P&O, the "Council House" of cruising

[ROSEBASKETS]

I found a comment on another review site from Mr Logan from London, who thinks "P&O is the council house of cruising" if you should bump into him while on your travels please give him the respect he deserves (he's a Cunard custard)

 

We're all entited to our opinions, but surely P&O don't deserve the title! Do they?

[Cruise_Kitten]

I did read once that when Ventura was launched because the prices were so low it was dubbed the "Chav Ship" but since having been on P&O this weekend she is far from....inface i would quite be so bold as to say P&O is for the Curnard Cruisers who can't quite afford the Cunard prices.

 

roll on the back lash please

 

CK x

[londonguy.1980]

hey guys me and my wife still looking at different boats for next year. and we been reading as much here as we can to learn things. we like the look of p and o best. we are going to book soon before all rooms go. thanks for all the info last time i posted here. also talked to travel agents. but i read this thread here and as some family of my wife have been on cunard qe2 it made me ask what is different about p and o and cunard. is cunard worse or better. i think i can say the same at cunard part of site so am going to ask there as well after. what do you think. thanks guys a lot.

[Johnthed0g]

Well, I have just got into trouble elsewhere because I said I found it difficult to believe that Thompsons came out so well in a poll ..no malice intended but I always had the impression that they were sort of "entry level" cruises to move on from..& up the ladder to P&O, maybe I am wrong, just don't see it.

[Johnthed0g]

hey guys me and my wife still looking at different boats for next year. and we been reading as much here as we can to learn things. we like the look of p and o best. we are going to book soon before all rooms go. thanks for all the info last time i posted here. also talked to travel agents. but i read this thread here and as some family of my wife have been on cunard qe2 it made me ask what is different about p and o and cunard. is cunard worse or better. i think i can say the same at cunard part of site so am going to ask there as well after. what do you think. thanks guys a lot.

 

Most seem to think (rightly) that Cunard are more traditional, posh, & have stricter dress codes. P&O are more middle of the road.

[Cruise_Kitten]

Most seem to think (rightly) that Cunard are more traditional, posh, & have stricter dress codes. P&O are more middle of the road.

 

After sailing on P&O i find that it is, like i said, a grade down from Cunard. Where as Cunard are very strict on their dress code and there activities suit the clientel onboard, P&O are just a step down from that. I saw it more as what Cunard would be but without the price tag and strict dress codes at dinner. I see RCCL as being more middle of the road because of the amount of activites onboard. They cover a wide array of activities and that's what attracts me (age group 18-25) to RCCL. I'm not into wine tasting or art exibitions which P&O offer.

Like i said they are a lighter version of Cunard.

 

CK x

[History addict]

JohntheDog

 

Thomsons have a surprisingly good cruise product which is at odds with their 'cheaper end package holiday to the Med' image.

 

They are well oganised, have excellent on board activities and entertainment and the drinks and excursions are good value for money. They also offer very varied itineries and visit some places few other ships go to (Red Sea, Northern Egypt, Jerusalem, the Crimea, Black Sea, etc) They offer both buffet and waiter service dining options. Their ships are old and shabby in places and the cabins tiny but the rest of the product is good so people forgive them for that.

 

I willingly forgo my nice comfortable balcony cabins on some occasions when an excellent Thomsons itinerary beckons.....

[Gerrym]

Apart from Ventura, I think that P&O offer a good quality product which sits just below the Cunard brand (and also the Celebrity brand).

 

Gerry

[stopgo]

I found a comment on another review site from Mr Logan from London, who thinks "P&O is the council house of cruising" if you should bump into him while on your travels please give him the respect he deserves (he's a Cunard custard)

 

We're all entited to our opinions, but surely P&O don't deserve the title! Do they?

It's not a very good comparison, as P/O are building more ships than the goverment are building council houses.

[Johnthed0g]

According to another site Cunard were top, Thompsons were 2nd, P&O 5th, I queried this & was firmly ''put in my place'' by those who seem to think because they have had a holiday somewhere that the place is owed some sort of vow of loyalty, I just thought it was a surprise, no doubt connecting the Thompson brand with package holidays.

[The Insider]

I found a comment on another review site from Mr Logan from London, who thinks "P&O is the council house of cruising" if you should bump into him while on your travels please give him the respect he deserves (he's a Cunard custard)

 

We're all entited to our opinions, but surely P&O don't deserve the title! Do they?

 

Definitely not! I started slowly and tested other ships but P&O is best. Best for courtesy and care, best for a balance between on-board privacy and organised activities, and best for on-board prices. Buying a bottle of wine on a Royal Caribbean ship almost requires a bank loan compared to P&O! And enjoying a glass or two in the Crow's Nest aboard Aurora, my favourite in the fleet, is just wonderful.

 

I could go on about the splendid and varied P&O itineraries (try the Baltic or the Fjords), but I think you've got the message!

