P&O Standards dropped, probably never again.

[SarahHben]

14 minutes ago, BillieJeanKaraokeKing said:

Never heard of 'Le Manoir', but sounds far too posh for a North West lad anyway lol

It's on my bucket list, one day.....

[Red Ray]

I follow the dress code rigidly, whether on Pando or Cunard. My better half does the same. We both love cruising and I can empathise with a little of the original post. However....

 

I'm Northern, working class, have a Master's degree, tattoos and love 'low element' pursuits like football. I'm also a member of Mensa but that's not as obvious as my tattoos & accent. 

 

If you think Pando standards aren't to your taste, for God's sake don't try Marella.

[BillieJeanKaraokeKing]

Just had a nosey at a Le Manoir menu online - far too many words I don't understand 😂

Edited July 27, 2021 by BillieJeanKaraokeKing

[emam]

1 hour ago, The Med said:

So on holiday I prefer a more up market experience. It’s just a personal choice. I know what I like and I know what type of holiday I like.

 

The lowering of standards was actually referring to the service onboard not the people.

 

Theres a reason why some people only choose Cunard or Regent Seven Seas or Seabourn or Silverseas.

I’m not alone in having a preference.

 

If people on here are happy to keep cruising with P&O with like minded people then fair enough. It’s a personal choice, it’s just not my choice.

 

Can I ask, if you feel that way about P&O, why did you book with them in the first place. Why didn't you book one of the upmarket one's that you mentioned?

[Son of Anarchy]

19 minutes ago, The Med said:

 That’s oversimplification.

 

Surely by booking a cruise line like Silverseas as opposed to Disney you are going to get a different demographic?
 

Its true that you can’t pick and choose each and every passenger but by picking a certain cruise line (or restaurant or hotel for that matter) you get an idea of the type of people that are going to be there.

I wouldn’t expect the same type of people in a Harvester restaurant as La Manoir. 
Cruising is the same.

Incredulous

[ovccruiser]

Interesting read, but this could be on any cruise line page, they have all had their detractors and praisers, it's an experience we all which to avoid, but sometimes the forces are against us and we "enjoy" seeing how the other half lives whoever the other half is 😄

[The Med]

2 minutes ago, emam said:

 

Can I ask, if you feel that way about P&O, why did you book with them in the first place. Why didn't you book one of the upmarket one's that you mentioned?

 If you had read my first post then you would see that we did actually book Cunard.

This got cancelled and as the dates were in the diary we looked for another cruise going the same time, the P&O went one day earlier.

 

I also said in my first post that we booked with some trepidation because we had heard that standards had dropped and this indeed proved to be the case.

 

I wouldn’t usually judge a person on appearance but it was quite upsetting for me, having dressed up for the first time in such a long time to walk into the restaurant and have someone judge me on my appearance.

Yes they raised their eyebrows at us and sneered because the men were in black tie and the ladies in gowns. 
I found this to be rude and disrespectful especially as they should have been turned away for not following the dress code.

 

So for all the nasty remarks that I’ve received because I judged them for not following the dress code and for the way they looked, can you explain to me why you think it acceptable for them to judge us for our appearance?
 

 

[jeanlyon]

17 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Shame you didn't enjoy it, but you effectively booked what would be to many a 3 day booze cruise. 

A lot of what you say has been pretty standard on P&O for a while. 

We enjoy dressing up and wouldn't have felt comfortable either, so I do feel for yoy. 

Longer cruises tend to get a slightly more refined crowd, but I will still be drinking my pint of Peroni at the dinner table, sorry. 

Pre Covid, we thoroughly enjoyed all of our P&O cruises, let's hope it gets back to normal soon. 

Enjoy Cunard. 

Andy 

Have to agree Andy.   It's a booze cruise dressed up to be something else.  I have heard all the same comments about the 3 day cruises that were done in the past, usually to Belgium or similar.

 

The comments also reminded me of our one and only cruise on Azura.  Sunbeds, boozed up tattoed people, bad language.  I have never found that on Aurora or Arcadia, so a different crowd of people who perhaps like more up market things.

 

Having said that, on our cruises we have met some lovely people, some awful, loud and downright rude people and also some with their noses in the air, total snobs who think they are better than everybody.  But you meet all those folk in every walk of life.

 

Now I will be shot down about Azura, but once tried, never forgotten.  Almost stand up fights about a sunbed.  It has probably improved since then.  It was some years ago.

 

Personally a three or even 5 day cruise would never appeal to me, in fact we have never done less than a 10 dayer.

Edited July 27, 2021 by jeanlyon

[The Med]

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Have to agree Andy.   It's a booze cruise dressed up to be something else.  I have heard all the same comments about the 3 day cruises that were done in the past, usually to Belgium or similar.

