Woo Hoo... Britannia day today...

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

I’ve seen Americans having Cheese Plate for starter,,,it’s quite common.

 

As for coffee I always ask for my Macchiato be served with my Cheese & Biscuits.

I've met lots of lovely Americans but some do have funny ways.

We all have our own tastes of course but I prefer a 🍷 with my cheese and biscuits 😀.

[AndyMichelle]

That's us back in Southampton. 😒

I will summarise properly later but a couple of quick things for Selborne mainly. 

Wine orders were taken quickly and delivered promptly. 

We went back to the mdr for the last 2 nights and it was much better, still efficient, but a bit more accommodating. 

Ice buckets were available to some, I think it is another thing you now have to ask for. 

No problem to order your desserts later. OK to have cheese plate after dessert as well. No issues to have 2 starters, 2 puddings and cheese... Yes, I did😂

A surprise as when we asked if we could order dessert later earlier in the week, the waiter just said 'so you don't want dessert then'... 

Have a great cruise Selborne & Dai, I think your experience will be completely different to ours as not so many party people on a 2 week cruise I guess. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

That's us back in Southampton. 😒

I will summarise properly later but a couple of quick things for Selborne mainly. 

Wine orders were taken quickly and delivered promptly. 

We went back to the mdr for the last 2 nights and it was much better, still efficient, but a bit more accommodating. 

Ice buckets were available to some, I think it is another thing you now have to ask for. 

No problem to order your desserts later. OK to have cheese plate after dessert as well. No issues to have 2 starters, 2 puddings and cheese... Yes, I did😂

A surprise as when we asked if we could order dessert later earlier in the week, the waiter just said 'so you don't want dessert then'... 

Have a great cruise Selborne & Dai, I think your experience will be completely different to ours as not so many party people on a 2 week cruise I guess. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

Many thanks Andy. I have really appreciated all your useful tips which we shall certainly deploy! I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cruise, in spite of the things that were below par. We shall be leaving in an hour or so and, like you, will make the most of it, having managed our expectations accordingly! Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises! I would wish you a safe journey home, but know that you live in Southampton, so welcome home!

[kalos]

12 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

 

If you and your good lady left the ship happy with a smile on your faces 🙂

 

Pleased for you both 

[Beckett]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Many thanks Andy. I have really appreciated all your useful tips which we shall certainly deploy! I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cruise, in spite of the things that were below par. We shall be leaving in an hour or so and, like you, will make the most of it, having managed our expectations accordingly! Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises! I would wish you a safe journey home, but know that you live in Southampton, so welcome home!

Have a great cruise Selbourne and Mrs Selbourne. Armed with your previous knowledge and Andy's tips I hope you have a problem- free time. Enjoy it and we'lll look forward to your report.

Best wishes. Jane xx

[Beckett]

23 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

That's us back in Southampton. 😒

I will summarise properly later but a couple of quick things for Selborne mainly. 

Wine orders were taken quickly and delivered promptly. 

We went back to the mdr for the last 2 nights and it was much better, still efficient, but a bit more accommodating. 

Ice buckets were available to some, I think it is another thing you now have to ask for. 

No problem to order your desserts later. OK to have cheese plate after dessert as well. No issues to have 2 starters, 2 puddings and cheese... Yes, I did😂

A surprise as when we asked if we could order dessert later earlier in the week, the waiter just said 'so you don't want dessert then'... 

Have a great cruise Selborne & Dai, I think your experience will be completely different to ours as not so many party people on a 2 week cruise I guess. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

Welcome home both! Jane xx

[Josy1953]

Welcome back Andy and Michelle.  It is good to hear that you first cruise back has gone well.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Many thanks Andy. I have really appreciated all your useful tips which we shall certainly deploy! I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cruise, in spite of the things that were below par. We shall be leaving in an hour or so and, like you, will make the most of it, having managed our expectations accordingly! Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises! I would wish you a safe journey home, but know that you live in Southampton, so welcome home!

