whoops

The bathrobes are £19.99 each or two for £29.99. They are soft fabric and different from those supplied for use in cabins. Wash well and are comfortable to wear.

Hope this helps.:p

The only problem with the bought ones is that they are not very absorbant if you like to use them straight out of the shower. However, that might not be an issue for most as my showering arrangements are unusual as I tend to get out of the shower, put on the robe and go immediately out on to the balcony (if sunny) to dry.

Having read some of the comments on here I feel that I must cease paying both the autotips and tipping individually. If so many people remove their tips then P&O need to do something about it by paying their staff a decent wage and increasing the cost of their cruises. I don't see why I should subsidise those who opt out. A price inclusive of tips would be a fairer system for both the crew and customers.

One useful thing I discovered on my last trip is that if you have a large amount of onboard spend you can remove your tips and donate the equivalent amount (or any amount you have left over) from your spend allocation 24 hours before the cruise ends. You can only spend so much on goods from the shops, meals and trips so this seems to me to be a good option for some people.

Totally agree. Strange post, so uncouth, particularly to mention the amount proffered.

I'm sorry you found my mentioning the amount of tip given "uncouth". It was mentioned in anticipation of someone suggesting that I had tipped an insulting amount and no wonder the service fell short. I have answered the other point in my previous post. You just can't win with some people.

Genuinely puzzled by this.

 

What service do you get from a cabin steward that deserves additional tipping, but more importantly can deteriorate?

 

They make the bed, give a quick clean around, stick in fresh towels, and are gone.

I'll help you out. Previously the room was always ready when we returned from breakfast. We had fresh towels when placed in the bath. Tea/Coffee was not renewed. OK these are minor things but found it strange that things that were previously done before tipping stopped as soon as the tip was given.

Even if I leave the tips on I like to give something extra to the cabin steward.. Last trip I tipped the steward two days before disembarkation and the service suddenly deteriorated. Perhaps he felt £40 wasn't enough! Next time I won't bother. I might even leave the tips off altogether and tip the cabin steward and others who have given good service individually but I won't make the mistake of tipping before the last night of the holiday.

We aren't in a suite or a mini suite next time, but we are in a superior deluxe balcony cabin on Ventura. Do we get bathrobes? (Deck D - booked it an age ago, so can't remember its proper title now!)

 

No issue if we don't - towels wrapped around us on the balcony at sailaway to hide our dignity, is fine ;-)

I was on the Ventura twice 18 months ago in a superior balcony cabin and we had bath robes. They were also on sale but of a far lower quality than those provided in the cabin despite bearing the P&O logo.

Our only negative observation is the noise and vibration we experienced last year at the very rear of the ship. Tis was apparently caused by a problem with 1 of the propulsion pods which one would hope has now been rectified. To summarize: a great ship.

Last month I sailed on the Arcadia. We occupied a rear facing balcony cabin next door to a suite. There was absolutely no vibration in the cabin although in the nearest lift area vibration was noticeable on a few occasions. I was informed the propeller on the Arcadia faces in the reverse direction and sucks the ship forward rather than the usual push if that makes sense. That design is intended to reduce vibration and as far as I'm concerned it works.

If you walk east from the port gate there is the Admiral Sir Lucius Curtiss, a Wetherspoons, again pub lunches and good beer.

The Port gate to which terminal. Usually I use the Herbert Walker Avenue entrance but there are others.

I was on an Arcadia cruise last month and hardly anyone used the Spa. Could that be an age thing where Arcadia passengers tend to be older? You should have no trouble getting a day pass on that ship although the other P&O ships I have travelled on (Ventura and Azura) I found the Spa better used but not overcrowded by any means.

Nobody has questioned your right to pass your opinion but I also have the same right. I wasn't defending P&O. I was saying that way too many passengers arrive at the terminal 2 and 3 hours before boarding and expect to get on. What would they do if they were flying to meet the cruise?

Exactly. The problem is P&O start boarding late unlike other cruise lines. The majority are not flying to meet the cruise so your point is not relevant to those who cruise from Southampton? This discussion is about boarding a ship in Southampton which many people choose to do in order to avoid sitting around in terminal buildings waiting for a flight. Now with P&O we have to sit around in a terminal building waiting to board a ship which removes the advantage of travelling from Southampton.

The basic point you seem to be missing is that if other cruise lines adopt satisfactory boarding arrangements why can't P&O?

There seems little point in arguing this point with you if you don't understand the basic reason for customers complaints. That is my last word on this matter as any further discussion on this point is futile.

Those who feel P&O's embarkation arrangements are poor - and there are many - compared with other cruise lines from Southampton are surely entitled to say so. There is absolutely no point in those who defend P&O's arrangements saying people should turn up on time when it is not convenient to do so. Those who are ejected from their hotels rooms early on the day of the ship's departure and those who have to rely on public transport simply can't magic an arrival time out of the air. If there are no trains from sleepy Devon or elsewhere to coincide with the expected arrival time you have no option other than to arrive at the terminal early. P&O's own coaches don't go anywhere near some areas of the country so what are you expected to do? Two years ago the arrangements were satisfactory. Now they are not and the system must change if P&O are as customer focused as they want us to believe.

