Ventura and safety.

[smj777]

We've just returned from our cruise on Ventura round the Greek islands. We had a great time and Ventura was as good as ever, even though she is showing signs of wear and tear and needs a good spruce up. Food was better and more varied in the MDR than last year. Speciality dining hadn't changed hardly at all and we think that the menus could do with a shake up, but I'm sure that some people want to keep things things just as they are.

 

My one complaint is about shuttles in the ports. 7 ports, one shuttle (Palma). P&O say that the main towns are in walking distance, but at best this is a long walk often through the port area, and for anyone with walking difficulties just too long. For example, P&O used to run a shuttle into Gibraltar, but they haven't for a while now, leaving passengers to walk about a mile or pay for the shuttle taxis.

 

Finally my biggest worry was about the situation in Souda Bay in Crete. There was no P&O shuttle, even though walking into Souda was a long way and through the dockyard. In fact I don't think that anyone tried to walk it.

 

My main concern was for safety however. Paid for buses, obviously run independently of P&O, were going from Souda Bay into Chania, about 25 minutes away. The passenger were crammed onto these buses, with every seat taken and every last standing person pushed on until the bus was full all the way down. There were many old/less mobile people standing and my concern is one of safety. If the bus had had an accident or even had to brake sharply there could have been carnage. Most standing passengers had nothing to hold on to and would have been thrown on top of one another with no room to move. I worked in Safety control and this wouldn't be allowed in this country but seems to be condoned by P&O. I would like to see P&O's own operated shuttle, run safely, in as many ports as possible, but this seems to against P&O's policy of reducing shuttle buses wherever possible.

[Selbourne]

Very strange. We have had shuttles in all ports on all cruises (Gibraltar excluded) unless the town is within a very easy and short walk. In some cases the distance has been so short that the shuttle has seemed pointless.

 

There are new menus in the Select Dining restaurants but it's a case of spot the difference with some of them. In the case of Sindhu and the Beach House, we have found some of the changes to be very poor. I used to love the 3 entirely different flavour ribs in the Beach House. Now it's 2 and they both taste the same. Also in the Beach House, the new starter called Hush Puppies was very poor, lacked flavour and was bone dry. Thankfully they haven't messed with the superb steaks on hot stone, skewers or sizzling platters. I had Lamb Bhuna Masala in Sindhu which lacked sauce and was more like pulled pork. I'm just hoping that they haven't messed too much with Epicurean as the one on Britannia is my favourite restaurant at sea (we find it far better than the one on Ventura).

[Presto2]

We are doing the same cruise in just over a month's time and are confused about the shuttle situation. Thankfully, we are still both able to walk a good distance, but it is unusual for the ships to make it so that people have to walk through the docks with no alternative transport, other than to pay for you own taxi. Isn't free shuttle part of a select fare? I think the only ports we've ever been to with no shuttles (if not tendered) have been Rhodes, Kotor and Kusadasi in the past - infact, the ones where you more or less dock in the town itself.

 

Did you go to Piraeus ?

 

Just wondering where you stopped this time - it may be different from our itinerary.

 

Thanks

[smj777]

Shuttles were available in Palma. Crete - see previous post, no free shuttles. Rhodes, no shuttle. Mykonos, the Horizon said "Shuttles are very infrequent" so we got the water taxi. Pireaus, we tied up in the new port area, no shuttles but it is a long walk, through the port to the town. Mykonos, no shuttles. Gibralta, no shuttles.

[smj777]

I meant to say Katakolon not Mykonos no shuttles.

[RobinRed62]

Hi, we were on the same cruise. At Palma we took the shuttle and had a leisurely walk back to the ship. We did see the shuttle in Souda bay but the information at the port was very confusing so we ended up on the public transport €1-2 return from memory, also saw a P&o shuttle on the way back. We were a little frustrated by this as it wasn't clear at the port that a shuttle was available. In Katakolon it is a very short walk to the town from where the ship docked, taking only a few minutes walk at a slow pace. Mykonos - I definitely wouldn't recommend walking the roadside looked perilous, we took the shuttle in and caught the water bus back - definitely recommend the water bus €2 return to take you straight into the harbour, a much pleasanter experience than than the shuttle. Can't comment on Gibraltar as we walked (yes it is a long walk) and Piraeus we took a ship's tour. Rhodes is a very short walk.

 

I would like to say it was a fantastic cruise and hope anyone else going gets as much enjoyment from it as we did [emoji4].

 

 

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[Presto2]

Thanks for the information both of you.

Just thinking about the OP. I suppose packing the buses like this is the way that things tend to be done at most European airports as you move from the plane to the terminal. Not very safe, but the way it used to be over here years ago .... not much fun for the elderly or infirm but I would hope that those able to stand did.

