JeanieC,Aston

Hi

They sell a Prosecco on board called ‘Canti’’ it’s available in all supermarkets £7.50 to £8.5O a bottle.

They wouldn’t know on board where you got it from.

8 hours ago, gsmt47471015 said:

The one thing about prosecco on P and O is the measure in the glass if your on a drinks package or not , my good lady drinks the aforementioned and has said its a half full glass ,on all our other cruises with different companies the glass is always full ,package or not 

I agree.

My last x2 cruises this year was on Celebrity Silhouette and Marella Voyager,,,the glasses of Prosecco were doubles compared to P&O 125ml….same with spirits.

1 hour ago, pennib said:

To reply to post no 352, we can definitely recommend Marella and we have just returned from our last cruise on Explorer. We think they are brilliant. Food brilliant, staff exceptional and of course it is all inclusive and you can upgrade for £90 a week each and have the choice of all the drinks on the ship. Go for it.

Hi

As the poster who the author of post #352 was replying to I agree with your comment re a Marella.

My cruise on Explorer last month was great and have booked Explorer2 for next year.

One reason,,,,I really dislike sea days.

Both Arvia and Ventura of 13/14 cruises have at least 6 sea days each were Marella 7 nt cruises only have one,plus I do like DP’s.

First Guinness now Jameson’s,,,penny pinching of the worst kind.

11 hours ago, FangedRose said:

In my experience the coaches used by Intercruise are the same as those used by Eavesway. Your situation with weather delays causing last minute arrangements is a different thing altogether and should not deter you from using Intercruises. 

 

This didn't happen to me, but some five years ago a couple used Eavesway. Their luggage was mistakenly offloaded at the wrong ship. They were left with only the clothing they arrived in for the best part of a week. They were informed that if they had travelled with Intercruises they would have been given vouchers to use in the shops for clothing and toiletries etc. But, as they had travelled with Eavesway they were considered "independent" travellers and were given no assistance, just as if they had arrived by car and left their luggage in the boot.

Hi

I don’t believe P&O has ever used Eavesway since they fell out years ago,,,P&O played silly beggars with Eavesway giving passengers the last departure times from the ship whilst Cruise Connect/Intercruises passengers where off first.

Thats all changed now both Intercruises and Eavesway are now given the early disembark times,,,,on my last cruise using Eavesway this year it was 07:45 and we where on the road by 08:15.

From the North West P&O usually use Ellisons of St Helens,,,lovely coaches.

15 hours ago, david63 said:

100% - If you arranged the coach travel at the same time as you booked the cruise and with the cruise line then it would fall within the Package Holiday regulations but if you book the cruise and the coach separately it is not covered - it is irrelevant who is paying.

 

Where you may get package holiday cover is if you book the cruise with a TA and the coach at the same time and it is all on one invoice then you would probably be covered

Hi

That is what I said,,if you book coach included with your cruise booking,,,it’s a package.

I am not talking about booking cruise and then say book Eavesway,,,that is not a package.

Hi all

See what I did there!!!!😏

Hasn't the last x3 pages been more interesting than talking about chocolate.
 

15 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

You can’t compare 11 nights v 14 nights as a fair comparison Celebrity deducting OBC   £218 a night P &O is £175 . P&O for me please. I prefer value for money. 

Hi 

I did say as a one off to see the difference….Value?
There is an old saying “Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing”

This really does apply to cruise ships.

I have to admit after my Celebrity cruise this May it looks like it was my last.way too expensive going forward,,,,they have now lost value for me.but that’s for balcony,,,,£2700 if you like an inside seems OK.

It looks like I will just have to settle for P&O.problem is I end up comparing all the time.

33 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

In the atrium the time I wanted a drink there I went and sat at the bar to order direct having seen quickly it would be a long wait sat in the normal seats waiting for drinks to be ordered let alone served

 

No doubt part of the reason I prefer other places on the ship with much more instant service

Hi ICF

Dont want to seem rude but you have admitted that you are in bed for 22:00 and also said you never went into the clubhouse or pub……try the Club for the 22:30 show or the pub at 23:00 at night and you will see the real problems with lack of staff.

