Lunarwolf

I would like to end this thread as I feel there is nothing more to add. It's rather depressing to read posts which question the authenticity of my daughter's experience and only seek to belittle and upset...A big thank you to those of you whose posts offered advice and information and kind words.

Mercury 7289

IMHO I found your post to be insensitive, offensive and totally unnecessary...

Thanks Josy1953!. I will definitely email P&O customer services and see how they respond.

Thank you Selbourne, for your wise words!

After I reported the shuttle bus accident, I was told that the matter would be investigated, and naturally I would be kept informed. The head of security wasn't interested in what happened other than the usual (P&O) damage limitation...I guess I chose not to 'waste' any further energy or time pursuing this matter during our remaining days on the cruise. We had an excursion booked for Lanzarote two days after it happened, which was the highlight of our cruise - a trip to Mount Timanfaya and a camel ride. I wasn't certain this was going to happen, as my daughter had said she would not go on another shuttle bus - a sensible response given what happened to her. In fact she did not want to leave the ship at all. The excursion involved a coach journey, which she very bravely undertook, sitting near to the front of the coach on the opposite side in an aisle seat. The driver, a local guy , was an excellent driver and we had a really great time in Lanzarote - our favourite port.

I was preoccupied with salvaging our holiday as we had really enjoyed being on Ventura and found her a lovely ship and we were saddened that what happened in Tenerife could spoil that experience.

Thank you for your advice and information regarding compensation. I will contact P&O, and see what happens...

Thanks Jules. My daughter has ASD, and at the time of the shuttle bus accident, she needed me to be calm, loving and protective, not angry and losing it in front of her...That kind of emotional display would not have helped her through the shock, and allow her to process the accident, and aid her recovery.

I did not take photographs at the time, although I realised that would have been useful, but as always my daughter's welfare was my priority! I used to work in the criminal justice system so I do understand the importance of photographic evidence in this situation. Also the glass fell out in stages and I needed to shield and comfort my daughter not leave her exposed to potential injury.

I have not yet contacted our travel insurance company as we have been full of a cold since our return, and I wanted to appeal to fellow cruisers for advice on the matter before taking further action.

Thanks Wowzz. My daughter is ok now she's back home. As to what action did I expect P&O to take? Well I expected them to investigate the shuttle bus accident and report back their findings for a start. And yes an offer to compensate for the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by my daughter would have been an appropriate response. My daughter broke down following the accident, in the relative safety and privacy of our suite. She told me that when the shuttle bus collided with the wall how she was terrified and thought she was going to die...This incident pretty much ruined the rest of our cruise, and my daughter has said she will never go on another cruise.

On our way back to the port in Tenerife on our recent Canaries and Portugal cruise, the back end of our shuttle bus collided with a wall. My 10 yr old daughter was sat near the window in the seat before the back row and the window seemed to explode and the glass shattered over her. She went into shock but thankfully sustained only a few minor cuts - it could have been very different. The driver didn't stop the bus until we were back at the ship - Ventura. We then got off the bus and reported the accident at Reception once on board ship. We missed Gran Canaria the following day as my daughter didn't want to leave the ship or our suite for that matter. Over the next few days we received various phone calls from the entertainments staff, excursions staff and head of security who also visited us in our suite. He confirmed the matter was in the process of being investigated but the shuttle bus was a local contract and not the responsibility of P&O. He also inferred it wasn't necessary to take the matter further or involve anyone else, which seemed a little sinister at the time...my daughter later received a Ventura Teddy and a bag of chocolate bars...

Since we arrived home we have heard nothing from P&O despite being told that someone would be in touch regarding the findings of the "investigation into the shuttle bus accident".

I just wondered if anyone else has experienced anything similar and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will do a separate post/review on our first cruise.

Thank you!

I am on Ventura next week to the Canaries and Portugal. It's my first cruise on Ventura and I've been reading a lot of bad reviews recently...is it simply a different crowd during the summer holidays? I notice more seasoned cruisers tend to cruise earlier or later in the year outside the 'school holiday period'. Does that mean Ventura is a more enjoyable experience at these times of the year? I do try to keep an open mind when reading reviews (about Ventura) but it does start to become a cause for concern when there is so much negativity! There is also conflicting information regarding how Ventura copes in rough seas...

Can someone please set me straight as to what to expect from Ventura?

Thank you!

This post intrigued me as I am going on my first cruise next month to the Canaries with 3 sea days before we reach Madeira. For me and my family this cruise is all about relaxing, and sea days are not a problem for us since we can explore the ship or chill out on the balcony-reading, drinking good wine, eating yummy food, do tech stuff, or just watching and listening to the sea, being as lazy or active as we choose...Naturally we are excited about the ports but I only booked one excursion in Lanzarote; the other ports I have things planned but I'm flexible! This cruise will be a complete contrast to our land based holidays which invariably have an awesome packed itinerary but are often very intensive. Perhaps everyone's expectations and their experience of cruising differs .. for us it's not just about the ports it's the entirety of the cruise.

Thank you Florry! It's so useful to be able to access advice from 'seasoned cruisers", especially when the information just isn't available on the P & O website...

Sadly Ventura seems to get more than her fair share of bad reviews but I prefer to make up my own mind based on my experience. We are going to be in an aft suite on this cruise so we will make the most of our balcony and enjoy the awesome aft views - did I say I can't wait.:D

Thanks once again Selbourne...I do understand Ventura will be much quieter in September and perhaps a different experience than during the Summer holidays...I will be on holiday with my partner and daughter (age 10 and home educated). She is 'totally psyched' to be on a ship and the itinerary suits us with 5/7 sea days and 5 ports to explore!

Thanks Selbourne! That's really good to know as it provides more choice for dining at lunch and dinner, especially when the weather is good and the balcony awaits...I'm also looking forward to breakfast in The Epicurean.

Hi everyone,

I'm going on my first cruise on Ventura to the Canaries in September and really looking forward to it!!! After reading other posts on Suite benefits I'm a bit confused whether room service is free when ordered through your butler but at a cost otherwise - can that be right?

Any advice appreciated - and many thanks!