Woo Hoo... Britannia day today...

[Presto2]

14 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Budget is a big factor, not whether we can afford it, more of wanting value for money. 

If we had paid £50pppn I would have said it was great value. 

So, do we go cheap, knowing what to expect, or try to get exactly what we want at a much higher price? 

You might be lucky with the app, some ships seem to be dropping it already, although I suspect the bigger ones will keep it. 

Andy 

We can but dream 😉

[mrsgoggins]

8 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

 

How exciting for your birthday and anniversary, we might even join you, Cunard has to be a conversation now. 

Andy 

 

That would be lovely; I'd love to meet you both. However as it's a 21 day cruise and I believe you're still a youngster with a job...... 😉

 

2 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Budget is a big factor, not whether we can afford it, more of wanting value for money. 

If we had paid £50pppn I would have said it was great value. 

 

 

This exactly. Every word sums up how I felt after our Iona experience.

[mrsgoggins]

7 hours ago, Cathygh said:

 

Regarding other cruise lines Princess is worth a look. I love Cunard but their drinks are pricey, but then P&O drinks are probably the cheapest at sea.

 

 

Good advice about looking at Princess IMO. I've done a few with them and always been happy. In fact we joined Sky Princess today and all is looking good so far.

 

[AndyMichelle]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Good advice about looking at Princess IMO. I've done a few with them and always been happy. In fact we joined Sky Princess today and all is looking good so far.

 

Have a great cruise, we will definitely have a look. 

Andy 

[grapau27]

12 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

So, that went quick... 

Just a quick summary of what we found, good and bad. 

Please remember these are our experiences and we are fully aware others, even on the same cruise, would have found things different. 

Embarkation was extremely easy for us, but just got lucky. Arrived very early planning to go off for lunch after dropping our bags off and were waved straight through. Within 20 minutes of arrival, we were in the Glasshouse, which handily was our muster point. 

Muster was easy, just scan your cruise card and watch the demo on the telly in your cabin. 

Our cabin was very clean, and kept this way by our stealth like steward who we barely saw but would have the room spotless by the time we returned from breakfast. Clean towels were supplied whenever we wanted them. 

We stayed in the same cabin in 2015 and 2018 and the only real sign of deterioration was the balcony furniture, which just had some flaky paint, but was still clean and useable. 

We had soap but no biscuits or water. Not an issue for us, thanks to this forum, we went prepared. 

Flannels were available, but like a lot of things on this cruise, you now have to ask for them. 

The ship was spotless, cleaners were everywhere and we didn't see any evidence of tables being left dirty etc. 

The ship was full, but this may have been down to the very cheap prices offered just after final payments. We heard one guy bragging he and his mates paid £300 each to share a cabin for 7 nights, 'cheaper than Benidorm' was his cry!!!

Two thirds of the passengers on board were first time cruisers. 

After a rocky first couple of days, where the atmosphere amongst the passengers was spiky, everything seemed to settle down and we all found a way of enjoying our holidays without upsetting others. 

By the end, the atmosphere on board was great and the constant queue at the future cruise desks seem to say lots of others will be coming back soon. 

The buffet was very busy, but seemed to have a good choice of food. Thanks to the excellent staff, there was always somewhere to sit. We avoided the buffet as much as possible though, solely down to other passengers lack of hygiene and respect for their fellow guests and crew. 

Also, I thought us Brits were good at queuing... The amount of people who just walked to the front of long queues was astonishing. 

The first 2 nights in the mdr were very disappointing, but the last 2 nights were good. Breakfast and lunch in the Peninsula was constantly good.

The vibe has changed from previous years and the service is quite rushed, even on fixed dining 2nd sitting. We learnt that if you fight back a bit, they will let you enjoy your meal at a bit more of a leisurely pace, but you really are encouraged to get out ASAP. 

The theme of having to ask for everything continues, no sauces offered, no water refills, no extra bread, no coffee refills etc, unless you ask... 

The food was hit and miss, Michelle had 2 inedible meals on the first 2 nights, mine were fantastic. 

The Epicurean was a let down for us, but I know others loved it. 

The Glasshouse was great, but the booking system was causing arguments. 

The App is a bit of a sore point, you are encouraged to use it then penalised for doing so as walk ups would be given priority...Just not fair. 

The crew were very hard working and efficient all around the ship, polite but not overly friendly. 

We spoke to a waiter who we had met previously on Aurora. He said things have changed so much for the crew since lock down, they now just keep their heads down and do their jobs. 

Most of the entertainment was really good, although we didn't like the headliners, but others said they were great. 

Pulse were exceptional, a real party band with 2 great vocalists. 

In summary, as we have always known, P&O are far from perfect, but have always suited us. They still do, but we might need to be a bit more cautious when booking on dates and ship etc. 

We paid select fair, but only really got the cabin we wanted as a benefit. The massive difference in price now makes me wonder if saver is the way to go and have 3 cruises for the price we paid... 

