Clipper Chick

Yes he was.

He was on Arcadia’s world cruise this year. I do not dance but he was on our table for dinner a few times. Very friendly and entertaining.


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I have never tried RCI as I travel with my 79 year old dad and the ships are too busy for him as he has dementia. I have never had a bad experience on P&O and I say the having recently returned from Arcadia’s World Cruise.


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I will stay with P&O. Last November I sailed on Celebrity Silhouette and Cunard Queen Mary 2. Without upsetting Majortom I personally found the crew less friendly and the dining room experience (both service and food) far far inferior to either P&O or Marella. I walked off both those ships without a backwards glance but left Arcadia on 12 April after 99 nights with a heavy heart. I found the Celebrity ship all style and no substance.

The current situation has only affected me in an amended world cruise itinerary and doubt over next year’s which was booked before all this took off.

P&O have the friendliest crews at sea.


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My wife is a full time wheelchair user so I sympathise with your plight, although to be fair the only times that we have a major issue getting a lift are after muster (even though the Captain has just announced that priority should be given to wheelchair users!) and on the morning of disembarkation. I have always found it amusing that 95% of people lose the ability to use stairs when on a cruise ship, even though the distance between each floor isn’t as great as in a land based building (and before anyone jumps on the ‘hidden disability’ line, of course some have them, but not 95% of the population - and, yes, absolutely anyone is entitled to use a lift whenever they wish, disabled or able bodied).
 
However, I agree with others that the fact that almost everyone uses lifts on cruise ships is just one of countless examples of why cruise ships are totally inappropriate and unsafe environments whilst there still has to be any form of social distancing whatsoever. Social Distancing and cruise ships just cannot work. 

Majortom
 
That is your opinion this post was what I was looking forward to and you have tried in everyway to keep knocking me down with my hopes and dreams.
 
I have had to cancel three cruises this year because of this pandemic including Iona.
 
And as I said it will not stop getting on Iona or the two other cruises I have booked for next year all which are suites as I work hard for my holidays as does my husband.
 
So if senior management does not require my money I would like them to let me know not being given this information from third parties.
 
I will continue to support P&O no matter how many times they cancel my cruises I am not worried about money being lost because this is what I would  happily paid out for.
 
So please no more negative comments as I said my comments were about how I felt and not to get political or negative.
 
Please feel free to respond as you will only get positivity from me and in this current time this is what people need.

I love Arcadia as she is. Been on Celebrity Silhouette all glitter no soul. The ambience is much much more important to me hence big zero to Cunard as well.


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It mentions using passenger ‘facilities’ which could just mean public areas, but I hope that it extends to passenger cabins as well. 

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

A sad reflection on the British motor industry, destroyed by the unions and appalling management in the post-war period.

I thought I was the only person who thought the unions destroyed the car industry.  Maybe I have misjudged you.

59 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

I think it is unreasonable to wait this long for refunds, They have passed the 45 days they quoted, which is outside the legal timeline anyway and honestly I think they are using any excuse to hold on to their money to ease cash flow. They will lose customers over this.

The other issue is people are very vocal about a grievance ie missing refund and then shut up when they get it. Quite simply we do not know what is going on.

The thing is with reduced staff it is going to take longer. There are going to be more processes required to take money out of a company’s bank account than to pay it in with a booking we just need to be patient.  

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Wouldn't a few days at an appropriate (to suit your personal requirements) onshore holiday centre do the job just as well?  And considerably more cheaply?

If it would I would not have been cruising in the first place.

17 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

That is fair enough it would be a funny old world if we all liked the same thing.

Yes we would have trouble getting on our favourite ship🤣🤣🤣

44 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Just proves that we are all different and being different makes the world go around we love QM2 and the Transatlantic experience on her we should have been doing roundtrip next Wednesday and are gutted we are not going as we both love her and the experience.

Sorry you are missing your cruise. QM2 is a beautiful ship just not my cup of tea.

Depends on ship. 6 days QM2 transatlantic my idea of hell could not wait to get off. 33 days Arcadia Fremantle to Southampton had a ball and did not want to get off. Before the usual suspects wade in I travel with my 79 year old father who has health issues and just enjoys being on the ships. He had joined the navy at 15 for 4 years leaving when he decided it was not the life he wanted to raise a family.  My sister on the other hand is not a fan of sea days. To each their own. 

I was on the world cruise.  It was described as a Western Circumnavigation and that is what we got. None of the changes were P&O’s fault and their goodwill gesture of FCC plus the extra onboard credit we were given was very generous. For 33 days we were fed and entertained and well taken care of and all that cost is available for a future holiday.  It is greedy so and so’s demanding further compensation who will put the cost up for us all. I did not get the itinerary I booked but having no wish to catch the virus I am very very grateful the itinerary was changed.  I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday and met a whole bunch of people who did the same.  Just remember if you demand perfection you are destined for disappointment if you go with the flow you get a wonderful holiday.  In my mind applying for further compensation is fraud.

