Cruisemeister2002

If you think that's bad you should have been on P&O Ventura early last year. A 35 night cruise from the UK. First port of call fine, La Coruna Spain. Then on to Bermuda or so we thought. Not so, days before docking the Captain had consulted his crystal ball and decided the weather wasn't right to dock so we sailed on to Freeport Bahamas. That took the sail days to 10. Beside this inconvenience we had booked at inside cabin. The day before sailing I received notification via email that we had been upgraded to a sea view. Great. Pity they hadn't told anyone else. Arrived at the new cabin to find the door cards in the envelope were someone else's. I had paid £400 for a Celebration package. Days before we sailed I had contacted P&O to make sure that all the items and tickets for the package would be waiting for us and was told definitely. Nope, they weren't in the cabin and our dining arrangements were incorrect also. It took 17 days to get everything we should have received to complete the Celebration Package. Besides various other incidents that included immigration nightmare in New Orleans, an airbridge problem in Miami, both of us being unwell, probably due to so many coughing, some covid onboard and the splattering, if that's not too graphic of norovirus. Leaving Port Canaveral we then had a further 9 days to Ponta Del Garda and then a further 3 days back to Southampton. Suffice to say P&O received a letter from myself and I have now switch allegiance to Princess in the hope they they do a better job.

Must admit although having travelled mostly on P&O and done around 17 cruises I can only remember one occasion having had lunch in the MDR. I find having had breakfast I don't need to eat again until mid afternoon. Then it's a piece of pizza and fries or a burger maybe. We then retire to our cabin late afternoon, before having a shower and a drink and getting ready for the evening meal. Before the meal we go to a bar and have a drink and sometimes take one through to the MDR when we eat at around 8.15-8.30 or get a beer and a G&T or wine with our meal. Then to a show afterwards.

Drinking cocktails and saying "Okay ya"

Nice to know, thanks.

Being new to this bidding process do Princess state what a bid needs to be to upgrade as when we sail late next year we would like to upgrade from an inside to a balcony cabin, thanks.

Hi, does anyone know if what you get mini bar wise you can exchange for bottles of something else. By the way, the one's shown in the photo's look good.

We have gone for the Plus Package up to 15 drinks, up to $15 plus two casual dining, although we will probably take in a few Speciality one's as well. Presumably depending on which tier you are in you then get that % off your bill ? So $14.99 minus $1.49, am I correct ? as we are Elite ( Not us personally you understand). All will depend on the standard of meals in the MDR. If anyone has recently cruised Princess would be grateful for any feedback on the standard of food in the MDR's. Thanks.

They certainly did. Ship docked five hours late so left Southampton at 11.30 instead of around 5.30. We received notification of change of cabin the day before travelling to Southampton. All the labels had to be reprinted. Got to Southampton and due to the ship being late the port was chocca. Passengers and baggage as far as the eye could see. So no smooth embarkation. Onboard made our way to the new cabin where the door card was obviously for the original occupants. We let ourselves in and having paid £400 for a Celebration Package which I had confirmed via P&O a few days earlier that all necessary items would be in the cabin, they were not. It took 15 days to get most of the items that the package included. The food was anything but perfect and it wasn't just myself being picky as others on our table complained or didn't eat all the food. The waiter was obviously concerned as he constantly questioned whether it was o.k. The best meals we had were one's we paid extra for in Sindu, which were superb and the Beach House which wasn't brilliant, but nonetheless better than the MDR. The entertainment was poor except for two tribute acts that were brill. As for talks well it came down to some chap talking about photography virtually every day.There were a few other problems. Immigration, but I cannot blame that on the cruiseline and a problem in Miami where the airbridge moved, so after waiting for 15 minutes in 91 degree heat we were told to go back to the terminal building, exit it at quay level and access the ship via a lower gangway. We did this, queued in a queue of 50 people, thirty were allowed on, then told to go back to the terminal building and wait for the airbridge to reopen, which it did 15 minutes later. As everyone will be aware these airbridges aren't just a few steps they wind around and around. Being in my mid 70's and having problems with my feet and legs it was no joke, neither for myself or other elderly travellers and one young woman who was having an asthma attack. The cruise also after leaving Southampton called at La Coruna and was then due to call in at Bermuda. We missed Bermuda, because of according to the Captain, the weather. But this announcement was made several days before reaching Bermuda and many passengers along with myself believe the reason more to be because of the ship leaving Southampton late, because the weather was fine and the sea was calm. So we carried on to Freeport Bahamas. So ten days sailing out. Then on the return it was 6 days to Punta del Garda and a further 3 days to Southampton. Which I knew about, but could easily have got on a plane and flew back home from Port Canaveral, except the wife cannot fly. So no, the reason for me not liking the cruise had nothing to do with boiled sweet, steaks, late night sandwiches or toiletries. I just believe they were nice to have although I appreciate many things are changing and as we won't be cruising for many more years they have to accomodate the new style cruiser who maybe doesn't want formal evenings, set meal times etc.

We went on a cruise in March this year on Ventura. Can honestly say out of the 17 cruises we have taken this was by far the worst. It would take me an age to tell you everything that was not good. I agree P&O prices are very reasonable but when I started cruising with them back in 2002 everything was amazing. All those little things that really make you feel special. Little P&O bags with toiletries, a small bowl of boiled sweets, bed turndown and a chocolate on your pillow, a bottle of water in the fridge, chocoholics and sandwiches and drinking chocolate after the late show. Steak as a choice if you didn't like anything else on the menu and silver service with plenty of veg and a truckle of stilton with your biscuits, not like it is now. Sadly for P&O after the disaster of a cruise in March we are giving Princess a go next year and may never go back to P&O.