Bon voyage both. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

That's us back in Southampton. 😒

I will summarise properly later but a couple of quick things for Selborne mainly. 

Wine orders were taken quickly and delivered promptly. 

We went back to the mdr for the last 2 nights and it was much better, still efficient, but a bit more accommodating. 

Ice buckets were available to some, I think it is another thing you now have to ask for. 

No problem to order your desserts later. OK to have cheese plate after dessert as well. No issues to have 2 starters, 2 puddings and cheese... Yes, I did😂

A surprise as when we asked if we could order dessert later earlier in the week, the waiter just said 'so you don't want dessert then'... 

Have a great cruise Selborne & Dai, I think your experience will be completely different to ours as not so many party people on a 2 week cruise I guess. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

So pleased to hear that you had a good cruise.

[Angel57]

@Selbourne - I hope you both have a great cruise. It is certainly a beautiful day for a sailaway with a Peller Ice in hand!

 

[P&O SUE]

Glad to hear you had a great time / thanks for your reports and I hope Selbourne has a lovely time too.

 

Andy, will you be booking another one now?

[AndyMichelle]

45 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

 

 

Andy, will you be booking another one now?

Oh definitely Sue. 

We just might need to decide whether we look at adults only again, plan dates/itinerary a bit better or embrace the changes and 'go BIG'... 

Our biggest issue was, despite being aware of a lot of the changes, we didn't realise how much some of them could affect our experience. 

I mean, whoever made the decision to drop Peroni needs firing immediately😂

Overall, it was great to be back cruising. 

Andy 

[daiB]

7 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Many thanks Andy. I have really appreciated all your useful tips which we shall certainly deploy! I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cruise, in spite of the things that were below par. We shall be leaving in an hour or so and, like you, will make the most of it, having managed our expectations accordingly! Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises! I would wish you a safe journey home, but know that you live in Southampton, so welcome home!

I hope we find each other sooner than we found Andy and Michelle. Glasshouse bar 19.00 till 20.30 Casino from 22.30. 😎

[AndyMichelle]

16 minutes ago, daiB said:

I hope we find each other sooner than we found Andy and Michelle. Glasshouse bar 19.00 till 20.30 Casino from 22.30. 😎

Yes, sorry Dai, our diaries seemed to clash... 😊

Have a great time, wish we were travelling with you. 

Andy 

[Sarah1974]

@AndyMichelle - just found and read your blog.  Belated Happy Birthday to Michelle.

 

Thank you for sharing the good and the not so good; I've enjoyed reading your balanced review

[grapau27]

8 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

That's us back in Southampton. 😒

I will summarise properly later but a couple of quick things for Selborne mainly. 

Wine orders were taken quickly and delivered promptly. 

We went back to the mdr for the last 2 nights and it was much better, still efficient, but a bit more accommodating. 

Ice buckets were available to some, I think it is another thing you now have to ask for. 

No problem to order your desserts later. OK to have cheese plate after dessert as well. No issues to have 2 starters, 2 puddings and cheese... Yes, I did😂

A surprise as when we asked if we could order dessert later earlier in the week, the waiter just said 'so you don't want dessert then'... 

Have a great cruise Selborne & Dai, I think your experience will be completely different to ours as not so many party people on a 2 week cruise I guess. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time, everything seemed to settle down after the first couple of days and there was a great atmosphere on board at the end. 

Andy 

Pleased to hear you had a fantastic time Andy.

Looking forward to your cruise summary.

Graham.

[AndyMichelle]

So, that went quick... 

Just a quick summary of what we found, good and bad. 

Please remember these are our experiences and we are fully aware others, even on the same cruise, would have found things different. 

Embarkation was extremely easy for us, but just got lucky. Arrived very early planning to go off for lunch after dropping our bags off and were waved straight through. Within 20 minutes of arrival, we were in the Glasshouse, which handily was our muster point. 

Muster was easy, just scan your cruise card and watch the demo on the telly in your cabin. 

