P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[kalos]

[Josy1953]

7 hours ago, wowzz said:

Portion control - every penny counts.

This particular restaurant only started to use the horrible sachets for the sauces early last year.  I did the ask manager at the time why and was told that it was because they had been inspected by the council and had been advised that it was more hygienic to use the sachets than the little ceramic pots that they used to use.

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, davecttr said:

That is from the Quays. excellent real chips and the batter is very good. You can have extra fish or go back for seconds if you want. There are also sides available. The Quays is not meant to be a traditional restaurant. more like a McDonalds 🤢 but better quality with separate serveries for Fish n chips, Eastern stuff and Burgers, fried chicken. Very popular and I will be there a few times.

Thank you Dave.

It was handy if you wanted something light and there is an outside seating area on the promenade deck to eat them as well as a seating area opposite the Quays.

Graham.

Edited December 18, 2021 by grapau27

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

This particular restaurant only started to use the horrible sachets for the sauces early last year.  I did the ask manager at the time why and was told that it was because they had been inspected by the council and had been advised that it was more hygienic to use the sachets than the little ceramic pots that they used to use.

And did they wash the pots out after every usage, and dispose of any remaining sauce ?

Our favourite pub still uses individual pots,  but they are washed out after every customer,  so it is entirely possible to use them, if the correct hygiene procedures are followed.

[Adawn47]

12 hours ago, grapau27 said:

This was on Iona.

Is that a fish cake or an odd shaped fishfinger?, because that's not what I call a fish.

Avril

[Adawn47]

12 hours ago, Britboys said:

I'd happily take a free cruise on Arcadia or Aurora...😀

I'm so ready for a cruise that I'd even pay for one😁

Avril

[Adawn47]

11 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Next year I'd like a bike!

Ar much!!!!!😵

 

Definitely a Yorkshire Santa😊

Avril

[Adawn47]

5 hours ago, kalos said:

You were up early Kalos, or have you been out carousing and just got home😉

I've just noticed the time of your last two posts. 

Avril

[Rupert2251]

16 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Foleys Oatcakes they are simply the best since Hole in the Wall up Hanley duck closed a few years ago.

Couldn't beat Hole in the Wall, I lived in Wellington Road as a child, went to the school up the road and all the kids were talking about oatcakes. After Glynn retired he sold the recipe and name on to the new Hole in the Wall in Fenton but they're not a patch. It had something to do with the atmosphere of buying through an open window. Happy Days!

[Host Sharon]

Please keep off political comments unless you want this thread closed down! You must all know the rules by now?

[kalos]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

You were up early Kalos, or have you been out carousing and just got home😉

I've just noticed the time of your last two posts. 

Avril

I just had one of those nights where you just awake for no reason and feel wide awake,

so got up and had a cuppa then back to the land of zzzzzzzz 

Looking down todays football fixtures ...Match's postponed all over the place 
I hope no more football gets called off due to the covid virus .Some teams are really struggling

as it is. Trying to help out even Katie price has asked  Newcastle if they want the points from her driving licence. 

Did I tell you the one about...On the M1  a man gets run over by a red lorry,

then a yellow lorry, then a red lorry, then a yellow lorry.

The Policeman who informed family said . "There's no easy way to say this"...

 

Stay safe 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by kalos

[Guest ccpm]

15 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Did you enjoy the cruise

Definitely did but I try to enjoy most things. Mask wearing was OK I tended to sit myself down after not a long journey. I'll cover some things folks were concerned about below

 

Testing:  No queue, done in a minute results before I entered the terminal. Through security and on ship in 20 mins. Disembarkation Covid test introduced 7.12.2021 was complementary and done really well at 3.15pm no queue

News for Shelbourne re embarkation day:  Glasshouse is a pass by muster station so drinks only no food on embarkation day on this cruise.

Lifts. I was like the lift whisperer, press and here it is usually empty at most 2 - 3 others, no crush, no nastiness.

