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

[AndyMichelle]

13 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

To revert to the original issue - is P&O becoming ‘Butlins on Sea’? A few comments;

 

By way of background, we have only cruised with P&O but have done so since 1996 and been on all their ships, most multiple times. The last time I went to Butlin’s was in the early 1970’s as a youngster, so I can’t comment on what it’s like now, but it certainly doesn’t appeal to us nowadays. I used to subscribe to Which? but cancelled my subscription as I found that their ‘tests’ were based upon test groups that were far too small and the results were not representative of results found in respected publications / websites that are specialist to the items / services that I was researching. 
 

Our first P&O cruise was in 1996 on Oriana, during her second year in service. We shall never forget it. It was an upmarket experience throughout and, yes, the passenger profile was quite different to these days. We were in our 30’s and all but about a dozen of the passengers were what you would describe as ‘wealthy retired’, many of whom were complaining about the fact that “it’s not as good as Canberra”. Over the years we have noticed a steady decline in the quality of the experience, but we still find that the quality of service on board is generally excellent (shoreside is rubbish, but that’s a different issue). It is also possible to tailor your cruise to make it a bit more upmarket, principally through the Select Dining restaurants. Prior to my wife becoming a full time wheelchair user we had started booking suites and had enjoyed the extra space, better in-cabin facilities and breakfast in Epicurean (on Britannia), but we stopped booking them after the usually tranquil breakfast experience was spoiled by some families with young children who were very noisy and poorly behaved (I blame the parents more then the children - in the very rare event that either of ours became unruly in a restaurant when they were young, we took them outside until they promised to behave). 

Lots of posters comment on how the passenger profile has changed and yes that is true, but we find that it varies enormously by ship. When we cruise on the big P&O resort ships, the passenger profile nowadays covers all demographic types and, yes, includes a proportion of people that we wouldn’t choose to holiday with (just as they wouldn’t with us). We tend to only go on these ships with our daughters (now in their 20’s) so always have a table for 4 on our own (Freedom Dining) for formal nights and use the Select Dining restaurants for most of the other nights. We also spend quite a bit of time in our cabin and balcony and rarely attend the ‘entertainment’, which I think is P&O’s weak point as it’s stuck in a time warp and, in my view, is where most of the ‘Butlin’s’ comparison comes from. Conversely, most of our cruises have been on Aurora and the passenger profile is entirely different and much more akin to the P&O of the ‘good old days’. We happily share tables when the mood takes us and 9 out of 10 times have had lovely dining companions, some of whom we have become very friendly with. Entertainment aside, there is nothing ‘Butlin’s’ about Aurora. 

 

I read an interesting article yesterday which was an interview with Paul Ludlow, boss of P&O UK (link below) in which he describes their target audience as ‘Saturday night ITV viewers’. Well, that’s not us I’m afraid and probably explains why we only have two future P&O cruises booked. One is a 3 week cruise on Aurora, which I anticipate will be excellent. The other is the Iona maiden cruise with our daughters. I shall be fascinated to see what that’s like although, being the Maiden, which sold out very quickly on release, I suspect will be a more traditional passenger profile than all those that follow.
 

All that being said, with my business head on, if I was P&O I would be doing exactly the same. Wealthy retired folk are dying off and are being replaced by far less wealthy retired folk, whereas low to middle income families (of which there are many many more) are now finding cruise holidays to be within their reach. It may not be to my liking as a cruise passenger, but it does make business sense. Whilst it may mean that the traditional cruise experience dies when the small ships finally exit the fleet, it is still possible to have a good experience with P&O if you choose the right ship, itinerary, time of year etc. 

 

https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/pos-paul-ludlow-on-iona-cruises-growth-and-gary-barlow-21022

Good, balanced review Selbourne. 

Perhaps we all need to take a leaf out of your book and either be more tolerant or choose our cruises carefully. 

Andy 

[Eglesbrech]

Thanks for posting the link Selbourne. It is interesting to hear about the target market from the horses mouth so to speak and no it is not me either.

 

Out of sheer curiosity I have just looked up the ITV Saturday evening programming and apart from the news (which I can get elsewhere) there is not one thing I would sit and watch, some of it looks like complete drivel imo. So if that is the P&O demographic target things will only change more and more away from the current offering and from the things I enjoy.