[babyguk]

The reviewer who said this might have sailed during school holidays, as we had a really “Chavtastic” holiday on the Oriana this summer. When we sailed on her in April it was a really fantastic experience; this August was a far cry from Easter. We did meet some lovely people on board but saw many young teenage girls dressed like ‘Bollywood Whores’, while parents and crew allowed the children to run riot around the decks! Last summer on the so called family friendly Ociana was far more civilised and enjoyable, as this summer was like 16 nights in the tv series Benidorm! :(

 

Now looking forward to the Arcadia in 2010. :)

[stopgo]

The reviewer who said this might have sailed during school holidays, as we had a really “Chavtastic” holiday on the Oriana this summer. When we sailed on her in April it was a really fantastic experience; this August was a far cry from Easter. We did meet some lovely people on board but saw many young teenage girls dressed like ‘Bollywood Whores’, while parents and crew allowed the children to run riot around the decks! Last summer on the so called family friendly Ociana was far more civilised and enjoyable, as this summer was like 16 nights in the tv series Benidorm! :(

 

Now looking forward to the Arcadia in 2010. :)

What on earth are " Bollywood Whores " ? and what ship are you refering to ?

[Fireflyuk]

The reviewer who said this might have sailed during school holidays, as we had a really “Chavtastic” holiday on the Oriana this summer. When we sailed on her in April it was a really fantastic experience; this August was a far cry from Easter. We did meet some lovely people on board but saw many young teenage girls dressed like ‘Bollywood Whores’, while parents and crew allowed the children to run riot around the decks! Last summer on the so called family friendly Ociana was far more civilised and enjoyable, as this summer was like 16 nights in the tv series Benidorm! :(

 

Now looking forward to the Arcadia in 2010. :)

 

I find this post very surprising! I was also on the Oriana for the same cruise in August and with only, I believe, 260 children on board I hardly noticed them at all. The youngsters that I did come across I found to be polite, well dressed and able to hold a civilised conversation. Vastly different from last year on Ventura when we had in the region of 600 children on board!

[Nippy Sweetie]

Having just returned from our first P&O cruise after always going on QE2 I`ve been thinking about the Cunard vs P&O debate. Although Arcadia is a beautiful ship with many extremely attractive features, I cant say I enjoyed the cruise itself much. Trying to pin down what I felt the problem was for us (& I must stress this is purely personal, everyone else seemed to be having a great time), I suppose it was that we just felt processed. Herded into the Dining Room & served by a hard pressed gang of waiters at each meal once they had time. I reckon that when they added the extra aft cabins, they just crammed in more tables in the dining room and didnt add more staff. The Dining Room was claustrophobic and very hot in the evenings. We ate in the Orchid (lovely) x2 and the Rhodes (v disappointing indeed) and on several occasions were reduced to Room Service as we just couldnt face the crowds and heat at Dinner.

No chavs spotted but the average age was well North of us. Many mealtime conversations revolved around illness & surgery and the general problems of ageing. Not hilarious!

We wont be back on P&O. Its a fine product for some but not for us. We need the range of cruises available to us all & I really dont mean to slag P&O off.

[lake5298]

After sailing on P&O i find that it is, like i said, a grade down from Cunard. Where as Cunard are very strict on their dress code and there activities suit the clientel onboard, P&O are just a step down from that. I saw it more as what Cunard would be but without the price tag and strict dress codes at dinner. I see RCCL as being more middle of the road because of the amount of activites onboard. They cover a wide array of activities and that's what attracts me (age group 18-25) to RCCL. I'm not into wine tasting or art exibitions which P&O offer.

Like i said they are a lighter version of Cunard.

 

CK x

 

Sorry, my view after one unard cruise is the exact opposite.

 

On every P&O cruise I have taken, including 2 night "Taster" cruises, there has always been a Captain's cocktail party. I tried Cunard for the first time earlier this year - QV for a taster cruise - and there was no such party.

 

The dining was no better than P&O, nor was any other aspect. In fact, I had gone on the cruise expecting to see Cunard being superb - I was expecting to end up changing my loyalties - but I was disappointed.

 

Maybe it's just Queen Victoria that does not live up to Cunard's standards. After all, I consider Aurora and Oriana to be far better than Oceana. I'm booked on Queen Mary 2 next year, so there is another chance for Cunard to impress me, but so far my experience of Cunard is not outstanding.

 

.

[Johnthed0g]

We love Arcadia but we think the age group is 70 plus, a few younger & quite a few older, try other ships like Ventura or Oceana maybe?

[LibraLass41]

''Many mealtime conversations revolved around illness & surgery and the general problems of ageing. Not hilarious! '' Nippy Sweetie

 

 

Never had that problem on the 3 Arcadia cruises I've been on....

[brillo]

I think that the biggest problem that PO has is its rapidly ageing customer base, the company needs to find a way of attracting a younger group of cruisers if it is to have a future

 

brillo

[rob linda]

I have sailed on both.

I thought that Cunard were fantastic and a grade above P&O. However P&O provide a superb product which represents good value for money. I can honestly say that P&O have always looked after us fantastically well. and within moments of stepping aboard I can feel the stress draining away.

We are trying a Celebrity cruise next year. Not because we are dissatisfied with P&O in any way. Just to compare really.

I know that we will sail with P&O again shortly.

 

In relation to P&Os ageing customer base. I think that this something that is not unique to P&O Cruising in general is still being discovered by a lot of younger people. A lot of more experienced cruisers have found a product that delivers time and time again. Obviously they will stick with it.

Some of the most interesting conversations I have had have been with people who are 25 to 30 years older than my self.