Why are people still cruising with P&O ?

[showingdiva]

I don't have a problem with P&O trying to attract a different audience post-pandemic, or that they have followed others into the huge ship, mass market.

 

But from reading reviews, and bearing in mind the devastating toll that covid had on all cruise lines and how they are trying to recoup losses, P&O still seem to be all over the place in certain aspects.

 

Personally, when I book, I want to choose my cabin and its location, and as a solo traveller, when booking, don't want to be exploited because I am and want a nice balcony cabin or charged double because a cruise line doesn't think I will spend money on extras.  Are P&O solely guilty of this?   Absolutely not.   But on my current chosen cruise line, I can have all that, and have just had the holiday of a lifetime in the fjords for the same price that P&O want me to float around the English Channel then pop into Zeebrugge for four days for the same price.

 

P&O - I will be back,  Just not in the foreseeable.

[annieuk]

Pre Covid my husband and I had been on over 30 cruises with P&O and enjoyed every one of them.  With the introduction of Britannia we had started to look at other lines as it seemed to us that P&O were moving in the direction of  every larger ships, especially with the loss of the smaller ships, particularly Adonia and Oceana which we really liked.  We had been on both Azura and Ventura and although we enjoyed our cruises on them, only in aft suites, our favourites were still the smaller ships, particularly Aurora in later years.  Then came Covid.  We had to lose two cruises we'd booked on Saga's Spirit of Discovery.  After that my husband died and I only went back on a cruise ship this last Easter, on Aurora accompanied by one of my daughters.  Things had changed for me in that I had some walking difficulties and took an ordinary push along wheelchair really for boarding and disembarking due to the walking distances involved.  We both really enjoyed our short cruise to Amsterdam.  The help from the Assistance people was exceptionally impressive both boarding and disembarking.  

 

I'd previously been on Aurora for a 65 night cruise round South America and a 30 night Canada/USA cruise so I know Aurora very well.  I was in a mini suite on my own, the same grade cabin I'd been in with my husband.  I needed to know if I could cope with that.  Looking at the service on the ship which is what many people have said isn't up to what it used to be.  No it's not, but that doesn't mean it's bad or that it would stop me going back on Aurora.  Several of the small things that I was used to weren't there, not major things.  In the MDR,we were on Club Dining, where we ate for three of the four nights the menu was definitely shorter and the waiter wanted to know our choice of dessert when we ordered our starter and main course.  I asked him if this was necessary and was told that it was.  There seemed to be a wait to order wine.  I asked if the waiter would send the wine waiter and he said he could take the order but I wanted to see a wine list.  I was told I had to look at it on the app.  Eventually the wine waiter appeared and I saw a short wine list.  During the meal I had to ask the waiter to ask the wine waiter to return as we wished to order another drink.  This isn't a big deal but it is irritating.  The food was good we thought, just not the choice I was used to.  There was no mention of the 'Always Available' items I was used to.  At the end of the Celebration Evening we did get a plate of truffles on the table but nothing on the other evenings.  The service was reasonable but none of the smiling chat I was used to, I think because the waiters seemed too busy.  

 

One evening we ate in The Glasshouse and I've nothing but praise for both the food and the service there.  Our meal was excellent and we felt inexpensive for what we ate.  The service from the Cabin Steward was as good as it's always been.  We enjoyed the Headliners' performances in the theatre.  As I've said we enjoyed the short cruise and I'd certainly consider going back on Aurora or Arcadia, maybe on Azura or Ventura if I went with my daughters and grandchildren.  I wouldn't go on any of the larger ships, mostly because of the distances involved in walking around the ships but also because it seems from what I've read that they really are aimed at families.  I can understand why P&O are doing this but I hope they keep in mind people like me who can take the longer cruises in term time and from whom P&O receive a lot of income.  They say that they are keeping both Aurora and Arcadia for the next few years, I hope so.  I don't like those two ships just because they are adult only, but more because they are smaller.  When I started cruising with P&O they weren't described as small ships.  I am still thinking of trying Saga, we'll see.  It just seems that P&O are changing the cruisers they are  hoping to attract so maybe I have to change to a cruise line that is more in line with what I want.  

[kalos]

I too shake my head at how much it can cost to go for a select cabin at times but 

to be fair , I see that some of these fares taking OBC into account can be good.

