P&O Standards dropped, probably never again.

[TheGinBoy]

@HikingPete I'm thinking something more techno futuristic meets pixel art. But that's a cool design!

[Windsurfboy]

11 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Well, this and the rest of the post sums up why we have never ventured on a. Cunard .

 

 

I don't understand how Cunard has created it's reputation for being POSH.  It is not very different to  P&O. Maybeit's cleverly exploited the grills  image, but they account for less than 10% of cabins and are not that POSH anyway. My experience of P&O was everyone was just as well dressed as Cunard.  

 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Windsurfboy

[brian1]

4 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I don't understand how Cunard has created it's reputation for being POSH.  It is not very different to  P&O. Maybeit's cleverly exploited the grills  image, but they account for less than 10% of cabins and are not that POSH anyway. My experience of P&O was everyone was just as well dressed as Cunard.  

 

 

Cunard do try to promote and enforce a different experience.Regarding most passengers,not a lot between them.We've done 2 Worldy segments,both Indian Ocean region on Cunard and P&O and no difference,just the usual across the board demographic.

[indiana123]

We love P and O but  we have been on QE and QM and to be honest we didn't encounter any snobbery at all.  

 

QM was fine, but the atmosphere on QE was magical and fun, not rowdy at all, but it seemed such a friendly happy ship.

[Guest]

Carluccios breakfast is the best! If you are after a quicker “grab and go”, there is a Starbucks near the Red Jet ferry terminal. When I go to Southampton for the day shopping, my Mum and I will grab a coffee and pastry from there and walk to the end of “Car Park 2”. There are some benches at the end you can sit and ship watch from! 
 

This photo was of Britannia and Ventura on Sunday!
 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

34 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I don't understand how Cunard has created it's reputation for being POSH.  It is not very different to  P&O. Maybeit's cleverly exploited the grills  image, but they account for less than 10% of cabins and are not that POSH anyway. My experience of P&O was everyone was just as well dressed as Cunard.  

 

 

I’m due to be going on my first Cunard cruise next May, and I’m expecting that the passengers will be the same mix as on P&O, perhaps a bit more international.

[HikingPete]

45 minutes ago, TheGinBoy said:

@HikingPete I'm thinking something more techno futuristic meets pixel art. But that's a cool design!

 

I was thinking biomechanical but I'm leaning back towards some kind of phoenix motif.

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m due to be going on my first Cunard cruise next May, and I’m expecting that the passengers will be the same mix as on P&O, perhaps a bit more international.

I suspect it's the more international mix of passengers on Cunard, that for  many Brits gives them the feeling that it is more classy. However I do wonder just what those international passengers think of some of the snobbish antics of many of the Brits?

[Eddie99]

7 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m due to be going on my first Cunard cruise next May, and I’m expecting that the passengers will be the same mix as on P&O, perhaps a bit more international.

Exactly

[delgirl]

I have been on both cunard and p and o and have never come across any snobbery on either. Just all like minded people enjoying their cruise or crossing. Having said that my daughter was on azura about 7.5 years ago around the caribbean, said there was an elderly gentleman on board who kept clicking his fingers at the waiters. She was incensed. She normally goes on rccl and had never encountered this.

[lindylooellalouise]

1 hour ago, tring said:

 

Well, this and the rest of the post sums up why we have never ventured on a. Cunard ship.

 

We as a couple would no doubt be highly acceptable to the OP,  though I cannot say the same regards them being acceptable to us.  As far as I am concerned, people are people and deserve equal respect.

 

We also tend to vary between high class holidays and cheap ones, but as P&O are cheap, I would not expect the same experience as we would on much higher priced holidays.  

Hi Tring sorry that you have that opinion of Cunard we are Diamond status with them and have never ever encountered people like that on board, the majority of passengers do  tend to be a bit older but nevertheless still enjoy a fabulous cruise on a fabulous ship please don’t discount Cunard until you’ve tried 👍

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

This was our last time in Carluccios November 2019.

It was at Heathrow airport before our flight to San Francisco to board Grand Princess.

The meal was exactly the same as the one we got at Southampton.

Graham.

Very brave eating that lot before a long haul flight. 

Gives a new meaning to the term "mid-air turbulence" ! Al least you avoided baked beans!

[lindylooellalouise]

25 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m due to be going on my first Cunard cruise next May, and I’m expecting that the passengers will be the same mix as on P&O, perhaps a bit more international.

You will absolutely enjoy it, we are back on QE our favourite ship on 1st October for 12 days and so looking forward to it 👍

[BouncingWheel]

Like the OP we were booked on a cancelled Cunard Seacation and we have now decided to try Princess for the 1st time as we enjoyed cruises with P&O and Cunard and thought we could try another member of Carnival. Before taking the plunge we reviewed the brand and this site is amazing for gathering opinions and helping you decide if the brand MAY be right for you - though you never know till you have experienced it.

 

We have cruised on Aurora twice (pre & post Adult only), Azura, Queen Mary 2 & Queen Victoria. My opinion is that Aurora is similar to Cunard whereas Azura felt like a different brand to Aurora - This is not to be seen as a negative but it offered something different within the same brand. This thread is a hot topic on this site activity list and my hope is that readers unfamiliar to P&O should not dismiss the brand as all the same and likewise not dismiss Cunard if you enjoyed Aurora. Both Cunard & P&O are lovely brands I hope they continue for many years. 

