Cunard or P&O World Cruise for a solo traveller

[Britboys]

53 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

We like both lines they have a similiar British feel and would go on either depending on the intinerary. Which for us on P&O looks to mean only the medium ships , Arcadia or Aurora. 

 

I was just questioning the claimed uniqueness and superiority of Cunard , the implication that it is a different league to P&O , and hence it's price premium 

 

So far. 

 

Some People think Cunard has better guest speakers . (But I prefer P&Os evening entertainment, my last Cunard cruise seemed to be a constant diet of songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals ). 

 

White gloved waiters afternoon tea.

 

I therefore stand by my claim that , P&O (medium ships) and Cunard are very similiar , and outside of the grills the price premium is about image not substance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe the ambience depends on the itinerary? I last cruised with Cunard 5 years ago on a round-Britain cruise. It felt very different to P&O to me as the passenger mix was multi-national, skewed to American. That, together with the on-board currency of the USD and mdr menus very much designed for North American palates made it feel - to me - a refined American experience rather than a British one. That wasn't a problem at all for me.

With regard to entertainment, I think theatre-based entertainment is much better on P&O but bar/lounge entertainment on Cunard was a much higher quality.

[wowzz]

23 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

I think Arcadia was originally destined for Holland America who didn't want her, and she was then offered to Cunard who turned her down.

You are correct - at one stage she was going to be the next Queen Vic.

[PORT ROYAL]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No, the price!

Okay, understand you have a budget, so you will strictly adhere to it, regardless if you’re on vacation cruise.

Hopefully, you will sail Cunard in the future and enjoy the Cunard experience.

There are many cruisers who, on trying Cunard for the first time, found Cunard to be their new Home  and there was no going back.  

Try it, you may love it, so much so, your perceived pocket size will not matter.  
 

 

 

[wowzz]

28 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Are you sure you are not a tight fisted Yorkshireman wowzz?😉

I prefer the term "cautious" ! 

[SargassoPirate]

23 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No, the price!

 

 

I just did a quick comparison of two 2023 world cruises for a single traveler in an inside cabin. Both leaving from Southampton. I did not analyze the itineraries. Here's what I found:

 

Cunard - $36,871 USD

 

P&O - $22,728 USD

 

For my money, I'm going with P&O.  Everyone has different needs/wants while cruising, but mine are pretty simple.  Reasonable food, a wrap-around promenade, some music in the evening, and a wee dram or two.  I have sailed on Cunard and am looking forward to sailing on P&O.

Edited June 2, 2021 by SargassoPirate

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Okay, understand you have a budget, so you will strictly adhere to it, regardless if you’re on vacation cruise.

Hopefully, you will sail Cunard in the future and enjoy the Cunard experience.

There are many cruisers who, on trying Cunard for the first time, found Cunard to be their new Home  and there was no going back.  

Try it, you may love it, so much so, your perceived pocket size will not matter.  
 

 

 

At over £11 for a glass of wine, our bar bil would be in excess of £1200 for a 14 night cruise - that's  a little out of my budget. I don't count every penny on a holiday, but knowing what the final bar bill will be can be disconcerting.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

I just did a quick comparison of two 2023 world cruises for a single traveler in an inside cabin. Both leaving from Southampton. I did not analyze the itineraries. Here's what I found:

 

Cunard - $36,871 USD

 

P&O - $22,728 USD

 

For my money, I'm going with P&O.  Everyone has different needs/wants while cruising, but mine are pretty simple.  Reasonable food, a wrap-around promenade, some music in the evening, and a wee dram or two.  I have sailed on Cunard and am looking forward to sailing on P&O.

When I said "price", I was referring to the outrageous bar prices on Cunard, not the actual cruise price itself. 

[funinhounslow]

Cunard really do take the micky with their drinks prices. Plus they’re priced in US$ and they add a service charge to your bill. It adds up…
 

No wonder there are so many threads on the Cunard boards about bringing your own booze on board…

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, funinhounslow said:

Cunard really do take the micky with their drinks prices. Plus they’re priced in US$ and they add a service charge to your bill. It adds up…
 

No wonder there are so many threads on the Cunard boards about bringing your own booze on board…

Yup, £25 for two glasses of wine is silly money! 

[PORT ROYAL]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

At over £11 for a glass of wine, our bar bil would be in excess of £1200 for a 14 night cruise - that's  a little out of my budget. I don't count every penny on a holiday, but knowing what the final bar bill will be can be disconcerting.

$1200.00 could be covered by OBC - So in fact, drinks would be potentially free.

What one spends onboard is what it is…. As long as one has a great time… Money is immaterial 

 

 

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Money is immaterial 

Until you dont have any !

And there us absolutely no way that we would get $1200 obc for a basic balcony cabin on a 14 night cruise.

[PORT ROYAL]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Until you dont have any !

And there us absolutely no way that we would get $1200 obc for a basic balcony cabin on a 14 night cruise.

Cunard Fare + FCD + Shareholder

 

 

[funinhounslow]

21 minutes ago, Britboys said:

That, together with the on-board currency of the USD and mdr menus very much designed for North American palates made it feel - to me - a refined American experience rather than a British one. That wasn't a problem at all for me.

