Lack of staff- Ventura

[Ardennais]

MDR on Enchanted Princess was open for lunch on the first sea day - Saturday - but not since then. I’m sitting on the balcony now with my room service coffee and croissants. I will miss my early morning coffee on Iona later in the year. 
 

mrs Goggins - is breakfast room service including coffee available on Ventura now?

[mrsgoggins]

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

MDR on Enchanted Princess was open for lunch on the first sea day - Saturday - but not since then. I’m sitting on the balcony now with my room service coffee and croissants. I will miss my early morning coffee on Iona later in the year. 
 

mrs Goggins - is breakfast room service including coffee available on Ventura now?

The in-room breakfast menu is slim pickings indeed on Ventura right now, and does not include hot drinks.  Essentially it’s juices or smoothie, yoghurt, fruit, cereals and items from the bakery.  No hot items.

 

Celebrity and Princess have always done MDR lunches on sea days when I’ve sailed with them.  I assume it’s one of the things that has been cut back on Ventura and is normally in place?  Disappointing though, I dislike buffets generally and will avoid whenever I can.

 

Make the most of your breakfast on the balcony 🙂

[BouncingWheel]

How many are on board @mrsgoggins? If speciality restaurants are closed and pax numbers are high then it suggests that the MDRs & Buffet areas are very busy. Is this impacting service?

[Host Sharon]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:57 AM, Megabear2 said:

Just of my Celebrity cruise.  They said shortages but truthfully it's a perfect experience. All restaurants open and fully staffed. Turn down occurring, choccy on pillow etc. Room cleaned twice a day - we had 4 large towels every morning in case we shower again later.  Immaculate everywhere. I can not fault anything.  If this is short staff situation they are hiding it really well although 1600 guests may have helped.

 

Over to Princess next week will be interesting to compare.  Sadly my recent Britannia experience although good cannot match my Edge one for service in these times.

Just back from my Saga Cruise. They have just recruited a lot of wait staff from Dream Cruises which ceased trading. Although experienced in their job, they were being traing in 'the Saga way' 🙂 I was also told that during the pandemic, crew were laid off on half-pay and their children's school fees were paid by Saga so no staff shortages on board,. Admittedly a much smaller fleet but a higher staff to pax ratio.

[Harry Peterson]

2 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

The in-room breakfast menu is slim pickings indeed on Ventura right now, and does not include hot drinks.  Essentially it’s juices or smoothie, yoghurt, fruit, cereals and items from the bakery.  No hot items.

 

Celebrity and Princess have always done MDR lunches on sea days when I’ve sailed with them.  I assume it’s one of the things that has been cut back on Ventura and is normally in place?  Disappointing though, I dislike buffets generally and will avoid whenever I can.

 

Make the most of your breakfast on the balcony 🙂

Sorry to hear that. I’m amazed at the cut backs you mention - I’ve always felt that the food on P&O was one of its saving graces, even latterly, and that included the rather pleasant lunches in the MDR on sea days.  Likewise breakfasts in the Epicurean, which were really enjoyable.

 

If those are gone, frankly so are we. Like you, we don’t cruise for self-service buffet dining. Happy to do that at other times, but not on holiday, and certainly not on an expensive cruise holiday.

 

I do hope things pick up for you.

[Fionboard]

 MDR lunch was available every day for the last two weeks on Britannia and same on Ventura in May. Hope it stays as I do not use buffet.

[mrsgoggins]

41 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

 MDR lunch was available every day for the last two weeks on Britannia and same on Ventura in May. Hope it stays as I do not use buffet.

Definitely no MDR service on Ventura yesterday, the first sea day of the trip.  We have another sea day tomorrow so I will report back if it changes. 
 

 

[mrsgoggins]

3 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Sorry to hear that. I’m amazed at the cut backs you mention - I’ve always felt that the food on P&O was one of its saving graces, even latterly, and that included the rather pleasant lunches in the MDR on sea days.  Likewise breakfasts in the Epicurean, which were really enjoyable.

