Why P&O? (as opposed to the US mainstream lines)

[davecttr]

Looking forward to this debate but first I need some breakfast.

 

By the way, I would never class Thomson and P&O together. Trust me, I have sailed with both. :eek:

Of course you should class P&O and Thomson together and add Fred Olsen as well. All three are british ambience and not US mainstream lines.

 

Also I would class Thomson and P&O together. Trust me, I have sailed with both many times. ;)

[the english lady]

We have sailed Fred/Pando/Thomson. I would probably put Pando ships/Fred where they go/Thomson entertainment.

I know Thomson are getting their "new" ships, but they will still be 2nd hand. Our first cruise with them was in a Sue Baker suite. Cost wise only a little less than P and O.

I really like dressing up though so would be pushed to cruise with them again

[TOMOGP]

In one way you cannot put pando and Thomson together as Thomson don't sail from the UK at all so they are out for us.

We have looked at Fred on many occasions but they do not have that many Balcony cabins, have to say that documentary 2 years ago did not do them many favours

[Solent Richard]

I've never had poor service on any line... yes, we once had a sleepy steward

on NCL, and we were called by our first names within 30 mins on Thomson- fine by us- but on the whole, the differences have been minimal.

P&O is convenient, not nickel and diming, and generally easy to understand and manage. We've begun to dislike lines which offer a cheap rate without mentioning the additional tipping- especially on bar sales.

Yes, we'll continue to try other lines, and are looking to try both Fred and C&M for their interesting itineraries... but for last minute cruises, where the destination is less important, it will be P&O.

And possibly their 28 day cruise on Ventura again... ;)

 

Frankly I'd consider a member of staff using my first name as stretching it somewhat.

[Solent Richard]

In one way you cannot put pando and Thomson together as Thomson don't sail from the UK at all so they are out for us.

We have looked at Fred on many occasions but they do not have that many Balcony cabins, have to say that documentary 2 years ago did not do them many favours

 

Ah, but they did two years ago and I believe they are planning new sailings from Newcastle next year.

 

My original statement still stands as well. Both do Mediterranean and Caribbean fly cruises.

[Solent Richard]

Of course you should class P&O and Thomson together and add Fred Olsen as well. All three are british ambience and not US mainstream lines.

 

Also I would class Thomson and P&O together. Trust me, I have sailed with both many times. ;)

 

And there lies the difference between you and me Dave.

 

Once on Thomson was enough.

 

Footnote: Twice on Fred Olsen was also enough (the second time was for a bet).:D

[jeanlyon]

Interestingly, Fred's prices seem to be high at the beginning with no OBC or parking. P&Os prices are surprisingly good if you book early and you do get some OBC and percentage off the cruise if you are Peninsular or if it's a Captains Choice cruise.

[davecttr]

Yes, vive la difference.

 

I am looking forward to my next Thomson cruise after one disappointing and one very poor cruise with P&O. With Thomson I will get a lively atmosphere, younger clientele, friendly crew, excellent show team, better treatment of solo cruisers, more relaxed dress code. Lots of alternative itineries, all with direct flights avoiding the long drag around Spain, mostly older ships but perfectly serviceable with food good enough for me (I graze rather than fine dine). I get escorted to my cabin on arrival too. No tips as well :)

 

ps - they don't call me by my first name without asking, even then it is "Sir Dave", the filipinos are very polite ;)

 

pps - apparently NCL is even better for solo cruisers, I will find out this year and if so might give up on P&O. Still keep the Carnival shares though as the rate of return is good compared to anything else available.

 

Oops, forgot to mention the booze. Spirit measures are 40ml compared with P&O's 25ml and you get free mixers. Free drinks package if you book early and reserving a cabin costs £42 per cabin, not potentially hundreds of pounds per person.

[Solent Richard]

Yes, vive la difference.

 

I am looking forward to my next Thomson cruise after one disappointing and one very poor cruise with P&O. With Thomson I will get a lively atmosphere, younger clientele, friendly crew, excellent show team, better treatment of solo cruisers, more relaxed dress code. Lots of alternative itineries, all with direct flights avoiding the long drag around Spain, mostly older ships but perfectly serviceable with food good enough for me (I graze rather than fine dine). I get escorted to my cabin on arrival too. No tips as well :)

 

ps - they don't call me by my first name without asking, even then it is "Sir Dave", the filipinos are very polite ;)

 

pps - apparently NCL is even better for solo cruisers, I will find out this year and if so might give up on P&O. Still keep the Carnival shares though as the rate of return is good compared to anything else available.

 

Oops, forgot to mention the booze. Spirit measures are 40ml compared with P&O's 25ml and you get free mixers. Free drinks package if you book early and reserving a cabin costs £42 per cabin, not potentially hundreds of pounds per person.

