Wine

[Selbourne]

Maybe I’m old school, but I don’t think that it’s terribly good etiquette to walk into a bar with a half used bottle of wine, especially as the wine waiters in the restaurants happily keep whatever is left in the bottle for when you next require it (doesn’t have to be the next night). I think that the only exception to this might be the last night of the cruise when it would otherwise be wasted. 

[jaxw17]

Oh if only we had any left !

[Mim Lloyd]

But the bottle WILL be finished that evening, but we don't want to think that we have to stay in the dining room or one particular bar in order to drink it. And it will probably be a Cava or Prosecco which isn't the same when left for another evening if it isn't drunk within a few hours of opening. 

 

To be honest, this is the first P&O cruise I've booked and I've been having reservations about it. The image I'm getting is that P&O seems more uptight and 'snobby' about conventions than I've ever experienced in my many cruises with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Maybe it's because those who sail Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are predominately US passengers who are generally a lot more laidback. 😏

[AndyMichelle]

7 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

But the bottle WILL be finished that evening, but we don't want to think that we have to stay in the dining room or one particular bar in order to drink it. And it will probably be a Cava or Prosecco which isn't the same when left for another evening if it isn't drunk within a few hours of opening. 

 

To be honest, this is the first P&O cruise I've booked and I've been having reservations about it. The image I'm getting is that P&O seems more uptight and 'snobby' about conventions than I've ever experienced in my many cruises with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Maybe it's because those who sail Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are predominately US passengers who are generally a lot more laidback. 😏

P&O crew are very eager to please, in general, so would not stop you taking your wine wherever you like. 

Other passengers may want you to feel it is not the done thing, but its your holiday, do it your way. 

As for 'snobby', far from it. 

P&O are far from perfect, but we find them a comfortable fit for us with a bit of standards but not too posh... 

Andy 

 

[Selbourne]

Mim - I hadn’t realised that you meant a sparkling wine, so the reservation system of half used bottles clearly wouldn’t be appropriate. To be clear, nobody is going to stop you from taking a bottle elsewhere, so you are quite at liberty to do so. As for the cultural difference, yes it will be very different as P&O cruises are usually around 95% Brits, but a lot depends on which ship you are going on. The largest ships (Iona, Britannia etc) have a very different clientele to the adult only ships, which are mostly retired people (average age usually 70’s, versus 40’s on the family ships in peak season), so if you are booked on one of the big ships I don’t think you will find it massively different, but the adult only ships will be a world apart. I should stress that we haven’t been on any US ships to compare.

[Beckett]

7 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

But the bottle WILL be finished that evening, but we don't want to think that we have to stay in the dining room or one particular bar in order to drink it. And it will probably be a Cava or Prosecco which isn't the same when left for another evening if it isn't drunk within a few hours of opening. 

 

To be honest, this is the first P&O cruise I've booked and I've been having reservations about it. The image I'm getting is that P&O seems more uptight and 'snobby' about conventions than I've ever experienced in my many cruises with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Maybe it's because those who sail Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are predominately US passengers who are generally a lot more laidback. 😏

Don't have reservations Mim. P&O is not at all uptight or snobby. I've cruised with them for many years, with family and alone, and I've always found myself at total ease. Passengers and crew have always been warm and welcoming and I've met some lovely people on the way. Yes there will always be a few who remember bygone days when the working classes were not welcome and still shouldn't be -  the God forbid one has to sit with a tradesperson type - but they are in the minority. Go and enjoy - you will have a great time. Best wishes. Jane.x

[Mim Lloyd]

Thanks Andy. Don't get the wrong impression of us ... we're not quite like the Beverley Hillbillies, or Hyacinth Bucket at the other extreme!  🤣  

[Mim Lloyd]

Thanks everyone, you've put my mind more at rest now! We're on the Azura. We should have sailed last month (Caribbean) but moved it to September 2022 (Med) as we'd already booked a Royal Caribbean cruise for January/February 2022. Can't believe I've got a cruise booked do far into the future!

