Britain's biggest cruise operator is becoming 'Butlins on Sea', Which? survey finds (today's Telegraph)

[Vampiress88]

2 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Aurora is a completely different type of holiday to Ventura in my experience.

It is never as busy for one, so hardly any queuing with lots of quiet places which leads to a much more relaxed atmosphere for passengers and staff. 

We sailed on her before and after she became adult only and the experience was the same. 

Andy 

 

they have some good itineraries too but unfortunately we can’t go on three of the ships within p&o due to use owning some small rowdy monsters 

[Bazrat]

I was told if a fight breaks out on board the participants are removed from the ship at the first opportunity,I wander if they have fights on the land based Butlins.

[grapau27]

53 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Something else to bear in mind is the vast differences between the ships in the P&O fleet. 

If you went on Aurora and expected Butlins, you would be bitterly disappointed. 

My hope would be that the brand actively splits and Aurora etc remain and improves as the quaint, slightly classier, more formal ships and the big new beauties cater for the passengers who want that type of thing. 

Andy 

We liked Anderson's lounge.

[AndyMichelle]

5 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We liked Anderson's lounge.

Hendricks perfect serve as a nightcap in a comfy chair with excellent service, heaven.. 

Andy 

[AndyMichelle]

8 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

they have some good itineraries too but unfortunately we can’t go on three of the ships within p&o due to use owning some small rowdy monsters 

Sell the children, problem solved... 😊😊

We do enjoy the family ships as well, but treat it as a different type of holiday. 

I'm sure your kids are little angels... 

Andy 

[AndyMichelle]

12 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

I was told if a fight breaks out on board the participants are removed from the ship at the first opportunity,I wander if they have fights on the land based Butlins.

Yes they do, in a previous life I probably started a few...😊 

Andy 

 

[Bazrat]

8 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Hendricks perfect serve as a nightcap in a comfy chair with excellent service, heaven.. 

Andy 

Alas I am a whiskey kind of guy but had my taste buds tingled when I tried Clarke’s old grog rum on a recent Marella cruise that was a decent nightcap.

[Josy1953]

20 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

they have some good itineraries too but unfortunately we can’t go on three of the ships within p&o due to use owning some small rowdy monsters 

Only Arcadia and Aurora are adult only.

[Vampiress88]

7 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Only Arcadia and Aurora are adult only.

I thought Oriana was too?

[Vampiress88]

18 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Sell the children, problem solved... 😊😊

We do enjoy the family ships as well, but treat it as a different type of holiday. 

I'm sure your kids are little angels... 

Andy 

sell them. I’d have to pay for someone to take them! 
 

they can be both. Depends on what they want. Unfortunately girls come with sassy little attitudes. It’s 5 going on 15! 

[terrierjohn]

27 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm beginning to wonder if our problems have more to do with Ventura and Azura (our usuals) than P&O in general..........

Aurora might indeed suit you Harry,, it's prices are about 10% higher than it's big sisters, as a result it probably doesn't appeal to those looking for a cheap cruising holiday. However it is quite a bit older, the food is no better, and the staff are the same, and certainly we would not pay this sort of premium to cruise on her. We were fortunate to get a superb launch offer when we booked her, but I have never seen these again over the last 3 launch offers.

[AndyMichelle]

12 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

sell them. I’d have to pay for someone to take them! 
 

they can be both. Depends on what they want. Unfortunately girls come with sassy little attitudes. It’s 5 going on 15! 

Tell me about it, our girls are 19/23 now, still got sassy little attitudes... 

Andy 

[Vampiress88]

2 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Tell me about it, our girls are 19/23 now, still got sassy little attitudes... 

Andy 

oh gosh so it only gets worse. 
 

they are usually relatively good. This is our nice relaxing holiday before we go to Disney the month after and they can go wild. If they don’t behave they can stay with nanan 

[Josy1953]

29 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I thought Oriana was too?

Oriana was sold a while ago. She was an adult only ship and in my opinion a great loss because I loved her.

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

How are you so unlucky with your dining companions Harry and I am so blessed???

I have never heard anything along those lines from anybody we have been seated with, they have all had good manners and were respectful to us and the crew. 

I have overheard the odd rude comment towards staff in the buffet/bars, so know all passengers are not angels, but most are decent people. 

You make it sound like the ship is full of neanderthal.. 

