Cheap prices on Aurora!

[Fionboard]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Even then, I doubt that the fans of the small ships would be tempted.

I certainly would. She has an adults only pool and bar and Ventura has a quiet adults only area by The Retreat. Do Iona and Arvia have adults only spaces?

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Even then, I doubt that the fans of the small ships would be tempted.

I probably wouldn't because of the lack of a Promenade... But never say never.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Waju said:

...I'm sure P&O could fill a mid size ship like Britannia with adults - I hope they can find a few places we haven't been to before though.

Hmm, not sure. If both Aurora & Arcadia had left the fleet then maybe but filling an adult-only ship regularly with three and a half to four thousand pax is quite an ask.

Without a significant change in policy, I doubt P&O are going to broaden the number of destinations again and Britannia would be limited by her size.

[laslomas]

Just another note on the Promenade deck. It is the area where Muster stations are set, and is the area to get into lifeboats if the worse happens. So they need to be roomy and free of too many obstacles. I remember in days gone by, all passengers would have to complete their muster safety drill on the Promenade deck at the same time - whatever the weather. Strangely it was not done before setting sail.

[doog442]

6 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Yes just checked out Arvia. Deck 8 is classed as a Promenade deck. It's huge and wide. But it's not covered. And you do have sunbeds and chairs and Jacuzzis at you say. There is also an outdoor bar area at one end at least that you would have to "promenade" though when open. I imagine people use that area on sea days. Didn't have  time to check both ends this morning.

 

At 8am ish there was nobody on the promenade other than other walkers and some people dining outside the Quays.

 

It's definitely wide enough to accommodate the sunbeds and chairs and the Jacuzzis though. It's approaching 8 metres wide in many places.

 

 

 

Sorry for interrupting your holiday 🤣 but what do you think of the so called balcony cabins on the promenade deck (deck 8 on Arvia. )

 

We were allocated one on a saver for the cruise we had to cancel a few weeks back.

 

I kind of went in with a positive mindset (did a thread on it) but the lack of privacy was kind of grating away at me after watching a few youtube vids. Sadly we didn't get to experience it but the cabin was also above the Headliners so I'm thinking we may have dodged a bullet.  

[Pippa04]

9 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

 

 

I looked at Aurora (admittedly from a long distance away from above yesterday)

 

And it didnt appear to have made any real use of the front of the ship for nice seating areas or pools outside? I could be wrong though.

 

 

Traditionally there is an area at the front of ships for the crew to get fresh air and exercise or relaxation which can't normally be seen when onboard but can be viewed better from ashore. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, doog442 said:

 

Sorry for interrupting your holiday 🤣 but what do you think of the so called balcony cabins on the promenade deck (deck 8 on Arvia. )

 

We were allocated one on a saver for the cruise we had to cancel a few weeks back.

 

I kind of went in with a positive mindset (did a thread on it) but the lack of privacy was kind of grating away at me after watching a few youtube vids. Sadly we didn't get to experience it but the cabin was also above the Headliners so I'm thinking we may have dodged a bullet.  

Funny enough we walked by those cabins a couple of evenings ago and I commented to my wife they had zero privacy.

 

I wouldnt want to pay to stay in them myself as a balcony cabin. 

 

Would accept as a free upgrade from an inside or outside cabin (do they have outside window cabins on here?)

 

The glass is glazed to try and provide some privacy compared to normal balcony cabins. But that's it

 

It's a no from me for those balconies

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

...Would accept as a free upgrade from an inside or outside cabin (do they have outside window cabins on here?)...

Yes, Deck 4 on both new ships has lots of outside/window cabins with just a few more on Deck 5.

[Ardennais]

3 hours ago, doog442 said:

 

Sorry for interrupting your holiday 🤣 but what do you think of the so called balcony cabins on the promenade deck (deck 8 on Arvia. )

 

We were allocated one on a saver for the cruise we had to cancel a few weeks back.

 

I kind of went in with a positive mindset (did a thread on it) but the lack of privacy was kind of grating away at me after watching a few youtube vids. Sadly we didn't get to experience it but the cabin was also above the Headliners so I'm thinking we may have dodged a bullet.  

Deck 8 recently on Iona. There is no way that I would want to stay in these cabins!

[paulatsea]

15 hours ago, Waju said:

Although I adore Aurora, its the 'adult only' bit that's really important to us.  Having seen parents letting kids play football in the atrium and teenage groups on the larger ships playing 'tag' up and down he staircase and in the lifts we prefer the more sedate cruises!

 

I'm sure P&O could fill a mid size ship like Britannia with adults - I hope they can find a few places we haven't been to before though.

I agree -  I would go on any p&o ship that was adults only as that’s the most important thing to us.

[paulatsea]

16 hours ago, wowzz said:

Even then, I doubt that the fans of the small ships would be tempted.

I would ! But for me it’s the adults only part that’s more important than the ship size.

