Cut backs on P&O

[Megabear2]

As I understand it from my previous Celebrity Edge cruise the menu in the dining rooms were the same every night plus one daily special. However every restaurant had a totally different theme, ie French, Greek, Italian and I think steak house.  P&O offer nothing like that so the choice is now totally reduced to take it or leave it.  Paying the extras is fine if you can buy a dinner package in advance or book in advance. P&O offer no equivalent and the very limited specialist dining venues are frequently not available to all.

 

Reliance of the MDRs on P&O ships is subsequently very high and decent varied menus essential for most I'd guess. Personally I'd budget to do the pay restaurants on Celebrity and I bypassed the package by choosing to pay the higher price to get a time before boarding but that option isn't really viable on a ship such as Azura or Britannia, although slightly more choice on Iona/Arvia.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Megabear2

[Dermotsgirl]

8 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

Harry,

I think I am noticing these cut backs  more because having been a very frequent cruiser, I have not done so since pre-Covid, so all the cutbacks have hit me in one go.  I think, like you I was used to being pampered.  I think my main ‘beef’ are cut backs in the MDR.  Whilst I enjoy going to the speciality restaurants, I take objection to having to do so because of the poor quality of food in the MDR.  I have read 12 Ventura menus and they all featured Cesar salad as a starter.  Not a prawn cocktail in sight.  
 

As regards the iron, we are in a throw away society.

I understand what you mean.

 

It's now nearly 3 and a half years since I've been on a P&O ship, and even in normal times, changes would have happened.  But the events of the last few years have accelerated the rate of change, so I'm sure I'd notice a lot of differences to my last P&O Cruise.

 

I think I would rather remember P&O as it was,  and, at the present time, think it's fairly unlikely that I would go on P&O again. But, never say never, if there's a general trend of improvement, I may end up being tempted! 

[Tablelamp]

I really don’t understand P and O’s reluctance to serve shellfish.  It’s not as though it is expense.

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I really don’t understand P and O’s reluctance to serve shellfish.  It’s not as though it is expense.

Freshness? Allergies? Religion? Risk of food poisoning  - sadly the freshness of buffet salad left a lot to be desired at Christmas after the first week.

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Freshness? Allergies? Religion? Risk of food poisoning  - sadly the freshness of buffet salad left a lot to be desired at Christmas after the first week.

Not so sure about that, they have served such things for years, on Arcadia we had prawn cocktail, lobster (once) mussels as a starter a couple of times and various other shrimp starters.

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Not so sure about that, they have served such things for years, on Arcadia we had prawn cocktail, lobster (once) mussels as a starter a couple of times and various other shrimp starters.

I appreciate that but as they're now clearly avoiding it in its purest form. Clearly available if you pay so cost is most likely but I bet they'd use one of the other reasons if you challenged them!

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I appreciate that but as they're now clearly avoiding it in its purest form. Clearly available if you pay so cost is most likely but I bet they'd use one of the other reasons if you challenged them!

Probably, reading current messages the menu seems to have reduced significantly since our cruise which only returned just before Christmas. I also think we may have had a more varied menu as it was a 40 night cruise? it will be interesting what people report back from Arcadia and Aurora on their long cruises.

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, yorkshirephil said:

Probably, reading current messages the menu seems to have reduced significantly since our cruise which only returned just before Christmas. I also think we may have had a more varied menu as it was a 40 night cruise? it will be interesting what people report back from Arcadia and Aurora on their long cruises.

Apparently the one on Ionabis meant to be fleet wide. Will be interesting to see it. 

[Britboys]

I think I might have nightmares about shellfish tonight...😱🤣

[Fionboard]

33 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Not so sure about that, they have served such things for years, on Arcadia we had prawn cocktail, lobster (once) mussels as a starter a couple of times and various other shrimp starters.

No prawn cocktail on Arcadia at Xmas. Just unpleasant caesar salad every night. However, Xmas dinner featured a king prawn starter which was lovely.

[Goosebear Mum]

Shame, a prawn cocktail for me is my holiday treat! As it was ‘always available’ I could rely on it if none of the other starters ‘appealed’.  A cesar salad is a waste… basically a plate of lettuce, yuck!  We have a P&O cruise in May, on Aurora, but it may become our final one with them. I am not wishing to go on a cruise equivalent of a budget airline, at a cost of £6,000… more luxury lines are not much more and provide a lot more. We’re tied into this May cruise, else I may have ‘deserted’ ship already! I’ll give it a try, enjoy the ports, and just hope and pray it remains a special holiday.

[kalos]

17 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I think I might have nightmares about shellfish tonight...😱🤣

 

It's good to talk about it , just don't clam up ...🤣😉

[Tablelamp]

I just wish I had known about these ‘cut backs’ before I paid my final balance.  Imagine what it has cost me for a 35 night cruise.  This was supposed to be my swan song, saving up for it for a very long time.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Freshness? Allergies? Religion? Risk of food poisoning  - sadly the freshness of buffet salad left a lot to be desired at Christmas after the first week.

It's quite expensive, even the dodgy stuff. Sick squid.

[Britboys]

24 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I just wish I had known about these ‘cut backs’ before I paid my final balance.  Imagine what it has cost me for a 35 night cruise.  This was supposed to be my swan song, saving up for it for a very long time.

Try to go with a positive frame of mind. As it's a long cruise, they might try harder!

[kalos]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Freshness? Allergies? Religion? Risk of food poisoning  - sadly the freshness of buffet salad left a lot to be desired at Christmas after the first week.

