Breaking News P&O is safe!

[Johnthed0g]

I really WISH people would just join in with the spirit of evening, treat the formal night as a themed evening & stop this continual whingeing....all they ask is to basically put a jacket on & MAYBE a tie loosely round your neck & if you don't want to do that there must be some other line you can use.

[jazzbabe]

Why don't people read the brochure before they book?

 

I love formal evenings--if you don't then there are plenty of other cruise lines.

[MattyBarlow]

I find the comparisons of standards and food between OV and Ventura laughable. As iv'e said before, where they can be compared, they are identical!!!! Remember that OV and P&O both use the same Chefs, Officers, Waiters, Bar staff and entertainment. I'd argue that the Bistro is better than the White Room.

[geecee1]

Because no one with an ounce of self respect would book:eek:?

 

Mary

 

But Mary it is a theme night (as is "Formal") and surely the dress code should be enforced. Or are we talking double standards here?

[geecee1]

I really WISH people would just join in with the spirit of evening, treat the formal night as a themed evening & stop this continual whingeing....all they ask is to basically put a jacket on & MAYBE a tie loosely round your neck & if you don't want to do that there must be some other line you can use.

 

As I bid farewell to cruising, with Barbados and then a full season of golf on the horizon, I leave you with the following thought:

 

How will P&O will react as their market share shrinks, which it certainly will, probably over a period of many years, as their current core customer declines by"natural wastage "?

The lifespan of a vessel is 20yrs? M y 3 daughters are ,I think ,typical of 30something professionals but along with their partners, the would only consider cruising if informality was the order of the day.

One son-in law is a high -ranking executive with a major british financial institution,and a salary to match,

who spends his working life in formal suits and attends at least a dozen black tie dinners each year. We holiday with them at least once a year i 4/5 star hotels in the Canaries(with evening smart casual dress codes, but, like the professional person who recently posted on the OV forum, Hell will freeze over before he will take a suit on holiday.

I know that sound marketing principles are lost on many posters on this forum, and I could type their responses now,but experience tells me that , in the long term, market leaders, such as P&O have to adapt or perish

As, I have said before, the industrial history of the UK over the last 40 years is littered with examples of of such failures.

They may, of course, egged on by their current customer base, say " we will do just as we like and the rest of you can go to hell".Now where have I read that expression before.

Live Long, Live Happily and Take Care.

[Single Cruiser]

Why don't people read the brochure before they book?

 

I love formal evenings--if you don't then there are plenty of other cruise lines.

 

It's been answered before.. but re: other lines please inform me of a mainly British patron cruise line (so you can hear yourself think - you know what I mean! :) ) with cruises ex-UK and onboard accounts in £ sterling without the additional $ tips and additions...

 

Originally there was Ocean Village, Island Cruises and Thomson..

.. next year it will be just Thomson..

 

Regarding reading the Brochure before booking this is why I haven't booked, even though P&O are about a third cheaper than OV. However when you hear stories of other people not taking part and the ship turning a blind eye and the constant emails I get from P&O suggesting I book on the "informal" (actual P&O mailshot words) Ventura...

[Single Cruiser]

As I bid farewell to cruising, with Barbados and then a full season of golf on the horizon, I leave you with the following thought:

 

How will P&O will react as their market share shrinks, which it certainly will, probably over a period of many years, as their current core customer declines by"natural wastage "?

The lifespan of a vessel is 20yrs? M y 3 daughters are ,I think ,typical of 30something professionals but along with their partners, the would only consider cruising if informality was the order of the day.

One son-in law is a high -ranking executive with a major british financial institution,and a salary to match,

who spends his working life in formal suits and attends at least a dozen black tie dinners each year. We holiday with them at least once a year i 4/5 star hotels in the Canaries(with evening smart casual dress codes, but, like the professional person who recently posted on the OV forum, Hell will freeze over before he will take a suit on holiday.

I know that sound marketing principles are lost on many posters on this forum, and I could type their responses now,but experience tells me that , in the long term, market leaders, such as P&O have to adapt or perish

As, I have said before, the industrial history of the UK over the last 40 years is littered with examples of of such failures.

They may, of course, egged on by their current customer base, say " we will do just as we like and the rest of you can go to hell".Now where have I read that expression before.

Live Long, Live Happily and Take Care.

 

I was working down in London last week on Threadneedle St near the banks, admittedly with the bad weather it was amusing seeing many bankers in suits and trainers and a substantial more in trousers and smart jumpers than in previous years..

