daughter. I wrote a nice message on the outer box and signed it so she could take it home. I also hinted that as it was a limited edition don't take the cling wrap off before checking the prices on ebay ;););)

[tartanexile81]

We hadn't realised that the shops would close early on NYE - our husbands were quite pleased really, I think. We had spent the morning at Miniatur Wunderland in the Warehouse District http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/ which was truly amazing. It is billed as a miniature model railway, but it is oh so much more.

We came out of there for a bite to eat and I had looked out a nice place in the Warehouse district, but as I said earlier, it was raining and these were all closed so we walked up to the Rathaus and looked for lunch, eventually finding a Bavarian Keller type place. So in Hamburg we had Bavarian specialies lol ( Nuremberger sausages!) and beer/Gluehwein. However, by the time we came out of the restaurant the shops had closed!!! There was still a market by the river which was nice though.

We got the shutttle back to the ship and had afternoon tea before getting ready for dinner. We were early dinner and our new found friends from the cabin next door on late sitting, so we used to go to a show and then meet them for the second later show - and then to the Crow's Nest for a nightcap. And then bed in the early hours. Perhaps that's why we are tired now, eh?

Oh it was great though, absolutely lovely.

 

Well maybe if there's a short Summer cruise to Hamburg in the new P&O brochure, you can go back and see it in a different light. We'll join you on that one! I am surprised they don't go more often, because Cunard uses it a lot and it's a deep-water port. Do you know we've never been to Le Club (or similar) into the early hours so we're going to change that in February :)

 

Well done to those of you thanking P&O for their Christmas gifts. I certainly agree that they didn't need to do it and I can't believe how mean-spirited the people are who're moaning and groaning about getting the wrong present. Didn't we all get something this Christmas that we'd rather not but did we not all thank the donor for their generosity? I mean, I'm trying to lose weight before my next cruise and a friend gave me 3 boxes of Ferrero Rocher and one box still had the special offer 3 for £6 tag attached!

Edited January 9, 2016 by tartanexile81

[laurakdy]

On another site I wander onto someone had posted a thread about a post on Facebook.

I think the facebook poster may be on Azura??? Probably wrong.

Anyway on there people were given a gift from P and O of the new monopoly game.

Costs £50 to buy on Aurora.

Anyway this oik thought it was a terrible pressie, as it wasn't even one each, but one per couple.

He felt duty bound to complain to the captain about said pressie. According to oik (you need to read the post to see how he comes across) Captain was dismissive of his complaint.

I gave up reading the comments after a while. Way over 100 and none of them agreeing with the poster.

One reads about the problems the people up north are suffering, with no Christmas, then you have this person complaining about something he was given,and feeling he had to share his very important point of view with the captain.

Comments?

Oh my god, cannot believe what I am reading. We are just back from this cruise. Absolutely fantastic by the way and I will put up a review when I'm less tired but we were absolutely delighted win the present and have brought it home. Some people just can't help themselves.

[Itsbeentoolong]

Is there a place to write reviews or do we just put them on this page?

[laurakdy]

Is there a place to write reviews or do we just put them on this page?

I am just going to put it on here.

[Stitchman]

Hahaha how can you moan....mine will be on EBay soon [emoji23][emoji23] was 50 quid on Azura too.

What's the point of selling on eBay ?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Itsbeentoolong]

What's the point of selling on eBay ?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

 

You interested?

[Stitchman]

You interested?

Not really, I wasn't there for Christmas and I wouldn't make out I was.

Besides, what a lovely gift. On arcadia in 2005 on our Christmas transit through the Panama Canal, they gave the men a little chess/backgammon set in a little leather box that doubled as the board.

Can't remember what the ladies got. I was so chuffed. They don't have to do it, but it's a nice touch.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Itsbeentoolong]

I was only joking, actually like monopoly :) might be decent for next Christmas to remember this year. Was a nice touch, but they didn't tell us we could keep it, I thought it was just for our cabin its only because my parents cabin steward told them it was a gift.

[mutziputzi]

Regarding the medical emergency on aurora the lady who died was taken off in Southampton (her daughter stayed on and our son became freindly with her and spent most of the cruise together), so I don't think this had any impact on captain vago. I have met him several times before around the ship on other cruises, so surprised not to see him. Perhaps his new wife was on board!

[Scriv]

Hi mutziputzi - yes I had wondered whether the captain's absence had anything to do with that, but you think not? I had wondered whether if anyone in her party had stayed on, out of respect etc etc, but then thought not as there were quite subtle ways he could have still announced the New Year without causing offence.

 

I must say that I have run out of excuses for him now and remain unimpressed that no one from his team saw fit to mark the New Year on a New Year cruise from the ship as a whole.

