Early December Cruise Advice

[laslomas]

On 1/1/2024 at 1:57 PM, holidaylover10 said:

Thank you for the replies. I think I am at the point of booking. Have read a few negative reviews but that seems to be quite common with all cruise lines these days. Friends have said I won't like P&O after sailing Celebrity for many years but I am open to trying new lines. We have booked  Cunard's Queen Anne for summer 2025.

I have been following this thread with interest - although it has drifted a bit from the original question. After 25+ years of cruising and approximately 80% of them on board Celebrity ships, I have booked my first P&O cruise. Some of the reviews have been a bit worrying but I am determined to enjoy my time on Arvia. I know it will be different. One of the reasons for not choosing Celebrity this time is the cost which I find well above anything I have previously paid. There were never very many children on Celebrity sailings out of the main holiday times, so I chose mid April to miss Easter by a couple of weeks, so will see how that works out. I also wonder about the fact it will be mainly UK cruisers on board, I have not had that before so it will all be different.  But hopefully fun finding out 😊 

Edited January 2 by laslomas

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Similarly

 

A small waitrose I've been using in Muswell Hill the last 2 weeks whilst working in London has zero manned tills

 

Everybody has no choice but to use self service

 

Anyone needs help there's a staff member will show you how to use the self service till and/or help you

 

Dont think I've seen anyone need any help at all whilst I've been using it.

 

Second nature to them all now

 

I guess the waitrose is happy with that. And anyone who doesn't like it can choose to shop elsewhere 

 

Will be like that in most supermarkets in due course I expect 

 

It's just about educating people. 

 

I realise some don't like it. Fair enough.

 

But it's a small shop. There's 8 places to serve yourself. And I've never had to queue one second 

 

In the old days there may have been 2 or 3 tills manned at most in similar size shop and I would have been queuing every day I went in without doubt

 

Its a small very busy shop with no queues due to technology

 

A small percentage of population will choose not to shop in these places. 

I don't mind using a self service till, in fact I find it more convenient when using a basket.

However not all supermarket self service till areas are set up for trolley users, and even those that do have trolley tills are not always big enough for a large shop, and I have yet to find one which is as convenient as a manned till.

 

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, sweep2907 said:

P&Os app is hardly 2023 technology and as an IT whizz, even I struggle at times as you have to turn your phone into airplane mode and join ship's Internet etc etc. No wonder older passengers can't be bothered and Celebrity is far easier to use and don't need to switch between WiFi or 4g etc. 

 

I simply don't agree that we all need to move towards using their app only. I'm on holiday and want to be flexible and If I want to walk into MDR without joining a virtual queue and ask for a table, then I have every right to. If I'm given a pager and have to go and have a drink in a bar than I'm fine with that.

 

P&O are trying to be everything to everyone and my suggestion would be scrap the virtual queues and for freedom dining, go back to walk ups when you want to eat. I don't need to join a virtual queue anywhere else outside of a cruise ship? Other cruise lines seem to cope without this confusing technology and until they sort their IT systems out and have a clear strategy, they should scrap virtual queues which I didn't use once on Azura recently and got into MDR first attempt every meal.

You clearly have not been on a Princess cruise, their "Dine My Way" system is anything but, as far as I am concerned. 

[Bill Y]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Again there will be plenty of cruises especially river cruises where apps are never going to be needed and pre-booking not needed

 

Can't happen on ships with 4,000 to 6.000 on board though

 

You must appreciate the logistics involved are entirely different

 

What are your choices for dining each night on a river cruise?

 

For example? 

 

 

Yes and this is why that these mega-monsters who are limited to where they can go have no appeal to us but horses for courses.

 

Since you enquire about river cruise ships, they are a different kettle of fish. There is enough capacity for everyone to eat at one sitting as there also is capacity in the main lounge for everyone. Large ocean ships just squeeze more and more on board.