[Catz24031]

Perusing the web for the Commodore wine list and came across the German p and o site. They were offering the choice of 4, 6, 9, 12 bottles to choose from. The cost of 4 bottles was 38:00, and 6 bottles 125:00.

On the UK site when I logged into my account I can only purchase from 6 bottles at 145:00.

Can anyone enlighten me why the difference?

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

Thanks everyone, you've put my mind more at rest now! We're on the Azura. We should have sailed last month (Caribbean) but moved it to September 2022 (Med) as we'd already booked a Royal Caribbean cruise for January/February 2022. Can't believe I've got a cruise booked do far into the future!

Good choice Mim. The Med in September will be lovely and Azura has some nice Select dining restaurants and the ship will be closer to what you are used to. Apologies if I gave you the wrong impression. We first cruised with P&O 25 years ago and back then it was quite upmarket and with a price tag to suit. Nowadays they have completely changed their proposition (and prices) and you will now find a complete cross section of people on it, all of whom have a common interest - a love of cruising. We have met hundreds of people of P&O ships over the years and can count on one hand the people who we would steer clear of if we saw them again. Half the enjoyment of cruising for us is meeting people from very different walks of life. 

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Mim Lloyd said:

I don't understand what the problem is with carrying a part used bottle of wine as opposed to carrying partly drunk glasses of wine! 🤔

Well exactly. 

I have carried my open bottle of wine ( not that often , admittedly) on various cruises, and never realised that I have upset the protocol police. 

I've paid for the wine, and therefore I can do with it as I please. 

Perhaps someone can actually tell me what is wrong with taking my wine out of the MDR in a bottle,  so I am unlikely to spill it, compared to carrying it out in a glass?

[Old_tilly_billy]

If I knew it was going to upset people I would carry out the bottle every night. The only think frowned upon is taking out the restaurant wine glasses they are different to the ones in the bars. I have never had any issue asking for a glass in any bar with bottle in hand. 
 

Enjoy wine with your dinner and then finish the bottle off wherever you choose

 

🥂

[Mim Lloyd]

23 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Good choice Mim. The Med in September will be lovely and Azura has some nice Select dining restaurants and the ship will be closer to what you are used to. Apologies if I gave you the wrong impression. We first cruised with P&O 25 years ago and back then it was quite upmarket and with a price tag to suit. Nowadays they have completely changed their proposition (and prices) and you will now find a complete cross section of people on it, all of whom have a common interest - a love of cruising. We have met hundreds of people of P&O ships over the years and can count on one hand the people who we would steer clear of if we saw them again. Half the enjoyment of cruising for us is meeting people from very different walks of life. 

That's how we feel too. We love cruising and have met some lovely people over the years from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. We enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and are happiest not having to dress up for formal nights. My husband was an accountant before he retired and had to wear suits and smart shoes every day for work so he just does not want to go on holiday and wear them again .... he says weddings and funerals are the only occasions he'll do it for now!  He also said he doesn't know why I'm asking questions about carrying undrunk wine bottles around as he says he only ever sees me with empty ones!  🤣 👊

Edited March 22, 2021 by Mim Lloyd

[Denarius]

19 hours ago, Mim Lloyd said:

That's how we feel too. We love cruising and have met some lovely people over the years from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. We enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and are happiest not having to dress up for formal nights. My husband was an accountant before he retired and had to wear suits and smart shoes every day for work so he just does not want to go on holiday and wear them again .... he says weddings and funerals are the only occasions he'll do it for now!  He also said he doesn't know why I'm asking questions about carrying undrunk wine bottles around as he says he only ever sees me with empty ones!  🤣 👊

I agree entirely.

I worked for a life assurance company. Suits (and ties) were de rigeur in the office in those days and I would typically have four of five in my wardrobe. To me they were working clothes and were not what I chose to wear when off duty; I was always more of a jeans and leather jacket type. When I retired I kept one suit "just in case" but never wore it, and over the years it became dated and eventually I disposed of it. It was never replaced and since retiring the only suits I have owned and worn have been dinner suits, on cruise lines which still insist on formal dress. My father on the other hand, worked in a manual job for which he wore overalls. He loved to get dressed up in a suit, to him it meant that he was off work and in his own time. The point being; I think that we all associate a particular mode of dress with work and may not choose to adopt it at other times in other settings. Which may be why the more up market cruise lines tend to have the more relaxed dress codes!