Our cabin was very clean, and kept this way by our stealth like steward who we barely saw but would have the room spotless by the time we returned from breakfast. Clean towels were supplied whenever we wanted them. 

We stayed in the same cabin in 2015 and 2018 and the only real sign of deterioration was the balcony furniture, which just had some flaky paint, but was still clean and useable. 

We had soap but no biscuits or water. Not an issue for us, thanks to this forum, we went prepared. 

Flannels were available, but like a lot of things on this cruise, you now have to ask for them. 

The ship was spotless, cleaners were everywhere and we didn't see any evidence of tables being left dirty etc. 

The ship was full, but this may have been down to the very cheap prices offered just after final payments. We heard one guy bragging he and his mates paid £300 each to share a cabin for 7 nights, 'cheaper than Benidorm' was his cry!!!

Two thirds of the passengers on board were first time cruisers. 

After a rocky first couple of days, where the atmosphere amongst the passengers was spiky, everything seemed to settle down and we all found a way of enjoying our holidays without upsetting others. 

By the end, the atmosphere on board was great and the constant queue at the future cruise desks seem to say lots of others will be coming back soon. 

The buffet was very busy, but seemed to have a good choice of food. Thanks to the excellent staff, there was always somewhere to sit. We avoided the buffet as much as possible though, solely down to other passengers lack of hygiene and respect for their fellow guests and crew. 

Also, I thought us Brits were good at queuing... The amount of people who just walked to the front of long queues was astonishing. 

The first 2 nights in the mdr were very disappointing, but the last 2 nights were good. Breakfast and lunch in the Peninsula was constantly good.

The vibe has changed from previous years and the service is quite rushed, even on fixed dining 2nd sitting. We learnt that if you fight back a bit, they will let you enjoy your meal at a bit more of a leisurely pace, but you really are encouraged to get out ASAP. 

The theme of having to ask for everything continues, no sauces offered, no water refills, no extra bread, no coffee refills etc, unless you ask... 

The food was hit and miss, Michelle had 2 inedible meals on the first 2 nights, mine were fantastic. 

The Epicurean was a let down for us, but I know others loved it. 

The Glasshouse was great, but the booking system was causing arguments. 

The App is a bit of a sore point, you are encouraged to use it then penalised for doing so as walk ups would be given priority...Just not fair. 

The crew were very hard working and efficient all around the ship, polite but not overly friendly. 

We spoke to a waiter who we had met previously on Aurora. He said things have changed so much for the crew since lock down, they now just keep their heads down and do their jobs. 

Most of the entertainment was really good, although we didn't like the headliners, but others said they were great. 

Pulse were exceptional, a real party band with 2 great vocalists. 

In summary, as we have always known, P&O are far from perfect, but have always suited us. They still do, but we might need to be a bit more cautious when booking on dates and ship etc. 

We paid select fair, but only really got the cabin we wanted as a benefit. The massive difference in price now makes me wonder if saver is the way to go and have 3 cruises for the price we paid... 

Things we missed... Peroni, Raspberry creme brulee, planters punch, prawn cocktail, salmon, sundaes. 

We tried a lot of the gf, v, vegan, ls desserts, most of them were pretty poor compared to their traditional counterparts. 

Chick pea meringue and rice pudding with almond milk etc just don't compare, and don't get me started on the custard... 

Andy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrsgoggins]

We took an Iona cruise in March and met quite a few who had paid very little for their 2-week Canaries cruise, one telling me he could eat more food than the £50 a day he had paid. The plates of food we had seen put before him, substantiated his claim 😄. 

 

Good for them - really, no green eyes here - but it is just one of the things that make me consider carefully, whether I would book with P&O in the future, especially as there is often such a large difference between select and saver fares.

 

I enjoyed your review very much and thought it was very balanced. I'm just sorry that your Epicurean visit was such a disappointment as we enjoyed it very much on our 4 visits on our recent Ventura cruise. Well once DH had decided they could not do a rare steak and settled for fish!

