Not At All Live From Our (Probably) Penultimate P&O Cruise

[TigerB]

3 hours ago, Waju said:

Is it me?  I've done loads of P&O cruises and can't remember a bad meal but these pictures (on this brilliant review) everything looks a bit 'beige'

Sorry for the beige pictures, that'll be the camera on my crappy phone!🤭

 

 

I've not really thought about it, but looking again, I suppose some of them do. I have noticed that the descriptions don't always match your expectations as to what the dish looks or tastes like. I've had several dishes over a number of cruises that fitted that criteria, and so I have not enjoyed them.  One thing about the menus more or less repeating ad infinitum is that, over time, you become familiar with what was nice and not so nice previously.

[Fionboard]

12 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

I don't know if it is the same on Azura, or formerly Oriana, but the waiters in Anderson's on Arvia and Iona dress like extras from Peaky Blinders. I really don't get it.

I don't either. Everything is different on Arvia. Normal uniforms on Aurora! 

[TigerB]

11 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

@Selbourne following on from @TigerB's reply regarding sailing again on Iona. I feel certain that the passenger profile on Iona's 35 night round trip to the Caribbean will not be the same as on her summer school holiday cruise, and there are already a number of CC posters booked on this cruise, so you would be in good company.

 

11 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I’m sure that you are right John, but we can’t book anything at present. Besides, I looked at that cruise a year ago and, as with many Iona and Arvia cruises, we felt it was a bit too light on ports and heavy on sea days for our liking. 

 

Looking for a decent cruise next year to celebrate our 35th anniversary, we were considering booking this cruise. However, although we did a one way Transatlantic cruise to the Caribbean last year, and the fact that we like Iona, the big things that put our lass off was the amount of sea days both at the beginning and the end, and, like you write Selbourne, the too few ports in the Caribbean; the only new one for us would have been Tortola.

[TigerB]

2 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

I don't either. Everything is different on Arvia. Normal uniforms on Aurora! 

 

So, trying to appeal to the younger crowd perhaps.

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, TigerB said:

I have noticed that the descriptions don't always match your expectations as to what the dish looks or tastes like. I've had several dishes over a number of cruises that fitted that criteria, and so I have not enjoyed them.

That’s what I find with many MDR meals with P&O. You read the menu description and think “Wow”, yet when the plate appears in front of you, that changes to “Oh” 😂 

[Fionboard]

2 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

So, trying to appeal to the younger crowd perhaps.

Maybe, but wearing hats while working indoors must be a bit warm at times. 

[TigerB]

15 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That’s what I find with many MDR meals with P&O. You read the menu description and think “Wow”, yet when the plate appears in front of you, that changes to “Oh” 😂 

Sometimes the other way around, too; like with the horseradish pate that I mentioned earlier.

[TigerB]

16 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Maybe, but wearing hats while working indoors must be a bit warm at times. 

 

I noticed that they wear hats in the 710 Club on Arvia, too; I can't recall if they do on Iona, but I don't remember seeing them.

 

I also discovered on this cruise, and something I haven't paid much attention to previously, is that the MDR uniforms on Arvia are unique. Being so, you can tell who are the newbies.

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, TigerB said:

Sometimes the other way around, too; like with the horseradish pate that I mentioned earlier.

DW hates horseradish but I like it. Sometimes a dish arrives with 4 little dollops of horseradish placed artistically on the edge of the plate. We wish it would say with horseradish, but not much of it and can be easily avoided.

[Peanut006]

On 10/11/2024 at 1:27 AM, TigerB said:

This was our first time in an outside cabin on Arvia or Iona and, I have to say, it was very spacious, about the same size as the balcony cabins we have been in, albeit laid out a little differently. Our lass thought it was actually a fraction bigger than the balcony cabin we stayed in on our first cruise on Arvia, in January 2023.  Later measuring revealed she was correct; although the same width, it was actually one metre longer than the GA balcony cabin we had on that first cruise.  The large window afforded decent views, and our lass could easily transfer to and from the window seat. Neither of us really pined for a balcony during the cruise.

