Aussies aboard Brit ship. Your advice please.

[Sundowners]

Hi,

My wife and I are booked aboard the Arcadia for a leg of her 2015 world cruise.

The leg is from San Francisco to Sydney. Although this isn't our first cruise, we still feel like novices and we're looking for any advice that may help us make our voyage as good as it possibly can be. In our favour is that we have crossed the Atlantic aboard Cunards QM2 and my wife is an ex-Brit. (She loves a good cuppa, and lots of them, so the idea of having a small fridge and tea making facilities in our cabin is a big plus). We have cruised on a Brit ship, an American ship and an Australian based American ship, but we look for advice from anyone who has cruised with P&O before and especially anyone with experience of the Arcadia. She looks like a lovely ship, and although its still 11 months away, we cant wait.

So, please, any advice is warmly welcomed.

Cheers,

Rob

[Sundowners]

169 views from folk reading a UK cruise forum and not one word of advice or guidance........

[OldBoot]

This topic doesn't pertain to me, but I was curious I guess! Have you tried posting in your Roll Call for your sailing?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls

 

Or perhaps you might get the info you are searching for from someone on the Cruise Line forum?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22

 

Best of luck! And enjoy your magnificent sailing. :)

[Ray66]

169 views from folk reading a UK cruise forum and not one word of advice or guidance........

 

I've never sailed on Arcadia so can't comment. Have you tried asking on the P&O forum?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

[Sundowners]

Old Boot and Ray66, thank you for answering.

I'll look at those alternatives.

Thanks again

Rob

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Sundowners

My wife and I have cruised twice on Arcadia albeit some years ago when she first came Into service and on both occasions we had a great time.Arcadia like all P&O UK ships are specifically aimed at the UK market and therefore the food and the entertainment are very British and do not have the international flavour of the companies which cater for international clients.On the formal nights you will find that 99% of passengers will comply with the formal dress code ie men will be in Dinner suits/Tuxedos and the ladies will be glammed up,if you do not wish to dress formally you will have to dine in the self service buffet on the formal nights as the main dining room and some of the bars will be closed to you.In your cabin you will find tea/coffee facilities which are replenished on a daily basis by your cabin steward,you also have a fridge and your cabin steward will provide ice and lemon if requested.P&O allow you to take alcohol including spirits aboard for cabin use,their daily gratuities are approx £3.50 per passenger per day and are deducted automatically from your on board account although I believe you can approach passenger services to cancel auto gratuities if you wish to tip personally.The on board currency is the British Pound and there is no extra 15% added to drinks etc? Shipboard excursions like all cruise lines are on the expensive side but obviously offer safeguards such as the ship will wait for you if you are late in getting back to the ship etc. We cruise annually to the Caribbean with P&O and never had a bad cruise,if as other posters have advised you go onto the P&O forum you will read some negative reports on P&O, as I have said I have never had a bad cruise although I have seen minor signs of cost cutting but not enough to stop me cruising with P&O.I hope this info is of use to you and I wish you and your wife a very happy and enjoyable cruise.

[NSWP]

169 views from folk reading a UK cruise forum and not one word of advice or guidance........

There you go Rob you got some more info, apart from what I revealed to you on the Aussie/NZ board ! You will have no problems with Arcadia, fairly close to Princess, but they like those Tuxedos ! Although I prefer to call them Dinner Suits, I don't wear one, I have a dark grey business suit for formal nights, so I will be in the 1% - the non tuxedo wearing cruisers, just call me a middle class bogan of the cruising variety. LOL.

 

Above all enjoy !!

Edited February 15, 2014 by NSWP

[Sundowners]

Sanjam,

Thanks for taking the time to provide information too. Its much appreciated.

The British way of doing things appeals to us. My ex-Staffordshire, mother-in-law, lives just 100m away and is an EXCELLENT cook. After nearly 40 years of them, I'm very used to her dishes.

Houston Scotland.....Hhmm, very near to one of my favourite parts of the world.

 

Les,

I thought you were already underway on your next voyage. Thank you for taking the time out from your schedule to answer. The information you provided me previously was likewise, much appreciated. Although I'll be taking a suit along I doubt I'll attend each and every formal dining night. My wife and I enjoy dressing formally, but not that often. I believe that there's far too many formal nights at sea.

BTW, We were in Batemans Bay last night, for a belated Valentines dinner.

 

This cruise is still 11 months away and I'm probably a little too excited about it and am striving a little too hard to make sure its as near to perfect as possible.

 

Once again folks, Thanks very much, for the advice.

Cheers,

Rob

[NSWP]

Sanjam,

Thanks for taking the time to provide information too. Its much appreciated.

The British way of doing things appeals to us. My ex-Staffordshire, mother-in-law, lives just 100m away and is an EXCELLENT cook. After nearly 40 years of them, I'm very used to her dishes.

Houston Scotland.....Hhmm, very near to one of my favourite parts of the world.

 

Les,

I thought you were already underway on your next voyage. Thank you for taking the time out from your schedule to answer. The information you provided me previously was likewise, much appreciated. Although I'll be taking a suit along I doubt I'll attend each and every formal dining night. My wife and I enjoy dressing formally, but not that often. I believe that there's far too many formal nights at sea.

BTW, We were in Batemans Bay last night, for a belated Valentines dinner.

 

This cruise is still 11 months away and I'm probably a little too excited about it and am striving a little too hard to make sure its as near to perfect as possible.

 

Once again folks, Thanks very much, for the advice.

Cheers,

Rob

No worries mate, we drive up to Sydney tomorrow and fly out Tuesday morning, if the plane arrives! Which restaurant did you visit in BB? we have been to most of them.

 

Your 11 months will fly, this trip came around quick, back to packing, nice bit of rain.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Rob no problem take it you know the Houston area just for your info on a 14 night Caribbean P&O normally have 4 formal nights and the rest are smart casual ie no jacket required but you are better going onto their website because the dress code is slightly different on Spme of the ships where on some nights a smart jacket is required but no tie.Hope you are not affected by the bush fires that are affecting parts of Australia just now in your heat wave.I have family in Adelaide area and my neighbours brother lives in Melbourne we,my mate and his wife are just back having spent The festive season in Melbourne,Sydney and a coastal resort called Mallallumba ( spelling may be wrong ), we scots get everywhere.Anything else I can help you with just post either on this forum or the P&O UK I check each daily.

 

Jim