Booked my first ever p and o cruise! Hints and tips?

[beaveh]

Hello. 
I’ve just booked a cruise on Acadia in Sept this year. ( out of Southampton ). I’ve no idea what to expect! 
I have some basic questions..

We drink mainly canned soft drinks, the odd beer and the odd glass of wine… what are drinks prices like.

Embarkation lunch? … where to head to.

which are the best speciality restaurant.

are spa prices reasonable ( just been on Princess where a 1hr massage was $170! ) 

we will be assigned a dining time / table when we board, if we use the main draining room do we have to eat with what we are assigned? Or do we have options for time and table size. 
 

I’ve read as much as I can on this board, but I need hints and tips for a newbie. 

[gsmt47471015]

Is this the 30 nights on the 6th of September?

Drinks prices are on a par with most uk bars.

The spa is expensive but not as much as your Princess one, however never used it so don't know how good it is.

Lunch on embarkation depends on what time you board, buffet is always a little hectic but other options will be available (staff permitting). 

If you have booked a saver fare you will be allocated dining time when on board , if you booked select you should have been given your dining options (freedom, first ,or second sitting) however the maître de should be able to accommodate a change if they can.

Specialty restaurants are Sindhu (Indian) Epicurian  and the Glass House  but I don't think any are open until the evening   with the possible exception of the Glass House.

I'm sure others on this board will be able to give you any more information should you need it .

Hope you enjoy your cruise🙂 

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

the Glass House

I don't think there is a Glass House on Arcadia.

[gsmt47471015]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

I don't think there is a Glass House on Arcadia.

Thank you Wowzz Its been a few years since we were on her and my memory is not what it used to be!!!!!

[Host Sharon]

The buffet will be your only option for lunch on embarkation day on Arcadia. Only people in the higher tiers of the loyalty club can use the MDR that day. Enjoy your cruise. That's a nice itinerary.

[gsmt47471015]

4 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

The buffet will be your only option for lunch on embarkation day on Arcadia. Only people in the higher tiers of the loyalty club can use the MDR that day. Enjoy your cruise. That's a nice itinerary.

Well we may just avail ourselves of that👍

[david63]

There is no Epicurean on Arcadia - it is Ocean Grill (but will not be open for lunch)

[Danamis]

Hopefully the speciality restaurants will be made available by then. When we did a similar cruise on Aurora we enjoyed mixing it up a bit by usung different restaurants. Eating in the same place for a month would be pretty monotonous however nice the food.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Danamis
SP

[gsmt47471015]

2 hours ago, david63 said:

There is no Epicurean on Arcadia - it is Ocean Grill (but will not be open for lunch)

Well I'm doing really well with the advice today!!!!!!!! By the time we get on in September I'll probably have forgotten the name of the ship🤣🤣

[beaveh]

7 hours ago, gsmt47471015 said:

Is this the 30 nights on the 6th of September?

Drinks prices are on a par with most uk bars.

The spa is expensive but not as much as your Princess one, however never used it so don't know how good it is.

Lunch on embarkation depends on what time you board, buffet is always a little hectic but other options will be available (staff permitting). 

If you have booked a saver fare you will be allocated dining time when on board , if you booked select you should have been given your dining options (freedom, first ,or second sitting) however the maître de should be able to accommodate a change if they can.

Specialty restaurants are Sindhu (Indian) Epicurian  and the Glass House  but I don't think any are open until the evening   with the possible exception of the Glass House.

I'm sure others on this board will be able to give you any more information should you need it .

Hope you enjoy your cruise🙂 

No, we go just before that one 30th Aug. Just a 7 nighter. 

Thanks for all the tips. It will be exciting exploring a new ship / new line.

[lebreos]

As long as onboard laundrettes are open, take some washing all in 1 pods in a container to do any washing you wish to. If you can manage it self disembarkation by 8am in the morning gets you off the ship nice and early for trip home - unless you are going by arranged bus. study ship map so you dont miss any things you may want to do. tea and coffee available all day in buffet and water. Soft drinks you can buy a package but it depends how much you drink. you can take concentrated squash to add to buffet water, or soft drinks onboard with you. You will have 2 formal nights and dress code is enforced or you will have to use buffet those nights. They now use a smartphone app with ships wifi free to use just for the app for booking any freedom dining and shows. If shows are full the day before check last minute to see if any seats become available...

 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, lebreos said:

You will have 2 formal nights and dress code is enforced or you will have to use buffet those nights

Sorry, but that is just wrong 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by wowzz

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, lebreos said:

If shows are full the day before check last minute to see if any seats become available...

That is wrong as well. 

[Ardennais]

14 hours ago, wowzz said:

Sorry, but that is just wrong 

 

 

Do you mean wrong as in ‘incorrect’ or wrong as in ‘I don’t agree with that’?! 

[picsa]

39 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Do you mean wrong as in ‘incorrect’ or wrong as in ‘I don’t agree with that’?! 

