AFTERNOON TEA

[Megabear2]

17 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

12 years for us, never been to tea dances, dancing lessons, only did one lecture and that was by Ian Ridpath which we enjoyed. We can’t miss what we have never partaken in. 
 

We try to book cruises with the minimal number of sea days, as we prefer to be visiting places rather than wandering around ship looking for something to do. On sea days we tend to sit on the balcony reading a book I have brought with me to pass the time between eating! Or find a quieter area on board to soak up the sun, (if it is warm that is), we don’t sit by the main pools generally as find it far too noisy. 

My husband likes the lectures and generally on Britannia at least we have been well served even post pandemic.  My only gripe on "entertainment" applies to all the cruise lines I've sailed on and that's spa and shops masquerading with so called free events which are in fact just hard sell.

[Denarius]

17 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

We’re all different, aren’t we. Never ever been to a tea dance - not even sure what one is. But the guest lecturers were one of the main attractions of cruising. I’d been trying to persuade a friend of mine to take it up for the ‘free’ cruises, but I doubt there’s much call for it now. 

I am with you on tea dances. I have sailed with P&O 34 times over a period of 25 years and do not recall one ever being held onboard.

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Denarius said:

I am with you on tea dances. I have sailed with P&O 34 times over a period of 25 years and do not recall one ever being held onboard.

 

I looked it up on Google to see what a tea dance was/is:

 

This might surprise a few older customers if they're not careful  😉   :

 

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by Harry Peterson

[happy v]

On 10/18/2022 at 12:19 PM, Adawn47 said:

I'm looking at this from a purely personal viewpoint zap, and things like afternoon tea, lectures, no live music for ballroom dancing etc wouldn't bother us at all. We enjoy lazy days reading or simply watching the ocean, leisurely meals with a bottle of wine, a drink or two in a bar before some evening entertainment and back to the cabin which has clean towels in the bathroom, we're  not bothered about the turndown or chocolates on pillow.  We don't ask a lot from our cruises, but if the simple things that, in our opinion make it restful and relaxing, are missing then we may as well look elsewhere.

The queues of people booking future cruises will have a different reason for cruising than we do, and are also probably a tad younger too.

Avril

If the above are your preferences I would say you would have a great cruise. Especially the leisurely meals😉!

Clean towels on an evening would not be a problem just let your steward know how many you need. I asked for an extra one as I have long hair. He left it every day after.

When are going?

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

 

I looked it up on Google to see what a tea dance was/is:

 

This might surprise a few older customers if they're not careful  😉   :

 

 

Perhaps these are the new Cunard passengers ... they frequently hold afternoon tea dances on their ships.

[JeanieC,Aston]

Returned from Britannia last Sunday,to people who say P&O lack entertainment.

Here is a list of performers for evening entertainment on that 14 nigh cruise.

Headliners Theatre Company.

Pulse party band.

Britannia orchestra.

George Wilding,,guitar,busker.

Michelle Farqhuarson,,singer

Micheal Wroblewski,,,pianist.

 

In the Limelight club….

4 Poofs & a piano.

Hayley Tamaddon.

Eric & Ern.

 

Guest Artists.

Neil Lockwood,,ex ELO lead singer after Jeff Lynne left.

Herbie Adams..comedian.

The Flyrights,,Soul and Motown.

Issy- Pearse - Higham….5’ rock singer.

Joe Little…comedian.

Andrew Browning,,,,George Micheal tribute.

Aaron Kavanagh..Elton John tribute….allegedly!!!
John Clegg,,comedy impressionist.

There was also ballroom dancing every night  with the dance hosts.

Edited October 19, 2022 by JeanieC,Aston

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Returned from Britannia last Sunday,to people who say P&O lack entertainment.

Here is a list of performers for evening entertainment on that 14 nigh cruise.

Headliners Theatre Company.

Pulse party band.

Britannia orchestra.

George Wilding,,guitar,busker.

Michelle Farqhuarson,,singer

Micheal Wroblewski,,,pianist.

 

In the Limelight club….

4 Poofs & a piano.

Hayley Tamaddon.

Eric & Ern.

 

Guest Artists.

Neil Lockwood,,ex ELO lead singer after Jeff Lynne left.

Herbie Adams..comedian.

The Flyrights,,Soul and Motown.

Issy- Pearse - Higham….5’ rock singer.

Joe Little…comedian.

Andrew Browning,,,,George Micheal tribute.

Aaron Kavanagh..Elton John tribute….allegedly!!!
John Clegg,,comedy impressionist.

There was also ballroom dancing every night  with the dance hosts.

We missed seeing a few,  the choice was excellent. We saw izzy in the headliner as Paloma Faith and in the Late lounge. Whoever booked all these acts should take some credit.

Edited October 19, 2022 by zap99

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, happy v said:

If the above are your preferences I would say you would have a great cruise. Especially the leisurely meals😉!

Clean towels on an evening would not be a problem just let your steward know how many you need. I asked for an extra one as I have long hair. He left it every day after.

When are going?

Not until December 2023, so plenty of time yet.

I should also add that we will be on Aurora, but any cutbacks will be fleet wide, so this thread is still relevant.

Avril

Edited October 19, 2022 by Adawn47
added text

[happy v]

3 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

Not until December 2023, so plenty of time yet.

