Arcadia Jottings

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Bazrat said:

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.

I think we all know why you routinely mention them, but sometimes, when there is nothing else exciting on the forum, even mundane things like the loss of the stilton wheel can spark lots of comments, which are not necessarily meant to be taken too seriously.

However, during our time cruising with P&O we have seen quite a few reductions in the little extras that made cruising feel special, but maybe falling standards is an incorrect interpretation.

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Yes but sometimes the impression most give is negative

Well if someone has had a negative experience, then I’m sure you would agree that their comments are also ‘valid’. As it happens, I’ve had very very few negative experiences aboard, but the shoreside operation leaves a lot to be desired and criticism in that direction is, unfortunately, valid. 
We’ve had first class, balanced accounts from Damian, Graham and Wozz recently, 3 posters whom I regard as seasoned cruisers who provide real and helpful insight. 

[zap99]

2 hours 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’.

We are seasoned cruisers and don't miss the cheese wheel at all. We look forward to trying new things on new, big, shiny ships. Little old ships are ok as well. We don't normally complain, but did tell the cruise company to clean the cabin windows. What's the point of booking an outside cabin if you can't enjoy the sail in to St Malo. Didn't get much response from Brittany ferries.🤔

[Bazrat]

I stand corrected it was the missing Stilton wheel as opposed to your cheaper cheese wheel, I will attempt to be more accurate in future.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

10 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, that was me. I said that the runners on the bed had disappeared. So had the curtains separating the bedroom from the lounge area. Cushions had also disappeared but my wife found them in a box under the bed. We put them on the sofa but the cabin steward said he’d been told he must remove them. The normal flower in a vase is no longer there and the sweets have gone too. As Baltic passengers we used to have enhanced items in the bathroom, they have also gone. I have included a brochure photo of a cabin and a photo of our cabin. Please note the flowers  in our cabin are what the wife brought with her.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by PRINCESSTHE BEST

[wowzz]

Your cabin, obviously,  is more or less the same  as the one we had.  

The sofa is just as sad as ours was. 

I know upgrading cabins is expensive,  but after almost 20 years,  surely a new sofa  is  not too much to ask ?

And the "bed runner" or whatever it is called,  was never in existence. 

P&O are close to contravening various regulations if they continue to use that photograph. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by wowzz

[molecrochip]

To confirm, once existing stocks of individual toiletries in little plastic bottles are exhausted, no more will be ordered.

 

This is Corporation wide and part of the effort to remove single use plastics from ships. 
 

Same with straws, stirers and balloons although there are non plastic straws still.
 

Additionally, once Covid protocols retreats, the single plastic sachets of sauce will be gone too. 500ml water bottles gave already gone to cans.

[molecrochip]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Your cabin, obviously,  is more or less the same  as the one we had.  

The sofa is just as sad as ours was. 

I know upgrading cabins is expensive,  but after almost 20 years,  surely a new sofa  is  not too much to ask ?

If you’re keeping the ship for another 20 years then yes but if you’re only keeping it for another 3-8 years, not worth the expense.

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Your cabin, obviously,  is more or less the same  as the one we had.  

The sofa is just as sad as ours was. 

I know upgrading cabins is expensive,  but after almost 20 years,  surely a new sofa  is  not too much to ask ?

I don’t think we’ve ever had a sofa on any P&O ship that I’d describe as comfortable, even on new ships! Odd really, as we always find the beds to be extremely comfortable. 

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Your cabin, obviously,  is more or less the same  as the one we had.  

The sofa is just as sad as ours was. 

I know upgrading cabins is expensive,  but after almost 20 years,  surely a new sofa  is  not too much to ask ?

And the "bed runner" or whatever it is called,  was never in existence. 

P&O are close to contravening various regulations if they continue to use that photograph. 

This  was, admittedly a mini suite on Princess, that cost less than our standard balcony on Arcadia.

Edited April 15, 2022 by wowzz

[terrierjohn]

9 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

If you’re keeping the ship for another 20 years then yes but if you’re only keeping it for another 3-8 years, not worth the expense.

But it would have been if they had changed them when it was 15 yes old.

[terrierjohn]

6 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I don’t think we’ve ever had a sofa on any P&O ship that I’d describe as comfortable, even on new ships! Odd really, as we always find the beds to be extremely comfortable. 