Sorry to disappoint many of you ladies, and some of you guys, but the absence of a pillar (I'm sure one of these four cabins has one) means I won't be able to treat you to a video of me pole dancing in my (warm) leatherette shorts.

 

@Peanut006, I know you changed to a balcony for your return Transatlantic cruise in March, but I have no doubt that this cabin type would be suitable for you for any future cruise.

 

Apart from the cabin size and amenities, its midship location was ideal for us. 

 

 

We were right on top of the port side gangway, which meant that whenever we returned to the ship, we didn't have a fight to get on a lift. In retrospect, it didn’t quite work out that way.  Just forty feet or so from us was the launderette, usually a frequent stop for me. And, apart from Epicurean, the Crow's Nest, and Beach House, it was only two to four flights up for all the eateries and bar areas we would want to visit.

 

Being so low down, looking at the water as we cut through it really does provide a very different perspective. Firstly, it appears that we are going faster than we actually are. Secondly, when the moonlight reflects in the water, it really looks beautiful, sometimes reflecting into the cabin.  Thirdly, I could walk around the cabin as nature intended, with the curtains open, and without fear of upsetting anyone apart from the occasional pod of dolphins.

“B, put some clothes on, there’s a ship over there”

“Babe, if anyone on that ship wants a treat, they’re going to need some really strong binoculars, and even then, they’ll be very disappointed”.

 

 

Your cabin looks lovely and like you say would definitely be suitable for me.

 

Hope you both have a lovely time

 

Michelle

[Waju]

4 hours ago, TigerB said:

Sorry for the beige pictures, that'll be the camera on my crappy phone!🤭

 

 

I've not really thought about it, but looking again, I suppose some of them do. I have noticed that the descriptions don't always match your expectations as to what the dish looks or tastes like. I've had several dishes over a number of cruises that fitted that criteria, and so I have not enjoyed them.  One thing about the menus more or less repeating ad infinitum is that, over time, you become familiar with what was nice and not so nice previously.

I don’t think it’s your photography skills TigerB, I just think that unless there are peas or tomatoes it all looks beige 😊

When reading your MDR menus there doesn’t seem to be anything new coming along at all, everything has been on there for ages!

[grapau27]

On 10/13/2024 at 1:50 AM, TigerB said:

That's it for tonight, folks!

 

The final instalment will be in a couple of days, dependent on me finishing tiling.

Excellent review.

Extremely interesting.

Great food and port photos and descriptions.

Love it.

Edited Monday at 02:17 PM by grapau27

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Peanut006 said:

Your cabin looks lovely and like you say would definitely be suitable for me.

 

Hope you both have a lovely time

 

Michelle

 

If we were to sail again on Arvia or Iona, which is currently ruled out, we would choose that cabin again, seeing as though P&O don't want us in a partially accessible cabin.

 

By the way, we had a lovely time; we've been back two weeks. It's okay, as our lass often does, you can blame it on your MS brain!🤭

[TigerB]

39 minutes ago, Waju said:

I don’t think it’s your photography skills TigerB. 

 

I know that, Waju.👍🏻

 

Note to self: In future signpost an ironic comment!🤭

[TigerB]

Sorry for the late posting, folks!  I was going to post these last night but the photos weren't uploading, and I've been busy all today.

 

Anyway, here follows a couple more nights before I turn...

[TigerB]

Tuesday 24th September 

 

Alicante today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ooh, is it someone's birthday?

 

This morning's venue for breakfast was Epicurean, as a treat for the birthday boy.

 

Ooh, who put that there?  Perhaps it was our cabin steward? I could have told him, I suppose. Nah! He'll notice eventually. And so he did, but not until after breakfast!

 

 

Rina and Daisy Luna were part of our waiting team, along with Mary Luna.