 

Happy to read that things settled down and you both found much to enjoy.  I've booked QM2 for my next birthday, (4th July and it will be our golden wedding anniversary the following day) and I'm hoping we enjoy it from the very start (first with Cunard) with no 'settling down' of other passengers necessary 😉.

[AndyMichelle]

16 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

We took an Iona cruise in March and met quite a few who had paid very little for their 2-week Canaries cruise, one telling me he could eat more food than the £50 a day he had paid. The plates of food we had seen put before him, substantiated his claim 😄. 

 

Good for them - really, no green eyes here - but it is just one of the things that make me consider carefully, whether I would book with P&O in the future, especially as there is often such a large difference between select and saver fares.

 

I enjoyed your review very much and thought it was very balanced. I'm just sorry that your Epicurean visit was such a disappointment as we enjoyed it very much on our 4 visits on our recent Ventura cruise. Well once DH had decided they could not do a rare steak and settled for fish!

 

Happy to read that things settled down and you both found much to enjoy.  I've booked QM2 for my next birthday, (4th July and it will be our golden wedding anniversary the following day) and I'm hoping we enjoy it from the very start (first with Cunard) with no 'settling down' of other passengers necessary 😉.

I had 4 steaks onboard, all supposed to be medium rare, only one was close and that was in the mdr...

How exciting for your birthday and anniversary, we might even join you, Cunard has to be a conversation now. 

Andy 

[Dermotsgirl]

Thanks for your report, Andy, which I enjoyed reading. It seemed to be a mixed bag, but glad that you enjoyed it overall. 

[Cathygh]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

 

Things we missed... Peroni, Raspberry creme brulee, planters punch, prawn cocktail, salmon, sundaes. 

 

I think there are a few issues around supply still, especially salmon. 

 I am glad to hear you had a good time over all.

Regarding other cruise lines Princess is worth a look. I love Cunard but their drinks are pricey, but then P&O drinks are probably the cheapest at sea. I have tried MSC - a booze cruise from Southampton was a bit too noisy for us but I would try a proper one. 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Cathygh

[Fionboard]

Good, well balanced report. Thank you.

[purplesea]

Thank you for your balanced rewiew.

[Presto2]

3 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

So, that went quick... 

Just a quick summary of what we found, good and bad

Welcome home both of you and thanks for thus summary Andy. Glad you managed to have a good cruise. I think your views sort of mirror ours in that it was good to be back cruising but it ain't what it used to be.

I do think that experience is reflecting the new very low prices being paid by some cruisers. Get what you mean about saver v select.

We have a Caribbean Cruise booked for Feb 2024 and we will see what life outside school holidays is like ... and if they change that bleep bleep App system for dining. Think we will book more speciality restaurants than we did this time.

Moving forward will see how things go. Would move to Celebrity it is wasn't for the loyalty points we've amassed now and the fact that Celebrity prices seem eye watering!!!

[AndyMichelle]

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Welcome home both of you and thanks for thus summary Andy. Glad you managed to have a good cruise. I think your views sort of mirror ours in that it was good to be back cruising but it ain't what it used to be.

I do think that experience is reflecting the new very low prices being paid by some cruisers. Get what you mean about saver v select.

We have a Caribbean Cruise booked for Feb 2024 and we will see what life outside school holidays is like ... and if they change that bleep bleep App system for dining. Think we will book more speciality restaurants than we did this time.

Moving forward will see how things go. Would move to Celebrity it is wasn't for the loyalty points we've amassed now and the fact that Celebrity prices seem eye watering!!!

Budget is a big factor, not whether we can afford it, more of wanting value for money. 

If we had paid £50pppn I would have said it was great value. 

So, do we go cheap, knowing what to expect, or try to get exactly what we want at a much higher price? 

You might be lucky with the app, some ships seem to be dropping it already, although I suspect the bigger ones will keep it. 

Andy