Arcadia Jottings

[AndyMichelle]

The turn down service was missing on our last cruise, apparently being 'trialled', and that was before Covid and related staffing issues, so I can't see that it will ever return. 

Andy 

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

The turn down service was missing on our last cruise, apparently being 'trialled', and that was before Covid and related staffing issues, so I can't see that it will ever return. 

Andy 

From memory, we didn’t get a turn down service on the first night but we did thereafter. Like you, I was sceptical that it would return ‘post Covid’ but Molecrochip said only a day or two ago that it was going to return when staffing levels allow. Time will tell. 

[molecrochip]

48 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

To answer your last question, I believe it’s a bit of both. Molecrochip has stated that the absence of a nightly turn down service is temporary due to staff shortages and will return at some stage. That seems to be the most contentious issue for most people, although it wouldn’t bother us tbh. Little touches like sweets in the cabin seem to be permanent, but I don’t think they are a great loss! 
 

We have noticed a number of things disappear, or become less ‘special’ over the 25 years that we have cruised with P&O, but in reality most of those things had gone by around 10 years ago. None of them are things that would stop us cruising as they are all quite minor. One thing that I hope returns is the ability to leave an unfinished bottle of wine in the MDR so that it is available for you next time. We don’t drink wine in the cabin and having to carry it around the ship would be a ruddy pain, especially within my wife being in a wheelchair.
 

P&O definitely feels like a ‘mass market’ operator nowadays and not the quality operator that it was when we first cruised with them, but we would have to be fair and say that the prices now reflect that. In real terms, allowing for inflation, their cruises are much cheaper now. When we first cruised with them in 1997 we stuck out like a sore thumb as we were in our 30’s whereas most passengers were what you might describe as the ‘wealthy retired’. Nowadays, people who couldn’t have remotely dreamed of affording a cruise 25 years ago now find them within reach, hence the massive increase in capacity. 
 

I do feel that Aurora and Arcadia are somewhat anomalies nowadays though. They feel dated (cabins in particular) and lack the facilities of the larger ships, yet the prices are way above the more modern ships. That being said, the reason that we have been on more cruises on Aurora than any other P&O ship is because it most closely resembles the traditional experience that we enjoy - plus she goes to more interesting ports than the larger ships. Our next two cruises (if we go) are on Iona and Ventura though, so we try to move with the times!
 

 

This is a great post. Yes, there has been a shift to mass market and this is a corporation business decision. However as a shareholder, this maximises shareholder returns so its difficult to argue as a strategy. Over the past 20 years, you've seen the same changes with airlines simplifying the business class products and introducing the middle-level premium economy product. Compare Concorde with the A380 in the same way as people lamented the departure of Adonia and arrival of Iona.

 

I think what these threads show is that there hasn't been a step change in what is offered but a slow gradual transition and finally it now feels like a completely different product to what originally caught peoples imagination.

 

I've been cruising for over 15 years. Back then it was all club dining with the 'bing bong' announcement that the dining room was open for whichever sitting. It was silver service, it was the little taster at the end of the meal. How things have changed but understand that this is partially due to the desire to move away from a slow, inflexible service.

 

People often complain about small portion sizes - my answer, order two. Have a chat with your waiter, they will often tell you if its a small portion and are happy to bring as many meals up as you want. On Iona, meals are ordered on tablet and runners deliver them to the waiters - because of this, waiters are very happy to order you an extra dish if you're still hungry - they don't even have to go get it!

 

Coffee from your steward has gone the way of pod coffee machines (if you're in the right category room). For me this is an improvement but many don't feel this way.

 

The cabins on Arcadia and Aurora haven't changed but if you compare that to a Britannia style cabin, one was designed as high end in the 90s and one was similarly designed in the 2010s. Design choices change and it makes the smaller ship cabins feel dated.

 

This is without thinking about the temporary changes due to Covid.

[Son of Anarchy]

2 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

Having read all the comments about Arcadia, I also have a friend who has just returned home.  She tells me that in spite of the high price she paid, the accommodation was only very basic, not the expected luxury.   (Whoever heard of a cabin steward hanging a bath towel on the back of the bathroom door so it would dry!   Eg. AND ONLY ONE EXAMPLE.  no tablecloths in the buffet in the evenings.

 

I am due to go on Ventura on a 35 night cruise in March 2023 and am now seriously considering cancelling.  I pay a high price and will not consider going if I am expected to put up with only BASIC accommodation.

I started cruising as a kid in the 60s on the old Soviet ships sailing out of Tilbury.  In comparison to those ships and era, P & O cabins are a luxury!  Those, days, no en-suite.  Toilets and showers down the corridor.  Even the top range cabins which we had on the odd occasion.  No TV, had to go to a lounge for that, no signal at sea anyway in those days.  Fond memories nonetheless.