 

Sometimes taking the basic fare ,inside cabin ,you would struggle to get a premier inn

for the same money . With a breakfast thrown in if your lucky .

Same as any cruise line you pays your money and take your choice and that's what it 

is Your choice !    

[Sussexboy]

On a whim we booked a cruise with NCL in September. Their admin and IT prowess make P&O look pretty good!

[Cruisemeister2002]

I guess with ourselves it's a bit of fear of the unknown and also watching tv where cruise lines are portrayed as being a bit too razamataz for our liking. Being of an age where yes I like to be entertained, I like as an old friend once said, going to see a pile of old stones ( Castles, amphitheatres, catherdrals etc), eating and a few drinks. What I don't want are games in the swimming pool, feeling like you have to join in something when you don't wish too and overall too much glitz. Yes I love to see the ladies in their finery and the gents in their tuxedo's and I think once a week for such occasions is ample which I believe P&O have now brought in. As for P&O as a Company standards have dropped and whilst some will no doubt say they aren't bothered with turndowns, chocolates on pillows, bags of toiletries, complimentary bottles of water, Chocoholics, a dish of boiled sweets etc I do believe these little extras made a cruise. Our last one on P&O Ventura was to say the least poor. Poor food (Except in Sindu ) Entertainment was a bit up and down where Headliners were excellent on one show and ordinary the next. Where two tribute acts were superb, but very uninteresting talks which seemed to be mainly about cameras and photography which was funny as for 50% of the cruise there wasn't a photographer onboard and even then you had to book him. Some of the Ports of call were o.k. New Orleans where we docked was quite a way from the old part so it was quite a walk and very hot. Miami where we decided to go to a shopping outlet as we had previous done the mansions, art deco and fan boat in the Everglades turned out to be an experience as the guide was supposed to give us vouchers and a map, but didn't. Was supposed to know what time we were returning to the ship, but didn't know and to make matters worse the airbridge had moved on the docks so due to this we were held in the airbridge in 91% heat, then told to go back through the main terminal to a lower gangway whereupon after about thirty were allowed aboard an American port official informed us that the dock manager had said he wanted the area cleared. After a heated discussion involving this official and most of the remaining passengers we then went back into the terminal building and waited until said airbridge was deemed safe. Found Roatan and Belize a waste of time and missed Bermuda due to what the Captain said was the weather, but how he decided 4 days before arrival I will never know. I personally link this to Ventura arriving at Southampton 5 hours late for departure and instead of sailing at around 5 p.m. it was 11.30 p.m. To be fair P&O reimbursed me to the tune of £800, but this was due to other problems unrelated to the problems listed above. In my letter to them I did say I would give them a final chance as all previous cruises had been acceptable, but varied between excellent and good.

[Dermotsgirl]

'Why are people still cruising with P&O?'

 

I imagine that it's because they like the product, which may not be perfect, but still ticks a lot of the right boxes, and they like the price.

 

From 2001 to 2019 we did many P&O Cruises, and enjoyed all of them. There were a couple which we felt weren't quite as good as others, for various reasons, but that didn't mean we were suddenly going to stop cruising with P&O, as there was still so much we about with them.

 

In later years, we had begun to go on other cruise lines, but still regarded P&O as our main cruise line, and had every intention of sailing with them once every 12 - 18 months.

 

Then 2020 happened, and I've accepted that we can't go back to the way things were in 2019.  Things are different now, and I'm different too.  I've been in no rush to go back to cruising, I've no particular desire for overseas travel, and I've really enjoyed the UK breaks that we've done. I doubt that I'll ever go back to cruising on our previous scale. 

 

My return to cruising happens next month.  I've got  a Round Britain cruise with Saga. It has some ports that are new to us, and it'll be a new experience.  I hope we like it, as we've booked another cruise with Saga for 2024, also a British Isles cruise with some new ports.  We decided to book when the cruise was released in order to get the 35% discount.

 

After that, who knows.  I suspect I will not want to keep on paying Saga prices for every cruise, so I think we will look elsewhere, including P&O.  I keep pondering a week on Iona, but then shy away from it, for various reasons. There's an Aurora cruise that calls to me in 2025, but I don't really want to get back to booking 2 years in advance. We shall see.

