devonuk

I’ll second that choice along with the Lentil Pies 🥧

Here’s mine from last week and I never asked for it 🤷‍♂️

Smart, unripped jeans were fine last week in the Britannia restaurant. Gala night saw a shorts and t shirt wearing gent sat at the bar in the Chart Room, he was asked to remove his baseball cap though 🤦‍♂️

Why bother when you get a fold out map with your key card?

I’ve just this day returned from a crossing on the QM2 and shock, horror! Sports shorts and a non collared shirt were permitted in the Chart Room on a formal night, the gentleman was requested to remove his baseball cap though 😬

Yesterday I received a general questionnaire from P&O with reference to why I book particular cruises, my likes dislikes etc. With some A or B scenarios like A = Dress to the nines or B = Keep it casual.

Thanks for all of your replies guys 👏🏻 It would appear there are ‘caps’ on the number of children permitted on each cruise still 🤷‍♂️

Noted, but this is a first for me in many years 🤷‍♂️

In the past few days I booked 2 balcony cabins on the Arvia departing Southampton on the 17th August 2025. Both of these cabins contain children and for the first time recently, especially since Covid, the P&O customer service employee had to check that there was enough room left available onboard to allow ‘my’ children to be able to travel. Certainly pre Covid this was the norm but having recently travelled on the Iona on 2 occasions with circa 1000 children I’m wondering whether the large number of children not being able to get into the kids club when expecting to etc. has caused a rethink 🤷‍♂️ Anyone have any thoughts on this please? Thanks.

There was a waitlist when I was on there last. Beware of bed ‘hoggers’ who will have 2 sets of beds covered in towels, books etc. for when the sun moves around. So infuriating 😡

Thanks for all of your ‘walk’ replies 👏🏻👍

I’m on the QM2 for the first time this June going WB to NY then after a week ashore doing the EB back to Southampton. I like to do a minimum of 10k steps a day out on deck, so my question is…. Is there one or a number of places to do this? Or might there be some secret area to achieve my steps? Thanks.

Did a Northern Europe cruise on the Iona in Feb with 2 of our group with only 4 months left. They just checked in at a separate desk 👍

Remember that there’s no ‘discount’ until the OBC has been spent IIRC.

I can absolutely assure you that this was the situation when I travelled with my grandchildren recently who had more than 3 months and less than 6 months left, the check in staff dealt with my wife and I and once done the girls checked in at a separate desk specifically for those who couldn’t check in line.

Just about every decent watch brand from Rolex to TAG Heuer are not actually discounted with a BLC by Goldsmiths, if you check the T&C’s. I found this out with some sadness recently when promising my wife a particularly nice watch 😟

Don’t discount what Rotterdam has to offer 👍

What happened, or didn’t happen?

School holidays = very busy, limited slots. At other times it depends on how many kids are on board and the staffing situation.

I left a laughing reply above because the strict dress code comment tickled me. Perhaps it once was but certainly not any more. There are lots of previous thread discussions just look for them. I can’t relate re Marella but I can use my experiences of the other 2 and you’ve nothing to worry about. Had an aft suite on the Ventura and it was pretty good apart from the very tired decor and waste of time butler.

There’s an entire ‘splash zone’ for the little ones 👍

STAVANGER I would recommend the nearby petroleum museum. Went on a recommend and it was surprisingly very good.

The naivety of some certainty catches up with them 😬 Not knowing is unfortunately no defence.

I bought a very expensive watch abroad recently when ashore off a cruise ship. Yes, I paid the full duty and did it online as I was more than 5 days from home. Therefore no need to declare when arriving back in the UK. So I now have a legal acquisition in my possession and have no issues with insuring it etc. Then, if I lose it or it gets stolen I can make a claim because a loss adjuster cannot turn down the claim on tax issues. Now, if it’s not legally held then potentially bang goes your hard earned £0000’s you spent out on your watch. Yes, you paid 20% tax plus the fee on top of your initial outlay but the peace of mind is worth it. Even watchfinder ask for proof of your tax payment if it was purchased abroad if you want to trade it through them. Now, if you buy the watch onboard this sale is recorded and available to the authorities ashore. Buy a £20k Rolex onboard and there’s a good chance you may get stopped. I recently entered the UK on a ship which stopped at Gibraltar on the way back. The large number of officials at Southampton searching passengers was the most I’ve ever seen in the UK, either port or airport. This is because the ship was targeted due to the fact that it stopped at Gib, whereas my Norway cruise last week had no one searching. Go figure 🤷‍♂️ Its also worth noting that a watch can be traced through its import export transactions and the watch I bought in the Caribbean involved export forms having to be completed prior to leaving the Island. In conclusion…. Expensive item - I’d advise to pay the duty as no issues later. Cheap item - where issues later won’t matter then don’t bother. But the risk is if you’re caught then you have to possibly pay the duty, the fee and a fine PLUS the risk of confiscation of the item. Also, every time you wear your nice new glistening watch in and out of the Country you run the risk of it’s ‘history’ being questioned 😬 Hope this helps as the info will not be freely given to you by any of the jewellers, watch dealers etc. on board.

Just remember that a tax has to be paid on any spending over your import allowance. Therefore those expensive on board watches aren’t actually as cheap as they seem.