I should also add that we will be on Aurora, but any cutbacks will be fleet wide, so this thread is still relevant.

Avril

I haven't been on Aurora yet, but would like to as I loved Oriana

[elmsliebev]

On 10/17/2022 at 6:54 PM, Denarius said:

Very true.

I have just returned from a cruise on Azura, my first P&O cruise since pre pandemic which was also on Azura. Was amazed by the cutbacks, inter alia

 

No afternoon tea

Greatly reduced menu and wine list in the MDR

No theme nights in the buffet

No evening turndown service

no toiletries in cabin

No deck buffets on sea days

No deck parties

No speciality buffets -Neptune's, chocaholics etc

No in cabin port information. No port lecturer

No photographers (a blessing!)

Reduced number of entertainers - just one band (Pulse, excellent), a singer/guitarist Maddison (also excellent), a female solo singer and a coctail pianist. Plus of course the Headliners and a couple of cabaret artist. Increased use of recorded music in Manhatten etc

 

In addition to which:

the Glass house was mainly marketed as a restaurant, with all entrances apart from one roped off and a reception desk - "wait to be seated" - on the remaining one and closing at 10pm.

Brodies was dominated many evenings by football on TV

Ballroom dancing to recorded music every evening in the atrium, no  live band.

 

Very much no frills cruising.

 

no toiletries in cabins? Not even basic shower gel/shampoo? We were on Cunard in July/Aug and had to ask for soap, cotton buds etc but even Premier Inn has shower gel & shampoo!

[Harry Peterson]

13 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

no toiletries in cabins? Not even basic shower gel/shampoo? We were on Cunard in July/Aug and had to ask for soap, cotton buds etc but even Premier Inn has shower gel & shampoo!

Presumably just the standard pump containers on the wall.

[elmsliebev]

7 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Presumably just the standard pump containers on the wall.

thanks, that'll do us. I can for other stuff or take my own. 

[Harry Peterson]

58 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

thanks, that'll do us. I can for other stuff or take my own. 

It's perfectly OK - the same stuff you'd get in little bottles. You won't have a problem with it.  🙂

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Presumably just the standard pump containers on the wall.

Shower gel and shampoo in pump bottles in the shower and a couple of bars of soap for the washbasin. We took a small bottle of conditioner. Pinched it from the Melia in Lanzarote. We also took a couple of small bottles of sanitizer. Pinched those from Celebrity.🤣

Edited October 19, 2022 by zap99

[TigerB]

As zap99 says, gel & shampoo pumps in the shower area and soap bars for the sink. It is White Company. If you ask your cabin steward they should give you a 150ml bottle of hand & body lotion, also White Company; I think they put them in the suites. 

Edited October 19, 2022 by TigerB

[devonuk]

I’m on the Ventura next week and we received an email warning us in advance of staffing issues and longer waits for service in some bars etc. It’s half term so I guess it’s going to pretty busy on board 😳

[Tablelamp]

I have heard that you can no longer order fresh coffee to be delivered to your cabin early am.  I am one of those people who do not leave the cabin before coffee in the mornings and absolutely hate instant coffee. I wonder if the cabin steward would give me a small coffee pot so that I can at least make my own with supplies which I will take with me.

[Harry Peterson]

29 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I have heard that you can no longer order fresh coffee to be delivered to your cabin early am.  I am one of those people who do not leave the cabin before coffee in the mornings and absolutely hate instant coffee. I wonder if the cabin steward would give me a small coffee pot so that I can at least make my own with supplies which I will take with me.

Not sure about that one, but there are pod coffee machines in suites - or maybe consider taking an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker?

[Snow Hill]

38 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I have heard that you can no longer order fresh coffee to be delivered to your cabin early am.  I am one of those people who do not leave the cabin before coffee in the mornings and absolutely hate instant coffee. I wonder if the cabin steward would give me a small coffee pot so that I can at least make my own with supplies which I will take with me.

Why not get yourself a metal cafetière in which to brew your own fresh coffee.

[Tablelamp]

Re the metal cafetière.  I have exactly the same one as shown in your photo.  Unfortunately, as I have to fly to Southampton, I need to watch the weight of my luggage.

[Selbourne]

I am no expert on coffee (hardly touch it - big tea drinker), but there was a regular advert on TV recently for a new brand of coffee that is supposedly ground coffee that you can make in the same way as instant, with none of the faff of a cafetière etc. I have no idea whether it is any good and lives up to the hype, but it strikes me that this could be a simple solution?

[yorkshirephil]

5 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I am no expert on coffee (hardly touch it - big tea drinker), but there was a regular advert on TV recently for a new brand of coffee that is supposedly ground coffee that you can make in the same way as instant, with none of the faff of a cafetière etc. I have no idea whether it is any good and lives up to the hype, but it strikes me that this could be a simple solution?

Coffee bags work for me, not perfect but better than instant.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Tablelamp said:

I have heard that you can no longer order fresh coffee to be delivered to your cabin early am.

I thought that had been the case since pre Covid times. 

[Fionboard]

Coffee provided in cabins is awful. I take Nescafe sachets of cappachino which are quite nice and light to pack. Also take my own biscuits. Morning culpa sorted!

[Tablelamp]

I think I will resort to coffee bags which I can order from A……..and have delivered to a friend of mine who lives in Southampton.  No perfect but MUCH better than the Nescafé sachets.