P&O V Cruise & Maritime Magellan

Yes, it does say that on the page re the visits and overnights. It doesn't apply to their cruises. However, my wife uses a wheelchair and we have done visits with overnights on Marco Polo in Avonmouth (Bristol) and Magellan in Tilbury and they couldn't have been more helpful. On both occasions, whilst we were waiting in the embarkation hall, the senior manager in charge approached us and invited us to be first to board, even though we weren't designated for the first group - well ahead of our allocated time. I did find it odd that we bypassed security, which, whilst a pleasant change, rather reinforces my point that they aren't quite as professional as P&O! Access around the ships in the wheelchair was no problem. As they have fewer floors, very few able bodied people use the lifts, meaning that they are freely available for those that really need them (unlike P&O where most able bodied passengers use them even for just a few floors). The lifts were a good size. Marco Polo had a couple of accessible inside cabins (only). On Magellan we had a top tier suite, one of which is adapted and had a wet room. I would still have reservations about cruising with them but, from a wheelchair users perspective, they were every bit as helpful as P&O and, in some respects, even better.

Thank you :)

I have sailed on Discovery and Funchal (Both CMV) at the time and overnighted on Marco Polo. I have no problem with older ships as I like to see them before they disappear forever, but I did have a problem with rude and unhelpful staff and dismal food. I would do a cheap 1-2 nights on Columbus or Magellan to see the ships but for a holiday - no way. Also - daytime entertainment, besides quizzes, consists of such excitement as beanbag bowls! It may be different however on the larger ships.

I have done cheap and not so cheap short cruises with CMV. On the whole I would agree that for a short cruise CMV is fine. I would not like to do a week or more with them. In my experience not all the food is dismal and not all the staff are rude and unhelpful. Some of the food has been nice enough and some of the staff are lovely. My cabin stewards have been the equal or better of P&O or Cunard. On Columbus they opened the main dining room for all passengers on embarkation day. Something that P&O find impossible to do. Nicer than any embarkation buffet I have experienced.

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On Columbus they opened the main dining room for all passengers on embarkation day. Something that P&O find impossible to do. Nicer than any embarkation buffet I have experienced.

We've always had embarkation breakfast on P&O in the Main Dining Room.

Another gripe for Cruise and Maritime on Marco Polo. On Embarcation day, we were told we'd be leaving at 3:00 in the afternoon. However, once breakfast was served there was no provision for any food for the rest of the day. We got off a little earlier, but not much. Needless to say, nobody appreciated that there was nowhere to get any lunch.

We've always had embarkation breakfast on P&O in the Main Dining Room.

 

Another gripe for Cruise and Maritime on Marco Polo. On Embarcation day, we were told we'd be leaving at 3:00 in the afternoon. However, once breakfast was served there was no provision for any food for the rest of the day. We got off a little earlier, but not much. Needless to say, nobody appreciated that there was nowhere to get any lunch.

Are you getting embarkation and disembarkation muddled up? It's quite normal to get breakfast on disembarkation day, but as embarkation is usually during the afternoon the best you can hope for is lunch. And due to P&O's policy of not boarding the majority of passengers until mid afternoon, this is usually too late for most people who are hungry from having travelled, but are also conscious that a very late lunch is likely to spoil dinner. I've never travelled with other lines, but apparently many manage to get everyone on board a lot earlier, in time for lunch at a decent time. Finally, I'm curious to know why people couldn't disembark until late afternoon with CMV. Had the ship arrived in port late (P&O ships usually arrive home at around 7am on changeover days)? It must have made embarkation very late for passengers joining if those disembarking weren't getting off until mid afternoon.

We've always had embarkation breakfast on P&O in the Main Dining Room.

 

 

 

Another gripe for Cruise and Maritime on Marco Polo. On Embarcation day, we were told we'd be leaving at 3:00 in the afternoon. However, once breakfast was served there was no provision for any food for the rest of the day. We got off a little earlier, but not much. Needless to say, nobody appreciated that there was nowhere to get any lunch.

Embarkation Breakfast. Is that in Southampton? I have never boarded in the morning for breakfast?

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Another thing CMV do which is nice. They show you to your cabin on embarkation. They will carry your hand luggage too. Did P and O use to do that? I always liked it on QE2.

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Another thing CMV do which is nice. They show you to your cabin on embarkation. They will carry your hand luggage too. Did P and O use to do that? I always liked it on QE2.

 

 

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Thomson used to do that too. It was nice to be greeted by a crew member who remembered you from last year or in my case once it was 2 of them wanting to do it.. She insisted on carrying my backpack which I reckon was heavier than her :D

It would be a nice touch if P&O could do it.

Are you getting embarkation and disembarkation muddled up?

Oops! You are correct. My mistake.

Finally, I'm curious to know why people couldn't disembark until late afternoon with CMV. Had the ship arrived in port late (P&O ships usually arrive home at around 7am on changeover days)? It must have made embarkation very late for passengers joining if those disembarking weren't getting off until mid afternoon.

The ship was scheduled to arrive at Bristol in the afternoon. It was not late, so Cruise and Maritime knew that they would have a ship full of hungry people. But as I've discovered, this company has an unbelievably bad opinion of their customers, so letting them go hungry is par for the course.

The ship was scheduled to arrive at Bristol in the afternoon. It was not late, so Cruise and Maritime knew that they would have a ship full of hungry people. But as I've discovered, this company has an unbelievably bad opinion of their customers, so letting them go hungry is par for the course.

Very strange. They do seem to have an odd way of doing certain things yet, in other areas they do very well. I had forgotten the line of stewards ready to escort passengers to cabins. They even do that for the overnight (no cruise) visits and it's a really nice touch. I've noticed passengers on P&O ships on embarkation day getting quite confused trying to find their cabins for the first time and many would appreciate this. It would still have to be a very very cheap cruise indeed for me to travel with CMV though!

Another thing CMV do which is nice. They show you to your cabin on embarkation. They will carry your hand luggage too. Did P and O use to do that? I always liked it on QE2.

 

 

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Yes - P&O used to do this routinely in the days when the largest ship was Oriana and embarkation started about 3.00pm! I actually miss those days...