 

The menu:

 

 

The table...

 

Hey, stop judging me with my three different fruits and yogurt!  In my defence, when I asked for stewed rhubarb, apricots, and red berries, with yogurt,  I thought the fruit would all come mixed in one dish, with a small dish of yoghurt on the side.

Actually, I’ve just checked the photos from our breakfast on our lass’s birthday in February, on Iona. My mixed fruits were served in one glass. On that occasion the juices were served in champagne flutes, and we had jars of Bonne Maman preserves. 

 

 

The birthday boy had a fry-up...

 

 

His long suffering missus had...

 

 

Our lass had...

 

I had both!🐷

 

 

Throughout the breakfast, our waiting staff made a fuss of my BiL, and almost all of the suite guests who left wished him a 'happy birthday' or 'happy 75th birthday'. "How do they all know?" he asked. My sister told him that the girls already knew, and had told everyone else.

 

Towards the end of the meal, Agnes came to the table; she had been serving in another part of the restaurant but, upon seeing us, came straight over. Like the others, she made a fuss of the birthday boy. During the preceding few days he was moaning about turning seventy-five, and was threatening to stay in the cabin all day, under the duvet. He was being a proper Eeyore, and kept saying he didn't want any fuss. But you should have seen him at breakfast; he was revelling in all the attention, especially from the lovely female waiters.

 

That was a fantastic breakfast and, after paying the bill, I am happy to report that it hasn't been affected by the price increases on food and drinks. It was still £8.50 each, which is what we paid in February. As we were docked in Alicante, there was 10% tax added to that. Still great value though.

 

As we left, the birthday boy, when admiring his mature good looks in the mirrors near the podium, saw the label on his back. He looked directly at me and said, "I'll get you back".

"Don't blame me old man!"🤭

 

 

One thing of note, and this is relevant to the recent changes in the policy for powered mobility devices; there were a few users of such devices in there. As far as I could ascertain, they were all suite guests. You can tell the difference between suite guests and the liggers who want to see how the other half live. The former are almost always seated at the window tables, and are well known to the staff. One such guest appeared to have complex care needs, so I guessed they would have been in the only fully accessible suite on the ship. Of the other disabled suite guests, a couple of whom were using mobility scooters, I wondered how many of them had received the call in the week before the cruise to say that that they must be in a fully accessible cabin (of which there were none left) or in a suite, or bring on a manual wheelchair. I would wager that all of them hastily paid the substantial cost to upgrade to a suite. Kerrrrching go the Carnival tills!💰

 

 

We left the ship just after 10:00. There was a shuttle service just outside the terminal that took passengers to the end of the port.

 

I feel I need to write about this service which, from an accessibility perspective, was the most inadequate on this cruise. First of all, there were no wheelchair accessible minibuses laid on. When we got outside we were, at that time, the only party with a wheelchair. In the ten minutes we waited, three coaches pulled in and loaded up with passengers. Two of them had wheelchair lifts at the back, but they weren't used. Our lass lost her patience and said she would make her own way. She disappeared but I didn't see her head along the route towards the end of the port. I figured she had just thrown her teddy out and gone a little way off, expecting me to run after her. By this time, three more wheelchair/scooter users had joined the queue. Just as I bit the bullet to go seek our lass, a regular bus pulled up and filled up with passengers, including my sister and BiL; there was space for just one wheelchair. I sought out our lass who, in her haste to make her own way, went the wrong way and was at the end of the sea wall. We then made our way to the end of the port, where the buses drop off, a distance of just over 1km.  We both agreed that it is diabolical for P&O to lay on five buses/coaches with only two of them available for one wheelchair/scooter each, and then have the cheek to charge £4 for the 'privilege' 

 

 

This was a first visit to Alicante for all of us. We didn't have a real plan as such, just the usual bimble into town, get a magnet or some tourist tat, and perhaps stop for a coffee and some snackage.

