P&O next for us

[joeholiday2]

We have defected over to P&O for our next cruise.

 

Oceana 19th Dec for 10 nights, down to Casablanca and back.

 

After many years of spending Christmas and New Year on land based hols, DW put her foot down and said it's cruise or nothing this year.

 

We kept waiting to see if any of the Caribbean cruises, (both Thomson and P&O) came down in price but they never did. In fact next years P&O ones are cheaper than this years have been over the last few months. So we might book for one of those in the New Year.

 

We have been on Oceana in the past so know what to expect, P&O do a better job of the sea days than Thomson, so we are not bothered about 5 of them. Just hope the BOB is kind to us. We have never done any of the ports either so that's a bonus.

 

However.... we plan to book the Majesty for 2 weeks in April very soon before the £69 PW AI runs out.

So you haven't got rid of us just yet.....

 

Joe.

[Eboracum_d]

I am not sure how P and O do a better job of Sea Days than Thomson. I finally gave up on p and O after a cruise on Aurora a year ago. The only redeeming feature of the Entertainments Team was. An impromptu concert they divided on an unscheduled Extra Sea Day.

 

We did like the daytime service in Cafe Jardin on Oceana.

 

Hope you enjoy the cruise

[joeholiday2]

Agree with you about Cafe Jardin, excellent for Lunch.

 

The sea days were better, An ex-Concorde captain gave a really good lecture, Ricky Tomlinson doing a Q&A, The comedian John Martin who gave an excellent talk on Operation Anthropoid, loads of other things going on.

Hope it's as good this time.

[Julessmiles]

We have defected over to P&O for our next cruise.

 

We kept waiting to see if any of the Caribbean cruises, (both Thomson and P&O) came down in price but they never did. I

 

Joe.

 

My parents got what I felt was a very good deal - they fly 15th Dec for 2 weeks on the Dream in an outside deck 6 cabin for £1500 each; they booked it a couple of months ago.

 

I am sure you will have a great time on the Oceana - we loved that ship. Hope the seas are kind to you :)

Edited December 5, 2013 by Julessmiles

[davecttr]

My parents got what I felt was a very good deal - they fly 15th Dec for 2 weeks on the Dream in an outside deck 6 cabin for £1500 each; they booked it a couple of months ago.

 

I am sure you will have a great time on the Oceana - we loved that ship. Hope the seas are kind to you :)

 

P&O are currently offering 14 nights in the caribbean including flights for £999 per person. That offer is also available on selected cruises to single cruisers at no single supplement. They must be having great difficulty in filling the ships, as Thomson will when they have 2 based in the Caribbean.

[Julessmiles]

P&O are currently offering 14 nights in the caribbean including flights for £999 per person. That offer is also available on selected cruises to single cruisers at no single supplement. They must be having great difficulty in filling the ships, as Thomson will when they have 2 based in the Caribbean.

 

 

Excellent deals - is that over Christmas?!! Just shows it must pay to wait if you be flexible with dates!

 

I'm surprised that Thomson will have 2 ships out there next winter - will be interesting to see the offers that come then!

[geomagot]

will be interesting to see the offers that come then!

 

i was thinking just the same jules

 

I can see the dream filling up quick....with the new jamaica itinerary:cool:

 

but

 

may be some celebration balcony bargains going later on (last minute).....sounds nice for a last minute (spring sunshine) getaway eh?;)

[Julessmiles]

i was thinking just the same jules

 

I can see the dream filling up quick....with the new jamaica itinerary:cool:

 

but

 

may be some celebration balcony bargains going later on (last minute).....sounds nice for a last minute (spring sunshine) getaway eh?;)

 

My theory the reason they have done this is that the Celebration has a lot of loyal "followers" who would have done the Red Sea Crusie had it been there & they are hoping that people who maybe haven't done the Carribean before will chose the ship as they like the ship & want some guaranteed winter sunshine. I guess with itineraries having to be planned so far ahead & not knowing the situaiton in the Red Sea in winter 2014 they have taken the 'risk' of heading that way......

 

I think there will be a lot of good offers about & if I was in the situation where I could be flexible with dates, I would certainly leave it till late to book.

 

This is clearly why they are offering AI for £10 per day to attract early bookers.

[geomagot]

yep..its a good theory jules...i'm pretty much enamoured with the celebration too, can you imagine new years eve in liberties :cool: with the £10p night ai :cool::cool: (as opposed to medusa! :p )

 

this left me stuck with a knotty dilemma for christmas/ny 2014/15...but the jamaica itinerary was just too much of a draw...so its new year in medusa for me (with no ai) :(

[joeholiday2]

There are plenty of P&O and Cunard last minute bargains ATM.

At weekend they had Oriana 19 nights over to Dubrovnik going 15th Dec, so it takes in Christmas and New Year, for £799 :eek:

 

We are tied to holidays as we both work in education.