 

An excellent 'show team' is surely a matter of opinion Dave. Let's be perfectly frank here, their shows are played against a background of click tapes - no live backing music and very working men's clubish.

 

However, I'd be the first to agree that it is a case of horses for courses and on the evidence available folk move up from Thomson as opposed to down from P&O.

 

PS.I promise not to mention paying for a cabin safe, the frozen ratatouille and what I believe is now the biggest gripe, surcharging for steak in the main restaurant. :eek::eek:

 

PPS. As both a Carnival and Tui shareholder I'm very grateful for your patronage.

 

Have a nice day.

[davecttr]

An excellent 'show team' is surely a matter of opinion Dave. Let's be perfectly frank here, their shows are played against a background of click tapes - no live backing music and very working men's clubish.

 

However, I'd be the first to agree that it is a case of horses for courses and on the evidence available folk move up from Thomson as opposed to down from P&O.

 

PS.I promise not to mention paying for a cabin safe, the frozen ratatouille and what I believe is now the biggest gripe, surcharging for steak in the main restaurant. :eek::eek:

 

PPS. As both a Carnival and Tui shareholder I'm very grateful for your patronage.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Lets be frank here, P&O shows are spoiled by the orchestra playing so loud the singers have to shout to be heard. Much better to have the music at a level where you can appreciate the performers talents.

 

Perhaps you should not have mentioned the safe as you might be giving Carnival ideas. Anyway you save so much on the cabin booking price it more than pays for it.

 

As for for the frozen stuff, never had it. I suppose they could use tinned stuff instead.

Edited April 5, 2016 by davecttr

[frenchmartiniplease]

We 've cruised with P&O, Princess, Carnival and Celebrity and we've enjoyed all of them for different reasons. Our criteria is itinerary.

 

P&O suits us for prices, ease of embarkation, as we live in Southampton. As P&O are in and out of Southampton like a fiddlers elbow there is lots of choice, I love tea and coffee making facilities in the room (small things, small minds) and their generosity in allowing passengers to bring bottles of booze onboard. The food is fine in the MDR and we really enjoy Sindhu and Glasshouse. Entertainment could be better IMHO.

 

Princess, there is less choice from Southampton but we've gone from here and flown out to join them in USA. We find them dearer but worth it. Hate waiting for my morning cuppa or kicking DH out of bed to get one. Food is good and entertainment is excellent.

 

Carnival was great fun, great food but about 10 years ago. We made our own entertainment in the bar with a brilliant group of people we met.

 

Celebrity was very expensive, every drink bill had 15% grat and a 8% Spanish tax which Americans could claim back. It was the first time on a cruise that I began to resent the cost of everything on board. I bought a single drinks package and nearly did my liver in making it worth it. Other pax were not particularly friendly, in fact a bit stand offish except for our dining companions from Carolina. The food in the MDR was amazing. I wasn't a fan of the entertainment, at all. A beautiful ship though.

 

Oh! We also did a 2 nighter on RCI, it wasn't that great but experience has shown me its unfair to judge a cruise line on these types of trips.

 

I'm happy to choose either an American or British line. Just my 5 cents worth.

[Mysticalmother]

We have only sailed with PandO and Cunard. They both have their plus points and their minus points, all of which we can live with. We (or rather I :o) don't do flying so we are immediately restricted somewhat to cruise lines that sail from the UK...and mainly Southampton. Bristol could be an option.

We dont look for the cheapest option.., although am not averse to saving money! we look for an Itinerary that suits at a time that suits, and its usually PandO and Cunard that come up with the goods. Princess got very close last year but lost out solely due to slightly different intinarary.

Not keen on the "Americanised" way that I hear of on other lines, but happy to give it a try if the right product comes up.

CMV could be on the cards next year....our very first cruise was on Arcadia, which is the "new" CMV ship Columbus....nostalgia could kick in! Fred always appear expensive for a balcony cabin (which I insist on - claustrophobic tendencies) and not quite sure I am ready for Fred yet if the reports are to be believed....

And then there is Celebrity.....interesting.....might investigate.....

[Slugsta]

I cannot fly for medical reasons and live in the south of England, so cruising from Southampton is ideal for me.

 

We have sailed with P+O, Princess and Cunard (I did 4 nights on Fred with my mother but don't think it is fair to compare that with other cruises). In terms of preference, there is not much between the 3 lines. Somethings we like better with one line, other things with another.

 

I would love to do another Princess cruise but last time we looked it was several £100 dearer than P+O, also less OBC and we would pay more on board. I don't believe in spending money just for the sake of it so we went with P+O!

 

At the end of this month we are giving RCI a try. Watch this space...

