Denarius

I recently took my first cruise with Saga (on Spirit of Adventure) which like P&O still have formal nights. There were two main restaurants - the dining room which was always waiter service, and the grill which offered a buffet at breakfast and lunch and waiter service with the same menu as the dining room at dinner. On formal nights, formal attire was required in the dining room whilst smart casual was acceptable in the grill and in all other areas. This worked well. Could not P&O adopt a similar system?

Yes, it does. I have sailed with Star Clippers 8 or 9 times and have only known one occasion when a port was missed due to the weather; another port was substituted. But then, maybe I've been lucky. Arrival times tend to be a bit flexible depending on the wind conditions but departure times are usually adhered to.

Star Clippers ships do not always follow the standard cruise ship pattern of overnight sailings arriving in port early morning and leaving late afternoon; sometimes they do not arrive until lunch time, but may not sail until late. Sometimes they may arrive early but leave in the afternoon. Tours are tailored to fit in with the time the ship is in port.

I have read this thread and similar ones with interest and have picked up on a recurring theme; that nowadays P&O appear to regard changes in itinerary as a minor issue. Is this because in the brave new world of family big ship cruising the ship is now seen as the primary destination, and the ports mere diversions? A floating resort hotel which some passengers (sorry, guests!) will not leave during their holiday, like resort hotels such as Sandals on land.

They would have to pay me.

Or Oceana. I had a cruise on her cancelled when she was sold and as far as I can remember the timescale between the sale being announced and her going was fairly short.

Just "thinking aloud" In the club dining room the same people occupy the same tables every evening at the same times. So unused wine can be stored by table number, easily located and brought to the table by the same waiters. In the freedom dining room people occupy different tables every evening, maybe at different times and possibly in different dining rooms. So wine would have to be stored by cabin number and then tied up each evening with the table occupied by the residents of that cabin. Obviously more time consuming but also probably involves the wine being handled by another waiter - with possible covid connutations. Either of these "problems" could be used to justify wine being stored in club but not in freedom, if that is indeed the case.

An enigmatic post which I fear will do little to stem the rumours. But one with which I personally agree. I believe that both Arcadia and Aurora will leave the P&O fleet in the next few years and that they will not be replaced, putting an end to its adult only operations and leaving it free to concentrate on the family market. But Arcadia is a modern design and a close cousin of Queens Elizabeth and Victoria and some Holland America ships, so could well be transferred within the Carnival group instead of being sold. Leaving Aurora as the sole adult only ship until a buyer is found.

So do I. But as the cruise never included St Petersburg (I booked it specifically because of that!) ceasing to go there will not be a factor.

Could this be because other lines in Saga's market sector - such as Viking, Oceania and Azamara - do not have formal nights. And people used to sailing with them may, whilst they are prepared to conform out of courtesy to their fellow passengers do so in as casual a manner as possible.

I note that the domestic pass has now been discontinued, the only pass now available is the travel one.

That was the case on my recent (and first) Saga ocean cruise. Apart from a slightly more elaborate menu and an additional sorbet course it was pretty much the same as any other evening, apart from the fact that most people were wearing black tie. Several of my dining companions commented that they did not see the point of it, others commented that in normal "non covid" times there would have been some special function such as the captain's reception. Presumably these will resume once normal life onboard returns.

The last time I cruised the Caribbean with P&O I flew from Manchester premium economy. Whilst I no longer have the paperwork I recall that premium cost £399 extra and that the additional charge for a Manchester flight was £100 - figures for one person. This is exactly the same as the figures you quote.

Very true. But a for a huge ship like Iona navigating through a narrow fjord in inclement conditions is likely to be more challenging than for a smaller ship like Arcadia or even Azura or Celebrity Sillouette, which is roughly the same size as the latter. I would expect Iona and Arvia to miss more ports than their smaller sisters.

On other threads it has been reported that independent exploration ashore is now allowed, and that the books have been returned to the library. Which leads me to wonder which other restictions have now been lifted, and which remain. Things like mask wearing, use of bar stools, maximum number of seats at tables, no self service in buffet........ Perhaps someone currently on a Saga cruise could enlighten us.