 

If those are gone, frankly so are we. Like you, we don’t cruise for self-service buffet dining. Happy to do that at other times, but not on holiday, and certainly not on an expensive cruise holiday.

 

I do hope things pick up for you.

I should add that the food we have had in the MDR on both nights has been very good. Not as much choice as we are used to, but still enough to keep both of us happy.  The things that stuck in my mind from last time with P&O are that you get more veg as standard (compared with US lines) toast comes in a toast rack, you can get ‘proper’ tea and jam in little pots at breakfast; are all still true, so I’m not unhappy with MDR meals.

 

The buffet is another matter, but I won’t dwell on it!  Maybe it will improve shortly.  I heard a crew member on the bus speaking on the phone and saying that he was leaving the ship in Vigo. Maybe they are taking a lot more staff on board?

 

[mrsgoggins]

6 hours ago, BouncingWheel said:

How many are on board @mrsgoggins? If speciality restaurants are closed and pax numbers are high then it suggests that the MDRs & Buffet areas are very busy. Is this impacting service?

I haven’t thought to ask yet, but I will.  One couple I spoke with yesterday had things wrong with their cabin that I would have been very unhappy with. Bumped into them today and they had asked about a move but were told that the only empty cabins were those set aside for isolation.  They appeared to be a quiet couple who were as worried about upsetting their room attendant when reporting the issue (unlikely to be his fault) as the issue itself, and so I felt for the wife when she said quietly ‘I wish I were going home’. Not how you want to feel at the start of a cruise!

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

I felt for the wife when she said quietly ‘I wish I were going home’. Not how you want to feel at the start of a cruise!

Oh no, that's awful. Can understand how she feels, as it's stressful when you feel you have to fight to get something done, especially on holiday, and even more so if you find that type of thing difficult 

[kalos]

7 hours ago, BouncingWheel said:

How many are on board @mrsgoggins? 

 

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

I haven’t thought to ask yet, but I will.  

 

Passengers onboard 2147 plus 1057 crew 

[lindyloo22]

Mrsgoggins as you are on board venture  now is there still a laundry service for pressing clothes.

Many thanks.

[zap99]

9 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

The in-room breakfast menu is slim pickings indeed on Ventura right now, and does not include hot drinks.  Essentially it’s juices or smoothie, yoghurt, fruit, cereals and items from the bakery.  No hot items.

 

Celebrity and Princess have always done MDR lunches on sea days when I’ve sailed with them.  I assume it’s one of the things that has been cut back on Ventura and is normally in place?  Disappointing though, I dislike buffets generally and will avoid whenever I can.

 

Make the most of your breakfast on the balcony 🙂

RC normally do a nice salad bar in the MDR on sea days. I will find out if still do it in September.

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

 

 

Passengers onboard 2147 plus 1057 crew 

Well done Kalos! I just asked our waiter tonight and he said around 2200

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, lindyloo22 said:

Mrsgoggins as you are on board venture  now is there still a laundry service for pressing clothes.

Many thanks.

This is not something I would use, but do you mean something other than the laundries?  I will ask tomorrow.

[mrsgoggins]

7 hours ago, Fionboard said:

 MDR lunch was available every day for the last two weeks on Britannia and same on Ventura in May. Hope it stays as I do not use buffet.

 

You know they say not to believe everything you read on the internet? Well, it turns out I was wrong and Saffron dining room WAS open yesterday and I shall heap the blame where it belongs ….. DH of course, for it was he who checked the day’s Horizon!  So apologies to Fionboard and to those I have mislead. 
 

I’m happy to be wrong because we have just enjoyed our third excellent dinner in the MDR and tomorrow’s another sea day and so Saffron is where we will be around noon, so long as the weather is okay around sea area Trafalgar at that time 😉

 

 

[kalos]

8 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

Well done Kalos! I just asked our waiter tonight and he said around 2200

Glad I could help ,here's the film of your ship departing and if you listen carefully at 

the very beginning  where I have set the film to run ,you will hear the figures being

broadcast over ships radio .