Travel insurance ?  Avoid eating shellfish to avoid losing your .. No Clam Bonus 😉

[Camberley]

2 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

I really don’t understand P and O’s reluctance to serve shellfish.  It’s not as though it is expense.

They’d probably cite the ubiquitous and “Operational reasons”

[majortom10]

11 hours ago, Cathygh said:

When I was on Azura in October, the new cruisers I met thought it was fantastic. I don't mind some of the cuts but it was the MDR menu that was disappointing. My family were on the following week and said there was no chicken on the MDR menu. Certainly the first post covid cruises were far better. I have also done 2 Princess cruises - one in May and one I have just returned from. On both occasions the ships were not full, so this might be an unfair comparison but the food was superior to P& O althought they did run out of papaya on the last morning. I would love to see papaya on P&O! Service was excellent and there was no waiting in the bars. And there was an evening turn down service. P&O entertainment still has the edge but that also needs addressing on P&O.

It does make me wonder if P&O are bearing the brunt of cutbacks in the Carnival group. I have 2 more cruises booked with them this year and I am seriously considering cancelling them. Ths food issues seem to have started when their main supplier in Southampton went bust but that is almost a year ago and they really need to sort this out now. @molecrochip do you know if there will be any improvement soon?

 

Certainly dont think so when we cruised on Emerald Princess last June. On the day we embarked and went to International Cafe for a speciality coffee and before we even ordered the waitress said let me tell you what is not available on the menu and went down the list. We hadnt even left Southampton so that was very disappointing. There was no brandy available of any kind in the MDR for after dinner to have with drinks package and the availability of beers and lagers gradually got worse until on the last full sea day at lunch in the buffet I asked the waiter for a drink and as I went down the list until he came out with the statement "would sir like a glass of water" and he wasnt joking he was deadly serious. The food in MDR was the poorest we have ever had on Princess and for the first time ever on a Princess cruise was glad to get off the ship. We actually enquired if we could get off the ship early in Glasgow but the cost of train fare to Southampton to pick the car up changed our minds. We will not be cruising with Princess in the near future or if at all.

[Aulanis]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

it will be interesting what people report back from Arcadia and Aurora on their long cruises.

 

Do you know anyone currently on the Arcadia?   We are considering a Baltic cruise in June

 It is cheap 🙂 but having read the reviews from Christmas/New Year not so sure 😞

I was sure I posted in their roll call  but perhaps it was a bit notPC   anyway it has been deleted

and oddly I have not had a warning.  Maybe I forgot to press submit.LOL. I will maybe try again not 

that there are many on the roll call and not many posts at all.

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Aulanis said:

 

Do you know anyone currently on the Arcadia?   We are considering a Baltic cruise in June

 It is cheap 🙂 but having read the reviews from Christmas/New Year not so sure 😞

I was sure I posted in their roll call  but perhaps it was a bit notPC   anyway it has been deleted

and oddly I have not had a warning.  Maybe I forgot to press submit.LOL. I will maybe try again not 

that there are many on the roll call and not many posts at all.

There's been a few posts coming in from the world cruise but they've mainly been about not being able to call at ports.

 

There was apparently Norovirus onboard so a deep clean took place in Fort Lauderdale after the Bahamas refused entry.  

 

Not much else heard since then.  Suggest you keep an eye out on the various threads as some do have friends onboard or joining along the route.

[Eglesbrech]

15 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

I just wish I had known about these ‘cut backs’ before I paid my final balance.  Imagine what it has cost me for a 35 night cruise.  This was supposed to be my swan song, saving up for it for a very long time.

Given the level of complaints right across social media and bad publicity over the Christmas period I’m sure things will improve rapidly. No company wants unhappy customers so presumably the feedback to date will be considered and improvements made where they are required.

 

I’m on a cruise shortly and I’m going with an entirely open mind and ready to fully enjoy my cruise. Go with the view that all will be well, I’m sure on a longer cruise like yours it will be.
 

[Bill Y]

12 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Certainly dont think so when we cruised on Emerald Princess last June. On the day we embarked and went to International Cafe for a speciality coffee and before we even ordered the waitress said let me tell you what is not available on the menu and went down the list. We hadnt even left Southampton so that was very disappointing. There was no brandy available of any kind in the MDR for after dinner to have with drinks package

As brandy must be the most popular digestif if can only be that they did not wish to serve it as most people requesting it would be on drinks packages.

 

P&O have form on not having drinks sold as part of wine packages not been available in all restaurants.

[Tablelamp]

I have a friend on the Iona at the moment.  She tells me that the quality of the food has deteriorated and that you need to ask if you want a banana.  They are no longer put out on the buffet at breakfast time.

[Cathygh]

12 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Certainly dont think so when we cruised on Emerald Princess last June. On the day we embarked and went to International Cafe for a speciality coffee and before we even ordered the waitress said let me tell you what is not available on the menu and went down the list. We hadnt even left Southampton so that was very disappointing. There was no brandy available of any kind in the MDR for after dinner to have with drinks package and the availability of beers and lagers gradually got worse until on the last full sea day at lunch in the buffet I asked the waiter for a drink and as I went down the list until he came out with the statement "would sir like a glass of water" and he wasnt joking he was deadly serious. The food in MDR was the poorest we have ever had on Princess and for the first time ever on a Princess cruise was glad to get off the ship. We actually enquired if we could get off the ship early in Glasgow but the cost of train fare to Southampton to pick the car up changed our minds. We will not be cruising with Princess in the near future or if at all.

I concur that is dreadful, and if that had been my experience I wouldn;y go back either

 

[Cathygh]

12 hours ago, Aulanis said:

 

Do you know anyone currently on the Arcadia?   We are considering a Baltic cruise in June

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