 

They are a business after all and if this is the market that makes money for them then it makes business sense for them to target it.

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, AndyMichelle said:

Good, balanced review Selbourne. 

Perhaps we all need to take a leaf out of your book and either be more tolerant or choose our cruises carefully. 

Andy 

Thanks Andy. My wife would laugh at the suggestion that I am ‘tolerant’ and I would have to admit that it’s not my strongest skill, but I know for a fact that the current P&O passenger profile ranges from millionaires to those who have taken out a loan for a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience that they will spend many years paying for. P&O is wise to provide an experience that caters for both extremes, even if it doesn’t always suit us. 
 

The thing that is probably causing us to book less now than previously is that cruises on Aurora (our favourite overall cruise experience) are starting to become very expensive. Even though we can afford them, we are starting to question if they represent genuine value for money. We tend to book at launch as we now need accessible cabins, but the price per night of our 3 week summer cruise this year is considerably more than the price per night of our 3 week summer cruise last year - both on Aurora, both booked at launch. The interesting thing is that last years was booked before the announcements that Aurora was becoming adult only and that gratuities were included. As someone who has kept a detailed log of the net price (base price less OBC) that we have paid for every one of our cruises, whilst cruise prices have reduced in real terms over the years, the recent changes have definitely spiked the prices on Aurora and I am under no illusion that gratuities are not ‘free’ but have been rolled into the prices, mostly through reduced OBC - in spite of what some others on here insist! 
 

 

[Les_ldh]

Thanks for a well balanced review Selbourne. I think we need to remember that at the end of the day P&O is in business to make money, and if changing its target audience will achieve that then that’s what they will do.... whether we like it or not.

Les.

[Harry Peterson]

Selbourne, that’s an excellent summary, with which I wholeheartedly agree. It’s pretty much exactly my viewpoint, and I think the big mistake we’ve been making is cruising on Azura and Ventura, where the passenger profile would appear to be different from that on the smaller ships.

 

We’ve also shared tables with some really great people, some of whom we’re still in regular contact with, but the proportion of people we’ve really enjoyed being with has fallen over recent years.  I’d agree with your 9 out of 10, but it was far higher.

 

If the target audience is Saturday night ITV viewers, then that’s pretty much the end for me. I’ll get accused of snobbery, but ITV is pretty much a no go area, and the bulk of what we watch is BBC4, BBC2, with some Channel 4. Freeview only, and certainly no Sky! Saturday night contains nothing watchable, which is where the Humax is useful.

 

One of the things I miss with today’s P&O is the talks by interesting speakers. Kenneth Vard, for example on the history of cruise liners, and an academic from one of the London universities on British film history.  It’s pitched at a much lower level now, and I presume from Ludlow’s repositioning comment that it will get even worse. Being confronted with ‘Competitive Bedmaking’ as an entertainment on our last cruise was something of a surprise. If that’s what people want, so be it, and it stacks up with the ITV comment. It would also explain the preponderance of tacky tabloid Express/Mail etc readers, and the drop in the number of really good, interesting dinner conversations over recent years. The academics, teachers and professionals we used to meet so often appear to have deserted ship!

 

Just out of curiosity, if you move away from P&O altogether, as I suspect we’ll have to, where will you go?

 

[cjthedjeu]

You cannot please all of the people all of the time. While customers who have cruised for a long time may be upset, a whole new generation of cruisers will rise. I think P&O are aiming for a kind of middle ground, where they are not going for the water slide, escape room, even rollercoasters now market, they are pricing some cruises/ships to make it more affordable for more people, and trying to blend some aspects of traditional cruises, such as formal nights and dress codes. I personally like the approach. 

[AndyMichelle]

47 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks Andy. My wife would laugh at the suggestion that I am ‘tolerant’ and I would have to admit that it’s not my strongest skill, but I know for a fact that the current P&O passenger profile ranges from millionaires to those who have taken out a loan for a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience that they will spend many years paying for. P&O is wise to provide an experience that caters for both extremes, even if it doesn’t always suit us. 
 

