P&O trialling once a day room service.

[manonabike]

We have 4 people to a cabin so they need to come in and set up the sofa bed/ Pullman on an evening and then reset in the morning. However, having just come back from a trip on Aurora, we can confirm that we had two visits per day (though not always to a high standard).

[Selbourne]

I am pleased that we appear to have got to the bottom of this. The lack of a first night cabin service would be no hardship for us, but thereafter it would have been missed. Let’s hope that the fact that Graham experienced it over several nights is purely as it was a short cruise, where several corners are often cut. 

 

As an aside, I have never believed that anyone from P&O reads these forums in an official capacity. They get feedback from thousands of paying customers every single day on the ships and through the post cruise questionnaires, so our ramblings on here are an irrelevance to them. Even on the most lively threads, the numbers contributing are absolutely minuscule compared to the actual passenger feedback they receive on a daily basis. 

[grapau27]

31 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I am pleased that we appear to have got to the bottom of this. The lack of a first night cabin service would be no hardship for us, but thereafter it would have been missed. Let’s hope that the fact that Graham experienced it over several nights is purely as it was a short cruise, where several corners are often cut. 

 

As an aside, I have never believed that anyone from P&O reads these forums in an official capacity. They get feedback from thousands of paying customers every single day on the ships and through the post cruise questionnaires, so our ramblings on here are an irrelevance to them. Even on the most lively threads, the numbers contributing are absolutely minuscule compared to the actual passenger feedback they receive on a daily basis. 

Thanks Selbourne.

It was a 2 night cruise and we were in 1 of only 6 Suites on Oceana and spent a lot of time in there as we wanted a quiet time because Pauline's mam had only died 6 weeks prior to the cruise. If we were in a cheaper inside cabin and not spending a lot of time there it would have been unsatisfactory but we would have coped.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I am pleased that we appear to have got to the bottom of this. The lack of a first night cabin service would be no hardship for us, but thereafter it would have been missed. Let’s hope that the fact that Graham experienced it over several nights is purely as it was a short cruise, where several corners are often cut. 

 

As an aside, I have never believed that anyone from P&O reads these forums in an official capacity. They get feedback from thousands of paying customers every single day on the ships and through the post cruise questionnaires, so our ramblings on here are an irrelevance to them. Even on the most lively threads, the numbers contributing are absolutely minuscule compared to the actual passenger feedback they receive on a daily basis. 

If these boards are so worthless I wonder why Celebrity and RCI take so much notice of them and organise meet and greet get togethers for the roll calls of each cruise?  Celebrity even have someone post on their forum and answer any pressing questions, and of course P&O themselves have a staff member respond to queries over on Facecloth.

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If these boards are so worthless I wonder why Celebrity and RCI take so much notice of them and organise meet and greet get togethers for the roll calls of each cruise?  Celebrity even have someone post on their forum and answer any pressing questions, and of course P&O themselves have a staff member respond to queries over on Facecloth.

I posted on another thread on RCCL that we prefer women cabin stewards as our cabin always seemed cleaner and we had only ever had a couple of lady cabin stewards  at the time in 45 cruises.

Since posting that on 3 of our last 4 cruises we have had lady cabin stewards.

Edited December 16, 2018 by grapau27

[Selbourne]

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If these boards are so worthless I wonder why Celebrity and RCI take so much notice of them and organise meet and greet get togethers for the roll calls of each cruise?  Celebrity even have someone post on their forum and answer any pressing questions, and of course P&O themselves have a staff member respond to queries over on Facecloth.

I didn’t say that they were ‘worthless’ and I was only referring to P&O, as I have no knowledge of other cruise lines. I maintain that there is no evidence that P&O monitors these boards but, whilst I don’t use Facebook myself, I am fully aware that they respond to posts over there - unlike here, where they do not. 

[Eglesbrech]

9 hours ago, daiB said:

 

 No I am quite aware of the thrust of the post. Something happens on a one off basis, people pile in and condem P&O and then in the end little has changed.

 

This has happened quite a few times now.

 

BTW I would think that the on first night could we could all do without the evening turn down if only to give the staff some time off after a very long day.

 

But something has changed has it not, if the reported experiences of recent cruisers are a measure of it, yet again the change (or trial) is made with no notice and after people have booked.  While I agree with you that I could happily do without turndown on the first night it if correct, it is yet another cut to the service provided.

 

P & O only have themselves to blame if their communication is so poor and generally it is. If they had told customers what was happening then their could have been no misunderstanding about the extent of it.

 

There have also been many occasions where posters have highlighted changes which have been spot on for example when Host Sharon reported a change to the alcohol policy. This was derided by some posters and she was proved to be absolutely factually correct. 

 

 

 

 

[daiB]

34 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

But something has changed has it not, if the reported experiences of recent cruisers are a measure of it, yet again the change (or trial) is made with no notice and after people have booked.  While I agree with you that I could happily do without turndown on the first night it if correct, it is yet another cut to the service provided.

 

P & O only have themselves to blame if their communication is so poor and generally it is. If they had told customers what was happening then their could have been no misunderstanding about the extent of it.

 

There have also been many occasions where posters have highlighted changes which have been spot on for example when Host Sharon reported a change to the alcohol policy. This was derided by some posters and she was proved to be absolutely factually correct. 

 

 

 

 

 

So one out of half a dozen is OK for Sharons information has been the only one which has proved correct over the past few years. As I said the situation on Oceana is not new it has been reported before and people have thrown their hand up in horror about it. My main point is that people are very quick to jump in and berate the company for changes which turn out not to be true. 

