Arcadia Jottings

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Mollag said:

Last day tomorrow I will actually be glad to go home to the freezing cold😂. Nothing has changed still a mess lots of the galley staff got it now, spa and shop staff serving in the buffet, B2B passengers haven’t been told what they’ve got to do yet if any are allowed to stay I can’t see how anyone on here can answer the health questions without saying they’ve been a close contact in the last 14 days 

Oh dear, doesn't sound like fun. I'm almost glad I caught it now and was summarily cancelled.   Good luck and safe travels.

[Astrajet]

11 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Oh dear, doesn't sound like fun. I'm almost glad I caught it now and was summarily cancelled. 

Share you feelings Megabear2.  We have also been have been cancelled from Friday's sailing due to being a contact in the last week of someone with you know what!

 

 

 

 

[Megabear2]

Just been reading the experiences of guests on the two Cunard ships and it seems to have a theme of more testing in the way Wowzz has described on day 3.  I wonder if this is about to become the new normal to pick up those who don't show positive at embarkation?  Sounds sensible if it is.

[Megabear2]

I understand it is being done on Iona and Ventura. Certainly reports from both Cunard ships indicate it is happening and Wowzz stated Arcadia was testing everyone.  

 

I cannot say what's happening on Britannia as I don't know anyone who has been onboard her recently. Less said about Aurora and Azura the better!

[Megabear2]

Will be interested to hear tomorrow whether anyone on Arcadia was picked up in the extra testing.  That will presumably give a clue as to if it's getting onboard despite pre boarding testing. Fingers crossed it's all clear.

[Dermotsgirl]

As this is Arcadia’s first cruise back, the crew haven’t previously been exposed to positive  passengers. If the additional testing policy works, this could well  be a successful cruise. 
 

But not so much fun for anyone who actually tests positive of course. I wonder if they’ll be off loaded or put into isolation on the ship.  But, either way, it means less chance of more infections on board 

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

As this is Arcadia’s first cruise back, the crew haven’t previously been exposed to positive  passengers. If the additional testing policy works, this could well  be a successful cruise. 
 

But not so much fun for anyone who actually tests positive of course. I wonder if they’ll be off loaded or put into isolation on the ship.  But, either way, it means less chance of more infections on board 

I'm hoping everyone is clear. I personally think a test a couple of days in to sweep up any late developers is a good idea. I'm aware there's many who don't so will await to be shot at!  I have never understood the mentality of if I'm not tested there isn't a problem.  Having just gone through two weeks of misery and still feeling exhausted by the slightest exertion I would feel very selfish if I inadvertently passed on the disease to someone for the want of a test, but that of course is my personal view and we are all entitled to our own.

[lincslady]

I was hoping to read reports from Wowzz on this cruise?  I don't thin there has been anything so far, after the first day. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I was hoping to read reports from Wowzz on this cruise?  I don't thin there has been anything so far, after the first day. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Nothing so far as they had 2 seadays.  I assume he's out enjoying Madeira as he should be. No doubt an update will be imminent.

[wowzz]

OK - an update.

Testing was done in the Globe. No positive tests. As far as I can see, this was a P&O test, nothing to do with Madeira. Also, no PLFs required for Madeira.

Service in MDR has improved, but the portions seem to have got smaller than ever, although that might just be my preconception.

Although masks are not compulsory in most areas, I would say that 95% of pax are wearing them when walking about.

Steward comes in once a day to make the beds, but really does nothing else, not even folding the towels up that we hang on the door to dry.

To be fair to P&O, they have kept up a reasonable level of entertainment - girl duet and Busker Sean performing in various bars, Pulse were on one night,plus assorted shows in the theatre, but top heavy on light opera and songs from old musicals.Not really moved with the times imho.

Food in buffet is OK, if a little like warm, but the salad offering is pretty good.

A few other snippets - allegedly around 60 pax did not make it at Southampton - combination of positive tests and incorrect paperwork.

Our  noisy cabin was B deck forward.

Our current cabin, C deck mid ships is quiet. Bathroom could do with a refresh - cracked hand basin is not a good look !

