Returning to Cruising

[Bazrat]

52 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Am going to say this and duck for cover but if people are really struggling I find it odd that they spend thousands on a cruise. What exactly does struggling mean? It should mean having what you can afford and not what you want but in today's world I don't think it does. 

I want to go on a Celebrity Edge cruise again but we can't afford the prices they are charging at the moment. Does this mean that Celebrity need to dumb down their offer for me? Sadly no .. we have to save up and see if our circumstances change. 

I struggle to pay for cruises, not because I cannot afford it, I just don't like spending money.

[lancashire_cruisers]

16 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

With all due respect to those who prefer to be meat free (vegetarian) or meat and dairy, honey etc free (vegan) turn that statement around. 
 

Guys… you know that you are allowed to eat a carnivore menu even if you aren’t a carnivore, right?

 

It works both ways. 

 

Sadly not true in my case as I have a severe allergy which means I can’t eat meat! To be honest I’m getting a bit tired of the veggie bashing that seems to be popping up with boring regularity, are veggies the new kids on board or dress code target of vilification?

[Denarius]

On 3/27/2024 at 11:46 AM, david63 said:

And that is the whole point that P&O rely on. having said that the same applies to all cruise lines and always has.

My first P&O cruise was in 1996 on Oriana shortly after she entered the fleet and apart from the "She's not like Canberra" comments I have no idea what things were like on P&O before then but accepted is as the norm.

I remember that well! Not the Canberra, she had just been retired when I first sailed with P&O, but the comments. My first P&O ship was the Oriana and I thought that she was marvelous but she was, as I was told, "not like the Canberra". The problem as I understood it was not her size - the "great white whale" was herself a big ship and carried nearly as many passengers - but the absence of particular features which P&O stalwarts had come to expect. In particular, the absence of a ballroom.

[Eglesbrech]

9 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Sadly not true in my case as I have a severe allergy which means I can’t eat meat! To be honest I’m getting a bit tired of the veggie bashing that seems to be popping up with boring regularity, are veggies the new kids on board or dress code target of vilification?

It’s not “veggie bashing”, its a discussion about menus but you know that. 
 

The menus have changed so people discuss it. If you choose to take that as a “bashing” then that is your choice. You feel how you feel but please don’t impose motives on others that are absolutely not there. 

 

[david63]

24 minutes ago, Denarius said:

the absence of particular features which P&O stalwarts had come to expect

You mean like having to use communal "facilities" instead of all cabins now having en-suite bathrooms!

[enjoysailing]

 

22 minutes ago, david63 said:

You mean like having to use communal "facilities" instead of all cabins now having en-suite bathrooms!

 

Gosh, communal facilities sounds more like a 1960's B&B than a luxury cruise!!

 

What I miss is being able to sit comfortably, inside or on deck, and have drink waiters passing by regularly offering to take orders. Having to queue to get a drink is not what I want to go cruising for. Even 'Spoons' has an App to order straight to the table. In fact it puts me off having a beverage package as I don't want to feel I am missing out as I can't get served.

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, Bazrat said:

I struggle to pay for cruises, not because I cannot afford it, I just don't like spending money.

Do you have Scottish ancestry by any chance (or Yorkshire)? 😀

[zap99]

1 hour ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Sadly not true in my case as I have a severe allergy which means I can’t eat meat! To be honest I’m getting a bit tired of the veggie bashing that seems to be popping up with boring regularity, are veggies the new kids on board or dress code target of vilification?

Seems to me that being a carnivore sets you up for ridicule from non carnivore. You will find that carnivores posts are in reaction to Vegan posts. Just saying, as they can bash all they like.

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, enjoysailing said:

 

 

Gosh, communal facilities sounds more like a 1960's B&B than a luxury cruise!!

 

What I miss is being able to sit comfortably, inside or on deck, and have drink waiters passing by regularly offering to take orders. Having to queue to get a drink is not what I want to go cruising for. Even 'Spoons' has an App to order straight to the table. In fact it puts me off having a beverage package as I don't want to feel I am missing out as I can't get served.

I have never had to queue for a drink, but then I only sail on Aurora or Arcadia.  Waiters around both inside and out on deck!

 

As for veggie bashing, I quite like veggie dishes normally but not the ones on P&O.  I just wish there was more variety in the food.  Roast, roast, roast and veggie.

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

I struggle to pay for cruises, not because I cannot afford it, I just don't like spending money.

I don't like spending money, but DW does, so she pays for everything.  I rarely carry cards. All comes out of the same account, but our procedure keeps us happy.

[Goosebear Mum]

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

 

I want to go on a Celebrity Edge cruise again but we can't afford the prices they are charging at the moment. Does this mean that Celebrity need to dumb down their offer for me? Sadly no .. we have to save up and see if our circumstances change. 

exactly. Seems nowadays, people expect ‘dumbing down’ for ‘inclusivity’.  It’s crazy.  I save hard for what we need, I do NOT want cost cutting as an alternative.  I don't expect others to have to eat what is my choice.  I have been investigating other cruise lines as alternatives; yes it may mean one cruise every alternative year, instead if each year, until our mortgage is paid off, but I’d rather pay more to have the service I used to get on p&o.  Our 2 week Aurora last year was a great cruise itinerary, but terrible service/quality. The itinerary and amazing weather made the cruise.  

 

 

[waddle]

3 hours ago, enjoysailing said:

 

 Having to queue to get a drink is not what I want to go cruising for. Even 'Spoons' has an App to order straight to the table. In fact it puts me off having a beverage package as I don't want to feel I am missing out as I can't get served.