 

Personally we like the certainly on fixed dining on an ocean ship of knowing that your table awaits at the fixed time. People say what about spontaneity, but shows are at a fixed time. I suppose the days of live performances in the theatre could be numbed, you just go in and put on your VR headset on and dial up on demand the show/film that you want. The virtual booking system could be extended to sunbeds, enforcement could be done by robots screaming exterminate, One should be careful of what one wishes for, progress is not always in everyone’s interests.

Edited January 2 by Bill Y

[yorkshirephil]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

 

 

What are your choices for dining each night on a river cruise?

 

For example? 

 

 

Take it or leave it basically. On our last river cruise there were 196 people on the boat, we were told by the waiter that there were four people working in the kitchen at meal times, then I assume that there would be people who prepared food ahead of time as staff were multi-functional. There was not a big choice but food was excellent. We have just booked an 11 day river cruise for May where the cost is more than we have paid for 35 days on Iona next year and no OBC.

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Take it or leave it basically. On our last river cruise there were 196 people on the boat, we were told by the waiter that there were four people working in the kitchen at meal times, then I assume that there would be people who prepared food ahead of time as staff were multi-functional. There was not a big choice but food was excellent. We have just booked an 11 day river cruise for May where the cost is more than we have paid for 35 days on Iona next year and no OBC.

We did the same yesterday. Even a water level box for 7 nights was about the same price as 14 a night ocean cruise in a balcony cabin . Go up a deck !!! Wow.

Edited January 2 by zap99

[Cathygh]

I'm very late to this thread but I would like to make a couple of comments

1 The P&O 'app'

I have recently become aware of an app called dojo. It allows you to join a virtual queue for cafes etc that are listed on it. It lets you know how long the wait is, checks you still want a table and tells you when it is ready. This is what P&O need.

2 River cruises seem so expensive, even befoe covid. And prices seem to have risen by at least 25% and doubled in some cases making them more so. I'd love to go down the Danube, Douro and the Nile but I can have 2- 4 week's sea cruising for 1 week on the Danube. 

[Eddie99]

Continuing the current slightly off-topic line - A friend has just told me of her neighbour back a week early from a European river cruise because of flooding

[Selbourne]

6 hours ago, sweep2907 said:

P&Os app is hardly 2023 technology and as an IT whizz, even I struggle at times as you have to turn your phone into airplane mode and join ship's Internet etc etc. No wonder older passengers can't be bothered and Celebrity is far easier to use and don't need to switch between WiFi or 4g etc. 

 

My Mum is 84 this year. She has a smart phone, uses Facebook, WhatsApp and some proper apps. However, it doesn’t take much to send her into a kerfuffle and the issues with the ‘app that isn’t an app’ that needs switching between modes, drops out and needs logging back in all the time was also frustrating for me as well as you, so would be well beyond my Mum. She is cruising with P&O later this year and looking forward to it. I haven’t told her about the app 😂 

[Josy1953]

2 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Continuing the current slightly off-topic line - A friend has just told me of her neighbour back a week early from a European river cruise because of flooding

That reminds me of a friend who went on a river cruise a few years ago.  The ship never moved for the 7 days because the rivers were running so high due to floods that the ships didn't have enough clearance to get under the bridges.

[Bill Y]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

We did the same yesterday. Even a water level box for 7 nights was about the same price as 14 a night ocean cruise in a balcony cabin . Go up a deck !!! Wow.

 

2 hours ago, Cathygh said:

I'm very late to this thread but I would like to make a couple of comments

 

2 River cruises seem so expensive, even befoe covid. And prices seem to have risen by at least 25% and doubled in some cases making them more so. I'd love to go down the Danube, Douro and the Nile but I can have 2- 4 week's sea cruising for 1 week on the Danube. 

 

2 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Continuing the current slightly off-topic line - A friend has just told me of her neighbour back a week early from a European river cruise because of flooding

Yes it’s long been said that a 7 nt river cruise in Europe costs as much as 14 in the Caribbean. Certainly if you aren’t bothered where you go there are bargains on ocean cruises. But if you wish to visit certain places you have to bite the bullet. An included excursion is included most days but of little value to someone who just wishes to spend the day sunbathing. As regards being in “Aquarium class” as deck 1 cabins are often referred to. Less time is spent in the cabin than on an ocean cruise as there are things to see on both sides of the ship, so one is normally either in the lounge, outside or off the ship. We hope that you enjoy the different experience and have good water levels.