The thing that is probably causing us to book less now than previously is that cruises on Aurora (our favourite overall cruise experience) are starting to become very expensive. Even though we can afford them, we are starting to question if they represent genuine value for money. We tend to book at launch as we now need accessible cabins, but the price per night of our 3 week summer cruise this year is considerably more than the price per night of our 3 week summer cruise last year - both on Aurora, both booked at launch. The interesting thing is that last years was booked before the announcements that Aurora was becoming adult only and that gratuities were included. As someone who has kept a detailed log of the net price (base price less OBC) that we have paid for every one of our cruises, whilst cruise prices have reduced in real terms over the years, the recent changes have definitely spiked the prices on Aurora and I am under no illusion that gratuities are not ‘free’ but have been rolled into the prices, mostly through reduced OBC - in spite of what some others on here insist! 
 

 

The tolerant remark was more due to you accepting the situation and acting accordingly, rather than shout about it.

We too are steering more towards Aurora, we have even cancelled our Iona cruise for another one on her, similar 14 night itinerary with only a very slightly higher price, which I am very happy to pay to get something I know I will like.

We are lucky that we are not restricted by cabin type etc and have complete flexibility so can look out for the bargains and they still sometimes seem to be available. 

It is more to do with the space and atmosphere for us, we still like to relax on holiday and struggle on some of the bigger ships. 

Andy 

 

 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Selbourne, that’s an excellent summary, with which I wholeheartedly agree. It’s pretty much exactly my viewpoint, and I think the big mistake we’ve been making is cruising on Azura and Ventura, where the passenger profile would appear to be different from that on the smaller ships.

 

We’ve also shared tables with some really great people, some of whom we’re still in regular contact with, but the proportion of people we’ve really enjoyed being with has fallen over recent years.  I’d agree with your 9 out of 10, but it was far higher.

 

If the target audience is Saturday night ITV viewers, then that’s pretty much the end for me. I’ll get accused of snobbery, but ITV is pretty much a no go area, and the bulk of what we watch is BBC4, BBC2, with some Channel 4. Freeview only, and certainly no Sky! Saturday night contains nothing watchable, which is where the Humax is useful.

 

One of the things I miss with today’s P&O is the talks by interesting speakers. Kenneth Vard, for example on the history of cruise liners, and an academic from one of the London universities on British film history.  It’s pitched at a much lower level now, and I presume from Ludlow’s repositioning comment that it will get even worse. Being confronted with ‘Competitive Bedmaking’ as an entertainment on our last cruise was something of a surprise. If that’s what people want, so be it, and it stacks up with the ITV comment. It would also explain the preponderance of tacky tabloid Express/Mail etc readers, and the drop in the number of really good, interesting dinner conversations over recent years. The academics, teachers and professionals we used to meet so often appear to have deserted ship!

 

Just out of curiosity, if you move away from P&O altogether, as I suspect we’ll have to, where will you go?

 

We aren’t entirely aligned Harry, as I don’t judge people by what newspaper they read or what position they took re Brexit 😉 

 

We watch the odd drama on ITV but very little else. We do have Sky, but find that most of our evening viewing is from BBC channels, although I am a news junkie so Sky News HD is a must (hence my frustration at the appalling picture quality of the in-cabin TV’s on P&O ships). 
 

To answer your question about which cruise line after P&O, well it’s a difficult one. Due to my wife’s disability, we will only consider round trips from the UK (no flights) and we have done most of the P&O repeat itineraries to death, hence why we now only book ‘unusual’ cruises, such as those labelled ‘discovery cruises’ or the Iona Maiden (disabled  facilities on the newest ships are usually excellent). I really don’t know which operator would fit our requirements. Suspect we might gravitate towards Cunard but something has held me back so far. When we were working we were using almost all our holidays on P&O cruises. Having retired last year, so now with more time (and thankfully, still the income), we are finding that other types of holidays are appealing more, such as renting a really nice holiday home on the Isle of Wight. 
 

Cruising remains an option for us though and we are always open to suggestions. Friends of ours are doing a Cunard cruise this year and we shall be really interested to hear how they get on as we have almost identical taste. I suspect that there will be more similarities than differences (both being Carnival brands) but at least if we have to go to the places that we have been to several times before a different ship might make it feel a bit different. 

 

 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

The tolerant remark was more due to you accepting the situation and acting accordingly, rather than shout about it.