 

The comments also reminded me of our one and only cruise on Azura.  Sunbeds, boozed up tattoed people, bad language.  I have never found that on Aurora or Arcadia, so a different crowd of people who perhaps like more up market things.

 

 

We were naive, I accept that.

 

We’ve only ever done one 3 night cruise before, that was on Cunard.

It was a completely different experience to Britannia.

No loud, swearing, boozed up people on that. 
 

A much nicer cruise all round.

[Son of Anarchy]

8 minutes ago, The Med said:

We were naive, I accept that.

 

We’ve only ever done one 3 night cruise before, that was on Cunard.

It was a completely different experience to Britannia.

No loud, swearing, boozed up people on that. 
 

A much nicer cruise all round.

Tattoos?

[emam]

5 minutes ago, The Med said:

So for all the nasty remarks that I’ve received because I judged them for not following the dress code and for the way they looked, can you explain to me why you think it acceptable for them to judge us for our appearance?

 

 

 

There was no nastiness in my post. I only asked a simple question based on the information that you have stated, that you prefer more upmarket lines. I couldn't understand why you would book P&O feeling how you do, even if it was all you could get. I did read your first post but that was a long time ago.

[Bazrat]

I missed these comments p&o going down hill booze cruises clientele from the lower classes, no cheese wheels lack of wine we used to have forty years ago, it’s a sign cruising is back

[TheGinBoy]

3 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

I missed these comments p&o going down hill booze cruises clientele from the lower classes, no cheese wheels lack of wine we used to have forty years ago, it’s a sign cruising is back

 

 Nature is healing.

[The Med]

5 minutes ago, emam said:

 

There was no nastiness in my post. I only asked a simple question based on the information that you have stated, that you prefer more upmarket lines. I couldn't understand why you would book P&O feeling how you do, even if it was all you could get. I did read your first post but that was a long time ago.

 No, you weren’t rude at all.

Apologies if my post looked like I’d singled you out.

 

I was referring to all the other nasty remarks and my question about whether it’s acceptable for people to be openly rude to us because we’d dressed up and made an effort, was meant for the people who made those remarks.

 

 

[wowzz]

23 minutes ago, The Med said:

Yes they raised their eyebrows at us and sneered because the men were in black tie and the ladies in gowns. 

And yet others, on the same cruise, dressed up,  and said that they were by no means in the minority. They did not experience the reactions you report.

Something doesn't feel quite right here. No one else is backing up your comments. Are you sure you are not being over sensitive, and looking for slurs that are not there ? After all, you said you were expecting low standards - a self fulfilling prophecy perhaps.

[Bazrat]

I forgot the horrendous sail away party with all us drunks waving union jacks and singing wartime propaganda songs, so loud one person actually heard it in there inside cabin in the middle of the ship, strangely I was too drunk to remember it 🍻🥂🍷🥃🍺🍸

[jeanlyon]

8 minutes ago, The Med said:

 No, you weren’t rude at all.

Apologies if my post looked like I’d singled you out.

 

I was referring to all the other nasty remarks and my question about whether it’s acceptable for people to be openly rude to us because we’d dressed up and made an effort, was meant for the people who made those remarks.

 

 

I don't think it would be fair to judge P&O on one 3 nighter.  If ever you tried them again, I would choose an adult only ship like Aurora or Arcadia.  I have never had a problem with the MDR, the service or anything else.  There are still all types of people, as I said, there are those wherever you go.

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I don't think it would be fair to judge P&O on one 3 nighter.  If ever you tried them again, I would choose an adult only ship like Aurora or Arcadia.  I have never had a problem with the MDR, the service or anything else.  There are still all types of people, as I said, there are those wherever you go.

Sorry Jean, but we did a Caribbean round trip on Arcadia, and one adult family group got thrown off in Barbados for anti-social behaviour.  Did it put me off P&O? Not at all,  because appropriate action was taken.

To categorise an entire cruise line,  as the OP has done, based on the supposed  reactions of a few individuals, is totally illogical. 

I'm sure even Silverseas has the occasional passenger with a tattoo or who might have one too many drinks.,

[jeanlyon]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Sorry Jean, but we did a Caribbean round trip on Arcadia, and one adult family group got thrown off in Barbados for anti-social behaviour.  Did it put me off P&O? Not at all,  because appropriate action was taken.

To categorise an entire cruise line,  as the OP has done, based on the supposed  reactions of a few individuals, is totally illogical. 

I'm sure even Silverseas has the occasional passenger with a tattoo or who might have one too many drinks.,

Yes Wowzz agree.  Of course there is always one example of bad behaviour, but nothing like the ones on my Azura cruise.  I imagine if we tried her again, we wouldn't have the same opinion, but she is too big for our taste.

 

I have heard these comments about 3 nighters my entire cruising experience.   It's just the sort of length of cruise for this sort of thing.