Overall, it is good to get away, but the sea days have been a bit monotonous, and we are seriously considering cancelling our Azura cruise next March.

Perhaps we have been spoilt by our cruise with Princess last year - Arcadia just seems a little tired and worn out in comparison.

Sorry to have waffled on. 

PS two bottles of Rioja waiting to be drunk, once we have emptied the wine boxes !

[Megabear2]

Glad everyone is well, great to hear. 60 passengers is a very big chunk, very sorry for them.   Hope things improve on the things to do front, perhaps all of our outlooks and expectations have been tinged with time.  Hopefully you will get more involved once you reach the more port intensive bit.  

 

Interesting that a lot of returning sailors are finding the ships tired compared with others they've sailed on in the interim.  Would indicate P&O might need to invest substantial sums on at least three ships to maintain the standards their customers expect.

 

Meantime enjoy the Rioja and thanks for the update.

[Mollag]

5 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Glad everyone is well, great to hear. 60 passengers is a very big chunk, very sorry for them.   Hope things improve on the things to do front, perhaps all of our outlooks and expectations have been tinged with time.  Hopefully you will get more involved once you reach the more port intensive bit.  

 

Interesting that a lot of returning sailors are finding the ships tired compared with others they've sailed on in the interim.  Would indicate P&O might need to invest substantial sums on at least three ships to maintain the standards their customers expect.

 

Meantime enjoy the Rioja and thanks for the update.

P&O won’t tell anyone onboard if there were any cases anyway that was part of the problem on Aurora only the few hundred of us who had it actually knew what was going on

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Mollag said:

P&O won’t tell anyone onboard if there were any cases anyway that was part of the problem on Aurora only the few hundred of us who had it actually knew what was going on

Surely cabin numbers were called after the testing showed problems? That's what's happening on all the other ships.

[Mollag]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

Surely cabin numbers were called after the testing showed problems? That's what's happening on all the other ships.

They were but that could be for anything. I questioned the Captain about not giving the numbers out like SAGA do and he said they can’t do it because of data protection so I then asked how come it’s alright to shout peoples names out over the tannoy isn’t that covered by data protection he couldn’t answer and just walked away and avoided me for the rest of the cruise they’re just winging thinking we’re all stupid and will just forget the way we were treated 

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Interestingly the American lines are not only giving out numbers they are publishing them in cruise logs for embarking passengers. Not sure if that's a company decision or because the CDC insists.

That’s very interesting and quite a contrast in approaches. Complete transparency versus utter secrecy. As a customer I’d want the former. As a cruise line employee I’d favour the latter!

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

OK - an update.

Testing was done in the Globe. No positive tests. As far as I can see, this was a P&O test, nothing to do with Madeira. Also, no PLFs required for Madeira.

Service in MDR has improved, but the portions seem to have got smaller than ever, although that might just be my preconception.

Although masks are not compulsory in most areas, I would say that 95% of pax are wearing them when walking about.

Steward comes in once a day to make the beds, but really does nothing else, not even folding the towels up that we hang on the door to dry.

To be fair to P&O, they have kept up a reasonable level of entertainment - girl duet and Busker Sean performing in various bars, Pulse were on one night,plus assorted shows in the theatre, but top heavy on light opera and songs from old musicals.Not really moved with the times imho.

Food in buffet is OK, if a little like warm, but the salad offering is pretty good.

A few other snippets - allegedly around 60 pax did not make it at Southampton - combination of positive tests and incorrect paperwork.

Our  noisy cabin was B deck forward.

Our current cabin, C deck mid ships is quiet. Bathroom could do with a refresh - cracked hand basin is not a good look !

Overall, it is good to get away, but the sea days have been a bit monotonous, and we are seriously considering cancelling our Azura cruise next March.

Perhaps we have been spoilt by our cruise with Princess last year - Arcadia just seems a little tired and worn out in comparison.

Sorry to have waffled on. 

PS two bottles of Rioja waiting to be drunk, once we have emptied the wine boxes !

Interesting read we are due on Arcadia soon we will see if it as improved, alas your post as been swamped with how bad P&O is.

