Food and dining on P&O ships

[elmsliebev]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

We experienced a Marco Pierre White xmas dinner on Oceana a few years ago. My comment was 'pretentious rubbish', the entire table left before the dessert. Contrast this with the xmas dinner at a local country pub which was excellent and what was meant to be hot was HOT.

On Oceana my creme brulee was liquid and didn't have a crunchy caramel top. I complained and was told "that's how Marco likes it" 🤣

[thornegirl]

54 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

On Oceana my creme brulee was liquid and didn't have a crunchy caramel top. I complained and was told "that's how Marco likes it" 🤣

Bit similar on Aurora, beach house cesar salad no croutons and no Parmesan cheese.  Told by the manager “that’s how beach house does it”. Also eggs Benedict in MDR the sauce was the consistency of single cream! Horrible. 

 

[senior lady]

On 9/25/2023 at 4:34 AM, Bill Y said:

We had not come across celebration nights before this year, one of more formal nights were named as celebration nights, before they used to have black and white nights etc. As others have said P&O no longer appear to push the boat out for formal night menus whether this applies to the two smaller ships we will find out next year.

On the Azura formal night menus were the same old boring food.   I was so disappointed in the food in buffet and also MDR.    First cruise that I never gained any weight and I  think I actually lost some.

 

[senior lady]

4 hours ago, thornegirl said:

Bit similar on Aurora, beach house cesar salad no croutons and no Parmesan cheese.  Told by the manager “that’s how beach house does it”. Also eggs Benedict in MDR the sauce was the consistency of single cream! Horrible. 

 

Horrible food on the Azura!!

[majortom10]

The best speciality restaurant we have ever been to on a cruise was XV11 (Seventeen) on Azura. Fantastic atmosphere, service and menu every time, unfortunately the only P&O ship to have XV11 and soon became Epicurean.

[FredaFlinstone]

I read some reports that its quite cool on the ships, especially in some of the restaurants. I'm heading to Norway & Arctic Circle late November on Arcadia.  Are long sleeves recommended for ladies - or just carry a wrap or cardigan in the evenings?

[FangedRose]

7 hours ago, FredaFlinstone said:

I read some reports that its quite cool on the ships, especially in some of the restaurants. I'm heading to Norway & Arctic Circle late November on Arcadia.  Are long sleeves recommended for ladies - or just carry a wrap or cardigan in the evenings?

Just carry a wrap. The interior is usually kept at a constant temperature wherever in the world you are. But certain areas of the ship, and certain seats in certain venues can be chilly due to air conditioning. 

[snaefell]

8 hours ago, FredaFlinstone said:

I read some reports that its quite cool on the ships, especially in some of the restaurants. I'm heading to Norway & Arctic Circle late November on Arcadia.  Are long sleeves recommended for ladies - or just carry a wrap or cardigan in the evenings?

Everybody's different,what may seem perfectly comfortable to some will no doubt have others reaching for the coat,scarf & gloves,a wrap sounds a great idea!

[Slugsta]

When we were on Arcadia last year, I wanted coat, scarf and gloves on board much of the time!

[snaefell]

9 hours ago, Slugsta said:

When we were on Arcadia last year, I wanted coat, scarf and gloves on board much of the time!

Some years ago our first cruise was with Princess to Iceland & Norway in July,you just knew that the other passengers were not a hardy bunch when in The Irish Sea on the first day many were dressed for the Arctic,it was very lonely up on Deck by the time we reached Iceland!😁😁

[JeanieC,Aston]

1 hour ago, snaefell said:

Some years ago our first cruise was with Princess to Iceland & Norway in July,you just knew that the other passengers were not a hardy bunch when in The Irish Sea on the first day many were dressed for the Arctic,it was very lonely up on Deck by the time we reached Iceland!😁😁

Hi

Be prepared,,,,,Celebrity ship in Iceland in June 2009,,,it was cold.😏

[snaefell]

2 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi

Be prepared,,,,,Celebrity ship in Iceland in June 2009,,,it was cold.😏

 

[snaefell]

Just now, snaefell said:

 

 

1 minute ago, snaefell said:

Oh wow that is cool,literally!!!!

 

[Cheshire Blue]

On 10/3/2023 at 7:49 AM, snaefell said:

Some years ago our first cruise was with Princess to Iceland & Norway in July,you just knew that the other passengers were not a hardy bunch when in The Irish Sea on the first day many were dressed for the Arctic,it was very lonely up on Deck by the time we reached Iceland!😁😁

Perhaps a daft question - but have previously only sailed during the summer season (or in warm climates). This year we will be on Arcadia in the Med in November.  🙃.  During the day time (when its warm) - normally I would be wearing Tee Shirts and shorts but assuming climate will be more autumnal than summer - I assume most people wear jumpers and jeans during the day ?   

[snaefell]

2 minutes ago, Cheshire Blue said:

Perhaps a daft question - but have previously only sailed during the summer season (or in warm climates). This year we will be on Arcadia in the Med in November.  🙃.  During the day time (when its warm) - normally I would be wearing Tee Shirts and shorts but assuming climate will be more autumnal than summer - I assume most people wear jumpers and jeans during the day ?   

