Things I miss from cruises that we do not get now.

[Valfan]

5 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

A gradual re-introduction of Afternoon Tea in the MDR on some sea days.  Went on one afternoon, lovely.  Only a 15 minute time slot to get in though.  And Chocoholics buffet in the MDR towards the end of the cruise as well, though we didn't give that a go.

I was on Aurora's 30-nighter as well. I always said if they ever brought back Afternoon Tea in MDR and/or Chocoholics buffet I'd definitely go. I did and thoroughly enjoyed both.  It was great to see the lovely spread of goodies at Chocoholics, with some people even taking photos of it, like in the good old days. And the return at Afternoon Tea of huge cake stands and tiny square napkins, that were never very practical but helped to evoke memories of days gone by.

The other thing I hope to cruise long enough to see the return of is an Officer at each table on Peninsular Club lunches.  As someone pointed out on the cruise, they can mix with passengers and sit near them when big groups of Officers come in together and sit in the theatre for the 10:30 show most nights, yet we can't get one of them at each table for the luncheons.  Someone else said they'd never bring that back as the Officers would be constantly bombarded with comments and complaints about all the changes and cutbacks.  And I suppose they could be right.

[Winifred 22]

I can never understand why people want to interact with the officers. It doesn’t bother me if I do or don’t  see them around or not and certainly am not bothered to dine with them. As long as they are doing their job and keeping us all safe that’s good enough for me. I do like the Captain’ announcements though.  

[Megabear2]

13 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

I can never understand why people want to interact with the officers. It doesn’t bother me if I do or don’t  see them around or not and certainly am not bothered to dine with them. As long as they are doing their job and keeping us all safe that’s good enough for me. I do like the Captain’ announcements though.  

On longer cruises as a solo on Cunard I've quite often had the invite to dine on a table with crew - probably to make up the numbers!  As a result I normally get sat next to any officer who hasn't got their family with them and those conversations have always been extremely interesting and informative.  

[Son of Anarchy]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

On longer cruises as a solo on Cunard I've quite often had the invite to dine on a table with crew - probably to make up the numbers!  As a result I normally get sat next to any officer who hasn't got their family with them and those conversations have always been extremely interesting and informative.  

Had some really interesting chats at these events.

 

An officer (with his wife) who was retiring and it was his last day at sea.

Food and beverage manager, some interesting insights into that world of operations.

Leon de St. Croix, fun guy, great chat about astronomy and interesting insights into his world of entertainment management.

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Had some really interesting chats at these events.

 

An officer (with his wife) who was retiring and it was his last day at sea.

Food and beverage manager, some interesting insights into that world of operations.

Leon de St. Croix, fun guy, great chat about astronomy and interesting insights into his world of entertainment management.

My favourite was the electrical engineer on QM2 in 2019 on the world voyage. He was on his last voyage on her and transferring to Azura for his next contract so was very happy to sign the tab for the drinks.  He was completely teetotal as he was always on call but the remaining 9 of us on the table were plied with so much wine and liqueurs and brandy I had to go straight to bed after leaving the dining room.  My head was grateful the next day was at sea.

[Winifred 22]

23 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

On longer cruises as a solo on Cunard I've quite often had the invite to dine on a table with crew - probably to make up the numbers!  As a result I normally get sat next to any officer who hasn't got their family with them and those conversations have always been extremely interesting and informative.  

Oh I can see that could be interesting but since the restart I have never seen any officers dining in the Britannia restaurant on any length of cruise. Family travel has only recently been allowed again so perhaps that is why. As a solo I wouldn’t probably want to join in with a pre-established crowd but glad you have benefitted from the opportunity. 

[Winifred 22]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

My favourite was the electrical engineer on QM2 in 2019 on the world voyage. He was on his last voyage on her and transferring to Azura for his next contract so was very happy to sign the tab for the drinks.  He was completely teetotal as he was always on call but the remaining 9 of us on the table were plied with so much wine and liqueurs and brandy I had to go straight to bed after leaving the dining room.  My head was grateful the next day was at sea.

Yes they do get entertainment budgets/ allowances in some departments  so that was handy you could benefit. 