The problem is due to P&O's decision to ensure all cabins are ready by the time passengers embark but many people would probably prefer to board earlier and have a drink or lunch rather than hang around in a busy terminal especially those who travel long distances. Of course those who live within easy reach of Southampton can time their arrival to coincide with the embarkation time on our e tickets but that isn't the point. The simple point is P&O need to start the boarding process earlier and not wait until 1pm before anyone can get onboard.

My bet is that the questionnaires we fill in at the end of the cruise are littered with complaints about embarkation and I would expect P&O to do something about it.

A hit and miss system is far from ideal. Some turn up early and get on the ship soon after arrival while others have to wait. If P&O think this is acceptable then they will lose customers. The P&O system takes no account of those who have to stay in a hotel overnight and are ejected early leaving little alternative other than to turn up at the Port early. If other cruise lines can organise a better embarkation procedure why can't P&O?

Ditch the formal nights. Controversial I know but ditching the clothing (and shoes) required for formal nights will free up a lot of space and reduce weight. You did ask! While the above suggestions are good for female clothing you cannot get around the bulk caused by men's dinner jackets and shoes for which there are no alternatives.

I think our plan is to book the ships tour /gondala etc which finishes in St M square at about 2-00pm so instead of returning to ship ,we will amble back to ship ,I love Venice, but unfortunately I couldn't walk very well last time we were there, so I really want to walk the backstreets .this time.

I doubt whether walking back to the ship will be possible. And it's a long way.

I was on a P&O cruise which included Venice two weeks ago. P&O provided a water bus from the berth to St Marks Square taking around 30 minutes. The cost was £16 per person for unlimited use. I went in twice. Walking around Venice is very easy. Doges Palace is next to St Marks Square and many side streets with shops radiate from the square. Getting to the Grand Canal is easy as is getting around without a guide. All of the P&O excursions involved a lot of walking of around 2 hours with many steps and the one boat trip excursion was unappealing and long with no toilet facilities. I would do it on my own again as it is so easy.

P&O issue questionnaires enquiring about the passenger experience. That being the case I find it astonishing that some people seem to object to those of us who don't like the current boarding system expressing their views.

Well the simple answer is cruise with Celebrity. I really can't understand all this whinging about P&O. If they give you a boarding time then turn up at that time and get boarded if you tried to board an aeroplane early or book into a hotel early it just wouldn't happen. Alternatively, if you really don't like it then go elsewhere. Simple.

The problem is why it is necessary to be given a boarding time when other cruise lines make the process far simpler. I would hardly describe Royal Carribean as upmarket so if they can do a convenient check in why can't P&O? P&O used to allow more flexibility but in the last couple of years came up with the present daft system of not allowing passengers to board until their cabins are ready. That system needs to change; otherwise people will go elsewhere.

We have a 3.30 boarding time today! [emoji15] we have to be out of the hotel at 11am so that's a bit of time to kill! Think we will turn up after going to get some Prosecco from Lidl & sit & wait - fingers crossed!

 

 

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3 weeks ago I had a boarding time of 3pm. I was ejected from the hotel at Noon, arrived at the Port at around 12.45pm but didn't get on the ship until 2.30pm. A couple of months ago I was on a Royal Caribbean ship. I arrived at the Port at 1pm and was checked in the minute I arrived. The problem with P&O is that they have the check-in staff but they are required to hang around until they get the go ahead to start boarding. Clearly it is nothing to do with saving money; it's merely the fact P&O want cabins ready before boarding commences. Frankly I don't give a stuff about having a cabin ready for occupation; I want my lunch.

Of course people will say if you turn up on time you will not have a problem. But when you stay overnight and are ejected from your room at either 11am or Noon you just want to get to the Port in the hope you can board early rather than hang around with luggage waiting to get on with your holiday.

I don't want to open up this subject again but the moans and groans about P&O's boarding arrangements by fellow passengers must get through to P&O as the current arrangements are simply unacceptable.

It wasn't at no cost, I have paid £360 to upgrade to a balcony, they only had obstructed view

The assumption was made that you had received a complimentary upgrade as often occurs after booking a cruise. Whether you can change depends on whether you are on an Early Saver or Select Fare tariff. If the former you do not have the opportunity to select your cabin number. You should have been advised of this at the time of booking. It would certainly be worth discussing the situation with your travel agent.

That's one heck of an upgrade. Surely a balcony cabin is far better than an inside cabin. Even if the view is restricted in some way that is far better than the complete absence of a view you would receive from an inside cabin. Normally once an upgrade has been given no changes can be made. But why would you want to change given that you have received a far more expensive cabin at no cost?

I have crossed the Bay of Biscay on at least 30 occasions on most months of the year mainly on a car ferry to Santander. Only on two of these journeys has the sea been rough; once in late April and again in November. Last week I crossed the Bay of Biscay on the Arcadia and again the sea was calm. I wouldn't take likely sea conditions into consideration firstly because such conditions are not as frequent as rumour would have it and secondly because sea height and wind strengths are unreliable to predict..

Thanks very much for the helpful replies.

The title is self explanatory. Travelling on the Arcadia next week.

Many thanks.

Thanks very much. With £650 onboard spend the cost is not too much of an issue.