 

However, when all is said and done, I think I'm a P&O girl at heart, and something very drastic would have to happen for me to stop considering them for a cruise. 

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, molecrochip said:

A lot of passengers want to P&O of old, even though they happy to pay the prices of today. You can't have both.

 

I have sympathy for those who pay higher prices and still receive the service of today however its the same across the holiday industry. Look at Tui, as a package tour operator, a week in term time April may cost £500 but that same week in school holiday August can be £1250 (trust me, i've been looking at a specific hotel hoping for a late bargain). Nothing extra is offered.

 

You don't have such the same extremes on cruises but still do have a seasonal increase.

I’d be happy to pay old P&O prices to get some of the more elegant elements of cruising back but I recognise that just won’t happen.

 

As it is I temper my expectations to the price and I’m happy to pay to upgrade the experience eg speciality dining, Limelight etc.

[molecrochip]

11 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I’d be happy to pay old P&O prices to get some of the more elegant elements of cruising back but I recognise that just won’t happen.

And for that there’s Princess!

 

I’ll be going now!

[Eglesbrech]

6 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

And for that there’s Princess!

 

I’ll be going now!

And yes I do cruise with Princess but not between November and the end of March.

 

Princess is changing as well, unfortunately and not for the better. The whole group is dumming down.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Eglesbrech

[Camberley]

I like P&O, warts and all. It’s by no means perfect (what is?) and it does feel a touch cheap and has elements of downright tacky of late. But I can ignore/ avoid those elements quite happily and focus on the bits that do tick our boxes and have a great holiday. Even if there were issues. But P&O knows what it is 99.9% of the time and it’s fine.

 

Not that we sail exclusively with P&O - and we have cancelled a few upcoming cruises with P&O for other companies where the destination is more appealing - but when we do, we go for a suite and enjoy that space and the speciality restaurants etc. And for us THAT makes a P&O cruise special -  and at a cost still far lower than several other cruise companies for a balcony, several cruises of which I haven’t enjoyed as much. 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Camberley

[terrierjohn]

Why do I still cruise with P&O? 

 

As others have said between Nov and March the US ships are in the Caribbean, but maybe I will try MSC sometime.  I have also found a couple of Princess offers that are not too dissimilar to P&O prices.

So overall my P&O cruises are well down on previous years, and this would not have happened if they had been trying a little harder to keep older loyal cruises more satisfied with their standards. But more importantly having experienced the better offering that a Princess cruise provides, I may not be as keen to "suffer" the poorer standards on P&O in future.

[zap99]

8 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

What I don’t understand if P &O are deemed by some  on here as incompetent with poor management  and policies etc… why are they still sailing with them?   If other lines do things so much better why not just sail with them and forget P &O ?  If I don’t like the way a service is offered to me I don’t go back or use that firm again. 

Perhaps some like cruising g with P&O as they offer good prices and quality.

 

[Eglesbrech]

12 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

And for that there’s Princess!

 

I’ll be going now!

Just a thought by the way

 

Have a look at the Sky Princess price for Canada and the Arcadia price.

 

For £6k on Princess a balcony / tips / WiFi/ drinks package

 

For £6k on Arcadia - a balcony and on saver not event select

 

???

[zap99]

6 hours ago, FatBoy20 said:

Lead in Prices are low but then if you want good quality food you pay in the speciality venues!. Internet costs up 100% pre covid & wine up 60% & that is jut two items!.

We don't drink much and don't use the onboard WiFi  so all that is.not important.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, daiB said:

For us, any differences have not impacted at all on our cruising experience at all so we are happy bunnies with lower prices.

We are booking 2 weeks on Arvia to the med next year. The process is less than we paid on Britannia 5 years ago the Quality is fine except for us.

[Winifred 22]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps some like cruising g with P&O as they offer good prices and quality.

 

Exactly why I sail with them  but that’s not the point of my original comment . I queried why the people with such negative opinions just keep sailing and don’t look elsewhere. I 100% get why people like P&O  they tick all the boxes for me and I have never had a poor  cruise. 

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

What I don’t understand if P &O are deemed by some  on here as incompetent with poor management  and policies etc… why are they still sailing with them?   If other lines do things so much better why not just sail with them and forget P &O ?  If I don’t like the way a service is offered to me I don’t go back or use that firm again. 

