eddie11

Welcome back to those whose return was delayed

Bon Voyage, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all those joining today; have a wonderful cruise 

Please look after Ventura.  Don’t let her break again.  We have our 2020 cruise to look forward to

True - but that kind of assumes that your arrival port is a “destination” where you can either spend your time being a tourist or get local transport links, not a place with huge industrial installations, chemical works and the like

IJmuiden might be a nice call for a beach day, at the right time of year.  We enjoyed our fine, bright, dry day in October, just walking a long way along the coast.  Nothing was open, of the fast food, beach goods, restaurants.  There’s not enough of them to cater for a ship full anyway.

There is a bus stop, with a local bus to Amsterdam. Iirc it’s about an hourly service.  Goodness knows how long it takes.  No taxi rank

Sorry, long, rambling answer.  In brief, I’m not sure it would be fair to charge a high shuttle fare but you are right, the distance is comparable to other destinations which offer “on your own” coaches

We’ll find out, no doubt.

It seems to me that April is a changeover or contract starting month

I recall our April trip from 2016, where I was so exasperated I wrote to the then CEO, Christopher Edgington about my frustration.  The CP was just the same, with some ports well provided but all the Greek ones empty

They all filled eventually, we did get to the Corinth Canal, and we had a great trip but the build up could have been better

Serves P&O right if they lose custom to Cruising Excursions and the like, who seem to be more on top of their game

Janny - look at this thread

i posted the flyer we received re the shuttle, on our October trip

hopefully all the info you need, in the flyer and the rest of the thread

Ho hum everybody on board.  Enjoy your lovely weather & don’t stress

There are worse places to be stuck than The Canaries in mid December

I’ve only briefly looked at the new cp for a future cruise (as we have a January trip which is taking most of my cruise attention, and because the future cruise is one where I don’t anticipate using P&Os excursions anyway)

However, I must agree with the last few posts - it looks utterly bizarre and by no means intuitive or user friendly.  
 

P&O IT eh?  Who’s making these crazy business decisions?

Sorry I hadn’t cottoned on to the fact that you’re not boarding in Southampton.

Do you use Mumsnet?

Do you think there might be someone on there with experience to help and advise?

Or try another cruising forum specifically aimed at young families?   Think I’ve seen something but can’t remember a name.  Google search might come up trumps

Left field - might there be a case for thinking about modern reusable nappies & inserts?  Just a suggestion.
 

Good luck anyway.  Hope the cruise goes well

Would you not have the opportunity to pop to Boots at West Quay before boarding?

Whatever - hope you can sort something out.  I’ve no idea about your parcel idea but it doesn’t sound very likely to me

1 hour ago, funinhounslow said:

Runaround Boys maybe? If so, agreed they are excellent...

Thanks for trying to help my memory!

No, it wasn’t them

Somebody mentioned Bass Tones earlier - Bass Boys maybe?  Two single syllable words.  Very much Jersey Boys influenced with the smallest one doing a good Frankie Valli

Whatever their name they were very enjoyable!

Possibly a mixture of the two; probably a function of being a *multiple cruiser*

If you cruised once a year, or less, chances of a “repeat” would be much slimmer than if you took three.

I’ve seen, or had the opportunity to see, Mickey Zany, several times.  Adele never.  Used to always have Freddie Mercury - no longer.  Loved Annie Lennox - haven’t seen her for ages.  Etc etc.  Seen some new ones.  Ukebox were fun (though I suspect would get repetitive.  Last time a 3 man ‘Jersey Boys-alike’ Boom Boys or something like that?  Very good

its all down to personal taste though.  Whether you like an act or not; whether you’re happy to see an act for a second or third (or more) time

Generally, I think the choice of entertainment is pretty good.  You’re never going to please everybody

You have the other alternative of paying “by the minute” but that is very expensive.  I suppose you could use it for eg twice daily download and upload of emails on sea days, whilst relying on free wifi when ashore

imo the WiFi is way too expensive and I never cease from telling P&O on questionnaires 

On Ventura, 3 weeks ago, Ariel capsules were on sale in the ‘bits & pieces’ shop @ 20p each.  Better than having to pack that sort of thing ... but a total pain if you rely on purchase but there are none available on your cruise.

Perhaps we can ask people travelling now/in the next few weeks to do a *Detergent Watch*?