TBH  we have never had a comfy sofa on Celebrity or RCI  either, but at least their standard cabins do have one.

[wowzz]

Just now, terrierjohn said:

But it would have been if they had changed them when it was 15 yes old.

Exactly John. 

Economics 101, you need to decide if you are going to sweat the assets or invest for the future. 

P&O have gone for the sweat the assets route.

However, Carnival probably have a say in all of this. I see them moving P&O more  into the mass market family sector,  with Princess collecting the cruisers wanting a more select experience. No new ship announced for P&O yet, but you can bet that it will be Our Vera 2 when it happens.

Arcadia and Aurora will continue to operate whilst they are profitable (and given their age they have already been written off from a financial point of view),  so can continue to contribute to the bottom line for a while. 

 

[zap99]

10 hours 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 😁

Some of those comments are from folk who haven't cruised for a few years, some are from those with recent experience. Look forward to your comments as they will be based on reality and I am sure will be balanced.

[Harry Peterson]

8 hours ago, molecrochip said:

If you’re keeping the ship for another 20 years then yes but if you’re only keeping it for another 3-8 years, not worth the expense.

It may not be worth the expense to maintain a cabin or suite from a short term profits viewpoint, which is the way companies now tend to work in order to keep directors’ bonuses up, but from a customer’s viewpoint the poor state of the last suite we booked on Azura in 2019 has caused us to rethink ever booking again with P&O.

 

Hotels maintain their rooms to high standards. Uncomfortable and worn out furnishings are replaced. If P&O aren’t prepared to do the same it’s hotels for us, and from various recent posts we’re clearly not the only ones now rethinking the P&O proposition.

 

P&O still advertise luxury. It isn’t remotely luxurious. Good companies like to exceed customers’ expectations. Not matching them is a risky game.

[BouncingWheel]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

However, Carnival probably have a say in all of this. I see them moving P&O more  into the mass market family sector,  with Princess collecting the cruisers wanting a more select experience.

I am not sure on the Princess comment. They seem to be undercutting P&O in the UK since last summer with their cheap fares and Princess Plus deal. They have similar itineraries but not (yet?) as many UK/Europe ships.  If you a new, younger, UK cruiser (and I am guessing those are the ones that P&O are trying to attract with Britannia, Iona, Arvia) then I can see just as many heading towards Princess as will go to P&O and I am not sure there is enough to go around so Carnival are competiting amongst themselves unless the current strategy changes.

 

[davecttr]

12 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

It may not be worth the expense to maintain a cabin or suite from a short term profits viewpoint, which is the way companies now tend to work in order to keep directors’ bonuses up, but from a customer’s viewpoint the poor state of the last suite we booked on Azura in 2019 has caused us to rethink ever booking again with P&O.

 

Hotels maintain their rooms to high standards. Uncomfortable and worn out furnishings are replaced. If P&O aren’t prepared to do the same it’s hotels for us, and from various recent posts we’re clearly not the only ones now rethinking the P&O proposition.

 

P&O still advertise luxury. It isn’t remotely luxurious. Good companies like to exceed customers’ expectations. Not matching them is a risky game.

Perhaps we should compare cabins to the Premier Inn standard, with a shower replacing the bath in normal cabins and a mini fridge added. I have always been happy with a room there. 😉

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Perhaps we should compare cabins to the Premier Inn standard, with a shower replacing the bath in normal cabins and a mini fridge added. I have always been happy with a room there. 😉

I have never had a poor room at PI, granted they are basic, which makes them easier to clean and maintain, but never had a shabby one, and they are refurbished more frequently than every 20 years.

[Snow Hill]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Perhaps we should compare cabins to the Premier Inn standard, with a shower replacing the bath in normal cabins and a mini fridge added. I have always been happy with a room there. 😉

Both similar in way they are constructed, modular cabins and modular rooms, constructed offsite in a factory and then installed.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Snow Hill

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I have never had a poor room at PI, granted they are basic, which makes them easier to clean and maintain, but never had a shabby one, and they are refurbished more frequently than every 20 years.

Some of the very old Premier Inn’s aren’t great, but the modern ones are all excellent. The beds are as big and comfortable as those used by P&O and the bathrooms and TV’s are much better than those in P&O cabins, although the on-demand TV’s on Britannia (and presumably Iona) are significantly better than the dire ones used on the older ships. 