We have had 11 cruises post covid.

8 P&O.

2 RCL.

1 MSC.

We have had no issues.

Sometimes only the bad comments are highlighted when the vast majority have enjoyed their cruise.

We have a number of cruises currently booked.

[RollingAround]

We are new cruisers, only done two in the past year, both with P&O and we’ve enjoyed both immensely.  Obviously I have nothing to compare it to but I have to say the food on both Azura and Iona was great, even the buffet was good.  Epicurean was fantastic each time.  Stewards have been accommodating and polite, staff helpful at ports with my wheelchair using husband.  There have been niggles (pool hoist not working on Iona, decor on Azura a little dated, the app being rubbish, etc) but you get these types of niggles in hotels and resorts.   
 

we are happy to travel P&O again for sure.   Next year we are travelling Princess to Alaska (on the full premium package) and a similar balcony room on similar floor as Iona and it will be interesting to compare. 
 

I’m not sure I want to travel on ships with water parks and go karting tracks and water slides down the side of the ship - or on Virgin who appear to market to the younger party crowd - so P&O vibe works for us and I hope Princess will do the same.  

[sandancer]

We have cruised for many years on most of the mass market (mostly US cruise lines) but now we no longer wish to take long haul flights. We will take our fourth P&O cruise in October so are relatively new to the party. We have been satisfied with almost everything on P&O. The cost element and the convenience of sailing from Southampton or a fly cruise from our local airport is what will now keep us sailing P&O. 

[carlanthony24]

Why cruise with P&O?

 

What cruise company takes luggage from an aircraft to the ship without you touching it In Barbados. Malta use to be the same only difference now is you put it on a truck. From what people have said I don't know if other lines offer the same service.

 

Price is way better than going to say Gran Canaria for a fortnight self-catering. Even then for a family of four to go away for for a weekend in Gib cheaper to go on a cruise with entertainment, food etc all included.

 

Ease of having cruises round trip from Southampton yearly.

 

Some of the things I can think of.

 

[carlanthony24]

6 hours ago, kalos said:

I too shake my head at how much it can cost to go for a select cabin at times but 

to be fair , I see that some of these fares taking OBC into account can be good.

 

Sometimes taking the basic fare ,inside cabin ,you would struggle to get a premier inn

for the same money . With a breakfast thrown in if your lucky .

Same as any cruise line you pays your money and take your choice and that's what it 

is Your choice !    

Lets say the PI hotel I work at roughly £300+ for 2 nights. I know what I would rather do.

[gsmt47471015]

26 minutes ago, RollingAround said:

We are new cruisers, only done two in the past year, both with P&O and we’ve enjoyed both immensely.  Obviously I have nothing to compare it to but I have to say the food on both Azura and Iona was great, even the buffet was good.  Epicurean was fantastic each time.  Stewards have been accommodating and polite, staff helpful at ports with my wheelchair using husband.  There have been niggles (pool hoist not working on Iona, decor on Azura a little dated, the app being rubbish, etc) but you get these types of niggles in hotels and resorts.   
 

we are happy to travel P&O again for sure.   Next year we are travelling Princess to Alaska (on the full premium package) and a similar balcony room on similar floor as Iona and it will be interesting to compare. 
 

I’m not sure I want to travel on ships with water parks and go karting tracks and water slides down the side of the ship - or on Virgin who appear to market to the younger party crowd - so P&O vibe works for us and I hope Princess will do the same.  

We have sailed on other lines and one of the big drawbacks  with us now  regarding P and O are the similar itinerary's every year ( having done nearly all that they offer over the years) We now sail with them on anything different that takes our fancy, however  over the years' they have been a good company to cruise with and like so many other companies no matter what line of business they are in things are getting squeezed

[P&O SUE]

Can I add I’ve been looking at Uk holidays and they were dearer per night than the cruise I’ve just been on and they only include breakfast! No brainer…

[Presto2]

If I was new to cruising it would brained at the price. Sadly we don't forget what it b used to be like and we really miss the things that made it special to us. We will book a few more and see what it is like. 

[Sheep Flavour]

4 hours ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps some like cruising g with P&O as they offer good prices and quality.

 

Agreed. And also the fact it is a British ship means the comedy acts and things like this will be comedy I understand rather than shows based around different areas I wouldn’t understand.