We too are steering more towards Aurora, we have even cancelled our Iona cruise for another one on her, similar 14 night itinerary with only a very slightly higher price, which I am very happy to pay to get something I know I will like.

We are lucky that we are not restricted by cabin type etc and have complete flexibility so can look out for the bargains and they still sometimes seem to be available. 

It is more to do with the space and atmosphere for us, we still like to relax on holiday and struggle on some of the bigger ships. 

Andy 

 

 

To balance my comment about price hikes Andy, I should say that although we have booked at launch for many years now, we did sneak in a crafty 7 nighter on Aurora last November which we booked less than 12 months before sailing. Although I suspect that we paid more than at launch, the actual price paid was very cheap (even Select fare). The issue has been the nice / unique itinerary cruises that we have enjoyed on Aurora, where you have to book at launch to guarantee the best price and specific cabin. Although we welcome the adult only change, it has caused these cruises to jump in price, even at launch, and they are never cheaper thereafter (I check!). Some have actually doubled in price!

[Harry Peterson]

Have you considered Saga by any chance, Selbourne?

 

Not a company I'd have considered a while back, but it's changed considerably and offers (I gather from friends who've switched away from P&O and won't now go back) a luxury experience which they recommend very highly.  They originally recommended P&O to us, but they won't touch it now, and the changed clientele is one of the reasons.

 

It's not so much a judgment of the newspapers, by the way - that would be too much of a sweeping generalisation.  My main gripe is the poisonous bile spewed out by the Mail in particular (for which it has a known reputation) which its readers then believe to be the truth.

[DamianG]

Brilliant posts Selbourne, you've summed things up perfectly. You were very helpful giving us advice on which suite to choose for Britannia this coming August and I will report back to you whether there are children spoiling the atmosphere at breakfast in the Epicurean. I can absolutely guarantee that our son will be well behaved and will not cause a problem for anyone (and I'm pretty sure that everyone who contributes to these forums would ensure the same).

Edited January 30, 2020 by DamianG

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Have you considered Saga by any chance, Selbourne?

 

Not a company I'd have considered a while back, but it's changed considerably and offers (I gather from friends who've switched away from P&O and won't now go back) a luxury experience which they recommend very highly.  They originally recommended P&O to us, but they won't touch it now, and the changed clientele is one of the reasons.

 

It's not so much a judgment of the newspapers, by the way - that would be too much of a sweeping generalisation.  My main gripe is the poisonous bile spewed out by the Mail in particular (for which it has a known reputation) which its readers then believe to be the truth.

Their new ships do look very nice, but three things put us off. Firstly, we are ‘only’ mid 50’s, so feel a bit too young for Saga! Secondly, the last time I checked they still allowed smoking on balconies. That’s a massive ‘no’ for us and would, on it’s own, prevent us from booking with a cruise line (I’m prepared to be corrected on that as I might be muddling them up with Fred Olsen). Thirdly, they do seem very expensive. Again, happy to be corrected on any of these issues as I might be going on out of date info. 

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Their new ships do look very nice, but three things put us off. Firstly, we are ‘only’ mid 50’s, so feel a bit too young for Saga! Secondly, the last time I checked they still allowed smoking on balconies. That’s a massive ‘no’ for us and would, on it’s own, prevent us from booking with a cruise line (I’m prepared to be corrected on that as I might be muddling them up with Fred Olsen). Thirdly, they do seem very expensive. Again, happy to be corrected on any of these issues as I might be going on out of date info. 

Saga do not allow smoking on their balconies,  just in a designated deck area.

At first sight the fares do seem expensive, but taking into account the chauffeur transfers (admittedly not worth much if you live close to the port),  no gratuities, free specialty dining, free drinks, free wifi etc, the pricing does not seem to bad. I suppose the fact that the two new ships are all balcony, means that there are no cheap lead-in prices for those unloved interior cabins on other ships.

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Saga do not allow smoking on their balconies,  just in a designated deck area.

At first sight the fares do seem expensive, but taking into account the chauffeur transfers (admittedly not worth much if you live close to the port),  no gratuities, free specialty dining, free drinks, free wifi etc, the pricing does not seem to bad. I suppose the fact that the two new ships are all balcony, means that there are no cheap lead-in prices for those unloved interior cabins on other ships.