 

The birthday boy couldn’t make up his mind which filled croissant to have...

 

After all these years I cannot for the life of me fathom out why my sister married a bloke with an emoji for a head!😵

 

He relented (under pressure) and shared...

That was pistachio filled, and it was lovely!😋 

 

 

We then sought out a tourist tat shop for a magnet, before heading back to the ship.

 

 

Some photos around Alicante...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TigerB]

Tuesday 24th September (cont'd/...)

 

 

We were back on the ship by about 14:30, and went to our respective cabins to chill out. I arranged for my BiL's cake to be delivered to our room for 16:30. It arrived ten minutes early, just as I popped across the way to tell them to come into our cabin. He was surprised...

 

Unlike the one who delivered our lass's cake in February, this room service waiter didn't break into a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' followed by a blessing; he had to be persuaded to sing 'Happy Birthday', and even then it was a half hearted effort.

 

 

In his ship wide address after everyone had boarded, Captain Brown talked about hiring a car and driving to his home, an hour way. Great inspirational talk Paul! Just what all the multinational crew members, who work all hours for tuppence h'apenny an hour, want to hear; that you and Neil were able to visit your second (or third) home.🙄

 

 

Dinner tonight was in Epicurean, at 19:00. I took the birthday boy's prosecco up to be chilled.

 

Our waiters tonight were Antoinette and Lara Belle 

 

Tonight's menu...

 

Amuse Bouche...

Mango & ginger cocktail 

 

 

Starters:

 

BiL...

 

 

Sister...

 

 

Our lass...

 

 

Me...

The waiter that prepared it, the same one that bottled it the other night with the crêpes Suzette, was a bit stingy with the salmon. Maybe she was getting her own back! Or she misread the menu and thought that ‘duo’ meant just two pieces of salmon!

As a comparison, this is the same dish but on Iona last November...

 

 

Mains:

 

I had...

I was really careful not to get butter all over my shirt, as I have done on previous occasions.

 

 

The other three...

 

 

All failed to finish, I had a piece of fish from one of them. Our lass said it was the wrong choice. Having tasted the hard batter, I was rather glad I didn't order it.  It wasn’t a patch on the monkfish medallions served in Sindhu.

 

 

Palette cleanser...

Mango sorbet 

Two for Tiger as his missus doesn’t care for mango

 

 

Desserts:

 

BiL...

He said it was a bit rich for his taste. Lightweight!😆

 

 

Our lass...

 

 

Me and my sister..

 

This is my favourite dessert choice on this menu and, like on previous occasions, it did not disappoint.

 

During our meal Agnes came across to us, and again wished my BiL a 'happy birthday', and talked a short while with us. She is a really lovely lady.

 

 

Afterwards, we popped next door to the Crow's Nest where, despite me and our lass telling him earlier that he wasn't to put his hand in his pocket today, my BiL, unbeknownst to me, ordered drinks.

The pianist in the Crow's Nest for tonight, and most of this cruise, was Joe Price; he has been quite good, much better than that eastern European lass with her 'doobydoobydoobibidybabashoobydabaday' Cleo Lane singing style.

 

 

Afterwards, I took our lass to bed and then met the other two outside the 7/10 Club.

Tonight it was On The Rocks Returns. An excellent set it was, too.

 

Me and my sister each had a Cherry Negroni...

I was disappointed that, unlike the one I had on Iona last year, it did not have the chocolate stirrer. More cutbacks! When my sister winced and said, "Ooh, that's strong!" the waiter came over and pulled her leg about the face she had just pulled.

 

 

 

 

[TigerB]

Wednesday 25th September 

 

Sea day

 

We had cancelled breakfast this morning as we all wanted a lay in. So, no alarm to set. When I woke about 09:30, our lass had already been awake over an hour, reading her Kindle.

Our cabin breakfast this morning was a brew and a chocolate doughnut from Mercadona.