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

This  was, admittedly a mini suite on Princess, that cost less than our standard balcony on Arcadia.

That looks really nice. We are sailing on the Enchanted Princess in July,  which is a brand new ship, at a fraction of the cost of our Arcadia trip. 

[Eglesbrech]

2 hours ago, BouncingWheel said:

I am not sure on the Princess comment. They seem to be undercutting P&O in the UK since last summer with their cheap fares and Princess Plus deal. They have similar itineraries but not (yet?) as many UK/Europe ships.  If you a new, younger, UK cruiser (and I am guessing those are the ones that P&O are trying to attract with Britannia, Iona, Arvia) then I can see just as many heading towards Princess as will go to P&O and I am not sure there is enough to go around so Carnival are competiting amongst themselves unless the current strategy changes.

 

I’m not in the target market for either line being a bit older than they are probably looking for.
 

We looked at both P&O and Princess for a cruise in March and selected Princess as the cost was so much less for a higher grade cabin and Princess plus. There was just no competition and they were both doing the same port selections.

 

I would say that the majority on that cruise were my age or indeed older. Those in their 20s, 30s or even 40s were few and far between. Princess does not have a lot of obvious things  to offer to younger passengers (unlike say RCI with flumes, bumper cars etc) and the understated elegance of the ship almost feels more designed to appeal to my age group.
 

While I have always thought P&O give a fair product for a fair price (not quite what it used to be but as I say that is reflected in the price) what Princess offered was even better value imo.

 

I can actually see Princes being more attractive to the “oldies” who like good food and wine and quieter pass times and P&O to the young if they add in some things to attract younger families as they are trying to do.
 

Perhaps Carnival know exactly what they are doing. Time will tell.

 

 

[wowzz]

53 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I’m not in the target market for either line being a bit older than they are probably looking for.
 

We looked at both P&O and Princess for a cruise in March and selected Princess as the cost was so much less for a higher grade cabin and Princess plus. There was just no competition and they were both doing the same port selections.

 

I would say that the majority on that cruise were my age or indeed older. Those in their 20s, 30s or even 40s were few and far between. Princess does not have a lot of obvious things  to offer to younger passengers (unlike say RCI with flumes, bumper cars etc) and the understated elegance of the ship almost feels more designed to appeal to my age group.
 

While I have always thought P&O give a fair product for a fair price (not quite what it used to be but as I say that is reflected in the price) what Princess offered was even better value imo.

 

I can actually see Princes being more attractive to the “oldies” who like good food and wine and quieter pass times and P&O to the young if they add in some things to attract younger families as they are trying to do.
 

Perhaps Carnival know exactly what they are doing. Time will tell.

 

 

I think the demographic for any UK cruise in March will be quite old.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

21 hours ago, wowzz said:

No I didn't. 

Wowzz changing the subject slightly, did you get an invite to an exclusive cocktail party? I didn’t. I wondered whether that was something else they’ve now cancelled. Being a sado I normally save the cruise log at the end of the cruise but that’s gone too.

Edited April 16, 2022 by PRINCESSTHE BEST

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

I’m not in the target market for either line being a bit older than they are probably looking for.
 

We looked at both P&O and Princess for a cruise in March and selected Princess as the cost was so much less for a higher grade cabin and Princess plus. There was just no competition and they were both doing the same port selections.

 

I would say that the majority on that cruise were my age or indeed older. Those in their 20s, 30s or even 40s were few and far between. Princess does not have a lot of obvious things  to offer to younger passengers (unlike say RCI with flumes, bumper cars etc) and the understated elegance of the ship almost feels more designed to appeal to my age group.
 

While I have always thought P&O give a fair product for a fair price (not quite what it used to be but as I say that is reflected in the price) what Princess offered was even better value imo.

 

I can actually see Princes being more attractive to the “oldies” who like good food and wine and quieter pass times and P&O to the young if they add in some things to attract younger families as they are trying to do.
 

Perhaps Carnival know exactly what they are doing. Time will tell.

 

 

My own recent experience on Princess has been that their launch prices are significantly higher than P&O. Their prices do tend to reduce later in the cycle, but as we need an accessible cabin these tend to sell out on launch, so we can't wait for a late bargain.  

We did one back in 2013 where we were able to get a price match, two in actual fact, and made a saving of 40%, but you are never sure that this facility will always be available.