[geecee1]

I was working down in London last week on Threadneedle St near the banks, admittedly with the bad weather it was amusing seeing many bankers in suits and trainers and a substantial more in trousers and smart jumpers than in previous years..

 

Craig, my son-in-law banker wears a football shirt on holiday, but do not mention it to the sensitive souls on this site it might just prompt them to try and identify him and transfer their investments elsewhere.

As we are constantly being reminded, people who dress down are not fit and proper persons to grace a P&O ship. The thought of such a "chav" managing their investments, may cause some of them to spill their G&T's down their beloved dinner suits.

[Johnthed0g]

Sorry, still don't get why OV patrons etc. won't book P&O, dine self serve every night ....no different, in the case of Ventura 50% bigger with more options.

[Johnthed0g]

Craig, my son-in-law banker wears a football shirt on holiday, but do not mention it to the sensitive souls on this site it might just prompt them to try and identify him and transfer their investments elsewhere.

As we are constantly being reminded, people who dress down are not fit and proper persons to grace a P&O ship. The thought of such a "chav" managing their investments, may cause some of them to spill their G&T's down their beloved dinner suits.

You are starting to sound a little bitter now, P&O dress codes are nothing more than theme nights, some are observed some are not. Formal is usually observed by most, but as I say if you dined in the self serve every night it would be no different to OV.

[LibraLass41]

OV cruisers - sorry you have lost your cruiseline.:(

 

 

....But why do you expect to come to pando and change us?

 

Dress code is 4 formals over 2 weeks - like it or lump it !.... thats 10 days of smart casual nights on Ventura or Oceana...Not much to ask that you conform to the ships dress code on the other 4 days? - if you don't want too - find another cruiseline. NCL/COSTA etc....:)

[Norfolk Brit]

But Mary it is a theme night (as is "Formal") and surely the dress code should be enforced. Or are we talking double standards here?

 

Dressing for theme nights is optional; there will also be a dress code for these nights for those not participating.

 

May I suggest that your comments regarding dress codes would be better directed at P&O - this discussion seems to be going round in circles, probably because none of us actually has the power to change anything.

 

Mary

[geecee1]

Sorry, still don't get why OV patrons etc. won't book P&O, dine self serve every night ....no different, in the case of Ventura 50% bigger with more options.

 

 

John, We think about it and then P&O issue a missive such as that quoted in Karen's post above.

 

Curiouser and Curiouser.

Maybe I should come out of retirement and join their PR/Marketing Dept.

I think it was a certain Herr Goebbels who coined the phrase:

"If lie is big enough and you repeat often enough, the people will take it as the truth".

 

If P&O continue to emit such mixed messages, I shall consider changing my soubriquet to " Confused Cruiser of Leeds".

Just, maybe, the mixed messages are a sign of panic at the level of bookings for her next winter and the lack of interest being shown by the OV regulars. I am a 3 time novice on OV, but I have met people who have cruised OV ships a dozen times and, may be they are not

responding to overtures from P&O.

I get regular e-mails from P&O, exhorting me to take advantage of their special offers. I assume that they have obtained my details from OV.

OOOPS! There I go telling Porkies and being delusional again, surely the sign of a true marketing professional.

[MattyBarlow]

Sorry, still don't get why OV patrons etc. won't book P&O, dine self serve every night ....no different, in the case of Ventura 50% bigger with more options.

 

Got to agree with that.

[MattyBarlow]

John, We think about it and then P&O issue a missive such as that quoted in Karen's post above.

 

Curiouser and Curiouser.

Maybe I should come out of retirement and join their PR/Marketing Dept.

I think it was a certain Herr Goebbels who coined the phrase:

"If lie is big enough and you repeat often enough, the people will take it as the truth".

 

 

Theres also that saying, "Don't knock it until you've tried it". You can cruise on Ventura as you would on OV. I saw lots of people on formal nights just wearing a shirt and trousers. At no point was anyone refused from going into an entertainment venue because they were not wearing the correct atire.

If you enjoy cruising and are giving up because OV is going, then it is you who are missing out i am afraid.

[Single Cruiser]

OV cruisers - sorry you have lost your cruiseline.:(

 

 

....But why do you expect to come to pando and change us?

 

Not much to ask that you conform to the ships dress code on the other 4 days? - if you don't want too - find another cruiseline. NCL/COSTA etc....:)

 

 

Because thats what Carnival UK/P&O want us to switch to P&O to keep the line making a profit and fill all those extra berths..