17 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

You do realise that once your order is put in the tablet it is instantly transmitted to the bar staff who then produce the drink? Much more efficient than the waiter trotting back and forwards to the bar. Swiping the card and giving it straight back is infinitely preferable to them disappearing with your card for minutes at a time.

Hi

I know how it works,the problem was the waiter would walk the floor collecting orders.

Instead of delivering them as they were made he stood at the bar talking to the other waiters until All the orders were completed.

The waiters in the queue waited even longer.

I have never heard so much complaining about the time taken to get a drink.

Another problem was if you only had x2 barmen making drinks and x6 waiters floor walking it was chaos.

It only needed one section of the bar for waiter service and one for bar service,,,and each manned up with enough for a ship with near 6000 passengers.

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

TBF you were very unlucky to experience all the worst possible issues that seem to have occurred on Iona or Arvia, all on one cruise. I do agree that P&O don't seem to have enough venues for live music, and the Atrium is very dull, so maybe P&O could emulate Princess and use the Atrium routinely for their musical groups, hopefully it's acoustics would be a hundred times better than the Skydome.

Similarly the food and service in the MDRs could be much better, and some of the more recent reviews do suggest there are improvements. In addition P&O do seem to be addressing the queuing problems, or at least looking to how they can make the virtual queuing feature more suitable.

But, when you compare the pricing on P&O to most of its major competitors, then that has to be a major plus factor, and passengers cannot expect RCI, Princess or Celebrity standards at those prices.

Hi

You would be surprised…

I am looking for a cruise next October from Southampton.

There is x2 options Celebrity Apex and P&O Britannia.

As TCF books inside cabins I had a look.

Granted Celebrity is 11 nights and P&O is 14 nts.

Celebrity===£2700 with £300 OBC.

P&O = £2600 with £140 OBC on Select.

Its worth a one off for P&O fans to see just how much better P&O could achieve.

The choice of food in the buffet would be worth the difference alone,,,steak or fresh fish grilled while you wait on P&O for lunch? 
The buffet on Silhouette makes the buffet on Ventura look like a snack bar

44 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I've done Arvia and iona

 

If Iona was your worst cruise of 80 that you've taken then I don't think you should be considering Arvia

 

Obviously the ships are almost identical and if anything Iona is calmer than Arvia and you didn't like Iona?

 

Atrium the same

 

Clubhouse the same

 

MDRs less on Arvia

 

Both use apps for queues

 

Both have waiters using iPad's for orders

 

Both only have limited counters open for late buffet

 

I didn't face any of your issues and loved both my cruises  but I clearly want different things to you on board  and never like to sit in atriums on any of the ships to worry about the atmosphere there

 

 

 

 

{I didn't face any of your issues and loved both my cruises  but I clearly want different things to you on board  and never like to sit in atriums on any of the ships to worry about the atmosphere there}

Must be me,,my go to cruises the last few years as well as P&O is Celebrity ‘S’ class.

Most evenings revolve around the atrium,you can spend most of the night in any of the bars around it and be royally entertained…rock n roll parties,60s party,ABBA night,silent disco.and no waiters with iPads taking 20 orders then waiting until barman has made them all before bringing you your drink.

4 minutes ago, carlanthony24 said:

Damn a thread going off track it happens no need to be angry over it. Maybe someone can edit the title instead. Most people commenting have said stuff about P&O they have not liked.... 

Hi

I am looking to book a cruise next April.

There is x3 choices,,,,,,Arvia,Ventura or Marella.

I want info on all three before I make a decision.

I read Iona/Arvia threads to convince me one way or another to try that class of ship again.Probably Iona is a once and done,,,but maybe the performance of Iona has improved and passed to Arvia.

I like Ventura and my Marella cruise last month was a good one.

So it’s not anger,,it’s about the information im losing due to peoples reluctance to post because we have post after post about chocolate.

25 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Because the P and O forum is such a happy (and informative) place we don't mind if the odd thread goes astray, its a bit of fun when it happens.  We don't complain or get cross about it, we usually get back on track sooner or later!