[Heartlands1]

I notice you live in Warwickshire. We found a P &O Caribbean cruise on Britannia compared favourably with American lines when you take into account cruise length, number of islands visited, flight from Birmingham, no need for overnight hotels in Miami and the fact that you can take your own alcohol on board!

Cons for us were lack of International atmosphere only ever saw Brits on board and an over emphasis on Indian food in the MDR. Drinks service in the bars and cocktails not up to US standards.

We found the itinerary and entertainment first class.

[kevinyork]

We've sailed P&O 6 times and enjoyed each cruise. However we would choose Royal Caribbean or Celebrity first. We did venture back onto P&O Britannia last year as it was to take our two 80yr old Mums for their birthdays and we thought the Britishness would suit them more. Whilst tips and drinks are less expensive on P&O the overall ambience of the US lines is more upscale with much better service. On Celebrity you cannot pass any member of staff without them greeting you. Celebrity ships are more like smart hotels with great food and plenty of space. Royal ships are full of things to do, modern and full of technology.

 

On the cruises we've looked at the US lines are coming up very favourably on price and perks. Our cruise on Celebrity next month to the Baltics cost us £1600 pp in a balcony cabin, free drinks, free tips, $300 onboard credit and free drinks package. The last time we did the Baltics was on Azura and we paid exactly the same amount, no drinks package or perks. With perks included such as on this Celebrity cruise next month, the lower cost of drinks and tips on P&O becomes irrelevant as overall the total cost comes in lower for a more upscale experience.

 

Finally, P&Os fare structure pushes us further away from them. Any good value or special offers are always on saver fares with no choice of cabin or dining. Our late availability cruises on Celebrity have been at great prices and we've had full choice.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Well, this is a very interesting thread!

 

Of course you should class P&O and Thomson together and add Fred Olsen as well. All three are british ambience and not US mainstream lines.

 

Also I would class Thomson and P&O together. Trust me, I have sailed with both many times. ;)

Well said Dave

 

By the way, I would never class Thomson and P&O together. Trust me, I have sailed with both. :eek:

 

Frankly, Solent Richard, I find this statement both snobby and patronizing! It is remarks like this that put us off sailing with P&O for a long time, after many Thomson cruises (and other lines) but we were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of both crew and passengers on Oceana last year. So much so, that we went on her again in November.

 

On our first trip we got chatting to people, as you do, and were, at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships, for this very reason. But to our surprise, lots of people, had also been on Thomson ships and enjoyed them.

 

TBH, it was on Celebrity that we found the most snobbery. Our dining companions were wonderful, but we did meet a lot of people who would only go with Celebrity and were very sniffy about other lines.

 

I would say that Thomson entertainment is probably the best there is although I was more than impressed with P&O entertainment after I had been led to believe it was not very good

[CRUISIN LINDA]

We've cruised with various lines so in order here is what I think of them:

 

1. P&O - Great selection of cruises from Southampton all year round. Always have great fun on them, as they're the friendliest line and the evening entertainment / selection of venues is great.

2. Princess - Like the loyalty scheme and rewards when you get to Elite. Lovely ships. Warm staff

3. =Celebrity - Nice ships, excellent buffet but atmosphere just too dull and entertainment too Americanised

3. = Fred Olsen - Great itineraries from the UK including the North but older smaller ships. Excellent food

5. Cunard - great ships esp QM2 but a bit too stuffy.

6. RCI - too brash, too much geared to children

 

 

A good summing up tartan exile :)

 

I have been on all those except Cunard and I would just add that we had two trips on RCI. Jewel was great, not too big, fabulous dinner companions and a great itinerary (Baltic Capitals) but Independence was another story! Small cabins for such a big ship, Disney parades :eek: and no late show for 2nd sitting, so nowhere to sit in the bars after dinner and as the weather was bad, we were all shut inside which made it worse.

 

Of the ships we have been on, I would say Fred, Princess P&O and Thomson are very similar and we would go on any of them again. RCI & Celebrity, would have to have a very interesting itinerary to tempt us ;)

[Solent Richard]

Ah yes SR but once they have their 3 newest ships, Splendour OTS and Celebrities Galaxy and Mercury, they will be more like P&O than P&O are, or at least for the mid size ship P&O stalwarts.

 

Hi John.

 

I'm glad you used the adjective 'newest'.

 

Adonis aside at least P&O doesn't rely on other lines' cast offs.

[Solent Richard]

Well, this is a very interesting thread!

 

 

Well said Dave

 

 

 

Frankly, Solent Richard, I find this statement both snobby and patronizing! It is remarks like this that put us off sailing with P&O for a long time, after many Thomson cruises (and other lines) but we were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of both crew and passengers on Oceana last year. So much so, that we went on her again in November.

 

On our first trip we got chatting to people, as you do, and were, at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships, for this very reason. But to our surprise, lots of people, had also been on Thomson ships and enjoyed them.

