eddie11

Eek

will check

Already far, far behind Princess.

I booked with them for Oct 2021 on their “book for £1” day , ?14 August? (having checked that the £1 is the only obligation; cancellation, at this early stage, costs just £1) but was expecting to see the P&O alternatives within a couple of weeks.

However, there’s always an upside.  We’ll be onboard on 21 October, so maybe some extra OBC?

I suppose the bean counters have looked at it but, in our case, dining more quickly, a deux, leaves more of the evening for *spending opportunities* .  More tables for 2 might just mean more income from the rest of the ship?  ‘Clubbable’ tables still available of course - perhaps they bring in more income from alcohol?

I agree about dwindling appetite towards the end of the cruise

Avoid whichever deck Cafe Jardin is situated.  Its location can stop your direct movement forward - aft.

I think it’s the deck which has obscured view cabins?

Also, if you want a queen bed, make sure you choseca cabin where that is possible

There are some larger (and more expensive) outsides somewhere.  If you’d like more space, have a look at them

I agree with the advice to study the deck plans

Much depends on

a) your individual preference

b) the itinerary

c) the time of year

etc

I quite like P deck.  You’re handy for all the indoor public spaces and for the gangways. Long journey to the open decks of course but, hey ho, it’s a big ship

Knossos, if you can get there?

Heraklion is not terribly nice - over-commercialised and under-Greek, IMO.

Shame about Mykonos.  We docked there on Azura.  I guess another ship has snaffled the dock

Doesn’t look like they’re published yet

https://carnivaluk.metafaq.com/resources/carnivaluk/life-on-board/BR_Dress_Code_2019.pdf

Enjoy your cruise, when it comes

The time I’ve been most frightened in a tender was St Peter Port.

Up and down range, for folk trying to leave the tender and reboard the ship, was probably 5’.  Horrified watching a Dad trying to hand his bulky, maybe 30 months to 3 yo, over to shipboard crew

We were ?lucky, being well back in the tender and not required to leave for 30 minutes or so.  It was a bit quieter then and I was happy to accept all helping hands

It’s far from the easiest tender port

David - Have you looked at the Roll Call for your cruise?  Fine it using this link

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/285-po-cruise-lines-roll-calls-uk/

You might have more luck finding a taxi-mate there.  Good luck with it anyway.

Just a thought .  Beautiful though Bruges is, it is a pretty ‘vigorous’ walking destination, even for those of us fortunate enough to be fairly fit. It is also becoming increasingly crowded.   Perhaps it would be an idea to look at the other excursions available from Zeebrugge?  Your choice entirely though.  Enjoy whatever you do

Use this link

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/dress_code_all.html

Most questions are answered on the P&O site but they have made searching really difficult and non-intuitive.  Ho hum

(You don’t get prior info which are the formal nights, but they are pretty much always on sea days.  You’ll be told when you board)

Good point

I asked at the TA on Monday.  They didn’t know (or wouldn’t tell me) - just offered “in a little while”

As I said in another thread, I checked an existing booking and found we made that on 17 September last year.  That was the opening date for Caribbean loyalty tier members.  I suppose we would have had the brochure/access to info on the website for a few days before that.

Looks like we probably have another week, at least, to wait if they are using the same schedule as last year

Be grateful - we had 35 😀

Although I must admit that some days were At Sea, Arrive Morning; Depart Early Evening.  Now that really would be interesting!

Hopefully yours will be sorted soon.  Ours is now - we have ports, and excursions

Good luck

Ye gods - it’s a mess!

Hope they’ve got all my booked & paid for excursions recorded somewhere 🙄

I don’t watch it either but I think it’s a “mash-up” from the film from ages ago Strictly Ballroom (which kinda rehabilitated formal dancing) and the really ancient long-running BBC programme Come Dancing.

Put ‘em together and what have you got? SCD

I guess the special history is why the BBC name is so different from other countries, where I think the theme is Dancing With the Stars?

Shame on the ents staff not knowing!

We’re booked on the following week - 11 July.

It had shown Sold Out for maybe 4-6 weeks, until things changed and 4 July became unavailable.  I hadn’t given it a lot of thought, as we have other trips in the meantime to think about.

Is it worthwhile someone who has booked giving P&O a ring to establish facts?

Do you mean change or rotate?

In my experience they operate on rotating 2 menus about every 4 days but that doesn’t mean you can anticipate that menu 1 will be available on day 1 of your cruise and will change to menu 2 on day 5.  It’s not that simple!

You can find out from restaurant staff when you board.  They’ll be able to tell you exactly.

If you’re asking how often the entire menus are overhauled, I’m afraid I don’t know

That’s lovely

So pleased for you that all turned out well with the dining arrangements .  Next time you will be well armed to get exactly what you want at booking stage

Looks like you may have caught the cruise bug!  🚢 

Princess was only for 1 day (+1 for top tier loyalty)

I’ve booked with them for 2021 but doubt I’ll continue with the trip - depends what else becomes available when other lines release their brochures.  It’s so easy to book at £1 but then cancel

I wonder how this works for the cruise lines?  I guess it’s overall positive, otherwise they wouldn’t do it but ...

58 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

Does anyone know the date for pre-reg on these cruises for Summer 2021

I don’t know the date but your post prompted me to look at a booking I made on launch last year.  That date was 17 September, which would suggest we should be getting the 2021 launch pretty soon.

Can anyone remember how many days we had to look before bookings opened last September?

I don’t think it’s strange - just practical - but I always take a battery powered motion sensitive night light with a low intensity amber bulb.

Like this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Beams-Battery-Powered-Motion-Sensing-Stick-Anywhere/dp/B01JH0SKQO/ref=sr_1_7?crid=34367AVJM5VBG&keywords=battery+motion+sensor+night+light&qid=1566927714&s=kitchen&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&sprefix=Battery+motion+%2Caps%2C155&sr=1-7

Great for moving about in the blackness of the night time cabin without either waking yourself completely with retina-shattering bright bathroom lights or, hopefully, even disturbing your cabin-mate

Other useful things are a multi USB charger and a clock with luminous face.

We, too, like to take sachets of olives and small packs of nibbles for the balcony.

Also take a teeny-weeny multi tool with corkscrew, penknife (that’s another thread, I know), screwdriver, etc, all neatly folded in and unthreatening for security scanning

10 hours ago, ddavis5us said:

What I'm thinking of would be next June (19th) on a Thursday.  Looking from the suggestions, and cross checking, it does seem doable with a private car for about 250 pounds or so.  Sound about right?  Already booked on the TA arriving that day.

I’m nosey - so I looked on the P&O site to see if I could guess which of their trips you might be interested in.

Problems:-

19th June is Friday not Thursday

There are no P&O departures that day - several on Saturday 20th

So, please double check your calendar and the cruise schedules.  It could be good news ... no rush between Dover and Southampton and a couple of days to spend in London or Winchester or Southampton or elsewhere in southern England

Have a great trip!

Sounds doable to me

Does this help?

https://www.porttaxis-uk.co.uk/Southampton

I think this would be possible, especially if you self-disembark from Celebrity, at the earliest opportunity.

This link gives a shade over 3 hours.  Could be less with a taxi between London stations/tubes.

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Dover-England/Southampton#r/Train-via-London

Much would depend on the day of the week and time of year.  I’m sure others would help you come up with a solid plan if you want to look into it further.  For instance, a pre-booked cab would hope to do the 150 miles in about 2.5 hours