 

Strange about the original poster though.  Disappeared completely.  Hope all is ok.

Hi

Not strange at all.why would the OP want to?

Have a look at the likes of post #9,,,and if the OP had come back I can guarantee a similar posts would have appeared.

And 7 posters though it was funny,,,not funny when you are on the receiving end.
No need.

Just now, Interestedcruisefan said:

I kind of feel it was nicer talking about Thorntons now!

 

Lol

 

 

Hi

You would do.

9 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Was nice talking about chocolate though

 

Nothing sinister here on my part at least

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise on Iona 

 

Do you want to expand on why it was the worst cruise you've had?

 

And get us back on track Jeannie?

Hi

For probably the 10th time,,,the reasons of probably been done to death between yourself,myself and others in the last few months.

To summarise…..

The queues.

The bar service due to not being able to go to the bar was not good enough,,,waiters with iPads a bad idea.

No atmosphere,,especially in the Atrium.

MDR service was a shambles.

Lack of live music venues for number of passengers,,,I was on Marella Voyager last month and I could. Get a seat in the Caberet bar,,watch a musician/singer then a game show then a party band and then stay there for a couple of hours,,,where on Iona can I do that without seeing a repeat set x4 times in the evening in the Clubhouse.

Getting in queue on App for dinner at 19:00 and getting sat down at nearly 22:00.

Late supper in buffet only one counter open for the many who wanted a snack.

Thats enough for now,,,,,I don’t want to repeat a well worn thread.

You liked Iona I didn’t….walk on.

5 hours ago, david63 said:

That is not necessarily the case. Your contract is with the coach operator and not the cruise line therefore it does not fall within the Package Holiday regulations.

 

The cruise line will do all it can to wait for a coach that is delayed but at some point the ship will have to sail.

 

There are precedents for this - albeit not often.

Hi

Are you sure,,,,you are booking the holiday with P&O that includes coach transfer,,,that is you are booking a ‘package’.

Absolute disgrace how this thread has been sidetracked,no doubt by those who didn’t want any criticism of their favourite cruise line to go on.

Its turning the thread into a Chat Room as opposed to a Forum.

For what it’s worth I totally agree with some of the OPs  points, my cruise on Iona in February was the worst in over 80 cruises on different lines,even worse than MSC.

Hi Jim

I believe it’s Raffles Hotel,,,you should have tried the famous Singapore Sling in the Long Bar,,,only $26.

Enjoying your travel……

Looking at a Ventura cruise to the Canaries for next April….its £300 cheaper today than yesterday.

Leaving Flam September 1st last year,,,,,sun cream required.

Hi

The big thaw sets in by April where the waterfalls are full bore,,,I was last there in August last year and they were barely a trickle.

Bare in mind that the Fjords are for the beautiful scenery not really the ports many being quite boring,,

also keep in mind Bergen is the rainiest city in Europe,,,pack a waterproof.

The highlight for many is the ride on the Flam Railway return trip to Myrdal,,book cheapest on line.

Another photo of Flam with the station,a brew pub in the town.

We always buy the DP.

I may have a couple of V&T before dinner,,x2 glasses of wine with dinner and a few more drinks during the night,,,without coffee or soft drinks I’m quids in.

My wife easily makes it pay,,,she likes Prosecco,,,,,x6 tiny 125ml glasses a day @£6.50 a glass it’s easy.

On 11/9/2023 at 10:09 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We’re on the Connie TA , just left Cartagena and the Captain comes on the PA to announce that on November 11 we are stopping in Gibraltar and our stop in Azores on November 13 is canceled because of adverse bad weather along the path 

I guess we will heading farther south to miss it , which is ok 

Hi

In 20 minutes time at 11:00 Gib time everything will stop for 1 minute to mark Armistice Day.

Noticed she is bunkering for the long run across the Atlantic.

Watch the planes landing in the wind on that short runway,,done it a few times and it can be quite hairy.

In Gib last month,,,,shuttle taxi ship to town,,,bought a couple bottles of whiskey then back to ship.

Bottle of Teelings Irish for £17.