jamiebarnzy

I would say if you can turn up before the buses do, do, it say very clearly on P&O website that your welcomed to turn up early just that proity will be given to those at there allotted time and here slot you i where there space which may be well before your time. I think P&O just want to get people on the ship spending money as soon as they can and won’t make people wait or turn them away without a good reason. “You are welcome to arrive earlier of course, but if you do we will ask you to make yourself comfortable in the terminal until we are able to check you in. This may well be before your allotted time, we promise we won’t make you wait around unnecessarily. The latest time you can check in is one hour before the ship departs.”

I remember seeing a review in 2012, which notes that P&O change there bedding less then a lot of other lines. I may be wrong but I believe it was once a week for P&O where most other lines were 2 times as week and that was back in 2012.

We had a email to say the ship was late the day before so we went for lunch before hand and had an early breakfast rather then a large late one well knowing we would not get are glasshouse lunch that day and may not even get dinner, we got on about 5 that day but some did not get on till 11pm. Thankfully this is very rare and only happen once in my nearly 20 years of cruising.

Have seen on one of the facebook groups that someone who work for the port have said they now going to be two line for Iona, one to check in for those at there allotted time and one for those who are early. Who will be slotted in when there space which may be well before the allotted time. Not sure if this will apply to other ships or just the two new ones. I myself have always gone down for 12:00 as I in a hotel and we alway take a taxi to the port and park the car at the hotel to avoid the CPS queueing and want to get rid of the bags and also to try and get there before the buses turn up and it gets really busy. We alway expect to have to wait and plan on haveing a few drinks at the bar/cafe and people watch as we wait to board. Never very busy at 12:00 however I find and and in last few years since the restart we been straight thought more or less and on the ship. Before that apart from one time were the ship was very late (lots of money spent in the port bar rather then on the ship and a nice lurch in Southampton rather then glasshouse) we never had to wait long and would rather be there check in and ready, we know we may have to wait but there is a bar and never know it to get so busy with people being early that they had to turn people away but many time I heard of delays due to too many people coming later and at the same time. I do like the idea of the two lanes hopefully it may be a way for P&O to keep everyone more or less happy. But I feel that most people would want a pick you own time for select fare, Which links into CPS and the buses. I hope P&O will in the future offer this service make people pick a time when booking and then saver fares can be slotted in where there space, the buss can then all have the same times and CPS could have limit to the number of people at one time so everyone does not turn up to park there car at once which has delayed the ship more then once.

I feel that the realty will be that small ship with the service and being able to go into smaller less busy with other cruise ships along with the little touch which people misses on P&O and other lines or is now pay extra will be still be around but they reserve for the luxury and premium end of the market at much higher cost then what P&O charges and main stream cruise lines will all be bigger ships. Or we see more ship within a ship like grill class on Curand to justify the higher prices for suite.

Oh ok i just wonder if club dining was just for those on select fares now as I never come across something when onboard who was saver and on club dining.

Don’t think P&O will lose another ship just yet, but I feel it won’t be long before all the smaller ship are gone in the P&O fleet. As it hits far more profitable to run newer bigger ships. And Carnival will most likely have just one or two brands using smaller ships at a much higher price. I do like the bigger ships but it a shame in a way as it nice to have the choice of ship sizes, but I always found the service better on smaller ship and they can get into places the big ship can’t go.

We going off on Ventura for 5 weeks very shortly and was wondering if they started doing cooking demonstrations, guest speakers and other daytime entertainment, just thinking with all the sea days what we may be able to expect. Also Is the glass house open for lunch, always enjoyed going there for lunch and a few drinks when we embarked the ship.

I just curious for those on saver fares, what dining option did you get assigned, do they just put everyone on savers on freedom dining?

It’s nice to see the cocktail party back, hopefully we see more of the little nice touches back. Hope they bring back proper cheese broad in the MDR and the port Stilton, also loved that and the plated once they do now are just not the same. I only done the afternoon tea once in the MDR and didn’t rate it, however I understand the appeal. But it does put extra pressure on the staff. Enjoyed the ice cream one and the Epcureiun one thought but both too much and the deck grill, room service and buffet suit is if I am still hungry after lurch or coming back on the ship. Evening turn down was a nice touch, but I stay in many hotels and resorts which were much more expensive per a night then what the cruise cost per. Night, With no evening turn down. It was a nice touch but I rather they use the staff to give them some down time or improve the service in other areas of the ship rather then turn down the rooms.

Ok thank you will check the post for it when I get home.

Good Evening Would you mind sharing what was in the email? thank you