Ventura a worrying review

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Just looked at a random selection of cruises for various cruise lines for standard balcony for next June.

 

Ambassador £700 pp week

P&O  and Princess,  circa  £1000 pp week

Cunard about £1400 pp week 

Celebrity  about £1700 pp week 

Saga about  £2000 pp week

Regent , Silversea,  Seabourn £3000 or much more

 

Which confirms what people have been saying   you gets what you pay for. Ie you pays your money and takes your choice

 

All of them offer what their customers consider value for money. Just choose your price point, but don't expect 5 star service for 3 star price.

I certainly don’t expect 5 star service on P&O. I just want them to deliver what they’ve stated on their website/glossy brochure! Afternoon tea definitely. And if I had young children and booked a cruise based on their spiel regarding the clubs and night nursery etc, I would be very miffed if these were unavailable.  

[terrierjohn]

Just now, Ardennais said:

I certainly don’t expect 5 star service on P&O. I just want them to deliver what they’ve stated on their website/glossy brochure! Afternoon tea definitely. And if I had young children and booked a cruise based on their spiel regarding the clubs and night nursery etc, I would be very miffed if these were unavailable.  

It's a few years since we last went on med hotel holidays, but I seem to remember that most of them had something missing from the stated features in he holiday brochure. The tour rep would just shrug her shoulders and tell you the tennis courts had not been available all summer, or the secluded beech walk had been overgrown for years, to which we shrugged our shoulders and did something else.

[devonuk]

9 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Just looked at a random selection of cruises for various cruise lines for standard balcony for next June.

 

Ambassador £700 pp week

P&O  and Princess,  circa  £1000 pp week

Cunard about £1400 pp week 

Celebrity  about £1700 pp week 

Saga about  £2000 pp week

Regent , Silversea,  Seabourn £3000 or much more

 

Which confirms what people have been saying   you gets what you pay for. Ie you pays your money and takes your choice

 

All of them offer what their customers consider value for money. Just choose your price point, but don't expect 5 star service for 3 star price.

Ironically I was looking at a week in the Seychelles last evening and £1500-£2000 gets you a fairly decent hotel on a half board basis inc flights. 🤷‍♂️

[Host Sharon]

12 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Just looked at a random selection of cruises for various cruise lines for standard balcony for next June.

 

Ambassador £700 pp week

P&O  and Princess,  circa  £1000 pp week

Cunard about £1400 pp week 

Celebrity  about £1700 pp week 

Saga about  £2000 pp week

Regent , Silversea,  Seabourn £3000 or much more

 

Which confirms what people have been saying   you gets what you pay for. Ie you pays your money and takes your choice

 

All of them offer what their customers consider value for money. Just choose your price point, but don't expect 5 star service for 3 star price.

But you can't do a direct comparision without factoring in what you get as standard with each line. When I booked the now-cancelled South America cruise for 2023, I did a like-for-like comparison between the one on Aurora and one on Saga, based on the lowest grade balcony cabin as all Saga cabins have balconies. Guess which is which! 

Nights		65			78
No. of ports		24			24
Cost from		£13,299			£15,371
Insurance		£1,050			0
WiFi		£812			0
Drinks		£800			0
Transport to port		£300			0
Excursions		£1,200			£600
Total		£17,461			£15,971

[Cruisemeister2002]

It is sad to read some of the comments regarding P&O as most of our cruises have taken place with them. 15 out of 16 cruises in fact and our next two God willing are with P&O. The first one on Ventura and while it must be admitted that compared to Saga P&O prices are roughly half the price for the same length cruise. This doesn't take into account the drinks and excursions that Saga provide with their cruises. Having cruised on both Ventura and Azura I prefer Azura, but then haven't been on either for some time. But it does concern me that reviews of staffing and availability of Specialist restaurants seem to point to a downgrading of availability of both. Are the same problems evident with Cunard or Royal Caribbean? If so are P&O becoming the dregs of Carnival .

