Ventura chat

[Juden2307]

Sue,

 

Thank you, very nice photos, looks like you had a lovely time.

 

I'll now try to find some photo's of the back of Grand Princess and guess where the cabin is!

[Nathan711]

Hey,

 

Ventura is based on a Princess Cruise ship called the Emerald Princess, after Ventura Princess have another ship called the Ruby Princess (I think!) which should be the same sort of thing!

[NSWP]

Thanks for the info guys re Ventura 10/10/08. I have done Florence/Rome on a coach tour, but not the other places on itinerary. Looks a good trip, but some big ship she will be.

 

Cheers..Les:)

[tom_uk]

Juden2307 said:

"I want to check if there are any photo's anywhere of the aft cabin I am in (C749)."

 

If you go to the Ventura website ( http://www.virtualventura.co.uk ), click on 'Views from the Shipyard', then 'Image Gallery 4'. If you look through those images you'll see one of Ventura's stern (under contruction) and you ought to be able to work out which in C749 actually is.

 

I think it's right-centre on the middle deck you can see with the cabins. I think the top-deck that we can see that runs across the stern is the Riviera deck, where the pool is (hence no cabins); then there's A deck with 4 suites; then B deck with 10 outside balcony cabins; then C deck with 4 suites again; then D & E decks, with fewer cabins (at least, passenger cabins); and then there's the Promenade deck which is clearly visible in the image.

 

But it looks good - I'm quite jealous!

[Juden2307]

Hi,

 

tom_uk, thank you for your suggestion. I hadn't been to the Ventura site for a while so it was nice to see some new pics.

 

I think you are right about where it is situated, does look quite good doesn't it:D .

[reverendk]

Hello All

My wife and I have booked on the 5th Dec 2008 from Gatwick. Inside cabin on C deck. We have cruised with P&O before normaly from Southampton

Hope to see you on board.

Steve

[Elaine0138]

Hello Steve

 

We have a roll call going for this cruise,come over and join us

[The Mommy]

Hello to everyone booked on Ventura

We are returning to P&O after a spell with other lines so we are hoping for a great experience on this impressive new ship

Look forward to hearing from anyone on the same sailing

Hope you all enjoy

Gail

[Starz723]

My cousin that lives in the UK just send me a fabulous link to the Ventura.

 

Can anyone tell me where will she be embarking from for her Carribean cruises?

 

That is on spectacular ship..Id love to sail her.

 

Thank you.

 

Marge

 

Sailing the Carribean Princess, July 10, 2008

[LibraLass41]

Hi

Loooking at my brochure she starts her Caribbean season on 24 Oct 08 when her 1st cruise is Southampton To Barbados....then she is starting from Barbados on 22 Nov 08,

 

Why not go to the web page www.pocruises.co.uk and have a look at the ship and her itinery?

 

I'm going to try her out on her only weekender cruise next year In Sept 08 08 - 2 nights across to Belgiam and back from UK, we have a balcony cabin as well. This cruise sold out within a fortnight of going on sale.We got great prices at the time plus onboard credit and free car parking. No doubt lots are doing the same as me..... having a look round before choosing a 2 week cruise. :p

 

Sue

[bandit0000]

Hello All

My wife and I have booked on the 5th Dec 2008 from Gatwick. Inside cabin on C deck. We have cruised with P&O before normaly from Southampton

Hope to see you on board.

Steve

 

Welcome Steve,

I am on the same cruise travelling from East Mids.

Please come over & join our roll call on the roll call board.

Lisa:)

[Notmyrealnamereally]

Booked for 02May08:eek:

First cruise:D

Any advice anyone, it states disembarkation at SOU between 9am - 11am, should it go any later than this if docking on time?

 

do you have to pay extra for room service(breakfast e.g)

Is it food heaven:D

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Specific to your points asked:

 

Most passengers are off by 10:00 notwithstanding a delay the day before say due to a medical emergency or breakdown.

 

Cabin Continental breakfast is free but is not normally available for the last morning. Cabin service items are charged c.£1-2 pounds an item.