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This is a great post. Yes, there has been a shift to mass market and this is a corporation business decision. However as a shareholder, this maximises shareholder returns so its difficult to argue as a strategy. Over the past 20 years, you've seen the same changes with airlines simplifying the business class products and introducing the middle-level premium economy product. Compare Concorde with the A380 in the same way as people lamented the departure of Adonia and arrival of Iona.

 

I think what these threads show is that there hasn't been a step change in what is offered but a slow gradual transition and finally it now feels like a completely different product to what originally caught peoples imagination.

 

I've been cruising for over 15 years. Back then it was all club dining with the 'bing bong' announcement that the dining room was open for whichever sitting. It was silver service, it was the little taster at the end of the meal. How things have changed but understand that this is partially due to the desire to move away from a slow, inflexible service.

 

People often complain about small portion sizes - my answer, order two. Have a chat with your waiter, they will often tell you if its a small portion and are happy to bring as many meals up as you want. On Iona, meals are ordered on tablet and runners deliver them to the waiters - because of this, waiters are very happy to order you an extra dish if you're still hungry - they don't even have to go get it!

 

Coffee from your steward has gone the way of pod coffee machines (if you're in the right category room). For me this is an improvement but many don't feel this way.

 

The cabins on Arcadia and Aurora haven't changed but if you compare that to a Britannia style cabin, one was designed as high end in the 90s and one was similarly designed in the 2010s. Design choices change and it makes the smaller ship cabins feel dated.

 

This is without thinking about the temporary changes due to Covid.

Thanks for your kind words. With my business head on, I have to say that I would have done exactly as P&O has. People often misunderstand the term ‘mass market’ as being derogatory, but it isn’t as you know. Ford is a mass market car manufacturer. Aston Martin is a luxury one. Both make very good products, but Ford cars are within reach of far more people and, as a result, they make a hell of a lot more money than Aston Martin. However, many Ford owners would happily have an Aston Martin if they could afford one (I can’t by the way, before the usual suspects jump in) 😂   

[molecrochip]

9 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

From memory, we didn’t get a turn down service on the first night but we did thereafter. Like you, I was sceptical that it would return ‘post Covid’ but Molecrochip said only a day or two ago that it was going to return when staffing levels allow. Time will tell. 

So since April 2019, one ship (don't recall which) was trailing the new evening service. This involved no evening service on night one, followed by the usual turndown service for the remainder of the cruise.

 

This was to avoid the situation whereby stewards were working a 14 hour day on turnaround day. The flip of this was that all cabins on ship should be ready by 1pm (which wasn't being met) and luggage delivery would be more prompt. Then stewards would get the evening off.

 

This was a success and well received. It was then being rolled out across the fleet during the Winter 2019/20 season. 

[molecrochip]

1 minute ago, molecrochip said:

So since April 2019, one ship (don't recall which) was trailing the new evening service. This involved no evening service on night one, followed by the usual turndown service for the remainder of the cruise.

 

This was to avoid the situation whereby stewards were working a 14 hour day on turnaround day. The flip of this was that all cabins on ship should be ready by 1pm (which wasn't being met) and luggage delivery would be more prompt. Then stewards would get the evening off.

 

This was a success and well received. It was then being rolled out across the fleet during the Winter 2019/20 season. 

The reason that the turndown service is not currently in place, is that there are less cabin stewards on board. This was originally to reduce sharing of crew cabins. Therefore the stewards have more cabins to service. It used to be the case that between 12 and 4 you would not see a steward's trolley. Now its not unusual to see them until 3 or 4pm.

 

Additionally, there were less main dining room wait staff / runners etc. So some stewards didn't have an increase in cabins, but spent their evening working as a runner in the MDR.

 

Eventually, staffing levels will return to normal, job roles will return to normal, and the turndown service will return.

[cruising.mark.uk]

46 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks for your kind words. With my business head on, I have to say that I would have done exactly as P&O has. People often misunderstand the term ‘mass market’ as being derogatory, but it isn’t as you know. Ford is a mass market car manufacturer. Aston Martin is a luxury one. Both make very good products, but Ford cars are within reach of far more people and, as a result, they make a hell of a lot more money than Aston Martin. However, many Ford owners would happily have an Aston Martin if they could afford one (I can’t by the way, before the usual suspects jump in) 😂   

I agree with this sentiment 100%.  My wife and I have been able to indulge in 2 or 3 excellent cruise holidays on mass market lines (P&O, Princess, Costa, MSC) every year since we started in 2004 and they are fantastic value for money.  In fact, they are cheaper now than they were when we first cruised.  The 'special little touches', the loss of which has been much bemoaned by some, are still available at the luxury end of the market. At around double the price. Each to their own - those to whom evening turndown, towel animals, towels replaced twice per day, tablecloths in the buffet etc etc are very important can pay their money and take their choice.  Personally, I'll continue to thoroughly enjoy the huge bang for not much buck that the mass market lines continue to offer and plan to up the time I spend at sea on these lines following my imminent retirement.