 

 

Lunch for me and our lass was at Green and Co.

 

The menu...

 

 

We shared this as a starter...

 

 

I then had this...

 

 

Our lass had...

An absolute work of art.

 

 

That was a really great meal.

Afterwards, I checked the bill. It was done correctly: the 20% deducted from the food total, and the £20 pre-payment deducted, leaving £1.60 to come from our OBC.

 

 

We met the other two on the port side of the Quays, and had a brew.

 

 

On our return to the cabin, we popped to Reception to get a print out of today's bill from Green and Co.

"Why do you want a print out, sir"?

("None of your business, Shey!") "I want one for my records".

I then asked for meeting with the Asst F&B Manager.

"For what reason, sir"?

("Again, none of your business, Shey!") "I want to talk about overcharging".

He then wanted to know when, where, how much, and all the details. He then said the charging at Sindhu was correct, and pointed out the print out of our Green and Co. transaction from today to say that was done the same way. "No it's not, Shey".

"Yes it is, sir; look, there, the pre-payment is shown before the discount."

I then had to point out to him that, even though the wording appears before the discount, the latter is taken off first. He just didn't get it.

I opened the calculator on my phone. "Look, Shey; the food total is £27, deduct 20% and it is £21.60, then deduct the pre-payment of £20 and the final bill is £1.60, just as it shows there". I then had to point out that, if the pre-payment was (incorrectly) taken off first, the final bill would be £5.60. 

"Okay sir, I'll make you an appointment."

"Thank you!"

As we left I asked my our lass if it was me, or did I just have to explain a simple mathematics to that fella?

 

Incidentally, while we were at Reception we overheard a conversation a man had with a crew member, and being frustrated that she wasn't listening to his concerns. The essence of it: wife was forced to swap her power chair for a manual chair due to the new cabin policy. Wife realised that she wouldn't manage a pre-booked excursion in a manual chair, so they cancelled at short notice. Shore excursions team refused a refund. The crew member just kept parroting the refund policy and did not offer any solution or signpost him to another resource. It's no wonder some folk get so frustrated. This encounter ended with the passenger telling her that she wasn't listening to him, and that they were now finished with P&O.

 

 

It was a bit breezy on deck so we stayed in our cabin the rest of the afternoon, with our lass having a sleep, and me popping down the corridor to do some ironing.

 

 

Tonight we were back at Zenith, at our usual table, with our usual waiting team. It has got to a point that the lovely restaurant host, Melanie, doesn't even give us an escort anymore; we don’t really need one.

 

Tonight's menu...

 

 

Starters:

 

BiL...

 

 

Sister...

 

 

Our lass...

 

 

Me...

After eating in Green and Co earlier, this was of no comparison; more like the one from Lidl if you buy it one the 'use by' date.  

 

 

Mains:

 

BiL and our lass...

 

 

Me and my sister...

 

Mine...

 

Hers...

 

I can't fool you lot, you just know those photos are the wrong way around.

 

 

Desserts:

 

Me...

...with an ice cream chaser, naturally! 

 

 

The others...

 

 

 

My sister, my BiL, and I were initially booked in for the 710 set at 22:30, but they wanted to see iHoppers in the theatre. I could only get them in to the 22:30 show for that so, the day before I cancelled their late 710 set, and managed to get them in for the 20:45 set. When I went to book for me, it was showing as fully booked.

After dinner, our lass was wiped out and wanted to return to the cabin. I accompanied them to the 710 Club and got on the standby list, although I was told I could go straight in. I then took our lass back to the cabin, got her settled, and returned to meet the other two.

Tonight it was The Nation's No.1s Returns

 

Afterwards, my sister and BiL went for a drink in Brodies before their late theatre show. I returned to our cabin to find our lass watching the original version of Heaven Can Wait. I sat on the window seat as we transited through the Strait of Gibraltar, with the lights of Tangier and the surrounding area twinkling in the distance.

