Ventura`s caribbean cruise 2009

[honeymooner2009]

Good evening ladies gents and cruise fans,i have a query about the ventura cruise from barbados on 19th dec 2009,after reading in the press about the "shenanigans" of a few "chavs" as so described,i am a little concerned that the same thing may happen this year,it`s quite disturbing as it will be my honeymoon and obviously wouldn`t want it spoiled by the minority.Does/can anybody tell me if P&O will be doing anything to try and stop this sort of incident re-occurring,as,i have only heard bad press about this,:confused:

[capasamari]

We hope so, we are a party of 11 booked on this cruise and given that we are paying £5,000 for balcony cabins we do not want to be met with the sort of behaviour described by some people this year.

 

Whether or not it is a "family" ship, there is just no excuse for bad behaviour and hopefully P&O have had enough warnings and will pull their finger out and seriously DO something about the issues raised.

[supered]

I was on Caribbean cruise ojn Ventura in November and had a great time. We did not witness anyone behaving badly. From what I understand from what I've read on various Forums the reports in the press have (at best) been grossly exaggerated. Some details were just not true.

 

My advice would be not to worry and go with an open mind and you will have a great time. She is fabulous ship

 

Eddie

[honeymooner2009]

Thats same as us in the fact we`ve paid roughly the same amount of money,we`re also on the lido deck with a balcony,[as it`s going to be a honeymoon i decided to "push the boat out" ,not literally tho`],we`re flying from brum on the sat morn [19th],just hope given what else i`ve read it wasn`t as bad as it`s been made out.Both of us will be VERY disappointed if it turns out to be butlin`s on sea.

[jenniwreni]

Its definitely not Butlins on Sea!!

 

We honeymooned on Ventura in October, on the same cruise as Supered, and we didn't encounter any riotous behaviour at all!! We had a lovely time!

 

I'm sure you will have a fantastic time!! (Although, dont expect anything extra from P&O with it being your honeymoon:(, Cunard give you a little box of chocolates, but not even that:(!!) Fortunately, guests at the table next to us gave us a lovely evening to remember and that meant so much more!!)

 

Jenni

[capasamari]

Thank you Jenni and Eddie, let us hope that a Christmas cruise doesn't by definition attract a different sort of passenger with their own expectations of what a cruise holiday is all about. We have had three previous long cruises and two weekenders and always enjoyed a friendly, pleasant atmosphere.

 

The main reason we have booked balconies is because we expect the ship to be chock-a-block and we want to be able to have somewhere to sit in the fresh air without trailing around looking for a sunbed! My dad struggled some days on Oceana one June, so Ventura at Christmas is bound to be worse.

 

Honeymooner, we are also flying from Birmingham on the 19th, maybe having read the negative reviews things can only get better and we will wonder what we were all worrying about. What date is your wedding? Have you cruised/been to the Caribbean before? What a fabulous honeymoon trip to look forward to! My sister-in-law, her husband and son have never been to the Caribbean before and they just can't wait.

 

Carol x

[honeymooner2009]

Hi Carol,mark here,thanx for your reply,we`re actually getting wed on the 27th november in burton on trent [we would of done it on board but the weddings are actually full,6 in total we have been told].We did our first cruise in july 2008 round the med on board Norwegian Jade [an N.C.L. SHIP] And it looks like being a bit of a habit now .Its also first time for us in the caribbean and in fact my fiancee has never flown the atlantic so that`ll be another first,we`re both looking forward to it immensely.Lets hope all the bad news is out of proportion [which does tend to happen with tabloids] and we all have a great time.Long time to wait yet but plenty to do in the meantime.

 

Best wishes , Mark & Dawn x

[honeymooner2009]

Hi jenni ,thanx for your info,we are both looking forward to it immensely and just hope all the press speculation was out of proportion.Did you actually get married on board ? .We would of liked to but have been told it`s full on the cruise which we are doing ,apparently 6 couples in total getting spliced so that should keep the captain busy !! ;-) .

 

Best wishes ,

 

Mark n Dawn x

[jenniwreni]

Hi Mark & Dawn,

 

No, we got married in August on terra firma in Lancashire!! We did see quite a few weddings on board, (and had a peek in the wedding room)(indeed a couple from our roll call renewed their vows on the ship) we delayed our honeymoon due to other commitments which we had and also we liked the itinerary of the October/November cruise, 8 long lazy days at sea were just what we needed to chill out and relax after a very hectic year, and the caribbean was just what we expected - HOT!

