simonpjd

Good morning 

Due to Covid and various reasons we have not sailed with P&O since 2019. We are booked on Arcadia next year hurrah. Can someone remind me please of the cost of each of the speciality eating places on Arcadia. Is there a limit on the number of times you can use each one. We get 8.5% off on board purchases, would this include any restaurant costs.

Sorry but it seems a long time ago we did the Baltic on Aurora.

Thank you for any information.

Only just seen this or I would have replied earlier. We have done the 23 day trip which includes Falklands and Sth Georgie twice. Itis stunning, well it must be as we went back for a second go!

Our first was on Bremen run by Hapag Lloyd. Mainly German passengers but around 25 Brits. They cut the number of pax to around 160 so we split into 2 groups. One lot ashore while other group did Zodiac cruising. Lots of daylight so either 2 or 3 landings daily. As you would expect from the Germans everything was run very well. The Hanseatic is newer but still very ice strengthened so  can crash through the ice when it has to. Very exciting.

second trip was on Island Sky run by Noble Caledonia. Same itinerary. Only 100 pax so everyone got ashore together.

So check number of pax. If over 200 think again. Check ice capability. Island Sky couldn’t crunch through the ice and we didn’t get to Port Lockroy. 
All trips ashore were using Zodiacs. These shipd don’t have tenders as such. That’s how you get ashore in Stanley.

Also think about what you want to see. Before Christmas it is yes to eggs but few chicks. Usually more whales. We preferred the Jan/Feb trip over the Nov trip.

Ask any questions, I will try and answer.

We have been twice both times Falklands then Sth Georgia then Antarctica. About 23 days out of Ushuaia. We went for a bit of luxury on the Bremen, Hapag Lloyd, and Island Sky, Noble Caledonia. Don’t go with Noble Caledonia. Lovely ship but not ice strengthened enough to go through proper ice. Look for proper ice ships, like Bremen.

lots of 70ish passengers and no problem at all. They know how to get everyone on and off the zodiacs. But it is 100% wet landings so you do need some degree of fitness. Definitely pick a trip with Falklands and S Georgia, for wildlife they are better than Antarctica.

They are the best 2 holidays we have had and that includes 2 to the Arctic and Svalbard.

Go for it.

Any questions just ask.

I am meant to be on her in 8 weeks. I don’t think so.

We are booked on a cruise in mid June which has been tailored for us. So it is Southampton to Venice, disembark, transfer to Lake Garda for 4 days, transfer to Verona and get the train back to Victoria. So we have a P&O cruise, 

North Italy hotel then train through 4 countries. So what are our chances . TBH I would rather the whole thing was cancelled and I fear it may be a battle getting a refund.

Jean

Just a quick note re doctors note.

If you travel to Antarctica you will be asked to provide a note from your doctor stating you are fit to travel. We have done 2 expedition cruises from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Antarctica and I urge everyone to save up and go, but it is not cheap.

Anyway the doctor’s note costs around £40 from your GP. And everyone has to get this, not just the over 70s.

Currently there is no proof that you can get the virus twice. 
Currently there is no proof that you cannot get the virus twice.

pentland stop spreading scare stories which may not be correct.

Stupid to talk about this when we do not know enough. Let us wait and see for now. Actual facts will emerge soon enough and then we can make our future plans accordingly.

keep well.

Does the roulette on P&O have one zero like in British casinos. So %age wise not a bad bet. 
 

It depends

Good.

more space

elegant

if you enjoy dressing up, most women do, then yes

i think food is good

my wife loves it

we are booked on QE next year

Bad

i hate dressing up

cost of wine extortionate 

cost of all extras stupid money , short top and sides for a 60 year old bloke 70 USD.

if you get American entertainment staff they were worst ever bellowing down the mic. If you get Brits much better

QM2 brilliant in a sea. Proper liner.

They will struggle to enforce the usual dress code methinks. They just might not attract the Cunard regulars!

Yes I have been on 2 expedition trips. And only 2 days snow in that time. One was a very exciting landing in a snow blizzard on South Georgia. One left the ship with a couple of inches on deck and looked and was spectacular. Gosh I loved those trips. 
Biggest tip if you are thinking of going would be to save and go on a smaller vessel and definitely include Falklands and South Georgia. That’s where the best wildlife is.

yes I have just doubled or even trebled the cost from a sail by trip but you will never regret it.

If you are lucky it will snow . But unlikely. Antarctica is a desert. It won’t be as cold as you think it will be. Take a warm hat and gloves. And a good camera for those penguins and hopefully whales. 

Some friends are going all the way. Not happy. She is still in Southampton.

On P&O this summer we did a small group 2 day tour 16 person mini bus. Around £220. Excellent tour and good value. Arranged via the ship. We saw the lot. Many used local tour companies and when we spoke they reckon we got a better trip.

Of course it would be no surprise to find Cunard offer the same tour but at a vastly inflated price. They usually do. 
But go for the best you can afford. St Petersburg is magnificent.

Wouldn’t it be nice if P&O copied Cunard and did pub lunches in the Red Lion or similar. Not many choices but all yummy.

fishnchips

chicken tikka masala

steak kidney pudding 

ploughmans

and a couple more I cannot remember.

served 12 to 2.

In July we did the P&O organised 2 day small group tour in 14 person minibus

included

boat trip

church of spilled blood

peter and Paul cathedral where tsars are buried

peterhof palace including hydrofoil back into town

hermitage

catherines Palace

price same as alla.

Thoroughly recommended.

Good Morning 

Back in 2009 we had a very good holiday on Arcadia. But gosh how time flies. That is 10 years ago. Next June we are back on the old girl.

so my question is simple. How is Arcadia. I have no doubt she will be spotless and clean, but how has she changed. What new delights await us.