[Son of Anarchy]

4 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

Oh I can see that could be interesting but since the restart I have never seen any officers dining in the Britannia restaurant on any length of cruise. Family travel has only recently been allowed again so perhaps that is why. As a solo I wouldn’t probably want to join in with a pre-established crowd but glad you have benefitted from the opportunity. 

On Aurora, saw most, maybe all of the medical team's officer in Beach House one evening.  All in their posh uniforms.  One of them must have been on call, had their red grab-bag (well, rucksack actually) with them.

[red zebra]

Oceana

 

I don't miss P&O being bought over by Americans and their cost cutting, this year will be our last with the company

[Winifred 22]

16 minutes ago, red zebra said:

Oceana

 

I don't miss P&O being bought over by Americans and their cost cutting, this year will be our last with the company

So how else are they going to pay off the huge debts incurred during the pause in operations that allowed them to stay in business. I don’t think people would be very happy either with vastly inflated prices. They need to cut costs across all brands. 

[red zebra]

Do you have any idea the 100s of millions of pounds that were given to cruise, rail and bus companies during the pandemic, I suggest not, and were shareholders payments frozen, no chance. Coach companies on the other hand were given nothing and the country lost many of those businesses (no I don't own or work for one)

Prices are already inflated across every travel company due to fuel costs, wages, food etc, reducing standards on top of that is unacceptable. Many companies have not dropped their standards like P&O who now want to pile em high, cut their costs and all on the back off generations of seafarers who spent decades making it the brand it was!

[terrierjohn]

5 minutes ago, red zebra said:

Do you have any idea the 100s of millions of pounds that were given to cruise, rail and bus companies during the pandemic, I suggest not, and were shareholders payments frozen, no chance. Coach companies on the other hand were given nothing and the country lost many of those businesses (no I don't own or work for one)

Prices are already inflated across every travel company due to fuel costs, wages, food etc, reducing standards on top of that is unacceptable. Many companies have not dropped their standards like P&O who now want to pile em high, cut their costs and all on the back off generations of seafarers who spent decades making it the brand it was!

I think you might find it was P&O ferries that received govt help during covid, not the cruise line.

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, red zebra said:

Do you have any idea the 100s of millions of pounds that were given to cruise, rail and bus companies during the pandemic, I suggest not, and were shareholders payments frozen, no chance. Coach companies on the other hand were given nothing and the country lost many of those businesses (no I don't own or work for one)

Prices are already inflated across every travel company due to fuel costs, wages, food etc, reducing standards on top of that is unacceptable. Many companies have not dropped their standards like P&O who now want to pile em high, cut their costs and all on the back off generations of seafarers who spent decades making it the brand it was!

I was aware of rail companies being shored up by the tax payer during the pandemic, but not cruise companies. I’d be surprised if U.K. tax payers money was used to help US owned cruise companies which most, including P&O, are? 

[Winifred 22]

58 minutes ago, red zebra said:

Do you have any idea the 100s of millions of pounds that were given to cruise, rail and bus companies during the pandemic, I suggest not, and were shareholders payments frozen, no chance. Coach companies on the other hand were given nothing and the country lost many of those businesses (no I don't own or work for one)

Prices are already inflated across every travel company due to fuel costs, wages, food etc, reducing standards on top of that is unacceptable. Many companies have not dropped their standards like P&O who now want to pile em high, cut their costs and all on the back off generations of seafarers who spent decades making it the brand it was!

The cruise industry did not receive any subsidies. No Carnival shareholder dividends were paid or are yet to be in the foreseeable future until the debts have reduced. As a shareholder I speak from a point of knowledge. 

[Winifred 22]

47 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I was aware of rail companies being shored up by the tax payer during the pandemic, but not cruise companies. I’d be surprised if U.K. tax payers money was used to help US owned cruise companies which most, including P&O, are? 