It’s incorrect.

 

If you haven’t booked the show then just turn up anyway as the likelihood of seats not being available is minuscule.

 

For the formal nights, for women these days the dress code is ‘whatever’ and for men - well a guy on the cruise I just got off turned up to the MDR wearing a shirt and tie but without a jacket, so they just loaned him one to walk to the table were he took it off, handed it back and sat down and had dinner.

 

 

[wowzz]

51 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Do you mean wrong as in ‘incorrect’ or wrong as in ‘I don’t agree with that’?! 

Sorry, as Picsa said,  I meant incorrect. 

I will try and be more precise in future ! 

[loveheart]

None of the shows on Britannia a few weeks ago were any where near fully booked. After booking for the first week we just turned up the second week with no problems. 

Dining was hit and miss. We were told just to turn up a couple of times when we asked earlier in the evening but had to wait a while so we joined the virtual queue after that and were usually directed straight to the dining room.

[terrierjohn]

23 minutes ago, picsa said:

It’s incorrect.

 

If you haven’t booked the show then just turn up anyway as the likelihood of seats not being available is minuscule.

 

For the formal nights, for women these days the dress code is ‘whatever’ and for men - well a guy on the cruise I just got off turned up to the MDR wearing a shirt and tie but without a jacket, so they just loaned him one to walk to the table were he took it off, handed it back and sat down and had dinner.

 

 

I am wondering whether to leave my DJ  at home for our next 2 cruises, both of which are on Iona. I would probably take my light coloured jacket and wear a tie for formal nights, but It does seem a bit pointless taking a DJ for just two of them, and it would mean 2 fewer items in the luggage.

[Camberley]

I tend to just take a suit jacket, a couple of ties and shirt to go with whatever trousers I choose to wear on the night. I have done DJ and bow tie but no longer as it’s not as of there is even a hint of those evenings being any more special than normally. Besides, the smart suit approach is comfier for me!

[picsa]

3 hours ago, loveheart said:

Dining was hit and miss. We were told just to turn up a couple of times when we asked earlier in the evening but had to wait a while so we joined the virtual queue after that and were usually directed straight to the dining room.

 

On my recent Azura cruise I was in the MDR so didn't use the booking app, but chatting to another couple as to how it was going they said they hadn't bothered with it and just turned up and had the old "would you like to share" and were immediately shown to a table (although whether choosing to share is a good idea at the moment is a personal decision).

 

 

[picsa]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I am wondering whether to leave my DJ  at home for our next 2 cruises, both of which are on Iona. I would probably take my light coloured jacket and wear a tie for formal nights, but It does seem a bit pointless taking a DJ for just two of them, and it would mean 2 fewer items in the luggage.

 

I saw guys in proper DJs and black tie, guys in comedy DJs, guys in comedy DJs and wearing comedy ties, guys in dark suits with a tie, guys in light suits, guys in shiny suits, guys in jackets and trousers, and nobody had an issue getting into the dining rooms.

 

As I mentioned before the women's dress code is now 'anything, something, whatever, just not a swimming costume but if you insist that will be ok' and the men are now following that precedent.

[Ardennais]

6 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Do you mean wrong as in ‘incorrect’ or wrong as in ‘I don’t agree with that’?! 

 

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

Sorry, as Picsa said,  I meant incorrect. 

I will try and be more precise in future ! 

Now I’m confused because I thought that jackets and ties were required in the MDR on formal night. 
 

 

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, picsa said:

It’s incorrect.

 

If you haven’t booked the show then just turn up anyway as the likelihood of seats not being available is minuscule.

 

For the formal nights, for women these days the dress code is ‘whatever’ and for men - well a guy on the cruise I just got off turned up to the MDR wearing a shirt and tie but without a jacket, so they just loaned him one to walk to the table were he took it off, handed it back and sat down and had dinner.

 

 

So doesn’t that show then that jackets are required (even if it’s not yours!)?

[picsa]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

So doesn’t that show then that jackets are required (even if it’s not yours!)?

If you count ‘required’ as you need to wear a jacket P&O will lend you for the 30 second walk to the table and then take it off and hand it back as ‘required’ then yes it is - but looking around the MDR at the number of men not wearing jackets and the answer might be considered somewhat different.

 

And then comes the question of what is a jacket? All sorts of comedy DJs are accepted as jackets. A suit jacket on its own with casual trousers seems to be considered a jacket. A casual jacket seems to be considered a jacket. So is anything worn over a shirt that opens at the front a jacket?

 

And as for the ties, anything sort of tied, or more likely half tied, around your neck seems to pass muster.

Edited July 9, 2022 by picsa

[Ardennais]

It doesn’t bother me really, as long as people have changed from their swimwear! On Princess, even the formal nights weren’t really that formal (as in traditionally formal) but I thought that many men looked sharper and smarter in modern suits, sometimes without ties.