Are P&O now the Easy jet of the sea

[howmuch!]

15 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

To be perfectly honest we have never bothered to claim on any missed ports down the years, but after the last two cruises and the late notification of changes we may have to rethink our attitude

I think you should. LV have paid us one or two times in the past, even with substitute ports. You've paid for insurance, so use it.

[Yorkypete]

8 hours ago, ann141 said:

Is that cruises in 2022 or 2023 on Aurora and Arcadia? Just wondering as I may be interested 

No 1: Arcadia...30 nights USA and Canada ..6th Sept. No 2: 18th Sept Aurora  24n to Canada and USA. Booking by 22nd August.

[Yorkypete]

1 hour ago, Thejuggler said:

Berthing arrangements will also be a P&O operational decision.  
 

If they can't/won't use the Seawalk they have to tender and P&O operational policies will come into play.

In that case Gerainger should not be in the  itinery  from now on.You would think that someone would check out the route before the schedules were produced to ensure that the vessel could actually use the ports. On the assumption they do not(or has someone been sacked) then might I suggest a good alternative would be Whitby!

[Britboys]

4 minutes ago, Yorkypete said:

No 1: Arcadia...30 nights USA and Canada ..6th Sept. No 2: 18th Sept Aurora  24n to Canada and USA. Booking by 22nd August.

It wouldn't really surprise me that numbers on these two cruises might be low. They appeal largely to an older passenger demographic due to their length. It is likely that older pax are more cautious about travelling at present due to Covid and the long-distance nature of these itineraries is likely to make them even more cautious. I say that as someone in their early sixties and retired. The USA in the fall itineraries are very much on my wishlist but I don't want to do them in the present situation thank you.

[Pine Man]

15 hours ago, scifimonkey said:

it seems like the comparison with Easy Jet may be generous

Judging by my last Britannia cruise in June I would liken that, not as Easy Jet, but more like Butlins at sea!

[davecttr]

The Iona Geiranger saga (pun intended) is 'interesting' we have 'operational' reasons including incompatibility with the seawalk, doh!. Then that changed to problems with the pilots.. An engineering fix was mentioned but maybe too expensive for the corporate bean counters as a dry dock would be required so it won't happen for a few years yet. Or we could be surprised.

 

I won't be considering Iona for the Fjords again but have a Canaries cruise booked for next Jan 😟

[zap99]

36 minutes ago, Pine Man said:

Judging by my last Britannia cruise in June I would liken that, not as Easy Jet, but more like Butlins at sea!

Do you visit your local Butlins,or go a bit further afield ? Sounds quite a decent place.

[Pine Man]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

Do you visit your local Butlins,or go a bit further afield ? Sounds quite a decent place.

I did visited Butlins locally , once, and will never go again. The same will probably apply to Britannia and, as far as I am concerned neither are particularly decent places!

[Pine Man]

1 minute ago, Megabear2 said:

Butlin's sounds like an improvement...

Not much in it!

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, Pine Man said:

I did visited Butlins locally , once, and will never go again. The same will probably apply to Britannia and, as far as I am concerned neither are particularly decent places!

I too visited Butlins in Bognor once in 1965. It was ok. Our trip on Britannia in October will be our 6th on her. Miss you already.🤣

[Fionboard]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

It wouldn't really surprise me that numbers on these two cruises might be low. They appeal largely to an older passenger demographic due to their length. It is likely that older pax are more cautious about travelling at present due to Covid and the long-distance nature of these itineraries is likely to make them even more cautious. I say that as someone in their early sixties and retired. The USA in the fall itineraries are very much on my wishlist but I don't want to do them in the present situation thank you.

Plus insurance could be pricey if visiting USA.

[Cathygh]

3 hours ago, ann141 said:

Thank you. Already going on holiday in September but hope I get any future discount emails!

We are going on Azura and the dates clash otherwise I would go. I hope they offer something like that again.

[Josy1953]

It is a bit harsh to compare P&O with Easyjet.  I have only flown with Easyjet once and swore that I would never go with them again.  I had the misfortune to travel with them on an evening when there was a football match on in Liverpool and a lot of Irish Liverpool fans were going to the match.  The crew were only interested in selling as much alcohol as possible and the fans were shaking up the cans and spraying the contents around the cabin.  

I had been to a factory in Ballymena to sort out some IT problems so was dressed in a very nice suit that was completely ruined.  My employers refunded me the cost of the damaged clothes but it should never have happened. 

This was 16 or 17 years ago and I  accept that perhaps Sleazyjet have improved now but once bitten twice shy.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Josy1953
I can't spell

[Camberley]

On 7/28/2022 at 11:33 AM, Pine Man said:

Judging by my last Britannia cruise in June I would liken that, not as Easy Jet, but more like Butlins at sea!

I certainly get that analogy. But then, I am sure P&O wouldn't really be upset to be considered tacky or holiday camp-ish, and if going more for the family market, well......It's got a lot of opportunity for very tacky things if you like that sort of thing - and being on board at the mo it is clear many folk do! And fair play to them if they like that.

 

But away from the naffness - and there are plenty of ways to avoid those (ugh those still-horrendous sail-aways: yes, we've had those) - it has still got an element of sophistication. Ok, you might have to look hard for it, but it's there.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Camberley

[Pine Man]

6 minutes ago, Camberley said:

it has still got an element of sophistication. Ok, you might have to look hard for it, but it's there.

I'm probably over reacting slightly BUT it's hard to overlook the drunkenness, fighting and people queuing for Club Dining in the evening wearing shorts and a T shirt!

