First P & O cruise questions

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, mum and son said:

Not sure if this has been discussed on the forum yet (I've been absent for a bit) but P&O now charge for poached eggs... they are considered a specialty 😏. If you're lucky enough to have access to Byron Beach Club and therefore have access to Angelos for breakfast, your poached eggs and Eggs Benny are free! Wahoo.

All I can say is Wednesday - Thursday - Friday. Eggs are getting to be in short supply and expensive, but the same eggs on a hotplate are N/C, right. Pfffffft.

I prefer my eggs poached, and especially Benny, so will be informing P&O that I will not be booking any future cruises with them. Big deal? Not really, but you have to decide where the line in the sand is.

 

And seeing your signature, you do need to book something else 😄

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by arxcards

[mum and son]

53 minutes ago, arxcards said:

 

And seeing your signature, you do need to book something else 😄

 

It's crazy, right? Paying for a poached egg, vs a scrambled or fried egg is a new low.

 

I'm definitely light on for upcoming cruises but I like to take my elderly parents with me because cruising is one of the simple joys of their lives, so I'm stuck with options out of Brisbane while I'm still lucky enough to have them around 😇. 

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, mum and son said:

It's crazy, right? Paying for a poached egg, vs a scrambled or fried egg is a new low.

 

I'm definitely light on for upcoming cruises but I like to take my elderly parents with me because cruising is one of the simple joys of their lives, so I'm stuck with options out of Brisbane while I'm still lucky enough to have them around 😇. 

Ahh, I see. Only one ship option till September, or November for anything shorter than 4 weeks..

 

I looked at a menu a friend forwarded to me this evening. There isn't an option for a poached egg on the Waterfront breakfast menu (fried or scrambled plus omelettes). And yes, premium +$9 each for eggs benny or eggs royal. I am also reliably informed they no longer have boiled eggs in the Pantry.

 

I get that they used to charge for different stuff like breakfast milkshakes with donuts on top, but these egg dishes have been N/C on cruise ship breakfast menus since Adam was a boy. I guess that not enough people were falling for the shake & donut.

 

I wonder how much their Premium Egg Package is going to cost per day. 🤣

[arxcards]

[mum and son]

12 hours ago, arxcards said:

I wonder how much their Premium Egg Package is going to cost per day. 🤣

 

Hahaha. Imagine!

[MMDown Under]

9 minutes ago, mum and son said:

 

Hahaha. Imagine!

You have to keep a sense of humour in relation to increasing prices for food which used to be included in the fare.  Imagine the shock if this was even suggested years ago, when everything, which made cruising so special, was included. We used to holiday annually on different Whitsunday Islands, because they were all inclusive.  

[mum and son]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

You have to keep a sense of humour in relation to increasing prices for food which used to be included in the fare.  Imagine the shock if this was even suggested years ago, when everything, which made cruising so special, was included. We used to holiday annually on different Whitsunday Islands, because they were all inclusive.  

Yes I agree. As long as people clearly understand what they're getting before they board I'm ok with it. Nobody will go hungry on a cruise, but I AM glad that I'll have the Byron Beach Club perks and can still get free Eggs Benny in Angelos for breakkie 😁.

Edited June 12, 2023 by mum and son

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, mum and son said:

Yes I agree. As long as people clearly understand what they're getting before they board I'm ok with it. Nobody will go hungry on a cruise, but I AM glad that I'll have the Byron Beach Club perks and can still get free Eggs Benny in Angelos for breakkie 😁.

I doubt most people not on CC or F would know until they were on board.  I feel sorry for families. I was taught to be grateful and just do without.  But modern parents don’t like to disappoint their children.

 

[dazadelaide]

Yes paying for poached eggs is just wrong.

We didn't have to pay extra on Explorer in March but there was a charge for them on the Adventure in May.

That was the most disappointing thing on our last cruise.

I did put that in my P&O response email you get after your cruise when they ask "how did we do" 

Needless to say I didn't have poached eggs on my cruise!

In the pantry I did ask for boiled eggs one day and they were supplied to me ( no charge )

Daz

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, dazadelaide said:

Yes paying for poached eggs is just wrong.

We didn't have to pay extra on Explorer in March but there was a charge for them on the Adventure in May.

That was the most disappointing thing on our last cruise.

I did put that in my P&O response email you get after your cruise when they ask "how did we do" 

Needless to say I didn't have poached eggs on my cruise!

In the pantry I did ask for boiled eggs one day and they were supplied to me ( no charge )

Daz

Glad you got boiled eggs.  Were they hard or runny.  Runny eggs with soldiers are an essential holiday treat.  

[dazadelaide]

They were hard as that is the i prefer them.

Unlike poached which i prefer runny.

Edited June 13, 2023 by dazadelaide
spelling

[Sparky74]

How much are washing machine and clothes dryer tokens? 
We disembarked the Pacific Encounter on Saturday. My onboard account arrived by email today and I can’t see where they’ve charged me for them. 🤷‍♂️

[dazadelaide]

It was $6 for 1 wash and 1 dry

Daz

[mr walker]

17 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

How much are washing machine and clothes dryer tokens? 
We disembarked the Pacific Encounter on Saturday. My onboard account arrived by email today and I can’t see where they’ve charged me for them. 🤷‍♂️

Likely there is another passenger complaining "what are these charges on my account - I never did any bl%$dy washing" 🙂  Say "thankyou" Sparky!!

[MMDown Under]

14 minutes ago, mr walker said:

Likely there is another passenger complaining "what are these charges on my account - I never did any bl%$dy washing" 🙂  Say "thankyou" Sparky!!