 

 

[daiB]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Dai we are certainly not condemming P&O as we have since booked a 7 night cruise on Ventura next summer when we will be in the 1001 points loyalty bracket.

To repeat, this trial affected us personally and by believing what P&O head office told us it is not nice to have your integrity questioned.

Regards Graham.

Graham, my criticism was not of you. You simply reported what you had observed. It’s the other posters who then come in and extrapolate to a situation where the result is that all evening turndowns are cancelled. I had heard about it happening on Oceana before but then it was only the first night.

[Eglesbrech]

6 minutes ago, daiB said:

 

So one out of half a dozen is OK for Sharons information has been the only one which has proved correct over the past few years. As I said the situation on Oceana is not new it has been reported before and people have thrown their hand up in horror about it. My main point is that people are very quick to jump in and berate the company for changes which turn out not to be true. 

 

 

 

And mine is that P&O communications is poor and if it was not there would be no speculation about changes, we would all have the facts. Their own customer service fuel speculation and this thread is a case in point.

 

 

[grapau27]

23 minutes ago, daiB said:

Graham, my criticism was not of you. You simply reported what you had observed. It’s the other posters who then come in and extrapolate to a situation where the result is that all evening turndowns are cancelled. I had heard about it happening on Oceana before but then it was only the first night.

Thanks dai.

It was the P&O guest services rep who led us to believe it is being rolled out fleetwide but we are delighted that at most it might just be the first night.

[grapau27]

24 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

And mine is that P&O communications is poor and if it was not there would be no speculation about changes, we would all have the facts. Their own customer service fuel speculation and this thread is a case in point.

 

 

I agree guest services certainly led us to believe it was a fleetwide thing which led me to post here.

We will be delighted if it is 1 night at most and hopefully not at all.

 

[Jules.]

Whether or not the once a day service is true or not, what does P and O say about it (if anything) in the current brochures? I don’t have one to hand so can’t check, but I would have thought that it might be in the description of “life on board” or when it describes what is provided in each cabin category. 

Edit, just found it now. It says

 

“Daily steward service”. 

 

That covers them for a once-a-day service then in my eyes! 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Jules.
Found what I was looking for

[grapau27]

34 minutes ago, Jules. said:

Whether or not the once a day service is true or not, what does P and O say about it (if anything) in the current brochures? I don’t have one to hand so can’t check, but I would have thought that it might be in the description of “life on board” or when it describes what is provided in each cabin category. 

Edit, just found it now. It says

 

“Daily steward service”. 

 

That covers them for a once-a-day service then in my eyes! 

Currentl brochure printed in July 2018.

This trial had just started in December 2018.

Edited December 17, 2018 by grapau27

[Jules.]

Forgot to say that I found that info about daily service on line, not on a brochure 

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, Jules. said:

Whether or not the once a day service is true or not, what does P and O say about it (if anything) in the current brochures? I don’t have one to hand so can’t check, but I would have thought that it might be in the description of “life on board” or when it describes what is provided in each cabin category. 

Edit, just found it now. It says

 

“Daily steward service”. 

 

That covers them for a once-a-day service then in my eyes! 

 

Does anyone have an older brochure to check what it said about steward service? It would be interesting to know if the statement is something different or just the same as above.

[jaydee6969]

38 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

Does anyone have an older brochure to check what it said about steward service? It would be interesting to know if the statement is something different or just the same as above.

 

I only have the January 2018 to October 2019 printed brochure.  However on page 20, 'Your holiday hideaway' it states daily steward service.

[Eglesbrech]

2 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

 

I only have the January 2018 to October 2019 printed brochure.  However on page 20, 'Your holiday hideaway' it states daily steward service.

 

Thanks for that. So if it states daily service and up until now that has meant by custom and practice twice a day, then customers will expect what they have always had.

 

It seems that the change at present is minimal, only on day one.

[Todd the cavachon]

We were on Arcadia two night cruise 7th -9th December and had the usual twice a day service.

[CCFC]

Ive dug out a brochure from 2013, will have a rummage when I finish work.

[LondonLad60]

My daughter is currently on Britannia in the Caribbean. Her cabin is being serviced twice a day. I agree with Selbourne; perhaps the trial is aimed at 2-3 night party cruises.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, LondonLad60 said:

My daughter is currently on Britannia in the Caribbean. Her cabin is being serviced twice a day. I agree with Selbourne; perhaps the trial is aimed at 2-3 night party cruises.

Thanks for posting.

It does look like that is P&O plan for trialling this.

 

[Josy1953]

We returned from Ventura on Friday and other than a change in the sort of biscuits ( I don't know how good or not they are as we never eat the biscuits ) nothing had changed in terms of cabin service. Our steward , Rose, was brilliant and earned her tip and more.

[grapau27]

On 12/23/2018 at 7:09 AM, Josy1953 said:

We returned from Ventura on Friday and other than a change in the sort of biscuits ( I don't know how good or not they are as we never eat the biscuits ) nothing had changed in terms of cabin service. Our steward , Rose, was brilliant and earned her tip and more.

Thanks for posting, that is good news that there was 2 cabin services a day during your cruise.

It will be interesting to see if P&O do trial the 1 day cabin service on future 2-3 night cruises.

[jaydee6969]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks for posting, that is good news that there was 2 cabin services a day during your cruise.

It will be interesting to see if P&O do trial the 1 day cabin service on future 2-3 night cruises.

We will be on a 4 night in February on Ventura, so will see if anything is different there.  Other than that won't be doing a 2 night cruise till late November.