[lindylooellalouise]

When purchasing a wine package when or where do you actually choose the wines you want

[wowzz]

29 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

When purchasing a wine package when or where do you actually choose the wines you want

Normally when you are asked at dinner or lunch (I'm assuming not breakfast!) the waiter asks what you want  to drink, you tell him then. In other words, you don't have to decide in advance. 

[lindylooellalouise]

Ok but how does he know I have a package and which wines that  I can choose from?

[Adawn47]

59 minutes ago, Denarius said:

 The point being; I think that we all associate a particular mode of dress with work and may not choose to adopt it at other times in other settings. Which may be why the more up market cruise lines tend to have the more relaxed dress codes!

I completely agree with you. My husband was a carpenter/joiner and was always in jeans and workshirts. Even when at home he wore, and still does to a certain degree, jeans and t shirts. He likes both of the evening dress codes on P&O as it gives him a reason to 'dress nicer' so he says.

Avril

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

I agree entirely.

I worked for a life assurance company. Suits (and ties) were de rigeur in the office in those days and I would typically have four of five in my wardrobe. To me they were working clothes and were not what I chose to wear when off duty; I was always more of a jeans and leather jacket type. When I retired I kept one suit "just in case" but never wore it, and over the years it became dated and eventually I disposed of it. It was never replaced and since retiring the only suits I have owned and worn have been dinner suits, on cruise lines which still insist on formal dress. My father on the other hand, worked in a manual job for which he wore overalls. He loved to get dressed up in a suit, to him it meant that he was off work and in his own time. The point being; I think that we all associate a particular mode of dress with work and may not choose to adopt it at other times in other settings. Which may be why the more up market cruise lines tend to have the more relaxed dress codes!

I do not think that is relevant as I spent 34yrs of all my working life wearing a uniform in a emergency service and love the formal side of cruising and always wear a dinner suit on formal nights and dont mind wearing a normal suit on other nights on Cunard but do admit on P&O on casual nights wear a shirt and trousers. I just think it is nice that people should adhere to the dress code of the evening and of the ship in general.

Edited March 23, 2021 by majortom10

[Adawn47]

3 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I do not think that is relevant as I spent 34yrs of all my working life wearing a uniform in a emergency service and love the formal side of cruising and always wear a dinner suit on formal nights and dont mind wearing a normal suit on other nights on Cunard but do admit on P&O on casual nights wear a shirt and trousers. I just think it is nice that people should adhere to the dress code of the evening and of the ship in general.

Definitely Tom, Frank only wears a dinner suit on formal nights, other nights smart trousers and a shirt.  

Avril

[wowzz]

18 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Ok but how does he know I have a package and which wines that  I can choose from?

When you purchase the package you are given a little book of tokens, one token per bottle. From memory the tokens vary in colour depending on your package.  The wines available for each package have the appropriate symbol against them on the wine list.

[lindylooellalouise]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

When you purchase the package you are given a little book of tokens, one token per bottle. From memory the tokens vary in colour depending on your package.  The wines available for each package have the appropriate symbol against them on the wine list.

Thank you wowzz one more thing how do I purchase the wine package through my voyage personaliser or onboard ?

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Thank you wowzz one more thing how do I purchase the wine package through my voyage personaliser or onboard ?

From memory you can do either. In these days of cancellations, I would buy onboard. No point in paying out in advance - there is no benefit.

[lindylooellalouise]

Just now, wowzz said:

From memory you can do either. In these days of cancellations, I would buy onboard. No point in paying out in advance - there is no benefit.

Thank you so much for your help and advice much appreciated 

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Thank you so much for your help and advice much appreciated 

I would just add one caveat! I have never purchased a wine package!  My answers have all been based on my readings, and seeing what those that have purchased the package have done, when we have dined with them.

If I have given out any false information,  hopefully someone will correct me.