Edited March 1, 2023 by paulatsea

[Fionboard]

If the two adults only ships went, surely Ventura would be more obvious for the replacement. A bit smaller, and older, than Britannia and based in Southampton. Perfect for me as one of my favourites.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Fionboard said:

If the two adults only ships went, surely Ventura would be more obvious for the replacement. A bit smaller, and older, than Britannia and based in Southampton. Perfect for me as one of my favourites.

Actually you would hope that for part of the year, at least,  she would not be based in Southampton,  in order to at least have some Eastern Med cruises. 

[BrianI]

33 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Actually you would hope that for part of the year, at least,  she would not be based in Southampton,  in order to at least have some Eastern Med cruises. 

In the past we have done some Eastern Med cruises round trip from Southampton. Usually 18 days. Ports visited include Cyprus, Israel and Port Said. - not on the same cruise.

Brian

[GOQ]

14 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Deck 8 recently on Iona. There is no way that I would want to stay in these cabins!

Take a look at the first photograph in this sequence. I had the Exactly equivalent  cabin on Arvia on its TA cruise in January.

It was absolutely horrible, the last cabin on the starboard side deck 8, cabin 8.123.

 

1. The seated view was obstructed by the green/frosted glass and the windscreen opposite.

2. Next to this cabin is an equipment room of some sort, I  am guessing it is aircon with extraction grills onto the deck. During the passage across the Bay of Biscay (TA Southampton to Barbados) it was horrendously noisy. It sounded like a metal filing cabinet was being thrown repeatedly across the room next door. After the BofB this racket fortunately stopped..    

3. Everybody, absolutely everybody, could look directly into my cabin. Some people passing by were quite brazen about it and had a good look, others were embarrassed and others might say good morning and might have a chat.

4. Somebody actually vomited onto my balcony (I have a photo to prove this), the mess looks like Weetabix ???, my mind boggles. 

 

 

 

[wowzz]

17 minutes ago, BrianI said:

In the past we have done some Eastern Med cruises round trip from Southampton. Usually 18 days. Ports visited include Cyprus, Israel and Port Said. - not on the same cruise.

Brian

The problem with those itineraries is that you still have the three day slog out of, and back to, Southampton, with no doubt yet another visit to Gib included !

Just nice to fly out to the ship and do away with those six sea days.

[terrierjohn]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

The problem with those itineraries is that you still have the three day slog out of, and back to, Southampton, with no doubt yet another visit to Gib included !

Just nice to fly out to the ship and do away with those six sea days.

If Azura continues to do Malta fly cruises, then I see no benefit to P&O in having an additional ship do Med fly cruises.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, BrianI said:

In the past we have done some Eastern Med cruises round trip from Southampton. Usually 18 days. Ports visited include Cyprus, Israel and Port Said. - not on the same cruise.

Brian

But maybe not possible at the reduced cruising speeds P&O and others are operating at...

[Fionboard]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

Actually you would hope that for part of the year, at least,  she would not be based in Southampton,  in order to at least have some Eastern Med cruises. 

Done several Adriatic cruises from Southampton. Doing one from Southampton in May on Arcadia. No wish to fly. 

[SeaJane]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

Actually you would hope that for part of the year, at least,  she would not be based in Southampton,  in order to at least have some Eastern Med cruises. 

We’ve also done several 19 night Adriatic cruises from Southampton and several years ago went as far as Alexandria and Port Said. In October we are on Aurora from Southampton and she is going to Rhodes and Crete amongst other places.

[bobstheboy]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

The problem with those itineraries is that you still have the three day slog out of, and back to, Southampton, with no doubt yet another visit to Gib included !

Just nice to fly out to the ship and do away with those six sea days.

Not everyone wants to fly. 

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, SeaJane said:

We’ve also done several 19 night Adriatic cruises from Southampton and several years ago went as far as Alexandria and Port Said. In October we are on Aurora from Southampton and she is going to Rhodes and Crete amongst other places.

See you on board!  I haven't been to Mykonos, Rhodes or Crete (well I have, but only landed and took off again in my aircrew days).

[happy v]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

See you on board!  I haven't been to Mykonos, Rhodes or Crete (well I have, but only landed and took off again in my aircrew days).

It sounds lovely.

[jh1809]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

The problem with those itineraries is that you still have the three day slog out of, and back to, Southampton, with no doubt yet another visit to Gib included !

Just nice to fly out to the ship and do away with those six sea days.

It doesn't have to be Gib. I've been on a couple of cruises that called at Ceuta instead, which made a pleasant change.

[jh1809]

On 2/28/2023 at 10:31 AM, Interestedcruisefan said:

I looked at Aurora (admittedly from a long distance away from above yesterday)

 

And it didnt appear to have made any real use of the front of the ship for nice seating areas or pools outside? I could be wrong though

I think the trouble with the bow is that if the ship is in motion there's likely to be a strong wind from dead ahead. I suppose they could put up a big wall all round the edge of the deck as a windbreak, but it would spoil the look of the most elegant ship in the fleet.