You are correct. The cruise companies neither here in U K or USA for that matter received any form of state funding during the pause in operations hence the huge debts that all cruise lines now carry and are in the process of reducing.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, red zebra said:

Oceana

 

I don't miss P&O being bought over by Americans and their cost cutting, this year will be our last with the company

P&O was taken over by Carnival way before cutbacks and if it had never happened they wouldn't have the ships they have now. When it was announced in 2003 and we were on Aurora and all had a letter with info. Royal Caribbean were the favourites until Carnival trumped them at last minute so that they could get their hands on Princess. Captain told us at his cocktail party that it was a necessity for a tie up because P&O had not got the funding to compete and would have struggled without it.

[red zebra]

Happy to stand corrected @Winifred 22 still no excuse for the dropping standards I'm afraid, I am paying for the holiday of a lifetime, and expect the same standards previously experienced.

Curios to know if the Maleth Aero debacle has affected the share price, whailst not in any mainstream news it has been all over the www

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, red zebra said:

Happy to stand corrected @Winifred 22 still no excuse for the dropping standards I'm afraid, I am paying for the holiday of a lifetime, and expect the same standards previously experienced.

Curios to know if the Maleth Aero debacle has affected the share price, whailst not in any mainstream news it has been all over the www

Fact is cruising is now a lot cheaper now than when I first started cruising in 1997. If you take into account inflation if it stayed the same it would be a lot more expensive. My first cruise on Cunard was cheapest inside cabin on the ship and it was over £100pppn and remember when Arcadia first sailed we went on a 14 nt cruise in an inside cabin and was over £1700pp. You cannot expect the same standards of food and extras with pricing as it is now.

[Winifred 22]

1 minute ago, red zebra said:

Happy to stand corrected @Winifred 22 still no excuse for the dropping standards I'm afraid, I am paying for the holiday of a lifetime, and expect the same standards previously experienced.

Curios to know if the Maleth Aero debacle has affected the share price, whailst not in any mainstream news it has been all over the www

Doesn’t seem to have and I do  I follow them. As others have previously posted and debated current prices are very keen relatively speaking compared to a few years ago. I for one am enjoying the benefits of lower prices and discounted sailings and am am happy to accept the cut backs as a result. Everything costs more these days so either the offerings have to be reduced or the prices increased. 

 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

I think you might find it was P&O ferries that received govt help during covid, not the cruise line.

We used to be able to cruise to Calais for a quid. Not anymore.It's the Americans IMO.🤣

 

[Winifred 22]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

We used to be able to cruise to Calais for a quid. Not anymore.It's the Americans IMO.🤣

 

I remember those coach day trips. Straight to the supermarket for beer and wine. !! I think I used to pay about £10 including coach fare which was about 4 hours to Dover each way. 

[kalos]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We used to be able to cruise to Calais for a quid. Not anymore.It's the Americans IMO.🤣

 

 

We used to jump on a jet at Doncaster airport to Dublin for a £1  ,it cost more on our 

local bus going into town . Not sure who to blame so the Americans will do 🤣

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, red zebra said:

Happy to stand corrected @Winifred 22 still no excuse for the dropping standards I'm afraid, I am paying for the holiday of a lifetime, and expect the same standards previously experienced.

Curios to know if the Maleth Aero debacle has affected the share price, whailst not in any mainstream news it has been all over the www

P&O is only a tiny part of the Carnival portfolio, and will have little impact on the share price.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, kalos said:

 

We used to jump on a jet at Doncaster airport to Dublin for a £1  ,it cost more on our 

local bus going into town . Not sure who to blame so the Americans will do 🤣

How about the 50 Bob tailor. My last suit cost over a tenner. I buy American jeans, about £80. My American tyres are over £100 each. I guess that's inflation. Staying  on topic. It's easy to criticise the Americans. Without generalising ,most folk do.

[kalos]

8 minutes ago, zap99 said:

How about the 50 Bob tailor. My last suit cost over a tenner. I buy American jeans, about £80. My American tyres are over £100 each. I guess that's inflation. Staying  on topic. It's easy to criticise the Americans. Without generalising ,most folk do.

I bet my jeans from Cleethorpes market were just as good .My mother had a hoover from

USA but auntie Vera had a Bex Bissel sweeper.Her next door neighbour just used a dustpan 

and brush and said "her house was the best kept swept"

As for me I kept out of it , seems a bit daft making sweeping statements , which most folk do.