[Eddie99]

I’m sure you will enjoy Princess too

 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said:

Like the OP we were booked on a cancelled Cunard Seacation and we have now decided to try Princess for the 1st time as we enjoyed cruises with P&O and Cunard and thought we could try another member of Carnival. Before taking the plunge we reviewed the brand and this site is amazing for gathering opinions and helping you decide if the brand MAY be right for you - though you never know till you have experienced it.

 

We have cruised on Aurora twice (pre & post Adult only), Azura, Queen Mary 2 & Queen Victoria. My opinion is that Aurora is similar to Cunard whereas Azura felt like a different brand to Aurora - This is not to be seen as a negative but it offered something different within the same brand. This thread is a hot topic on this site activity list and my hope is that readers unfamiliar to P&O should not dismiss the brand as all the same and likewise not dismiss Cunard if you enjoyed Aurora. Both Cunard & P&O are lovely brands I hope they continue for many years. 

Princess are lovely. Amazing cocktails and food! And I love the ship decor. 
 

It’s the same with other cruise lines. I had a terrible experience on RCL Adventure of the Seas, but the best cruise I’ve ever taken on the Symphony of the Seas. I think destination and length also play a factor! 

[zap99]

4 hours ago, brian1 said:

Round our way West Ham home shirt compulsary.

And a good discussion on KUMB .🤣

[Windsurfboy]

I think the general consensus is

 

Arcadia  and Aurora are similiar atmosphere to Cunard , similiar market demographics,  especially on longer cruises , very similiar dress standards  etc  Anyone who liked Cunard should like these and vice versa. Never met a snob on Cunard , only on Cunard Cruise Critic. Never met a Yobo on P&O ,  again just appear in posts on CC,  so I ignore these rumours.  I'd go on either cruise line if the intinerary was right.

 

However , the Big  P&O ships , Brittania,  Iona and expect Ariva , different atmosphere to smaller ships, they are busier ,  a more lively , for a family  market.  I don't know if they are more similiar to Carnival than to Cunard , but British . Not better or worse than smaller ships just different. 

 

Both have their place , both Essentially P&O , but they are different sub brands.

 

As for which is more up market  Cunard or P&O,  I wouldn't like to or  couldn't say.  Neither are classed as luxury lines.  Both differ from more luxury lines in offering a much wider range of cabins and prices , both have cabins ranging from inside to large suites.

 

The thing that separates the upmarket lines is the size of the smallest cabin normally all balcony , which are all bigger than P&O deluxe balcony or Cunard's balcony cabins.  Hence a much higher minimium entry price and a smaller difference in price between cheapest and more expensive cabins. 

 

The only British cruise line that fits this criteria is Saga.  Which is in some ways different to the luxury lines like Silversea , Seabourn , with bigger ships much more similiar to Viking. 

 

 

 

[Waju]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

And a good discussion on KUMB .🤣

I had to google that!

[Denarius]

On 7/27/2021 at 5:29 PM, Adawn47 said:

Could it have been nothing to do with your appearance, but your attitude? I'm genuinely  not meaning to be rude, but sometimes a persons thoughts show on their face. Not everyone has a poker face.

Avril

Wise words, Avril. Other people's reactions to you often depend on your perceived reaction to them. If you make it obvious, even subconsciously,  that you dissapprove of them for whatever reason then it is quite likely that they will respond in kind. Attack is often seen as the best form of defence!

[Bazrat]

7 hours ago, brian1 said:

Round our way West Ham home shirt compulsary.

I thought the West Ham shirt was a cheaper version of the Aston Villa one

[AnnieC]

4 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m due to be going on my first Cunard cruise next May, and I’m expecting that the passengers will be the same mix as on P&O, perhaps a bit more international.

Spot on. 

 

Apart from the more international mix of passengers, the only other difference I've noticed is that every Cunard cruise I've been on has had a handful of genuine eccentrics, something I've never seen on other cruise lines.

[Harry Peterson]

17 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

Spot on. 

 

Apart from the more international mix of passengers, the only other difference I've noticed is that every Cunard cruise I've been on has had a handful of genuine eccentrics, something I've never seen on other cruise lines.

Eccentrics are good. We had a lovely old guy on our last Ventura cruise. Well into his late 80s, highly entertaining, and always used to arrive at the table with the friendly greeting: “Hello children”. Super bloke - just loved talking to people because he no longer had his wife.

[davemorton]

On 7/27/2021 at 1:18 PM, ScratchTheRat said:

My mother taught me a very important lesson when I was young:

 

People with true class don't need to tell anyone they have it.

Reminds me of a funny incident in my local many years ago.  There was a bloke in and was a little worse for the beer, shouting about how loaded he was and the like, how he was the richest bloke in the bar...One of the regulars, dressed like a 'scruff' as usual walked past, and under his breath, but just loud enough to hear said, 'no, I think you will find thats me'.  At the time, he was rated by the press as 'The most eligible bachelor in the UK', Lord 'X' I will call him.  Very down to earth, perhaps even a little tight some might say when it came to rounds 😉 

[Dermotsgirl]

2 hours ago, AnnieC said:

Spot on. 

 

Apart from the more international mix of passengers, the only other difference I've noticed is that every Cunard cruise I've been on has had a handful of genuine eccentrics, something I've never seen on other cruise lines.

I love people watching so I will be sure to look out for the eccentrics !