Cathygh

I've been following this live from and your own live as we are hoping to do the same cruise later ths year or in 2025. You have a real treat when you catch up with Susan Calman, we weren't going to do the Antartica sail by itinerary but I am beginning change my mind!

Thanks. I'll tell her.

Thank you that's what I have told her but the confirmation says Main Dining. She has just rung Cunard who won't change the wording. Sounds like an error by Cunard maybe?

Hi A friend on mine who is not on CC has booked a cruise on QA with a PG confirmed cabin number. The confirmation says 'main dining.' She is worried that this menas she will be eating in the MDR not PG, is that right? Her TA is off today so she can't get an answer from them. TIA

Yes just had a friend test positive on day 4

If it is the same grade as your current cabin and one is available your TA might be able do this for you, I am not sure if there is a charge. If it is a higher grade you will have to pay what that grade would ahve cost on the day you booked. If it a lower grade- I am not suree tbh!

P&O cabins for sale is on facecloth. There are instructions on there that tell you how to sell. I hope that helps.

We tried to do this for Sindhu in May on Iona last year. 8 of us. It was a surprise for my husband's big birthday.The restaurant manager at the time was very unhelpful. We wanted to eat at 7.30 and we had prebooked 2 tables of 4 but could not get the same times. They were 15 minutes apart. We were told they could not merge the bookings and that the maximum size was 6. Then they offered a table at 6pm No way was DH going to eat at 6pm. We came to a compromise. As long as someone was seated at the table by 6.30 they would hold it until the rest came at 7.15. They didn't put us in the main restaurant but in the bit btween the restaurant and the kitchin. Not happy. I complained to shoreside who actually said they didn't know why the MD had done that! Anyway, hopefully this issue has been sorted and I hiope you are able to get a table together. Why P&O ever tjought theu only needed table for a max of 6 on a familyship which attracts large family groups I don't know!

May be ask on the roll call if there is one

I've noticed the orchestra issues on other ships. On a behind the scenes tour I discovered that it's handled by the sound mixer and I think it is all preprogrammed in Southampton. Probably by the same person who makes the girls with nice voices screech instead of singing.

I think the app opens at 6pm for dining. You can't book a time, you can only join a virtual queue. You can still turn up but there might not be any tables available. For drinks, just turn up.

I am very sceptical about the excuse of the terminal will get over crowded as I still haven't seen any evidence of it. ie the chairs full. Has anybody else? And it doesn't explain why the outside queues are used for the smaller ships, where overcrowding is not a problem. It is easily solved - enhance the app so you can preselect your boarding time, just as Princess do.

Thank you for your comprehensive comparison. I was the one asking megabear earlier. I am always nervous about trying a new line but I feel we will be ok on Celebrity and I've never heard anything that would put me off. I am looking forward to the food, but we are not in aquaclass so there is no dining in Blu for us 😥. Now that have described the Elite perks I am wondering how many nights will I have to do before I get there. It might make me look more at Celebrity for other long haul trips. Meanwhile I am following your live report and now I'm beginning to see why people do the long cruises in January. I have recently retired (2 weeks!) and can see us doing longer cruises going forward. Enjoy your travels!

Thank you. You have confirmed what I thought. We have the Classics drinks package fortunately. The trips are expensive but atm they are offering a discount if you book before hand. Most of the trips have sold out and we are struggling to find even non ship ones as these are sold out as well. I see on the Celebrity boards that there have been lots of cuts but as we wiil be newbies wwe won't know any different. Hope you feel better soon,

So sorry to hear you are unwell but it does sound like you arae being well looked after. Do I remember correctly that you went on a Celebrity cruise? If so I woud be interested to know how it compares to P&O. We are going on Millenium soon.

I noticed that too- dress uo for dinner and no special menu. So if lots of people complain P&O can drop half of the black tie nights due to "customer feedback"?

One reason could also be that Epicurean and Sindhu can be prebooked. Another is that there could still be staff shortages, particularly of chefs with the required skills

Didn't Selborne have problems getting on board Aurora even though he is priority? I recall that he was told the terminal was full but when I asked, he could not say if all the chairs were taken. IMHO saying the terminal is full is nonsense. What happened to us is that when we entered the terminal, no one was seated at all. They were getting every checked in straightaway and sometimes this caused a queue at the escalator. This is when people were stopped from going into the terminal. There is no reason why the old system of waiting with a letter can't be reinstated. As I have previously said other terminals manage without issue.

But that doesn't seem to apply the terminal MSC use for their mega ships? No enforcement for Virtuosa. Having said that Msc open boarding at 10.30 am so may be P&O need to adopt a similar model pronto. The waiting in the naughty queue applies to P&O smaller ships and to Cunard so really the port is talking nonsense. IMHO.

You might be able to sell your cabin, there is a page on a another site that had P&O cabins for sale. I believe that P&O charge £20pp for a name change.

In those days you could get in if you passed the entrance exam I think na dthe interview and there were always colleges who took you if your father went there. In the eighties I was repsonsible for coaching (in a comprehensive school) what they used to call Seventh Term Sixth Formers. They had passed their A levels with not particularly great grades, for lots of reasons I won't go into here, but had definitely underperformed. Oxbridge set exam in the Autumn Term after A levels and as long as you passed the exam and the interview you got a place. It was a much fairer option IMHO than they have these days and gave the opportunity for kids to go there who wouldn't have got in otherwise.

Hi yes that's right but that might change in the future

On anothere site there is list of Iona beds by the balcony or wardrobe. All dining is Freedom/Anytimee on Iona. I think of you ask the restaurant Manager when you board you can book a table at set time as long as it is by 6.30. Or if you join a virtual queue at about 5.30 you should be seated by 6.30. The MDRs are very busy early on and open at 6 Yes jacket is required on black tie night The cafe in the atrium sells costa coffee, I think you can get it in most of the bars. Same price as on land. Shows are mainly 6.30 and 8.30 Have look at the Iona boards reviews and Live From on Cruse critic

I was on Britannia in November, everything was fine. My main dislike was thst someof he Headliners' (in house singers/dancers) singers screech. The food was better than our cruise on Arcadia in August. If I had a complaint it would be that some of the towels and linen have seen better days but they might have been replace by June. I can't comment on the Butlins comparison as it's 30 years since I've been to one.

it means liqour/spirits/beer/wine etc. You can make coffee in your cabin, kettle etc is provided, or from the buffet from 6am