Megabear2

I think the extra discount is on certain restaurants, I never got it on Limelight on Britannia just my Peninsular Club discount. Booking my next batch very soon for Arvia/Iona so will see what happens there.

I understand on all but Iona and Arvia you cannot prebook apart from Britannia Limelight, certainly we couldn't on our last two Britannia cruises. I'm told not to expect any different on my August Britannia as well. Regarding Arvia all of my options apart from Keel & Cow (including two MDR) state they will be available on 30 April which is 14 days before sailing. Same on Iona. Speaking to P&O they have indicated it is to help flow and control (whatever that is!) on the two biggest ships. I'm happy either way.

Yes, Celebrity and every one especially Eden is better in my opinion! In fact the Greek and French themed included MDR ran Epicurean pretty close. Raw on 5 is the best seafood restaurant I've come across at sea although it is very much a crustacean fest. I love Epicurean and always dine there at least twice on a week cruise and specifically have my Christmas dinner there with the upgraded wines. I would however go to Eden every day if I could!

You seem offended, sorry if you think I'm being difficult. My point is anything sold years or months before can be cancelled. The excursions go on sale up to 365 days out - I've several booked with Celebrity for Christmas already - but you cannot guarantee the event/cruise will go ahead. Airlines release flights in blocks, they don't guarantee they'll definitely fly etc. It cannot be described as fraud, it can be described as inconvenient but nothing in life is positive except death and taxes. P&O are far from wonderful, anymore than any other company but it's unfair to criticise them constantly when you have stated you don't wish to do business with them. I would never fly with Ryanair because I dislike Michael O'Leary personally, I don't however go on forums saying his product is crap or arguing with those who use it just for the sake of having a dig at him. It would be fruitless and frankly downright silly to think I could change everyone to have my opinion.

Well I haven't booked anything for 2025 as decided to wait until I'm onboard Iona and hopefully I might be able to book something there. However at the rate I'm going on OBC P&O will be paying me to travel on my 14 May Arvia cruise! I paid parr of this with the apology money they sent me after a complaint so the 14 day cruise cost me £749, they then upgraded me as well. With that original booking came £140 OBC as part of the current offer. This was followed by £100 welcome back OBC and now I've just been emailed a loyalty one of £50. All this generosity has still not prompted me to part with £4,004 for 18 nights on Aurora though ...

Was it extra OBC for booking onboard still or just the basic, it look quite mean forv 2025 at this stage.

Bless your resilience but what happened to only watching? Actually on this point I had an extremely expensive VIP ticket for Coldplay at Wembley last year, purchased in advance months before. Unfortunately the tube drivers announced a strike on the day I was due there. Three days before the concert it was cancelled and moved due to the London Mayor's office not granting a safety certificate. For large scale events such as this and Glastonbury apparently safety certificates are issued maximum 72 hours before an event as being planned months and even years in advance circumstances can and do change (as has happened with Palma). I received a refund, took 48 hours and then I had to join the bunfight for a ticket at Manchester or Cardiff for this year. Not fraudulent at all?

I agree with him on that, but I don't go to the Highlands to buy it! Tesco do a very nice one for £5.00 each and its locally sourced for here, well Hampshire but not far.

Got stopped randomly at Gatwick years ago after an Orlando holiday where all three suitcases were virtually dismantled by customs officials. We had random purchases not much above the legal allowances but also three pairs of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses bought on our previous trip a few months before. As we couldn't prove the sunglasses were not new purchases we were taxed on everything we had bought plus them. They even taxed a WWF doll my then 7 year old niece was carrying and the tshirts on our backs. Most definitely not something I'd want to go through again and also we had to pay tax on tye tax as it was import plus VAT.

Heston Blumenthal did a television programme in 2010 for the BBC where he sought out the best cuts of meat for a Sunday roast. When it came to the chicken he bought it in France stating it was the only way to guarantee good quality. Factoring the flight, transport either end and the actual bird it worked out that the chicken lunch (which you were meant to cook at home) was over £120 a person. At the time he was just starting his relationship with Waitrose where a family sized chicken was on sale for £5.00, needless to say they weren't happy!

