Denarius

Hi, I'm not really sure why you are " having a go " at P&O for these restrictions, as the luggage weights are pretty much standard on any fly holiday. In fact on our last holiday we were only allowed 20kg each.

As previous posters have said if you pack sensibly then you should have no problems. Unless you are like a relative of mine who always takes 14 different outfits for day wear then another 14 outfits for evening wear !:rolleyes: You may have problems if you do that. There is always the free laundry or the laundry service if you don't want to do it yourself. And as you are going to the Caribbean you will only need light clothes. I'm sure you will manage.

On page 31 of the new 2013 P&O brochure it states that the luggage allowance for P&O fly cruises is 20kg. If you struggle at 23kg you will be in real trouble next year.

23 kgs is standard now, even for scheduled flights. Having said that, I have done P&O fly cruises to the Caribbean and land tours to the USA with this allowance and have never had any problem staying within it. I follow the rule of "if you think you might not wear it, don't take it"

Is it not time, however, for P&O abandon formal/semi-formal in the Caribbean. That would free up a lot of space in suitcases for important items like shorts and tee shirts. ;-)

We went to the ballroom dancing lessons on Oceana which were held at Starlights. I did see some dancing in the evening in the Atrium but it didn't seem very well attended.

On Oceana last December they had ballroom dancing to CDs in the Atrium almost every evening. It was not particularly well supported, usually only 3 or 4 couples. Some passengers felt that it spoiled the atmosphere in the Atrium, which used to be a quiet place for conversation with a cocktail pianist.

"Seems to be a love it or hate it with little in between... is this an age split or just an 'outlook' split.."

A bit of both, really.

Pre Ventura, P&O was a very conservative line with a high level of formality. Middle Endland at sea, popular with quiet living individuals with middle class credentials or pretensions. They used to have onboard get-togethers for Freemasons, Rotarians and masonic widows, which will give you a good idea of the typical customer. Then along came Ventura. Out went much of the formality, dress codes were simplified with the elimination of semi-formal nights, and in came a more cosmopolitan type of cruiser who may not previously have considered sailing with P&O. Middle England at sea no longer! This did not go down well with some of P&Os traditional customers, who tend to use terms like "dumbing down" and to make references to Ocean Village when discussing her. For others, however, Ventura represents P&O finally entering the 21st century and realising that many people just see a cruise as a holiday at sea, no more no less, and do not really want the high level of formality that used to go with it.

It is, therefore, more a matter of outloook than age, although it is true that Ventura tends to attract a considerably younger age group than say Oriana or Aurora. I am a retired professional man in my 60s and she is my favourite P&O ship.