All of the above.

I am on a Princess cruise next year and have purchased the Plus Package. Funnily enough this will, God willing, be our 18th cruise and the first one we have ever purchased a drinks package. Neither of us really being big drinkers. But the wife says as we are allowed 15 x $15 drinks per day "She'll give it a go" although some drinks will probably be coffee or maybe juice. Presumably you can order drinks to your cabin. I did notice that although you can take one bottle of champagne or wine onboard without charge you cannot, unlike P&O take a litre of Spirit onboard with you. Not that it will matter as we have the drinks package anyway.

Perhaps they belonged to the woman in the fur coat ?

Because the Lady loves milk tray ?

What comes across to me is the stupidity of Government where they ban you buying these extra large Mars Bars. What's stopping someone buying two smaller one's and eating both of them. Mind you, the normal size bars ain't as big as they used to be. Remember when I went into a local shop and got 8 chews for a penny. Liquorice pipes, jamborie bags, flying sauces, nips, pineapple junks and cola chunks, black jacks, square pieces of bibble gum with a football card, sweet cigarettes,fruit salad etc, etc. No wonder I have a mouth full of fillings.

Remember my Mum buying Quality Street for Christams. They were actually tins and about four times the amount you get now and maybe it's me but they just don't taste as good. Maybe they should just call them Street now and drop the Quality bit. Cadbury's chocolate isn't as good since it was taken over either.

Tell me about it. We cruised on Ventura in March, a 35 nighter. The only cruise I have been on where ten days before we arrived back at Southampton I wanted to get off. The food was poor, except Sindu, the entertainment pretty moderate except two tribute acts who were excellent and the only talks given was by one chap about photography virtually every day. I won't go into details, but so much was wrong about this cruise that I have my doubts I will ever return to P&O. When you have a once a year holiday now, we used to occasionally cruise twice a year, it makes it that more gawling that the one you have taken was so underwhelming.

Having last cruised on Princess as long ago as 2003 onboards Sea Princess I look forward to what the food will be like next year aboard Sky Princess. I know that our previous cruise on Princess was a bit of a downer for my wife as there was lots of fish, which she's not partial to and has to be a bit careful with shellfish and she can't eat salmon although I love gravlax. She spent the enter cruise eating very little other than steak. So I am hoping there's plenty of choice.

Not being an English snob or anything like I do find it amazing that a cruiseline have formal nights and then just let people dress as they wish. My first cruise was back in 2002 aboard a ship called Victoria, an old ship that P&O purchased because it was originally used for Atlantic crossings prior to the introduction of the Jumbo Jet when those that sailed switched to flying therefore making the need for the ship as purely a passenger liner. The ship was lauched in 1966 as the Kungsholm, bought by P&O and renamed Sea Princess. Once the Princess line named their ship Sea Princess the P&O version changed it's name to Victoria and 2002 which was our first cruise was Victoria's last season. Formal nights were formal. But since then most cruiselines have eased their dress codes. But for myself and wife formal is something we look forward to. Admittedly I don't want too many formals as on my last cruise which was onboard Ventura to the Caribbean when on sail days formals were every 4 days and as we missed Burmuda it was 10 days between La Coruna and Bermuda and on the return journey 6 days from Port Canaveral to Punta Del Garda and another 3 from there to Southampton. So on that occasion in my mind too many formals. Our next cruise is next year on Sky Princess and only 5 formals in 31 nights so fine by me.

This may help. A man walked into a Pub (Bar), walked up to the counter and waited to be served. A voice said " Lovely shirt you have on there Sir" the man looked around and couldn't see anyone. The voice again spoke and said "Beautiful suit you have on Sir" again the man looked around and could see nobody. The barman then appeared and the man said "Someone keeps saying how well I'm dressed" The barman say's " Oh, that the nut's Sir, they are complimentary"

We are on Sky Princess next year and have taken the package that allows the 15 x $15 drinks per day. Must admit after 17 previous cruises this is our first time we have taken a package. Can't really explain why as neither I or my wife are big drinkers. But then I feel pleased I did as it takes the problem, if you can call it that, out of having to check your onboard spend as previously when going back to the cabin late afternoon I go through what I have spent and a running total because I usually try to stick to a certain amount for the whole cruise and seeing as most of our expense is drinks, alcoholic and otherwise it made sense. I will still allow a spend for onboard alongside the already purchased package. Allowed I know sounds a bit harsh. But nothing worse than coming home to a huge credit card bill that in all honesty you didn't want.

Maybe we'll bump into each other. Probably literally as you look a big fella and I'm 6ft 1 and around 19 stone. We are in the Estrella restaurant. Not familiar with this Medallion thing as we cruised on Sea Princess back in or around 2003 and it wasn't around then.

Is that 15th 2024 ? As we are on the same one. Have jumped ship as it were from P&O to Princess.

More of a question rather than an answer I'm afraid as when we next cruise on Sky Princess it will be our first medallion cruise. I have seen people say that because of how bar staff use one medallion that it racks up the 15 drinks and then you get charged even if youv'e have say ten drinks and the wife 5 and the same medallion has been used for all of them. Is there any way that you are advised before going over this allowance or do you just find out that mistakenly you have been charged ?

Went on Ventura a 35 night cruise in March/April she holds around 3,000 and according to the Captain there were 2,400 onboard. Sadly wished I wasn't one of them, but that doesn't answer your question. Have been transatlantic now 9 times and hope, God willing to make it 10 next year. Have never found them completely full, but as with certain shows, acts etc you still need to be at the venue well in advance of starting time.

Can't say I know for defo, but you could I suppose both sit together and just order one. I know drinks packages which Plus is part of you need to have obtained two, one each.