Celebrity cruiser does P&O

[tokyo]

Formal night someone denied entry to the MDR for wearing an open neck shirt. :D and on an Pando ship :D glad to hear it.

 

As for stewards, if they are not busy I always have a chat with them and sometimes by the end of the cruise I am on first name terms with them. I have no objection to being called by my name instead of MR. As for waiters, once again if they are not busy I like to have a chat with them. As long as they have the time, most crew members love to chat with pax.

 

The only time I have ever had poor service was from the bar staff on the old QE2.

[P&O SUE]

I agree, we coouldn't walk anywhere down the corridors without being greeted by our steward and others who were about. My jaws were aching with all the smiling ;)

 

Also the staff in a couple of bars were a little reserved at first but if we went in a second or third time they would greet us very warmly. No complaints from me.

[tokyo]

I know what you mean, the stewards seem to appear from no where:D

[brillo]

Just as a matter of interest there is a post from yesterday on the Celebrity board reporting Noro on the Eclipse.

[kruzgal]

Noro will happen on every ship at some point.

 

For me the difference between Celebrity & P&O was not about the cleaning during the late hours/overnight - it makes sense that the nighttime hours are used on both cruise lines for cleaning the public spaces, and I have no doubt that goes on on both cruise lines. What was more apparent was the lack of cloakroom attendants on P&O during the daytime/ evening hours to maintain standards, something which I have always seen on Celebrity in the last 14 years of sailing with them. This would not necessarily lead to the spread of noro, but just was an area of detail that was missing for us on P&O when comparing the 2 lines and meant that the facilities on P&O tended to deteriorate during the day/evening whereas more effort was made on Celebrity to maintain standards 24/7.

[peteukmcr]

The restaurant you had to pass a waiter and could not pass him before your hands were "squirted" with gel, and the buffet had narrow entrances to the food area with a machine at each again being seen by the staff member preparing your tray.

 

Regarding the ops point re the menu as Dai has already explained they used to be on one side as always available but that is now reduced to "P & O Favourite" the choice has been reduced

 

Sorry as an aside we were pleased to see someone denied access to the dining room on a formal night for wearing an open necked blue checked shirt and no jacket

Just off Azura too and although I always use the gel, I didn't see waiters insisting or 'squirting' gel on diners who did not use the dispensers at the entrance of Meridian.

 

We couldn't find the P&O Favourites on the menu, but perhaps I put that down to it being such a short cruise.

 

Regarding dress code, I did see someone allowed access to the Meridian dining room on Black Tie night in an open necked shirt, no jacket and very casual trousers. However, I did see the door host did give him a jacket and I clearly overheard that he was advised that he only had to carry it, but he did not have to wear it! What's the point in that when the rest of us had adhered to the dress code?

[Presto2]

Just off Azura too and although I always use the gel, I didn't see waiters insisting or 'squirting' gel on diners who did not use the dispensers at the entrance of Meridian.

 

We couldn't find the P&O Favourites on the menu, but perhaps I put that down to it being such a short cruise.

 

Regarding dress code, I did see someone allowed access to the Meridian dining room on Black Tie night in an open necked shirt, no jacket and very casual trousers. However, I did see the door host did give him a jacket and I clearly overheard that he was advised that he only had to carry it, but he did not have to wear it! What's the point in that when the rest of us had adhered to the dress code?

 

Totally agree ----------- am NOT a totally obsessed P&O cruiser - but have to note that on the Celebrity Silhouette too we saw lots of people in the MDR in shorts and t shirts and that was about 4 yrs ago

 

If there is no excuse we agree with you - does my head in that some people want to make the cruise line what they want it to be. Just follow the rules and if you don't like them, then go to a cruise line that suits you. Grrrrr

 

BUT all cruise lines make the rules and all need to enforce them ............

 

In a hotel in Cyprus we have seen people turned away for not following the dress code -- it can't be that difficult surely.

 

PS Thanks for the reviews Pete up in Manchester. Great reading :-)

[daiB]

Interesting to note Celebrity Eclipse is delaying boarding, tomorrow? As they had had an out break of NV.

 

None of the cruise lines seems to be able to prevent NV. If there was a way then they would all be doing it.

[Host Sharon]

From experience with RCI and HAL and chatting to Housekeeping Manager on Oriana, all ships are moving away from using hand gel in an effort to encourage washing with soap and water which works so much better. Gel makes people complacent it seems. All the newest ships have hand-washing stations outside the buffets and some restaurants.

[burnoutbabe]

on a recent thomsons cruise, the bar at the back of the ship (lido bar) was positioned in such a way that you had to walk through the buffet to get to it so we often could be seen walking through the buffet without washing our hands, maybe other ships have similar badly designed areas?

[davecttr]

on a recent thomsons cruise, the bar at the back of the ship (lido bar) was positioned in such a way that you had to walk through the buffet to get to it so we often could be seen walking through the buffet without washing our hands, maybe other ships have similar badly designed areas?

 

That will be Celebration or Spirit where the Lido bar and pool are aft of the buffet. There is no problem with not washing your hands as long as you don't touch anything on the way through!. Or you could use the Promenade deck above and come down the stairs.

 

It's the same on Azura and Ventura, to access the terrace bar from the lido deck you walk through the buffet, unless you go down a deck and up the rear staircase which is unnecessary if you don't touch anything anyway.

[rickpo]

Earlier this year we were on Britannia A deck towards the rear.

To get to the pool area we had two choices, either walk to midship and wait sometimes an age for a lift up just one floor or walk up one floor at the rear and through the buffet area.

We chose the latter but always felt conscious of not washing our hands even though we were only walking through.

Which brings us back the the centre staircase argument (should we start another thread about that, its not been mentioned for a while).

 

Rick.

[mondas42]

Earlier this year we were on Britannia A deck towards the rear.

To get to the pool area we had two choices, either walk to midship and wait sometimes an age for a lift up just one floor or walk up one floor at the rear and through the buffet area.

We chose the latter but always felt conscious of not washing our hands even though we were only walking through.

Which brings us back the the centre staircase argument (should we start another thread about that, its not been mentioned for a while).

 

Rick.

 

We had to do the same last year on Ventura. And we will be doing so again this year on Britannia. I guess so On my god as you don't touch anything then it's fine but I did feel self conscious. Also agree about the lack of a central staircase on Britannia but unless they do a major refit, then it isn't going to change anytime soon.