Edited July 27, 2021 by jeanlyon

[PORT ROYAL]

The above post to not make a firm decision after just three days is valid.  As previously posted, our one and only PO experience was a 21 day Caribbean in 2013 on the Azura.  After three days, an initial first day very negative judgement was confirmed, admitting a booking mistake (based on a TA recommendation).  Then as the days passed, the decision never to return made even firmer. 

But some may change their negative view of PO after the first few days.  Be fair and give it thought.

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by PORT ROYAL
Grammar

[ScratchTheRat]

1 hour ago, The Med said:

 If you had read my first post then you would see that we did actually book Cunard.

This got cancelled and as the dates were in the diary we looked for another cruise going the same time, the P&O went one day earlier.

 

I also said in my first post that we booked with some trepidation because we had heard that standards had dropped and this indeed proved to be the case.

 

I wouldn’t usually judge a person on appearance but it was quite upsetting for me, having dressed up for the first time in such a long time to walk into the restaurant and have someone judge me on my appearance.

Yes they raised their eyebrows at us and sneered because the men were in black tie and the ladies in gowns. 
I found this to be rude and disrespectful especially as they should have been turned away for not following the dress code.

 

So for all the nasty remarks that I’ve received because I judged them for not following the dress code and for the way they looked, can you explain to me why you think it acceptable for them to judge us for our appearance?
 

 

The one key difference you seem to be missing is "perception". 

 

You are actively stating your judgement of others for their choices/clothes/bodies but the only evidence of you being judged by them is your own perception of their sneers/looks at you. They haven't come on here to talk down to you or to complain, the only party of the two to be openly stating they judge the other is you.

 

We've all been there when we're thinking everyone is staring at us, or people are judging us but a lot of it is in our head. I am not saying this did not happen but there is a big difference between perception and outright statements.

 

But I think I've said enough. I haven't been rude, mean or hurtful in any of my comments and I am not judging anyone either as I was not there and can't confirm what it was like, nor do I know the OP personally so I cannot make judgement.

 

Let's just get back to cruising and enjoy life and all the people in it and if people wanna laugh at our outfits or what we look like, let them, life is too short to worry about that!

[The Med]

25 minutes ago, wowzz said:

 

To categorise an entire cruise line,  as the OP has done, based on the supposed  reactions of a few individuals, is totally illogical. 

I'm sure even Silverseas has the occasional passenger with a tattoo or who might have one too many drinks.,

 Actually that’s not correct.

As I said, several people have picked up on only one aspect of my post, but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

I’m not solely judging it on a few passengers, I’m judging it on the whole experience.

Not enough crew,  lack of decent service, no wine menu brought out unless we asked, not as much choice in the buffet as other cruises, etc. 

I’ve enjoyed other cruise lines better and that’s why I will choose them in future.

If people were on the same cruise as us and enjoyed it then fair enough, I can only speak as I find. 
 

 

[The Med]

10 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

 

 

 

But I think I've said enough. I haven't been rude, mean or hurtful in any of my comments and I am not judging anyone either as I was not there and can't confirm what it was like, nor do I know the OP personally so I cannot make judgement.

 

 

But you have made a judgment of me and you’ve certainly lectured me, telling me to open my mind and live in a different way.

Do you have any idea how patronising that is?
 

You have no idea of me as a person. Things said on a forum do not directly related to how a person is in real life.

 

Also another person has said she doesn’t like tattoos, loud mouthed drunks but I don’t see her getting a virtual beating up.

 

It appears that I’m the punchbag. 
I’m not criticising anyone for their opinion or right to choose their holiday but people seem to be quite aggressive in their approach to me.

 

[jaydee6969]

4 minutes ago, The Med said:

 

Not enough crew

 

 

Britannia normal operating capacity is 3647 guests with 1350 crew.  The cruise we returned from on Sunday had 1753 passengers and 1171 crew on board.

 

From my take on things that is a fairly good passenger to crew ratio.  Now obviously not every crew member was doing their normal job, but we felt our needs on board were well catered for.

 

Many of the crew have had to focus on different roles, such as the 'Ghostbusters' who went into the venues after every show and sprayed everything down with a cleaner or the multiple crew members we spotted constantly going around the ship cleaning all the touch surfaces.

 

This was all for everyone's safety and wellbeing.  I think I can sacrifice a few things and be thankful that after 10 cancelled cruises between P&O and Cunard, we were back on board and felt safe within the protocols and restrictions of cruising at the present time.

[bobstheboy]

I am getting fed up with comments about tattoos, not just by the OP. I have three tattoos from my days in the RN and completed 24 years police service, retiring as a senior officer. 

 

Some judge others solely on narrow perceptions, without knowing the person. Enough from me, otherwise I'll be banned.