Drinks package: Financially worth it for me lots of coffees, soft drinks for cabin, water and alcohol. BUT it was weird how it worked. One example Peller Ice included in package in Glass House, no longer served in Epicurean, They would go get me a bottle that I bought at 20% discount but not able to sell it to me by the glass and via the package as not on the ipad. Wine that cost £32.95 a bottle on the package by glass @ £6.95. Wine selling for £24.95 a bottle was £7 a glass and not on package. Just could not be bothered to debate it this time but I'm ready for the letter to P&O.

Food  Only ate in Glasshouse and Epicurean all as before and all excellent.Plus got an immediate invite to breakfast at Epicurean without asking - result. Walked through buffet every day twice and only one side open at a time, food looked good but many many empty tables at 8.45am and 7.45pm.

Room Service   No mention of any charges of £2.50. Smoked salmon at £2 was a huge portion - hello supper.

Entertainment   Not my thing but I saw the busker chap a few times and Iiked him  but a fuller sound would have lifted him to another level which I know is not busking but just saying. Caught the female singer twice as I walked through - OK

Disembarking Choose your own time so popped down and asked for the first time I didn't have to take my own cases given 8.15am. Straight out no queue plenty of porters, hall had very little luggage in it. CPS worked so well will do it again.

General thoughts  I heard from a couple of sources there were 2000 on board, well they were very well hidden from me even on sea days no problem with seats etc and no sign of the number of cases in the baggage hall. I felt very safe. Saw 7 kids. I would not wish to be on board yet at full capacity.Crew told me that they were daily receiving cancellations for the holiday cruise and signs were up about staying on board and some took the offer up I understand.  I booked a similar cruise for 2023 while on board because of the £50 deposit.

 

Won't ramble on but please ask if anything else. Yes I would go again and will do if the same good price comes up but I need low passenger numbers at the moment. To be honest a half full ship seemed the right number to me for what made my cruise I am however certain it didn't make P&Os

Edited December 18, 2021 by ccpm
Put wrong price for smoked salmon

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is 1°C this morning and I had to clear  ice from my car windscreen before I went to a nephews house to drop their Christmas presents off.

I stopped at the front door as I am isolating in readiness for my BCC op on Christmas Eve.

It is 2 years today since I had my heart attack.

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Graham.

Edited December 18, 2021 by grapau27

[pete14]

15 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Oh stop making us so jealous ! ( I really think you need to post some photos for everyone - bet your view of the  sea is amazing)

 

Hoping to come over next week - for now we are just relieved to have survived another term and are chilling tonight 🙂

As requested

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by pete14

[pete14]

The tree has been growing there at the edge of the beach all year. The baubles appeared on it last week. 

[jeanlyon]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

Fair point, but even if you cut the fillet of cod in half, the cost reduction would be minuscule,  as all your overheads would remain the same.   

I could happily eat the whole fish, but the amount of chips they give you is just ridiculous!  Bought some dover sole for our anniversary dinner.  Delicious.  yes, I ate the whole fish, but just with asparagus and a few fried potatoes.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, ccpm said:

Definitely did but I try to enjoy most things. Mask wearing was OK I tended to sit myself down after not a long journey. I'll cover some things folks were concerned about below

 

Testing:  No queue, done in a minute results before I entered the terminal. Through security and on ship in 20 mins. Disembarkation Covid test introduced 7.12.2021 was complementary and done really well at 3.15pm no queue

News for Shelbourne re embarkation day:  Glasshouse is a pass by muster station so drinks only no food on embarkation day on this cruise.

Lifts. I was like the lift whisperer, press and here it is usually empty at most 2 - 3 others, no crush, no nastiness.

Drinks package: Financially worth it for me lots of coffees, soft drinks for cabin, water and alcohol. BUT it was weird how it worked. One example Peller Ice included in package in Glass House, no longer served in Epicurean, They would go get me a bottle that I bought at 20% discount but not able to sell it to me by the glass and via the package as not on the ipad. Wine that cost £32.95 a bottle on the package by glass @ £6.95. Wine selling for £24.95 a bottle was £7 a glass and not on package. Just could not be bothered to debate it this time but I'm ready for the letter to P&O.