I have some flexibility in my job, but DW moved to a Primary School recently working term time only and they are really strict about time off. This time she finishes Weds and off we go Thurs morning....

 

She has got a 2 day dispensation for next Easter as it's a BIG birthday, but after that we will be playing the game of booking to fit it in rather than where we would want to go.

Next years Dream at Christmas is out, but Celebration is in the mix. :mad:

 

Jules, I think you have it spot on about the followers of the Celebration, however a great deal of people do not (or cannot for medical reasons) want to take the long flight out there. I think like P&O have found this year, they will struggle to fill some weeks having 2 ships out there.

[WeeCountyMan]

We are tied to holidays as we both work in education.

I have some flexibility in my job, but DW moved to a Primary School recently working term time only and they are really strict about time off. This time she finishes Weds and off we go Thurs morning....

 

I didn't know there was any flexibility on holiday time for teachers ?

[clareq]

Not everyone who works in education is a teacher. I am a school network manager, and I too have flexibility in holidays, as I can work on the network during school holidays.

[davecttr]

Those caribbean cruises seem to be underbooked at the moment. Over on the P&O forum someone mentioned Ventura with 2000 passengers and one flight out with 17 passengers :eek:

[joeholiday2]

Not everyone who works in education is a teacher. I am a school network manager, and I too have flexibility in holidays, as I can work on the network during school holidays.

 

Spot on clareq, we aren't all on teachers money too.....

 

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[so,ton saint]

Hi everybody just finished working with the Oceana today sunday the 8th she sailed 800 pax light pax were asked if they wanted a b to b for 350 pound,s Cadiz gib ect 10 night,s

[joeholiday2]

Ta Saint.

 

Looks like it won't be full when we go.

 

Now if they offer me a cheap B2B on the 4 day cruise after ours and Eavesway can get us back I will be tempted....

[WeeCountyMan]

Not everyone who works in education is a teacher. I am a school network manager, and I too have flexibility in holidays, as I can work on the network during school holidays.

 

Excuse my ignorance, I have not heard of that particular job title before - what does it entail ?

[clareq]

Our school has about 1400 computers and laptops, along with 22 servers, about 100 printers, Interactive Whiteboards and associated equipment. We also have over 100 different software titles. My job is to make it all work, every time a teacher or student sits down to use it. We are also responsible for all the computers used in the administration of the school. With over 1700 students and 400 staff it takes a lot of management behind the scenes. On the whole, our team of 4 people do so.

[WeeCountyMan]

Our school has about 1400 computers and laptops, along with 22 servers, about 100 printers, Interactive Whiteboards and associated equipment. We also have over 100 different software titles. My job is to make it all work, every time a teacher or student sits down to use it. We are also responsible for all the computers used in the administration of the school. With over 1700 students and 400 staff it takes a lot of management behind the scenes. On the whole, our team of 4 people do so.

 

Thanks, now I understand.

 

In our local school the head of the computing department was the designated manager of these tasks, with time allocated and with support (non teaching) staff.

 

Yours must be a helluva big school with those numbers !!!

[clareq]

Managing a computer network of the complexity required by a school these days is very much a full time job. After all, the Business Studies teacher doesn't manage finance, the English teacher doesn't manage the Library, and the Cookery teacher doesn't knock up the school dinners in a free lesson, so why expect a Computing teacher to manage the network?

[WeeCountyMan]

I'm going back 10 years, things have moved on obviously.

[davecttr]

Reported elswhere that P&O are going to reduce the number of formal nights on Oceana and Ventura. Only rumours of course ;)

 

One person was told that Venturas fly cruises next summer would feature one formal night a week.

 

P&O are targetting Thomson fans?

[joeholiday2]

Reported elswhere that P&O are going to reduce the number of formal nights on Oceana and Ventura. Only rumours of course ;)

 

One person was told that Venturas fly cruises next summer would feature one formal night a week.

 

P&O are targetting Thomson fans?

 

I think they are Dave.

They get a bit heated on the p&o board sometimes don't they? Not like us friendly lot on here.....

 

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[davecttr]

I think they are Dave.

They get a bit heated on the p&o board sometimes don't they? Not like us friendly lot on here.....

 

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It's fun though :)

 

The forums are not as lively as they used to be but everyone has gone off to facecloth and twiddle :(

 

I might read facecloth if i could but I have my doubts about joining. It looks too public to me and you leave yourself open to all sorts of abuse etc.

[janny444]

Facecloth and Twiddle..or twaddle maybe...aint for me either but I do like a fun lively forum such as this.

joeholiday2 made a point about the P&O forum at times being rather heated...sometimes unbearably hot I think!

 

Sometimes if anyone dares to put a less than rosy comment about P&O...as I have dared to do... on the forum you have to dive for the nearest wall!!Our last P&O cruise in November wasn't up to the previous standards of P&O that we had previously experienced and I thought I would say why...I should have known better...one comment was that I was just whingeing and would be glad if I defected to another cruise line. Well I have done just that ;):D