[Harry Peterson]

20 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

It is sad to read some of the comments regarding P&O as most of our cruises have taken place with them. 15 out of 16 cruises in fact and our next two God willing are with P&O. The first one on Ventura and while it must be admitted that compared to Saga P&O prices are roughly half the price for the same length cruise. This doesn't take into account the drinks and excursions that Saga provide with their cruises. Having cruised on both Ventura and Azura I prefer Azura, but then haven't been on either for some time. But it does concern me that reviews of staffing and availability of Specialist restaurants seem to point to a downgrading of availability of both. Are the same problems evident with Cunard or Royal Caribbean? If so are P&O becoming the dregs of Carnival .

You may have a point there - Carnival are very much in need of cash, so maybe a sale of subsidiaries such as P&O could very much help them survive. And once you’ve made a decision like that, customer loyalty isn’t really an issue any more.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

But you can't do a direct comparision without factoring in what you get as standard with each line. When I booked the now-cancelled South America cruise for 2023, I did a like-for-like comparison between the one on Aurora and one on Saga, based on the lowest grade balcony cabin as all Saga cabins have balconies. Guess which is which! 

Nights		65			78
No. of ports		24			24
Cost from		£13,299			£15,371
Insurance		£1,050			0
WiFi		£812			0
Drinks		£800			0
Transport to port		£300			0
Excursions		£1,200			£600
Total		£17,461			£15,971

Wow, aren't they a bargain .Guess who I'm referring to?. Not much activity on the Saga threads

[Ardennais]

14 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

It's a few years since we last went on med hotel holidays, but I seem to remember that most of them had something missing from the stated features in he holiday brochure. The tour rep would just shrug her shoulders and tell you the tennis courts had not been available all summer, or the secluded beech walk had been overgrown for years, to which we shrugged our shoulders and did something else.

Of course. Easy enough for adults to find something else to do.  But the children’s club is a major attraction for many parents and might be an important element in choosing this particular type of holiday. 

[bbtablet]

On 11/17/2022 at 8:33 AM, ozzysdad said:

 I'm off on Azura in a couple of weeks and have Arvia and Iona to look forward to next year all being well, I shall enjoy them the best I can whilst my health and legs allow me.

Your comment about health and legs is so apposite.

"You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" as the song says.

[Windsurfboy]

6 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

But you can't do a direct comparision without factoring in what you get as standard with each line. When I booked the now-cancelled South America cruise for 2023, I did a like-for-like comparison between the one on Aurora and one on Saga, based on the lowest grade balcony cabin as all Saga cabins have balconies. Guess which is which! 

Nights		65			78
No. of ports		24			24
Cost from		£13,299			£15,371
Insurance		£1,050			0
WiFi		£812			0
Drinks		£800			0
Transport to port		£300			0
Excursions		£1,200			£600
Total		£17,461			£15,971

 

Host Sharon ,  did Saga drop the price because at launch it was advertised at £17663 (see Below).  However this doesn't alter your argument that compared to Aurora,  Saga can be great value. Given that we all agree that Saga service is head and shoulders above P&O and food is in a different league. 

 

Saga insurance can offer exceptional value for longer cruises,  or people with pre existing conditions,  but for shorter European cruises it's expensive.  Personally after trying them , I wouldn't go on an included saga excursion if you paid me.

 

Anyway yesterday we booked a November 2023 Caribbean cruise with Saga, so all in all think they offer great  service and value.

 

But P&O also offer good value. 

 

However Aurora and  Arcadia are very much more expensive than the bigger ships , the cruise at £1450 a week on Aurora compares to an Iona Caribbean at £900 a week. This is under half the price of Saga at £2000 a week. 

 

 A European Iona cruise will work out cheaper than Saga even taking into account drink , WiFi ,  insurance,  excursions , which you dont need to buy all of them.

 

I completely agree with you my comparison is simplistic and more expensive lines offer more, but all in all I think the ranking is informative. 

 

 

 

April 5, 2022: Saga Cruises has today officially launched its 2023 ocean cruise itineraries with a host of new destinations, ports and experiences for guests currently all with up to 35% off the full fare price for early bookers (prices below reflect the discount).