 

On all of our c.25 cruises bar 2 (Canberra 1990 and Oceana 2006 - both dire) the food has been good to sometimes very good. The cuisine and offering should not be compared with fine shoreside dining, as the raw mateials and, what is effectively a large banquetingoperation with choice, can sometimes disappoint. However it is plentiful and usually quite palatable.

 

~~~

 

 

The following notes are for a first timer on P&O from a Southampton departure point of view:

 

Your 1st Cruise will be one of the BEST cruises you will ever go on.Believe you me: nothing beats the 1st of everything you do during your 6n onboard. This is not to say with the 90%+ certainty that you will become addicted to cruising, that you will not have wonderful, future cruises too. But, there is something very magical about your 1st cruise:

 

I capture a bit of that magic when I see the cruise through a newcomers eyes.

 

Don't feel that you need to book a tour at every port of call. The ship is a destination in itself. There is a very special atmosphere on sea days which (in my view) is rivalled by a day on board when at port, or better still at anchor. The ship takes on a quieter ambiance with half or more of the passengers ashore. There are no queues and the service up on deck is snappier. With a very few glorious exceptions, you will find little better ashore.I tend to go only on tours where a "must-see" is a long distance from the ship and the public transport cannot be relied on. I also find an afternoon tour preferable to a morning one as breakfast on board in popular destinations can be somewhat "traumatic", especially in the self-service restaurants.

 

Advice? Suggest you arrive early’ish at the terminal say around midday. When you arrive at Mayflower you say good bye to your cases as they are placed in a "hole-in-the-wall" by a porter. You will next see them outside your cabin when you board or say about 30 mins after.You proceed into check-in where tickets & passports are checked: you are given your cruise cards there and then: this is both your charge card (you can use it straight away without the need to register your credit card/bank charge card - unless you intend to charge casino chips/tokens to it) and ID to get back on the ship when at port. (I understand that the procedure to register your charge/credit card now takes place at check-in – others will no doubt confirm)

 

You then proceed into the embarkation lounge following a security check (x-ray machine for your hand luggage, etc - rather like an airport) then unlike an airport you then pose for your photograph.

 

Make sure you look your best and smile - tomorrow your photo along with 1800 other passengers will be on display in the Photo gallery for naughty chaps like me to have a laugh (when you look like I do, stones and glass houses spring to mind)

 

Embarkation for the majority of passengers start from c.14:30 (although this now starts earlier). You will have already boarded after noon (suite priority) and will be plied with gratis drinks.

 

When you are called there is then a long walk while you carry your hand luggage along covered walkways that seem to go on for ever.Eventually you suddenly reach a large deck hatch opening and as you step on board it is if you have entered another world.

 

You will be greeted by an officer or one of the Entertainment team (ENTSs - not be confused with Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings) and, if you require, a white-gloved steward will relieve you of your hand luggage and take you to your cabin via lift or stairs.

 

WARNING: You will have studied the deck plans for months and you will think you know your way around.

 

WRONG: The deck plans are in 2 dimensions - the ship is in 3 dimensions.

 

HOWEVER: within about 24 hours you will know your way around!If you are lucky the steward will take you directly to the cabin. Sometimes the stewards do get lost!

 

At last your cabin, (with hopefully your luggage outside). Get to know your home for the next xx nights. There will be continuous safety video playing on the TV and your cabin key-card will be in the door with a spare one on the writing desk with all the bumph and info folders. Have a look at today’s issue of the ships newspaper VENTURA TODAY - it will have a nice picture of your well-fed Captain (they usually look as if they have had a few “Captain’s Dinners”) saying "welcome aboard". This will confirm what times all sorts of things are happening today and tonight. The only compulsory thing you must attend is the ships safety briefing held in your muster lounge at c.16:15 (it takes about 30 mins and you will find your muster station location on the back of your cabin door)

 

