Food and dining on P&O ships

[Londonpride]

Thank you both so much for the links, both of which are very informative and a pleasure to read.

[awjsompting]

On 1/21/2023 at 6:10 PM, Tablelamp said:

Club dining is on Aurora, Arcadia, Azura and Ventura.   (Don’t know about Britannia). First sitting is at 6 or 6.30 (cannot remember which). 2nd sitting is 8.30.   There is no queuing, but you MUST turn up at your allocated time.  You choose your size of table When you book or soon after.

When I was on Brittania last Spring one of the 3 MDRs had C,ub  dining with the other 2 being Freedom dining.

Alun

[purplesea]

We were on Brtiannia in September and it was one MDR, The Oriental, with fixed dining at 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm with a 15 minute window for late arrivals before doors closed. Freedom dining was in the Peninsula and Meridian MDRs.

[m011d402]

Hi Everyone

 

Such a great forum this. Question re the Glass House on Britannia. I like the sound of the food and the wine flights. Could we go here for lunch and just have a wine flight? Do we need to book and is there any kind of dress code at lunch?

 

Also wondering is this an adult only venue or can well behaved kids sit down?

 

Many Thanks

[AndyMichelle]

Fine for lunch, fine for drinks only and I believe kids are welcome, definitely seen teenagers in there. 

The dessert flights are definitely worth trying. 

Andy

 

[m011d402]

11 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Fine for lunch, fine for drinks only and I believe kids are welcome, definitely seen teenagers in there. 

The dessert flights are definitely worth trying. 

Andy

 

Great thanks for this can you just turn up?

[AndyMichelle]

1 hour ago, m011d402 said:

Great thanks for this can you just turn up?

For drinks you can. The app was being used for dining for the evening and was very busy at peak times,, but we managed to get in twice. 

Definitely worth the visit. 

Andy 

 

[smj777]

If you can't get in via the app. just turn up at the desk and they'll try to fit you in although you may have to wait.

[m011d402]

Just now, smj777 said:

If you can't get in via the app. just turn up at the desk and they'll try to fit you in although you may have to wait.

Thanks does the app open booking each morning or something similar?

[Cathygh]

I think the app  opens at 6pm for dining. You can't book a time, you can only join a virtual queue. 

You can still turn up but there might not be any tables available.

For drinks, just turn up.

 

[Snibs]

Kids are welcome in the Glass House (not may places where they are not on Britannia)

[Longnails]

Hi, for the first time I am cruising in a party of 7 on Iona, and I understand that you can only pre-book tables for up to 6 in the specialty restaurants 2 two weeks before sailing.

I would like to book a couple of the restaurants before boarding so I wonder has anybody done this before and what they have done?  
I was thinking I would need to book a table of 4 and then a table of 3 on 2 different bookings and then get them merged once on-board, have people don't this?

I don't want to wait until after boarding as I went on Arvia last year and found that a lot was already booked up when we got on.

Thanks 

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Longnails said:

Hi, for the first time I am cruising in a party of 7 on Iona, and I understand that you can only pre-book tables for up to 6 in the specialty restaurants 2 two weeks before sailing.

I would like to book a couple of the restaurants before boarding so I wonder has anybody done this before and what they have done?  
I was thinking I would need to book a table of 4 and then a table of 3 on 2 different bookings and then get them merged once on-board, have people don't this?

I don't want to wait until after boarding as I went on Arvia last year and found that a lot was already booked up when we got on.

Thanks 

On 2 occasions in Epicurean in the last 2 weeks during our cruise on Iona the crew pushed tables together to accommodate 8 passengers.

The  restaurant manager was excellent and would help you if you called in beforehand.

 

[john watson]

I think your idea of booking  4 and a 3 place table seems logical do do asap. Once on board have a word with restaurant manager as they can probably move bookings about and get you adjacent tables then move them a bit.

 

Regards John

[TigerB]

As @john watson has advised, book two tables before cruising and visit the restaurant(s) as soon as you are able to.  This way you will also benefit from the 20% discount and any additional Peninsula discount.