Ocean cruise highlights:

Saga’s 2023 ocean cruising will kick off in style with a 78-night South American itinerary departing from Portsmouth on Spirit of Adventure on January 12. The epic South American Explorer cruise will travel around the vast coastline calling at destinations such as Devil’s Island in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Colombia, the Chilean Fjords, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and the Panama Canal transit. Prices start from £17,663 per person.

[Host Sharon]

6 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Host Sharon ,  did Saga drop the price because at launch it was advertised at £17663 (see Below).  However this doesn't alter your argument that compared to Aurora,  Saga can be great value. Given that we all agree that Saga service is head and shoulders above P&O and food is in a different league. 

 

Saga insurance can offer exceptional value for longer cruises,  or people with pre existing conditions,  but for shorter European cruises it's expensive.  Personally after trying them , I wouldn't go on an included saga excursion if you paid me.

 

Anyway yesterday we booked a November 2023 Caribbean cruise with Saga, so all in all think they offer great  service and value.

 

But P&O also offer good value. 

 

However Aurora and  Arcadia are very much more expensive than the bigger ships , the cruise at £1450 a week on Aurora compares to an Iona Caribbean at £900 a week. This is under half the price of Saga at £2000 a week. 

 

 A European Iona cruise will work out cheaper than Saga even taking into account drink , WiFi ,  insurance,  excursions , which you dont need to buy all of them.

 

I completely agree with you my comparison is simplistic and more expensive lines offer more, but all in all I think the ranking is informative. 

 

 

 

April 5, 2022: Saga Cruises has today officially launched its 2023 ocean cruise itineraries with a host of new destinations, ports and experiences for guests currently all with up to 35% off the full fare price for early bookers (prices below reflect the discount).

Ocean cruise highlights:

Saga’s 2023 ocean cruising will kick off in style with a 78-night South American itinerary departing from Portsmouth on Spirit of Adventure on January 12. The epic South American Explorer cruise will travel around the vast coastline calling at destinations such as Devil’s Island in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Colombia, the Chilean Fjords, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and the Panama Canal transit. Prices start from £17,663 per person.

If you pay £90 for pre-registration you get phoned up before the cruises go on general sale, and thus the greatest discount. That way they are much more affordable. You cannot go by the 35% or whatever discount because, as with any cruise line, the base price goes up according to demand. The £90 is fully refundable if you don't book anything.

[Windsurfboy]

Host Sharon

 

Interesting , thank you , I've pre registered for 2025,  only expecting the 35%, hopefully get more.  

 

Thursday's decision to book November 23 Carribean was an impulse purchase so only got 25%.😢

 

As for our discussion of P&O prices,  think you have to think of P&O as two companies  , Big ships are at a different price point to Aurora and Arcadia 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[Host Sharon]

36 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

As for our discussion of P&O prices,  think you have to think of P&O as two companies  , Big ships are at a different price point to Aurora and Arcadia 

I agree, but since I now have mobility issues, I will only sail on smaller ships - ie Aurora or Arcadia so I never look at the big ship prices.

[Denarius]

On 11/18/2022 at 11:14 AM, Harry Peterson said:

You may have a point there - Carnival are very much in need of cash, so maybe a sale of subsidiaries such as P&O could very much help them survive. And once you’ve made a decision like that, customer loyalty isn’t really an issue any more.

An interesting comment Harry.

It seems generally accepted that when Carnival made a hostile takeover bid for P&O/Princess sunsequent to the later agreeing a friendly merger with RoyalCaribbean/Celebrity it was Princess they were after. P&O just came as part of the package and they did not seem to know what to do with it as they already had a UK focussed line in Cunard. Since then, they have imo let P&O slide down in quality to put clear blue water between it and Cunard, and to compete more easily with the next tier down like Marella. But this sector appears to be becoming increasingly price sensitive. I fear that should Carnival need cash P&O could well find itself up for sale.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, Denarius said:

An interesting comment Harry.

It seems generally accepted that when Carnival made a hostile takeover bid for P&O/Princess sunsequent to the later agreeing a friendly merger with RoyalCaribbean/Celebrity it was Princess they were after. P&O just came as part of the package and they did not seem to know what to do with it as they already had a UK focussed line in Cunard. Since then, they have imo let P&O slide down in quality to put clear blue water between it and Cunard, and to compete more easily with the next tier down like Marella. But this sector appears to be becoming increasingly price sensitive. I fear that should Carnival need cash P&O could well find itself up for sale.