 

I will probably go back to Aurora or Arcadia in future.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Pine Man

[Camberley]

4 minutes ago, Pine Man said:

I'm probably over reacting slightly BUT it's hard to overlook the drunkenness, fighting and people queuing for the Club Dining in the evening wearing shorts and a T shirt!

Like I said, you might have to look hard for it

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, Pine Man said:

I'm probably over reacting slightly BUT it's hard to overlook the drunkenness, fighting and people queuing for the Club Dining in the evening wearing shorts and a T shirt!

Surely that's a society problem not P&O's.  We may not go looking for it but it's all around us if we care to observe it.  We have several police in our family and what you speak about is something they deal with night after night - two are admittedly in London but others are in the Midlands and Cornwall but report the same as the mainstay of their work.

 

 

[Jennizor]

I am finding it difficult to relate to some of these comments about Britannia. Each to their own but our last three cruises have been on her - Caribbean (Feb 20 & December 21) and Spain and Italy (Sept 21). Of course the two in 21 were much different to the earlier one but there is no way we experienced anything that was remotely akin to the Butlins holidays I had growing up. We had no dining issues, we did not see any drunkenness or fighting or shorts and t-shirts in the main dining room. We enjoyed the Sindhi and Limelight club. Absolutely loved the Glass House. The staff were brilliant, endlessly cleaning the public areas. Cabin staff looked after us very well. I agree with Megabear2, if this is actually happening now it is hardly P & O’s fault. We are eagerly anticipating our Easter Med cruise in September on Azura, I know she is looking her age but we have lovely memories of her.

[Happy afloat]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Surely that's a society problem not P&O's.  We may not go looking for it but it's all around us if we care to observe it.  We have several police in our family and what you speak about is something they deal with night after night - two are admittedly in London but others are in the Midlands and Cornwall but report the same as the mainstay of their work.

 

 

Society may be to blame, up to a point, for a general fall in standards, but if people are dressing like this then should it not be up to P&O staff to enforce the dress code? 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Pine Man said:

I'm probably over reacting slightly BUT it's hard to overlook the drunkenness, fighting and people queuing for Club Dining in the evening wearing shorts and a T shirt!

 

I will probably go back to Aurora or Arcadia in future.

You don't get shorts and T shirts in freedom dining, so I have to assume that freedom is now the posh dining area.😁

[Pine Man]

In fairness I should have added that the (same) diner was turned away on both occasions.

[Megabear2]

9 minutes ago, Happy afloat said:

Society may be to blame, up to a point, for a general fall in standards, but if people are dressing like this then should it not be up to P&O staff to enforce the dress code? 

I love Britannia, she's my favourite ship in the P&O fleet and in 13 voyages on her I've rarely come across anyone in shorts in the main dining room.  If there are isolated incidents I've seen staff send those in shorts to the buffet.  

 

To be honest the standard of dress on P&O is much "posher" than on the American ships I've just enjoyed.  Society has changed when it comes to dressing and P&O are trying to accommodate everyone.

 

I'm more concerned by the talk of drunkenness and fighting.

[gsmt47471015]

10 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

Obviously you p&o can’t stop stupid people from cruising however it sounds like they should have handled it a different way

 

whats everyone suggesting then? Start pricing people out as p&o is definitely a budget cruise as I’ve looked at a lot now and they are still one of the cheapest for us and we are the family type that they are encouraging now. 
 

 

No problem with well behaved families , unfortunately an ever increasing number of parents appear to think ,right were on holiday and the kids can do what they want,  and they do, also have to add this is not just confined to P and O or cruise ships in particular but on other types of holiday too 

[Vampiress88]

1 hour ago, gsmt47471015 said:

No problem with well behaved families , unfortunately an ever increasing number of parents appear to think ,right were on holiday and the kids can do what they want,  and they do, also have to add this is not just confined to P and O or cruise ships in particular but on other types of holiday too 

yes I do get that. I get told that I am strict with my kids unfortunately but mine know how to behave (and do the majority of the time) 

My kids made friends with some girl at the kids club and I was annoyed really as she kept going on the stage and trying to encourage my youngest to do the same, she did the first time until she saw our faces and knew not to do it again. The same girl was with her mum when we all went to the kids buffet one night. Mine waited at the seats I put them in while I got dinner and unfortunately this girl was just running around everywhere getting a drink or some more food, not eating her dinner, food all over the floor. Her mother just pandered to her. 
When we are out I don’t even have to tell mine as they know if they acted like that they wouldn’t have been going to the kids club but straight back to the cabin to bed. 
 

I’ve said this before though I just don’t understand how people are bringing their kids up now, I’m 34 so I wouldn’t say I’m older than the other mums we are all about on par but my 6 year old tied her friends shoe laces cos he couldn’t. Or they say they don’t do their teeth or get dressed. Maybe I am strict but I’ve always had mine be as independent as possible and making sure they are well behaved. 
my 6 year old even made lunch today, she loved it. Me not so much crumbs from the bread everywhere. 
 

I don’t think it’s just holidays tbh, I think my generation and below dont teach the kids as much as we were taught when we were little with everything- like my niece didn’t get herself dressed till she was much older whereas mine did it from young age as we made it into a game etc. As much as I don’t like to call my generation I do think it’s the parents a lot of the time. 

[emam]

4 hours ago, Pine Man said:

In fairness I should have added that the (same) diner was turned away on both occasions.

 

It sounded like you were talking about a whole queue of people in shorts and T. shirt and that the crew just let them all in. One person out of over 3000 is pretty good going I would say. I have said it before I have seen disgraceful conduct to waiters by a man wearing a tux. Posh clothes don't always make you a better person.