Things we missed... Peroni, Raspberry creme brulee, planters punch, prawn cocktail, salmon, sundaes. 

We tried a lot of the gf, v, vegan, ls desserts, most of them were pretty poor compared to their traditional counterparts. 

Chick pea meringue and rice pudding with almond milk etc just don't compare, and don't get me started on the custard... 

Andy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great summary Andy.

I appreciate your opinions as a well respected cruiser on this forum.

Thank you.

Graham.

[terrierjohn]

As a comparison to P&O, we have just embarked Sky Princess, although she is a sister ship to Britannia, you really would not know it. She is far more glitzy and there is a lot more going off, especially in the Atrium or Piazza as Princess calls it, and the entertainment appears better quality, although geared very much towards US guests. But surprisingly the music is far more 60s, 70s and 80s than the current P&O offerings, which appears to think anything last century is too old fashioned.

As regards the food, our first MDR dinner was significantly better than P&O, with much more choice, better more relaxed service with very friendly wait staff, in fact everything that die hard P&Oers seem to miss.

I am looking forward to seeing just how much better it is over 14 days, and if it is worth the extra cost.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Good advice about looking at Princess IMO. I've done a few with them and always been happy. In fact we joined Sky Princess today and all is looking good so far.

 

I hope you have a fantastic cruise @mrsgoggins.

Graham.

[grapau27]

46 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

As a comparison to P&O, we have just embarked Sky Princess, although she is a sister ship to Britannia, you really would not know it. She is far more glitzy and there is a lot more going off, especially in the Atrium or Piazza as Princess calls it, and the entertainment appears better quality, although geared very much towards US guests. But surprisingly the music is far more 60s, 70s and 80s than the current P&O offerings, which appears to think anything last century is too old fashioned.

As regards the food, our first MDR dinner was significantly better than P&O, with much more choice, better more relaxed service with very friendly wait staff, in fact everything that die hard P&Oers seem to miss.

I am looking forward to seeing just how much better it is over 14 days, and if it is worth the extra cost.

I hope you have a fantastic cruise John.

[AndyMichelle]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

As a comparison to P&O, we have just embarked Sky Princess, although she is a sister ship to Britannia, you really would not know it. She is far more glitzy and there is a lot more going off, especially in the Atrium or Piazza as Princess calls it, and the entertainment appears better quality, although geared very much towards US guests. But surprisingly the music is far more 60s, 70s and 80s than the current P&O offerings, which appears to think anything last century is too old fashioned.

As regards the food, our first MDR dinner was significantly better than P&O, with much more choice, better more relaxed service with very friendly wait staff, in fact everything that die hard P&Oers seem to miss.

I am looking forward to seeing just how much better it is over 14 days, and if it is worth the extra cost.

Have a great cruise John, will look forward to your feedback. 

Andy 

[BestGuessed]

My husband and I have recently thoroughly enjoyed a fourteen night cruise onboard Sky Princess and in our opinion there is no comparison to the last P&O cruise we took onboard Britannia.  We can wholeheartedly support the comments Terrierjohn and Mrs Goggins have made with regard to Princess.  The royal class ships are beautiful and we were incredibly impressed.  
Most definitely worth a look Andy !!

[gsmt47471015]

12 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

As a comparison to P&O, we have just embarked Sky Princess, although she is a sister ship to Britannia, you really would not know it. She is far more glitzy and there is a lot more going off, especially in the Atrium or Piazza as Princess calls it, and the entertainment appears better quality, although geared very much towards US guests. But surprisingly the music is far more 60s, 70s and 80s than the current P&O offerings, which appears to think anything last century is too old fashioned.

As regards the food, our first MDR dinner was significantly better than P&O, with much more choice, better more relaxed service with very friendly wait staff, in fact everything that die hard P&Oers seem to miss.

I am looking forward to seeing just how much better it is over 14 days, and if it is worth the extra cost.

We have been considering Princess for a long time now ,and perhaps some of the comments on these boards will make up our minds for us as we both have concerns with the path P and O are going down following our recent Azura cruise we started thinking cruising has run its course for us , however we have never sailed with Princess so it might reenergize us.  

[mrsgoggins]

58 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

We have been considering Princess for a long time now ,and perhaps some of the comments on these boards will make up our minds for us as we both have concerns with the path P and O are going down following our recent Azura cruise we started thinking cruising has run its course for us , however we have never sailed with Princess so it might reenergize us.  

If you see an itinerary you fancy, I’d definitely suggest you give Princess a try.

 

Up to now, the one (very) small thing that P&O do better is to bring toast in a toast rack!  Everything else so far on Sky Princess has been excellent.

[AndyMichelle]

1 minute ago, mrsgoggins said:

If you see an itinerary you fancy, I’d definitely suggest you give Princess a try.

 

Up to now, the one (very) small thing that P&O do better is to bring toast in a toast rack!  Everything else so far on Sky Princess has been excellent.