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Interesting read we are due on Arcadia soon we will see if it as improved, alas your post as been swamped with how bad P&O is.

Not by me it isn't.

[Harry Peterson]

10 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Interesting read we are due on Arcadia soon we will see if it as improved, alas your post as been swamped with how bad P&O is.

Perhaps there are good reasons for less than positive posts about P&O?  Not so long ago a negative post about P&O would have been extraordinarily unusual, but they’re commonplace now. Either expectations are higher or something’s slipping.

[wowzz]

50 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Surely cabin numbers were called after the testing showed problems? That's what's happening on all the other ships.

Captain stated that everyone had tested negative. Not sure how they would have contacted positive passengers.

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Perhaps there are good reasons for less than positive posts about P&O?  Not so long ago a negative post about P&O would have been extraordinarily unusual, but they’re commonplace now. Either expectations are higher or something’s slipping.

To be fair, there is a similar thread on the Princess board about cutbacks.

I think all lines are having to prune costs, and pricing pressures will increase with the surge in oil prices.

The danger comes when the cuts become so apparent that they detract from the overall holiday experience. We certainly feel that P&O are close to the tipping point.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

To be fair, there is a similar thread on the Princess board about cutbacks.

I think all lines are having to prune costs, and pricing pressures will increase with the surge in oil prices.

The danger comes when the cuts become so apparent that they detract from the overall holiday experience. We certainly feel that P&O are close to the tipping point.

That's very sad. Let's hope the up the ante for the remainder of your cruise.

[terrierjohn]

56 minutes ago, Mollag said:

They were but that could be for anything. I questioned the Captain about not giving the numbers out like SAGA do and he said they can’t do it because of data protection so I then asked how come it’s alright to shout peoples names out over the tannoy isn’t that covered by data protection he couldn’t answer and just walked away and avoided me for the rest of the cruise they’re just winging thinking we’re all stupid and will just forget the way we were treated 

I would think asking passengers over the tannoy to contact customer service immediately after testing was more likely an infringement of data protection. Surely a phone cal or a message left in your cabin if your not in, would be more appropriate. Similarly regular reports on the numbers in quarantine, would help to reinforce the covid inection protocols.

[Harry Peterson]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

To be fair, there is a similar thread on the Princess board about cutbacks.

I think all lines are having to prune costs, and pricing pressures will increase with the surge in oil prices.

The danger comes when the cuts become so apparent that they detract from the overall holiday experience. We certainly feel that P&O are close to the tipping point.

That was my feeling on Azura in 2019. The food was good, and the service good, but the entertainment was a bit lacking and the state of the suite we had was very poor indeed. No hotel, with the possible exception of Britannia Hotels, would have left it in this state. There was the celebrated sewage smell in parts of the ship, which ran on for years, and when the televisions all packed up it took an email to the CEO in America to get anyone to sort it. The Customer Service Manager was refusing to talk to passengers.

 

There’s a limit to how far you can cut costs without damaging the product to such an extent that it loses its appeal.

[Fionboard]

Just off Ventura. Could see quite a lot of occupied isolation cabins from mine.  Was called one day to ask if I knew someone - never heard of him.  Think relaxing protocols at the moment is a mistake even though most people do not like them.

[Dermotsgirl]

22 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

That was my feeling on Azura in 2019. The food was good, and the service good, but the entertainment was a bit lacking and the state of the suite we had was very poor indeed. No hotel, with the possible exception of Britannia Hotels, would have left it in this state. There was the celebrated sewage smell in parts of the ship, which ran on for years, and when the televisions all packed up it took an email to the CEO in America to get anyone to sort it. The Customer Service Manager was refusing to talk to passengers.

 

There’s a limit to how far you can cut costs without damaging the product to such an extent that it loses its appeal.

We were also on Azura in 2019 and felt much the same.  

 

We really enjoyed the food, and the crew were very helpful, but felt the ship interiors were very worn. We also smelt the 'pong' in a certain area of the ship.  

 

However, it was really enjoyable cruise, with good weather, so I do remember it fondly as the last before you know what happened.