sweep2907

Ridiculous comments from P&O staff about "that type of passenger" and assuming it for old people. On Ventura last year we found 2 other couples on first night to play in Syndicate with one couple early 20s, the other in their late 50s and us in our 40s. It is a GREAT way to find new friends and socialise and is for ALL ages. Britannia last year I made some excellent friends playing Syndicate in afternoon on Britannia and none of us are over 50!!!! Maybe if they asked their entertainment team they would tell you how popular and competitive and fun this format is on their cruises. I really look forward to Syndicate when going on P&O. My partner loved it for her first time!!! it was highlight of her day!

Utterly useless, fast becoming the worst budget cruise line going. I remember the good old days before covid where you wander around the ship and if you fancied Sindhu or Epicurean that evening, you'd pop in and book. Most of the time they'd entice you in with cheap offers of free bottle of wine. Now it seems every person panics and books everything as soon as they board. By 6pm day one, most reservations are gone as Most speciality restaurants only operate at half capacity at that. What has happened to P&O? It's so disappointing and I really don't mind paying more if we can get back to a semblance of what they were a few years ago. Sorry for my rant but this sort of email from them just annoys me as their right hand doesn't speak to their left hand. They give the impression of amateur hour.

I likewise always enjoyed the white wine on offer at these welcome lunches. I always assumed these lunches are only for loyalty tiers and never knew suite guests had access? Although from this post, it sounds as if suite guests didn't get access. They never get widely advertised and we always go as we know about them from past cruises.

What worries me having seen retreats on other ships like Ventura, is there are a lot of sunbeds in the shade. Can you report back how many sunbeds are in the sun as wouldn't want shade all day.

I've seen P&O pushing cruises at under £40pppn which is unheard of. I remember discussing on here during covid 2020, how we all expected prices to go through the roof upon resumption to claw losses back. P&O are giving cruises away and you wonder if it is to attract 1000s of new customers in an ever more competitive market. I think going forward, the new breed of cruisers will show less loyalty to any one brand and will choose the ship or itinerary that they like or a good offer. I'm looking to try NCL and Princess in the coming year having put P&O to one side for a while. My first decade of cruising was solely P&O. Sadly for me they are sliding towards the bottom of the pile for experience and wow factor and it isn't surprising when they charge so little.

Is this poster for real? These companies exist to make a profit for goodness sake and not pander to one and all who feel hard done by! I bought a garden furniture set recently and several weeks later, it's a lot cheaper. It is a fact of life that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Don't expect companies to be on your side. Bet your post would be boasting if you'd benefitted over others?

Excellent changes to package and very reasonably priced. Nice to see P&O updating their offering and making it a lot more attractive to many people.

Just completed on Britannia 6 months ago. Weather was awful upto Tenerife where some first time cruisers got off and flew home as was too much for them. Still scratching head as to why you'd choose a TA for your debut cruise experience! However the 5 days across Atlantic were wonderful and very hot most of the time hitting average 30 most days but felt hotter where we were. Atlantic was like a millpond at times.

Yes like many others, you get what you pay for and P&O priced at bottom end of market now. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my sailings with P&O but don't expect 5 star food and standards at 3* prices. My first sailing with P&O almost a decade ago was double the price you can get the identical cruise now. I'd rather pay more and have better quality but the beauty is we have so many cruise lines to choose from now. Great value with P&O and never had bad cruise. In fact just booking for Iona in June as super prices for Fjords. Again they are more than 50% cheaper than when Iona first came out.

How busy was Arvia for this February cruise outside of school holidays? Sounds fantastic ship and great review.

The way P&O is heading also saddens me. It is noticeable how standards have deteriorated as well as the prices. Some of their cuts are savage and it isn't uncommon to find a cruise at £50pppn. It then angers me to hear people complain about food or service and I question what people really expect when they paying such low prices? They are clearly leaning towards filling ships at whatever the cost and thereby making minimal profit on passengers. I've heard from the inside that post covid where they just needed cash flow, they will return to higher prices. I've already started crusing with Celebrity since covid and prefer to pay more for a better product. On the loyalty side, they have it right where you earn more points per night depending on your cabin class. Inside would earn the least per night upto the suites. That quite rightly rewards spend as opposed to sheer no of nights you can fit in. Iona now £479 for 7 nights to Fjords. We had cruise to Fjords booked on Iona before covid cancellation at over x3 that price! I really don't want to see P&O involved in a race to the bottom as to who is the cheapest cruise line.

Christmas time I precooked the bus at port of Zeebrugge around £20 return takes you into Bruges then 10 min walk into Bruges. Free shuttle from ship takes you to port entrance then cross road into waiting area for bus. Can pay on day also. Booked on Viator.

I mentioned the pricing of Apex ex UK to celebrity cruise consultant in UK and they replied saying cruises are selling extremely well! I'm surprised to be fair as heard many put off by the costs. I'm flying to Rome to do Beyond again and it's still much cheaper than Apex with no flights from UK.

Saw your ship on 2nd November, must have been St Lucia as we were moored opposite on Britannia. Was it a quiet cruise as we didn't see many up on deck at all as you sailed away?

For those interested when boarding day 1 reception said Sindhu was closed all cruise. That afternoon you could book 4 dates on their app only and these went quickly. Then another date appeared on app which again was snapped up and again a 6th evening which was given to those on waiting list. They hope Sindhu will be open more regularly very soon but food excellent. Our epicurean meal was a big disappointment considering the cover charge. Always been one of our favorites but food was sent back. To their credit they rectified situation with different meal and glass of wine so fair play to manager. Beach House was excellent as usual. All in all its been a good cruise other than the ever increasing number of unsavoury incidents on board. It is sad to see P&O becoming more like Wetherspoons by the day. Woman punched a man over camera incidents, tea thrown over Passenger over sunbeds, stabbing with plastic fork and someone attacked with broken champagne flute. I've cruised many times with P&O and never seen so many towels reserving sun beds from so early. It's just embarrassing for anyone who thinks getting up before 7am and reserving all beds is acceptable.

Britannia TA October 2024 is more than £500 pp more than we paid for this 2022 version same cabin which we also booked on opening day. I think prices have risen considerably and for me we are in a world currently of waiting for last minute price drops.

What is the date Iona sails on the 35 nighter?

Booking early was always advisable in pre covid world. However now the world is different now with cost of living crisis and recessions and now if you have flexibility the last minute deals are superb. Can't blame cruise companies for heavily discounting empty cabins as they are a business who need money in the bank. Its give and take as my TA next week is a lot more expensive booking today then when I booked when it went on sale. Good luck to people booking bargains last minute and I have no grumble if I'm on a cruise I paid more for than someone booking last minute. If you are able to take advantage than why not?