 

But they have made a massive investment with Iona and our Vera. So they might just get rid of older ships

[Peppers mum]

Hi, is anyone on here currently on Ventura?

Just heard she's stuck in Tenerife with technical issues???

We're due on her on Saturday.

[davecttr]

Marine Traffic shows her leaving at 12 knots

[Peppers mum]

Thanks hopefully it was something and nothing!

We're going with friends we met on Arcadia in 2016 on her last leg of her round the world tour. Ventura was our 1st ship and holds a special place in my heart! (Mind you they all do!).

Thanks again.

[Dobbers]

I watched the review (thanks for the link) and this is worrying as we are going on Ventura on Saturday. 
We tend to breakfast around 8am and have dinner around 6.30pm so fingers crossed these times aren’t too busy as we have pre booked entertainment. Speciality dining isn’t available for pre book 🙄

Agree with Jamie’s point about filling up ships when they don’t have enough staff. Will see how it goes and enjoy our cruise 🥂

[kalos]

48 minutes ago, Dobbers said:

I watched the review (thanks for the link) and this is worrying as we are going on Ventura on Saturday. 
We tend to breakfast around 8am and have dinner around 6.30pm so fingers crossed these times aren’t too busy as we have pre booked entertainment. Speciality dining isn’t available for pre book 🙄

Agree with Jamie’s point about filling up ships when they don’t have enough staff. Will see how it goes and enjoy our cruise 🥂

 Hope to hear back from you on your return and hope you do have a wonderful cruise .😊

[mike x ftc]

We watched Jamie's review at the weekend and thought it was very good, very balanced and honest.  I think it is poor that P&O are acknowledging staffing issues as he said they sent him an email and yet they are still packing the ships to capacity - it is unfair on passengers and the staff, they will just become exhausted. It would have been interesting to know what sort of times he was going to the main dining room in the morning and evening.

[bbtablet]

10 hours ago, Dobbers said:

I watched the review (thanks for the link) and this is worrying as we are going on Ventura on Saturday. 
We tend to breakfast around 8am and have dinner around 6.30pm so fingers crossed these times aren’t too busy as we have pre booked entertainment. Speciality dining isn’t available for pre book 🙄

Agree with Jamie’s point about filling up ships when they don’t have enough staff. Will see how it goes and enjoy our cruise 🥂

We too prefer 6.30pm for dinner so we always book fixed dining on Ventura and pre-book entertainment, so wonder why you didn't?

[crazy cat lady 83]

35 minutes ago, bbtablet said:

We too prefer 6.30pm for dinner so we always book fixed dining on Ventura and pre-book entertainment, so wonder why you didn't?

We ate around 6-6.30 on this cruise and we didn’t have a problem apart from on formal nights where I think everyone was eating earlier than usual and we had around a 10 minute wait to get in. It was always when we were leaving the MDR the queues were extremely large. 

The MDRs were a lot busier than we have ever experienced even at 6-6.30 which has always been the quieter time to eat. I am not sure whether this had a knock on affect to the later times? Apart from once we never had a long wait for our courses.

 

We hope you have a lovely. We had a lovely cruise and would book Ventura again in a heart beat. 
 

 

[Dobbers]

3 hours ago, bbtablet said:

We too prefer 6.30pm for dinner so we always book fixed dining on Ventura and pre-book entertainment, so wonder why you didn't?

We prefer Freedom dining. Have tried Club and it wasn’t for us, we usually only eat 2 courses and feel it would be rude to leave the table while others are only halfway through their courses.

[Dobbers]

On Ventura, it’s pretty bad trying to get a meal in MDR.  Speciality dining has been fully booked since embarkation and I have honestly never had anything this bad regards waiting times and service in all the years cruising with P&O ☹️
We’re 11 nights away from Caribbean tier, not sure we’ll get there if they don’t sort things out and concentrate on all ships not just the new ones.