The weather is so variable everywhere so that is so hard to say,a few years ago we went to Portugal in November,the first half of the holiday was t shirt & shorts weather but after a storm the second half of the stay might as well have been back in the UK!

[Cheshire Blue]

4 minutes ago, snaefell said:

The weather is so variable everywhere so that is so hard to say,a few years ago we went to Portugal in November,the first half of the holiday was t shirt & shorts weather but after a storm the second half of the stay might as well have been back in the UK!

Thanks - weather seems still very warm in the Med at present (but no doubt in three or four weeks it will be like the Arctic !).  I'll be prepared for whatever 😀 

[snaefell]

Only way to think IMO,we were in the Med on Arcadia in May,she had done the same cruise in April & seen record breaking 40+ temperatures,certainly wasn't that way for us!

Enjoy!

[NavyPanda]

I've been reading my Booking Confirmation from P&O for my Early Saver booking and it says the following

 

"Thank you for choosing to book your holiday with P&O Cruises. Your booking has been made on P&O Cruises Early Saver. Your cabin grade has been secured. We will assign your cabin number either in the grade secured or in a higher grade before departure. As you have booked under our Early Saver price you will receive second priority for dining. We will capture your dining preference nearer to sailing and we'll do our best to accommodate it, subject to availability. You will receive notification of your allocated dining once on board. Please note that shuttle buses will be chargeable on board, except in ports where they are compulsory for health and safety reasons"

 

The P&O website on the link below says the following for Early Saver

 

"Flexibility required for your desired dining style, dining time and table size in the main restaurant"

 

Our Prices Explained | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)

 

Whereas the description for Saver (as expected) is

 

Dining allocated upon boarding

 

 

I've read reports on here about people being unable to choose their dining option if they book early saver. (We are regular cruisers on Cunard where Early Saver fares CAN choose their dining option on Voyage Personaliser).  

 

When I log on to My Voyage, I can't see a way to choose my dining option. 

 

 

Can anyone provide an update of what the reality is for choosing (or not) their dining option (First/Second/Freedom) if they have booked Early Saver. Perhaps I am just being inpatient and it isn't close enough to sailing yet?  If you booked Early Saver and were able to choose, how were you able to make your choice and how many days/weeks before sailing were you able to make your choice?

 

I have a feeling that this may be a case where P&O Booking documents say one thing but the reality is quite different!

 

It is not the end of the world if I can't choose the dining option, it would just be nice to know for future reference as I booked on the assumption I was unable to choose and would get what I was given.

[Book bug]

Last week went on 4 night cruise on Ventura, had flexible dining - dining app was not in use. We tend to eat early and had no issues with dining on a table for two and no waiting 

[Fionboard]

I have occasionally booked a saver fare and never had trouble changing my dining if I did not get what I wanted.  However, I prefer 2nd sitting fixed, which is the least popular, so no problem.

[Winnie Witch]

We havent sailed with PO for 5 years,

We used Princess this year and the dining room breakfast wasnt a patch on how I remember the PO standard,

Is there still toast in a rack, marmalade on the table and Bircher Muesli available?

 

When i asked for it on Princess i was given a bowl of dry Alpen and🤨 a glass of milk,,,,hardly the same..

[Scots Couple]

1 minute ago, Winnie Witch said:

We havent sailed with PO for 5 years,

We used Princess this year and the dining room breakfast wasnt a patch on how I remember the PO standard,

Is there still toast in a rack, marmalade on the table and Bircher Muesli available?

 

When i asked for it on Princess i was given a bowl of dry Alpen and🤨 a glass of milk,,,,hardly the same..

Just back from Ventura, marmalade was always a source of discussion at breakfast, some days it eventually turned up other days not a dish in site. 

[snaefell]

On Arcadia back in May/June breakfast saw the buffet packed as the dining room finished too early,nobody wanted to be up that early when on Holiday!

[Wineinhand]

In June my daughter had Bircher muesli everyday, I asked for honey and received it and toast was in the racks .

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, Winnie Witch said:

We havent sailed with PO for 5 years,

We used Princess this year and the dining room breakfast wasnt a patch on how I remember the PO standard,

Is there still toast in a rack, marmalade on the table and Bircher Muesli available?

 

When i asked for it on Princess i was given a bowl of dry Alpen and🤨 a glass of milk,,,,hardly the same..

We’ve been on 3 different P&O ships over the last 4 months and use the MDR for breakfast daily. It’s still very good IMO, but there have been a number of changes post Covid that you might notice.
 

Bircher muesli is alive and well, but it’s a tiny portion. I have it daily - as a starter 😂 They now put dried banana pieces in it which don’t work when in milk, so I fish those out!
 

Toast is still white, brown or mixed, served in a toast rack (although I can never tell which is which). Very thin and usually cold, which to be fair is inevitable in a mass catering environment. You can ask for thick toast, but that’s the other extreme. It’s ridiculously thick and most people would struggle to get it in their mouth!

 

The individual glass pots of conserves have gone and you now have open yellow tubs of strawberry jam and marmalade, sometimes smeared up the sides which looks a bit unappetising and doesn’t seem terribly hygienic to me. 
 

The daily fruit smoothie remains, but is very watered down compared to how it used to be. 
 

The quality of the cooked food remains very good IMHO and whilst the daily specials have gone, you can now get Eggs Benedict every day, which is a positive for me.