Andy 

 

I have never heard that sentence used and we are hardly young!  If someone said that to me, I might be tempted to say "you obviously are then"  Ha ha

[Harry Peterson]

12 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

oh gosh so it only gets worse. 
 

they are usually relatively good. This is our nice relaxing holiday before we go to Disney the month after and they can go wild. If they don’t behave they can stay with nanan 

If it's any consolation,  our two got easier as they got older.  😊

[Vampiress88]

9 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Oriana was sold a while ago. She was an adult only ship and in my opinion a great loss because I loved her.

I think I’m thinking of Oceana then. 
 

I thought it was adult but it seems not. Not sure why I didn’t know that 

[jeanlyon]

Yep only 2 Adult ships now.  Arcadia and Aurora.  Once they go, our cruising will be over because Fred O is not particularly to our taste and a lot more expensive.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Cahpek said:

 

I'd happily "slum" with HAL than on the Ventura, thank you very much. I did eat well on their ship. (Of course, I "slum" with other cruises as well, including Viking and Oceania.) Their buffet was on another level compared to the buffet on the Ventura. Having said that, perhaps other P&O ships may have better cooking, and maybe , the level of cooking on the Ventura depends on who the head chef was on that cruise. 

 

Like some folks here, I make my decisions mainly due to my past experience with those lines.  I am not so much influenced by surveys. Surveys make interesting reading, but as I said before, I take them with a pinch of salt.

My "slumming" it reference was tongue in cheek. We both know HA is a quality cruise line, but it came in second from last in the survey! Just shows how totally worthless the whole survey is.

[phillipahain]

Absolutely 100% agree   P and O Arcadia is definitely Butlins on Sea with arrogant and indifferent reception and organisation staff from top downwards 

 

Everything is greeted with " we will pass on your comments"   balconies are filthy and were nothing but a sea of grit and paint for 5 days before finally being swept and a drizzle of water aimed at filthy glass panels . But nothing else and started on deck 4 going upwards so all mess from above drifted down again ...carpets are lifting at door thresholds in public areas and across corridors  there buckets and leaks all over ...add on 6 hours to get ship cleared in San Fran and 2.5 hours standing in queue for immigration inboard ....CDP and Homeland Security  needs a shake up thats for sure never  mind P and Os lack of any sensible organisation

[emam]

Could someone please explain the Butlins at sea meaning and how P&O are like them. I'm just wondering how people are comparing them. 

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, emam said:

Could someone please explain the Butlins at sea meaning and how P&O are like them. I'm just wondering how people are comparing them. 

Downmarket holidays, with customers more like the ones who go to Butlins, rather than, say, Centre Parcs?

 

Travelodge, rather than Radisson?

 

 

[Elaine0138]

10 hours ago, Bazrat said:

I was told if a fight breaks out on board the participants are removed from the ship at the first opportunity,I wander if they have fights on the land based Butlins.

People who were fighting on our TA cruise were put off in St Lucia our first port of call. 

[wowzz]

56 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Travelodge, rather than Radisson?

But, yet again, the price differential between the two makes any meaningful comparison impossible.

The point is, for £30 a night, the Travelodge experience is reasonable value for money. In fact, you could argue, that whilst most Radissons are very nice, they are probably 4 or 5 times more expensive than a Travelodge - is staying in a Radisson 4 times better than staying in a Travelodge? Possibly,  but that is an individual choice, and it is ingenuous to complain that the Travelodge does not meet the standards of a Radisson.

As has been mentioned numerous times in this thread, it is all about perception and expectation.  When I stay in a Premier Inn or Travelodge I manage my expectations to match my expenditure,  the same as I do with P&O.   

[AndyMichelle]

11 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Aurora might indeed suit you Harry,, it's prices are about 10% higher than it's big sisters, as a result it probably doesn't appeal to those looking for a cheap cruising holiday. However it is quite a bit older, the food is no better, and the staff are the same, and certainly we would not pay this sort of premium to cruise on her. We were fortunate to get a superb launch offer when we booked her, but I have never seen these again over the last 3 launch offers.

I would happily pay that little bit extra John for the more relaxed feel we get on Aurora over Ventura etc. 

Although the staff are the same, the ratio per passenger tends to be higher so they have more time to interact. 

The public spaces are plentiful and it has probably the best dance floor/nightclub in Carmen's. 

Overall, it definitely feels, to us, like a much friendlier ship than any other in the fleet, for whatever reason. 

Andy