[Bill Y]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I do feel that Aurora and Arcadia are somewhat anomalies nowadays though. They feel dated (cabins in particular) and lack the facilities of the larger ships, yet the prices are way above the more modern ships. That being said, the reason that we have been on more cruises on Aurora than any other P&O ship is because it most closely resembles the traditional experience that we enjoy - plus she goes to more interesting ports than the larger ships. Our next two cruises (if we go) are on Iona and Ventura though, so we try to move with the times!

It's horses for courses. For us it's interesting itineraries and new ports that attract us. So we have enjoyed cruises on Aurora, Arcadia and previously Adonia and Oriana. It will be interesting if the thirty five nights cruises on Ventura prove to be viable?

 

A large section of the market appears to just want warmth and sun. So if you think of the capacities of the bulk carriers, the amount of posteriors on beds throughout the Caribbean fly cruise season must be the definition of a mass market.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Bill Y

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

 

 

People often complain about small portion sizes - my answer, order two. Have a chat with your waiter, they will often tell you if its a small portion and are happy to bring as many meals up as you want. 

This comment brings back memories of a time on Oriana, so was long before Covid and even more reduction in service and quality on P&O. One dinner in MDR I ordered Roast Lamb as my main course and when it appeared I had honestly thought that they had forgotten to put the lamb on the plated meal. Suddenly I moved a boiled potato and there it was hiding underneath. I called the waiter and asked if I could have some more lamb and was told I could have as much extra vegetable as I wanted but if he was to give me more lamb he would have to get permission off the Head Waiter. So just proves that not all reductions in quality/service are recent and P&O have been cutting corners to save money. The piece of lamb was no bigger that a 50p piece and I never got to see the Head Waiter or any extra lamb.

[Tablelamp]

I too, am hoping to do the 35 night on Ventura.  I can cope with the extra trappings not being available but what is bothering me is that I may pick up Covid and be forced to disembark the ship.

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

The cabins on Arcadia and Aurora haven't changed but if you compare that to a Britannia style cabin, one was designed as high end in the 90s and one was similarly designed in the 2010s. 

Dated is one thing, cracked sinks etc as described in these pages is totally another.  Passengers sailing on these "dated" ships surely have a right to expect basic repairs to have been executed?

 

Arcadia and Queen Victoria started life around the same time. Queen Victoria doesn't seem to have been allowed to slide in condition the same way.  The cynic in me says the Americans and other international guests wouldn't accept things like cracked sinks and unrepaired plumbing and as there's a premium to be earned there no matter their ages the Queens will never be allowed to degenerate physically in the manner I read Aurora and Arcadia seem to have been.

 

Older ships although needing more upkeep can be refitted internally if there's a will. Azamara seems to manage very well with a product which is not high end but fairly unique?

[yorkshirephil]

52 minutes ago, Bill Y said:

It's horses for courses. For us it's interesting itineraries and new ports that attract us. So we have enjoyed cruises on Aurora, Arcadia and previously Adonia and Oriana. It will be interesting if the thirty five nights cruises on Ventura prove to be viable?

 

A large section of the market appears to just want warmth and sun. So if you think of the capacities of the bulk carriers, the amount of posteriors on beds throughout the Caribbean fly cruise season must be the definition of a mass market.

We had a similar line of thinking regarding cruising. We retired over 5 years ago and as soon as we did we booked one of the 35 night cruises to the Caribbean, we were a bit apprehensive as it was a big step up from 14/15 night cruises. Since we retired we have had 5 long Caribbean cruises plus a Canada one, cancelled  a Ventura in Jan and have 40 nights booked on Arcadia in November. Long winter cruises to the Caribbean are great, albeit some of the islands don't really appeal much any more a walk in the sun on a Caribbean island or a drink on the beach is better than being stuck at home in the cold. The overall cruise experience is still enjoyable, with plenty of choices. 

[Bazrat]

15 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Fortunately most of us on here  have had multiple cruises and can give our personal experiences which is important especially to new cruisers.

Graham.