Your cabin steward will shortly introduce himself and ask what time you would like to be awakened and whether you prefer Tea / Coffee in the morning.

 

There will be a card in your cabin confirming your Dinner reservation which will show Restaurant name, sitting and table no. You might like to go down to the restaurant to see what table size and where it is. At about 15:00 the restaurant manager will be on duty and will try to accommodate any changes you might wish to make.

 

The tablets my Val takes (she is sensitive to motion) are Stugeron. Take 2 c.15:00 (2 hours before sailing) and then 1 every 8 hours until unconsciousness or sleep occurs! You will awake the next day but will probably have missed lunch by the time you wake up.

 

Now if you are sensible and have brought quite a few garments and suits it will speed unpacking if you packed them at home on hangers. But hey! ... hang the packing let's go and explore the ship.

 

As I said earlier, afternoon tea is served from c.15:00 in one of the restaurants or self service style in the DECK RESTAURANT

 

If it's a lovely day the prospect of sitting out at a DECK BAR afterwards sipping a cocktail of the day or a bottle of champagne is a tempting prospect.

 

In no time at all bells and announcements will go off requiring you to go to your muster station.

 

You will need to go back to your cabin and retrieve your life jacket and take it with you.

 

Once the VERY IMPORTANT safety drill is over (about 16:45) you can then go out on deck and start to enjoy the proceedings regarding departure out on the Promenade Deck. (Of course you might have a port-side balcony cabin in which case you can swank on your own private space).

 

There is champagne at £2.75 (I think) a glass - good value and a jolly band on the quayside playing Maritime & Military Greatest Hits.

 

In no time the last lines have been slipped, the last gangway removed and suddenly the bow & stern thruster push this Beautiful ship away to warmer climes. THE CRUISE HAS BEGUN.

 

The peregrination and twisting down the Southampton Water, Calshot Spit, the dog-turns to starboard then to port, traversing Cowes Roads and then on to the Pilot drop-off takes about over 90 mins.

 

It is lovely just to sit on the Promenade Deck and watch the last of England slip by. (or in the Crow's Nest Bar if inclement).

 

And just think your cruise has only just begun.You will have a wonderful time.

 

You will want to book again as soon as that sad day back in Southampton arrives.

 

Some Suggestions:

============

 

1. Unless you really have to, avoid the reception desk on embarkation day and disembarkation day.

 

2. Avoid queues to leave the ship by avoiding the gangway for the first couple of hours in port/at anchor (unless you're on a tour).

 

3. The Fish Main course as a starter if none of the "regular" starters tickles your taste buds.

 

4. Order wine for dinner at one of the bars during the afternoon (or via the Wine Line). Your choice should then be ready and waiting at your table when you arrive. For wine/food matches, dinner menus are available to scrutinise at some bars.

 

5. Without going daft, maximise on the Cocktail of the Day ... good value.

 

6. Champagne at £2.75 (?) a glass at departure is good value.

 

7. Do not rely on the library to be able to supply your travel book needs for destinations on your cruise. They are for reference only and cannot be removed from the library. Bring your own Baedekar, Insight, Rough Guide, etc.

 

8. Do not rely on the library to supply the latest blockbuster from J.K.Rowling, John Grisham, Stephen King, etc. They will have a copy or 2, but 500 other passengers are also relying on reading a copy during the cruise. Bring your own.

 

9. If you go to a film in the evening after dinner - beware - unlike a shoreside cinema, this auditorium gently sways - the combination of warm sun all day, a beer or 2 at lunch (wasn't that curry lovely?) 2 or 3 cocktails of the day, 6 course dinner, a bottle of Rioja, and an Irish Coffee, and the darkness of the cinema will induce narcosis. But don't be embarrassed - you are not alone. The cinema in the evening sometimes reminds me of Paul McCartney's "Frog Chorus" - the sound of syncopated sequence snoring!

 

10. (As per 9 above) try not to do this in the show lounge / theatre - especially if the cheeky comedian is performing. It must be either funny or disheartening to the hard-working, slick company singers and dancers when confronted with "An Ocean of Faces with Mouths Wide Open and Eyes Wide Shut"

 

Tom & Nicole in the cinema aren't really there!

 

11. If you are lunching up on deck, it is a good idea to secure your wine / beverages before you go to make your selections of food.

 