Thank you.

Just back from a super holiday to Alaska with Princess. Now Princess are using Southampton a bit more these days so you may be thinking of giving them a try.

Ship - Coral Princess. c2000 pax. Whittier to Vancouver. 7 days.

Cabin. We treated ourselves to a mini suite and it was lovely. Up in the top 3 of cabins with Oceania whose lowest grade of balcony is bigger and better than Cunard or P&O, and Noble Caledonia’s Island Sky, pure luxury. But no kettle so a walk to the buffet to get a cuppa.

Buffet restaurant. Well it closes during the night. Closed 1130 to 0600.

much better offerings than P&O. Except for the dire American idea of breakfast. They simply have no idea. Truly awful. Really truly awful. And not a nice sight watching gross obese people tucking away plates of waffles washed down by pints and pints of Coca Cola.

Entertainment. Not as much daytime activity. Not many quizzes but easy to win. We did two. Just the two of us against a room full of 6 member teams and won both comfortably. Their version of Headliners were excellent but in 7 days only did one show. While the dreadful Whitney tribute did 2 as did a dodgy ‘comedy magician ‘.

MDR. No complaints here about the grub. Very good. Desserts not so clever but leg it up to the buffet for that. Excellent selection up there. Freedom dining meant waiting for a table for 2 or being sociable on an 8 or 10 table. So a bit slow. Only 6 Brits on board and the other 4 were in a group. Not one pax guessed we were English. They all said Australian.  But actually they were all very friendly and had either been to the UK or wanted to go so lots to chat about. Formal nights. 2 of them. About 10 tuxedos spotted. Maybe 60% in jacket but no tie. The rest in jeans and t shirts. So not enforced at all. Up to you if you think this is good or bad.

Tipping. 15.50USD a day. They do love tipping over the pond don’t they.

Enough now. Any questions answered. 

Yes we saw loads of Orcas and Humpbacks and brown bears and black bears. Brilliant.

I bought 300 shares at £22 so am obviously happy with their performance, even though they are down £10 or so from their high.

The OBC is handy too. We have also sailed with HAL, Cunard and Princess and got OBC with them too.

To me it seems a bit of a no brainer to buy some if you are a regular cruiser.

Thank you all for these various suggestions. Looks like we will have to check out the Princess disembarkation tour. Then airport and fly overnight back to London. All starts next week so not long to go now.

So last day on Coral. Vancouver. Princess have arranged transfer from ship to airport, but our flight is not until 9 that night.

What alternative is there to sitting in the airport all day. This must happen all the time so what do you happy Princess customers do.

Good Morning 

we are frequent cruisers with many companies but Princess will be a first. Alaska.

A few questions. We are expecting the ship to be a much younger set than the adult only P&O ships. And Alaska will not be scorching weather so...

What temperature can we expect inside the ship. Americans often like the AC up high and a cool temperature. Will I need a long sleeve shirt and pullover.

Do the cabins have tea coffee making facilities. Us Brits love a cuppa morning and evening.

Will most passengers be from Canadaand USA. Will we see many of us Brits.

What is the tipping situation. Is it a set rate per day added to your account. More and more British ships are scrapping this outdated process.

Is there anything else nice to know on this new line to us.

Thanking you all in anticipation of helpful answers.

Dai

so you went to Skagen. I think us on Aurora doubled the population. I wonder what they thought of the thousands descending on them from Brittania.

BTW nice to see you are still posting away. We used to talk a lot but I am much quieter now. Happy cruising sir.

The taxi man had an email from the passenger saying they would be late because the ship had broken down. The email also said there was a lot of norovirus on board. And he actually cancelled their booking as he had another job to do afterwards.

But as somebody says it is just one of those things. We have cruised a lot for over 15 years with lots of different ships, companies and this is the first time we have had the dreaded lurgie on board.

as for Brittania I am sure some one on board will tell all. But enough of that.

After the refit Aurora looks a bit spruced. Lots of new carpets. New cabins where the kids stuff used to be. She is a lovely ship. She looks like a ship not a block of flats. Yes if it was up to me I would half the size of the casino and make Champions bar a lot bigger and better. And the Horizon canteen is smaller than most and poorly laid out. The cinema equipment is poor, not a great picture and a bit jerky. These days this stuff is cheap as chips to upgrade and it would really improve the experience. Gosh this sounds like I am a moaner. I am not. I would happily book another Aurora trip anytime. 

Just back from the Baltic on the lovely Aurora. Ok not as nice as Oriana but still nice.

Ship went into ultra health awareness for last few days after a Norovirus outbreak. Of course no one knows how many people were affected but obviously enough to warrant announcements and everyone being ultra careful. We couldn’t even swap papers for marking the quizzes!

Quickly on this topic our taxi driver at Southampton said Britannia had come in late the previous day after breaking down and she too was riddled with the virus. He also said one of their drivers had caught it when picking up a passenger a couple of days previously and was still off work. 

Back to Aurora. The food in the MDR was very good indeed. P&O seem to have upped their game. No complaints at all. So good in fact that we didn’t bother trying the 3 select restaurants. Well done Aurora. 

Entertainment generally good but they did turn the volume up far too high for a few shows. The RunAround Boys were painfully loud and lots walked out with blood streaming from their lugholes.

Visby. Too windy so Port missed. Instead they arranged Tallin at very short notice. Well done Aurora again. I think you can guess lots of moaners were not happy. ‘I’ve been there and don’t want to go again’ bla bla bla. Sometimes I despair of us Brits. We used to be so much nicer.

For the first time ever we didn’t win a quiz. We are quite good but some seriously fine quizzers on board.

Overall another excellent holiday. 

We are off to Alaska with Princess in September. Brilliant.

This retirement lark has a lot going for it.