 

Yes there have been problems on the Rhine and Danube in the last couple of years, Flooding where the ships cannot get under bridges and droughts where there are not sufficient water levels. Providing there is only one blocked section operators with multiple ships will often arrange a ship swap. Please don’t let me put you off. This is just one thing that you are not warned about, just as ocean cruise lines don’t warn of the risks of tendering.

[sweep2907]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

 

My Mum is 84 this year. She has a smart phone, uses Facebook, WhatsApp and some proper apps. However, it doesn’t take much to send her into a kerfuffle and the issues with the ‘app that isn’t an app’ that needs switching between modes, drops out and needs logging back in all the time was also frustrating for me as well as you, so would be well beyond my Mum. She is cruising with P&O later this year and looking forward to it. I haven’t told her about the app 😂 

Snap! My mum wouldn't even attempt it and I wouldn't let her as I'd end up throwing her off the back of the ship after asking for my help for the 200th time! Not been on Arvia or Iona yet where the app is more prevalent and don't intend to anytime soon. I noticed a poster tell me earlier about Princess who I haven't used yet but plan to. As they both run by Carnival it doesn't surprise me.

[holidaylover10]

5 hours ago, laslomas said:

I have been following this thread with interest - although it has drifted a bit from the original question. After 25+ years of cruising and approximately 80% of them on board Celebrity ships, I have booked my first P&O cruise. Some of the reviews have been a bit worrying but I am determined to enjoy my time on Arvia. I know it will be different. One of the reasons for not choosing Celebrity this time is the cost which I find well above anything I have previously paid. There were never very many children on Celebrity sailings out of the main holiday times, so I chose mid April to miss Easter by a couple of weeks, so will see how that works out. I also wonder about the fact it will be mainly UK cruisers on board, I have not had that before so it will all be different.  But hopefully fun finding out 😊 

Have gone ahead and booked for 6th December 2025, we have one cruised booked with Celebrity for July this year to Croatia and Montenegro and then the Cunard cruise summer 2025. May be the last with Celebrity for the time being as becoming really expensive. I will miss Celebrity as they offer a great product, but having recently retired we need to watch the pennies a bit.

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, holidaylover10 said:

Have gone ahead and booked for 6th December 2025, we have one cruised booked with Celebrity for July this year to Croatia and Montenegro and then the Cunard cruise summer 2025. May be the last with Celebrity for the time being as becoming really expensive. I will miss Celebrity as they offer a great product, but having recently retired we need to watch the pennies a bit.

That cruise is a real bargain for anyone wanting a bit of winter sun, P&O are not in the same class as Celebrity or Cunard but is a good product for the money IMHO. Have a great cruise and please report back with your opinion when the time comes.

[yorkshirephil]

18 minutes ago, sweep2907 said:

Snap! My mum wouldn't even attempt it and I wouldn't let her as I'd end up throwing her off the back of the ship after asking for my help for the 200th time! Not been on Arvia or Iona yet where the app is more prevalent and don't intend to anytime soon. I noticed a poster tell me earlier about Princess who I haven't used yet but plan to. As they both run by Carnival it doesn't surprise me.

I have started using the Princess app in preparation for our Sept cruise, so far it is very straightforward and easy to use, I have recently downloaded the new app as the old one closes early 2024. All the data and bookings I made had transferred across so no issues for me. There are plenty of posts on the Princess section extolling the virtues of the new app and probably the same number saying how rubbish it is. I keep hearing the vibes that P&O will move over to the medallion system at some stage.

[sweep2907]

1 hour ago, holidaylover10 said:

Have gone ahead and booked for 6th December 2025, we have one cruised booked with Celebrity for July this year to Croatia and Montenegro and then the Cunard cruise summer 2025. May be the last with Celebrity for the time being as becoming really expensive. I will miss Celebrity as they offer a great product, but having recently retired we need to watch the pennies a bit.