 

TBH, it was on Celebrity that we found the most snobbery. Our dining companions were wonderful, but we did meet a lot of people who would only go with Celebrity and were very sniffy about other lines.

 

I would say that Thomson entertainment is probably the best there is although I was more than impressed with P&O entertainment after I had been led to believe it was not very good

 

Good afternoon Linda.

 

Thank you for your response albeit one that exposes some sensitivities.

 

Expressing one's opinion is surely the order of the day on this forum and I am always happy to back up my opinions.

 

As I remarked to another poster earlier, I have cruised with Thomson and frankly once was enough for me.

 

Experience also tells me that the vast majority of Passengers on P&O would support my view: and that's before I start quoting Cunard passenger views.

 

But thank you for your comments on Oceana, the only current P&O ship (along with Adonia that would never appeal anyway) that I haven't cruised on. I have now put that right and have a rather nice cruise booked in one of her mini-suites in the not too distant future.

 

What I do like about P&O is the fact that most of their ships have a decent theatre as well as a 'show lounge' or two.

 

Have a nice day and happy cruising

Edited April 6, 2016 by Solent Richard

[Solent Richard]

On our first trip we got chatting to people, as you do, and were, at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships, for this very reason. But to our surprise, lots of people, had also been on Thomson ships and enjoyed them.

 

TBH, it was on Celebrity that we found the most snobbery. Our dining companions were wonderful, but we did meet a lot of people who would only go with Celebrity and were very sniffy about other lines.

 

I would say that Thomson entertainment is probably the best there is although I was more than impressed with P&O entertainment after I had been led to believe it was not very good[/color]

 

Hi, it's me again.

 

I just spotted the part of your comment that read..."at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships."

 

What I wonder is why on earth would one be wary of mentioning something that they so obviously have so much faith in?

[jeanlyon]

We had one of our best cruises on Adonia. She was a delightful ship and we overnighted in Seville, up the river, Bordeaux, also up the river. Very sorry she is not back with P&O

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Hi, it's me again.

 

I just spotted the part of your comment that read..."at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships."

 

What I wonder is why on earth would one be wary of mentioning something that they so obviously have so much faith in?

Because, if you had read properly, what I said, it was the snooty anti-Thomson remarks that have appeared on here from time to time.

 

Regarding the "newer" ships, Thomson are primarily a holiday company, that also do cruises. I'm sure P&O wouldn't be able to have new ships if they weren't backed by Carnival. Never mind,Thomson now have the backing of RCI, although all the new ships at the moment seem to be going to Germany!

 

Of course P&O don't have their own airline do they?

[davecttr]

Hi, it's me again.

 

I just spotted the part of your comment that read..."at first, wary of mentioning we had been on Thomson ships."

 

What I wonder is why on earth would one be wary of mentioning something that they so obviously have so much faith in?

 

I was on a P&O cruise to Norway and was having an interesting conversation with a 'gentleman' about wildlife and whales etc in particular. I mentioned my amazing experience while returning from the north cape. We had the privilage of seeing Orca feeding on a bait ball really close to the ship. "what ship was that" he said, "Thomson Spirit" I replied. He promptly turned on his heel and walked away without uttering another word:eek: SNOB :D:D

 

ps - i know Orca are not whales

Edited April 6, 2016 by davecttr

[davecttr]

Because, if you had read properly, what I said, it was the snooty anti-Thomson remarks that have appeared on here from time to time.

 

Regarding the "newer" ships, Thomson are primarily a holiday company, that also do cruises. I'm sure P&O wouldn't be able to have new ships if they weren't backed by Carnival. Never mind,Thomson now have the backing of RCI, although all the new ships at the moment seem to be going to Germany!

 

Of course P&O don't have their own airline do they?

 

In addition i would think richard would be happy with the Thomson business model of chartering ships rather than having to find the capital to build them, after all he is a TUI shareholder.

 

The Thomson Discovery is almost a year younger than the Oriana and had a substantial interior refurbishment a few years ago.

 

Trivia question - what is special about the Thomson Spirit ?

 

Answer - when built she was called the Nieuw Amsterdam and was the flagship of the Holland America Line. She still has the presidential suite and boardroom ;)

[jeanlyon]

It doesn't bother me how old a ship is. In fact when we first started cruising, we were on Athena, built in 1939 at the Stockholm and she sunk the Andria Doria! She had been totally refurbished obviously and was delightful. Only 15000 tons and we went to the Caribbean and back!

 

the only new one we have been on was Azura and we did not like her at all. Very strange inside arrangement, so you could not see outside. very noisy with constant piped music, the seascreen blaring all day. That defined what we like and what we don't. Age of ship doesn't come into it.