Thank you wowzz. That’s very interesting and I shall request a brochure with an open mind. Out of interest, how does their food and entertainment compare to P&O? 

[wowzz]

24 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Thank you wowzz. That’s very interesting and I shall request a brochure with an open mind. Out of interest, how does their food and entertainment compare to P&O? 

Shelbourne- unfortunately, my experience of Saga cruises has been limited to perusing their brochures.  Once you are on their mailing list you are trapped for ever!

 Jools Holland performs on some cruises.  Not to everyone's taste, but in the flesh he is a fantastic boogie woogie pianist!

Edited January 30, 2020 by wowzz

[forest_factor]

1st Post as lost my previous login details.

 

Interesting read, as a long term P&O cruiser i started on the Canberra back when the bottom deck at no carpet!

My view is people have changed as cruises have got cheaper, I still go on cruises with P&O but not twice or three times a year as i used to. I still very much enjoy them, what I tend to do now is stay away from the areas that a full of "drink as much as you can tend to go". The ships are big enough to stay away from these areas, I have certain standards that some people don't have, I still always meet fabulous people, and enjoy that as much as ever. But the world is so different, and so cruises have changed along with the change in society. 

 

When I 1st started in the 80's it was more about the tradition of cruising, as years have gone on P&O have altered their target to the masses, you had a choice of two ships back then. I feel the ships have improved but as with most hotels or resorts in the world cruising attracts a wide spread of people. 

 

Until I really don't like I will still cruise with P&O and always enjoy, i am on Britannia for Christmas so i must still love the thrill of being on a ship.

Family members are now moving over to try other ships, but they still find P&O a great product.

 

Happy Cruising! 

 

[Harry Peterson]

34 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Thank you wowzz. That’s very interesting and I shall request a brochure with an open mind. Out of interest, how does their food and entertainment compare to P&O? 

I can’t report personally I’m afraid, but some very good friends of ours, who only ever cruised with P&O until last year, tried Saga and now regard P&O as ‘slumming it” by comparison - their words!

 

They speak very highly indeed of the food and entertainment, as well as the accommodation, and say they can’t fault any aspect of it. It is rather more expensive, but they claim that it’s well worth the extra when you take account of everything that Saga include in the price.

 

I doubt the age profile is that different from P&O in reality, given that you can join Saga at 50.

[ann141]

Excellent post Selbourne .We tried Cunard (for the second time) last November and really enjoyed it apart from the fact that there is only Fixed Dining and we prefer Freedom.At the moment we still tend to look at P and O cruises first but will certainly consider Cunard again.Like you I feel the Saga ships look amazing but as we are only early 60's we prefer a mixture of ages (some beautifully behaved children on our Cunard cruise)Its great to see a post with a balanced view.

[Solent Richard]

On 1/29/2020 at 10:16 AM, terrierjohn said:

That's a euphemism for senior members of the staff.😁

Exactly. Semantics at work as it is an organisation run on subscriptions and not 'charitable' donations.

[Eglesbrech]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

I can’t report personally I’m afraid, but some very good friends of ours, who only ever cruised with P&O until last year, tried Saga and now regard P&O as ‘slumming it” by comparison - their words!

 

They speak very highly indeed of the food and entertainment, as well as the accommodation, and say they can’t fault any aspect of it. It is rather more expensive, but they claim that it’s well worth the extra when you take account of everything that Saga include in the price.

 

I doubt the age profile is that different from P&O in reality, given that you can join Saga at 50.

Only one person needs to be 50 so a younger companion of age 40 or over can acompany the 50+ year old.

[Bazrat]

Excellent read Selbourne but you missed the slumming part out

[wowzz]

I do think that the idea that Saga is for the truly old is far from the truth. 

The minimum age is 50, and I would hazard a guess that the average age on the majority of Saga cruises is considerably  less  than on many P&O adult only cruises. 

We went on a Saga land holiday  10 years ago, when we were  sprightly 50 somethings, and we were  some of the oldest on the holiday!

[Selbourne]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

I do think that the idea that Saga is for the truly old is far from the truth. 

The minimum age is 50, and I would hazard a guess that the average age on the majority of Saga cruises is considerably  less  than on many P&O adult only cruises. 

