Windsurfboy

When I'm sent out for fish and chips, it's can you go to the chippy for fish and chips. I it's not will you send the Butler to the fish restaurant for fish and chips as its the cooks night orf

There is a fish and chip shop in quays. Sorry NOT a fish restaurant. But I agree the number of veggie items on MDR menu is out of proportion to number of veggies in UK 14%, and less than that average in older cruising demographics

Thanks for publishing horizon, happy to see daily table tennis

Agree. If it wasn't for alternative restaurants on Arvia we wouldn't be going. Have Epicurean, Sindhu, Mizuhana, and Limelight booked to cover every night. But would like a fish restaurant . These restaurants plus the entertainment makes Arvia an interesting proposition will see how it goes I note that now 8 days out, Epicurean is only after available 8.30 every night and only after 9.00 many nights. Very popular.

Perhaps the queues at the bars are people getting most out of drink package. However, given that extra cost speciality dining is booked very quickly, I can't imagine it becoming another inclusive dining venue. However all P&O ships need a high quality fish restaurant, which will be very popular.

Dorset is lovely. Best explored by car, especially if you don't like coach trips. But not much on portland itself.

They had little choice, cherbourg sounds nice. Falmouth has no ships on that day might of been an option. What they are doing is better than extra sea days

Where can you dance (not ballroom) on Arvia and what is each venue like. What time does each venue really get going as opposed to open.

After reading Megabear2 experience with tendering she has infinitely more patience than I do. Well done her. At least they didn't schedule the lifts to close as well My experience of tendering on Cunard seems to indicate they want to use as few tenders as they can. With 3000 passengers, that's 22 journeys at 140 per boat. So to disembark the ship in under 2 hours need one leaving every 6 minutes. Best experience I've had is Saga, all 8 boats on the go for 980 passengers, once the first rush was over (first 45 mins) no queuing just walk on. Two boarding stations 4 boats per station, with one tender loading , one half way across, one unloading at port , one on way back..

From being docked at the far end of the pier a taxi to familia sagrada was 25 euro and 20 minutes , so expect park greuli would be about 35 euro and 30 minutes

Thank you

One final question, I think you were on one of the banquettes in QG. On the other ships we have a table for two , but in the knowledge that we can talk to the neighbours, at least say hello, but if both couples want can have a good chat. Was that possible on the banquette or was the person with their back to the wall cut off by the curve of the banquette. Thanks

I see you were very circumspect about the grills deck. I find it very strange that the grills deck is in the middle of the ship. Other cruise lines with "private/restricted access" decks have them at the front or back of the ship or on another level like the Vistas. Having it in the middle is just asking for people to use it as a walk way and some to decide that seat looks nice. I don’t think card controlled doors will work. The British are too polite and will keep door open for anyone walking behind them. The only solution is a one person at a time system, ugly turnstiles, perhaps not. Or simply no access from rest of the deck , glass doors that are locked and only opened by staff in emergency.

Nice to hear ships very stable, suppose it takes a lot to move 180000 tons

Sorry to be clear only before 6.30 and after 8pm available

Anything between 6.30 and 8pm has gone, many nights you can't get in till 8.30

My original post was about booking speciality restaurants. My cruise isn't till Sunday 9th, ie 12 days to go. There are hardly any times left in Epicurean. That is not a perception its a fact

Having first brought up Saga, let me interject something. Yes Saga is significantly dearer than P&O. If I add to the cost of my P&O suite the cost of speciality dining every night, my 250 mile taxi journey each way, drinks (minus OBC) using the cost of premium package although we buy as we go , plus contribution to annual insurance. Then P&O is circa £320pppn cf Saga £500pppn, Cunard Queens grill £500pppn. So yes Saga is more expensive, however I didn't see people on the ship who looked in shock from having spent so much.. Everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, most were Saga regulars , many, like us were looking forward to next Saga cruise. People who had found something they really enjoy and happy spending what I expect was their hard earned money on it. That's their choice. The same goes for Cunard although a different experience to Saga. Thought we'd give P&O another go after 8 years. But if we hadn't been able to book speciality dining ahead and had ended up with physical or virtual queues* for each meal, would definitely see P&O as much more traumatic than spending extra few thousand on the other lines. Like to try different lines, looking at Seabourne for 2026, did look at Ritz Carlton Yacht club , but that was scary. * A Virtual queue may be better than physical ones, but certainly not as relaxing as no queue or a defined time, when you can plan accordingly. That is what I expect on a holiday

That's exactly the question I was asking

You seem to think sharing tables is somewhat old fashioned or down market. My first cruise was sharing tables on P&O great companions. Apart from 2021 just after covid have always shared on Cunard QG, by choice. But I presume we are old fashioned and like talking to people and getting to know them. We could be modern and sit on a table for 2 staring at our phones and not talking. 😴

I'm a bit like ICF and hate queuing. However how much it annoys me depends on what is promised and my expectations If I turn up at airport for longhaul business or first then I expect to sail though. When I'm on a budget airline for a short flight then I know what to expect. My expectation for cruises is not to queue, my first cruise years ago was P&O with traditional club dining, great set of table companionsno queue. Since then Saga and Cunard grills , walk in no queuing. Having to physically queue would ruin a holiday. Similarly to keep checking on a virtual queue is just as bad. Hence the need for the certainty of pre booked speciality dining, plus of course hopefully really good food

Just to be pedantic "Warner holiday" or "escorted coach trip" is a much more limited demographic than older people, it's describes a grouping defined by mixture ot age and socio economics and perhaps education. Many traditional cruisers if not most traditional cruisers will not fit into this grouping. Many younger people like the traditions of dressing up , perhaps more on cunard. Those traditional cruisers on seabourne at over £1000 a night are certainly not the Warner holidays crowd. However perhaps P&O marketing have this view of traditional cruisers, if so they will alienate a wider demographic, with the greatest disposable income of any demographic.

Anyway we are looking forward, we have 8 Epicurean 2 Sindhu , 2 limelight , and two Mizuhana booked. Dining is an important part of our holiday, on a cruise we like to be served in a fine dining setting. When we had the kids or now have grandkids then happier to eat in diners and family restaurants which were much more relaxing. So I can see the attraction of the many dinning arrangements on Arvia for families. I imagine in school holidays the demand for casual dining is bigger than the supply. Conversely at other times the demand for traditional dining is bigger than supply. Maybe P&O should look at dynamic capacity in its restaurants on mega ships. Think thread has run its course , Over and out.

This was a thread about booking before boarding but has drifted as things do to include the "app" and booking in general. I'm a great fan of freedom dining. Don't mind doing it online. Freedom is not as efficient in use of tables as fixed sharing. However for freedom to work you need enough tables relative to guests and the staff to serve. Saga which is a true freedom ship has 492 in MDR , 250 in speciality, 300 in Grill (buffet) and 170 outside in good weather. All for 985 passengers. So waiter served is 75% of passenger numbers, total seating 110% of passenger numbers (exc outside) . So I have never known a single queue. P&O doesn't publish its dining capacity, but clearly doesn't have 4500 waiter served places, expect near 2000. Plus at most another 1000 in other restaurants. Perhaps in total 50% of peak passenger numbers. That is the problem, one that can't be solved by technology, only on a personal level by booking ahead, which of course removes capacity Only seats you can book ahead after 6.30 are speciality extra cost dining, hence the rush