Yes but sometimes the impression most give is negative

[SarahHben]

2 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Yes but sometimes the impression most give is negative

As a newbie who had no experience of cruising, but joined this forum after booking our first cruise (which still hasn’t happened yet!) I did say to my husband that I hoped we hadn’t made a big mistake booking with P&O after reading some of the comments.

A few years on I read enough to get what I think is a balanced view, and in 5 weeks time I will be able to form my own opinions 😁

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

I thought you had mentioned that some of the furnishings such as curtains and cushions were missing in your cabin. 

No I didn't. 

[Bazrat]

17 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

 

 

I really am not trying to pick a quarrel with you Bazrat,  but your irate (or maybe it's irritating)  comments regarding any criticism of P&O do go a bit over the top, and don't help to sell your positivity about P&O.

Unfortunately most folk are more willing to go into print with a complaint, than to wax lyrical about an enjoyable experience, it's just human nature.

As for the clown incident and cheese wheel, I guess these have left an impression on you, but for me, and I guess many others, they leave me unmoved.  However if you were to consider some of the more relevant current criticisms, particularly P&Os very poor public relations track record over the last couple of years, then if you can find us some positives from these, we might be able to have a more constructive dialogue.

 

 

 

Alas you totally missed the point, the clown incident the lack of cheese wheels etc was used by the seasoned cruisers on here to bemoan the falling standards and the lowering of quality of new cruisers, just read back one of your seasoned cruisers mentioned just that very fact.

[Bazrat]

4 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

As a newbie who had no experience of cruising, but joined this forum after booking our first cruise (which still hasn’t happened yet!) I did say to my husband that I hoped we hadn’t made a big mistake booking with P&O after reading some of the comments.

A few years on I read enough to get what I think is a balanced view, and in 5 weeks time I will be able to form my own opinions 😁

I hope you have a brilliant cruise than make your own mind up, we are on a  TA in October again we just love sea days 

 

[tring]

51 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We had a similar line of thinking regarding cruising. We retired over 5 years ago and as soon as we did we booked one of the 35 night cruises to the Caribbean, we were a bit apprehensive as it was a big step up from 14/15 night cruises. Since we retired we have had 5 long Caribbean cruises plus a Canada one, cancelled  a Ventura in Jan and have 40 nights booked on Arcadia in November. Long winter cruises to the Caribbean are great, albeit some of the islands don't really appeal much any more a walk in the sun on a Caribbean island or a drink on the beach is better than being stuck at home in the cold. The overall cruise experience is still enjoyable, with plenty of choices. 

 

We have a round trips to the Caribbean booked for this autumn and for January 2024.  Whilst we have done a number of the same length cruises previously (both with different cruise lines over the years), they have all been booked to visit places we had not previously been, including some very different itineraries.  Over covid though we are thinking we may well be happy to go anywhere that is really warm in the winter, so have reduced our ambitions regards holiday locations, though we have looked at some interesting alternatives to the January 2024 cruise, but are loath to transfer that at present in case travel is still difficult that winter.  In fact we seem to have decided that a long cruise, largely just for relaxation, may well appeal as we will be in our mid seventies by then, though do suspect we may still head off somewhere more unusual as well 🙂

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by tring

[Bazrat]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No I didn't. 

I thought you also said there wasn't a bed either

[paulatsea]

7 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

As a newbie who had no experience of cruising, but joined this forum after booking our first cruise (which still hasn’t happened yet!) I did say to my husband that I hoped we hadn’t made a big mistake booking with P&O after reading some of the comments.

A few years on I read enough to get what I think is a balanced view, and in 5 weeks time I will be able to form my own opinions 😁

Look forward to hearing how it goes - hope you have a great time.

[Tablelamp]

To PaulatSea,

You are going to have a wonderful time. I think you will find that a lot of the negative comments are coming from the seasoned cruisers, of which I am one. who are thinking back to ‘How things used to be’.

[Gettingwarmer]

3 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

I thought you had mentioned that some of the furnishings such as curtains and cushions were missing in your cabin. 

 

35 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No I didn't. 

Sorry my apologies, you are quite right it was somebody else. 

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

 

Sorry my apologies, you are quite right it was somebody else. 

Thanks- I know I'm forgetful, but I normally remember what I have written (unless late at night !)

[paulatsea]

1 hour ago, Tablelamp said:

To PaulatSea,

You are going to have a wonderful time. I think you will find that a lot of the negative comments are coming from the seasoned cruisers, of which I am one. who are thinking back to ‘How things used to be’.

Thanks Tablelamp - it’s actually sarahben that are going first time - not me ! I was just wishing them well and looking forward to hearing about it !! But thanks anyway - going in august hopefully .