If you sail on a Princess ‘Medallion’ class ship then you can order drinks on the app to be delivered to you anywhere on the ship (within reason). Waiters are able to find you with the tracking software in your medallion

 

I’m sure other lines probably do something similar but we found it quite innovative and convenient. For some reason I seem to have a face that is invisible to waiters/bar staff wherever I stand at a bar ! 

[Bazrat]

3 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Do you have Scottish ancestry by any chance (or Yorkshire)? 😀

Scottish yes but Yorkshire is that a place ?

[Lee Jones Jnr]

9 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Am going to say this and duck for cover but if people are really struggling I find it odd that they spend thousands on a cruise. What exactly does struggling mean? It should mean having what you can afford and not what you want but in today's world I don't think it does. 

I want to go on a Celebrity Edge cruise again but we can't afford the prices they are charging at the moment. Does this mean that Celebrity need to dumb down their offer for me? Sadly no .. we have to save up and see if our circumstances change. 

WELL…

What I was getting at was that as the traditional P&O audience are either dying or finding themselves with less money to spend, P&O are having to appeal to people from other audiences. 
I honestly don’t mean this to sound as horrible as it does, but the 4* and 5* hotel guests are the ‘squeezed middle’ so P&O is chasing more 3* guests in order to remain profitable and grow.

[elmsliebev]

On 3/23/2024 at 5:29 PM, sandancer said:

Unfortunately not John. Our cabin attendant told us that she was not allowed to give us either unless we were in a suite. I can live without a face cloth and I bought some body lotion at our first port. 

that's a shame We were on Azura in October and our steward brought body lotion and faceloths (and changed the facecloths daily). He had been working for P&O for 20+ years and was excellent. 

 

As far as the OP asked - I felt the menus in the MDR had definitely deteriorated on our Azura cruise in October. I'm a true omnivore but there wasn't the same amount of choice, and as for the cheese .... The veggie cottage pie was delicious though. 

I recently came across our menus from Oriana several years ago and the range of food offered was definitely more then. 

The ship was excellent and the staff very good. I wouldn't say it had gone "down market" but it didn't feel special any more. We have a Cunard cruise and an Oceania one booked this year but then we'll go land-based next year. Unless we spot a real bargain of course 🤣

Edited March 29 by elmsliebev

[sandancer]

We got them in October on Azura also. Just not on Iona. 

[jaydee6969]

38 minutes ago, sandancer said:

We got them in October on Azura also. Just not on Iona. 

 

I will report back next week, boarding Iona tomorrow.

[halpincat]

No facecloths available on Ventura in February.  I'd taken a couple with me but 35 nights without them having a proper wash wasn't ideal!  They were provided on request on Arcadia in September.  I didn't bother asking about body lotion as it's not been available on any of my post-Covid cruises (Arcadia and Ventura). 

[jaydee6969]

38 minutes ago, halpincat said:

No facecloths available on Ventura in February.  I'd taken a couple with me but 35 nights without them having a proper wash wasn't ideal!  They were provided on request on Arcadia in September.  I didn't bother asking about body lotion as it's not been available on any of my post-Covid cruises (Arcadia and Ventura). 

 

We had body lotion on Arcadia in October 2023, plus facecloths.

[Fionboard]

Everything I asked for was available on Aurora. Got off her yesterday. Great cruise. 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

It didn't really occur to me earlier, but body lotion and face cloths? Is this really a thing that many people care about?

[AndyMichelle]

7 hours ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

It didn't really occur to me earlier, but body lotion and face cloths? Is this really a thing that many people care about?

Like a lot of the niggles that seem to bother so many cruisers, it's because it is deemed as a cutback as was available before. 

Not many of the cutbacks have really affected our cruise experience, only really MDR menus (no sundaes!!!) and some service 'attitudes', possibly caused by understaffing or included tips? 

If everything else that has gone has kept prices reasonable when everything in the world has increased, that's fine by me. 

If the current offering isn't good enough, I will happily pay more to try other lines. 

We still think P&O offers great value and have 2 future cruises booked, but also have 2 Cunard this year as well. It will be interesting to see if we feel the extra cost is justified. 

The selling prices are not that dissimilar, but factoring in tips and drink prices will affect our judgment on whether to stick or twist. 

We are travelling with 6 other family members who have never sailed before on Britannia shortly, not one of them has asked if face cloths or body lotion will be available... 😊

Andy 

 

 

 

 

 

[alpha whiskey]

15 hours ago, sandancer said:

We got them in October on Azura also. Just not on Iona. 

No problem for us on Iona in January and February this year. (2 different, 2 week cruises)

Just asked the cabin steward for facecloths (bring my own body lotion), an extra bath towel and on one occasion a change of pillows as they were a bit hard for our liking.

Nothing was a problem and promptly appeared that same afternoon.

The extra towel and facecloths were replaced every day.

We were in a standard balcony and a lowly Atlantic tier.

Edited March 30 by alpha whiskey

[mrsgoggins]

15 hours ago, halpincat said:

No facecloths available on Ventura in February.  I'd taken a couple with me but 35 nights without them having a proper wash wasn't ideal!  They were provided on request on Arcadia in September.  I didn't bother asking about body lotion as it's not been available on any of my post-Covid cruises (Arcadia and Ventura). 

 

I had facecloths on the 35 night Ventura January trip. Again, they were replaced daily and were provided as soon as I requested them.

[Peppers mum]

We've just come off Azura, asked our cabin steward for body lotion which he instantly provided along with face cloths.