12. Save most of the unpacking (unless you choose to travel very lightly) till when you retire tonight. Excepting 2n-4n party cruises, the 1st night after dinner is usually a fairly quiet affair with many people retiring early as "it's been a long day". If the weather is glorious in Southampton, get yourself into some deck wear and relax in a lounger up on top with a Pimms, a G&T, a cocktail, a glass champagne or whatever tickles your taste buds (for example get a tray of afternoon tea comestibles from the deck restaurant) for a couple of hours before attending the compulsory SAFETY DRILL c.16:15(?).

 

13. When you leave the cabin to explore the ship take your Dining room table card (which is in your cabin on arrival) and visit the restaurant at c.15:00 (a manager/maitre d will be in attendance). If you are not happy about the location of your table, its size or/and the sitting, there maybe the opportunity to change it. Likewise in the hopefully unlikely event of having the "table companions from hell" (most folks who cruise however are a nice bunch) get this sorted after your 1st dinner. (Only twice out of c.20 cruises have we done this: the 1st for environmental reasons - we were right by the waiters fast lane and revolving doors to the galley; the 2nd time after the main course and before dessert - yes they (the “companions”) were very bad!!!).

 

14. Forget about snappy cabin-service (room-service) on embarkation day. If you desire a bottle of champagne or/and nibbles for the departure up on your balcony order them as soon as you board and say you want them in your cabin ready for after the safety drill.

 

15. As I am a very early bird and my wife enjoys the luxury for her of a lie-in, I keep in contact with her during the morning a couple of times by using one of the bar or corridor telephones. This saves a lot of traipsing down the length of the ship and we don't have to waste time looking for each other and arranging where to meet for late breakfast or early lunch.

 

16. Do not feel that you need to book an excursion for every port or for all the day that you are in port. I personally feel that excursions are not the best value for money. The exception would be where there is a "must-see" that is a long way from the port or/and where public transport cannot be relied upon. If you are late getting back to the berth or tender point the ship will NOT wait for you unless you are on an official tour that has been delayed.

 

17. Do feel encouraged to linger on board when in port or at anchor. The ship takes on a different and not unwelcome ambiance with half or more of the passengers ashore. Remember all the facilities that you have already paid for are at hand, the service will be snappier and, other than in the most exceptional of destinations or establishments you will find little better ashore. To my mind spending a day onboard in a unremarkable port is the equal of a warm, languid sea-day. RELAX and forget about traffic, pollution, pick-pockets, paying out for this, that and the other, etc, etc.

 

18. Other than when the ship is very quiet it is nearly always quicker to use the stairways. That way you keep yourself trim (remember there's a lot of food morning, noon and night that's just there for the taking) and it helps free the lifts up for those less ambulant of folks.

 

19. On the last day (usually at sea) pack all but one of your cases as early as possible. That way you are free for most of the rest of the day – a day to savour the last of what will be one of the most memorable holidays you will ever take … and believe me … you WILL go on more P&O cruises but the 1st will ALWAYS be special!

 

20. You will standout as a Newcomer if:

 

a). You call the ship a boat.

 

b). You ask what "floor" is the cinema on.

 

c). You refer to your cabin as your room.

 

d). You call the bow the pointy end and the stern the blunt end.

 

e). You refer to the right hand or left hand side of the ship. Depending on whether you are facing the pointy or blunt end, both sides of the ship can be left and right. That is why there are the terms Starboard & Port.

 

f). At the safety drill on embarkation day you come in to the muster station wearing your life jacket.

 

g). When you see the Captain doing a tour of the ship and glad-handing passengers you call out "'Ere! Who's driving the Boat, Cap'n?"

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL CRUISE!

[Notmyrealnamereally]

Mutineer, that's great, but could you be a little bit MORE specific ;):D

 

Merci beaucoup!:p

[daiB]

Mutineer, that's great, but could you be a little bit MORE specific ;)

 

Merci beaucoup!:p

 

 

He is like that all the time skimp, skimp, skimp. Never gives a proper answer.:mad:

 

 

 

 

:)Happy Cruising:)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[retiredbrit]