 

Not asking to change the line, just one ship will be fine...

 

Costa is an Italian line, probably still have indoor smoking, I know most of the announcements (when alongside them) start in Italian. NCL is close but in $ at current exchange rates expensive.

 

P&O has the same style and even same acts in some case for Entertainment.

P&O has the same pricing policy and in £.

 

 

..time and empty berths will dictate P&Os future, you've already lost Artemis for a smaller niche ship, do you reckon Aurora or Oriana would be next to go to move people onto Azura?

[Beckyfaye-2008]

I always have a laugh when I see people, especially marketing people who think they know better than P&O. I know where I would put my money.:D

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Just saw this on another cruise site:-

 

This is what James Cusick, the purser on Arcadia wrote on his blog a couple of days ago.

 

Needless to say it was a superb evening all around the ship with the glamour and sophistication of the first formal evening of our Round World Cruise. The dressing up is something our passengers demand - this is why they come on P&O Cruises;)

[daiB]

Yeah, I've no problems eating at the buffet on the formal nights. My problem is that for 4 nights in a 2-week cruises, i.e. nearly a third of the cruise not having the access to the ships entertainment venues.

 

I would of thought a happy compromise would have been "STRICT adherence on formal nights in the main restaurants and maybe one of the bars but smart casual for the rest of the ship."

 

Craig,

 

As I said earlier in this thread we are on holiday and we have made a choice to go with a cruise line which has strict rules on dress code. That is what we have paid for and that is what we expect. We do not expect the cruise line to change the rules after we have booked.

 

There are enough people to fill 6 ships who want this type of holiday. We do not want the rules relaxed.

 

If you do not want formal dining then find a cruise line which suits you. Why should those who want formal evenings have to come to any compromise?

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

 

Dai

[Johnthed0g]

I always have a laugh when I see people, especially marketing people who think they know better than P&O. I know where I would put my money.:D

Next cruise....Thompson I see.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Hmnn!!!

[Johnthed0g]

Be interested to know what you think.

[Ilovecake]

Craig,

 

As I said earlier in this thread we are on holiday and we have made a choice to go with a cruise line which has strict rules on dress code. That is what we have paid for and that is what we expect. We do not expect the cruise line to change the rules after we have booked.

 

There are enough people to fill 6 ships who want this type of holiday. We do not want the rules relaxed.

 

If you do not want formal dining then find a cruise line which suits you. Why should those who want formal evenings have to come to any compromise?

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

 

Dai

 

So if all these boats can be filled with people wanting to do formal cruising why are P&O offering ridiculous discounts now to fill the ships they already have never mind more? Why are P&O marketing Ventura to OV passengers as the closest thing to Ocean Village for an informal cruise and it is only when you read the small print that you realise it isn't actually informal at all and you might as well go on any P&O ship? Also I believe they now have an onboard cruise specialist onboard OV (something they have never had before - I wonder why?) trying to sell P&O to OV customers. All he was getting apparently was a hard time about dropping OV. Please don't forget that we are talking about a ship with around 1500+ passengers per week on board x 52 and that is a lot of people who are potentially going to blow a big raspberry to P&O and take their money elsewhere.

Simple solution which will make everyone happy - make Ventura the casual and informal ship and leave the rest as they are - simples. There's nothing wrong with formal cruising but as I've said before you are getting what you want and more, whereas us OVers have been given nothing but a 2 fingered salute and a clear you're not welcome anymore. We obviously don't matter to Carnival which is fine - I and many others will simply take our business elsewhere.

[Oarsman55]

Some of the OV cruisers may find this thread from the P&O site interesting: http://www.pocruises.com/community/Topic259347-34-1.aspx

 

Without wishing to get embroiled in this particular argument, after many cruises, all on formal lines, I've met more people who didn't enjoy the dressing up aspect than did. However, if P&O want to re-brand one of their ships as an informal product, they need to place it under the umbrella of a name other than P&O to avoid confusion.

[Johnthed0g]

I thought OV was a good product, they did get a 2nd ship so something was right, we enjoyed our cruise on OV 1 & they had great itineries, different Caribbean places & the Greek islands too. It was a surprise to me when they said they were stopping them. I am sure they will replace the brand with another ship & I reckon it will be Ventura, makes sense, new ship, holds as many people as the two old ones near enough.