[Jwugg]

I am surprised - wouldn't the more infirm people say 'no thanks' to standing on a bus & wait for the next one if they felt it unsafe?

 

The dock in Souda is no more than 100m from the main shopping street of the town at any point. Although to be honest, the point of being there is to go to Chania old town, nothing much for tourists in Souda itself.

[smj777]

"I am surprised - wouldn't the more infirm people say 'no thanks' to standing on a bus & wait for the next one if they felt it unsafe?

The dock in Souda is no more than 100m from the main shopping street of the town at any point. Although to be honest, the point of being there is to go to Chania old town, nothing much for tourists in Souda itself."

 

You can't have been to Souda! The ship is over 200 yds. from the customs building and then to walk to Souda is maybe a quareter of a mile through the dock complex and the same to the town centre, with nothing to see there. If the point is to go to Chania, why weren't P&O prviding a shuttle service?

 

The people on the bus didn't realise that they would have to stand until they got on it and they didn't know that the journey would take 25 minutes on a non airconditioned bus when the outside temperature was 105 degrees!

[Jwugg]

smj said"

You can't have been to Souda! "

 

I live around 10km away, have done for 13 years, so yes I know it well. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your experience, hope it didn't mar your trip to the wonderful Chania too much.

[john watson]

One of the problems of international travel is that people in distant places do not live in standards we do in the UK. Independent travel world wide is going to be much more basic than this but cruise lines try to get quality facilities for their passengers. Unfortunately the best available locally is often short of peoples expectations. I remember years back in London when the buses had open platforms at the rear where you could get on/off at the traffic lights and your children could fall off the bus on a tight corner if you allowed them to wait on the platform arriving at your stop.

 

On the other hand some places are significantly better than the UK in terms of luxury and standards. You have got to be prepared when travelling for anything particularly if you choose cheapest options.

 

Regards John

[Presto2]

One of the problems of international travel is that people in distant places do not live in standards we do in the UK. Independent travel world wide is going to be much more basic than this but cruise lines try to get quality facilities for their passengers. Unfortunately the best available locally is often short of peoples expectations. I remember years back in London when the buses had open platforms at the rear where you could get on/off at the traffic lights and your children could fall off the bus on a tight corner if you allowed them to wait on the platform arriving at your stop.

 

On the other hand some places are significantly better than the UK in terms of luxury and standards. You have got to be prepared when travelling for anything particularly if you choose cheapest options.

 

Regards John

 

If I am honest I am of the generation that can remember catching the bus and people had to stand up if it was full. My parents just taught me to give my seat up for an adult if needs be and those less able to stand / elderly. Sadly, I think this has changed and it annoys me intensely when you can be on a bus and very young children are sitting on seats (when they can sit on a knee) while elderly people are having to stand. Some may flame me, but manners seem to have gone out of the window on the whole.

 

When we first went to Cyprus it was refreshing that it was still 'real' and not under the H&S regulations that seem to have made us all paranoid (due to the threat of litigation etc etc etc).

Buses were full and you just held on and it was part of their way of life.

[john watson]

If I am honest I am of the generation that can remember catching the bus and people had to stand up if it was full. My parents just taught me to give my seat up for an adult if needs be and those less able to stand / elderly. Sadly, I think this has changed and it annoys me intensely when you can be on a bus and very young children are sitting on seats (when they can sit on a knee) while elderly people are having to stand. Some may flame me, but manners seem to have gone out of the window on the whole.

 

When we first went to Cyprus it was refreshing that it was still 'real' and not under the H&S regulations that seem to have made us all paranoid (due to the threat of litigation etc etc etc).

Buses were full and you just held on and it was part of their way of life.

 

I am all for giving up one's seat for elderly people. I have noticed that some trains and buses have a seating section specifically marked as priority for elderly, frail and disabled people. Even areas for wheelchairs that parents with buggies may also use but unfortunately they tend not to defer when a wheelchair users turns up.

 

In respect of second rate and dangerous public transport.....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bwgLh3rDa0

 

 

unbelievable the way transport is overloaded in other countries. Do you also recall the pollution issue cited against the cruise industry? This train takes some beating .

 

Regards John

Edited July 16, 2017 by john watson

[Presto2]

 

 

Do you also recall the pollution issue cited against the cruise industry? This train takes some beating .

 

Regards John

 

Sorry, only been cruising since 2009 so it is relatively new to us :-)

 

Have to add that we once took a local train from Sorrento to Pompeii -------- the most frightening experience ever!!!!! We still look back fondly as it was real Italy !!!!