[Cathygh]

We tried to do this for Sindhu in May on Iona last year. 8 of us. It was a surprise for my husband's big birthday.The restaurant manager at the time was very unhelpful. We wanted to eat at 7.30 and we had prebooked 2 tables of 4 but could not get the same times. They were 15 minutes apart. We were told they could not merge the bookings and that the maximum size was 6. Then they offered a table at 6pm No way was DH going to eat at 6pm. We came to a compromise. As long as someone was seated at the table by 6.30 they would hold it until the rest came at 7.15. They didn't put us in the main restaurant but in the bit btween the restaurant and the kitchin. Not happy. I complained to shoreside who actually said they didn't know why the MD had done that!

Anyway, hopefully this issue has been sorted and I hiope you are able to get a table together. Why P&O ever tjought theu only needed table for a max of 6 on a familyship which attracts large family groups I don't know!

[Warrior85]

We are travelling with our friends on Ventura in October and there'll be 8 of us in total.

 

They are on a separate booking to us, is it possible for us to all to sit together in the MDRs by the virtual queue or would it be a case of turning up and hoping for the best?

[EM35]

I've never done it, and don't know if it still stands on all ships, but for my upcoming Iona cruise the 'holiday checklist' email they send says you can link your booking with your travelling group via the Contact Centre. I assume his would then help with bookings in the MDR etc. 

[Warrior85]

5 minutes ago, EM35 said:

I've never done it, and don't know if it still stands on all ships, but for my upcoming Iona cruise the 'holiday checklist' email they send says you can link your booking with your travelling group via the Contact Centre. I assume his would then help with bookings in the MDR etc. 

Thanks, that's handy to know

[Bigboybaz]

Me and my wife are booked on a cruise on Arvia in May and will be joined by 2 of our friends. So we have booked under the Select option and they have not.

 

Its our first time on a P&O cruise and are not really sure what this will mean when it comes to dining times or choices of restaurants? Or does it really make no difference at all?

 

Thanks in advance.

[pete14]

7 minutes ago, Bigboybaz said:

Me and my wife are booked on a cruise on Arvia in May and will be joined by 2 of our friends. So we have booked under the Select option and they have not.

 

Its our first time on a P&O cruise and are not really sure what this will mean when it comes to dining times or choices of restaurants? Or does it really make no difference at all?

 

Thanks in advance.

As Arvia is freedom dining only, I don’t suppose it makes any difference at all. 

[TigerB]

It's freedom dining on Arvia so will not make any difference; you will all be able to dine together subject to you requesting a suitable table.

[Waju]

Although I’ve not been on Arvia, the main difference between select and saver fares as far as dining arrangements are concerned,  is that saver fare dining time is 1st or 2nd sitting and us chosen for you by P&O whereas select fare gets freedom dining.  As Arvia is all freedom dining it doesn’t really matter!

If you visit a port that has a shuttle bus the select fare payer will use it free of charge but the saver fare payer will have to pay for it,

[terrierjohn]

13 minutes ago, Bigboybaz said:

Me and my wife are booked on a cruise on Arvia in May and will be joined by 2 of our friends. So we have booked under the Select option and they have not.

 

Its our first time on a P&O cruise and are not really sure what this will mean when it comes to dining times or choices of restaurants? Or does it really make no difference at all?

 

Thanks in advance.

It makes no difference to dining, but will mean paying for any shuttles which is not a significant cost, but the main concern is that cabin choice is with P&O and not the passenger.

[pete14]

34 minutes ago, Waju said:

Although I’ve not been on Arvia, the main difference between select and saver fares as far as dining arrangements are concerned,  is that saver fare dining time is 1st or 2nd sitting and us chosen for you by P&O whereas select fare gets freedom dining.  As Arvia is all freedom dining it doesn’t really matter!

If you visit a port that has a shuttle bus the select fare payer will use it free of charge but the saver fare payer will have to pay for it,

Although correct about Arvia, your comment about select and saver is incorrect. On ships apart from Arvia and Iona, booking Select fare gives you the choice between fixed dining on first or second sitting or freedom dining. On Saver fare, P&O allocate which you get and there is no choice.