Food and dining on P&O ships

[snaefell]

35 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I know this is largely me, but I can't get impressed by a steak restaurant.  If I want one, there are four or five within a ten mile drive from where I live, and many other people will be in the same situation.

I can get a steak on board?  Yawn, quite frankly.  Give me something that takes time and skill to prepare and is visually striking.   I want things where people have to train for a year or more to reach the standard to prepare it, not a day or two.  Things that would push my ability to cook it for myself.

Something else that will bore the pants off you too then, this evening we had a BBQ by the Neptune Pool,not challenging cooking wise but for the more simple of us it made a nice change & was fun,just what we look for on any holiday!👍

[WestonOne]

20 minutes ago, snaefell said:

Something else that will bore the pants off you too then, this evening we had a BBQ by the Neptune Pool,not challenging cooking wise but for the more simple of us it made a nice change & was fun,just what we look for on any holiday!👍

Well I have had some fun BBQs and similar on P+O.  One especially memorable one was when they had curry on deck when the wind was quite high.  Every time they cooked a poppadom it played frisbee and we all watched each and every one fly over the side ..

 

More generally, in my ideal world  a speciality restaurant would be somewhere a person might go to propose, or celebrate a 25 year anniversary, or take an important business client.  Epicurean is closest to that on P+O.  A restuarant we went on Celebrity in about 2000 was even closer.

 

Most cruise lines use a different definition: "only'.  So you get the Quays where the sections only serve fish and chips, or southern fried chicken.  They are fine for what they are, and I can enjoy them. But they do not reach that threshold of 'special' as I would use it.

 

We do cruise, though, and are on Arcadia in around a month, as I said.  But we won't bother with Oceans.

Edited May 21, 2023 by WestonOne

[Froxfield]

On 5/20/2023 at 5:11 PM, AnnieC said:

Gosh, that's an odd one; Cunard usually get excellent speakers: once went to one by Sir David Frost who was, of course, hugely entertaining and Lord Digby Jones also superb - QV theatre jam packed for every lecture. The low point was Clare Balding, just about the worst speaker I've heard on any cruise line (subjective opinion, of course). Her ubiquitiousness (is that even a word? Where's wowzz when you need him?) has been a mystery to me ever since.

We enjoyed Clare Balding very much and she is very far from the worst speaker we have had on a cruise!! (subjective opinion of course). Her frequent appearances on television are likely down to her undoubted competence and professionalism in a wide variety of topics. Except line dancing as observed in Queen's Room on QE and as she admitted on stage!

[AnnieC]

5 minutes ago, Froxfield said:

We enjoyed Clare Balding very much and she is very far from the worst speaker we have had on a cruise!! (subjective opinion of course). Her frequent appearances on television are likely down to her undoubted competence and professionalism in a wide variety of topics. Except line dancing as observed in Queen's Room on QE and as she admitted on stage!

Isn't it wonderful that there's something/someone for everyone.😊 

[snaefell]

12 hours ago, WestonOne said:

Well I have had some fun BBQs and similar on P+O.  One especially memorable one was when they had curry on deck when the wind was quite high.  Every time they cooked a poppadom it played frisbee and we all watched each and every one fly over the side ..

 

More generally, in my ideal world  a speciality restaurant would be somewhere a person might go to propose, or celebrate a 25 year anniversary, or take an important business client.  Epicurean is closest to that on P+O.  A restuarant we went on Celebrity in about 2000 was even closer.

 

Most cruise lines use a different definition: "only'.  So you get the Quays where the sections only serve fish and chips, or southern fried chicken.  They are fine for what they are, and I can enjoy them. But they do not reach that threshold of 'special' as I would use it.

 

We do cruise, though, and are on Arcadia in around a month, as I said.  But we won't bother with Oceans.

I didn't think proposing to someone was a good idea,I think my Wife might object!

 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, snaefell said:

I didn't think proposing to someone was a good idea,I think my Wife might object!

 

Some may think that the proposal itself is pretty special and not be to bothered about the food.😁

[WestonOne]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

Some may think that the proposal itself is pretty special and not be to bothered about the food.😁

Not so sure.  I think most people intending to propose would not pick a burger bar or fish-and-chip joint. (Quays)

[Megabear2]

35 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Not so sure.  I think most people intending to propose would not pick a burger bar or fish-and-chip joint. (Quays)

Ask ICF, you never know he might spot someone on Arvia while eating his deserts

 

[terrierjohn]

On 5/22/2023 at 1:02 PM, Megabear2 said:

Ask ICF, you never know he might spot someone on Arvia while eating his deserts

 

Would that be his Just Deserts?