My last cruise was the Arcadia World Cruise 2020.  I had a wonderful time P&O could not have treated us better.  The end of cruise variety show was brilliant and entertainment Manager Nick Cosslett sang Music of the Night, unforgettable. 

My cruise before that was Queen Mary 2 and I would never set foot on that ship again even if you paid me the deck I was on was filthy the crew were aloof and did not wish to be inconvenienced serving you.  The welcome on Arcadia was a million times better and they did not kick us off the ship in Australia but sailed us home safely.  Now what to do with my future cruise credit of 33 nights as I have already booked next year's world cruise.

I have an October sailing on Celebrity Reflection which I will cancel as Arcadia has proved to me that what I enjoyed about my holiday on Silhouette last year was not the Celebrity experience (Cold in comparison to Arcadia) but the group of cruise critic travellers I met who were extremely friendly and that cannot be replicated it is a once in a lifetime.  The celebrity ships may look all sparkles and contemporary but they have no soul.  I know where I preferred to spend 32 days at sea.

Back from Arcadia World cruise and booked on 2021. According to ship 863 were on full world cruise. The crew were brilliant so friendly and happy we all had many laughs for the last 31 days. I have never known a month go so quickly. They will forever be in my thoughts and prayers as we settle into this mad world.



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I am on Arcadia world cruise and am thoroughly enjoying it. The food and service are both excellent. Have booked for next year. It is the happiest ship I have sailed on. Only line I would not sail again is   Cunard. Felt like Britannia level passengers were not wanted there it was beneath the crew to have to deal with them. Ship rusty outside and deck 6 corridors were filthy. Food below MDR on Arcadia. If P&O is not your fit try Marella’s newer ships or Celebrity. I like both just Arcadia is my favourite ship 

19 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We dont have that option for house sitters and even if we did I dont think it would change our opinion as it wouldnt be for us I am worried about 28 day cruise on QM2 in October might be too long. Hope you have a great cruise.

After my experience in November 28 on QM2 would be 28 too many.

My dad is 79 and not too keen to book far ahead but booked March 2018 for our World Cruise starting Friday 3 Jan 2020.  I did encourage him by reminding him he cannot take it with him and my sister and I do tell him we want him to do as much as he can while he can all he needs to leave behind is his home as he needs to live in it!!!!!!!!!  He worked for it it is his money not ours.

Not so  easy however if you have dependents I know but he has no grandchildren to worry about.

We always insure our holidays we have annual cover but a separate policy for the world cruise.

I have never done a blog in my life but do intend to do a journal of the World Cruise.  I do not sign up to the internet on board as it is so expensive but will try to post when I can get free wifi.  At the moment have sorted house insurance for 99 nights I live in a retirement apartment so only need worry about contents and have been charged £3.92😀 My sister will check on the apartment and deal with post weekly and our lodge manager will take over when she is away.  Bonus to this is I will not have 3 months junk mail to sort.  All visas applied for I already had the ESTA for USA as I have been there twice this year.  

The packing is a challenge I had to buy a new suitcase as Cunard broke the wheel off one in November.  As I have a cover to make it easily identifiable in the luggage hall (came off Arcadia Jan 19 from a 4 week trip to Caribbean over Christmas and took 45 minutes to find one of my black cases) I did not notice until I got home.  My bad but that was the end of my worse cruise ever.  At least with a self service laundry onboard I do not need more clothes than a 28 day trip so 2 suitcases and a large roller holdall should suffice.  Am take laundry soap pods as they ran out in the shop on Ventura.  Kindle loaded with books and IPad with music, knitting needles and wool to make scarfs, Watercolour supplies if room is available.

Have booked excursions I really want in case they sell out but unfortunately on waitlist for Pearl Harbour.

Washing and ironing done now just check off the list and pack.

Hope I have not forgotten anything.

Ventura should be fine.  I sailed 35 nights in February USA & Caribbean only because my dad wanted to visit New Orleans.  Thought she was too big for my personal preference.  However I had a wonderful cruise and did not want to get off at the end. I would happily sail on Ventura again in the future.

On 3/10/2019 at 9:25 PM, Wiltonian said:

Arcadia - 24 days to Canada and back in September. 

Hope you like Arcadia it is my favourite ship am sailing on World Cruise 3 January 2020.  
I sailed Silhouette Southampton to Fort Lauderdale October and loved it have booked Reflection for next year.

Only ship I did not like was Cunard QM2 the unfriendliest ship at sea.

Getting ready for Arcadia 3 Jan 99 nights.