Sounds like your lucky day Sparky!

[sewgood]

18 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

How much are washing machine and clothes dryer tokens? 

This was from the Pacific Adventure two weeks ago.

[Essence08]

Leaving on Saturday for my first cruise with P&O along with my 2 kids (4 and 7) My 7 year old has a bunch of food allergies and for breakfast on cruises LOVES smoked salmon - not impressed about it suddenly costing $7 and don't get my started on the eggs benny situation - that's my cruise breakfast go to!!!! Not to mention chips in the Waterfront restaurant - eek!  We do have permission to bring some safe foods on board for him - wonder if I can bring a jar of bearnaise sauce and add it fried eggs 🤣 Or maybe sell it off by the tablespoon - cover the cost of my cruise in no time 🙂 

Still grateful to be going on a cruise but don't think I'll be booking P&O again. 

Anyone else on this cruise from Brisbane? 

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, Essence08 said:

Leaving on Saturday for my first cruise with P&O along with my 2 kids (4 and 7) My 7 year old has a bunch of food allergies and for breakfast on cruises LOVES smoked salmon - not impressed about it suddenly costing $7 and don't get my started on the eggs benny situation - that's my cruise breakfast go to!!!! Not to mention chips in the Waterfront restaurant - eek!  We do have permission to bring some safe foods on board for him - wonder if I can bring a jar of bearnaise sauce and add it fried eggs 🤣 Or maybe sell it off by the tablespoon - cover the cost of my cruise in no time 🙂 

Still grateful to be going on a cruise but don't think I'll be booking P&O again. 

Anyone else on this cruise from Brisbane? 

I'd be taking smoked salmon for your seven year old, and sharing it!

[Essence08]

43 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'd be taking smoked salmon for your seven year old, and sharing it!

A giant 1kg slab should get us through the week 😛 Not sure that counts as non-perishable 🙂

 

[MMDown Under]

13 minutes ago, Essence08 said:

A giant 1kg slab should get us through the week 😛 Not sure that counts as non-perishable 🙂

 

Has permission to bring some safe foods.

[dazadelaide]

Essence08,

Didn't notice any extra charge for chips in the waterfront on our recent cruise on the Adventure.

The extra charge for eggs benny is just stupid!

Make sure to complain about this charge on the "how did we do" E-mail you get a few days after your cruise, unless people say something P&O will just accept this charge is ok.

Daz

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, dazadelaide said:

Essence08,

Didn't notice any extra charge for chips in the waterfront on our recent cruise on the Adventure.

The extra charge for eggs benny is just stupid!

Make sure to complain about this charge on the "how did we do" E-mail you get a few days after your cruise, unless people say something P&O will just accept this charge is ok.

Daz

I advised them that after somewhere between 15 & 20 cruises on P&O, we have just put a line through them. Unfollowed their social media feeds, and unsubscribed from emails. They could have fleeced DW & I for an extra $50+ per cruise, but we aren't falling for that and there are lots of other ships on the sea.

 

It isn't a specialty, but a staple cruise breakfast (for us) that has always been inclusive till now, and is still inclusive everywhere else. Charging for eggs in the dining room for breakfast, what next!

[Essence08]

14 hours ago, arxcards said:

I advised them that after somewhere between 15 & 20 cruises on P&O, we have just put a line through them. Unfollowed their social media feeds, and unsubscribed from emails. They could have fleeced DW & I for an extra $50+ per cruise, but we aren't falling for that and there are lots of other ships on the sea.

 

It isn't a specialty, but a staple cruise breakfast (for us) that has always been inclusive till now, and is still inclusive everywhere else. Charging for eggs in the dining room for breakfast, what next!

 

Thats how I feel and I haven't even sailed with them yet. Yes it is a cheaper cruise than others I've been on, so I accept that not everything will be to the same standards (but not substantially)  (repeating menus in the main dining room for example) but paying for eggs benny in the dining room is a whole level I wasn't expecting. It's hardly a luxury meal. I like cruising because I  have very few additional costs once I'm on board - with P&O it feels like EVERYTHING is an added cost. The kids and I will still have an amazing time, but in future will stick with cruise lines that don't charge for a poached egg 🙂 

[cheznandy]

We have done both P&O and Carnival twice this year. So much more included food on Carnival.

Our daughter and three grandkids were just with us on the Splendor last week, and lived on pizza and icecream.....all free on Carnival. So much choice in the buffet, Masala Tiger curries, stir fries made to order, pizza, guys burgers and fries and the same food in the buffet for dinner as what is on the menu in the dining room that night. (we found this out on Luminosa earlier this year).

Seaday brunch.....with eggs all ways!!! Huge menu. 

We have crossed P&O off the list too, sad as they have some good itineraries to the islands and PNG, and we like the Grand class old Princess ships.

[SinbadThePorter]

10 hours ago, cheznandy said:

We have done both P&O and Carnival twice this year. So much more included food on Carnival.

 

On P&O's plus side I think you're forgetting Dragon Lady and Angelo's.

 

I was on Luminosa 3 times this year and I also lived on pizza and ice cream, mainly because I thought the other offerings were pretty poor. Their free pizza was definitely the highlight of the menu. Although as pizza goes it was just average.

 

To tell the truth I wouldn't separate P&O and Carnival as far as food goes. They are both not up to scratch and far behind Princess and Royal. Which is a shame because in most other respects they provide a comparable product to the more expensive cruise lines.