I have spoken direct to the people operating the Soller train excursions on my cruise - I had the details after doing a tour with them last year when in Majorca off Celebrity Edge. They have informed me that they cannot accommodate me on certain time trains as they have contracts with MSC, Celebrity and P&O on those trains. They have said I am welcome to book other services but looking at the timetable I'd not get as much time in Soller as I'd like so I did not book. This would seem to prove that P&O and the other lines do currently have the excursions to sell so it is not fraudulent.

Did you find if you try to book the double room, the price shown goes up by several multiples?

You mention swimming a few times. Which pools are you using and are they all useable and comfortable warmth wise? You've been blessed with what looks like wonderful weather which I assume means more people using the outside space. How do you think this would be affected if it was raining, ie is there enough space and things to do inside on seadays if the weather is inclement, do you think there would be queues forming? Did you by any chance see the excursion programme at the beginning of the cruise and if so were the trips mostly sold out before boarding, ie if anyone booked onboard with their OBC would they have a good choice? I have family members onboard with you and they are very enthusiastic so I understand it's going well for you all greatly aided by the beautiful spring weather. Loving the pictures of the girls, how about a nice family group picture of you all together.

I love QM2 single cabins, did my world cruise in 2018 in a deck 2 one. I have never sailed on Aurora as every time I book her something befalls me - perhaps someone is trying to tell me something! I'm quite content to pass on the adult only ships if I get quoted silly prices. Have 3 bargain basements to look forward at present Iona inside for single occupancy 7 nights Norway fjords 29 April £589 Arvia booked 14 May for 2 weeks inside for £749 but upgraded to a balcony on deck 9 Britannia Med 4 nights single balcony for £1200 Cant fault any of them at those prices! Trouble is I'm not very keen on fly cruise at present but I love Italian ports which are few and far between on ex Southampton cruises. My QE fly cruise is a birthday treat and is going to Naples and Rome among other favourites. She also comes back via the place where my mum's ashes are scattered and Cunard will sound the horn for me when we pass over her

Well here's a tale of woe! Just spoke to P&O re the Aurora June cruise calling at lots of nice Italian ports - the website offered me an outside cabin for £2980 but kept reverting to 0 guests in 1 cabin. Ahh says the nice man, you can't book that one yet only the single cabins, it may change when they go on general sale. Is this normal, the single balcony he offered me was £4,004 with £70 obc which seems an awful lot - I have a single outside on a QE fly cruise in September this year for £2501 so £4,000+ seems ridiculous.

They do have the excursions, they just might not have the berth. However if they don't allow bookings for excursions lots of people would moan about that too. We can't have it all ways. On my cruise the Soller train is sold out which basically means a whole carriage. The train operators will surely be checking with the port whether the sales to P&O are viable. In fact nearly 50% of the excursions are full and I'm pretty sure the operators of them will not be at all happy with their government if and when they have to repay P&O and their guests at very late notice.

Which costs a small fortune on the ship's service. I always switch my voicemail off before sailing just in case someone calls when I have it on, once got caught and ended up with a £15 bill for someone telling me my car was due an MOT and service!

Are Arcadia's single cabins gold plated? Just priced the April Med one and been quoted a starting price of £2949 inside and £5179 balcony. Single occupancy double inside is from £1729 saver or £2079 select while deluxe balcony is from £3079 saver £3699 select. This echoes Cunard when I booked for January 2025, all single cabins nearly £2,500 dearer than single occupancy of double.

It's what Americans want, the UK audience gets short shrift when it comes to the new ships. MSC even offer inside Yacht Club cabins and these sell well. For American cruisers status is everything, hence the obsession with loyalty programmes. On Celebrity if you don't take the second room service and turndown they add extra points to your loyalty!

Ahh - the joys of being one of Mr Rishi's inactives.

I've found Kotor, thanks. However I clicked on an Arvia Med cruise and got a lovely map of the Fjords! I'm looking at the Arcadia April/May too, but very scared of all the talk about she's a cold ship. I'm like a bear with a sore head if I'm cold!

More to the point I just searched the P&O site for cruises calling there in 2025 and apparently there aren't any!

Order, order ... silence onboard! You're up before the beak

Agree, I really dislike the place nowadays.

On Britannia our steward kindly made a note when he introduced himself to deliver extra towels every afternoon at 4.00pm as he changed shift. He delivered our ice at the same time, if we were out he'd drop the towels on the bed and put the ice in the fridge. We were very happy with the arrangement and didn't miss turndown at all.