 

Please do not worry yourself about this ship, as we have said, we thorough enjoyed our cruise, as did lots of other members of the roll call!

 

It was our first cruise on P&O so we had certain reservations of trying a different company, after only sailing Cunard, but we would have no hesitations in travelling P&O or Ventura again in the future!

 

Hope all your wedding plans are coming along well, it will come around so quickly!!

 

Jenni xx

[Elsea]

I am also on the Ventura Christmas cruise 2009:(. I have written to P & O to express my concerns, to date I have not received a reply:rolleyes:.

[honeymooner2009]

Hi Elsea,heard all the bad press last week,but,since then after reading other people`s experiences i have the feeling it`s been exaggerated .Obviously something has happened and quite a few people are only saying good things about the ship and P&O ,it would be interesting to hear what they do have to say about this tho` ,and as yet i`ve seen nothing in the media.Its not the fact that they sold the cabins of cheaper to fill the boat as you would expect that to happen,it`s the news of fighting and drunkenness which bothers me more than anything.Hopefully P&0 will reply to you sooner rather than later,but if they drag their feet try e-mailing them,they then have to reply and can`t fob you off by saying your letter is "lost in transit".When you do get a reply would you mind posting it here so other passengers and myself can view what the company has to say ? , .

 

Regarsd,

Mark & Dawn

[Elsea]

Hi Mark & Dawn

 

I would suggest that if you are so concerned you too should write to P & O, I have friends who are also booked on this cruise and they have both written for reassurance from P & O. The more people who let P & O know about their concerns, the better cruise it should be for all passengers;)

I have received and aknowledgement of receipt of my letter.

[lynfra]

We are sailing on the Ventura on 14th Feb and I have written to Pand O with our concerns.I will certainly pass on whatever they reply to me.

 

My mother has cruised many times in the past and has never had any problems so we are hoping that this willlive up to her expectations.

 

lynfra

[chyanmor]

We were on the cruise after JenniWren and supered, there were no chavs as far as I could see but then what is a chav. To be honest the press will stur anything up for a story and at the end of the day the ship is big enough to get lost in.

 

I have been on many ships and to me Ventura was the same as Oceana and also Oriana in terms of cliental. Obviously it is slightly different to cliental on QM2 or QE2.

 

Sad your unable to get married on the cruise. Unfortunately doe to a law in where the ship is registered can only be done at sea day and it does take a long time but the brides we saw look stunning espeically when they go to the back to take a photo in the late afternoon.

 

Huw

[Laticfanatic617]

having just come back off Ventura in November we were part of a group of 12 people.... some nights we met up and during quizzes etc we probably were a bit rowdy... my friend above was probably the worst eh Huw?????

 

nah.... I'm beginning to think it's all relative to your cruise and your occasion... ie... if there is a family group of say 20 people on some sort of anniversary or even wedding they are going to create a bit of noise! if you're there on your own with t'other half for a peaceful holiday, well on a ship that size, as much as Huw is right in saying that you can easily get lost on the ship, or find another bar etc, your P&Q is going to be spoilt somewhat...

 

but on the other hand..... it can SOMETIMES be the ones who want the quiet that can cause the trouble.....

 

for instance..(and my good friend huw will back me up on this!!) we used to meet in the bar at the back of the ship (name passes me, but one with a different video wall everyday!!) .... now that bar was always nice and quiet and to be honest the only time i ever had my conversation interrupted was when stood at the bar and they were crushing ice in a machine of some sorts...... anyway i digress.....

 

they do these soda cards on board the ship where you pay a 'slightly' discounted rate for coke etc... now sometimes I'd get a coke, then after a short while want something stronger... so i used to carry a small hip flask with me for that very occurrence!!! now bearing in mind you can order bottles of spirits to your room... i found it very surprising that on one particular evening someone complained when they saw me topping up my drink... petty? sure! right? maybe! any of their business? NO!!! now if these people go around cruise ships attempting to stake some sort of claim that you should act like this! and not do things like that! then the stories similar to new year are gonna keep getting fuelled like a furnace...

 

now if i ruined their holiday because i changed my mind and topped my drink up then TOUGH! they were probably of a similar kind to the woman who thought it was OK to stand at the bottom of the staircase and block everyone trying to walk up and down the stairs just because she wanted to watch the pirate show ... did they ruin my holiday???? NOT A CHANCE! I'm on another cruise this year and there will be many more to come... if i don't want it full of kids, then i won't book a family ship in the school holidays..... if i don't want the 'party' crowd then i won't book a ship over public holidays.... if the bar is noisy, then I'll simply go find another one that's not!! or join in!!!!

