nellydean

Good news. They have obviously listened.

Very sorry to hear this, and hope you have made a good recovery. It must have been a lonely and concerning time for you, and it seems a bit cruel to have left you to fend for yourself, especially at your age. We were informed of a similar outbreak on Arvia in March and, to be fair, the crew - and passengers - were steadfast in their hygiene, with many using the wash basins at the entrance to the buffet. I didn't catch this, fortunately, but I did pick up a nasty respiratory virus, which I am still trying to get over. I went to the ship's doctor twice, and she said that the gastro problem - presumably due to good hygiene practice by all - was under control, but that there was an epidemic of this virus in the UK and people had brought it onboard. It's the first, and last time, I will cruise in the winter months again. I hope you have made a good recovery.

This happened us in March in the Caribbean on Arvia. We were sitting up front next to the driver in one of the very small, cramped and run-down buses the islands use. Our guide was also the driver and, at some point early on, he took a call and then balanced the phone on his lap while he steered, constantly looking at it while steering with only one hand, sometimes at speed, and around tricky corners on hillsides. He also spent a great deal of time fiddling about with various things by his side, including a large drinks container, which I eventually offered to hold so it didn't fall over and distract him further. He was a nice guy, but it was unnerving and, if it hadn't been for the fact I was suffering from a virus picked up in the first few days, I would have complained - we did complain about another trip in an open sided safari bus, where we couldn't hear any commentary from the driver/guide for most of the tour, as the speaker bust. He wasn't interested, but we did get a small amount of compensation, and the satisfaction that the problem had been verified and corrected so no-one else missed out knowing where they were going and what they were seeing. There were LOTS of problems with ship's tours on that particular cruise, including one that we witnessed, where a large number of people crowded around the excursions desk and were shouting very loudly. P&O charges a lot of money for its excursions, and it is their responsibility to make sure people get what they pay for but, most importantly, that they are not exposed to any danger on the roads. You should complain to them.

We had absolutely no issue with getting a table on our March cruise around the Caribbean, however, we do like to eat from 7.30 if possible. Only a couple of times did we book on the app (one of those beeped within 2 minutes even though there was supposedly a long queue), the rest of the time we just showed up at whichever dining room we wanted to eat at - usually the Zenith - and we never had to wait for a table for two. My complaint was the quality of food, specifically in the buffet (but also sometimes in the dining rooms), which was often bland and mediocre. You were fine if you liked roast spuds and meat, but there were no sandwiches we we know them - not at lunchtime anyway - just bits of roll with a dab of something in the middle. Maybe it will be different in the Med. Club 710 - no chance of getting in here unless you had pre-booked before boarding. Which was fine for cruisers in the know, but not for anyone else. Shows were booked out for virtually the entire cruise, and there were a lot of complaints.

Thank you Selbourne, just what I wanted to hear (too late to do anything about it anyway!).

My Caribbean cruise is coming up soon. I have not cruised that area with P&O before, and was wondering what kind of clothes people wear in the dining rooms on casual evenings? Will I look out of place wearing my usual black trousers and nice tops/dresses, like I do when sailing the Med, or is it a much more colourful code, seeing as it's in the Caribbean (lots of bold colours/flowery patterns etc)? Many thanks. H

Have only cruised with P&O about 4 times in the 25 years, 2 or 3 from 2014 and once last year so, no, I don't remember the times being given. But I was really referring to last year, when they weren't given. Much prefer it when they are (beforehand, I mean).

What a star you are!! Many thanks.

Having cruised quite a lot over the past 25 years, I think P&O are the only line I can recall that don't give the times in and out of port. Weird.

March 1st.

Can someone please advise where I can find arrival and departure times for my upcoming Arvia Caribbean cruise, as I am looking at independent excursions at several port (plus, I would just like to know how many hours we are going to be in port!) Thanks in advance. Helen

I have tried to be organised and pre-book what I can as regards dining I assume that later dining times (after 6.30pm) can only be booked once onboard? Thanks in advance. Helen

Many thanks again, door, and P&O Sue. Very helpful. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for all your replies doog442, we are leaving from Barbados airport A further question - do P&O supply shuttles at all the ports - Barbados, Tortola, La Romana Dominican Republic, Phillipsburg St Maarten, Antigua, Basseterre, Fort de France Martinique and Castries St Lucia - or, are the towns within easy walking distance? Many thanks, H

Where did you find out which nights the formals were, please?