I agree they are expensive but not compared with crazy pricing I'm seeing for RC new ships!!! Some amazing celebrity deal on Greek cruises Feb and March at £45pppn which as good as I've seen. So many deals these days, work gets in the way trying to see them all.

[Ardennais]

13 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Don't know why it's unfair?

 

I'm saying app only cruises and then other cruises where there's no app

 

A choice people make in advance with full knowledge of what type of cruise they are joining

 

Only time the apps not used is in the event it's faulty. I've not faced that yet.

 

On the ships where it's app only bookings then just allocate more staff to show people how to use the app. If people still try to do walk ups make them use the app when they get to front of walk up - they will soon learn

 

Make it clear and make it a selling point 

 

What's unfair about it selbourne?

 

Having multiple ways and systems to book things is clearly causing issues

 

And I'm fully expecting to walk up to my theatre bookings on Arvia in Feb 5 mins ish before the show starts ish and easily finding seats as normal

 

Same as I did on Arvia and Iona before

 

And I will post pics as I arrive (if I do live thread) to show how easy it was again

 

And that's for primetime shows

 

I'm always honest to admit when something doesn't work. But always worked for me so far

 

And I remember very clearly how that didn't work for me on cruises where you couldn't pre-book theatre in the past

 

 

What’s unfair about it? Well, some people don’t even have a smart phone. 
 

I’m cruising this month. My mother is coming with us. She’s computer literate but doesn’t have a smart phone. Unfair to exclude those passengers. 

[Ardennais]

13 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

They can't or refuse to use the virtual system because quite simply theyve been allowed to get away with not using it 

 

Just let them walk up to be just put on an app

 

It's simple IMO

 

Make it as inconvenient as possible for those refusing to use the app

 

Don't pander to them. And each time someone helps them use the app explain how life could be easier for them with the app

 

And if they've signed up for app only cruises they can't argue

 

 

13 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

With my suggestion it would be made clear  you need a smartphone with you to be able to book your cruise meals and activities

 

With the right marketing and promotion it can be made to be a positive move

 

There must be very few people now who can afford to cruise who don't use smartphones

 

And there will still be cruises they can book

 

And there can still be cruises where multiple systems are in operation as well

 

But the more they allow multiple systems to be in place the less benefits for all concerned - including P and O 

 

IMO

 

 

 

Nothing to do with affordability. 

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

 

My Mum is 84 this year. She has a smart phone, uses Facebook, WhatsApp and some proper apps. However, it doesn’t take much to send her into a kerfuffle and the issues with the ‘app that isn’t an app’ that needs switching between modes, drops out and needs logging back in all the time was also frustrating for me as well as you, so would be well beyond my Mum. She is cruising with P&O later this year and looking forward to it. I haven’t told her about the app 😂 

Sounds very much like my 80 year old mother! She’s the only one in her wide circle of friends who uses computers mainly because she worked in admin for the last 20 years of her working life and was trained in using a wide variety of software. However, she doesn’t have a smartphone (signal is very poor at home). Last year, I gave her my old iPad as she needed internet banking to verify purchases online. She has a desktop, a laptop and iPad and is fine 90% of the time. However, little things can flummox her and she then waits until one of her 6 grandchildren calls by! Last month, it was airplane mode that caused a problem. 

 

She’ll be cruising with us this month, on the ship of HER choice, without a smartphone. And that’s how it should be. 

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

I have started using the Princess app in preparation for our Sept cruise, so far it is very straightforward and easy to use, I have recently downloaded the new app as the old one closes early 2024. All the data and bookings I made had transferred across so no issues for me. There are plenty of posts on the Princess section extolling the virtues of the new app and probably the same number saying how rubbish it is. I keep hearing the vibes that P&O will move over to the medallion system at some stage.

I found the Medallion very easy to use on Enchanted Princess. Then again, it depends on connectivity and there were quite a few dead spots or whatever they’re called!