We went on a Saga land holiday  10 years ago, when we were  sprightly 50 somethings, and we were  some of the oldest on the holiday!

That’s a very good point. We have done a lot of cruises on Aurora and the average age of passenger has been mid 70’s, even before the conversion to Adult Only. This hasn’t just been from our observations, but confirmed by the Captain during his welcome address. 
 

In response to suggestions from others, I have requested brochures from Saga and Viking and will take another look at Cunard, but I can’t help but feel that we would be nervous about cruising with a line that doesn’t offer the equivalent of Freedom Dining. We used Club Dining for years on P&O, but after a few bad experiences switched to Freedom and haven’t looked back. It’s absolutely perfect for us, as we share when the mood takes us and dine alone when it doesn’t. We also dine at different times depending on our mood, how hungry we are and, most importantly, whether there is scenery to enjoy during the evening following a departure from port. We would hate to be tied to a fixed time now, plus the risk of table companions that we didn’t click with but were stuck with for an entire cruise. I am assuming that, like P&O’s Club Dining, you can state a preferred table size, but it’s not confirmed until you board? If other lines absolutely guarantee you a table on your own if you request it than that lessens the risk, even if it still ties you to a fixed time. 
 

Out of interest, do those lines (such as Saga) that don’t make any additional charges for their Select Dining (equivalent) restaurants, expect passengers to share tables at those as well, or is that just restricted to the main dining rooms?

[brian1]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

That’s a very good point. We have done a lot of cruises on Aurora and the average age of passenger has been mid 70’s, even before the conversion to Adult Only. This hasn’t just been from our observations, but confirmed by the Captain during his welcome address. 
 

In response to suggestions from others, I have requested brochures from Saga and Viking and will take another look at Cunard, but I can’t help but feel that we would be nervous about cruising with a line that doesn’t offer the equivalent of Freedom Dining. We used Club Dining for years on P&O, but after a few bad experiences switched to Freedom and haven’t looked back. It’s absolutely perfect for us, as we share when the mood takes us and dine alone when it doesn’t. We also dine at different times depending on our mood, how hungry we are and, most importantly, whether there is scenery to enjoy during the evening following a departure from port. We would hate to be tied to a fixed time now, plus the risk of table companions that we didn’t click with but were stuck with for an entire cruise. I am assuming that, like P&O’s Club Dining, you can state a preferred table size, but it’s not confirmed until you board? If other lines absolutely guarantee you a table on your own if you request it than that lessens the risk, even if it still ties you to a fixed time. 
 

Out of interest, do those lines (such as Saga) that don’t make any additional charges for their Select Dining (equivalent) restaurants, expect passengers to share tables at those as well, or is that just restricted to the main dining rooms?

On Cunard the only freedom option was on club balconies upwards.But was worth it for the guaranteed seats and table for BLD.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

That’s a very good point. We have done a lot of cruises on Aurora and the average age of passenger has been mid 70’s, even before the conversion to Adult Only. This hasn’t just been from our observations, but confirmed by the Captain during his welcome address. 
 

In response to suggestions from others, I have requested brochures from Saga and Viking and will take another look at Cunard, but I can’t help but feel that we would be nervous about cruising with a line that doesn’t offer the equivalent of Freedom Dining. We used Club Dining for years on P&O, but after a few bad experiences switched to Freedom and haven’t looked back. It’s absolutely perfect for us, as we share when the mood takes us and dine alone when it doesn’t. We also dine at different times depending on our mood, how hungry we are and, most importantly, whether there is scenery to enjoy during the evening following a departure from port. We would hate to be tied to a fixed time now, plus the risk of table companions that we didn’t click with but were stuck with for an entire cruise. I am assuming that, like P&O’s Club Dining, you can state a preferred table size, but it’s not confirmed until you board? If other lines absolutely guarantee you a table on your own if you request it than that lessens the risk, even if it still ties you to a fixed time. 
 

Out of interest, do those lines (such as Saga) that don’t make any additional charges for their Select Dining (equivalent) restaurants, expect passengers to share tables at those as well, or is that just restricted to the main dining rooms?

Selbourne - you could ask your question on the Saga cruises board. You might get more replies by posting there.