hollyjess

So glad you agree with most of what I posted.

Like you we have done several cruises but this one took the biscuit!On some days christmas was non existant. Where was the atmosphere? The biggest laugh was the staff panto and we did enjoying singing on christmas morning.

Having been home for a few days we did think there would1 have been a bigger response to the cruise.

P and O really need to up their game if they want to keep their loyal customers who are their bread and butter.

Well, where do I start..After excellant embarkation in southampton wew were reall excited. Had our canapes etc in Pacific lounge which was very nice. Then to cabin then muster station. So far so good. The an announcement saying no hot water as boiler broken all passengers ger £25 pp credit. Delayed sailing until following mirning.

The outward cruise was perfect the sea was so calm. We were all expecting loads of christmas activities but all we had was a few christmas carols.We did attend christmas morning service which was nice read by Captain Derek James who was one of the best Captains we have had but after that zilch. We expected waiters walking around offering mulled wine and mince pies as Thomson do.

We were very very disappointed in ports of call all container ports so shuttle buses everywhere not easy for disabled passengers.

The cruise home was horrendous so Lisbon was avoided due to heavy seas (not pando fault) as a result of this we arrived back in southampton a day early.

Would I cruise with pando again christmas and new year sorry the answer is no. In fact while on board we prebooked 2 cruises using the £50 deposit scheme but have just cancelled both.

We are thinking of booking Arcadia on october 3rd 2018. Having never been to the med this time of year was wondering what weather to expect.

Thanks for the warning. Were there any positive things to report on!

Been to the caribbean a few times in february never needed mosquito repellant.

Thanks for your report on Oriana. We are due to cruise december 21st to Canaries. You have really put my mind at rest.

Our friends are staying in E142 and we are in E150.We booked these staterooms as my husband uses a wheelchair. We have booked freedom dining in the Peninsular dining room to make it convenient. Has anyone got any tips to give us before we sail on 21st december with regard to access to other venues?

Many thanks Groovechick , very helpful. We are really looking forward to it now.

Not long before our cruise. Has anyone been on a Christmas and New Year cruise before? If so what can we expect different from other cruises?

As mentioned previously we are on Oriana december 21st to january 6th when it goes into dry dock. We have really been looking forward to this cruise as it will be our first christmas one. So we hope there will not be any problems to spoil it for any of the passengers.

Anyone else on this cruise have any comments?

We are booked on the christmas and new year cruise on Oriana returning on january 6th 2018. Hope there won,t be any problems while on our cruise.

Been trying to book cabin for christmas 2018 on Oriana but keep being told cabin chosen does not exist. Has this happened to anybody else?

Me and my husband who is in a wheelchair are thinking of booking cabin C2 on the Arcadia which is mobility scooter usable. Has anyone stayed in this cabin, if so could you enlighten us as to its ease of getting around ship. Also any tips would be very much appreciated.

In our experience all the caribbean islands accept US dollars which you can get on the ship.

Does anyone agree with me that there should be an exclusive lift on each deck for passengers with mobility issues? My husband uses a wheelchair and find it almost impossible to use a lift after such occasions as the muster drill.

This year will be our first Christmas cruise. Could anyone tell me what people wear during the daytime such as Christmas jumpers etc.

We are booked on Ventura february 5th for the Caribbean/America cruise for 35 nights. My husband uses a wheelchair. I wonder could anybody explain the immigration procedure for the American ports for disabled passengers.

For the last few years we have found the best prices are the day the cruises are released. We booked a cruise for february 2018 when the brochure was released last year and the price is now £300 more per person. We have to book early because my husband needs an adapted cabin but we would book it anyway to save money. On the otherhand if you don,t mind which cabin you have take a chance!

If you want to go on a round carribean cruise the least amount of days is 24. We have been going on these cruises for the last 5 years but are lucky to be able to for 35 nights as we are both retired. We highly recommend this cruise so much so we do not want to sail anywhere else.

With regards to which islands to visit you will love them all! There are many advantages of not flying. Firstly no restrictions on luggage and no hanging around in airports.

About the time of year to go we recommend december, january or february.

We have booked the 35 night cruise for february 2018. We have done a few Carribean cruises but never to USA. We are wondering what different clothes we need to pack because of the difference in temperature.

Personally we always opt for Freedom dining which means you can dine anytime between 6pm and 9.30pm. This means if you do go on tours you will have plenty of time to freshen up before you dine.

Going on Oriana soon. Wondering what shows the Headliners are doing on current cruises. Hope its not a repeat of shows we have already seen such as Gravity, Once upon a time etc.

Hi.

My husband has taken a wheelchair on Ventura and had no problems at all. As the previous message said register yourself as needing assistance both for boarding and disembarking and you will have all of the help you need. Have you got a disabled cabin, if not your wheelchair will have to be foldable.

When you go to the theatre in the evening you will find spaces for wheelchair users as you go in at the entrance. Everything about the ship we found to be disabled friendly so much so we have booked a 5 week cruise in february 2018!

Enjoy.

Hello Cool Cruiser.

You will not have any problems with smokers. We sat on our balcony quite a lot and never smelt any smoke.

With regards to vibration we did not feel anything. In fact we liked that cabin so much we have rebooked it for next year! Just go and enjoy yourselves.

Hi.

We had cabin F724 last year for a fjiords cruise. Did not have any noise problems. One advantage is that you are very near to the rear lifts. I am sure you have heard about the central lifts but you will have no problem at all with the aft lifts.