 

 

[lindyloo22]

2 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

This is not something I would use, but do you mean something other than the laundries?  I will ask tomorrow.

There is usually a bag in the room for any laundry that you can give to the cabin steward, I was just wondering about having something pressed, if you could find out the would be great.

Thanks

[mrsgoggins]

49 minutes ago, lindyloo22 said:

There is usually a bag in the room for any laundry that you can give to the cabin steward, I was just wondering about having something pressed, if you could find out the would be great.

Thanks

Found, in the room as you said it would be.  Anything specific you would like the price of?  For instance, the pressing only price for the following are:

Suit jacket - £2

Smart trousers - £3.50

Formal shirt - £2.50

Formal evening dress - £9 …… 😮

Edited June 27, 2022 by mrsgoggins

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

Found, in the room as you said it would be.  Anything specific you would like the price of?  For instance, the pressing only price for the following are:

Suit jacket - £2

Smart trousers - £3.50

Formal shirt - £2.50

Formal evening dress - £9 …… 😮

Or it's free oif you the ships launderette and do it yourself!

[lindyloo22]

9 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

Found, in the room as you said it would be.  Anything specific you would like the price of?  For instance, the pressing only price for the following are:

Suit jacket - £2

Smart trousers - £3.50

Formal shirt - £2.50

Formal evening dress - £9 …… 😮

That’s great thanks.

have a good cruise.

[Son of Anarchy]

11 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

Found, in the room as you said it would be.  Anything specific you would like the price of?  For instance, the pressing only price for the following are:

Suit jacket - £2

Smart trousers - £3.50

Formal shirt - £2.50

Formal evening dress - £9 …… 😮

Glad I take me chances in laundrette.  Those prices are almost like paying paying for another cruise (Saver fare of course),

[Rainmow]

We have just returned on Saturday from a cruise on Ventura. We booked Epicurian  online 4 days before we sailed only to have a note left in our cabin plus a bottle of wine to say it was not going to be open.Sindu was open and enjoyed a nice meal although not as good as it used to be when you just paid a fixed amount. We went to glasshouse and asked for the food menu only to be told it wasn’t open on this cruise. Ventura is supposed to be a family ship but all the cruise the baby pool was not open and other pools were too cold for younger children to be in for a long time. We have sailed on other P&O ships but would not rush back on Ventura. The staff all work very hard but are definitely understaffed.

[Harry Peterson]

10 minutes ago, Rainmow said:

We have just returned on Saturday from a cruise on Ventura. We booked Epicurian  online 4 days before we sailed only to have a note left in our cabin plus a bottle of wine to say it was not going to be open.Sindu was open and enjoyed a nice meal although not as good as it used to be when you just paid a fixed amount. We went to glasshouse and asked for the food menu only to be told it wasn’t open on this cruise. Ventura is supposed to be a family ship but all the cruise the baby pool was not open and other pools were too cold for younger children to be in for a long time. We have sailed on other P&O ships but would not rush back on Ventura. The staff all work very hard but are definitely understaffed.

Sorry to hear that.  In defence of the ship, I’d say that in its earlier days it was a pleasure to sail on. Excellent food, excellent staff, excellent entertainment and excellent accommodation.

 

It’s very sad to read that P&O economies and cheese paring since then have spoiled it so much. The more I read the more inclined I am to look for alternative forms of holiday. It won’t be just Ventura either - these issues are company wide now, and it was already heading that way when we were on Azura in 2019.

[Rainmow]

We went on Iona in April and although apprehensive about a big ship we had a great time. Lots more to do for all ages. Ventura just seemed to be lacking, maybe because the staff were very busy it didn’t have that happy feel about it. Forgot to mention in my last post we both tested positive for Covid on our return.