 

 

Just before 23:00 I nipped out to catch the late night comedy slot, with Tucker. I had it in my head that he was a Scouser and not particularly funny. He was actually a suvverner, whom I had not seen before. He was fairly funny, but not Mickey Flanagan funny.

 

 

During the night, when I made the second of my usual three or four toilet visits, l looked outside; I couldn't see more than about twenty feet, there was thick fog.

[jh1809]

Thanks for the excellent reports. Alicante is one of my favourite places, with its lovely promenade and its Moorish fortress up on the hill (definitely not wheelchair-suitable unfortunately, as even inside it's extremely steep).

 

I was disappointed that none of you had the Dover sole in Epicurean, as I was curious as to whether it would really be "delicately served by your waiter" as the menu claimed.

[mrsgoggins]

I'm enjoying your reports and accompanying photos as much as always, but I did find the exchanges you reported with Reception, both for yourself and the overheard conversation, very disappointing to say the least. 

[Harry Peterson]

24 minutes ago, jh1809 said:

Thanks for the excellent reports. Alicante is one of my favourite places, with its lovely promenade and its Moorish fortress up on the hill (definitely not wheelchair-suitable unfortunately, as even inside it's extremely steep).

 

I was disappointed that none of you had the Dover sole in Epicurean, as I was curious as to whether it would really be "delicately served by your waiter" as the menu claimed.

I’ve had the Dover sole occasionally in the Epicurean, and it was always perfectly served - and perfectly cooked. Not sure whether I could rate the ‘delicacy’ of serving, but maybe it’s deboned now? Which would spoil half the pleasure of eating it.

[jh1809]

Just now, Harry Peterson said:

I’ve had the Dover sole occasionally in the Epicurean, and it was always perfectly served - and perfectly cooked. Not sure whether I could rate the ‘delicacy’ of serving, but maybe it’s deboned now? Which would spoil half the pleasure of eating it.

I was imagining the waiter putting down the plate very delicately. 🙂

[Salvelinus]

Great report and brave from a Yorkshire couple trying fish and chips in an "away" setting 😉

 

The one thing that struck me though was Kedgeree with salmon. Salmon?  are they barbarians?

 

Standards, eh?

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, jh1809 said:

I was disappointed that none of you had the Dover sole in Epicurean, as I was curious as to whether it would really be "delicately served by your waiter" as the menu claimed.

 

On menu 2 I will choose either the lobster of the Dover sole, more often than not the latter. It is always delicious. Both our lass and my sister wished they had chosen it instead of the 'posh' fish and chips.

I've never had it served at the table, but if the waiter does plate it up, that would have been done in the part of the restaurant not far from the entrance; they have an area there where they make the crêpes Suzette, carve the Iberian ham, and stiff you with the duo of salmon. (Yes, it will take me some time to get over that traumatic incident!)

 

 

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’ve had the Dover sole occasionally in the Epicurean, and it was always perfectly served - and perfectly cooked. Not sure whether I could rate the ‘delicacy’ of serving, but maybe it’s deboned now? Which would spoil half the pleasure of eating it.

 

You get the choice of it being deboned; I always have it that way.  Perhaps the waiter does the deboning in the area described above.

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Salvelinus said:

Great report and brave from a Yorkshire couple trying fish and chips in an "away" setting 😉

 

In my mind fried monkfish, half a dozen fat chips, and a bit of frou-frou salad leaves does not constitute fish and chips; and don't get me started on those restaurants and hotels that serve it with crushed petit pois!🙄

The best fish and chips in the country are right on our doorstep, at Whiteheads in Hornsea.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Salvelinus said:

The one thing that struck me though was Kedgeree with salmon. Salmon?  are they barbarians?

 

Standards, eh?

 

Perhaps they think it's what the suite guests want. The actual kedgeree does just have smoked haddock in it; the salmon flakes are placed on top.