 

in a nutshell people.... (especially those 'virginal' cruisers!) don't get too worried about the stories you hear.... one mans party is another mans bedlam!! there was stories similar all last summer about the Ventura and in November it was fantastic.....

 

but i leave you with one question...

 

who's getting upset about all these things???? is it the people who took their chance and booked well in advance, then realising that others have paid a lot less..and simply won't to find anything wrong with THEIR behaviour simply because their cruise cost less?????

[chyanmor]

I agree with Steve it is all relative, however I do have to say if you want a nice bar Metropolis is the place to go probably one of the most unused bars on the ship when we were on. I think at any one time there must have been around 20-25 people in a place which could hold 100+.

 

Was I too rowdy think it was just the fact I kept having to run up and down to the quiz master with the answers as I recall it! ;-)

[Laticfanatic617]

I agree with Steve it is all relative, however I do have to say if you want a nice bar Metropolis is the place to go probably one of the most unused bars on the ship when we were on. I think at any one time there must have been around 20-25 people in a place which could hold 100+.

 

Was I too rowdy think it was just the fact I kept having to run up and down to the quiz master with the answers as I recall it! ;-)

 

 

that was it's name.... great little secret that appeared to be well kept..... but they had certain 'standards' !!!!

 

well you did insist being sat nearest the bar!!!

[oldcruiser1234]

Sunnysideofsale

 

You mention that you took your own alcohol into a bar and then filled up your glass with it and got upset when someone reported you.

 

I am surprised that P and O did not throw you off!

 

As far as I am aware P and O are the only cruise line allowing passengers to take alcohol on board for their own use in their cabin. The end game is if people like you keep doing this they ban it. Or they make no profit on their cruises and go bust!

 

If their drinks prices were excessive I could understand but they are not.

 

Please don't get upset when you are breaking the rules and potentially spoiling it for thousands.

[Laticfanatic617]

think you may have misunderstood me....

 

1. somebody whingeing doesn't upset me, i felt pity that they needed to complain (which i may add they did out of earshot to myself!!!!)

 

2. how can they lose profit by me doing what i did... the booze was bought on board the ship (i was cheating them more by getting my coke cheaper on the soda card!)

 

3. never said anything about the prices of drinks, in fact they are a lot cheaper than where i live

[stopgo]

I agree with Steve it is all relative, however I do have to say if you want a nice bar Metropolis is the place to go probably one of the most unused bars on the ship when we were on. I think at any one time there must have been around 20-25 people in a place which could hold 100+.

 

Was I too rowdy think it was just the fact I kept having to run up and down to the quiz master with the answers as I recall it! ;-)

Its unused and a bit of a secret because nobody can find it.

[chyanmor]

Its unused and a bit of a secret because nobody can find it.

 

 

which makes it even more special and exclusive ;-)

[jenniwreni]

which makes it even more special and exclusive ;-)

 

 

Agreed!! We found (quite easily may I add..) this a lovely bar to finish our evenings in!!

[honeymooner2009]

hiya,interesting reading your comments,i didnt know P&O let you take your own booze on board ,wasn`t mentioned in the booking [wonder why].I take it you have read my question ,hence the reply to the thread,i would just like to point out one thing .As such it`s not so much the drinking [And we all like to do that :-) ] ,that was featured in the press,moreover it was the "alleged" fighting,glasses being smashed in anger and even attempted arson !.Im sure you can appreciate as it`s my hornymoon that wouldn`t be too good really.Im only 41 and wifey2B is 46 and we still like to have fun and let our hair down [not that i`ve much left these days] as much as anybody.We look forward to trying metropolis ourselves and hope it`s as nice as everybody describes it.

[stopgo]

As been stated its really empty at the Metropolis, if you want to let your hair down you'll be on your own there. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the Metropolis, the cityscape video wall was a letdown for me.

[Laticfanatic617]

As been stated its really empty at the Metropolis, if you want to let your hair down you'll be on your own there. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the Metropolis, the cityscape video wall was a letdown for me.

 

 

we used the bar simply to meet up prior to dinner every evening as we were in a group of ten (thanks to this site!)... the bars around the restaraunts we're generally busy pre-dinner as you could imagine and we wouldn't get the required amount of seats together...

 

the video wall is a bit 'hit n miss' ...but ok as a backdrop...

 

people will soon figure out what bars are suitable for the mood they are in.. that's the beauty of such a big ship... you have a choice!