With regard to entertainment, I think theatre-based entertainment is much better on P&O but bar/lounge entertainment on Cunard was a much higher quality.

Absolutely agree with this. I would add that Cunard generally has better guest speakers too. 
 

I also found Cunard’s dress code overly restrictive with the insistence on a jacket on casual nights. 

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Cunard Fare + FCD + Shareholder

 

 

How do I get FCD for free ?

[PORT ROYAL]

Just now, wowzz said:

How do I get FCD for free ?

FCDs are not free, but the $300.00 OBC per FCD is (2 pax = $600.00) 

The FCD payment becomes part of one’s deposit, so no financial loss

 

[showingdiva]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

The Cunard afternoon tea is a little more 'refined' than the standard P&O one. It takes place in the Queen's Room, a lovely double-height venue and is accompanied by live music - a harpist or string quartet type of music. Everyone is also served individually by waiters as opposed to the sandwiches and cakes being left on the table to help yourself. Sadly though, I believe clotted cream for the scones is a rarity, with whipped cream being more in evidence.

 

I don't like whipped cream at all, but can confirm that clotted cream is very much in evidence on QM2, quenelled in little rectangular dishes along with my favourite strawberry "good mother" jam.

 

Aargh!   I want my liner back!!!

[Britboys]

8 minutes ago, showingdiva said:

 

I don't like whipped cream at all, but can confirm that clotted cream is very much in evidence on QM2, quenelled in little rectangular dishes along with my favourite strawberry "good mother" jam.

 

Aargh!   I want my liner back!!!

That's good to hear. We definitely didn't get clotted cream when I sailed on QE...

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, funinhounslow said:

Cunard really do take the micky with their drinks prices. Plus they’re priced in US$ and they add a service charge to your bill. It adds up…
 

No wonder there are so many threads on the Cunard boards about bringing your own booze on board…

But they don't attract the drinking crowd. A lot of them might be more refined think Mrs Bucket from keeping up appearances. At least that is what you will think when you first get onboard.

[SargassoPirate]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I prefer the term "cautious" ! 

 

Two of my Scottish ancestors invented copper wire......both of them were tugging on the same penny.

 

I don't mind being called tight or cautious or thrifty.  We don't spend money we don't have to buy things we don't need to impress people we don know.  The money we don't spend on frivolous things allows us the funds to do the things we really want to do. 

 

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right.

 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

FCDs are not free, but the $300.00 OBC per FCD is (2 pax = $600.00) 

The FCD payment becomes part of one’s deposit, so no financial loss

 

So, in essence  as a first time cruiser, not being a Carnival shareholder, it is not possible to get £1200 obc, therefore, to come back to my original point, I'm going to face a humungous bar bill on Cunard

[wowzz]

35 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

But they don't attract the drinking crowd.

I don't think my 4 or 5 drinks a night makes me a member of the drinking crowd!  

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, funinhounslow said:

I don’t think it’s a case of “financial constraints” more the desire to avoid being made a mug of.  

Thank you. My point entirely.

I must say, that certain recent posts on here have made it certain that I will not be crusing on Cunard in the future!

[funinhounslow]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

But they don't attract the drinking crowd. A lot of them might be more refined think Mrs Bucket from keeping up appearances. At least that is what you will think when you first get onboard.

  
I would disagree with this based on what I see on the Cunard forum. There always seems to be a discussion on bringing alcohol on board, and regular threads about the fizzy wine they leave in your cabin. 
 

As a non drinker I find it quite bizarre…

[PORT ROYAL]

7 minutes ago, funinhounslow said:

For every Brit raising their eyebrows at the bar prices and service charge there will be an American who won’t bat an eyelid - as the prices are more aligned to what they will be used to paying. 

Plus numerous English who also will not be batting……..

Those who have no wish to pay Cunard prices, have other choices within their price points.  No need to complain about sailing with Cunard, just vote with their feet.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2021 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Windsurfboy]

Seem to have stirred a hornets  nest

 

I still stand by my claim that , P&O (medium ships) and Cunard are very similiar , and outside of the grills the price premium is about image not substance.  

 

However can I reassure Wowzz that I have met some very nice people on Cunard,  never met a Hyacinth or a pompous Cunarder they seem to be more common in the virtual world. 

 

Similiary all the people on P&O I've  met and shared tables with have been extremely nice. I would completely disagree with PortRoyal that P&O is full of riff raff. 

 

Dress codes are followed equally well on both lines .Both will have a small number of people who you want to avoid, but that's true of any group of 1800+ 

 

Clearly  Cunard drinks prices are higher, but they are less than most good hotels in UK .

 

I have yet to see anything concrete (excluding grills)  that Cunard is superior to P&O.  

 

Formal dress codes are the same. Cunard likes jackets on informal nights.

 

P&O has better shows ,  Cunarders seem to like their guest lecturers. 

 

In the end both are nice , mid market cruise lines with a British twist, P&O British clientele,  Cunard is a British lines designed to attract Americans