Thank you. 

We had looked previously at Princess, but I think P&O just seemed simpler. 

British money, reasonable drinks prices, no tax on drinks etc, no tipping. 

I know you can get that all in a package, but what package would suit us. 

I would just need to do a fair bit of research. 

Andy 

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Thank you. 

We had looked previously at Princess, but I think P&O just seemed simpler. 

British money, reasonable drinks prices, no tax on drinks etc, no tipping. 

I know you can get that all in a package, but what package would suit us. 

I would just need to do a fair bit of research. 

Andy 

 

I understand about P&O being simpler. I'd watch prices and look out for offers from Princess as part of your research. For instance, Princess had a £1 deposit on cruises some months ago. It doesn't last long when they do it. They have also had a half price offer on a drinks/internet/grats package, which ended recently.

 

Princess play the 'dynamic' pricing card like they all do, so it's always a case of buyer beware however. Good luck with the research Andy.

[Ilovemygarden]

3 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

If you see an itinerary you fancy, I’d definitely suggest you give Princess a try.

 

Up to now, the one (very) small thing that P&O do better is to bring toast in a toast rack!  Everything else so far on Sky Princess has been excellent.

Sadly - the second thing they do better is have a little mercy on solo passenger prices!   

[Megabear2]

10 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Sadly - the second thing they do better is have a little mercy on solo passenger prices!   

Very true but sometimes you can get lucky. My 24 nights solo on Sky to Canada was actually £700 cheaper than Arcadia was going to be and was with the package. I also looked at Ambassador, same destination but over £1,000 more expensive.  I've seen a few Princess cruises with better than expected solo fares, particularly on specialist t/a sites.  

[Britboys]

13 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Sadly - the second thing they do better is have a little mercy on solo passenger prices!   

Yes - that and the fact that a number of their ships don't have a Promenade Deck are two big drawbacks for me...

[Cathygh]

7 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Thank you. 

We had looked previously at Princess, but I think P&O just seemed simpler. 

British money, reasonable drinks prices, no tax on drinks etc, no tipping. 

I know you can get that all in a package, but what package would suit us. 

I would just need to do a fair bit of research. 

Andy 

Regarding the £50 a Princess Plus package, if you use the internet a lot like I do for work, it is just about worth getting. The gratuities are $16 a day, so then it will come down to how much you drink. Also if you push them Princess will allow you to refare once, if the price drops. I have sailed on Enchanted and Caribbean Princess and had excellent service. We had forgotten to bring a US adapter so our steward got one for us free of charge  (they were $27 in the shop). Just be aware that the headline price excludes flights (if needed) on the Princess website.  

 

[Winifred 22]

15 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

Regarding the £50 a Princess Plus package, if you use the internet a lot like I do for work, it is just about worth getting. The gratuities are $16 a day, so then it will come down to how much you drink. Also if you push them Princess will allow you to refare once, if the price drops. I have sailed on Enchanted and Caribbean Princess and had excellent service. We had forgotten to bring a US adapter so our steward got one for us free of charge  (they were $27 in the shop). Just be aware that the headline price excludes flights (if needed) on the Princess website.  

 

Does the refaring work if sailing from Southampton?and booked via UK website?

[Cathygh]

31 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

Does the refaring work if sailing from Southampton?and booked via UK website?

I believe so according to what I've read on the Princess forum 

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, Cathygh said:

Regarding the £50 a Princess Plus package, if you use the internet a lot like I do for work, it is just about worth getting. The gratuities are $16 a day, so then it will come down to how much you drink. Also if you push them Princess will allow you to refare once, if the price drops. I have sailed on Enchanted and Caribbean Princess and had excellent service.

 

 

Interesting! I also let Princess know of my displeasure at a large price drop some years ago and was allowed to re-fare and told it was a 'one time' thing. At the time I dismissed this as something said to a 'squeaky wheel'. Maybe not 😀

 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Interesting! I also let Princess know of my displeasure at a large price drop some years ago and was allowed to re-fare and told it was a 'one time' thing. At the time I dismissed this as something said to a 'squeaky wheel'. Maybe not 😀

 

Back in 2014 we received 2 price reductions on a family holiday with Princess, resulting in a 40% saving on the original price.

[Ardennais]

14 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Back in 2014 we received 2 price reductions on a family holiday with Princess, resulting in a 40% saving on the original price.

Does it happen automatically or do you have to ask for it?

[terrierjohn]

5 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Does it happen automatically or do you have to ask for it?

You get nothing without asking, but it does help if you have booked through the best on line cruise agent  who will do all the leg work for you.

Edited July 10, 2023 by terrierjohn

[Ardennais]

4 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

You get nothing without asking, but it does help if you have booked through the best on line cruise agent  who will do all the leg work for you.

I use a TA too, so I take it that I would have to monitor the prices and then ask the TA to contact Princess?