*sigh*

If only the most recent of P&Os “website improvements” hadn’t resulted in so many useful pages, like in mrbluesea’s link above, now being so very difficult to find

Generally I find the Costa outlets on P&O to be unsatisfactory 

I’m sure the bean-counters have an answer but, IMO, P&O could do much better with their own coffee places, operating under entirely their own rules.

28 minutes ago, Denarius said:

So do I. I always thought that part of the exercise as far as the staff were concerned was to assess how long it took all passengers to get to their muster stations after the alarm was sounded.

Not requiring pax to take lifejackets now  blows that one out of the water (poor pun noted but unintentional)

That might well be the case.

If it is, they could do it better eg by not being explicit about the time in the Horizon; by asking people not to arrive early, etc

By the same token, would pax be asked to return to their cabin on hearing the general emergency signal, to collect their medication and a head covering, before going to their muster station?

Its obviously not an easy thing to perfect.  Perhaps what we have is as good as is possible?  
 

Crew organising the lifts would help the less mobile get away more easily after muster... but lift etiquette is a whole new topic, worthy of its own thread!  I’m not brave enough today

I’ve had the email too

Not clear, is it?

We enjoyed Cherbourg but it has fond memories as it was our arrival port for x-channel ferries to go camping with the children.  We tend to just wander and lunch.  Excursion to eg the landing beaches, Mont St Michel or Bayeux May suit others more

Back to muster

I am reminded of our incredibly delayed flight to Barbados to join Azura.  We arrived at the airport at what felt like 4am to us, having been up since 6 the previous morning.  As they worked really well at the airport to get us on coaches&  away, OH & I looked at each other & said - oh no.  Check in & then muster.  Aaargh

Well, check in was smooth as smooth, with almost more desks than pax seeking attention and muster was a breeze.  Senior officers were on hand to deal with us bleary eyed folk, basically in bus loads as we arrived, 30 or so at a time.  So slick!  Made me wonder if it might be better to do this every time?  Early, middling and late folk could be instructed, would probably take in what was being said better than in hoardes of hundreds and the whole thing might be over sooner.

i expect there’s a reason why not but ...

It’s a little better sans lifejackets.  People move more freely etc

I think you’re right about size.  
 

I’ve experienced worse on other lines btw.

It’s never going to be fun but I still think it could be tweaked to make it easier all round and give everyone a better start to their cruise

This was Ventura, half term week.  I think the size doesn’t help

However, we were on Azura or Ventura immediately after the Costa Concordia disaster.  Our muster station was Sindhu, everyone had a seat, with seats to spare, and it was the quietest, most attentive muster I’ve ever attended.  It can be done.

Does anyone have any brilliant ideas for improving the muster exercise, both in terms of conveying information and passenger comfort.

My recent experience on Ventura was poor.  The venue was overcrowded, with staff asking pax who had arrived in good time to give up seats to people who arrived late.  The sound system was not terribly good and it wasn’t really possible to hear the captain over the sound of pax who arrived late, people looking for seats etc.  And, as usual, the lift lobbies/stairs were mayhem once we were dismissed.

i was cross enough to mention this in the two-day-in “how’s your cruise going” flyer but received pretty much a fob-off - comments gratefully received/will be taken on board etc.

I genuinely think that if there had been an emergency many of the passengers on that cruise were not properly informed and would have been a danger to themselves and others.

So - what brilliant ideas?

Easy ones from me - more muster stations used, so everyone can sit quietly and listen

                                   - more clarity on timing.  Should we be at the station @ the expected time, or wait for the signal

                                   - staff assistance with lifts after, to ensure mobility-restricted passengers get away easily

Over to you ...

No.  It’s not the same

It does breakfast (unique menu - not buffet not MDR) and lunch, both fee-free.  It is not a cafe.  You don’t get coffee & cake (free or paid) at any time.

In the evening it becomes a paid-for Italian themed restaurant (bookings required)

Agree

and if you’re lucky the day before Madeira/after Azores will be “ok” too.  OK to walk on deck, take the air, maybe be fortunate in finding a sheltered sunny spot.

The answer to clothing queries is, as ever, “layers”

Enjoy your cruise

No, it’s unique, on Oceana only.

Read about it on the P&O website.  Prob find vids on YouTube

That’s Cunard isn’t it?