[mandymac]

Hi we were on Arvia for Easter cruise and pre booked mdr olive grove and sixth st diner for 6;30 or before, can we book for 7;45 every night on my holiday app if we are quick enough when we board. I should have really payed attention and looked but i didnt as we were already booked. 

 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, mandymac said:

Hi we were on Arvia for Easter cruise and pre booked mdr olive grove and sixth st diner for 6;30 or before, can we book for 7;45 every night on my holiday app if we are quick enough when we board. I should have really payed attention and looked but i didnt as we were already booked. 

 

The whole idea of Freedom Dining (which is the only MDR option on Iona and Arvia) is that nobody pre-books and you just enter a queue (virtual or physical) when you want to dine. However, P&O have introduced a hybrid system on Arvia (not sure about Iona - someone else will confirm) where you can pre-book the MDR, but only at very early times - the idea being to encourage people to dine at the less popular times (very early), thus easing pressure off the more popular times. So, even if Iona has the same system (which I hope it doesn’t, as it defeats the whole object of Freedom Dining IMHO) then I don’t believe that you can book later times such as 7.45pm. Iona doesn’t have a 6th St Diner, but Olive Grove is an extra cost speciality restaurant on Iona, so you should be able to book the latter. 

[TigerB]

3 hours ago, mandymac said:

Hi we were on Arvia for Easter cruise and pre booked mdr olive grove and sixth st diner for 6;30 or before, can we book for 7;45 every night on my holiday app if we are quick enough when we board. I should have really payed attention and looked but i didnt as we were already booked. 

 

 

Further to Selbourne's post, I can confirm from experience that it will still be the early slots only that are available on the My Holiday app. For anything later than 18:30 you will have join the virtual queue, which opens at that time, or attend the restaurant and join the physical queue. If you choose to share a table then you are likely to get in sooner.

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

but Olive Grove is an extra cost speciality restaurant on Iona, so you should be able to book the latter. 

 

Not to be pedantic Selbourne (but then he is), Olive Grove on Iona is classed by P&O as an included restaurant in which you can eat a full meal without putting your hand in your pocket. It's just a few dishes that carry a surcharge.

(Pedant mode off)

[Selbourne]

5 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

Not to be pedantic Selbourne (but then he is), Olive Grove on Iona is classed by P&O as an included restaurant in which you can eat a full meal without putting your hand in your pocket. It's just a few dishes that carry a surcharge.

(Pedant mode off)

Thanks. That’s interesting. I thought (obviously incorrectly) that Olive Grove was free on Arvia (due to the fact that she only has 2 x MDRs, which causes capacity problems, especially on formal nights), but an extra cost speciality restaurant on Iona (which has 4 x MDRs, so doesn’t experience the same problems as Arvia). 
 

If it’s an included restaurant, can you pre-book Olive Grove in the 2 week Pre-boarding window, or is it only bookable on the day via the virtual queue? P.S. Pedantic is fine. It’s important to be accurate 😉 

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks. That’s interesting. I thought (obviously incorrectly) that Olive Grove was free on Arvia (due to the fact that she only has 2 x MDRs, which causes capacity problems, especially on formal nights), but an extra cost speciality restaurant on Iona (which has 4 x MDRs, so doesn’t experience the same problems as Arvia). 
 

If it’s an included restaurant, can you pre-book Olive Grove in the 2 week Pre-boarding window, or is it only bookable on the day via the virtual queue? P.S. Pedantic is fine. It’s important to be accurate 😉 

 

We weren't keen when we ate in there on Arvia, but that was mainly down to the menu. I understand the one on Iona is a different experience, with a different menu. Perhaps folk may steer away from it because it charges for some dishes.

I'll find out about the pre-booking after ours opens at the weekend.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks. That’s interesting. I thought (obviously incorrectly) that Olive Grove was free on Arvia (due to the fact that she only has 2 x MDRs, which causes capacity problems, especially on formal nights), but an extra cost speciality restaurant on Iona (which has 4 x MDRs, so doesn’t experience the same problems as Arvia). 
 