He is like that all the time skimp, skimp, skimp. Never gives a proper answer.:mad:

 

Mutineer, that's great, but could you be a little bit MORE specific ;):D

 

 

Good post Derek aka Monocled Mutineer

I am sure that members who are very new to cruising will find the Monocled Mutineer’s post very helpful. After a few cruises most of us seem to forget what the first one was like – the answers to the burning questions we had before we embarked – seem obvious now!

Maybe the last two posters are hinting that it is too detailed - surely not – but in my opinion it is usually better to have too much rather than not enough (as in real life - they say size matters!;) )

I was grateful to Derek and others who fully answered the questions I posted on the P&O board before my first cruise

regards Alan

[The Monocled Mutineer]

I believe I addressed the specific questions that "notmynamereally" put in his posting within the first seven lines of my reply.

 

Also, because he/she had stated that it was their first cruise, I thought they may have found my notes for first timers useful.

[Notmyrealnamereally]

Have to say the mutineer's post was spot on. Really appreciate it and any similar postings.

Made me more excited about the cruise now..:D

I am in a family group of first-timers and a few that have cruised before so i wanted to know what to expect so the experienced ones aren't laughing at me:eek::D

 

 

Thanks again, it was a wonderful post, will be showing it to the other first-timers

[Helford]

Fabuolous post from the 'The Monocled Mutineer', it certainly whets the taste buds! In more than one way.

 

As newbies to cruising (and this site); Ventura 30th May 2008, expectations are now raised.

 

Roll on!

 

H

[Flat booby]

Thanks Monocled Mutineer for all those tips. We are going on Ventura on 05/12/08 and it will be our 1st Cruise and we are really excited about it. Only thing is we are both deaf so wont hear the announcements on the ships loud speaker for safety drill or anything else. So we are wondering what we have supposed to do. We are hoping that there will be Text Phones in room and flashing doorbells on door should anyone knock on our cabin door and hopefully monitors telling us what is going on around the ship. Well if your ears did not work how else would we be able to know what is going on around us on the ship. lots of deaf people refrain from going on ships for those reasons so as Ventura is Brand new we hope it will have the facilities that deaf people need.:D

[Flat booby]

Hi

 

Hoping to book the 5/6 December cruise tomorrow morning. We have never sailed P&O either. It seems strange as there are 2 depature dates for the same cruise.

 

 

We are going on 5th Dec from Scotland so probably the Scots fly on the 5th while the English fly on the 6th but while we will have a day before Ventura sails to enjoy Barbados the people who fly on the 6th will have a day after the trip to enjoy Barbados. We are really looking forward to it as it willbe our first Cruise.:)

[Elaine0138]

We are going on 5th Dec from Scotland so probably the Scots fly on the 5th while the English fly on the 6th but while we will have a day before Ventura sails to enjoy Barbados the people who fly on the 6th will have a day after the trip to enjoy Barbados. We are really looking forward to it as it willbe our first Cruise.:)

 

Hello

 

Glad you are joining us. Sorry but the Scots won't have the ship to themselves on the 5 :) We are now flying from Manchester as we are fliting, looks like there are flights from all over the country on the 5.

 

I have a friend who is deaf and cruises all the time, she has to rely on her room mate for any info. I know my friend informs customer relations onboard, and they assign a crew member to check she has vacated her cabin during the drill.

 

My friend has never sailed with P&O and they may have a different set up to other lines I would contact P&O and put you specific queries to them.

[Elaine0138]

Flat booby

 

Come and join our roll call

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530389

[Guest Daimen]

At last your cabin, (with hopefully your luggage outside)

 

That reminds me ... while on the Sea Princess last year we waited on our luggage for 3 hours AFTER sailing, of course thinking "they will be along soon".

 

Later that night, worried were our cases where - went to the Atrium to find them on the floor without tags on them looking for their owner!

 

Weird, huh? :-)

[CASPALL]

That was really good Monocled Mutineer! I wish I'd had all that info prior to our first cruise.

However, you have forgotten to mention the ship's photographer business. I would really like to read your opinions/advice on that!!!

 

Caryl