Food  Only ate in Glasshouse and Epicurean all as before and all excellent.Plus got an immediate invite to breakfast at Epicurean without asking - result. Walked through buffet every day twice and only one side open at a time, food looked good but many many empty tables at 8.45am and 7.45pm.

Room Service   No mention of any charges of £2.50. Smoked salmon at £2 was a huge portion - hello supper.

Entertainment   Not my thing but I saw the busker chap a few times and Iiked him  but a fuller sound would have lifted him to another level which I know is not busking but just saying. Caught the female singer twice as I walked through - OK

Disembarking Choose your own time so popped down and asked for the first time I didn't have to take my own cases given 8.15am. Straight out no queue plenty of porters, hall had very little luggage in it. CPS worked so well will do it again.

General thoughts  I heard from a couple of sources there were 2000 on board, well they were very well hidden from me even on sea days no problem with seats etc and no sign of the number of cases in the baggage hall. I felt very safe. Saw 7 kids. I would not wish to be on board yet at full capacity.Crew told me that they were daily receiving cancellations for the holiday cruise and signs were up about staying on board and some took the offer up I understand.  I booked a similar cruise for 2023 while on board because of the £50 deposit.

 

Won't ramble on but please ask if anything else. Yes I would go again and will do if the same good price comes up but I need low passenger numbers at the moment. To be honest a half full ship seemed the right number to me for what made my cruise I am however certain it didn't make P&Os

This was the room service breakfast menu when we were on Iona for 7 nights in September which clearly shows the £2.50 charge.

Was this menu still the same or was there hot food plus tea or coffee on during your cruise?

Kind Regards.

Graham. 

[grapau27]

15 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Oh I do hope so because I feel the RCI ships are far superior to the usual dowdy P&O ones.

+1.

Royal Caribbeans bigger ships might not suit everyone but the innovation is amazing.

We wouldn't go on the flow rider,zip line, rock wall or the giant water slides but they are very popular for younger adults and children.

Iona was a lovely ship which we enjoyed immensely but there is absolutely no contest with Royal Caribbean on activities for primarily under 40s.

Graham.

[SarahHben]

2 hours ago, ccpm said:

Entertainment   Not my thing but I saw the busker chap a few times and Iiked him  but a fuller sound would have lifted him to another level which I know is not busking but just saying. Caught the female singer twice as I walked through - OK

 

The busker, Matt I think his name is, is a friend of my niece. My sister says he’s a lovely young man.

[wowzz]

Anyone else feeling slightly deflated about tonight's Strictly ? All a bit of an anticlimax with only two couples. 

Plus, spinning out nine minutes  of dancing over two hours is going to take an awful lot of padding.

Perhaps Ed Sheeran can perform all of his recent release.

[kalos]

All this talk of fish & chips got us fancying one, well half as we have to watch our

figures don't we  So it's half of a large cod (thin batter ) 1/2 of a homemade fishcake 

with a few chips with peas and pickled onions  That's me sorted for a a few hours 

apart from a nice mug of tea.

                 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

All this talk of fish & chips got us fancying one, well half as we have to watch our

figures don't we  So it's half of a large cod (thin batter ) 1/2 of a homemade fishcake 

with a few chips with peas and pickled onions  That's me sorted for a a few hours 

apart from a nice mug of tea.

                 

Being perfectly honest Kalos, the plate looks more interesting than the food. What's the story there🤣?

[Eddie99]

[bbtablet]

16 hours ago, zap99 said:

But you don't have to eat the whole creature. They can cut them up into smaller pieces. I like Meat, but couldn't eat a whole cow in one go.🤣

Reminds me of the story about Fred who had a pet pig - took it everywhere with him.

Everyone loved that pig.

One day I saw Fred and there was the pig as usual, trotting along beside him, but it only had three legs. "What's happened to the pig, Fred?" "Well," he said "you wouldn't eat your best friend all in one go, would you?"

[kalos]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Being perfectly honest Kalos, the plate looks more interesting than the food. What's the story there🤣?

Move on Zapp nothing to see ,I ate it all and it was lovely