If it’s an included restaurant, can you pre-book Olive Grove in the 2 week Pre-boarding window, or is it only bookable on the day via the virtual queue? P.S. Pedantic is fine. It’s important to be accurate 😉 

I dont think that the Olive grove opens for pre booking, but once on board you can book it for anytime  and not just early times like the MDR,it also sometimes opens up a virtual queue, and you can go to the desk to see if it's available.

[TigerB]

Just now, terrierjohn said:

I dont think that the Olive grove opens for pre booking, but once on board you can book it for anytime  and not just early times like the MDR,it also sometimes opens up a virtual queue, and you can go to the desk to see if it's available.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Olive Grove on Iona open from lunchtime onwards? I may have dreamt that.

[Selbourne]

14 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

We weren't keen when we ate in there on Arvia, but that was mainly down to the menu. I understand the one on Iona is a different experience, with a different menu. Perhaps folk may steer away from it because it charges for some dishes.

I'll find out about the pre-booking after ours opens at the weekend.

That would be great. Many thanks. We intend to try it. Seems to get mostly good reviews and the food choice is a welcome change from the usual MDR menus. It is my understanding that it is open from lunchtime on Iona.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Selbourne

[Leomins]

1 minute ago, TigerB said:

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Olive Grove on Iona open from lunchtime onwards? I may have dreamt that.

Yes, it does. We were able to pre-book this restaurant from home but reading this forum, this seems to change every cruise! 

[terrierjohn]

5 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Olive Grove on Iona open from lunchtime onwards? I may have dreamt that.

Yes it does, but not sure about embarkation day.

[Megabear2]

The Olive Grove on Arvia is proving very popular and elusive.  You can book.dinner on the app.or from home between 5.30 and 6.30 - anything after 6.00pm is difficult.  I ate there first night which was excellent and have been trying unsuccessfully to get back in since.  It is possible to share a table in there but even that has been elusive.  However I've succeeded for tomorrow evening albeit at 5.45pm.  Screenshot showing opening time of queue  today attached.

 

Celebration Nights the Olive Grove doesn't offer it's own menu but becomes an overflow main restaurant.  I have had absolutely no problems moving and changing venues for dining in the run up to 6.30.However.im just a single happy to share so can generally slot in.  Others I speak with have had problems particularly on celebration night.

 

Had a very interesting chat with the maitre d at Zenith the other morning, just a friendly one when he asked how I find the dining experience. I mentioned lack of coffee being offered at dinner and people asking for it rather than it being offered.  He told me that it is to assist table turnaround. He explained the early diners tend to be booked for 8.30 theatre and as such they take an extremely leisurely approach to dinner, often 2 hours or more.  This can cause a build up in the app queue and people are therefore left waiting for very long periods while us early diners enjoy our chats over coffee!

 

It's an interesting point, certainly something I'm.now very aware of.  One of the couple's I had breakfast with this morning have just told me they have rebooked for 6.15 in Zenith for the next Celebration Night to avoid what happ6last week when they joined the app at 7.15 but were not seated until 8.50.  They also made a good point that those who were supposed to.show people to tables were stood twiddling thumbs rather than being utilised to clear tables - the latter does seem to happen quite slowly.

[happy v]

You can not book MDR or Olive Grove before boarding on Iona. On board, join the app for MDR and book Olive Grove on the day. It does open from 12pm. I personally think it is a day restaurant rather than evening.

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, happy v said:

You can not book MDR or Olive Grove before boarding on Iona. On board, join the app for MDR and book Olive Grove on the day. It does open from 12pm. I personally think it is a day restaurant rather than evening.

That’s extremely helpful. Thanks. Might try it for lunch rather than dinner. 

[Megabear2]

12 minutes ago, happy v said:

You can not book MDR or Olive Grove before boarding on Iona. On board, join the app for MDR and book Olive Grove on the day. It does open from 12pm. I personally think it is a day restaurant rather than evening.

This indicates then that Iona doesn't have the same pressures for non paid for dining if I'm reading this right.  Arvia having less MDR's seems heavily reliant on the early dining crowd.  Although not huge there are queues most evenings and checking the diner and Olive Grove they also seem to average 25-30 queing at 7.15pm which is only slightly less than Meridian and Zenith.  The queues for the latter seem to move more quickly than Meridian for some reason.

[TigerB]

58 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That’s extremely helpful. Thanks. Might try it for lunch rather than dinner. 

 

I think we do so also, on one of the sea days.