 

Ah well, never mind. Loved the cruise other than that. :)

[mutziputzi]

The daughter had her very young son so stayed as he didn't understand what was going on, and really looking forward to cruise. Regarding cruise, this will be our last new year cruise, done many, we also stopped doing Xmas after the last 8 years as last years was so dull. I loved the ports on this cruise but thought the sea days were a bore.

 

Our friends who also go every new year were on Ventura and said the same, last new year for them as well.

[Scriv]

It was our first New Year and we had been told how wonderful a New Year on a ship was - ie ship hooting at midnight, countdown over the tannoy etc., so that part was quite a disappointment as we were one of the hundreds on deck waiting for the announcement. If we did another one, I would have to reconcile ourselves to making our own entertainment.

 

This is the first cruise we have done where there has been an absentee captain overall and it surprised us how nice it is when a Captain is present - and disappointing when not. Even though it obviously doesn't affect our enjoyment as such, a Captain does add to the atmosphere.

 

We made our own entertainment on the sea days, so can't really comment on that.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Scriv

[TOMOGP]

Finding the comments on here very amusing, not having read the original faceache posting.

Having had an Christmas cruise in 2014 were ready to do it again this Christmas but our friends had health problems so said why not try a Warners holiday hotel Warners per say was fine but the other guests A) made the older clientele of P & O seem young and B) do they moan, make the P & O lot seem happy.

I have had my bus pass 13 years but felt a teenager,(act like one to)

Unfortunately we have booked a Nov Cruise that gets back Dec 19th so cannot cruise next Christmas but back on board for Xmas 2017 to appreciate all that P & O do at Christmas (would have loved the monopoly set)

[pomcruise]

I was on Ventura for Christmas and was delighted to receive my P&O Cruises special edition Monopoly... but yes, I heard people moaning about the FREE gift!! :mad:

 

The best response I overheard was at the pursers desk when the kind purser explained politely that "it was a complimentary gift from P&O and very sorry to hear that you're not happy but there is no alternative. If you would like to bring the complimentary gift to reception, I'm sure one of the crew would like it for their family"!! All said with a great big smile and emphasis on the complimentary bit! Wish I'd got his name cos he was the model of calm in the face of snobbish entitlement. Bravo to him! :)

 

The level of whinging, grumbling and moaning coming from some of the passengers was nothing short of embarassing... but at least it gave the non-moaners something to "moan" about!! :)

 

It annoys me cos there's 1000's of people who would love to be on a cruise and yet these people complain about the slightest thing. I'm always pathetically greatful to be on a cruise (and yes, I work hard to pay for it, or rather the credit card!). Perhaps the litigous society we have allows these people to think "he who shouts loudest, gets a refund"....

 

Bon voyage!

[Florry]

I was on Ventura for Christmas and was delighted to receive my P&O Cruises special edition Monopoly... but yes, I heard people moaning about the FREE gift!! :mad:

 

The best response I overheard was at the pursers desk when the kind purser explained politely that "it was a complimentary gift from P&O and very sorry to hear that you're not happy but there is no alternative. If you would like to bring the complimentary gift to reception, I'm sure one of the crew would like it for their family"!! All said with a great big smile and emphasis on the complimentary bit! Wish I'd got his name cos he was the model of calm in the face of snobbish entitlement. Bravo to him! :)

 

The level of whinging, grumbling and moaning coming from some of the passengers was nothing short of embarassing... but at least it gave the non-moaners something to "moan" about!! :)

 

It annoys me cos there's 1000's of people who would love to be on a cruise and yet these people complain about the slightest thing. I'm always pathetically greatful to be on a cruise (and yes, I work hard to pay for it, or rather the credit card!). Perhaps the litigous society we have allows these people to think "he who shouts loudest, gets a refund"....

 

Bon voyage!

 

 

The only possible scenario I can think would cause anyone to moan is if there are 'two households' sharing a cabin, I suppose they couldn't both take the monopoly home and as such may feel that a gift 'per cabin' is difficult to share.

 

It seems to me that there are some people in the world who interpret the fact they can afford to eat in a particular restaurant, or go on a particular holiday as a right to 'swank' around the place, and complaining seems to be the main way they display this - as if they have to prove to those around them that they have 'made it' in life. Funny really, because the most wealthy or 'well heeled' people are perhaps less likely to be involved in such public displays, perhaps because they are comfortable in the skin they wear? - just an observation [emoji6]

 

Usually these 'swanking-moaners' (have I just invented a new term? [emoji23]) are the exception to the rule, concerning themselves with material wealth and social status. Just seems many of these rather sad individuals choose to cruise.

 

'Swank':

verb

1.

display one's wealth, knowledge, or achievements in a way that is intended to impress others.

noun

1.

behaviour, talk, or display intended to impress others.

"a little money will buy you a good deal of swank"